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PoliGAF 2014 |OT| Kay Hagan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad News

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Ted Bundy throws an illegal fit, and republicans stand proud with him, against the government oppressors.

Americans peacefully protest a murder by a government official are met with snipers and tanks, and Democrats retreat to their cocoons.

Disgraceful.

odjtkei.png

Ferguson's Police Got Free Military Gear Straight From The Pentagon

The Ferguson and St. Louis County police departments have both received equipment from the U.S. military through what's known as the 1033 program, a federal program that the American Civil Liberties Union says has been a key catalyst to the broader escalation of law enforcement force in the United States.

The 1033 program, which was approved by Congress in 1992 to help law enforcement fight the war on drugs and was expanded in 1997, allows police departments to request and receive refurbished military equipment from the U.S. Defense Department free of charge. That equipment can range from night vision googles to military-grade firearms and armored vehicles. The ACLU estimated in June 2014 that 500 MRAP vehicles, built to withstand roadside bombs, are now in the hands of American law enforcement.
But part of the problem with the program, according to the ACLU, is a lack of transparency and oversight. Few restrictions are placed on what equipment law enforcement can request or how they use it. The organization concluded that the only significant restriction placed on departments is that they not sell whatever equipment they receive. In fact, departments are required to use the equipment that they receive within one year, which Dansky said could actually incentive the use of the equipment even when it's unnecessary.

"The program contains a built-in incentive," she said. "As these local police departments receive this equipment, there are no meaningful constraints on their ability to use it."

"If all you have is a hammer," she added, "everything looks like a nail."
 
That statement was even more tepid than I assumed it would be.



.
Beyond the stupidity of the justice department the two aren't close. The ap case is different and one that raises outrage in me (I also think charging Rosen was stupid)

Journalists don't get special protection unless there is another law like a shield law.
 
Beyond the stupidity of the justice department the two aren't close. The ap case is different and one that raises outrage in me (I also think charging Rosen was stupid)

Journalists don't get special protection unless there is another law like a shield law.

Clamping down on investigative journalism is a blatant problem with this administration, beyond just the DOJ. But given your constant defense of civil liberty abuses I see no point in continuing the conversation.

Sidenote: It never ceases to amaze me how much Obama and most democrats take the black vote for granted. Good luck in November.
 
Clamping down on investigative journalism is a blatant problem with this administration, beyond just the DOJ. But given your constant defense of civil liberty abuses I see no point in continuing the conversation.

Sidenote: It never ceases to amaze me how much Obama and most democrats take the black vote for granted. Good luck in November.

Its that investigating leaks is now a civil liberty abuse? Is the investigation of the leaker a civil liberties abuse? Why is the journalist especially shielded? Who is a reporter? Why do they get special rights?

These are all questions I never see responded to. Its just journalist are special, see the tweet I posted last night. And any opposition to this idea as an attack on journalism or civil liberties. It isn't.

I think the DOJ was stupid for doing what it did but its not the giant violation of the constitution to force a journalist to testify. There are other practices towards the press I also oppose (like saying I was opposed to the AP tapping, and charging rosen with conspiracy).

But this pretending the Press have a right to freely gather info against the law with no pushback is absurd and sets up with idea that journalists have different rules than the rest of us (I think the DOJ is wrong but not violating the consitution to go after the leakees as hard as they do). I oppose that that a new right is granted based upon your employment. A free press doesn't mean give journalists special rights. And the comparisons to being arrested for committing no crime to one that has (contempt of court)?
 
A lot of this view of the press being special comes from the view amongst the press of it being the fourth pillar. (between executive/judicial/legislative)
 
A lot of this view of the press being special comes from the view amongst the press of it being the fourth pillar. (between executive/judicial/legislative)

That's exactly why I posted the tweet last night and what I hate.

You don't get special rights because you have a certain job. That's all I'm saying, I'm not endorsing the DOJ's stupid decisions, just saying they're not unconstitutional.

I also think its weird and wrong to say what they did wrong was to 'arrest journalists', what they did wrong was clear out a Mcdonalds for no reason and arresting people, journalists and non-journalists for not doing it
 
Will be interesting to see if Obamas complete failure on Ferguson is used by GOP as an attack point.

