You really, really, REALLY couldn't make this shit up

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:28 pm

Trump thinks protesting should be banned.

So, uh, well, wait what?
"I think it's embarrassing for the country to allow protesters," said the President of the United States, who is charged with upholding the Constitution.
Speaking of the Constitution, the First Amendment to it states this (bolding mine): "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Let's take a step back and give some context to Trump's comments about prohibiting protests. The Daily Caller reporters asked the President if he had watched any of the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's pick for the Supreme Court.
"Democrats have put on quite a show, have you kept up with it?" one of the reporters notes. And with that, Trump launches into this answer about protests:
"I'm amazed that people allow the interruption to continue. You know, there are some people that just keep screaming at the same people. In the old days we used to throw them out. Today I guess they just keep screaming. I thought Sen. (Orrin) Hatch was good because he was very indignant at the interruptions by a woman that was up there that just kept going on and on. I don't know why they don't, why they don't take care of a situation like that because it's terrible. I think it's embarrassing for the country to allow protesters, you don't even know which side the protesters were on. But to allow someone to stand up and scream from the top of their lungs and nobody does anything about it is frankly — I think it's an embarrassment. I think, well it's really early stages, but I think the Democrats are grasping at straws, that looks like to me. It's incredible how bipartisan everything, when you look at how the opposite, I mean, when you look at how the level of division between the two sides, it's sort of incredible."
There's no question the Kavanaugh hearings have been repeatedly interrupted by protesters. According to the Capitol Police, 70 protesters were arrested across the Capitol complex on Tuesday for protests tied to the Kavanaugh hearings. Within seconds of the opening of the hearings on Wednesday, protesters were being dragged from the room.
Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch was particularly bothered by the repeated interruptions from protesters claiming that Kavanaugh should never be seated for a variety of reasons. "I don't know that the committee should have to put up with the type of insolence taking place in this room today," Hatch said at one point. At another point, he urged Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to "have this loudmouth removed," referring to a protester.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Wednesday, "What kind of country do we live in where the Supreme Court candidate can't bring his children to the hearing?"
The conservative internet was similarly up in arms, noting that these sorts of protests didn't happen when confirmation hearings were held for former President Barack Obama's picks to the Supreme Court. (Nota bene: There were protests and arrests during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, although they were less numerous than in the first day of Kavanaugh.)
Here's the reality: The protests are disruptive. Before the protesters are escorted out of the committee room, they make quite the ruckus. Their shouts often drown out a question from a senator or an answer from Kavanaugh. At the same time: What these people are doing is constitutionally protected.
Most of the people being arrested for protesting are waiting in the line for the public to enter the hearings. (There are several rows of seats in the Judiciary Committee room reserved for a rotating group of average citizens.) Once in the hearings, they are protesting. They are doing so knowing they will be arrested for civil disobedience.
Protest and dissent -- vocal and peaceful -- has a long history in the United States. From women's suffrage to the civil right movements, protest helped shine a light on injustice. That's not to say that the protests plaguing the Kavanaugh hearings are that same sort of historic moment, or that putting him on the Supreme Court is a universally agreed-upon injustice.
But it is to say that when the President of the United States openly wonders why protests are allowed, it creates a chilling echo of authoritarian regimes in which dissent is crushed by the government. Even broaching the idea that protests should not be allowed suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the way in which free speech should and does work. In Trump's mind, people who protest don't like America -- and should get the hell out. In reality, the right to speak out -- even and especially when that speech takes the form of protest -- is deeply intertwined with what makes America, well, America.

Guinevere · Post by **Guinevere** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:11 am

I despise these people with every fiber of my being. Go the fuck away. We’ll even pay you. Just go.

Burning Petard · Post by **Burning Petard** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:13 am

Bush 43 induced his followers to support the morality of preemptive war. Now POTUS wishes to legitimize preventive detention.

snailgate.

Lord Jim · Post by **Lord Jim** » Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:37 am

You know, there are some people that just keep screaming at the same people. In the old days we used to throw them out. Today I guess they just keep screaming

As usual, Trump is wrong...

The people engaged in these pointless interruptions (pointless because they wont change one single vote) are removed from the hearing room after their outburst...

What has changed, (since some time during the Bush Administration) are the tactics that the disrupters use...

It used to be the case that they would all stand up together for one lone, large, noisy protest and then be removed...

Now they do their shouting and foot stomping routines one at a time, so they can create an on-going rolling series of disruptions...

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:21 pm

Kanye West Calls For Repeal Of Amendment That Abolished Slavery

Kanye West on Sunday called for abolishing the constitutional amendment that outlawed slavery, prompting some celebrities to suggest the rapper had been emancipated from his senses.

