Republicans

[JackLuis]

Bill Barr promised to release prisoners threatened by coronavirus — even as the Feds secretly made it harder for them to get out

Even as the Justice Department announced that federal prisons would release vulnerable, nonviolent inmates to home confinement to avoid the spread of COVID-19, the agency was quietly adopting a policy that makes it harder for inmates to qualify for release, not easier. The result has been that more than 98% of inmates remain in federal custody, while a handful of celebrity inmates, like former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, have been released to home detention.

Fewer prisoners have been released than was expected when the attorney general made his announcement, lawyers say. About 3,050 inmates have been moved to home confinement as of May 21, Bureau of Prisons records show. That’s around 1.8% of the people under the bureau’s supervision. That figure is significantly smaller than the roughly 20% of inmates who fall into the minimum risk category (though it’s not automatic that all of them would qualify for release) under the 2019 rules.

Oh sure, Barr is being helpful to Trump Cronies, but fuck the rest of you poor bastards.

 

[DesertSnorkler]

Allison, you totally nailed it and everything you've said is 100% true.

.......

 

[Schlank]

Trump’s Threat to Democracy

First in his campaign and then in his presidency, Donald Trump has consistently flouted norms and laws in ways that echo authoritarians in other countries. But he’s been so incompetent that his authoritarianism could be seen as no real threat to democracy. This is a false comfort. It doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to dismantle a democratic system; one petulant leader and a compliant governing party is enough.

And that’s what we have right now in this president and his GOP. The latest evidence is his dismissals of inspectors general assigned to oversee the State Department, intelligence agencies and the coronavirus response and bailouts, writes Michael Bloomberg. If Republicans don’t join Democrats in investigating these firings and holding Trump accountable, then the lawbreaking and corruption already rife in his administration will only get worse.

Unfortunately, Republicans willing to back such an inquiry are scarce in Washington. Most have instead backed Trump in using the rule of law against political opponents while perverting it to defend themselves, writes Francis Wilkinson. It’s right out of the authoritarian playbook used in Hungary and elsewhere. The Democrats and news media may not realize what’s happening until it’s too late to stop it.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...eral-firings-show-trump-s-threat-to-democracy

 

[JackLuis]

Ted Cruz calls for criminal investigation into Twitter

This Friday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) sent a letter to the Justice and Treasury departments calling for a criminal investigation into Twitter regarding allegations it violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, Axios reports.

The move comes as the social media platform is already under fire from President Trump, who accused the company of being biased against conservatives. Cruz wants to look into whether the platform allowing Iranian leaders to maintain accounts on its service is a violation of U.S. sanctions.

Fuck Ted Cruz, that is all.

 

[akatrex]

Since Donald Trump was sworn into office I've heard Republicans proclaim that collusion isn't a crime, fraud isn't a crime, sexual assault isn't a crime, perjury isn't a crime and lying to the FBI isn't a crime.

Once upon a time, didn't the Republican Party claim to be the Party of Law and Order? How did they become the Party of Obstruction and Cover-Ups?

The Dems have been corrupt since I can remember. Teddy "Chappaquiddick" Kennedy, Bobby having Marilyn Monroe Wacked for her affair with President John F Kennedy.

Bill "I did not have sexual relations with that girl" Clinton.

Now Barak Obama with his team of Bafoons will go down in history as the most Corrupt President in U.S. History.

 

[KeithD]

The Dems have been corrupt since I can remember. Teddy "Chappaquiddick" Kennedy, Bobby having Marilyn Monroe Wacked for her affair with President John F Kennedy.

Bill "I did not have sexual relations with that girl" Clinton.

Now Barak Obama with his team of Bafoons will go down in history as the most Corrupt President in U.S. History.

How's Trump working for you, Trumpette hypocrite?

 

[Fuzzy1975]

The Dems have been corrupt since I can remember. Teddy "Chappaquiddick" Kennedy, Bobby having Marilyn Monroe Wacked for her affair with President John F Kennedy.

Bill "I did not have sexual relations with that girl" Clinton.

Now Donald Trump with his team of Bafoons will go down in history as the most Corrupt President in U.S. History.

Not into conspiracy theories much are you...Chuckles...oh and I fixed your incorrect answer on Presidential History to BTW....

 

[JackLuis]

DeVos and Mnuchin sued for unlawful seizure of student loan borrowers’ tax refunds during pandemic

“Secretaries DeVos and Mnuchin have inflicted needless financial pain on student borrowers and their families.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and the federal departments they run were hit with a class-action lawsuit Friday for illegal seizures of thousands of student borrowers’ tax refunds during the coronavirus pandemic, which has left over 40 million Americans jobless and familes across the country struggling to stay in their homes and keep food on the table.

