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Thursday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Thu Jul 28, 2022 at 04:02:16 PM EST
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I've been an absent blogger this month. I have been busy at work, not too interested in domestic news, and planning my first international trip since 2008 - well before COVID.

With the whole world my oyster, where did I pick? Istanbul for a week in September. In another post I'll explain why, but I'm ticketed, I have my pre-TSA pass and I am very excited about it.(Also, some friends of mine have provided me their condo to stay at on the Asian side, which is the side I want to stay at).

Has anyone seen the plans for "The Line", (the vertical glass city Saudi Arabia thinks will be the future of the world in 2030? It is 180 degrees
from what Istanbul, London, New York, Shanghai and other large cities offer. I find the homogeneity of the planned city dwellings depressing. Actually, I think the whole concept is depressing, even the mountains they are building.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Nicholas Sandmann defamation (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Yman on Thu Jul 28, 2022 at 08:00:17 PM EST
    ... LOLsuits thrown out.

    Finally.

    Didn't He Get $omething From the WaPo? (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by RickyJim on Thu Jul 28, 2022 at 08:18:19 PM EST
    Sandmann had sued NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Gannett. NBC, CNN, and the Post settled with Sandmann. The rest just prevailed on summary judgment.


    Parent
    Yep (none / 0) (#3)
    by Yman on Thu Jul 28, 2022 at 08:52:59 PM EST
    You can tell by reading the language you quoted from the article.  Of course, sometimes it's less expensive to settle than pay legal expenses.

    Parent
    Yes he had those three settlements (none / 0) (#5)
    by McBain on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 10:43:10 AM EST
    but as far as I know there weren't any legal punishments for those most responsible for the mess in the first place.... Nathan Philips and The Black Hebrew Israelites.  

    Parent
    "Those most responsible" (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Yman on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 11:09:35 AM EST
    "Legal punishments" ... LOL!

    They're no no "legal punishments" for anyone (including the media outlets) because they did nothing wrong.  You have to establish that someone committed a crime before they are subject to "legal punishments".  No one established ANY wrongdoing in this case, criminal it civil.  Surprising that someone who claims to be a strong proponent of "innocent until proven guilty" wouldn't know this.

    Parent

    On the upside for Nick (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 12:42:30 PM EST
    he was recently awarded a lifetime supply of coat hangers be the CHMA (coat hanger manufacturers of America.)

    Parent
    And Alito (none / 0) (#9)
    by jondee on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 12:45:30 PM EST
    got the coveted Golden Coat Hanger award for a lifetime of service.

    Parent
    So How Much Did Sandmann Net? (none / 0) (#17)
    by RickyJim on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 12:45:50 PM EST
    I now see I had originally misread the article I quoted and Sandmann also collected something from NBC and CNN besides the Post.  I hope somebody familiar with such cases could hazard a guess as to his total take.  As much as a 4 year, all expenses paid, college scholarship?

    Parent
    No one knows (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Yman on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 01:04:28 PM EST
    But if you're interested in a "guess", you might as well go with an educated guess.  Given the fact that it settled before the plaintiff was even deposed and a ballpark cost of $200,000 just to get through discovery to summary judgment, nuisance value is probably in the $50,000 range.  Of course, once you factor in the fee and expenses for Lin Woods (LOL!), Sandmann would be lucky if he could pay for a semester at Liberty U - more likely whatever his books and fees cost for a semester.  All of which is @ $50,000 too much, but that's the kind of decisions insurance carriers make no matter how meritless a claim may be.

    Parent
    He's probably worth more money than any kid (none / 0) (#26)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 11:29:33 AM EST
    his age should be but I doubt the payouts were enough to teach those networks a lesson.  

    Parent
    They weren't (5.00 / 3) (#29)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 12:48:03 PM EST
    besides discovering that Lin Wood is a whackadoodle, I wonder if Sandmann learned anything about the problems with being a presumptuous snot-nose punk with minimal real life experience.

    Parent
    I thought Sandman (5.00 / 2) (#31)
    by MKS on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 01:55:31 PM EST
    deserved the coverage he got.  Smart aleck staring down the Native American. Looked like an entitled jerk to me.

    But Sandman got his feelings hurt.  Who are the snowflakes?

    Parent

    The Sumarry Judgments (5.00 / 2) (#32)
    by MKS on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 01:56:58 PM EST
    prove that Sandman was entitled to nothing, no damages.

    Parent
    "Probably" - heh (none / 0) (#45)
    by Yman on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 09:45:22 PM EST
    An uneducated wish doors not make something "probable," and there was no "lesson" to be taught.  The insurance carriers for the networks are well aware that nuisance settlements of frivolous lawsuits are à cost of doing business.

    Parent
    Alito gave the (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by KeysDan on Thu Jul 28, 2022 at 09:07:22 PM EST
    keynote speech at a Notre Dame Conference on religious liberty, in Rome, in which he mocked "foreign leaders" who condemned his opinion overturning Roe V Wade, including Boris Johnson, Macron, and Trudeau.  He was especially belittling of Prince Harry.

