home

Happy Easter and Open Thread

Happy Easter to all who are celebrating.

Alec Baldwin returned to Saturday Night Live last night. I missed it but the video is here.

I watched all 15 episodes of "Ingobernable" this weekend on Netflix, with actress Kate del Castillo as the First Lady of Mexico, on the run after being framed for the murder of her husband. It's about corruption and extra-judicial killings inside and outside the Government. It incorporates a fictionalized version of the disappearance of the 43 students in Guerrero, Mexico (changing the location to the barrio of Tepito near Mexico City and the number to 39), castigates the DEA and CIA for being white collar criminals and no different than the cartels, and blames the U.S. and its insatiable demand for drugs for the violence in Mexico.

If you have Netflix, watch the President's planned speech (available with subtitles) in Episode 6. It's a good reminder our war on drugs, about to be ramped up by Jefferson Sessions, is not only a failure at home, but abroad. (Sessions is not just so last year, but so last generation. Clueless beyond hope.)[More....]

Like all good Spanish series, there are multiple characters and story arcs, some are better than others, and some are far-fetched, they really don't detract from the show. But Kate del Castillo is a terrific actress and she easily carries the show. I especially liked Maxi Iglesias as the hacker from the barrio, and Aida López as Chela, the tough female leader of the neighborhood and “Las Cabronas de Tepito” (seven b*tches" gang).

The CIA (and to a lesser extent the DEA) is all over the series doing many bad things, from murders to kidnappings. Some of the bad guys are so beefy they seem like military contractors. And of course, there is a corrupt Mexican Secretary of Defense, a secret detention center with unspeakable torture and prisoners locked in small cages and a corrupt Army general who plans on militarizing the police all over the country. Thankfully, there isn't a single cop-hero in the bunch, no Law and Order clone here.

The series ends on a cliff-hanger of sorts, so I assume it will be back for Season Two, but that hasn't been confirmed.

In real life, former Veracruz Governor Javier Duerte has been captured in Guatemala after six months on the lam.

Duarte's case has been one of the most sensitive to public opinion because of the high level of violence in Veracruz during his administration, with thousands dead, missing and dozens of clandestine graves, as well as impunity and corruption. Since the issuance of an arrest warrant against him, Mexican authorities located millions of dollars linked to Duarte, frozen a hundred bank accounts and checked properties and businesses related to Veracruz....

I haven't ruined my weekend by reading one word about Donald Trump so I've got nothing to say about him. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Friday Open Thread | Supreme Court Rejcts Arkansas Request to Lift Stay on Execution >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Spicer (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 02:10:55 PM EST
    was born to be spoksperson for the Trump administration.  i cant imagine anyone better.

    A nice family photo surfaced today (none / 0) (#43)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 09:04:29 AM EST
    Guess Who Came to Dinner [With Flynn and Putin]

    Parent
    amazing (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 02:23:51 PM EST
    WTF? (5.00 / 2) (#57)
    by desertswine on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 07:09:10 PM EST
    "We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you."

    So trump seems to have "lost" a fleet of ships.  What a jackass.  Does anyone in the administration know what the hell they are doing?

    Did he check (5.00 / 1) (#60)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 09:05:42 PM EST
    with Ferdinand and Isabella before he launched the Armada?

    Parent
    Yes, and "wrong way Trump" (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by KeysDan on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 11:49:11 PM EST
    was aided and abetted and attested to in all this by Mattis and McMaster--"the adults in the room" who are supposed to reassure us in the face of Trump.  Keystone Kops unleashed. We are supposed to be, at long last, delighted that the generals (and admirals) no longer have their hands tied behind their backs.  

    Parent
    Is Bill O'Reilly not long for Fox News? (5.00 / 2) (#62)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 11:27:21 PM EST
    Another Murdoch-owned News Corp. subsidiary, the Wall Street Journal, says yes, he's on his way out.

    This just in (none / 0) (#75)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 02:03:37 PM EST
    "Not long" has been superseded by "gone."

    Hating America paid pretty well for a long time.

    Parent

    O'Reilly's being replaced by Tucker Carlson. (none / 0) (#77)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 03:18:16 PM EST
    Now, we'll see whether Fox News can hold his audience. I'd bet that they do, at least for a while. I've long suspected that the network's viewers tend to be far more loyal to its particular brand, rather than to any one of its on-air personalities.

    Parent
    I like Tucker for the most part but I don't (none / 0) (#88)
    by McBain on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 05:39:23 PM EST
    think he can keep O'Reilly's ratings.  O'Reilly made the show more about him, always bragging about his humble beginnings as a school teacher.  Tucker looks like he belongs on Wall Street or as a character from "House of Cards".

    Parent
    Billo's base hated America (5.00 / 3) (#89)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 07:12:59 PM EST
    Tucker looks like he belongs on Wall Street or as a character from "House of Cards".

    Carlson is particularly moronic, O'Reilly talked a good game but didn't play one.  You didn't have to be a mind reader to know he was a liar, a buffoon and a bully.  He put his racism right there on the air for all to see.

    I am amazed at how these unintelligent people, who never did anything hard in their lives, hold thrall over people who would like to work for a living if their jobs hadn't been sold overseas by the likes of Donald Trump.

    Given riches for acting the fool and promoting anti-American values, the Billos and the Carlsons of the world have the chutzpah to suggest Black people who are poor have only themselves to blame, and white people who are poor have Blacks and Hispanics to blame.

    Parent

    Maybe if he Left quit insulting people (none / 0) (#127)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 08:40:23 AM EST
    by calling them deplorable and as you just did:

    I am amazed at how these unintelligent people

    who are seen as spokespersons for those:

    who would like to work for a living if their jobs hadn't been sold overseas by the likes of Donald Trump.

    Try to grasp this.

    Obama had 8 years in which to admit the problem and develop a plan to fix it.  He did nothing.

    Hillary offered Obama redux.

    Trump stepped in and said:

    "Hey! I was part of the problems and I know how to fix them!"

    Now he is seen as trying to do exactly that.

    Parent

    The two clashed repeatedly and publicly when Franken was a talk show host, and O'Reilly was his favorite target for ridicule. Such is karma that Franken's now a U.S. senator from Minnesota, and O'Reilly's been tossed to the curb like yesterday's rubbish.

    Parent
    I liked Franken the writer/comedian (none / 0) (#97)
    by McBain on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:39:25 AM EST
    I usually preferred O'Reilly's take on things but not when mocked Franken's SNL character Stuart Smalley.  O'Reilly was good in the cable news world but nowhere near as funny as Franken.

    Parent
    If you read his books from that particular period, e.g., "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," it's very clear that not only is he a bona fide policy wonk who cared deeply about real issues, but he's also far better informed about those issues -- with a real knack for attention to details -- than were the right-wing politicians and pundits he regularly mocked.

    Yes, Sen. Franken is talented and funny, but he's also a very perceptive, knowledgeable, analytical and empathetic person. The best satirists and comedians tend to be very keen observers of the human condition, and are passionately attuned to the Zeitgeist of their times.

    Bill O'Reilly possesses none of those qualities and attributes. Rather, he's never been anything more than an angry baritone of our times, a self-perceived prophet not unlike the increasingly messianic Howard Beale (Peter Finch) of director Sidney Lumet's brilliantly conceived 1976 media satire "Network." He's a narrow-minded bigot and self-righteous blowhard, for whom his own bombast and personal opinions regularly pre-empts both fact and truth.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Franken also (none / 0) (#104)
    by mm on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 08:57:21 AM EST
    selflessly did some great work on the short lived Air America Radio in the wake of the 2000 stolen election.

    Parent
    Let me see (none / 0) (#128)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 08:47:57 AM EST
    The evileeee Repubs stole the 2000 election and now the 2016....

    Seems that "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me" applies.

    Oh. Wait. It was the Russians in 2016.

    But, if you want to talk about a stolen election try this.

    Parent

    I'm sure all three people (none / 0) (#132)
    by jondee on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 11:40:32 AM EST
    who've visited your site since the Franken-Coleman race, wholeheartedly concur with your unbiased analysis.

    lol

    Parent

    When you can't refute (none / 0) (#144)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 08:43:39 AM EST
    then try to change the subject.

    lol

    Parent

    So says the guy who butted into ... (5.00 / 1) (#169)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:29:13 PM EST
    jimakaPPJ: "When you can't refute then try to change the subject. lol"

    ... a sub-thread about Al Franken and Bill O'Reilly with a comment about the 2000 and 2016 elections.