What do they want more? To call Obama week or to - gasp - imply that a cop might be wrong?
 
Will be interesting to see if Obamas complete failure on Ferguson is used by GOP as an attack point.

What do they want more? To call Obama week or to - gasp - imply that a cop might be wrong?

I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)
 
I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)

If Obama felt his message would do more harm than good, he could have sent out Biden, etc on his behalf.

But Ive seen nothing from Dems.

Even Boner is getting some action.

You want the black vote to stay home this year? This is how you get the black vote to stay home.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)
I think he's just given up. He made an impassioned speech after Sandy Hook. How much did that lead to exactly? Its incredibly disappointing but the guy just seems broken when it comes to domestic affairs
 

Trey

Member
I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)

They won't get their foot in the door. You know it, I know it, Obama knows it, everyone in Congress knows it.

What Republican has the combination of bravado, charisma and credibility to politicize this issue and score points with blacks to the detriment of Democrats? Nice words will not undo decades of conditioning.
 

Metaphoreus

This is semantics, and nothing more
Repeal the 2nd Amendment.

They wouldn't have an excuse for having such heavy equipment.

I don't think the Second Amendment has anything to do with the Ferguson police having the equipment they have. But I may have missed a story about Ferguson residents' legally-owned rocket launchers and machine guns that justify the cops' rides.

That's exactly why I posted the tweet last night and what I hate.

You don't get special rights because you have a certain job. That's all I'm saying, I'm not endorsing the DOJ's stupid decisions, just saying they're not unconstitutional.

People sometimes read "press" in the Free Press Clause with the modern meaning in mind--i.e., the news media. In reality, the clause refers to a technology--the printing press--rather than an industry. It's the mass-communication counterpart to the protections of in-person communications offered by the Free Speech Clause.

Today, members of "the press" (meaning news media) do enjoy certain privileges in some circumstances, often thanks to legislatively enacted shield laws. But you're right that such privileges are not mandated by the Constitution.
 
I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)
And then you have these guys

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/steve-king-ferguson-continental-origin
 
Battlefield Hardline vilifies the Tea Party:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/08/13/Shoot-Racist-Tea-Partiers-in-Battlefield-Hardline
03D25717902F4958B30B65B3308EF253.jpg


Along the way, Alpert can be heard ranting over the complex’s PA system, proclaiming himself a “one man island of armed sovereignty” and complaining about how “bilge… is pumped into young minds” by educators across “these once-united states” that has led to the “denigration, the humbling, the tearing down of everything that made this country great.”

Guards can also be heard complaining about how the gang used to associate with “scumbags” like Marcus, who is black, as well as “Mexicans” and “hippies.” While discussing the bounty placed on Mendoza’s head that led to the double-cross, one enemy remarks, “A quarter-million bucks for a Mexican? Shit, man, I didn’t know they got so expensive.”

All of this could be interpreted as simply painting the enemies as a white-power criminal gang, the kind of hard-right boogeymen that progressives like to use as analogues for all conservatives, but a sequence later in the demonstration makes it clear the developer has a much more specific group in mind.

When finding evidence in a trailer that your captors are connected to the construction or sale of a missile, the player character remarks, “Looks like your old friends have gone way past bank robbery.” Marcus replies, “One black president and Tony completely lost his shit,” as a Gadsden flag, a symbol of the Tea Party movement, is displayed prominently on the wall.

First 12 minutes of single-player
 
Guys help me. I haven't been following politics at all this year. But is maintaining the Senate becoming a lost cause for Dems? All the liberal emails I get is becoming all doom and gloom, and a lot of the posts here I can't tell if it's snark or not.
 
Guys help me. I haven't been following politics at all this year. But is maintaining the Senate becoming a lost cause for Dems? All the liberal emails I get is becoming all doom and gloom, and a lot of the posts here I can't tell if it's snark or not.
Nate gives the GOP a 60% chance, Sam Wang says it's about 50-50.

The critical states are Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and (ugh) Iowa. Colorado is also pretty close. West Virginia, South Dakota, and Montana are goners.

