US Politics

[Tracker]

Oh Look, Another Republican Candidate Who Paid for An Abortion And Then Voted to Keep Abortion Off the Ballot

Republican Michigan state judge Brian Zahra’s ex-wife says he drove her to get an abortion years ago, and she’s angry that he voted to block a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution in September.

Zahra is up for re-election to the state’s Supreme Court.

Zahra’s ex-wife, Alyssa Jones, told NBC News in an interview, “I’m grateful I had a choice, and I think he’s grateful he had a choice.”

Jones said she was incensed by what she views as hypocrisy by Zahra, since she believes the termination of her pregnancy ultimately helped him build a successful law career, and that his vote was an attempt to deny others a similar choice.

Zahra voted to block an abortion measure called Proposal 3, citing “insufficient spacing” on the petition.

[HardCoreBlue]

12 hours ago, Tracker said:

Oh Look, Another Republican Candidate Who Paid for An Abortion And Then Voted to Keep Abortion Off the Ballot

Republican Michigan state judge Brian Zahra’s ex-wife says he drove her to get an abortion years ago, and she’s angry that he voted to block a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution in September.

Zahra is up for re-election to the state’s Supreme Court.

Zahra’s ex-wife, Alyssa Jones, told NBC News in an interview, “I’m grateful I had a choice, and I think he’s grateful he had a choice.”

Jones said she was incensed by what she views as hypocrisy by Zahra, since she believes the termination of her pregnancy ultimately helped him build a successful law career, and that his vote was an attempt to deny others a similar choice.

Zahra voted to block an abortion measure called Proposal 3, citing “insufficient spacing” on the petition.

One can block a measure for a formatting issue?

Makes sense.

[Tracker]

Trump Injects Himself Into Midterms With Rallies, Leaks About 2024

Democrats who had hoped to make the midterms yet another election about Donald Trump will get one last chance as the former president spends the final days holding a flurry of rallies and making a pre-announcement of his plans to run for the White House again in 2024.

Trump, who is under criminal investigation by prosecutors in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, told an Iowa rally audience Thursday night that he “very, very, very probably” would run again. He followed up with leaks to news outlets Friday that he would likely announce on Nov. 14 ― the the day the House committee investigating his mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol demanded that he sit for a sworn deposition.

Many Republicans, aware that Trump is deeply unpopular in the suburban areas where they are hoping to pick up House seats and which would deliver the swing votes in key Senate races, had hoped he would keep a low profile until after Election Day.

“If there is one thing Trump has proved over and over again, there is only one person he cares about electing, and that’s him,” said Rory Cooper, a Republican consultant and aide to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Cooper pointed out that not only did the GOP lose the House under Trump in 2018, but it then lost the Senate when Trump sabotaged two Georgia runoffs in January 2021 by telling his supporters that the elections were rigged. “Not only has he not helped Republicans win majorities, but he actively cost us the Senate two years ago with these antics, and so we have him to thank for Biden’s entire legislative agenda to date,” Cooper said.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-midterms-2024_n_63653529e4b06f38ded401f3

[bustamente]

If Kelly, Warnock and Fetterman win I think the Democrats should be happy anything else will be gravy, as for the House I think the Republicans are going to grab hold and the crazy will start immediately. 

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/obama-dangerous-political-climate-pennsylvania-1.6642048

Quote

Barack Obama warned Democrats on Saturday that abortion rights, Social Security and even democracy itself is at risk should Republicans seize congressional majorities next week. "Sulking and moping is not an option," the former president said in Pennsylvania.

"On Tuesday, let's make sure our country doesn't get set back 50 years," Obama told hundreds of voters on a blustery day in Pittsburgh. "The only way to save democracy is if we, together, fight for it."

He was the opening speaker in a clash of presidents past and present in the battleground state as each party's biggest stars worked to energize voters on the final weekend of campaigning before election day on Tuesday.

Obama was accompanying Senate nominee John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor who represents his party's best chance to flip a Republican-held seat. Later Saturday, they were to appear in Philadelphia with President Joe Biden and Josh Shapiro, the nominee for governor.

 

[Tracker]

6 hours ago, bustamente said:

If Kelly, Warnock and Fetterman win I think the Democrats should be happy anything else will be gravy, as for the House I think the Republicans are going to grab hold and the crazy will start immediately. 

The crazy has already started- some time ago, actually. The GOP plan is to declare themselves the winners as soon as they have any lead in the votes and refuse to leave. And claim endorsement from God:

'Blasphemy': DeSantis slammed for 'heretical' re-election ode to himself
   
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pulling out all the stops, sending his wife in to submit his closing argument for re-election: God endorses me. DeSantis is running to keep his seat from former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Democrat.