    Parent

    More news on Putin (5.00 / 1) (#81)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 03:47:35 PM EST
    attacking our elections:

    A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters' faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.

    They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [en.riss.ru/], after the election.

    link

    What you don't have is any evidence (none / 0) (#129)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 08:53:51 AM EST
    of colluding. Instead you keep talking about how the Russians wanted/tried/put a hex on Hillary....

    The FBI has had at least 7 months.

    Where's the beef, GA??

    Parent

    So (none / 0) (#133)
    by FlJoe on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 03:54:29 PM EST
    far there are dozens of pieces of information all pointing in the direction of something going on between at least some tRump associates.

    There have been an astounding number of proven contacts between Trumps minions and his fellow grifters with Russian IC, oligarchs, mobsters, and their puppets. That's public knowledge, the FBI and IC obviously know much more (so do the read in congress critters).

    Go ahead and ignore the mountain of circumstantial evidence, while you demand that we provide the beef. I don't know why you think that seven months is an extraordinary time for an investigation this charged and complex, and why you assume that the players would not keep any and all hard evidence close to the vest.

    Parent

    Please list, with links, (none / 0) (#138)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 09:44:14 PM EST
    the so-called circumstantial evidence.

    BTW - There is nothing illegal about having meetings with Russians.

    I mean even Obama told us in 2008 he would meet with anyone. Are you rejecting his advice?

    All you can do is mouth warmed over crap loaded with qualifiers.

    In the meantime Susan Rice directed a political attack against a political opponent from the WH.

    Shame on her.

    Parent

    The (none / 0) (#141)
    by FlJoe on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 06:06:34 AM EST
    multitude of contacts are public knowledge, many self acknowledged after the fact.

    Of course it's not illegal to talk to Russians, just like it's not illegal to talk to mobsters. However when there is hard evidence of constant contact with people who are involved in criminal activity that just happens to benefit your team and then you lie about it, that's top of the line circumstantial evidence.

    Meanwhile, you pronounce Susan Rice an unqualified guilty based on only Nunes' completely debunked fantasy.

    Parent

    IOW you don't have any (none / 0) (#142)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 08:38:48 AM EST
    thing conclusive.

    Okie Dokie......lol.

    Parent

    Love the new standard (none / 0) (#143)
    by Yman on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 08:43:33 AM EST
    You now demand "conclusive" proof, after years of smearing Obama, Clinton and Rice with nothing more than wingnut conspiracy theories and silly accusations.

    "LOL!"

    Parent

    Yeah. (none / 0) (#145)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 08:47:40 AM EST
    You guys are doing what you accused the Right of doing.

    So now I'm doing what you guys did.

    Turn about and all that. ;-)

    But the Right didn't have the media in their pocket....

    Of course it was Hillary's troops who started the BC bit.

    lol

    Parent

    No, we're not (none / 0) (#147)
    by Yman on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:04:00 AM EST
    We don't push debunked, birther conspiracy theories (amongst many others) like your lying POTUS and Tea Party friends.  The Russia/Trump campaign connections are based on facts and are currently being investigated.  The fact that you want to claim there's no evidence because the FBI doesn't release their evidence is pretty funny, though. Counterintelligence investigations can take years, so you're going to have to learn to deal with that.

    BTW - Doesn't whining about the media and blaming them ever get old?  But they definitely have a bias for facts/truth compared to your usual wingnut website sources.

    Parent

    You are doing the very same thing (none / 0) (#148)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:19:33 AM EST
    and like the Right all you have is a bunch of fake news and wild conspiracy theories.

    You have met the enemy and he is you.

    Apologies to Walt Kelly and Pogo.

    Parent

    Sorry (5.00 / 2) (#151)
    by FlJoe on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:57:14 AM EST
    we have it from the horse's mouth, Comey et al are making no bones about the need for a serious continuing investigation. Sources from around the world all saw the same thing, private, governmental and journalistic entities all noticed the undeniable pattern of contacts with people and institution closely related to Putin and Russian intel and in some cases Russian mobsters and money laundering.

    You can't dismiss public statements made by multiple high level officials and many widely (albeit anonymously) sourced news stories as some kind of wild conspiracy theory and fake news.

    You are the one who are accusing the FBI, the IC(here and abroad),  assorted congresscritters (even some Rs) and the media(here and abroad) of all participating is some wild conspiracy, somehow led by Susan Rice.

    Parent

    Quit making things up (none / 0) (#160)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:24:06 PM EST
    Rice is in bed with Obama, not Comey.

    And again. You have nothing. If you do, show it!!!!!

    And you're not even paranoid. You're just a person carrying Hillary's water.

    Parent

    The difference being (none / 0) (#150)
    by Yman on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:27:47 AM EST
    ... I have proof to back up my claims.  You have nothing but your own, laughable opinion.  But you should let the FBI and the FISA court know that their investigation and warrant(s) are based on nothing more than "fake news and wild conspiracy theories".  I'm sure they could use a good laugh.

    Parent
    Why (none / 0) (#146)
    by FlJoe on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:03:04 AM EST
    would you expect me to be privy to any kind of conclusive evidence, when any such evidence is by its nature highly classified and understandably being held close to the chest by the agencies. I can only describe the vast billowing clouds of smoke that only are becoming denser every day.

    Parent
    Well, if that's your excuse (none / 0) (#149)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 09:24:38 AM EST
    I think I'll use it for my claim about Rice.

    Of course we know she tracked the Trump campaign.

    Look. You have zip. All you are doing is whining.

    If the "agencies" had anything don't you think they would be acting to prevent the country from being damaged?

    Parent

    I have (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by FlJoe on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 10:18:58 AM EST
    multiple ongoing investigations, you don't.
    All you have is Nunes' pitiful, completely debunked, spoonfed propaganda performance piece.

    BTW: The agencies already acted by forcing Flynn out, most of the other players are long gone, although Kushner still has some questions to answered(he undeniably lied on his clearance forms) and the recently departed Boris Epstein might be involved.

    With McMasters, Mattis and even Pompeo in charge along with the bright hot spotlight of the media, the immediate threat has all but disappeared

    Parent

    Ah, so now you (none / 0) (#155)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:02:32 PM EST
    kick over the chess pieces, strut around a bit, declare victory and leave???

    lol

    If they had anything they would have used it.

    Parent

    You do understand (5.00 / 1) (#159)
    by jondee on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:19:46 PM EST
    the meaning of the words "ongoing investigation", don't you, Jim?

    Seems you're some having some trouble grasping simple concepts again.

    Maybe you should check and see if Karl Popper has anything to say about what an investigation is.

    Parent

    You can on going (none / 0) (#161)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:26:03 PM EST
    anything but it doesn't mean anything.

    Show us the beef.

    There is none.

    Parent

    You must be a very important guy (5.00 / 1) (#163)
    by jondee on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:37:38 PM EST
    to be able to demand access to details of an ongoing government investigation.

    Do these delusions of grandeur stem from having your own weblog that's so exclusive that no one ever visits it?

    lol

    Parent

    Show us the beef! (none / 0) (#170)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 10:05:06 PM EST
    Of course you don't even have a veggie burger.

    lol

    Parent

    Well, Jim (none / 0) (#134)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 04:40:57 PM EST
    the indictment was issued against Assange this week. I'm sure that's just the beginning.

    You know Putin's plan never would have worked without people like you helping him along.  

    Parent

    Uh, Assange is not an American citizen (1.00 / 1) (#137)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 09:38:34 PM EST
    and unless the US can convince Ecuador to turn him over this is meaningless.

    Me? I hope they do because he has harmed our security while doing us a great service by telling the voters what pieces of trash Hillary and the DNC crew are.

    Parent

    Heh - coming from you (5.00 / 1) (#140)
    by Yman on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 09:55:19 PM EST
    I hope they do because he has harmed our security while doing us a great service by telling the voters what pieces of trash Hillary and the DNC crew are.

    That's seriously funny.

    Parent

    It also (none / 0) (#154)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 12:20:59 PM EST
    shows his embrace of the Putin agenda. He's basically thanking Putin for doing illegal hacking.

    Parent
    So now I must embrace anyone (none / 0) (#156)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:05:39 PM EST
    who Putin dislikes??

    Really??

    You could carry logic in a bucket.  lol

    Parent

    You just (none / 0) (#165)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:42:45 PM EST
    admitted below you support Putin. What else is there to say other than you're a Putin stooge?

    Parent
    These guys are just exanding (none / 0) (#167)
    by jondee on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 04:48:37 PM EST
    the idea of old fashioned family values to include old fashioned autocratic czarist Russian family values.

