US Politics Thread |OT| THE DARKEST TIMELINE

[Trent Dole]

Looks like hardline conservatives may have figured out a way to get a wingnut nominated instead of those pussies like McCain and Romney

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/dixie-rising-113734.html?hp=t2_r

The less electable the better.

[Oblivion]

I will vote for the worst option that is most viable in the GOP primary field. I hope to fuck that it's Santorum.

I'd pull the lever for Ben Carson.

[Dickie Dee]

I will vote for the worst option that is most viable in the GOP primary field. I hope to fuck that it's Santorum.

I'd pull the lever for Ben Carson.

 

[Brehvolution]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/22/1353667/-How-many-days-did-the-TeaParty-cease-activies-after-their-supporters-Killed-Cops

[Oblivion]

This has been a pet issue of mine that I've been following ever so closely, and today Ezra Klein spells it out as plainly as possible:

When the Affordable Care Act was first grinding its way through Congress, some liberal writers noticed just how bad a deal Democratic states were getting. "Those in the red states still smarting over Barack Obama's election victory can perhaps take solace in this," MacGillis wrote. "The Democrats' No. 1 domestic policy initiative, universal health care, is likely to help red America at the expense of blue."

So all else equal, a bill that spends its money covering the uninsured is going to spend more money in red states than blue ones. But all else isn't equal. The way Obamacare pays for itself also favors red states.

But after the Supreme Court's ruling, Republican governors and legislatures in state after state rejected the expansion. Rejecting the Medicaid expansion, however, doesn't exempt a state from the taxes and spending cuts Obamacare uses to fund the Medicaid expansion. A September analysis from McClatchy estimated that "if the 23 states that have rejected expanding Medicaid under the 2010 health care law continue to do so for the next eight years, they’ll pay $152 billion to extend the program in other states — while receiving nothing in return." That's a helluva gift from (mostly) red states to (mostly) blue ones.

Now the Supreme Court will take up King v. Burwell, in which the plaintiffs argue that the text of the Affordable Care Act makes it illegal for subsidies to flow through federally-run exchanges. If they're successful, then it will be possible for a state that opposes to Obamacare to withdraw from both the Medicaid expansion and the exchange subsidies — that is to say, from pretty much all of Obamacare's benefits. But they will still pay all of its costs. They will still pay the law's taxes and their residents will still feel the law's Medicare cuts. Obamacare will become a pure subsidy from the states that hate the law most to the states that have embraced it. It's like a fiscal version of reverse psychology.

http://www.vox.com/2014/12/23/7440131/obamacare-red-states

 
This is the only positive thing that would come out of the SC voting in favor of the Republican argument. Way to sock it to Obama you stupid fucks.

[Phoenix Dark]

It's was inevitable, the state is too small. I'd love to see California try it...

[Oblivion]

The man was waiting to board American Airlines Flight 1140 to Dallas when a cheerful gate agent began welcoming everyone with the Yuletide greeting while checking boarding passes.

The grumpy passenger, who appeared to be traveling alone, barked at the woman, “You shouldn’t say that because not everyone celebrates Christmas.”

The agent replied, “Well, what should I say then?”

“Don’t say, ‘Merry Christmas!’ ” the man shouted before brushing past her.

Once on the plane, he was warmly greeted by a flight attendant who also wished him a “merry Christmas.” That was the last straw.

“Don’t say, ‘Merry Christmas!’ ” the man raged before lecturing the attendants and the pilot about their faux pas.

The crew tried to calm the unidentified man, but he refused to back down and continued hectoring them.

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/plane-passenger-tossed-after-flipping-out-over-106144235462.html

I knew Obama would eventually snap one of these days.

[Human Snorenado]

...we gonna forget the time that one dude got banned for stanning Avatar?

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Vermont dropped its single-payer plan last week, in case anyone missed that.

[Phoenix Dark]

attribute meaningless political shit to complex structures brehs

Imagine if Romney was president right now and had authorized the Keystone Pipeline. They'd be claiming it led to the low gas prices. I watched some of Obama's press conference a few weeks ago and you could tell he cherished the chance to troll by explaining how world gas prices work, vs the Beltway bullshit approach to explaining things by pointing to irrelevant shit.

