Political Randomness

[Vorret]

Trudeau announces trade agreement without U.S.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trudeau-an ... thout-u-s/

[Daehawk]

Conservative evangelical leader: Trump gets a 'mulligan' on his behavior.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/politics ... index.html

More desk fun.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/201 ... in-dnt.cnn

[hepcat]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

[GreenGoo]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

They never really had any, but this is easily the most explicit example that they don't care about who represents them, as long as they think it will help them. It seems unlikely that there has been a more sinful, godless man in the office, and he's the one that gets a mulligan? Because he's so deserving of it? Because of his contrition?

Conservative Christians are moving a little closer to the scientologist category with every election. Eventually they will simply be a political organization with a veneer of godliness covering the warts.

[Daehawk]

That interviewer should have called the hypocrite out and said "So no matter how un-Godly Trump is or what sins he commits as long as evangelicals get what they want its ok and they'll support him?"...BAM baby!

To me these modern day evangelicals in Washington are nothing more than a business. One that watches tv preachers.

[Defiant]

Tammy Duckworth is pregnant; will be 1st senator to give birth

[Kraken]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

We had to destroy the village in order to save it.

[Remus West]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

They never really had any, but this is easily the most explicit example that they don't care about who represents them, as long as they think it will help them. It seems unlikely that there has been a more sinful, godless man in the office, and he's the one that gets a mulligan? Because he's so deserving of it? Because of his contrition?

Conservative Christians are moving a little closer to the scientologist category with every election. Eventually they will simply be a political organization with a veneer of godliness covering the warts.

Eventually?

[El Guapo]

Tammy Duckworth is pregnant; will be 1st senator to give birth

I wonder which votes McConnell has scheduled for her due date.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Does her vote now count twice?

[El Guapo]

Does her vote now count twice?

While I love following pro-life logic here, tragically the fetus is not yet old enough to be a Senator (30 years).

[Fretmute]

Does her vote now count twice?

While I love following pro-life logic here, tragically the fetus is not yet old enough to be a Senator (30 years).

Life begins at oocytogenesis!

[hepcat]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

They never really had any, but this is easily the most explicit example that they don't care about who represents them, as long as they think it will help them. It seems unlikely that there has been a more sinful, godless man in the office, and he's the one that gets a mulligan? Because he's so deserving of it? Because of his contrition?

Conservative Christians are moving a little closer to the scientologist category with every election. Eventually they will simply be a political organization with a veneer of godliness covering the warts.

Eventually?

I miss the days when all a religious group could do was accuse you of witchcraft and get you burned or stoned.

[Remus West]

Evangelicals have lost any right to claim moral high ground in the future. They’ve shown themselves to be hypocritical opportunists without any scruples.

They never really had any, but this is easily the most explicit example that they don't care about who represents them, as long as they think it will help them. It seems unlikely that there has been a more sinful, godless man in the office, and he's the one that gets a mulligan? Because he's so deserving of it? Because of his contrition?

Conservative Christians are moving a little closer to the scientologist category with every election. Eventually they will simply be a political organization with a veneer of godliness covering the warts.

Eventually?

I miss the days when all a religious group could do was accuse you of witchcraft and get you burned or stoned.

I miss the days when religious groups would at least pretend they were adhering to the tenets of their own mythology.

[Remus West]

I just realized that Adele must be a fan of Trump's environmental policies
Video

[El Guapo]

Not sure where to put this, BUT:

Steve Wynn (Finance Chair of RNC) accused of sexual harassment by dozens of women.

Sounds pretty grim.

[Enough]

Not sure where to put this, BUT:

Steve Wynn (Finance Chair of RNC) accused of sexual harassment by dozens of women.

Sounds pretty grim.

Ewww. I am sure that Spicer will be calling on the RNC folk to return any of his donations soon. The modern RNC ladies and gentlemen.

[Defiant]

Confirmation that Goa'uld exist.