    For the Tory, Boris Johnson, Alito "quipped", but "he paid the price".  A real knee slapper.  

    The link (scroll to the bottom of the article) records the Alito address (you may not recognize him with his new mustachio look). This Supreme Cleric is a sore winner smarting under criticism of his awful opinion.

    Of course, then there is the photo-op of the candidate Herschel Walker and Clarence Thomas at a DC awards ceremony.  No, not political hacks, claims Amy Barrett.

     

    Like Justice Thomas, Alito is tone-deaf and ... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 11:25:51 AM EST
    ... thin-skinned. Personally, I find that people who are smug and self-absorbed a$$holes at heart tend to be so.

    With Dobbs, Alito wielded his Catholicism on the Supreme Court as a weapon of mass destruction, seriously tarnishing and degrading the Court's public credibility and undermining its moral authority in the process. But that clearly doesn't matter to him, particularly last night as he worked the room at Notre Dame for laughs.

    History will likely not be very kind to Sammy Alito. The best he can hope for from history's verdict is that he will one day recede into anonymity as those who remember and experience the practical impact of Dobbs eventually pass from the scene over the coming decades.

    After all, few people today - save perhaps for legal scholars and historians - remember Henry B. Brown, the justice who authored the high court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896). But the country certainly had to live with and endure the fallout from his handiwork for about seven decades.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Alito seems like (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by KeysDan on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 02:09:40 PM EST
    someone who was born old and mean. Don't know if a mentor of his, Maryanne Trump Barry, TFG's sister, had any further influence on his disposition. (Trump Barry was his supervisor when he was an assistant US attorney, and was among those who recommended him to a federal judgeship on the Third Circuit, where they then served together).  

    We are still waiting to find out about that Holy Heist wherein the Alito draft opinion was leaked. The Chief Justice was very mad about that and Republicans called it a "dangerous attack" that required criminal prosecution. That, of course, was when they thought the leaker was a clerk for Kagan, Sotomayor or Breyer.  My guess it was not any clerk, especially not one of the conservative clerks--who are likely to be among the world's best boys and girls.

    Current thinking seems to be someone who wanted to lock-in the Alito opinion in the face of reporting that Roberts was pressuring Kavanaugh to join him in his preferred frog boiling of Roe, rather than a flat-out over-turning. I continue to like Ginni as the leaker (via Clarence), but I could be persuaded that it was Alito himself.

    Parent

    Somebody Correct Me if I am Wrong (none / 0) (#18)
    by RickyJim on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 12:54:52 PM EST
    but my impression is that there is nothing in the decision or precedents that indicates the SCOTUS would vote to overturn an abortion rights bill that were to get past a Senate filibuster and signed into law.

    Parent
    Do you have a copy of the bill (none / 0) (#20)
    by Peter G on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 02:21:50 PM EST
    or a link for the full text? Obviously, the answer to your question depends totally on what the bill says and tries to do.

    Parent
    The WHPA Passed the House in 2021 (none / 0) (#21)
    by RickyJim on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 03:02:51 PM EST
    Link. Of course this isn't the only possible bill to reintroduce Roe vs Wade rights.

    Parent
    I cannot share your optimism (none / 0) (#24)
    by Peter G on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 06:35:30 PM EST
    and that is all I will say on the subject in this forum.

    Parent
    My Question (none / 0) (#28)
    by RickyJim on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 12:15:18 PM EST
    was about whether or not passage of a bill like the WHPA could possibly be undone by the Supreme Court, not whether or not it could get through the Senate.  I can't imagine a constitutional objection to it besides some weird reading of the 10th amendment.

    Parent
    I did not misunderstand your question (5.00 / 5) (#33)
    by Peter G on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 03:21:10 PM EST
    I apologize that my answer was unclear.  I should have said, "I do not share your optimism about what the current Supreme Court might say or do if that bill passes."

    Parent
    Well, I have been busy (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by Zorba on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 04:42:07 PM EST
    Seeing doctors and getting every test available.
    I had a small breast cancer tumor, and my surgery was Thursday.  They removed the tumor (via lumpectomy) and nearby lymph nodes.
    After we see the results of the pathology report, as well as the genetic testing, the treatment will be finalized.
    I'm just glad the surgery is over.  (And that I get a mammogram every year, so the cancer was found very early.)
    Wish me luck.

    The best of luck to you (5.00 / 7) (#12)
    by MO Blue on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 04:48:38 PM EST
    Looks like you caught it early. Please update us when you get the results.

    Parent
    Lots of luck for you, Zorba. (5.00 / 8) (#13)
    by leap2 on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 07:30:38 PM EST
    And the best medical care. Good thing they caught that early.

    Parent
    Very best wishes for a full recovery, (5.00 / 8) (#14)
    by Peter G on Sat Jul 30, 2022 at 09:24:07 PM EST
    my dear friend.