[Dickie Dee]

http://gawker.com/ta-nehisi-coates-responds-its-a-privilege-for-me-to-b-1674748746

TNC with that work 

[Rufus]

He literally spells it out. No reason to doubt that it's true for him.

[Phoenix Dark]

He's arguing it's a privilege in a specific sense for him (academically benefiting from teachers who cured him of bullshit views on race at a HBCU), not a privilege overall in a grander scope.

I haven't read Sullivan's defense but I'm kind of surprised by the comments I have seen. I can understand publishing the article back then, but now it's pretty clear that the book was bullshit and intellect isn't based on race. Hell a brief look at African v African American test scores could tell you doing well in school is largely a product of environment/parents.

[benjipwns]

Economists by media mentions over 90 days and their publishing ranking:


I would have done the top 30 or 50 honestly. There's too many long-term and a pair of short-term media presences to get much out of it.

[Oblivion]

He said Republicans should tell constituents that “not all tax cuts pay for themselves” and warn about potential revenue shortfalls.

Oh yeah that's totally gonna happen, brehs. Not telling people about the negative effects is how they sell supply side garbage to begin with.

[Steve Contra]

I noticed the Bore's collective opinion of the Republican party is so low that the number 3 in Congress speaking to a bunch of white supremacists didn't even a "meh" here.

[Rufus]

I've read about that, but didn't think of posting it here.

[ToxicAdam]

I don't really see the distinction between speaking to racists and/or speaking to bankers, lobbyists, corporatists, predatory religious figures.

If anything, racists are usually in their own little solitary bubbles and don't really hurt people in the ways those other groups do.

[benjipwns]

Except the one in the White House.

[Human Snorenado]

I don't really see the distinction between speaking to racists and/or speaking to bankers, lobbyists, corporatists, predatory religious figures.

If anything, racists are usually in their own little solitary bubbles and don't really hurt people in the ways those other groups do.

You trying to tell me there wouldn't be a shit show if James Clyburn (the black, Democratic whip in the house) spoke to, say, the New Black Panthers or the Nation of Islam?

 

[Steve Contra]

I don't really see the distinction between speaking to racists and/or speaking to bankers, lobbyists, corporatists, predatory religious figures.

If anything, racists are usually in their own little solitary bubbles and don't really hurt people in the ways those other groups do.

You trying to tell me there wouldn't be a shit show if James Clyburn (the black, Democratic whip in the house) spoke to, say, the New Black Panthers or the Nation of Islam?

 

Get caught in a lazy TA troll brehs.  2015 isn't any different

[Great Rumbler]

Obama being associated with Jeremiah Wright was a controversy for forever, and that dude's got nothing on David Duke.

[ToxicAdam]

Get caught in a lazy TA troll brehs.  2015 isn't any different

Cut me some slack. If I apply myself hard enough, I bet I can even get Mandark to log in and respond.

[Steve Contra]

Get caught in a lazy TA troll brehs.  2015 isn't any different

Cut me some slack. If I apply myself hard enough, I bet I can even get Mandark to log in and respond.

"if"

[Oblivion]

I noticed the Bore's collective opinion of the Republican party is so low that the number 3 in Congress speaking to a bunch of white supremacists didn't even a "meh" here.

I've said elsewhere that I'm not even against Boehner keeping him in his leadership position. It's not like there's any difference policy-wise between Scalise and your average Republican.

[Phoenix Dark]

Remember when Obama got attacked by republicans (and Hillary Clinton) because Louis Farrakhan said nice things about him?


Honestly I don't care about this story but still. All it really does is highlight how in tune the modern GOP's policy goals are with David Duke's 90s platform, which was essentially the embodiment of Southern Strategy politics. Blacks get hurt more than whites (not true)...so gut education, gut welfare, etc.

[Human Snorenado]

Whatchu gotta say about this, PD?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mia-love-scalise-white-nationalist-group-speech

[Great Rumbler]

A black female Mormon

[Phoenix Dark]

Whatchu gotta say about this, PD?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mia-love-scalise-white-nationalist-group-speech

Honestly...eh. As I said earlier the GOP has basically adopted Duke's 90s platform.

[Brehvolution]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bill-oreilly-david-duke-shouting-match

"I'm not a white supremacist at all, in fact the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) was a charted civil rights organization," Duke said, adding that he fought the "racial discrimination" of affirmative action while serving in Louisiana's state legislature.