    He's already said he thinks Democrats want to destroy America, so it would make sense that he'd approve of the odd poisoning and strangling and tumble off a balcony here and there to keep 'the enemy within' in line..

    Parent

    Yeah, I'm sure (none / 0) (#168)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 06:48:39 PM EST
    Jim would be just dandy with people being given polonium tea who opposed Trump.

    Parent
    Yes, and Truman was a Stalin stooge! (none / 0) (#171)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 10:14:59 PM EST
    GA, no wonder you believe whatever you read in Media Matters and KOS.

    lol

    Let's review.

    inea, Assange is a piece of (none / 0) (#158)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 02:12:05 PM CST
    trash, working with a piece of trash to out some trash.
    In a strange way that actually helps society.

    Yes, assuming it was Russia who gave Assange the info then we had two pieces of trash working to zap other pieces of trash who had already stole the primary from Bernie.

    And yes, an enemy of my enemy is my friend....until he has zapped my enemy...then he becomes my enemy again.

    You and jondee or either just making dumb statements for practice or else you know nothing about history.

    Parent

    Face it Jim (none / 0) (#153)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 12:19:13 PM EST
    you either actively supported the Putin agenda or were a useful idiot for Putin. There's really no other choice and quit blaming Hillary for a decision you made on your own.

    Parent
    Hey! I liked what Stalin did (none / 0) (#157)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:09:25 PM EST
    in WWII. Hated him later.

    Grow up GA.

    But Hillary and the DNC were very easy targets,

    An enemy of my enemy is my friend.

    Parent

    Did you just say the DNC (5.00 / 1) (#162)
    by jondee on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:29:01 PM EST
    is more of an enemy to you than Vladimir Putin?

    I think you did.

    So, are you in favor of doing to Democrats what Putin does when he percieves someone as a threat?

    Parent

    Thanks (none / 0) (#164)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:41:34 PM EST
    for confirming your support for the Putin agenda. You are perfectly fine apparently aligning yourself with Putin much like the entire GOP is as long as it gets you what you want.

    Parent
    assange (none / 0) (#139)
    by linea on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 09:51:57 PM EST
    is already in hiding from charges of sexually asaulting two women. im sure an (alleged) perv who cant take "no" for an answer in his dealings with women would be rather indifferent to an indictment from the u.s.

    Parent
    linea, Assange is a piece of (none / 0) (#158)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:12:05 PM EST
    trash, working with a piece of trash to out some trash.

    In a strange way that actually helps society.

    Parent

    Or you can be a reliable (none / 0) (#166)
    by jondee on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 03:51:31 PM EST
    negative barometer like Trump, who said he was sending "an Armada" north when it was going south..

    Who said, in his "expert brander" role, that Bill 'Hot Chocolate' O'Reilly never did anything wrong..

    Parent

    Yes, ole dumb Trump (none / 0) (#172)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Apr 22, 2017 at 10:17:50 PM EST
    ...billionaire....president...great family....

    How does someone that stupid do it?

    I mean he's dining on filet and you're eating hamburger helper...

    lol

    Parent

    I have nowhere the money Trump (5.00 / 1) (#174)
    by jondee on Sun Apr 23, 2017 at 10:00:21 AM EST
    does and still eat better than he does; which makes him, and you, doubly, and probably dangerously stupid.

    I also wouldn't pay women to pee on me if I inherited thirty million dollars.

    Though, no doubt you see that as another sign of Trump's genius.

    lol


    Parent

    Personally (none / 0) (#173)
    by FlJoe on Sun Apr 23, 2017 at 05:21:44 AM EST
    I would rather have hamburger helper than overdone steak with ketchup.

    Putin is also a billionaire president, no wonder you are always puckering up to him.


    Parent

    "Great family" - heh (none / 0) (#175)
    by Yman on Mon Apr 24, 2017 at 11:11:48 AM EST
    Pretty easy.  First, you just have to be born into a wealthy family and take over daddy's business and money.  Then, you find a woman (sorry, ... multiple women) who like the idea of being rich, have kids with them have them raise your children.  Finally, you feed the fear/hatred of a gullible, ignorant minority of voters with empty slogans and empty promises.

    Parent
    From (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by FlJoe on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 10:10:47 AM EST
    the quid meets quo files
    The payoff--Exxon asks for a waiver to take next step in Rex Tillerson's $500B deal with Putin
     Color me shocked, whocouldaknown.

    Yeah, (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 10:44:01 AM EST
    that was the whole point of nominating Tillerson as SOS. What did anybody think who got the Russian Order of Friendship from Putin.

    Parent
    How did (5.00 / 1) (#111)
    by KeysDan on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:46:10 PM EST
    Rexxon Tillerson ever get the important position of Secretary of State.  He had no apparent qualifications, spent his entire career at one oil company; Trump had never even met him before appointing him.

     Trump did some let's pretend with Romney, over a seemingly uncomfortable dinner and john Bolton was ruled out, supposedly, because of his white mustachio. Tillerson must have been highly recommended by someone; wonder who? Perhaps, someone from his international oil travels.

    Parent

    A question (5.00 / 1) (#112)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 01:08:04 PM EST
    for the ages. Always before there has been someone assigned who was at least somewhat familiar with statecraft and most of them from either party knew or had heard of the person being nominated for SOS. The only thing I can come up with is Putin told Trump to pick him.  

    Parent
    No puppet, (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by KeysDan on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 02:25:42 PM EST
    From all indications, ... (none / 0) (#135)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 05:56:04 PM EST
    ... the Treasury Dept. has rebuffed Exxon Mobil's request to waive the sanctions on Russia sufficiently to allow the company to rape, pillage and plunder that country's nether regions in sear-- uh, pardon me, I meant, "to drill for oil."

    Parent
    More on United (none / 0) (#1)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 03:57:07 PM EST
    After a bit of trying to understand the perverse behavior of United in the bumping case, it turns out that your friendly federal government had instituted price controls for involuntarily bumped passengers. That's right the amount of compensation you get for an involuntary bump is set by a DOT regulation. Government is just another word for things we choose to do together.

    Then why did Delta (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by Towanda on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 06:05:36 PM EST
    Say that it will exceed that amount?

    Hint: see replies above re "required" and "maximum" -- and see a dictionary . . . Before posting to confuse rather than clarify information.

    Parent

    Delta (none / 0) (#38)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 08:34:09 AM EST

    Delta is offering more to entice over booked passengers to voluntarily give up their seat. It is a plan to avoid involuntary bumping and the associated price control.

    Did you read the federal registry regulation at the link I provided?

    Parent

    Yes, and you are not reading it closely (1.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Towanda on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 02:35:12 PM EST
    as is indicated in all of your comments here, a waste of space.

    Parent
    And the guy wasn't bumped (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 06:59:34 PM EST
    He wasn't denied boarding

    He had boarded, a seat was assigned to him. Several posters here keep pointing out to a couple of authoritarians round here that this wasn't an oversold...this wasn't a bump...this wasn't denied boarding. He had boarded, he was on the manifest. Different legalities once boarded.

    Parent

    Exactly. (none / 0) (#14)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 09:49:57 PM EST
    And in my opinion, authoritarians pride themselves on being doormats. Respect has always been a naturally reciprocal concept to me. That is, if I want your respect, I have to first be willing to offer it. But before I can offer it to others, I have to first respect myself. And from my vantage point, most people who act as doormats are generally lacking in self-respect.

    I can and do respect those who serve in law enforcement, because I recognize that theirs is an often lonely, difficult, stressful and thankless job that can sometimes leave them subject to public abuse and worse. But that doesn't mean I'm going to kiss their a$$es, or look the other way and / or make excuses for their behavior when they're obviously in the wrong.

    Law enforcement officers chose that particular line of work. If they can't handle the pressure, then they need to seek another profession. And let's face it, not everybody's well suited for it.

    Where law enforcement so often fails us as a society is in its members' own inability to police themselves in a consistently forthright and ethical manner. Rather than root out their bad apples, more often than not they conflate loyalty with honor and rally around them. When reform does occur, it's often attained by court order and federal consent decree.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    If United didn't care about public opinion (none / 0) (#16)
    by McBain on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 11:06:14 PM EST
    and how it effects their market share and stock price they could probably win any lawsuit Dao could bring against them.  

    Parent
    And I think you would discover (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 08:30:34 AM EST
    You are wrong.

    Parent
    McBain: "If United did care about public opinion and how it effects their market share and stock price they could probably win any lawsuit Dao could bring against them."