Following his pro-Donald Trump speech on “Saturday Night Live,” a MAGA-hat-wearing West tweeted a convoluted message that included a plea against the outsourcing of jobs and, curiously, a call to “abolish” the 13th Amendment. That’s the one that outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude.

this represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment. Message sent with love
Some high-profile people responded, including “Captain America” Chris Evans.

There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue. The level of unapologetic conjecture I’ve encountered lately isn’t just frustrating, it’s retrogressive, unprecedented and absolutely terrifying.
Soledad O'Brien
The 13th ammendment abolished slavery. Re-upping this from the last time: @ye is truly an idiot. Message sent with distaste for idiocy.
David Cross
You know very little about very little.
Chef Kendra Nguyen
You're not even close to being as smart as you think you are. But please, carry on.
Ahmed Baba
Kanye West, who said slavery was a choice, just called for the abolition of the 13th amendment.

This is just terribly sad. The college dropout Kanye used to inspire young black men, myself included, and now he’s embracing a President that hates them.
Michael Rapaport
When you say “We” you’re talking about Kendal & them right?
Cause you’re not speaking for anyone else up in here
Lana Del Rey

Maybe referring to the 13th Amendment’s exemption for punishment for a crime, West later attempted to explain.
the 13th Amendment is slavery in disguise meaning it never ended We are the solution that heals

not abolish but. let’s amend the 13th amendment

We apply everyone’s opinions to our platform
We hate to discourage anyone’s right to free speech (that’s the First Amendment), but West tends to invite flak when he talks about slavery.

Last spring, he lit up the internet when he said slavery was a choice.

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:37 pm

Just goes to show a very little bit of knowledge can go a very long way - like it did for his buddy Trump.

I’m sure he is referring to Ava Duvernay’s excellent documentary 13th (you can see it on Netflix), which has been incredibly popular and influential in driving a conversation within communities of color. But yeah, he fucked up the message - either because he didn’t pay attention to detail or he’s just inherently moronic. The documentary discusses the very high incarceration rates among people of color as a substitute for slavery under the exception for punishment clause of the 13th Amendment.

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:38 pm

You just don't get it. Let Kanye explain....

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:41 pm

Scooter--What do you expect from someone married to Kim Kardashian; he likely doesn't care what he says or does as along as it gets him press. The sad thing is, he's a pretty good musician and could stand on that alone, but he doesn't.

I watched SNL last Saturday, and didn't see the speech--the show ran over and the sign of was not broadcast. Personally, I'm glad it wasn't, because that's the last thing I want to hear at 1:00 AM.

Joe--did you feel his "divine energy" in that interview?

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:08 pm

Big RR, I didn't really feel Kanye's divine energy but I did sense that he is very special. He has the ability to speak without filtering thoughts through his brain. That's probably why he can relate to Trump so well.

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:08 pm

Kanye is out to solidify his base supporters -- no doubt comprised of a subset of Drumpf supporters -- in a bid for a White House run in 2024. Tentatively known as "The Birthday Party." (I'm not making that up.)

God help us all. I'm moving to Canada.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:18 pm

Ray--I wish I could just believe this was a joke, like Pat Paulsen running for president in 1968 on the Stag Party ticket, but sadly it seems that he and others are taking this seriously.

Well, democracy had good run--this was bound to happen.

Joe--he's not that special--there are a lot of people like that; and for some reason, there are those who love them for that.

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:41 pm

OH MY GOD!

If possible, tune in to TMZ today. Harvey Levins "interviews" Kanye. Unbelievable. The depth of this man's touch with reality can be measured in nanometer.

Ah, President Kanye West... it has a certain air of distinction, doesn't it.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:09 pm

Just when I thought Trump was the worst possible person to be president, Kanye wants to prove otherwise.

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 9:43 pm

Steve Bannon was on Bill Maher's show this past Friday; he said if Bernie had been a fighter like Trump, he would've won the nomination and maybe the WH - liberal populism over right wing populism. He also said Avenatti is a real fighter and might have a good chance at the WH in 2020 if he runs; Bannon's position is that the voting populace is done with career politicians in the office and want someone who knows how to work media.

Avenatti couldn't be worse than Trump?

rubato · Post by **rubato** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 10:25 pm

Kanye and Elon appear to be having simultaneous mental breakdowns. Kanye appears to believe that you can say any damn fool thing as long as you say you are a "starting a conversation".