[bustamente]

3 minutes ago, Tracker said:

The crazy has already started- some time ago, actually. The GOP plan is to declare themselves the winners as soon as they have any lead in the votes and refuse to leave. And claim endorsement from God:

'Blasphemy': DeSantis slammed for 'heretical' re-election ode to himself
   
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pulling out all the stops, sending his wife in to submit his closing argument for re-election: God endorses me. DeSantis is running to keep his seat from former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Democrat.

When they take hold of the House you will really see crazy what has happened lately is just the appetizer.

[17to85]

I mean from a purely historical outlook it is fascinating to watch a democracy fail in real time... but it's also scary as **** because it seems to be happening everywhere. 

[bustamente]

How long after the Republicans take over the house do they abandon Ukraine

[TrueBlue4ever]

54 minutes ago, bustamente said:

How long after the Republicans take over the house do they abandon Ukraine

Right after they file impeachment articles against Biden and Garland, and disband the J6 committee. 

As for the justification for the impeachments, they’ll just re-use Rudy Guliani’s quote about election fraud:

“We have lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence”. 

[Tracker]

Sen. Ron Johnson Won’t Promise That He Will Accept Election Results

During debates, one sees a perfunctory question to a Democratic candidate as to whether she or he will support the results of the election, but generally, we only see the question posed to one side, Republicans, because Republicans aren’t sure what they think about elections determining who is in power these days. We know they have secretaries of state candidates that promise Republican victories, always saying they’ll be “clean” (It sounds more persuasive in Russian). The wrong people keep winning, as demonstrated by all those Democrats in power because they had all those votes. Today, Sen. Ron Johnson, running in a 2 pt race with Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, bemoaned that he wished he could say he’d accept the outcome, but he just can’t because you really can’t predict what Democrats might do. The Democrats’ GOTV effort may be fantastic, and what then?

https://www.politicususa.com/2022/11/05/sen-ron-johnson-wont-promise-that-he-will-accept-election-results.html

[Tracker]

4 hours ago, bustamente said:

How long after the Republicans take over the house do they abandon Ukraine

Ukraine is very concerned about this scenario. So concerned that they may be forced to mount an all-out attack on Russian positions rather than the grinding away and inflicting as many casualties as possible which has served them well. An all-out offensive may be advantageous to the Russians, and thus the Ukrainians fear the US mid-term election results.

[bustamente]

28 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Ukraine is very concerned about this scenario. So concerned that they may be forced to mount an all-out attack on Russian positions rather than the grinding away and inflicting as many casualties as possible which has served them well. An all-out offensive may be advantageous to the Russians, and thus the Ukrainians fear the US mid-term election results.

The Republicans are poised to hand over the keys to the House to MTG who has the brains of a snail, that should concern both Dems and anti Trump Republicans

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, bustamente said:

The Republicans are poised to hand over the keys to the House to MTG who has the brains of a snail, that should concern both Dems and anti Trump Republicans

I think it was Mark Twain who said that people get the government they deserve, so Americans have apparently have done something terrible.

[bustamente]

RNC says they will stop footing Trumps legal bill if he announces another presidential run, they are still paying his way no wonder he is busy suing everyone.

[TrueBlue4ever]

5 hours ago, Tracker said:

I think it was Mark Twain who said that people get the government they deserve, so Americans have apparently have done something terrible.

You mean other than slavery, the KKK, lynchings, school segregation, suppressing women’s and minority rights, dropping the only 2 atomic bombs on civilian populations in history, separating immigrant children from their parents and locking them in cages, and favouring protecting loose gun laws over protecting children from getting massacred in their classrooms?

That’s not an exhaustive list. 

[Tracker]

Trump Uses Florida Rally to Gravely Threaten New York Judge
 

The public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted: The lone-wolf attack was apparently influenced by the rhetoric of stochastic terrorism.

“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

Attributed to Henry II of England preceding the death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170.

Now compare:  “He’s a lunatic judge, radical left judge. He actually ran a newspaper against me (?? Tough to translate), he hates Trump so much, and he’s allowed to make a ruling against me? Study the name Arthur Engoron. He’s a lunatic. He started a process of property confiscation. It’s akin to Venezuela, Cuba, the Soviet Union. Just like in left-wing D.A. in Georgia, who is after me after the perfect phone call…"

Why study the name? Why is the name important? Trump whines and plays the victim in every case in which a judge rules against him – which happens a lot, given that he often lacks much of a defense and contests absolutely everything rather than cooperating with the other side to make things go more smoothly in litigation. So we’re used to Trump complaining about the abuse he endures in lawsuits. Why “study the name”?

Because, as with everything in Trump’s world, it is all transactional. If someone does something against Trump’s will or makes Trump’s life worse, that person is an enemy, a terrible person. (Melania does the same thing). Now Trump apparently wants revenge. Again, why study the name?