    Parent
    Mme. Zorba (5.00 / 5) (#16)
    by KeysDan on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 08:36:05 AM EST
    All good wishes for a speedy recovery.   You are in good family and medical hands.  Please know those hands are joined by your colleagues at TL

    Parent
    Much luck and much love to you. (5.00 / 5) (#22)
    by desertswine on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 03:48:13 PM EST


    Parent
    Zorba, I'm sending good thoughts (5.00 / 2) (#51)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 11:01:22 AM EST
    your way and feel confident you will overcome this. Nonetheless, I realize how traumatizing it must be for you. Please keep us posted and know we are here to support you however we can.

    Jeralyn

    Parent

    Thank you so much, (none / 0) (#52)
    by Zorba on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 12:14:56 PM EST
    Jeralyn.
    Positive energy is always very welcome, and I appreciate the fact that this website has become a wonderful community of people who not only have informative things to say, but who care about each other.
    My good news is that my genetics test found that I did not have any breast cancer related genes.  Next week, I get my pathology results.

    Parent
    Thinking of you, Zorba. (none / 0) (#92)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 09:17:54 PM EST
    I've survived three bouts myself. You just do what you have to do to beat it, listen to your body, and don't be shy about asking others for help when you need it. You've got such a great attitude about life, and attitude is half the battle. I'm sending a lot of aloha your way tonight.

    Parent
    I like that Nancy tweaked the Chinese (5.00 / 4) (#60)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 04:56:04 PM EST
    Can't really say why.  It just feels good to tweak a bully.

    Yes, (none / 0) (#70)
    by KeysDan on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 10:52:55 AM EST
    treated by an 82-year old woman.

    Parent
    Spell check (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 02:57:52 PM EST
    Gotta love it.

    When I was typing that comment it kept changing "tweak" to "twerk".

    I had Nancy twerking the Chinese.  Which also kind of works.

    Parent

    Kansas (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 08:38:36 PM EST
    Right now it looking like the first test of abortion rights in an election is going to be good news for abortion rights.

    This would be huge (5.00 / 2) (#64)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 09:24:49 PM EST
    Even with Republican tricks it has a good chance for a victory.

    MSNBC just called this. They project that NO will win with a wide margin.

    Parent

    Wow! (5.00 / 2) (#65)
    by Peter G on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 09:36:00 PM EST
    Ireland again?

    Parent
    Prohibition (none / 0) (#69)
    by MKS on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 09:05:47 AM EST
    is a bad idea.  GOP just relearning that.

    Parent
    58.8 to 41.2 (5.00 / 1) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 06:43:28 AM EST
    With presidential level turnout.  There will be day drinking today in republican campaigns.

    Parent
    Seriously (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 03:00:31 PM EST
    GA GOP should be shaking in their boots. Trump won KS by 15 points. How many states are there with less than a 15 point difference? Texas may be a goner for the GOP along with Ohio?

    Parent
    Meanwhile (none / 0) (#68)
    by FlJoe on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 07:23:01 AM EST
    Washington (CNN)Former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN, the latest sign that the Justice Department's investigation is heating up.


    Parent
    Motivated Democratic voters (none / 0) (#71)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 11:01:33 AM EST
    politicalwire

    Motivated Democratic voters. Other than this ballot initiative, there weren't many reasons for them to come out to vote in this primary. Yet Democratic turnout was up more than 60 percent compared to 2018, when Kansas Democrats were deciding whom should be their gubernatorial nominee."

    This motivates many suburban, independent voters as well. The ant-abortion people definitely overplayed their hand by trying to implement draconian, life threatening laws. The majority of people don't want to go back to "coat hanger" days.

    Parent

    According to DKos (none / 0) (#74)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 11:47:37 AM EST
    In Kansas, more than 168,000 voters turned out just to vote on this one issue, not voting in either primary.

    Independent voters cannot vote in Kansas primaries. Looks like they showed up to vote to maintain abortion.

    Parent

    So, it turns out that "returning this issue (5.00 / 5) (#80)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 02:24:47 PM EST
    to the states" means two potentially different things. One thing if we return the issue to the people/voters of each state to decide, and another if we return it to the gerrymandered, unprincipled legislatures of the states.

    Parent
    2 (5.00 / 3) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 03:56:22 PM EST

    January 6 Committee Wants Alex Jones' Text Messages
    August 3, 2022 at 3:13 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 92 Comments

    "The January 6th House committee is preparing to request the trove of Alex Jones's text messages and emails revealed Wednesday in a defamation lawsuit filed by victims of the Sandy Hook massacre," Rolling Stone reports.

    "On Wednesday, Sandy Hook victims' attorney Mark Bankston told Jones that his attorney had mistakenly sent Bankston three years worth of the conspiracy theorist's emails and text messages copied from his phone."