[benjipwns]

What part of "race realist" don't you understand?

[Joe Molotov]

He doesn't hate black people, he just really loves white people.

[benjipwns]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/01/05/this-post-shamelessly-uses-frederick-county-md-council-member-kirby-delauters-name-without-authorization/

Kirby Delauter, a Frederick County (Maryland) Council Member threatens a local journalist (Bethany Rodgers) for … using his name without permission in a newspaper article. No, really:

Uh, Council Member: In our country, newspapers are actually allowed to write about elected officials (and others) without their permission. It’s an avantgarde experiment, to be sure, but we’ve had some success with it.

  more like kirby debutthurt amirite

[Brehvolution]

"You used my name in a paper!? Liberal agenda!"

Tourettes

[Human Snorenado]

And conservatives wonder why people think they're dumb

[Joe Molotov]

"Your rights stop where mine start."

I don't get it, did she write the article in her uterus?

[Eric P]

Is there a good round up on Dynamic Scoring and why it's the devil?

I read a basic thing because i'm a basic bitch but it doesn't seem to be the harbinger of doom it is made out to be

[Brehvolution]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/dynamic-scoring-cooks-the-books-113977.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbarro/2012/04/14/a-problem-with-dynamic-scoring/

From what I gather, dynamic scoring takes into account the positive economic benefits and "additional revenue" that cutting taxes would accomplish.

[Eric P]

I see.  So both Static and Dynamic have issues, but Dynamic favors Republican models.

[Phoenix Dark]

You could also look at Kansas. The model justifies itself by assuming growth/revenue wil be generated due to the lower tax rate increasing spending amongst businesses or the rich. It's like an Advanced D&D version of trickle down economics.

Many economic models and spending analysis predict things. As a small example let's say you have a bill that requires the hiring of 500 workers to complete a construction job in a city. If you're working on revenue projections for the city there might be some predictions involved. An influx of 500 workers would increase spending within the area - workers buying lunch at your restaurants, shopping at your stores, etc - which could result in businesses hiring more workers due to increased demand. But if you predict that revenue will be so high it can cover a permanent tax cut for the city or another big spending project, you're playing with pixie dust.

[Human Snorenado]

You're introducing an additional layer of uncertainty into the equation with dynamic scoring, and you're doing so with behavioral changes, which are impossible to predict accurately and depend on a lot of variables that we still don't fully understand.

Lots of potential for fuckery.

Basically this, but you're also MASSIVELY OVERESTIMATING the possible benefits of tax cuts.

[Steve Contra]

I was going to say "just look at Kansas" but PD beat me to it.  It's way worse then a simple adjustment to maths.

[Human Snorenado]

They're basically just going to use it as another talking point/cudgel on Obama, since nothing they're going to want will be passed for the next two years (probably ever)

"Look at all the potential growth we're wasting under the OBAMAO plan!"

[Steve Contra]

Remember when Paul Ryan's plan said it would reduce the unemployment rate to 2.8   That's dynamic scoring in a nutshell

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm still shocked fucking Louisiana had the sense to throw that shit in the bushes/stop Jindal's disasterous income tax cut, but Kansas keeps on truckin' to disaster.

[benjipwns]

Remember when Paul Ryan's plan said it would reduce the unemployment rate to 2.8   That's dynamic scoring in a nutshell

I never read the thing, maybe it included conscription?

[benjipwns]

Meanwhile on PoliGAF:

I think it's possible for the Democrats to win the House after 2020. There will be some states that will have closer electoral maps than in 2010, key states like Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, and even some southern states where the Democrats could nab one of the branches (like the Texas Senate).

[Oblivion]

How is dynamic scoring even being taken remotely seriously by anyone? I mean, we've had 10 fucking years to see if the Bush tax cuts would pay for themselves, which they never even came close to doing. Fuck, his eminence, Ronaldus Magnus, who as we all know had the greatest economic growth in the history of civilization, even his tax cuts never paid for themselves. Why would anyone think that this would suddenly start occurring now?

[Oblivion]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bill-oreilly-david-duke-shouting-match

"I'm not a white supremacist at all, in fact the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) was a charted civil rights organization," Duke said, adding that he fought the "racial discrimination" of affirmative action while serving in Louisiana's state legislature.