Democrats do have a decent shot in Kentucky, and to a lesser extent Georgia. But for the most part Democrats will be playing defense.

It's certainly possible that we could see the GOP at 50 seats with Louisiana going to a runoff. I'm hoping the Democrats land around 52-54 seats but that'd require them to run the tables. We'll see.
 
Nate gives the GOP a 60% chance, Sam Wang says it's about 50-50.

The critical states are Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and (ugh) Iowa. Colorado is also pretty close. West Virginia, South Dakota, and Montana are goners.

Democrats do have a decent shot in Kentucky, and to a lesser extent Georgia. But for the most part Democrats will be playing defense.

It's certainly possible that we could see the GOP at 50 seats with Louisiana going to a runoff. I'm hoping the Democrats land around 52-54 seats but that'd require them to run the tables. We'll see.

Thanks for the insight!

Um that does not sound good at all. :(
 

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
I see Rand Paul speaking out (and shutting up the asinine comments of some liberal bloggers, specifically Greg Sargent), I see Justin Amash speaking out forcefully. Even Cruz released a decent statement. As I said in the thread, I didn't expect Obama to rush out like Chuck D, nor is he some random guy who can say whatever. He does have some responsibility here and cannot even seem like he's justifying violence/defending the riot. Yet he managed to disappoint everyone's low expectations by a wide margin. And then went golfing. The GOP doesn't need a majority of the black vote, they just need 10-15%. And it's bullshit like today's weakness that makes me wonder if maybe republicans can get their foot in the door, IF they can stop being dicks (unlikely).

(And while I tend to roll my eyes at golfing/vacation complaints, it looked especially bad last night and today.)

What was Obama's response?
 
Allen West Declares Obama An Islamist
Former Florida Rep. Allen West declared President Obama an Islamist who is intentionally working against the security of the United States.
The Daily Caller
C'mon Yahoo! Stop subjecting me to their crap. But what a strange headline . . . isnt that mocking Allen West more than anything else?
 
lol oh my god

Wichita Eagle said:
A new television ad for Gov. Sam Brownback’s re-election campaign launched this week features something you wouldn’t expect: a sign for his opponent.

The ad shows the governor talking to people in a variety of settings, ranging from a farm to a corporate boardroom. Brownback touts his record, taking credit for 55,000 private sector jobs and a 4.9 percent unemployment rate, and assures the audience that “the sun is shining in Kansas.”

However, at about 22 seconds into an ad, you can spot a Davis/Docking sign just behind the governor on his right side.

brownbackad.jpg
 
"@stuartpstevens: Well, if Mo. didn't have a Dem governor and AG Holder and President Obama weren't in office, things might have turned ugly in Ferguson."

Am I wrong for thinking there is a sentiment here that racist or at least extremely racially charge?
 

B-Dubs

No Scrubs
"@stuartpstevens: Well, if Mo. didn't have a Dem governor and AG Holder and President Obama weren't in office, things might have turned ugly in Ferguson."

Am I wrong for thinking there is a sentiment here that racist or at least extremely racially charge?

Considering the tone of the last few nights, I can't help but agree. Of course I'd put the cause any of the violence so far on the heavy handed police presence, he may not, but you may be reading a tiny bit too much into it. I don't think a GOP governor, with a GOP AG and President, would have called in the Highway Patrol. They'd have called in the National Guard or done nothing at all and it would probably have made things worse.
 
"@stuartpstevens: Well, if Mo. didn't have a Dem governor and AG Holder and President Obama weren't in office, things might have turned ugly in Ferguson."

Am I wrong for thinking there is a sentiment here that racist or at least extremely racially charge?
Jay Nixon is white. It's more politically charged than anything.
 
Considering the tone of the last few nights, I can't help but agree. Of course I'd put the cause any of the violence so far on the heavy handed police presence, he may not, but you may be reading a tiny bit too much into it. I don't think a GOP governor, with a GOP AG and President, would have called in the Highway Patrol. They'd have called in the National Guard or done nothing at all and it would probably have made things worse.

Jay Nixon is white. It's more politically charged than anything.