    -------

    Jones Admits Sandy Hook Massacre Was Real
    August 3, 2022 at 1:34 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 164 Comments

    Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones testified that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax and that he now believes it was "100% real," the AP reports.

    In other news, Jones learned that his lawyer mistakenly send a huge cache of text messages to the Sandy Hook families' attorney which prove he lied in his deposition
    Hello Roger (5.00 / 1) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 03:12:24 PM EST

    January 6 Committee Will Get Alex Jones' Text Messages
    August 4, 2022 at 1:27 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 112 Comments

    After the stunning revelation that Alex Jones' attorneys had accidentally sent years of his text messages to the lawyers for Sandy Hook plaintiffs, the plaintiffs' counsel said he plans to turn over the text messages to the January 6 Committee, CNN reports.

    Meanwhile, Vice News reports the texts include "intimate messages to Roger Stone.



    Parent
    Seems smart (5.00 / 1) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 11:34:34 AM EST
    to make this about why the no knock warrant was issued at all.

    Officers Face Federal Charges in Breonna Taylor Raid
    August 4, 2022 at 11:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

    "Federal officials on Thursday charged four current and former police officers in Louisville, Ky., who were involved in a fatal raid on the apartment of Breonna Taylor, accusing them of several crimes, including lying to obtain a warrant that was used to search her home," the New York Times reports.
    Azazel & the Scapegoat (5.00 / 3) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 09:37:47 AM EST
    Pencil 30" x 24"

    Azazel - in Jewish legends is a demon or evil spirit to whom, in the ancient rite of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a scapegoat was sent bearing the sins of the Jewish people. Two male goats were chosen for the ritual, one designated by lots "for the Lord," the other "for Azazel" -- (Leviticus 16:8)

    .... the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein ..... and let him abide there for ever... -- Book of Enoch 10:4-8

    Did you create that? That's amazing. (none / 0) (#112)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 12:55:42 PM EST


    Parent
    I did (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 01:50:50 PM EST
    Thank you

    Parent
    Yeah, very well executed (none / 0) (#113)
    by jondee on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 01:10:13 PM EST


    Parent
    The CPAC straw poll, (5.00 / 3) (#118)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 07, 2022 at 02:34:56 PM EST
    conducted at its Dallas Nazi-knock off meeting, showed that 69% of attendees favored TFG to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2024.  The group looked toward Noem (9%) and Pompeo (7%) for his running mate.  TFG's percentages are on the rise since their conference in Orlando  last February when it was 59%.

    Apparently, the mounting evidence  of Trump's criminality, insurrection leadership and grifting are clinching the deal for these   Republicans.  All the more for Red Caps to love.

    What about poor DeSantis?   While still CPAC's second choice, he now stands at 24%, down from his 28% in February. He needs more ideas on how to out-fascist TFG.  Burning books, demonizing gays, mocking and discounting public heath are just not enough. He needs to step-up his game.

    A tutorial in the fine points of fascism by Victor Orban would be good.  Some further  tips:  work on his unfortunate squat appearance, wear suits tailored with a Trumpian muumuu look, lose  the school-boy haircut, and lay off inhalation of helium or whatever he needs to do to get away from that 13-year old boy voice.  Probably not much he can do about his charmlessness, but he should try to smile every now and then, like he probably does while causing harm and death to Floridians. This assumes he has teeth, which is not publicly apparent.

    And, announce his pick for Vice President now, Ginni!  DeSantis-Ginni 2024.  

    The CPAC Poll Question I Would Like to See (none / 0) (#119)
    by RickyJim on Sun Aug 07, 2022 at 05:21:02 PM EST
    What action will you take if Trump is indicted?

    Parent
    My guess (none / 0) (#120)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 07, 2022 at 05:38:28 PM EST
    for such a poll would be that the Republicans would attack the prosecutors who brought the indictment.  Merrick Garland would need increased security.  Fulton County (Atlanta) DA Fani Willis is being attacked just for investigating Trump and are calling for her recall from office.  Not much chance for a successful petition let alone a recall, but it indicates the intimidation and chilling effect afoot.  And, Trump would find a way to grift on an indictment--- send money for my defense from the socialists and pedophiles out to get me.   Thee is No bottom.

    Parent
    We will stand up, I hope, for him to enjoy (none / 0) (#121)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 07, 2022 at 07:34:56 PM EST
    the presumption of innocence. Followed by a fair trial, a true verdict, and a just sentence that reflects the "nature and circumstances of his offense[s]," in the full context of his lifetime "background, character, and conduct."

    Parent
    Highly recommend going to a hamman. (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 02:01:02 AM EST
    Unforgettable experience.

    I'm sure it's a lovely spot (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2022 at 05:12:21 PM EST
    near the water hazard


    Trump Burys Ivana on His Golf Course for a Tax Break?
    July 31, 2022 at 4:06 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 168 Comments

    "When Ivana Trump, Donald Trump's first wife, was buried last month near the first hole of Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, few immediately guessed that her grave's location might also serve her ex-husband's long-held tax planning purposes," The Guardian reports.