Missouri U.S. Senate hopeful who expects dinner from fiancée nightly says feminists have "snake-filled heads"

[Rip]

https://nypost.com/2018/01/26/new-film- ... y-naivety/

In a moment of woeful irony in the Obama-administration documentary “The Final Year,” UN Ambassador Samantha Power travels to Cameroon to offer photo-op comfort to families terrorized by Boko Haram — only to have her motorcade kill a 7-year-old boy.

Greg Barker, the director of this fan film, does his best to downplay the accident: It is discussed while we watch a clip of Power’s convoy moving at a crawl when in fact it was reportedly traveling at over 60 miles an hour when it struck the boy.

Despite Barker’s intentions, the handiwork of the Road to Hell Paving Co. is obvious. Team Obama, with its let’s-hug-it-out attitude to world conflict, left a bloody trail.

“The Final Year,” which is playing on a few screens ahead of its debut on HBO in May, drew notice for a scene in Power’s apartment on Election Night 2016. She invited the camera crew to film her party with the world’s 37 female ambassadors to toast the inevitable Hillary Clinton landslide. Power’s fist-pumping as she watches the election returns turns to blanching, but it’s Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes who has the most amusing reaction to Donald Trump’s victory.

Asked whether a Trump administration might endanger his accomplishments, he says, “I’ve never really considered that.” So what does the speechwriter and former aspiring novelist have to say when Trump wins? “I mean, uh, I can’t even [long pause] I can’t, I ca - - [long pause] I mean I, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t put it into words. I don’t know what the words are.”

“The Final Year,” though, is chiefly a study of Obama-administration foreign policy as overseen by Secretary of State John Kerry, Power and Rhodes. The foreign-policy masters see their three accomplishments as the Paris Climate Accord, the opening to Cuba and the Iran deal.

Given that the former was nonbinding and later dumped by President Trump, while the other two amounted to making concessions to American foes in exchange for virtually nothing, this is a bit like bragging that you suckered the Franklin Mint into giving up a souvenir Elvis plate for only $34.95.

But to understand why Rhodes and Obama are so pleased with their foreign policy, you have to understand the way they think. The documentary is revealing about that.

Naïvety, meet arrogance. These were the guiding forces behind the Rhodes-Obama foreign policy. The arrogance came in thinking that all previous administrations were too thick to come up with this awesome idea Rhodes had: Military force is bad.

No one figured this out before Ben Rhodes. “In Washington,” he says, “there is a kind of default that we’ve been trying to break. Which is that the way in which we demonstrate that we’re serious about a problem is by using military force.”

This, the film backs with images of the bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. In a Rhodes-written speech, Obama is seen saying, “We must change our mindset about war itself. To prevent conflict through diplomacy.” It’s like the old Monty Python lesson about how to play the flute: It’s easy. You just blow in one end, then move your fingers up and down over the holes.

Actual events don’t align with the Rhodes-Obama rhetoric. Vladimir Putin, frustratingly, keeps failing to be bent by the Arc of History(™) and doing whatever he wants, seizing Crimea and abetting Bashar al-Assad.

“The error that we may have made is Putin doesn’t seem to pursue Russia’s national interests. He pursues Putin’s interests,” Rhodes says. In other words, surprise! — Putin doesn’t share a liberal American Democrat’s vision about what’s best for Russia.

Kerry, after Russia breaks the ceasefire in Aleppo in 2016: “It’s just so frustrating because we really had an agreement that could have worked. And unfortunately we have some people who didn’t want to cooperate.”

[hepcat]

You realize Obama isn’t the president any more, right?

But your continued teeth gnashing and butt hurt over the previous two term adult leader is amusing, I must say.

[Zarathud]

So it's GOOD that we upgraded from "arrogance" to bumbling incompetence" or even "foreign collusion" with a side of warmongering?

Right, Rip? Or are you just being a Nihilist?

[Combustible Lemur]

So it's GOOD that we upgraded from "arrogance" to bumbling incompetence" or even "foreign collusion" with a side of warmongering?

Right, Rip? Or are you just being a Nihilist?