I'm not purely focusing on the race of the occupants of the office but the sense that he seems in my eyes to be saying "Black Folk only are being civil because they are democrats, other wise they'd be beating up on the white republican party"

I'm having a hard time expressing exactly what bothers me so much with that, its a kind of patronizing few that black folk are cowed into racial groups and aren't 'rationally' responding just blinded by party loyalty that would be extinguished if there was a republican.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
This is a dumb question that doesn't deserve its own thread, but hypothetically could the Speaker of the House get the Vice President to kill the President in order to become President himself? Some shady under the deal table where the Vice President would be crazy enough to go to jail for the rest of his life/get killed. Maybe if the Vice President's family was being threatened or something.

It seems like it would leave less of a trail than if the Vice President simply killed the President but tried to do it subterfuge.
 
This is a dumb question that doesn't deserve its own thread, but hypothetically could the Speaker of the House get the Vice President to kill the President in order to become President himself? Some shady under the deal table where the Vice President would be crazy enough to go to jail for the rest of his life/get killed. Maybe if the Vice President's family was being threatened or something.

It seems like it would leave less of a trail than if the Vice President simply killed the President but tried to do it subterfuge.
Stop watching house of cards dude. Lol

But he could be convicted of conspiracy or impeached
 
This is a dumb question that doesn't deserve its own thread, but hypothetically could the Speaker of the House get the Vice President to kill the President in order to become President himself? Some shady under the deal table where the Vice President would be crazy enough to go to jail for the rest of his life/get killed. Maybe if the Vice President's family was being threatened or something.

It seems like it would leave less of a trail than if the Vice President simply killed the President but tried to do it subterfuge.

Next season, on 24...
 

Wilsongt

Member
Former Florida Rep. Allen West declared President Obama an Islamist who is intentionally working against the security of the United States.

“The only plausible explanation for many actions taken by President Obama and his administration is that they are working counter to the security of the United States of America,” the former Florida congressman and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel wrote in the post published Wednesday.

Among six example he gives to back up his point is Obama’s decision to release of five Taliban in exchange for Sgt. Bergdahl in May, providing weapons of support to the Egyptian government led by the Muslim Brotherhood, and negotiating with Hamas.

Why won't these people go away?

http://news.yahoo.com/allen-west-declares-obama-islamist-170421471.html

Edit: I see I was beaten like Eric Cantor in the primaries.
 

alstein

Member
Holy shit! Democrats have a 7 point lead on the generic congressional ballot in a new Fox News poll.

Obviously a big outlier - but damn, if Democrats actually did that well they'd be even money to win a (slight) House majority.

The thing is that 7 points would have to be unpolarized. Odds are it's less in red districts and more in blue.

If the Dems get the House we might get a real activist program Obama's last 2 years, and hold out hope Dems keep the Senate in 2016 to lock it in.
 
I'm not purely focusing on the race of the occupants of the office but the sense that he seems in my eyes to be saying "Black Folk only are being civil because they are democrats, other wise they'd be beating up on the white republican party"

I'm having a hard time expressing exactly what bothers me so much with that, its a kind of patronizing few that black folk are cowed into racial groups and aren't 'rationally' responding just blinded by party loyalty that would be extinguished if there was a republican.
I don't see this as black people being civil because Nixon and crew are Democrats - I see it as the Democrats in charge handling the situation like fucking human beings who are sympathetic to things like people being murdered. That's why it's good that Nixon, Holder, and Obama are in charge.

alstein said:
The thing is that 7 points would have to be unpolarized. Odds are it's less in red districts and more in blue.
Well yeah, that's why it'd be a tossup even at that point. Democrats winning by 7 would be a level of performance like 2006 but thanks to gerrymandering it wouldn't be a lock.
 
I don't see this as black people being civil because Nixon and crew are Democrats - I see it as the Democrats in charge handling the situation like fucking human beings who are sympathetic to things like people being murdered. That's why it's good that Nixon, Holder, and Obama are in charge.
Stuart Stevens is a pretty cognizant republican on race (he helped with Cochran reaching out black dems) but I can't see him as implying that.

Like I said I just got a weird vibe from that tweet like he didn't mean anything bad but implies something unconsciously
 
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