    How would you propose that the airline overcome its own management's public admission of full culpability for the entire incident? You ought to consult with that eminent legal scholar, Dewey Rippum-Anouwon, Esq.

    :-|

    Parent

    They would probably argue the law (none / 0) (#33)
    by McBain on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 10:16:30 PM EST
    United's CEO isn't the judge and he doesn't write laws. His statements/apologies changed tune dramatically after their stock price took a dive.  His opinion is interesting and possibly relevant but not something a good lawyer couldn't overcome.

    They could argue that "boarding" doesn't end until the flight crew says so.  They could also say Dr. Dao's behavior warranted his removal.
     

    Parent

    ... what you're talking about, and likely don't even know what "the law" is -- and yet, you predict that United would win a lawsuit in court on its merits.

    Got it. Beam me up, Scotty. Like I thought, there's nothing here.

    Parent

    Disruptive (2.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 08:41:43 AM EST

    Airlines are allowed to remove disruptive passengers. One news report I saw indicated that the United people used that as their excuse for calling in the cops.

    "Disruptive" is a bit like "hate speech" in that is what you call something when you want the authorities intervene.

    Parent

    Apparently, you have not seen all evidence (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by Towanda on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 02:37:01 PM EST
    including the video of Dr. Dao and the air cops, prior to their assault.  

    Context matters.  Your comments do not.

    Parent

    How was Dr. Dao being "disuptive"? (none / 0) (#47)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 02:24:13 PM EST
    He was asserting his rights as a paying passenger who had already taken his assigned seat and merely wanted to get back home.

    United CEO Oscar Munoz has admitted that airline personnel were entirely in the wrong here in their decision to remove him, and has further accepted full responsibility on behalf of his company for the entire incident.

    The three Chicago Aviation Dept. officers who assaulted Dr. Dao -- and yes, that was an assault -- have been suspended from duty pending further Department investigation. A department spokeswoman affirmed publicly that their behavior violated department protocols and is not condoned.

    Now, what part of any of that don't you and McBain understand? Assuming for the sake of argument that a lawsuit by Dr. Dao goes to trial, how do you walk back these voluntary public admissions of culpability on the respective behalf of both the company and the authorities? By putting CEO Munoz and the department spokeswoman on the stand, and have them both swear under oath that they had their fingers crossed?

    More to the point, you two seem to share a serious and frankly unhealthy fetish for wanting people -- and from what I can see, particularly people of color -- to acquiesce and kowtow to authority, regardless of the circumstances. And speaking for myself only, I happen to find just as disturbing as anything I saw on those videos of last week's incident at Chicago-O'Hare.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I don't think he was disruptive at all (none / 0) (#59)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 07:39:32 PM EST
    I simply noted that if the airline chooses to call a passenger "disruptive" then they can call the cops to have him removed.

    Again, "disruptive" is similar to "hate speech."  The mere assertion is enough to get the authorities to stomp on you.  

    Parent

    Only if you are on the jury (none / 0) (#21)
    by Repack Rider on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 10:43:05 AM EST
    they could probably win any lawsuit Dao could bring against them.  

    Please show your legal reasoning.  Everyone who saw the video disagrees.

    Your record here is that you believe anyone who gets beaten or shot by someone wearing a uniform had it coming, no matter what our lying eyes tell us.

    Have you ever stood up for any of your rights in the face of abuse of authority?  If not, what might it take?

    Parent

    Not everyone Repack (none / 0) (#22)
    by McBain on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 01:26:29 PM EST
    I know lawyers who believe the law is on United's side but they will probably try to settle to avoid further PR problems.  One lawyer told me he could get a summery judgement win without needing a jury verdict.

    Your record here is that you believe anyone who gets beaten or shot by someone wearing a uniform had it coming, no matter what our lying eyes tell us.

    I'm  proud of my record here. I'm one of the few TLers who base decisions on facts, not emotion.  None of the insults or false accusations thrown my way changes that.

    Have you ever stood up for any of your rights in the face of abuse of authority?  If not, what might it take?

    Not all of my interactions with police have been pleasant but none of them put the cops in an awkward/dangerous situation where they had reason to suspect I might become violent.

    Parent
    Suuuure you do (none / 0) (#31)
    by Repack Rider on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 09:18:32 PM EST
    I know lawyers who believe the law is on United's side but they will probably try to settle to avoid further PR problems.  One lawyer told me he could get a summery judgement win without needing a jury verdict.

    United has already admitted that the event violated company policy, and one of the officers was punished for his actions.

    You do not really know a lawyer.  QED

    I'm  proud of my record here. I'm one of the few TLers who base decisions on facts, not emotion.  None of the insults or false accusations thrown my way changes that.

    Your record speaks for itself.  That's why I mentioned it.

    Not all of my interactions with police have been pleasant but none of them put the cops in an awkward/dangerous situation where they had reason to suspect I might become violent.

    Answer was not responsive.  Obviously I have never been arrested or beaten by police, but on a number of occasions I have refused to follow orders that they were not authorized to give.

    Do you KNOW the limits of police authority, or do you believe anything they tell you?

    Once again, and please read carefully so you understand the question.  Have you ever stood up for your rights in the face of uniformed authority, or do you just let them frisk you and search your car over a parking ticket?

    Parent

    Are you saying I don't know any lawyers personally (none / 0) (#32)
    by McBain on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 10:06:22 PM EST
    or don't know any lawyers who think the law is on United's side? I live in Silicon Valley, lots of lawyers here.  

    One of my good friends is a criminal defense attorney. I know divorce lawyers (good area for that), a patent lawyer, a couple estate lawyers and a corporate lawyer who used to be prosecutor in New York. He's the one who said he could get a summary judgement win. I trust his opinion over yours.

    I am not an expert in the limits of police authority.  Compared to most in here, I'm an expert in common sense.

    I have never been frisked or had my car searched. My last interaction with the police was when a UPS package was stolen from my front porch.  Unfortunately, I ended up doing most of the detective work.

    Parent

    Lucky you (5.00 / 2) (#34)
    by Repack Rider on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 11:18:51 PM EST
    I am not an expert in the limits of police authority.

    Since I have studied the subject in both academic and practical settings, and have successfully applied in the real world what I learned, you would then be advised to defer to someone who has more expertise than you do.

    Compared to most in here, I'm an expert in common sense.

    Would it surprise you to learn that opinions vary on that, and that you may be voting with the minority?

    I have never been frisked or had my car searched.

    Okay, what would you do if your rights were violated?

    I have been hassled by police for fifty years.  I do not go looking for trouble but I get it anyway.  What I do not do is retreat.

    Remember, never been arrested, even though a few would have liked to.

    Stopped, questioned, warrant checked, Terry stopped, searched over my objections.  What do you suppose it is about being a law abiding, patriotic military veteran, small business owner, who doesn't shave very often or go to a barber shop and hangs out with Black men who have prison records, that makes me such a target?

    My friend the police detective told me that because I had followed all the proper steps in filing a complaint, I could expect payback from the subject of my complaint.  I got it, and gave as good as I got.

    If you are not being hassled by police, I submit you must be doing something wrong, because doing everything right does not work for me.

    Regarding your acquaintance with attorneys.  I also count a number of attorneys among my friends, including the mayors of my town and the neighboring town.  My sister is an attorney.  

    I have a friend who defended an escapee from San Quentin, who was found in Florida a year after he went missing; my friend got him acquitted on the charge of escape.  Same guy couldn't believe I could beat the CHP in traffic court.

    I do not ask my friends for legal advice on cases that do not involve me, that they have no interest in and that they have not studied.

    I do not claim you don't know an attorney.  The "QED" was hyperbole. However, there is no way you paid for the "opinions" you cited, and that tells you what they are worth.

    My attorney friends know of my police interactions, and they are supportive.  Not that I asked.

    Parent

    Yessir (none / 0) (#2)
    by jondee on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 04:17:25 PM EST
    gumint controls everything here, like they do in Russia and North Ko-rea..

    Would you prefer that the airlines just colluded to screw the public the old fashioned 19th century way, with no government referees being involved at all?

    I think so.

    This is really all about you being mad about not being able to conceal carry on planes isn't it , Abdul?

    Parent

    not being a lawyer (none / 0) (#3)
    by linea on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 04:42:51 PM EST
    i interpret the "maximum" as the maximum the arelines are REQUIRED to pay; not a restriction on the maximum the arilines MAY pay.

    i dont see a legal penalty for the crime of being too generous in that DOT regulation.