    "Tax code in New Jersey exempts cemetery land from all taxes, rates, and assessments - and her grave, as such, potentially has advantageous tax implications for a Trump family trust that owns the golf business, in a state where property and land taxes are notoriously high."
    It's both, (none / 0) (#25)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 08:42:22 AM EST
    A golf course AND a cemetery.  

    Parent
    It might be where Trump's (5.00 / 4) (#27)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 12:11:15 PM EST
    golf tournaments go to die.

    Tickets for Trump's Saudi-backed LIV golf tournament selling for as little as $1 as event draws thin crowds, report says

    Parent

    The bonehead idea (5.00 / 4) (#30)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 01:49:09 PM EST
    by Bone-saw and Bone-spurs is par for the course.

    Parent
    Great play on words (5.00 / 2) (#34)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:34:44 PM EST
    which scores a hole in one for truth telling. (Comment definitely not up to the standards set above)

    Parent
    I will definitely have to bone up (none / 0) (#41)
    by Peter G on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 07:43:10 PM EST
    on my punning.  But you definitely win the bonus points, Dan. (Hope that wasn't too much of a boner.)

    Parent
    I think I would like to be interred (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:36:30 PM EST
    on a golf course.  With a windmill for a marker that they have to putt though

    Parent
    Amusing as always (none / 0) (#39)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:45:46 PM EST
    Please find a public course to inter you. The mega rich don't need any more tax breaks.

    Parent
    Charlie Pierce on Republican candidates (none / 0) (#36)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:42:00 PM EST
    Republicans Are Nominating More Fringe than Victorian Drapery

    Where do they find these people? Seriously, is there some kind of Republican hiring hall out there somewhere, at which tables full of bad and/or deranged candidates sit, playing with their toes or with 48-card decks, until somebody calls their number and they run for something? With the U.S. Senate on the line, Georgia Republicans have lined up behind a former running back who is forever being horse-collared by the English language. The Pennsylvania Republicans are running a refugee from Oprah's House O'Quacks who's being trolled into a fine mist by his Democratic opponent. And the Ohio Republicans are running a hedge-fund bot last seen campaigning in Israel and telling women to stay in violent marriages.
    Gotta add Greitens to that list (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by Towanda on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 08:51:59 PM EST
    Missouri remains a mess, with wifebeater Eric Greitens back.

    And now, Trump has endorsed Eric -- but which Eric? Trump did not add a surname, and there are a few Erics in the running.

    If Trump had only said "the wifebeater Eric," we would know.

    Parent

    I think (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 08:54:58 PM EST
    He means Eric his son.  

    Parent
    Both Erics are claiming (none / 0) (#46)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 10:09:36 PM EST
    that they are the Eric that Trump endorsed. If we in MO would not be at risk of having one of them as our Senator, this chaos would be funny. Either Eric would make Blunt look good by comparison and Blunt is completely awful.

    Parent
    An abundance of Erics there (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by Towanda on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 02:15:01 PM EST
    where it turns out that there are three running for the same office,

    As for Greitens, my Missouri relatives despise him with a fiery hatred. And no wonder. Hope Greitens is pi$$ed that Trump won't clarify which Eric he endorsed, but ither family members say he meant Greitens -- which makes sense, as is as horrible as Trump.

    Parent

    With Trump (none / 0) (#55)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 03:17:37 PM EST
    abusing women only adds to a candidate's chance to get his endorsement.

    Greitens still maintains a lot of support in rural areas especially among (surprise, surprise) men.

    Personally, I can't understand how any woman would vote for a cretin like Greitens but they do. It is not like they can use their anti-abortion stance as an excuse. Most, if not all, Republican candidates in MO claim to be ant-abortion.

    Parent

    NBC projects (none / 0) (#66)
    by Peter G on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 09:39:18 PM EST
    that the other Eric (Schmitt) has beaten Greitens.

    Parent
    IMO yesterday resulted in (none / 0) (#72)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 11:09:06 AM EST
    the nomination of a strong Republican candidate vs a weaker Democratic candidate.

    It will be interesting to see how this outcome influences Wood running as an independent. His statement Monday:

    Independent U.S. Senate candidate John Wood said the results of Tuesday's primaries won't alter his campaign plan as he seeks to become the first person in modern Missouri history to win a statewide race without a Democratic or Republican label.

    I'm not totally convinced.

    Parent

    Maybe Bush Valentine could go to PA (none / 0) (#73)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 11:13:54 AM EST
    and get lessons on how to campaign from Fetterman as well as get extensive coaching on public speaking.

    Parent
    Fetterman's TV ads (5.00 / 1) (#79)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 01:55:21 PM EST
    are a hoot. His campaign is masterful at trolling Oz.

