2020: The Two Year Long Election

[AmazonGrace]

 That's as good as a confession they are doing so

[GreyhoundFan]

"‘I have nothing to apologize for’: Steve King blames ‘dishonest’ media for his troubles, seeks reelection in 2020"

Spoiler

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Thursday that he plans to run for reelection in 2020 and remained unapologetic for repeatedly making offensive remarks, some of which have been widely rebuked as racist and recently led to him being stripped of his congressional committee assignments.

The nine-term congressman has long weathered criticism for his inflammatory comments about race and immigration, but he appeared to take things a step too far in a Jan. 10 interview with the New York Times in which he was quoted questioning how terms such as “white nationalism” and “white supremacy” had become offensive. The 29-word quote sparked fierce public backlash as King was condemned by members of his own party — including fellow Iowa Republicans Sens. Charles E. Grassley and Joni Ernst — and faced numerous calls for resignation. Then, just days after the interview published, Republican leaders voted unanimously to remove King from his posts on the House Judiciary, Agriculture and Small Business committees.

But when asked during an interview released Thursday by Iowa Public Television if he was “sorry for anything” he has said, a defiant King defended himself, blaming the “dishonest” media for his problems.

“I have nothing to apologize for,” King said on the “Iowa Press” show. “Each thing starts out with some formerly credible organization that launches this and then we have this phenomenon that America is not ready for, and that’s this cyber bullying that unleashes . . . creating a firestorm.”

He continued: “If you just hold these publications to what is true, there is no story whatsoever.”

In the days before the midterm elections, King came under fire for a variety of issues, ranging from reportedly meeting with members of a far-right Austrian party with historical Nazi ties to supporting a Toronto mayoral candidate considered to be a white nationalist.

Aside from having his actions rebuked by high-ranking Republicans, King lost support from major companies such as Land O’Lakes and Intel. A week before the midterms, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating for King’s district from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.” He went on to barely keep his seat against a political newcomer, dropping from an 18-point lead to eking out a victory with just over three percentage points.

Then in January, the Times published its interview with King, who reportedly made the following comment after insisting he wasn’t a racist: “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King said. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

After the interview came out, King issued a statement on Twitter refuting the suggestions that he was “a white nationalist or a white supremacist.” In the statement, which did not dispute the reporting in the story, he described himself as “simply a Nationalist.”

On Thursday, however, King argued that he was misquoted by Times reporter Trip Gabriel, explaining that he had been talking about Western civilization and not white supremacy. He has made similar comments as recently as last week at a town hall in Iowa, the Sioux City Journal reported.

To prove his point, King turned to LexisNexis, a research database with access to archived news reports and public records. After three weeks of research, King said “in all of history” LexisNexis showed he had never used “either one of those terms that identified as the odious ideologies.” But he noted that he has said “Western civilization” 276 times.

“If you want to score it on a matter of logic, it’s Steve King: 276,” he said. “New York Times: 0 and 0.”

In an emailed statement to The Washington Post Friday, the Times’s politics editor Patrick Healy said King was not misquoted nor were his comments taken out of context.

“Trip Gabriel typed detailed notes during the interview and we are absolutely confident that we quoted Mr. King accurately, fairly and in the proper context," Healy said. “I’d point out that for more than 24 hours after the article was published, Mr. King did not dispute he had made the comment.”

It’s not the first time King has claimed he was misquoted after landing in hot water. Last year, he pushed back against a story from the Weekly Standard, which reported that he had referred to immigrants as “dirt.” King demanded that the conservative magazine share the full audio of his remarks -- and they did, releasing a two-minute clip in which he could be heard making what appeared to be an incendiary joke. After the recording was made public, Sarah Stevens, King’s chief of staff, continued to insist that the magazine had misrepresented the congressman’s comments, The Post’s Kristine Phillips reported.

The quote in the Times was also not the first time a caustic statement has gotten King in trouble, as The Post’s Cleve R. Wootson Jr. reported last month.

At a 2016 congressional hearing, he said black people could afford abortions if they stopped buying iPhones, Rewire.News reported. A year later, he claimed “our civilization” can’t be restored with “somebody else’s babies.” He once even displayed a small Confederate flag on his desk in his Washington office, which he said Thursday was “a symbol of freedom of speech” that was only there “for a few weeks to make a point.”