    Parent

    Good observation (none / 0) (#4)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 04:49:53 PM EST
    i dont see a legal penalty for the crime of being too generous in that DOT regulation.

    When have regulations ever prevented a huge corporation from being too generous to one of their victims?

    Parent

    The amount is fixed by regulation (none / 0) (#40)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 08:48:20 AM EST
    Here is the regulation from the federal register that was at the link. Note the wording, "Compensation shall be ..."

    (2) Compensation shall be 200% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $675, if the carrier offers alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if not, the airport of the passenger's final destination more than one hour but less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight; and

    (3) Compensation shall be 400% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,350, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if not, the airport of the passenger's final destination less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight.



    Parent
    So what, Abdul? (none / 0) (#55)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 06:16:57 PM EST
    Are you arguing that airlines should be allowed to get away with paying nothing at all, if they don't feel like it? Because given your original complaint about government regulation, that's certainly what you're implying.

    Parent
    That's a deliberate misreading of federal law. (none / 0) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 05:17:18 PM EST
    "In December 2009, DOT issued a comprehensive final rule, "Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections," that expanded regulatory protections for aviation consumers. The rule established procedures related to extended ground delays involving aircraft with passengers aboard, required air carriers to address chronically delayed flights, and mandated more information disclosure to consumers. In April 2011, DOT completed a further rulemaking that strengthened the rights of air travelers in the event of oversales, flight cancellations, and delays. The rule also required consumer access to accurate and adequate information when selecting flights, and improvements in agency responsiveness to customer complaints. A key provision of the 2011 rules, requiring airlines to prominently disclose to the consumer the total cost of a flight, including all government and airline taxes and fees, was upheld in the federal courts." (Emphasis is mine.)
    - Rachel Y. Tang, "Airline Passenger Rights: The Federal Role in Aviation Consumer Protection." Congressional Research Service (August 17, 2017)

    Please take the time to educate yourself with due regard to actual facts, rather than merely regurgitate the ignorant opinions gleaned daily from Fox News and / or AM talk radio.

    Lifting a single federal statute entirely out of context, for the expressed purpose of ridiculing said statute as part of yet another right-wing squawk about perceived government overreach, does nothing to advance anyone's understanding of the underlying issues at stake here.

    Suffice to say that lawmaking does not happen in a vacuum. In this particular instance, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and members of Congress were so awash in public complaints about increasingly shoddy service and high-handed practices by the U.S. airline industry, that Congress finally felt compelled in 2009 to act in the interest of consumer protection.

    And since the so-called "power of the marketplace" wasn't compelling the airlines to respect the rights of their passengers as consumers, Congress undertook to do so under its constitutional authority to "regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States[.]"

    Per congressional authorization, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation has the requisite authority "under 49 U.S.C. Section 41712, in concert with 49 U.S.C. Sections 40101(a)(4), 40101(a)(9), and 41702 to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices and to ensure safe and adequate service in air transportation." (See DOT, Office of the Secretary, "Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections," 74 Federal Register 68982-69004, December 30, 2009.)

    Adopting laissez-faire attitudes and policies, by which the doctrine of Caveat Emptor pre-empts existing passenger rights and further precludes efforts to enforce necessary consumer protections, is no way to ensure the proper functions of a vital and volatile industry upon which the country is clearly dependent.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    From the federal register. (none / 0) (#41)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 08:57:02 AM EST
    Why do you think setting an arbitrary low price for an involuntary bump counts as "consumer protection?"  

    Real consumer protection would have required the airline to offer enough so that enough voluntary bumps came forth.

    Here is some education for you.

    (2) Compensation shall be 200% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $675, if the carrier offers alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if not, the airport of the passenger's final destination more than one hour but less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight; and

    (3) Compensation shall be 400% of the fare to the passenger's destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,350, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that, at the time the arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger's first stopover, or if not, the airport of the passenger's final destination less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger's original flight.



    Parent
    And your point here is -- what, exactly? (none / 0) (#53)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 06:13:21 PM EST
    There is nothing in the law that prohibits an airline from offering more by way of compensation, as indeed Delta has already stated publicly while seeking to capitalize on United's situation. The law simply requires that the airline offer them something, and doesn't simple leave them twisting in the wind.

    Further, if you'll note, those amounts do not apply if the passenger is inconvenienced to the point that he or she will arrive at his or her final destination more than four hours after the planned arrival time of the original flight.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    The point was... (none / 0) (#58)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 07:31:53 PM EST
    that the regulators have price controlled an involuntary bump. There is for ZERO apparent benefit to the public.

    Delta is going to offer more cash/vouchers and other benifits to achieve more voluntary bumps and avoid the price controlled involuntary bump.  

    BTW, can you come up with a reason that this price control is good for the flying public?

    Parent

    Re: More on United (none / 0) (#15)
    by linea on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 10:56:59 PM EST
    thank you for posting that information on the DOT regulation.  as i previously stated, while im not a lawyer, i do believe you are mistaked as to the maximun required by law vs. what is permissible. but i appreciate that you posted your perspective here (and i feel some here are too harsh on you).

    i think this information is also interesting:

    Already reeling from the disastrous fallout from the airline knocking a passenger unconscious, breaking his nose, knocking out two teeth, and then dragging his seemingly lifeless body down the aisle in order to make room for a United employee who wanted the man's seat, United Airlines apparently felt that it wasn't hated quite yet enough.

    CNN just announced that United's promise to reimburse the cost of the flight to the other passengers who had to witness this carnage now comes with a price: You have to promise not to sue United, or you don't get your money back from the flight of the damned.



    Parent
    I am neither surprised nor offended (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Peter G on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 02:47:06 PM EST
    that United would qualify the offer of a refund to the other passengers with a requirement that the passengers provide a release of other financial liability to them.

    Parent
    LEFTOVERS (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 07:06:47 PM EST
    begins the final season tonight.

    I'll watch it (none / 0) (#9)
    by McBain on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 07:13:46 PM EST
    Didn't love either of the first two seasons but it's still better than most shows

    Parent
    also FARGO (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 07:17:34 PM EST
    returns on Wed.

    Parent
    i loved fargo (mini series) (none / 0) (#12)
    by linea on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 08:45:36 PM EST
    closer to no country for old men than the original movie.

    i suppose it's on cable? maybe i could buy a few months of hulu and watch it?

    my nexflix recommendations:
    a series of unfortunate events
    broadchurch (uk version)

    dissapointing on netflix:
    captain fantastic... horrible disfuctional father ruining his children's lives with his "live in the woods" obsession. i watched the whole movie... fast forwarding... hoping his parental custody would be taken away.

    Parent

    Have you been watching "Feud," Cap'n? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 11:12:12 PM EST
    I have to admit, I normally don't go for salacious gossip like this, but the show's writing and characters are so vicious and catty that I've become addicted.

    I loved the scene on the night of the Academy Awards, where director George Cukor implores Joan Crawford to not go through with her plans to humiliate Bette Davis on the podium and backstage, telling her, "Joan, you're bigger than this."

    To which Joan grabbed him gently by the shoulders, looked him affectionately in the eye, and said rather drolly, "No, I'm not."

    That's just wicked. And that's why I watch.

    Parent

    also addicted (none / 0) (#18)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 07:21:27 AM EST
    its just wonderful.  its many of the American Horror Story group.  they are brilliant.

    "define snubbed..."

    Parent

    i loved the scene (none / 0) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 07:43:29 AM EST
    with Victor Buono and Bette sitting on her couch giggling while he makes her say "what a dump!" over and over.

    that was very Murphy/Falchuk

    Parent

    Next week's the finale: (none / 0) (#27)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 06:27:34 PM EST
    I saw the movie "Trog" when I was 9 years old. I'm looking forward to the expected riff on Joan Crawford's role in it. I wonder if they'll include Bette Davis' purported quote upon hearing of Joan's death?

    "You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good."

    But there is also this final quote from Bette about Joan, in which she defended her late Baby Jane co-star in the wake of Christina Crawford's damning memoir, "Mommie Dearest":

    "I was not Miss Crawford's biggest fan, but, wisecracks to the contrary, I did and still do respect her talent. What she did not deserve was that detestable book written by her daughter. I've forgotten her name. Horrible.

    "I looked at that book, but I did not need to read it. I wouldn't read trash like that, and I think it was a terrible, terrible thing for a daughter to do. An abomination! To do something like that to someone who saved you from the orphanage, foster homes, who knows what. If she didn't like the person who chose to be her mother, she was grown up and could choose her own life.