    Parent
    And Oz's ads are a joke (none / 0) (#83)
    by jmacWA on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 03:06:47 PM EST
    Does anyone fall for this nonsense that Fetterman wants to release "Dangerous Criminals" from jail early.

    Parent
    As someone who has filed applications (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 03:46:43 PM EST
    for clemency before Lt. Gov. Fetterman's Pardons Board I can tell you that the two main categories of folks he is pushing to get out of our overcrowded prisons are: (1) marijuana cases; and (2) felony-murder defendants who have served over 15 years, that is, conspirators, look-outs and getaway drivers from robberies-gone-bad, who personally neither killed nor intended to kill anyone, but where someone died as a result of the robbery, be that a victim, a co-defendant or a bystander. Due to an old, unreformed statute, Pennsylvania (unlike most states) imposes life without parole for this offense, and we have hundreds of these guys in our prisons, some for many decades.

    Parent
    Thanks Peter (5.00 / 1) (#85)
    by jmacWA on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 03:54:49 PM EST
    You always add the content we need to clarify the situation.

    Parent
    Great independent PAC ad (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 09:25:39 PM EST
    takes down "Dr." Oz better even than Fetterman's incessant trolling. Two minutes twenty seconds well spent to watch it.

    Parent
    Republicans have given the Dems so many (none / 0) (#89)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 06:51:17 PM EST
    issues to attack them. The ads write themself. Bush Valentine's kumbaya, horsesh!t is far from a winning strategy.

    If I was running a Dem campaign, I would flood the airwaves with Ron Johnson and Rick Scott on how they plan to steal your money by eliminating SS. Ads featuring the Republicans on record wanting to ban birth control and all Republicans who voted against a woman`s right to birth control. Ads with Republicans stating they would support draconian abortion laws nationwide. Ads on the risk to women's lives due to Republican laws for women to be at death's door before they can get a life saving abortion. Ads with Republicans peeking in your bedroom determining what you can and can't do. Ads with Republicans voting against healthcare for veterans.

    Parent

    Fetterman returns to in person campaigning (none / 0) (#99)
    by MO Blue on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 01:01:50 PM EST
    News out that Fetterman plans to return to in person campaigning next week.

    Fetterman has been a great candidate even while recuperating. Only goes to prove how completely stupid some corporate Dems were in pitting Lamb against him in the primaries. I wish that they would stay out of the primaries and let people decide who would best represent them. Probably too much to hope for, I know.

    Parent

    Billy Long now claiming Trump's endorsement (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 05:52:03 PM EST
    Billy Long

    @auctnr1
     · 10h
    I coined the phrase 'Trump Train.' I've been with him through thick and thin but I was taken aback when he came out with a full throated endorsement of me in #MOSen race! He said to pick BETWEEN the two ERIC's - that's ME! E.S. line 2 E.G. line 4 I'm BETWEEN the two on line 3! 🇺🇸

    Parent

    Actually meant (none / 0) (#47)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 07:00:15 AM EST
    Greitens.  It's funny he really endorsed "Eric"

    Parent
    He had a chance to clear up which Eric (none / 0) (#53)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 12:43:07 PM EST
    His spokesperson choose not to clarify. IMO, he is trying to play it both ways. Regardless of which Eric wins, he can claim that his endorsement was responsible for the win. What would be funny is if Vicky Hartzler (polls 3rd) won the primary. Not probable, but amusing to picture Trump's head exploding.

    Parent
    Seems I was right (none / 0) (#57)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 03:48:01 PM EST
    Trump was stacking the deck.

    At one point it was suggested that he could endorse "Eric," and that by doing so he would be supporting both Schmitt and Greitens.

    It was a madcap exit ramp. But Trump went in on the details, asking if the two candidates' first names were spelled identically -- noting that it wouldn't work if they weren't. While Trump was intrigued, he also remarked that it might be too cute. He asked for draft endorsements to review, one announcing his support for Schmitt, the other for Greitens...

    ...But Trump circled back to the idea of endorsing the two Erics, reasoning that there were pluses and minuses to both, and that by doing so it would provide to each the opportunity to win with his support. He drafted a statement that would soon go out.

    Esquire

    Parent

    This is good (none / 0) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:45:17 PM EST

    Wood Files for Indie Senate Bid in Missouri
    August 1, 2022 at 5:19 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

    "Former U.S. attorney John Wood, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri who is seeking to appeal to moderate Republicans, said he collected 22,000 signatures to get his name on the November ballot," the Kansas City Star reports

    I just saw Trump is about to endorse Eric.

    Parent

    Lucas Kunce seems to be a pretty good candidate (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by MO Blue on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:59:42 PM EST
    for the Dems but unfortunately Trudy Busch Valentine is leading in the polls. Dumb move, IMO.

    Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is now leading Greitens for the Republicans. If Schmitt wins the primary, I'm unsure if John Wood remains in the race since he was drafted to keep Greitens out of the Senate.  

    Greitens vs Kunce, with Wood as indie candidate, would have given MO the best chance for a Dem Senator.