Law and Order Republicunts need some Law and Order on their asses. Lock 'em Up! 90 days in the hole! Wonder bread and Flint Water only!

 

[Stephen_Coyle]

Since Donald Trump was sworn into office I've heard Republicans proclaim that collusion isn't a crime, fraud isn't a crime, sexual assault isn't a crime, perjury isn't a crime and lying to the FBI isn't a crime.

Once upon a time, didn't the Republican Party claim to be the Party of Law and Order? How did they become the Party of Obstruction and Cover-Ups?

During my lifetime, the Republican Party changed from a party that believed in American ideals (like Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech, Innocent until Proven Guilty and the Separation of Church and State) and instead became a party that had no ideals!

In the 1990's Newt Gingrich taught Republican candidates how to demonize the opposition with labels such as “disgrace,” “betray,” and “traitors.” When he became speaker of the House Gingrich announced, “There will be no compromise.” Gingrich didn't see American politics as being about negotiation, compromise and the public good. He saw American politics as WAR!

Gingrich and his heirs purged the Republican Party of moderates, diplomats and intellectuals and grew ever more right-wing and extremist. It is not enough to be conservative anymore. If you want to be a leader in the Republican Party nowadays, you must be vicious.

In the Republican Party of today, negotiation with the Democrats is unthinkable. It is now Standard Operating Procedure to delegitimize Democrats and Democratic institutions.

And after Gingrich was caught money laundering and forced out of office in disgrace, the Tea Party showed up and showed us that they could out-Gingrich Gingrich. The Tea Party was even more inhuman, more paranoid, and more racist than Gingrich. The Tea Party Republicans were less like politicians and more like street thugs.

So, the Tea Party Republicans got in and they're still in there, pushing hostility towards large segments of the American population and encouraging violence and showing disdain for scientists, constitutional scholars, schoolteachers, and college professors. They're pushing violence over compromise and voter suppression over democracy.

This was the PERFECT environment for an ignorant, intellectually lazy, emotionally needy, sociopathic narcissist like Donald Trump to thrive! Trump doesn't care about transparency or obeying the law! Trump only cares about Trump!

 

[JackLuis]

Trump loyalist Lindsey Graham locked in dead heat with Democratic challenger in red South Carolina

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is locked in a dead heat in his bid to win re-election, a new online poll finds.Graham, who has represented South Carolina in Congress since 1995 and held his Senate seat since 2003, has in recent months faced mounting pressure from Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison. A new Civiqs poll released this week finds the two rivals tied at 42%.A deeper dive into the poll reveals more possibly unnerving developments for Graham. Fifty-six percent of South Carolina voters have an unfavorable view of the senator, while only 35% have a positive view of him.

 

[YDB95]

I'll be VERY surprised if Harrison wins...but every dollar they have to spend to save Graham is a dollar they can't spend in North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Maine...you get the idea. That they'll have to throw any resources at one of the most dependably right-wing of states just says it all, doesn't it?

 

[JackLuis]

With Trump-aligned votes as ‘anvil around her neck,’ Susan Collins down 9 points to likely Dem challenger

The four-term Republican senator from Maine who presents herself as a centrist has faced national criticism for her votes during the Trump administration.

New poll results released in a Bangor Daily News column Thursday shows Democratic Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon leading Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins by nine points—just the latest sign that the November election could deny Collins a fifth term.

52% disapproval rating! Bye Susan.

 

[KeithD]

Hmm. Guess Susan's little "I'm human" act didn't work.

 

[YDB95]

Hmm. Guess Susan's little "I'm human" act didn't work.

Not to mention the "Brett promised he wouldn't vote against abortion rights" act.

 

[JackLuis]

Lindsey Graham pushes back on Trump’s antifa-bashing rhetoric – and praises Obama’s police reforms

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) acknowledged that George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers was a “wake up call” for the country, adding that he wants to get to the “root cause” of police violence against African American men.

Graham said that he’s sure “antifa” has a role to play in the rioting and looting, “but I’m old enough to remember 1968, like many of you.”

“The overwhelming issue for us is after you stop the rioting, which we will, what are you going to do about the problem that led to the protest?” Graham said.

Well stopping waving the "Stars and Bars" around like it isn't Treason, might help.

Or, prosecuting Police for their crimes might help too!

 

[KeithD]

Lindsey Graham pushes back on Trump’s antifa-bashing rhetoric – and praises Obama’s police reforms



Well stopping waving the "Stars and Bars" around like it isn't Treason, might help.

Or, prosecuting Police for their crimes might help too!