    "I felt very sorry for Joan Crawford, but I knew she wouldn't appreciate my pity, because that's the last thing she would have wanted, anyone being sorry for her, especially me.

    "I can understand how hurt Miss Crawford had to be. Well, no I can't. It's like trying to imagine how I would feel if my own beloved, wonderful daughter, B.D., were to write a bad book about me. Unimaginable. I am grateful for my children and for knowing they would never do to me anything like what Miss Crawford's daughter did to her."

    But of course, daughter B.D. Hyman eventually did exactly that to Bette, with the publication of her own scathing 1985 memoir, "My Mother's Keeper."

    At the time, B.D. had recently become a born-again evangelical Christian, and had further tried unsuccessfully to get her mother to convert as well. When the book was released, Bette disowned her and apparently never spoke to her again. So did her brother Michael and her adoptive father Gary Merrill, who further went public to vehemently defend his former wife against her daughter's allegations, bluntly stating that B.D. was motivated solely by cruelty and greed.

    Today, B.D. Hyman is an evangelical pastor an author living in Charlottesville, VA. She remains married to Jeremy Hyman, whom she met and married in 1963 at age 16, and they have two sons.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    First episode was so so (none / 0) (#44)
    by McBain on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 09:57:07 AM EST
    but I'll keep watching.

    Have you seen Channel Zero on the sci fi channel?  Good creepy fun.  

    Parent

    the photo (none / 0) (#11)
    by linea on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 07:34:37 PM EST
    of the man in the bunny rabbit costume reminds me of those "would your child walk off with a stranger?" videos.

    There have been some good movies (none / 0) (#23)
    by McBain on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 01:29:24 PM EST
    with creepy rabbit costumes..... Donnie Darko, Sexy Beast.  

    Parent
    Harvey (none / 0) (#42)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 09:00:26 AM EST
    - James Stewart

    Parent
    im sorry (none / 0) (#13)
    by linea on Sun Apr 16, 2017 at 09:33:15 PM EST
    i have bad manners. my first post on this thread should have been to acknowledge this special day to those whom it is so very important.

    Happy Easter!
    beautiful american spiritual song and video

    CNN's Freudian slip: (none / 0) (#26)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 05:16:42 PM EST
    LINK. LOL!

    Don't know what to make of this, and ... (none / 0) (#29)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 08:41:07 PM EST
    ... it may well be nothing, but Atlanta's Channel 2 Action News is reporting that critical voting machines were stolen just days before polls are to open for a special election in GA-06.

    Coincidence, perhaps - or is it? (none / 0) (#30)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 17, 2017 at 09:08:08 PM EST
    "When FISA reared its ugly head,
    He bravely turned his tail and fled,
    Brave, Brave, Brave, Brave Sir Louis."

    - Louise Mensch, investigative journalist (April 17, 2017)

    Louis Marinelli, the guy who's been heading up "Yes, California," which had designs on replicating a "Calexit" version of the Brexit vote, has announced that he's abandoning the United States and will remain in -- (drum roll) -- Yekatrinburg, Russia, which is coincidentally the Ural city where Czar Nicholas II and his entire family were executed by the Bolsheviks in July 1918. This comes on the heels of the New York Times story disclosing the fact that Marinelli's organization was being financed at least in part by the Kremlin.

    Curiouser and curiouser.

    If you follow (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 01:37:09 AM EST
    Louise on twitter you will find that this Russian story could be so far encompassing it will literally shock the country to it's core and put a bullet into the GOP.

    Parent
    ... to try to discredit Louise Mensch as an unbridled crackpot, including for CIA operative Malcolm Nance.

    But nobody's laughing at her now, given last week's "breaking news" about the FBI obtaining a FISA warrant DOES with regard to the Trump campaign, specifically the activities of Carter Page.

    Ms. Mensch first disclosed the existence of an FBI FISA warrant for the Trump campaign on the British tabloid site HeatStreet.com last Nov. 7 -- which, of course, was five months ago.

    The damnedest thing here is Mensch is not some flamethrowing liberal, but a former Conservative member of Parliament. Admittedly, some of her claims have been way over the top, such as her contention that Andrew Breitbart was killed by Putin's FSB.

    But her reporting on Cambridge Analytica dovetails with what I've read in a Jan. 28, 2017 article in Motherboard magazine about that firm's data analysis activities, which I first wrote about here last Feb. 7. If nothing else, it's nice to see that I wasn't the only one noticing this stuff.

    Either that, or we buy tinfoil from the same store.

    ;-D

    Parent

    The Trump alt.-right is seriously losing it. (none / 0) (#85)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 04:55:45 PM EST
    George Neumayr at the American Spectator now claims that former CIA Director John Brennan -- well, I'll let you all read this silly claptrap for yourselves. Suffice to say that its suppositions are purportedly based upon a Guardian article which actually says nothing of the kind. What Neumayr appears to be doing here is preparing the base for the eventuality that the Trump administration is torched and consumed by the Russia scandal, by chalking it up to somebody else's conspiracy to bring them down.

    Hmmm, I wonder where George Soros fits in all this. ;-D

    Parent

    Did I read that right? (none / 0) (#92)
    by jondee on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:00:19 PM EST
    John Brennan, born in 1955, "was a supporter of the American Communist Party at the height of the Cold War."

    Did the American Spectator write that, or did they lift that bit of Brennan trivia from a 3% Militia website or from Alex Jones?

    I stopped reading after that. What else did the Spectator uncover? That Brennan is also a member of a secret, Soros-sponsored chapter of the Knights Templar in contact with the reptilian overlords?

    Parent

    Basically, Neumayr contends that ... (none / 0) (#93)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:49:13 PM EST
    ... at Brennan's directive, the CIA worked hand-in-glove with European intelligence sources to frame the Trump campaign on charges of collusion with the Russian government to steal the election.

    It's all a bunch of bullschitt, of course, but given the alt.-right base's voracious affinity for consuming mass quantities of the political equivalent of male bovine pasture patties, I can understand why Neumayr wrote it. They'll simply eat it up, like they do so much other stuff.

    Remember, we talking about people who are highly regarded for their intellectual prowess or analytic thought. They've apparently rationalized, among other things, that the U.S. lost the Vietnam War because we didn't attack or bomb Hanoi. (I'm sorry, but the astonishing level of willful ignorance that was inherent in those statements still blows me away.)

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Oops. Typo correction. (none / 0) (#94)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:52:46 PM EST
    "Remember, we are not talking about people who are highly regarded for their intellectual prowess or analytic thought."

    There, that's better.

    Parent

    I thought it was generally agreed (none / 0) (#96)
    by jondee on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:31:58 AM EST
    that the height of the Cold War was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Brennan would've been seven years old then.

    Neumayr sounds off his nut.

    Then I see in his bio that he's a pre-Vatican II Catholic culture warrior who's railed against Pope Francis for "politicizing" the papacy, while at same  time expressing outrage that Nancy Pelosi isn't denied holy communion..

    Neumayr sounds like one of those "good Catholics" who creates three new atheists every time he opens his mouth.

    Parent

    You GOTVing today? (none / 0) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 12:33:28 PM EST
    Good Luck!

    Parent
    Hawaii Dems have been phonebanking ... (5.00 / 3) (#48)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 02:31:09 PM EST
    ... to Democratic voters in GA-06 over the past 10 days.

    Parent
    Thanks for (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 04:05:58 PM EST
    the help in Hawaii.

    Parent
    Boy are Republicans angry today (none / 0) (#65)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:08:44 AM EST
    Really angry about the money and help pouring in. It's all I'm hearing. I was in town yesterday, so heard all the ads, fought the Atlanta traffic. Josh must have his tonsils and adenoids out now :( His lung function is only 20% :(

    Parent
    Did you make that (none / 0) (#66)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:44:56 AM EST
    trip in one day? That trip has to stink to drive like 10 hours in a day.

    Ossoff almost pulling off a win in this district should make Republicans start quaking in their boots but it won't. They will double down on stupid.

    Parent

    I did (none / 0) (#67)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 08:57:23 AM EST
    Josh had an ACT test today. I was exhausted. Almost got in a wreck coming home. Someone 5 cars ahead of me on I85 saw a flashing wrecker light in their rear view and stomped on the brakes. My husband just got an Avalon hybrid and I was driving that. Before I could even register what had happened the braking alarm went off and the car braked. It was amazing.

    I hope they do double down on the stupid! Let's get Ossoff in! He really needs to move though. I found a radio station where the show host hated Ossoff. As KeysDan said, the only complaint with teeth that the guy really had was that Ossoff didn't live in the 6th.