If Trump doesn’t actually want anything violent to happen to the judge, it seems certain that Trump wants to make the judge pay for that ruling by putting his security at risk, causing worry about his safety and his family’s safety.

This is Trump. He is increasingly panicking. We are moving toward indictments of some kind, either against Trump or the people closest to Trump, who may seek out a deal. Eventually, that lone wolf will rid Trump of this “meddlesome judge,” “meddlesome Senator,” or “District Attorney.” As the stakes increase, it’s all but inevitable.

https://www.politicususa.com/2022/11/06/trump-uses-florida-rally-to-gravely-threaten-new-york-judge.html

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Fascinating thread on Elon's Twitter predicament and how it will shape geopolitics.

Here's the shot:

And the Chaser:

Perfectly summed up by Ben Collins :

"Cosmically stupid or historically malicious? It's the unanswered, constantly repeating question of our time."

[Mark F]

11 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

You mean other than slavery, the KKK, lynchings, school segregation, suppressing women’s and minority rights, dropping the only 2 atomic bombs on civilian populations in history, separating immigrant children from their parents and locking them in cages, and favouring protecting loose gun laws over protecting children from getting massacred in their classrooms?

That’s not an exhaustive list. 

you likely know this, but the history of all humans, the world over, is full of these things.  

hate, greed, slaughter, is what we are. on a large scale.

I got bored reading history. same thing everywhere. this guy conquered that guy, took everything, killed everyone, built a nice library.

@Wanna-B-Fanboy

re Musk... "Musk was born and grew up in Pretoria, South Africa. He attended the University of Pretoria "

ie, rich white person from South Africa.  might explain his current approach.

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Mark F

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-yevgeny-prigozhin-united-states-election-interference-1.6642853

Quote

Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday he had interfered in U.S. elections and would continue doing so in future, the first such admission from a figure who has been formally implicated by Washington in efforts to influence American politics.

In comments posted by the press service of his Concord catering firm on Russia's Facebook equivalent VKontakte, Prigozhin said: "We have interfered (in U.S. elections), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do."

"During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once," Prigozhin said. He did not elaborate on the cryptic comment.

Prigozhin, who is often referred to as "Putin's chef" because his catering company operates Kremlin contracts, has been formally accused of sponsoring Russia-based "troll farms" that seek to influence U.S. politics.

In July, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million US for information on Prigozhin in connection with "engagement in U.S. election interference." He has been hit by U.S., British and European Union sanctions.

Prigozhin kept a low public profile until recently but has become more outspoken in the course of the Ukraine war, including by criticizing the performance of Russia's generals.

 

[Mark F]

book, think I will have a look through:

 

"Here, then, is a survey of the early Christian attitude towards war which must be read and pondered.

We should expect therefore to find these Christians, at all events during the first few generations, refusing to serve as soldiers. With that expectation the little information that we possess is in almost entire harmony.(1) Apart from Cornelius and the one or two soldiers who may have been baptized with him by Peter at Caesarea (? 40 A.D.) and the gaoler baptized by Paul at Philippi (circ A.D. 49)(2) we have no direct or reliable evidence for the existence of a single Christian soldier until after 170 A.D.

 

 

https://compassionatespirit.com/Books/Cadoux/Early Christian Attitude to War John Cadoux.pdf

I know there are still pacifist Christians.... Hutterites I think, Quakers. small groups.

 

o

Edited November 7, 2022 by Mark F

[blue_gold_84]

Oooooooof.

[JCon]

It's amusing watching Twitter burn down. 

[Mark H.]

4 hours ago, Mark F said:

book, think I will have a look through:

 

"Here, then, is a survey of the early Christian attitude towards war which must be read and pondered.

We should expect therefore to find these Christians, at all events during the first few generations, refusing to serve as soldiers. With that expectation the little information that we possess is in almost entire harmony.(1) Apart from Cornelius and the one or two soldiers who may have been baptized with him by Peter at Caesarea (? 40 A.D.) and the gaoler baptized by Paul at Philippi (circ A.D. 49)(2) we have no direct or reliable evidence for the existence of a single Christian soldier until after 170 A.D.

 

 

https://compassionatespirit.com/Books/Cadoux/Early Christian Attitude to War John Cadoux.pdf

I know there are still pacifist Christians.... Hutterites I think, Quakers. small groups.

Correct, also Mennonites and Amish

https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Schwertler

[Mark F]

36 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Correct, also Mennonites and Amish

https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Schwertler

also, berrigan brothers, and

"The Plowshares movement is an anti-nuclear weapons and Christian pacifist movement that advocates active resistance to war. "

Edited November 7, 2022 by Mark F