Somebody must have slipped Graham a count of black voters in South Carolina.

 

[phrodeau]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) lost his bid in Iowa’s primary today.

‘Twas the mail-in ballots that did him in. Too many Republicans voted.

 

[JackLuis]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) lost his bid in Iowa’s primary today.

‘Twas the mail-in ballots that did him in. Too many Republicans voted.

Excellent!! Who won? Was he a real Republican or a Tea Party Nazi?

 

[phrodeau]

Excellent!! Who won? Was he a real Republican or a Tea Party Nazi?

Randy Feenstra. Trump tweeted congratulations to him. No other information exists.

 

[allison22]

Once upon a time, didn't the Republican Party claim to be the Party of Law and Order?

Trump doesn’t believe in the rule of law. His record shows an uglier pattern: He supports cops when they target people of color. He opposes cops when they target him and his friends.

Trump loves cops when they're targeting minorities. But when they investigate him or his friends, he calls them "human scum" or "dishonest slime bags". He's not interested in order, justice or the rule of law. He's not even interested, as a matter of principle, in defending the police. He's interested in corrupting them and turning them into thugs with guns and badges.

 

[JackLuis]

‘One racist down. Hundreds in office to go’: Applause as Steve King is ousted in Iowa primary

To complete the shift of Iowa’s 4th congressional district away from racism and xenophobia, progressives stressed that Feenstra must also be defeated in November.

As Vox‘s Li Zhou noted, “Feenstra’s policy platform isn’t significantly different from King’s: Much like Trump, he’s anti-abortion and supports hardline immigration policies including building a border wall.”

J.D. Scholten, the Democratic nominee who will face Feenstra in the general election, tweeted late Tuesday that “not-Steve King isn’t good enough.”

Will Iowa join the 21st Century?

 

[phrodeau]

‘One racist down. Hundreds in office to go’: Applause as Steve King is ousted in Iowa primary



Will Iowa join the 21st Century?

Not likely. Minnesota needs a southern border wall.

Closing I-35 northbound stopped cold the looting and arson in the Twin Cities.

 

[JackLuis]

‘Cannot unsee’: Lindsey Graham’s new Trump-like hair color overshadows Rosenstein hearing

The Internet cried out in laughter on Wednesday after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) showed up at a Judiciary Committee hearing with a new hair color.

“OH MY GOD. Lindsay dyed his hair to look like Trump,” Rick Wilson wrote at the top of the hearing. “CANNOT UNSEE.”

Although the hearing intended to focus on Rod Rosenstein and the investigation into Russia’s election interference, commenters on the Internet were fixated on the chairman’s hair.

Take a look at the photos and read some of the remarks below.

Lindsey is now a #Bunker Boi Blond!


Lindsey Graham gets defensive at Rosenstein hearing after Dick Durbin calls for subpoenas for Trump’s associates

This Wednesday, former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified before the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the origins of the Russia investigation.

During one portion of the hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) reinforced the “bottom line” conclusions of the Mueller report, namely the fact that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Durbin then pointed out that the committee will issue “53 subpoenas” for witnesses.

“What an irony that we began this year in an impeachment trial where the Republicans refused to produce one document or one witness, not one witness, when it came to questions of the impeachment of the President,” Durbin said. “Tomorrow there will be 53 names submitted, and they will not be cleared with the minority [Democrats] … We will attempt to amend his subpoena on the Democratic side to make sure we’re clearly trying to find the truth in this matter about whether this was an utterly baseless investigation, we believe we should also be calling a few other witnesses.”

Durbin went on to read a list of former Trump associates who he would subpoena. Later in the hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) took a moment to address Durbin’s suggestion.

 

[JackLuis]

GOP state senator: Removing Confederate statues is about ‘erasing the history of the white people’

On Wednesday, as the George Floyd protests continued to rage, Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) announced that a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in the state capital of Richmond would be taken down.

But GOP state Sen. Amanda Chase wasn’t pleased with the move. In a live broadcast on Facebook, Chase, who plans to run for governor in 2021, blasted the decision, and suggested that it was an attack on white people.

“It disturbs me whenever I see people — let’s be honest, there is an overt effort here to erase all white history,” she said. “That’s what they’re looking at doing. Listen, our grandfathers were guilty of slavery, and that is wrong … but that wasn’t all that Lee and others were known for. They did other things. You know, there is not one human being who has not committed a sin.”

Traitors and Sinners don't get statues.

 

[YDB95]

Listen, our grandfathers were guilty of slavery, and that is wrong … but that wasn’t all that Lee and others were known for. They did other things.

True. They also took up arms against their country in order to preserve slavery. Not something they deserve to be honoured for.