    Parent

    I'm working (5.00 / 2) (#51)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 04:05:31 PM EST
    :(

    Parent
    Why in the world (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by KeysDan on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 06:15:55 PM EST
    would Jon Osoff not move into District 6.  This is just one of those things the right wing, in fact, the only thing, that they can pin on Jon.  An otherwise, breath of fresh air and a young guy with a great Democratic future.  The idea of staying near Emory because of his med student girl friend is lame.

    Parent
    Federal law only requires that a ... (none / 0) (#56)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 06:33:06 PM EST
    ... congressional candidate be a legal resident of the state that he or she is seeking to represent. I wish that it further required legal residency in the district itself, but it doesn't. If residents of GA-06 want to make a big deal of it politically, that's certainly their prerogative.

    It should also be noted that Jon Ossoff's likely GOP challenger in any GA-06 runoff would be Karen Handel, former GA Secretary of State and more notoriously, the former vice president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation who conspired a few years ago to cut off grant funding for Planned Parenthood, and was compelled to resign due to the ensuing public uproar. Is she a GA-06 resident?

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yes, I am aware (5.00 / 2) (#63)
    by KeysDan on Tue Apr 18, 2017 at 11:41:12 PM EST
    of the federal law, but GA-6 will be determined by a slim margin.  A run-off for this round, and, then, the consolidation of Republicans in the June election.  Jon Ossoff lives just one and one-half miles from his district; he grew up in the district and could likely gain some ground with a relocation. Or, at least, blunt one of the Republican sound bites. Maybe, with the consolidation of the Democratic candidates vote, it will still work for him in June. But, it would be rather easy to eliminate this potential issue.

    True, Karen Handel is an odious candidate.  All the more reason for Ossoff not to leave any stone unturned.

     

    Parent

    That particular grant to Planned Parenthood which she sought to short-circuit actually funded cancer screenings for women, and had nothing at all to do with abortion.

    I would think that in suburban Atlanta, a timely reminder to voters of Ms. Handel's integral role in the Susan G. Komen Foundation's ill-advised and politically-motivated effort to defund Planned Parenthood, inflicting some very serious damage to that foundation's public reputation from which it's yet to fully recover, will likely rebound to Mr. Ossoff's advantage.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    ... have reported as of 11:00 p.m. EDT, while 84% of Fulton County precincts have yet to report. Right now, Jon Ossoff has been garnering just over 50% of the vote, with Karen Handel a distant second at 18%. If he can maintain this margin at 50% + 1, he'll can win this thing tonight and avoid the runoff.

    Parent
    The NYT is reporting that (none / 0) (#68)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 10:08:24 AM EST
    the out of state favorite, Jon Ossoff(D)will be in a runoff with Karen Handel(R).

    And your guy could not get 50% and beat a Repub who had her base split between 17 opponents?

    Really?

    And that after $8 million dollars were pumped in from out of state sources?

    BTW - If each candidate keep every party vote in the runoff.

    Ossoff - 92390

    Handel - 99694

    We do live in interesting times.

    Parent

    Jim (5.00 / 2) (#69)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 10:49:03 AM EST
    you obviously know nothing about this district to make such an uninformed statement and don't bet on Handel getting all those votes. She's run twice before and lost both times. It's a running joke in GA that if there's an election Handel is going to be running.

    Parent
    I'm not claiming (none / 0) (#72)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 12:38:48 PM EST
    to know anything about the district. The question is can she pull enough voters from the other 17 candidates to win.

    She obviously will have a hard time getting any of Ossoff's voters but the Repubs choice is pretty clear.

    And a possible problem is that still some conservatives had rather have a Demo than anyone associated with Trump.

    That's called cutting your nose off to spite your face.

    But we'll see, eh?

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#73)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 12:53:47 PM EST
    all I can tell you Jim is only 42% of Republicans are saying they are going to vote for Handel right now. That will probably go up but she's going to have to get ALL those voters from other candidates to vote for her which is very unlikely and the way GA law is written she can't get any additional voters. 100% of Ossoff voters are saying they are going to vote for him. Then there were other democrats running who got votes Ossoff is likely to pick up.

    Parent
    42%? I would have thought less (none / 0) (#76)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 02:39:59 PM EST
    people still angry over the loss, etc.

    As noted, we'll just have to wait and see when confronted with a very liberal Democrat or Hande.

    But see beat Ossoff by around 9K so she can lose 8999 and still beat him.

    Of course if she does we'll all know Putin did it as a favor to Trump.

    lol

    Parent

    Ossoff (none / 0) (#78)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 03:31:33 PM EST
    is considered a moderate but then people like you who are extreme far right would think differently.

    Handel has lost in 2010 running for governor. Handel lost in 2014 running for the senate. She's not supported by much of the Republicans. She fell just shy of Deal for gubernatorial nomination but she came in third in the senate primary. Each time she runs she seems to do progressively worse. So she peaked in her political career about 6 years ago and she's way far right for this district.

    Funny you mention Putin. Evidence just came out today that Putin had his think tanks set up a way to throw the election to Trump. Yeah, I know you love Putin and will make excuses and apologize for him until the end of the day.

    Maybe Handel is getting some of that Russian money. Just today Exxon Mobil said they want sanctions lifted with Russia. Another reason why a Putin stooge like Tillerson was put as SOS.

    Parent

    Putin had his what do what? (none / 0) (#79)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 03:33:21 PM EST
    You couldn't make your claims up for a scifi story.

    lol

    Parent

    Here (none / 0) (#80)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 03:39:02 PM EST
    you go

    Read and weep Jim. Your entire party colluded with Putin. You're the one that lives in a fantasy world. Time to get out of it.

    Parent

    GA. the problem you have is (none / 0) (#98)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 07:29:23 AM EST
    that you make things up.

    Your entire party colluded with Putin.

    But the article says:

    Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election.

    And believe this. If they had anything it would have been shouted from the rooftops.

    So despite breaking the law. Despite harming the security of the US.  Despite looking like fools...the Obama and Hillary water carriers..there is really no difference...have nothing.

    And as a bonus they have destroyed the place of trust and admiration that the press use to enjoy in the country.

    GA, catch a clue. Countries spy om each other. Countries try and bend others to their will.

    Ask Obama about Israel.

    Parent

    Putin helped (5.00 / 2) (#99)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 07:38:06 AM EST
    Trump. It's an absolute truth Jim. He wanted his own stooge in the white house and got him. He went so far as have his think tanks draw up plans to put Trump in the white house. Of course none of this would have worked without people like you helping Putin. You can't handle the truth. You prefer a fantasy world populated by wingnut welfare commentators telling you it's all a conspiracy.

    Parent
    And notice (5.00 / 1) (#101)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 07:42:11 AM EST
    in your quote it says "no public" evidence. All that means is they haven't released it. Why did Chaffetz quit all of a sudden? He might not even finish out his term.

    The Israel thing is yet another debunked conspiracy theory by the wingnut welfare brigade.

    You apparently are a water carrier for Putin and have carried his propaganda here time after time and you see you're doing it again with your post.

    Parent

    Really? (none / 0) (#70)
    by jondee on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 11:39:01 AM EST
    where did that "17 opponents" number come from?

    The same mysterious nether region from which you pulled the 800 dead ISIL fighters and the history of U.S bombing in Vietnam?

    Do you think the most conservative voters in the country are going vote for Ossoff, or just stay home because their ideal conservative isn't in the race?

    Really?

    Parent

    Try reading the link (1.00 / 2) (#71)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 12:31:44 PM EST
    As Mr. Ossoff faces Ms. Handel in a head-to-head race on June 20, it is unclear whether he will be able to sustain the success he enjoyed on Tuesday, in an 18-person field.

    Drinking heavily today?

    Parent

    You said her "base was split" (none / 0) (#86)
    by jondee on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 05:10:30 PM EST
    by the other candidates, when on fact 4 of the 17 are Democrats and 2 are Independents.

    Those Democrats and Independents aren't part of her base.

    You just can't honestly and accurately discuss anything can you?

    Parent

    Did you understand my point (none / 0) (#100)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 07:42:06 AM EST
    or was it too complicated for you?

    Obviously the latter.

    Let me 'splain how this worked.....

    There were a whole lot of candidates.

    Your out of district candidate financed by out of state money couldn't get 50% so now it will be...

    Hollywood vs Georgia

    The Trumpster knows how to frame things.

    lol

    Parent

    LOL! "Hollywood vs. Georgia," huh? (none / 0) (#103)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 08:47:37 AM EST
    Here's a succinct synopsis of your perspective, Jim:

    LINK.