    Parent

    For whatever reason, (none / 0) (#56)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 03:20:57 PM EST
    polls are showing Trudy Busch Valentine running stronger against the top Republican candidates. I use to somewhat understand MO politics. Not anymore.

    Parent
    Just listened to an interview (none / 0) (#58)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 04:14:52 PM EST
    Of Valentine. She is pretty awful on television. From what I can determine her whole agenda is "bringing people together." When asked how she planned to accomplish certain things, she gave no direct answers. Just word salad and not even good word salad.

    How did my state get so stupid in a relatively short period of time?

    Parent

    I've wondered this about my own state (none / 0) (#59)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 04:53:57 PM EST
    we elected Bill Clinton governor 5 times.

    Parent
    We had (none / 0) (#62)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 06:02:09 PM EST
    D governors until 2002. I hate to get all conspiracy theory but it seems ironic that once we changed from the hackable machines to the new machines Dems are winning again. I mean that can't be and maybe it's a coincidence but yet it's there.

    Parent
    "Bring people together" is so cliché. (none / 0) (#94)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 09:31:27 PM EST
    There was a well-funded mayoral candidate in Honolulu two years ago whose campaign tag line in every commercial was "He'll bring people together to get things done." His ads played so often on TV that I heard from our neighbor's kid that his fellow dorm residents at the University of Hawaii-Manoa turned it into a drinking game. I don't know how true that is, because no doubt everyone would've been totally blitzed by 9:00 p.m. every night during election season if they did play it. Anyway, that candidate lost because ultimately, he was all meringue and no filling.

    Parent
    The whole (5.00 / 1) (#101)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 03:18:53 PM EST
    hold hands and bring people together was Obama's campaign du jour and we all saw how that worked out. It seems there are many that don't understand what the problem is and it's not High Broderism.

    Parent
    Outgoing Governor Hogan of Maryland (none / 0) (#49)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 09:57:43 AM EST
    has called both the GQP candidate for Governor and Secretary of State nutballs. Said he wouldn't let Cox "in the Governor's office," much less vote for him.

    Parent
    For a Republican, (none / 0) (#50)
    by Zorba on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 10:33:58 AM EST
    Hogan isn't bad.  I never voted for him but he's much better than most of the current, Trumpian bunch of Repubs.  (Of course, that's a low bar.)
    I could work with Hogan to get at least some decent things done.

    Parent
    News (none / 0) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 04:43:01 PM EST

    US. Strikes `Significant' al-Qaeda Target
    August 1, 2022 at 5:40 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

    President Joe Biden will address the nation at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight following a CIA counterterrorism strike against a "significant Al Qaeda target" in Afghanistan, CNBC reports.

    Politico reports the drone strike killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri
    President Biden (none / 0) (#42)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 01, 2022 at 08:17:27 PM EST
    engenders confidence in  leading and managing foreign affairs.

    Parent
    It sort of makes his point (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 02, 2022 at 07:02:33 AM EST
    that we don't really need troops on the ground to do our business.

    Parent
    As of July 21,2022, (none / 0) (#75)
    by KeysDan on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 12:10:33 PM EST
    Georgia residents can claim an exemption of $3,000 per embryo. Mr. or Ms. Embryo (and, subsequently, fetus) with cardiac activity can be claimed as dependents on tax returns.  Sorry zygotes, you are, apparently, not eligible for this tax benefit.

    No guidance as of yet on miscarriages later in pregnancy--if the money needs to be returned or just pro-rated.  And, the Georgia Department of Transportation has not given its opinion on driving in the HOV lane.

    Embryo will need a passport to (5.00 / 1) (#76)
    by MO Blue on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 12:54:52 PM EST
    travel out of US with parents if assigned personhood. Photo and Birth Certificate (this might be difficult) are required for passport.

    Parent
    Therefore, right to choose (none / 0) (#77)
    by oculus on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 01:28:47 PM EST
    until beginning of sixth week, no?  How will state tax collector verify?  

    Parent
    Sorry, (none / 0) (#78)
    by KeysDan on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 01:52:39 PM EST
    I am in the tax department can't help on that one.  I refer you to the heath department that does say at six weeks, an embryo does not have a fully formed heart, just a cluster of cells that emits electrical signals---perhaps, the religion and morals department can assist you with blastocysts to zygotes to embryos during those first six weeks,and, then the day-count depends on.when you start counting, from the last period, or not.

    Verification is left to our well-trained, field officers all certified as not being too creepy.

    Parent

    Georgia (none / 0) (#87)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 04:19:53 PM EST
    once again the nexus of stupid. I guess you can save that pregnancy test? Can you use an ultra sound? I have 1 from the 90's. Can I use that? I don't think they have dates on them.