Have mercy.

yrs,
rubato

datsunaholic · Post by **datsunaholic** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 11:15 pm

Bannon isn't entirely wrong. Popular figures tend to do well in elections regardless of their lack of political experience. They don't always win- have to have SOME support from a major party (usually), but it's name recognition. Trump got elected on name alone. Anyone else with that sort of agenda wouldn't have gotten that far. A fair number of Millennials voted for him simply because he was on "The Apprentice". Millennials who don't give a rip about party politics. Sure, plenty voted for him under the pretense of "He tells it how it is" (no, he tells you what you want to hear because he's a manipulator and con artist) or the promise of keeping their white/male privilege alive, which they feared under "dirty Hillary".

The same media popularity overriding political common sense got Jessie Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and heck to a lesser extend Ronald Reagan into office. Reagan at least had political credentials, in that his stint as Governor overrode his decades prior Hollywood stardom.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:24 pm

I just don't think I could vote for Avenatti, even if Trump was the other choice. I have often voted for the lesser of two evils, but not when the lesser was someone I wouldn't want near the office.

If it really comes down to that, it may well be time to leave the country, as we won't have much left.

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Tue Oct 09, 2018 7:05 pm

Trump: China can pay for pre-existing-condition protections

At a campaign rally late last week, Donald Trump peddled a familiar line on health care, but he added a new twist to his pitch.

“We will always protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. We’re going to take care of them. Some of the Democrats have been talking about ending pre-existing conditions.

“And some people have – you know what I say? We’ll get a little more money from China. It’ll be just fine. It’ll be just fine. We’ll be just fine.

“We’re going to take care of pre-existing conditions, folks. Remember that.”
Right off the bat, it’s important to note that the president is just straight-up lying about his – and his party’s – position on protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions. Trump may expect voters to believe that “we” will always extend these safeguards, but he and his administration have taken aggressive steps in the opposite direction.

What’s more, the idea that some Democrats “have been talking about ending pre-existing conditions” is plainly ridiculous, even by Trump standards. He just made this up out of whole cloth. It’s brazen nonsense.

But it’s that other part of the president’s pitch that stood out as especially odd: he apparently expects to finance consumer health care protections by getting “a little more money from China.”

So let me get this straight: Trump thinks he’ll get Mexico to pay for a border wall, and he’ll get China to pay for protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions?

The inescapable problem is that Trump still hasn’t figured out what tariffs are. The president somehow got in his head that by imposing tariffs on China, he’s created a tax that China is now paying to the United States.

In fact, he’s said as much more than once. Two weeks ago, for example, Trump released a video via social media in which he said Americans are “taking in a lot of money” as a result of his tariffs. Two weeks earlier, the Republican president said the same thing, arguing at a White House event that thanks to his tariffs, there’s “a lot of money coming into the coffers of the United States of America. A lot of money coming in.”

Evidently, Trump believes he can take some of that money and use it to pay for health care coverage.

This would be less of a problem if the president’s ignorance weren’t quite so profound. There is no money “coming into the coffers of the United States” as a result of the tariffs on China. One need not be a wonk on trade policy to know that Trump’s argument is basically gibberish.

As Politico noted a month ago, “President Donald Trump said Monday that China is paying the U.S. billions of dollars in tariffs as he ramps up his trade war with Beijing. But that’s inaccurate: American consumers and businesses are the ones who will be paying higher costs for imports after he slapped penalties on $200 billion in Chinese goods.”

If Trump is serious about reversing his position on protecting those with pre-existing conditions and adopting the Democratic agenda, great. If he’s counting on China to pay for his newfound preference, the White House will need a give the president another tutorial on his tariffs work.

ex-khobar Andy · Post by **ex-khobar Andy** » Tue Oct 09, 2018 7:49 pm

I've started to read Michael Lewis's book, The Fifth Risk. I read the first three or four chapters in B&N this morning. Basically it returns us to the theme of incompetence. Bob Woodward's Fear reminds us (we didn't need reminding) what an asshole the guy is. In many ways it's bit disappointing in that it does not really tell us much more than we already know. I'm about halfway through. I don't actually mind if the president is an amoral asshole so long as he does not do it in the street and frighten the horses. But his role should be all about competence - get the job done. And of course he does not realize that tariffs are taxes which you and I will pay. Frankly if I can buy a 65" TV at Best Buy for $730, if there is a $100 tariff on it I expect I will ay it. Or delay the purchase for about 2 months and the cost of TV + tariff will be down to $730.

The man is a lying incompetent idiot and I just hope that the Democrats get that message across pretty soon.

Burning Petard · Post by **Burning Petard** » Tue Oct 09, 2018 10:25 pm

"The man is a lying incompetent idiot and I just hope that the Democrats get that message across pretty soon"

Why? Everybody knew that back in July of 2016. Read Lewis' book; read Woodward's book. They change nothing. Facts, even reality mean nothing in the politics of USA today. Data only hardens the minds on every side and the polarization continues toward authoritarianism.

snailgate.

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