“I am descended from abolitionists,” King said. “My great, great grandfather, five times great, gave his life to put an end to slavery.”

Despite the controversies, King appeared optimistic as he discussed his plans for the upcoming year, which include working to get back his committee assignments, and his reelection bid. He already faces three primary challengers, one of whom is a sitting Iowa state senator, the Des Moines Register reported. During Thursday’s interview, King had a strong message for his constituents.

“Don’t let the elitists in this country, the power brokers in this country, tell you who’s going to represent you in the United States Congress,” he said.

Please, Rufus, have the people of Iowa stop foisting this ass on the rest of us.

[GreyhoundFan]

From Jennifer Rubin: "What the Democratic nominee should promise"

Spoiler

Democratic presidential contenders understandably want to talk about their big, substantive policy ideas on health care, energy and taxes. More power to them — if we could have serious debates, for example, about the pros and cons of expanding Medicare, or how to use the tax code to boost middle class families and subsidize work, or the Middle East. Before the next president gets to any policy initiative, however, he or she needs to repair the presidency itself, which Donald Trump has blemished.

Here are just a few steps that a president could undertake on his or her own — no congressional action needed (and no power grab permitted) — to help restore trust in government and the stature of the presidency:

• The president and vice president will voluntarily comply with existing ethics laws that cover all executive branch employees — including the requirement to divest themselves of assets that pose a conflict of interest. They will disclose 10 years of tax returns and, specifically, any foreign holdings or obligations. 
• The administration will adopt a single rule: Any significant violation of the Hatch Act (e.g., conducting politics on government time) or misuse of taxpayer money (e.g., extravagant travel) will result in termination. Period. 
• Any White House staffer or Cabinet member credibly accused of sexual assault, harassment or spousal abuse will be immediately placed on administrative leave until the matter can be investigated. 
• No White House staffer will contact any member of the Justice Department to inquire as to the status of any investigation or enforcement action (or lack thereof). Any discussion of individual enforcement matters should be conducted only between the attorney general and White House counsel, and should be logged with the date and general subject matter specified. 
• The president will not impugn the integrity of any judge. The president (like any citizen) is free to criticize the outcome or reasoning of decisions but not the motives or authority of the judge. In conjunction with Congress, the president will urge the Supreme Court to commit to developing a written code of ethics for the high court (which it lacks, unlike lower courts).
• The president will not permit any shutdown of the government, and will sign legislation providing for an automatic continuing resolution to keep the government funded at current levels in the event of a lapse in budget authority. 
• The president, each day, will receive in person and read the President’s Daily Brief (PDB).
• Insofar as tweets are deemed to be official documents, any tweet from the president addressing a policy matter will be vetted for form and accuracy as would a presidential speech or written declaration. 
• The media is not the “enemy of the people,” but a necessary institution given constitutional protection. Accordingly, the president will support a federal shield law, support legislation adopting New York Times Co. v. Sullivan as a matter of statutory law and undertake an initiative to protect the safety of the media — both domestically and abroad. 
• No family members will be employed in either the Cabinet or the West Wing. 
• Senior national security personnel who have lobbied for or been engaged as a consultant by a foreign government will not be hired.

There certainly are more actions that would help restore the presidency’s stature and dignity, but that’s a good start. Are any of the candidates game?

Unfortunately, as we have learned under Trump, democratic norms depend on voluntary compliance and respect for our constitutional system. To the extent the president has undermined norms and institutions, it regrettably now may be necessary to put in place concrete protocols such as the ones listed above.

However, there is no replacement for a president of good character, mental acuity and mature temperament. For that, we need voters to do better than they did in 2016.

 

[fraurosena]

14 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

However, there is no replacement for a president of good character, mental acuity and mature temperament. For that, we need voters to do better than they did in 2016.

You know what, I love Jennifer Rubin, but I really disagree with this comment. The majority of voters did not want the presidunce. They voted for Hillary. In a true democracy, she would be in the Oval Office right now. The fact of the matter is that the Electoral College is an obsolete institution and it should be abolished so the actual will of the majority of the people is executed.