    Parent

    Hollwood liberal elites (none / 0) (#114)
    by jondee on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 01:31:37 PM EST
    secularists, hifalutin scientists, and all 'a them other readin' and writin' folks..

    Jim knows how to frame things.

    lol

    Parent

    Trump is an expert on "branding." (none / 0) (#124)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 07:14:15 AM EST
    He just defined Ossoff.

    Hurts, don't it.

    Parent

    The president (none / 0) (#126)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 07:57:30 AM EST
    that holds the lowest approval rating during his first term branded Ossoff? ROTFLMAO. He endorsed Handel giving her the kiss of death. Trump is not well liked in this district.

    Parent
    Oh well.. (none / 0) (#130)
    by jondee on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 11:27:46 AM EST
    if Jim says Little Boots is an expert, than he must be an expert.

    Harsh reality and approval ratings be damned.

    Just like he understands science better than the overwhelming majority of the world's scientists, simply by consulting the King James Bible and talk radio.

    He relies on the evidence of things unseen by the eyes of mortal man.

    Parent

    If you 'splained to me (none / 0) (#113)
    by jondee on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 01:27:46 PM EST
    how to salt a hardboiled egg, I'd be sure and get a second opinion.

    Don't fib about what you said. Even if it's second nature to you.

    You said the other candidates were drawing votes from her "base", which they obviously aren't all doing if four of them are Democrats and two are Independents.

    "The Trumpster."

    Such high standards you have.

    lol

     

    Parent

    So no other candidate drew (none / 0) (#123)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 07:12:14 AM EST
    support from Handel's base???

    Yet GA tells us:

    don't bet on Handel getting all those votes. She's run twice before and lost both times. It's a running joke in GA that if there's an election Handel is going to be running.


    Parent
    Now you're just overreacting (none / 0) (#131)
    by jondee on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 11:33:17 AM EST
    and gibbering and throwing your scat, the way MAGA folk do when they feel threatened.

    Parent
    Since you can't read or use Google (none / 0) (#125)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 07:26:41 AM EST
    where did that "17 opponents" number come from?

    Eighteen candidates filed to run in the race: 11 Republicans, five Democrats, and two independents. A traditional primary election was not held in the race. Instead, all candidates competed in a special election on April 18, 2017. Of those 18, Jon Ossoff (D) and Karen Handel (R) advanced to the runoff election.

    Link

    BTW - I paid for coffee this morning for 5 of us. Other than myself, how many people did I pay for?

    Parent

    Jason Chaffetz, the Utah congressperson (none / 0) (#74)
    by caseyOR on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 01:23:32 PM EST
    who leaked Jim Comey's letter about the emails last October, has announced he will not stand for reelection next year. Instead, he will try his luck with the private sector, probably taking one of them any wing nut welfare positions.

    This is, IMO, no great loss to Congress. Hope the Dems find a good candidate to run for this seat.

    Will he even finish out his term? (5.00 / 1) (#84)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 04:36:57 PM EST
    Personally, given his behavior of late, I suspect that he's in this Russia scandal up to his eyeballs.

    Parent
    That seems (none / 0) (#87)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 05:36:29 PM EST
    to be the general thoughts going around that he's implicated though I wonder if releasing Comey's letter to the public was illegal?

    Parent
    Unless it's marked "Confidential" ... (none / 0) (#91)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 07:41:55 PM EST
    ... or "Classified," one should always surmise that per the rules of the National Archives and Records Administration, any correspondence between public officials will eventually become a matter of public record. FBI Director James Comey had to have realized the likelihood that Rep. Chaffetz would leak that letter to the media. And if he didn't, then he's appallingly naïve.

    Parent
    Scuttlebutt seems to be that the Russians ... (none / 0) (#95)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 19, 2017 at 09:26:45 PM EST
    ... had "kompromat" on Rep. Jason Chaffetz, presumably because his biggest campaign contributor appears to be Nu Skin Enterprises, which has apparently been funding his campaigns to the extent that the congressman has effectively become a wholly-owned political subsidiary. In fact, Chaffetz was the company's former public spokesman, a position he held prior to his election to Congress.

    On the surface, it all looks reasonable (though perhaps not fine and dandy) because Nu Skin Enterprises is a Utah-based company. But in fact, that company has been cited by the federal government as a product-based pyramid scheme, to the tune of a $47 million settlement with victims in Feb. 2016, and reportedly many millions more in fines and penalties. Further, this pyramid scheme apparently extends to Russia and Ukraine, and both Moscow and Kiev have taken a rather dim view of the company's activities in their countries.

    So, it may not be that Chaffetz was expressly covering for Trump by pointedly refusing to investigate allegations of collusion between the campaign and Russian government and intelligence officials. Rather, it's certainly possible that he feared any such an investigation headed up by him might otherwise and inadvertently shine a light on Nu Skin's pyramiding activities in Russia.

    Now, this is admittedly all pure speculation on my part, of course, and I could obviously be wrong. In fact, there are times with this topic when I really wish I'd be proven wrong, because the potential consequences are really frightening.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Scuttlebutt (5.00 / 1) (#107)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 11:15:50 AM EST
    now is that he has been having a multi year affair and it was going to be revealed.

    Parent
    Two things I've seen leaking (none / 0) (#109)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:14:29 PM EST
    He was having an afair and caught up in Russian money laundering.

    Parent
    I wouldn't doubt it. (none / 0) (#116)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 02:21:36 PM EST
    But it also wouldn't surprise me if the whole Nu Skin pyramid scheme thing was somehow part of this clucksterphuque. I knew about this scandal when lawsuits were first filed a few years ago, but only recently learned that they were engaged in the same practice in Russia, too.

    Parent
    Louise Mensch now says ... (none / 0) (#136)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Apr 21, 2017 at 08:11:33 PM EST
    ... that Chaffetz is under investigation for money laundering. Honestly, these people are making me dizzy. As for myself, I'm going to forgo any further speculation on my part, and simply wait to see what unfolds, if anything.

    Parent
    YES, something is going down hard! (none / 0) (#108)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:11:59 PM EST
    Only one day later, as I suspected, ... (none / 0) (#110)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 12:44:19 PM EST
    ... Roll Call is reporting that Chaffetz will likely step down early.

    Parent
    Perhaps as early as ... (none / 0) (#115)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 02:16:15 PM EST
    Really hard (none / 0) (#121)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 09:29:29 PM EST
    You think he might have cut a deal with the FBI?

    Parent
    Time will tell. (none / 0) (#122)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 11:24:13 PM EST
    If that's actually the case, then we'll likely know soon enough. There sure seems to be a lot of chatter to that effect, but that may be the extent of it -- a lot of chatter.

    Parent
    It's scheduled for June 8. She's hoping to take advantage of the opposition's chaotic state to consolidate her hold on power and strengthen her Conservative government's hand during the Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

    Likely, she'll succeed in the short term. The main opposition Labour Party has a weak leader in Jeremy Corbyn and is in a state of disarray. But it should be noted that the Tories' base is in England's Midlands and rural counties, and its political presence outside of England is miniscule.

    So, what the prime minister does risk here is a serious fracturing the United Kingdom by further alienating the already frustrated citizenries of Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of whom oppose her government's Brexit policies by overwhelming margins, and who may seek to go their own way if Mrs. May proves successful.

    In Scotland in particular, the snap election may also consolidate Nicola Sturgeon's position as First Minister. Her Scottish National Party currently holds 56 of the country's 59 seats in Westminster, and they voted unanimously to abstain from yesterday's vote in Parliament approving the June 8 elections.

    Interesting times.

    AG Sessions denigrates federal judge. (none / 0) (#118)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 02:44:59 PM EST
    While taking issue with a recent ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson of Honolulu, which once again blocked Trump's Muslim travel and immigration ban, Sessions sought to diminish the Native Hawaiian magistrate as nothing more than "a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific[,]" during an appearance on AM radio's "The Mark Levine Show" Tuesday evening.

    It's a wholly inappropriate comment from a sitting Attorney General, of course, but sadly, nothing this crowd says and does surprises me anymore. Jeff Sessions is nothing more than a cracker in a suit.

    Oy.


    Jeff Sessions (none / 0) (#119)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 02:55:11 PM EST
    Putin Stooge and international embarrassment. What else is new?

    Parent
    He seems to be biased towards white people... (none / 0) (#120)
    by desertswine on Thu Apr 20, 2017 at 08:38:24 PM EST