The Arrogant Obama stuff cracks my shit up. One, you have to be arrogant to believe you can be the leader of the free world. Second, Trump. Third, Iraq anybody?
The idea that diplomacy and a strong state department is somehow more arrogant and naive than believing you can haphazardly bomb and threaten the culture out of people is stupid on its face. Didn't work in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or, Vietnam, or the America South, etc.


Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Carpet_pissr]

Thank goodness we don’t have an uppity, oops arrogant president anymore.

King Obama was insufferable always saying he was the best, etc.

[LordMortis]

You realize Obama isn’t the president any more, right?

But your continued teeth gnashing and butt hurt over the previous two term adult leader is amusing, I must say.

Yeah, you say that but why isn't Clinton in jail for working with Russians. People are dead.

[Isgrimnur]

Remember that arrogant apology tour that the Hawks were up in arms about? Nothing more arrogant than admitting that you might have been wrong.

[Alefroth]

You realize Obama isn’t the president any more, right?

But your continued teeth gnashing and butt hurt over the previous two term adult leader is amusing, I must say.

Too bad it has to come with laughing over the death of a young boy.

[tjg_marantz]

Steve Wynn resigned. So that's good.

The WH announcement not mentioning why he resigned, not so good. They can't even do that right.

[Skinypupy]

Given what we now know about Steve Wynn (casino mogul and recently-resigned GOP finance chair), this tweet from the official GOP account sure has aged well.

https://twitter.com/GOP/status/917400514442260480

The Weinstein scandal put Hollywood’s hypocrisy in broad daylight. RT if you agree the DNC should return his donations.

[hepcat]

Fox News is desperately trying to point out that Wynn also contributed to some Dem candidates/interests. Their true owner Trump must be feeling some heat.

[Moliere]

Clinton kept adviser on 2008 campaign despite sexual harassment allegation

Hillary Clinton decided not to fire a senior adviser on her 2008 presidential campaign who had been accused of sexual harassment, against the recommendation of her campaign manager, two sources who worked on the 2008 campaign tell CNN.

A female campaign staffer had accused Clinton's faith adviser, Burns Strider, of harassment that included inappropriate touching, kissing her forehead and sending her suggestive emails, the sources said. The woman shared an office with Strider.

After hearing of the complaint, Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle and other senior aides urged Clinton to fire Strider, but Clinton declined to dismiss him and kept him on for the rest of her failed run for the Democratic nomination, the sources said.

Hillary tweeting this response to the story:

"A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed," she tweeted.

"I called her today to tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard."

when you hear this is what happened as a result of the complaint:

The woman was moved out of the office where she had been working with Strider, one source said, and the faith adviser was punished by having his pay docked for several weeks, having his title changed and being required to undergo sexual harassment training.

Shocking no one the sexual harassment training didn't help:

After the 2008 campaign, Strider was tasked to lead Correct the Record, an independent group that looked to rebut claims about Clinton as she prepared for her 2016 presidential run. The group was created by David Brock, a longtime Clinton ally.

Strider was later fired from the organization, however, after a series of issues, including allegations that he harassed multiple female staffers in person and over email, two sources with knowledge of his departure told CNN.

Once again, Hillary comes across as an opportunist politician who will stick by allies regardless of how shady they are.

[Jaymann]

Hilary refuses to burn Burns.

[Remus West]

Clinton kept adviser on 2008 campaign despite sexual harassment allegation

Hillary Clinton decided not to fire a senior adviser on her 2008 presidential campaign who had been accused of sexual harassment, against the recommendation of her campaign manager, two sources who worked on the 2008 campaign tell CNN.

A female campaign staffer had accused Clinton's faith adviser, Burns Strider, of harassment that included inappropriate touching, kissing her forehead and sending her suggestive emails, the sources said. The woman shared an office with Strider.

After hearing of the complaint, Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle and other senior aides urged Clinton to fire Strider, but Clinton declined to dismiss him and kept him on for the rest of her failed run for the Democratic nomination, the sources said.