    We will now have the Ga. Dept. of Revenue managing and following pregnancies. I have to say you'd be a fool to claim this because you put yourself at risk of being charged with murder if you have a miscarriage and this is going to be a big fraud magnet. How many people out there are going to claim being pregnant and then miscarrying? Don't know but I'm for sure the fraudsters don't worry about consequences.

    Parent

    The Alex Jones trial (none / 0) (#88)
    by Yman on Wed Aug 03, 2022 at 05:42:00 PM EST
    ... is like one of those chain reaction car crashes that just keeps going ... and going ... and going.

    Except watching him (and his counsel) crash and burn is thoroughly enjoyable.

    Parent

    Schadenfreude is delicious, ... (5.00 / 1) (#95)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 04, 2022 at 09:33:22 PM EST
    ... especially when it's served cold.

    Parent
    Jones makes my skin crawl (none / 0) (#96)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 10:44:30 AM EST
    more than Richard Speck, Ed Gein, and Albert Fish put together.

    Parent
    4.1 mil seems like hardly enough (5.00 / 1) (#97)
    by desertswine on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 11:02:25 AM EST
    from this horror of a human.

    Parent
    And Meathead Rogan (none / 0) (#98)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 12:29:38 PM EST
    will probably pay half of it.

    The guy who says "Alex is more right than he is wrong." As if Jones was as innocuous as an incompetent weather man.

    Parent

    Hopefully, (none / 0) (#100)
    by KeysDan on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 01:07:57 PM EST
    the punitive damages will be in nine figures.

    Parent
    I don't know anything about Texas civil law (none / 0) (#102)
    by Peter G on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 03:52:05 PM EST
    but the US Supreme Court has ruled that punitive damages in any state court may be subject to some sort of cap under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. Under these precedents, punitives that are more than quadruple the actual damages are suspect under this provision, and any that exceed a single-digit multiplier (i.e., 9x) are presumptively excessive. So if the jury goes over, say, $15 mil in punitive damages where the jury has found the actual damages to be $4 mil, the judge may have to scale them back and if the jury goes over $35 mil, the judge will almost certainly have to. Without verifying, I see that some Texas lawyers' websites claim that punitives are limited by statutory law in that state (thanks to "tort reform," i.e., lobbying by insurance companies) to 2x the actual damages plus up to $750,000 for non-economic losses. But there may be some separate rule for defamation cases, or egregious conduct, or something else that applies here.

    Parent
    I should perhaps mention that (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 07, 2022 at 11:33:34 AM EST
    the mode of "substantive due process" analysis used by the Supreme Court to limit punitive damages is very much like the mode of constitutional category-creating and line-drawing that the radical-conservative supermajority just derided as "egregiously wrong" in Dobbs, the abortion case. But application of the substantive due process doctrine to punitive damages mostly favors rich people, insurance companies and big corporations, so we will see if it is subject to the same "principled" attack as was launched against Roe v. Wade.

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#103)
    by FlJoe on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 04:47:27 PM EST
    guess we will find out, the jury just socked him for 45 mil.

    Parent
    Good (none / 0) (#104)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 04:57:32 PM EST
    Eff that toad.

    Parent
    Somebody Please Explain (none / 0) (#105)
    by RickyJim on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 05:05:41 PM EST
    Why is the trial being held in Texas?  Apparently this case only had to do with two parents.  So what about compensation for the others?  TIA

    Parent
    I (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by FlJoe on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 05:12:10 PM EST
    think his company is located in TX, I am pretty sure their are more trials coming up, possibly in CT.

    Parent
    He should be displayed (none / 0) (#107)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 06:30:40 PM EST
    in cage in the middle of downtown Newtown for a month or so.

    To make it fair, provide him with a megaphone so he can harangue passersby to his heart's content.

    Parent

    LOL (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 07:31:12 PM EST

    A French scientist says he's sorry for tweeting out a picture of a slice of chorizo and claiming it was an image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope of a distant star

    That would've fooled me. (none / 0) (#109)
    by desertswine on Fri Aug 05, 2022 at 10:49:37 PM EST


    Parent
    If you look hard (5.00 / 1) (#110)
    by jondee on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 12:08:53 AM EST
    you can also see the Virgin Mary's face in there.

    Parent
    Judith Durham passes away. (none / 0) (#114)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 01:14:26 PM EST
    Judith Durham

    Hey there, Georgy girl.. (5.00 / 3) (#116)
    by jondee on Sat Aug 06, 2022 at 02:53:17 PM EST


    Parent
    Another store owner stabbing case (none / 0) (#122)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 08, 2022 at 11:57:07 AM EST
    This one in Nevada might be tougher to justify the use of force than the one involving NYC Bodega worker Jose Alba.  Warning the video is graphic.

    If charged, I would have a hard time voting to convict the owner but Nevada law makes it sound like the stabbing was excessive.  But what was he supposed to do?  A guy wearing a ski mask jumped over the counter to steal items.  Was the owner supposed to let him take whatever he wanted and hope he doesn't have a weapon that might be used against him?  

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