So Jennifer, the voters did quite well in 2016, thank you very much. It's the system that needs to be better.

Edited February 25, 2019 by fraurosena
adding it

[AmazonGrace]

Someone wrote stories about what a horrible boss Amy Klobuchar is and some former staffers replied.

 

IDK she could be a horrible boss for all I know but some of it seems like 2016 all over again. Trump is a veritable mobster and reporters write stories about how Amy Klobuchar once ate a salad with a comb.

But her emails. But her salad.

[AmazonGrace]

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

Tad Devine was STILL working for Sanders up until just now (he was somehow mixed up with Pavel Manafort)

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[Penny]

Rumor is that Beto will be throwing his hat in the ring, this is from The Texas Tribune. He was thinking about taking on the other Texas Senator, John Cornyn, but decided against it. 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Alisamer]

6 hours ago, Penny said:

Rumor is that Beto will be throwing his hat in the ring, this is from The Texas Tribune. He was thinking about taking on the other Texas Senator, John Cornyn, but decided against it. 

I'll vote for anyone against Trump. He's reached comic movie villain levels of ridiculousness at this point. A cardboard cutout of the statue of liberty would make a better president, by at least not actively causing problems. 

I haven't got much preference this early in the going, but I'd love to see a female president (not that one from Hawaii, though) and Beto as vice president, or vice versa. Or a two-woman team, but I feel like having a penis somewhere in the top two might be necessary to help stave off the incels and other misogynists. I really think Bernie needs to maybe sit this one out. Help as a mentor, if you want, but I think like in the midterms, it's time for new fresh perspectives. 

And screw this "likability" stuff about the women running. The number of people who actually LIKE Trump without being financially bound to him can be counted while wearing mittens. We don't need someone likable, we need someone smart and strong.

[AuntK]

The day Trump leaves office, whether by impeachment, resignation, imprisonment, defeat or death, I am throwing the biggest party of my life! The wine will flow, the music will rock, the food will be fantastic! Everyone is invited!

[onekidanddone]

2 minutes ago, AuntK said:

The day Trump leaves office, whether by impeachment, resignation, imprisonment, defeat or death, I am throwing the biggest party of my life! The wine will flow, the music will rock, the food will be fantastic! Everyone is invited!

Count me in. Let’s start a sign up list now and put me down for Hatch chili stew and spicy Old Bay cornbread. ?. 

[AuntK]

1 hour ago, onekidanddone said:

Count me in. Let’s start a sign up list now and put me down for Hatch chili stew and spicy Old Bay cornbread. ?. 

Yum! I will provide cases of my favorite Pinot Grigio, my favorite beer,  cheese, and all the various dips, snacks that I can come up with! Planning a Trump Departure Party helps my frame of mind, especially after just hearing that he just overruled all the intelligence experts and approved the top secret security clearance for his pathetic son-in-law, who is owned by the Saudis and the Russians!  I never thought I would see the day that the US actually had spies and traitors in the Oval Office!

God help us! May his departure come VERY SOON!

[AmazonGrace]

 

[onekidanddone]

34 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

Too many notes

[AmazonGrace]

The replies to this thread 

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[milkteeth]

12 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

The replies to this thread 

 

I love it when conservatives try to scare their supporters with things that are actually reasonable and fairly popular. It’s like when Fox News talked about AOC’s platform of ‘Supporting Seniors’ like it was something to be terrified of.

[AmazonGrace]

Watch out for pretend-leftist troll accounts on Twitter.

[milkteeth]

When will the attacks on poor billionaires like Howard Schultz and other 'people of means' ever end? 

[Audrey2]

I see that Sherrod Brown, the senator from Ohio, has decided not to run. Fun fact- his father was the doctor who delivered Luke Perry.

[milkteeth]

20 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

I see that Sherrod Brown, the senator from Ohio, has decided not to run. Fun fact- his father was the doctor who delivered Luke Perry.

I saw that Luke Perry actually campaigned for Sherrod Brown when he was running for senate. It's so sad that he passed away so young. 

[AmazonGrace]

Matt Gaetz is down with Tulsi which probably means she's a very bad idea.