Hillary tweeting this response to the story:

"A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008. I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed," she tweeted.

"I called her today to tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard."

when you hear this is what happened as a result of the complaint:

The woman was moved out of the office where she had been working with Strider, one source said, and the faith adviser was punished by having his pay docked for several weeks, having his title changed and being required to undergo sexual harassment training.

Shocking no one the sexual harassment training didn't help:

After the 2008 campaign, Strider was tasked to lead Correct the Record, an independent group that looked to rebut claims about Clinton as she prepared for her 2016 presidential run. The group was created by David Brock, a longtime Clinton ally.

Strider was later fired from the organization, however, after a series of issues, including allegations that he harassed multiple female staffers in person and over email, two sources with knowledge of his departure told CNN.

Once again, Hillary comes across as an opportunist politician who will stick by allies regardless of how shady they are.

regardless of how shady they are?
It isn't like she ignored it. The guy lost several weeks pay, was demoted, and was forced to attend training. Given that Correct the Record is called an independent group how much did she have to do with his being hired there?

Once again it looks like folks are trying to smear HRC with a partial story rather than full truth.

[Holman]

Looks like HRC's 2008 campaign is in real trouble.

I say we give Trump a Whataboutism free pass until a series of years-long congressional inquiries get to the bottom of this.

[Moliere]

I love how all criticism of Hillary or Obama is somehow interpreted as giving Trump a pass. As a libertarian I can know my candidate will not win and therefore speak self-righteously condemning both sides as scumbag politicians who care more about winning an election than the people they purport to help.

[ImLawBoy]

I love how all criticism of Hillary or Obama is somehow interpreted as giving Trump a pass. As a libertarian I can know my candidate will not win and therefore speak self-righteously condemning both sides as scumbag politicians who care more about winning an election than the people they purport to help.

I hate 'em all, too, but this thing about Hillary's advisor seems like much ado about very little. Assuming that this was the only incident known about, his punishment seems meaningful for a first offense. I think if it happened today, the guy would get fired immediately and be effectively blackballed from politics, but that's more the result of the current attitude. In 2008, that more was done than just sweeping it under the rug seems significant.

[Remus West]

I love how all criticism of Hillary or Obama is somehow interpreted as giving Trump a pass. As a libertarian I can know my candidate will not win and therefore speak self-righteously condemning both sides as scumbag politicians who care more about winning an election than the people they purport to help.

I hate 'em all, too, but this thing about Hillary's advisor seems like much ado about very little. Assuming that this was the only incident known about, his punishment seems meaningful for a first offense. I think if it happened today, the guy would get fired immediately and be effectively blackballed from politics, but that's more the result of the current attitude. In 2008, that more was done than just sweeping it under the rug seems significant.

Its more than that right now though as it is being used as a screen to empower Trump. It is a "look how bad she was but ignore everything else". The only reason they even talk about HRC any longer is to distract the base from the huge disaster the current situation is. If they stop focusing on the Clinton's they might start to look at how Trump is actually going to impact them long term.

[Moliere]

The idea that 2008 was in the beforetime when this action and response was adequate reminds me of my critique of the Mormon church: they were always lagging behind the mainstream when it came to larger issues like slavery and civil rights. It was only well after society condemned and outlawed these things did the church follow suit. Politicians like Hillary and Obama were the same way about same sex marriage and marijuana or in this case, sexual harassment. Hillary's solution was to move the woman away while slapping the wrist of the guy. Didn't the Catholic church do the same with pedophile priests?

[gilraen]

I'm much more bothered by the fact that a presidential candidate in the 21st century needs a "faith adviser" but that's just me.

[Moliere]

And that her "faith adviser" turns out to be a sexual harassing scumbag. The idea that Hillary was a devout Christian reading scripture every day is as ludicrous as Trump being supported by evangelical Christians.

[Jaymann]

I'm much more bothered by the fact that a presidential candidate in the 21st century needs a "faith adviser" but that's just me.

That he turned out to be a scumbag - unpossible!