(Image removed from quote.)

That interview was so bizarre. The dude attacks Robert Byrd for his relationship with the klan in an attempt to somehow  defend his own White supremacist views! 

You can't make this shit up.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Granted, this is the same playbook that your average Republican uses, but at least you could give said Republican the benefit of the doubt and assume they were being truthful when they said they've never burned any crosses before.

[close]

[Great Rumbler]

Robert Byrd is, like, the white unicorn of racists, never mind that he left the KKK after only a few years and spent the next 60 years of his life apologizing for that association. David Duke, by contrast, still very much lives in that world.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://www.libertynews.com/2015/01/obamas-daughter-wears-t-shirt-of-anti-cop-gangster-rap-group/

[Brehvolution]

Why did I click that?

[Great Rumbler]

The group’s lyrics, such as they are, are filled with “nicca” this and “nicca” that as well as violence, gun play, and cop killing.

[Phoenix Dark]

Pro Era are basically a collection of black hipsters rocking throwback 90s attire who make harmless, often bland music.

[Steve Contra]

Pro Era are basically a collection of black hipsters rocking throwback 90s attire who make harmless, often bland music.

Or a militant wing of the New Black Panthers mixed in with well known violent thug gang THE BLOODS.  You never know

[benjipwns]

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/the-new-world-order/
Larry Sabato ranks the tiers of 2016 GOPers

Meanwhile, in Senators from both parties news:

While discussing the ramifications of Wednesday’s terrorist attack at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo‘s office in Paris, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said President Barack Obama‘s policies and campaign promises are “getting a lot of people killed” because he refuses to acknowledge that the France attacks and others are motivated by religion.

“The people who are attacking us and attacking France are motivated by religious teachings that say there’s no place on the planet for anybody that disagrees with them,” Graham said on Fox News Thursday morning, adding that Obama is “undercutting” other foreign leaders by not acknowledging that it is a religious war. “I think he believes that strength is offensive, that he doesn’t want to be bold because he may offend somebody — it’s not offensive to say that these are religious fanatics that don’t represent Islam, that have to be dealt with, they have to be killed or captured.”

After Graham charged that Obama’s policies are making Americans “less safe,” host Martha MacCallum pressed him on specifics. He said the president’s refusal to hold captured terrorists as “enemy combatants” prevents counterterrorism officials from extracting intelligence.

He concluded by saying that because of President Obama’s policies, “it’s just a matter of time” before America is attacked at home if an adjustment is not made. Graham expressed similar views on Wednesday when he told CNN’s Dana Bash that journalists are “soft targets” in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Thursday he was disappointed that the White House threatened to veto his legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, arguing the president’s move was “not the way a democracy works.”

The West Virginia lawmaker said he was upset Obama did not reserve judgment on the bill until it went through the committee and amendment process in an interview with Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom.”

“I just couldn't believe that out of the gate, two hours after [Sen.] John Hoeven [R-N.D.] and I announced that were introducing the bill, that they would come out from the White House and the president would make a statement that he's going to veto it,” Manchin said.
The Democrat said he had been hopeful the president’s history serving in the Senate would have led him to hold off on a veto threat.

“I would have thought the president would say, ‘Listen, being a former legislator, I'm going to wait until this process unfolds. And at the end of the day, I'll tell you, do I like what they came up with, or do I not like what they came out with, and this is my reason for veto,’ ” Manchin said. “[He] never even gave it a chance, never even gave it a chance. Now, that's just not the way you do legislation. It's not the way a democracy works. And it's not the way the ... three branches of government should work.”

Manchin 

[benjipwns]

Speaker of the House John Boehner defended his conservative bona fides Thursday, arguing during a press conference that it “pains” him to be described as a “squish” by members of his own party

...

“And I tell you what pains me the most is when they describe me as the establishment,” Boehner continued. “Now, I’m the most anti-establishment speaker we’ve ever had.”

[Joe Molotov]

And the 2nd most antidisestablishmentarian speaker we've ever had.

[benjipwns]

WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors have recommended bringing felony charges against David H. Petraeus, contending that he provided classified information to a lover while he was director of the C.I.A., officials said, leaving Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to decide whether to seek an indictment that could send the pre-eminent military officer of his generation to prison.

[Positive Touch]

General Betrayus indeed