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Sunday Open Thread

I'm still writing motions. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Legal pot sales 4 year forecast: $23,000,000,000 (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by Mr Natural on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 04:51:22 PM EST
    - USA Today

    Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington state and Washington, D.C. have all legalized adult recreational use, and 23 states and the District of Columbia permit some form of medical use. That's despite the fact that marijuana remains an illegal drug and Schedule 1 controlled substance at the federal level.



    The anti-legalization people (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by CST on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:47:08 AM EST
    have started to come out en force in MA.

    At least in the papers.  Of all the arguments against legalization - this has to be one of the least-informed:

    "legalization may boost the accessibility of marijuana for youth"

    I dunno about everyone else, but when I was in high school, pot was easier to get than alcohol, because the people selling it didn't care how old you were, they were breaking the law just selling it anyway.  Getting alcohol was more of a struggle because you had to find someone willing to break the law just to give it to minors, and for most people, it wasn't worth the extra risk.

    Growing Up in a Small Town... (5.00 / 1) (#91)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 01:56:33 PM EST
    ... and in a state that joined the '21 to drink' very late in the game, made alcohol very easy to get and weed was either everywhere or nowhere.  Plenty of dry weeks and plenty of folks in high school grandfathered in who could legally buy alcohol.

    That being said, right now I can get a bag of almost anything dropped off at my home at just about any time so long as I spend the cash.  Can't even buy liquor here on Sunday and beer not sold in a store until noon.  I used to get S delivered, after bar close, routinely and he wasn't bringing beer.

    The problem is that argument is somewhat valid.  Once Colorado went legal, the over-spillage here in Texas was/is insane.  I have never in my life had such a variety, not just in weed variety, but pens and edibles, and potency; all of it cheaper.  And if it's in the adult market it's certainly in the high school market.

    But what do you do, keep something illegal because you can't control it, that what we have been doing to 30 years, and it not keeping drugs out of high schools.  Keeping it illegal also ensures more people have their lives seriously turned upside down because of a possession charge that can, and does, ruin careers.
    ------------------

    In our complex, 3 buildings, someone found lines of coke on a bathroom sink in a building that has at least a couple hundred folks in it.  They tested everyone in the building, and while I don't know what happened, there are a lot of emails coming back that say I don't have permission to email, which is what happens when someone leaves.  Lot of people who may partake on weekends got caught up because of one idiot in the building.  And right now Houston is not a city you want to be looking for work in if you are in the oil industry because you got canned for failing a drug test.

    We are not a test happy company and I was actually surprised to hear about them testing everyone to find one.  Beyond the new hire test I have never been tested in 15 years.  I am just damn glad the person who decided to do rails off the bathroom sink didn't choose my building.  Way too many good people in my department for someone to go out like that.

    Parent

    I'm not sure (none / 0) (#92)
    by CST on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 02:07:34 PM EST
    That's a great counter - since it's still illegal where you live.  So everyone bringing it in is still breaking the law, and don't care who they sell it to.  If it were legal, you wouldn't have it coming over the border in droves into the black market.  There would be no need.  Your distribution chain in Texas hasn't changed though, just the availability.  So those same people who were selling to kids before now have a better supply.  If you gave people in Texas a legal outlet to sell, they might not think it was worth it to sell to kids, since they can make most of their money above board.

    FWIW, I'm not saying it was hard to get alcohol in Highschool.  Just that pot was even easier.

    Parent

    Funny... (none / 0) (#97)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:17:24 PM EST
    ... drugs dealers going legit, sorry that is something that is just not going to happen, some, sure.  It's why people can't get out even when they know they should.

    The point was that it is illegal, like selling to minors, and yet it hasn't stopped it one bit from flooding the market.  And that is what we are discussing, stopping drugs to the illegal market.

    For the record, every state has a multiplier for selling drugs to minors.  It is already a big deal to get caught selling drugs to a minor if you are an adult.  Legalization would make half the transaction legal, meaning that the odds of getting caught are slimmer.

    Its the entire reason Texas is flooded, a lot of dealers with ties to Texas who never sold here before realizing it's get a real job or move the business across state lines.

    Parent

    not so much (none / 0) (#101)
    by CST on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:37:37 PM EST
    That drug dealers themselves would go legit as they would eventually go out of business by competition with legit establishments.  Obviously this would take some time for it to be legal before it put the black market out of business.

    It sounds like the problem in Texas is due to it still being illegal in Texas.  The dealers left Colorado because they didn't want to go legit (if I'm reading this correctly, if not - I don't know what you're saying).  That sounds a bit like Colorado solved some of their own dealer problem by legalizing it.

    Parent

    When I was 14 (none / 0) (#75)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:05:50 PM EST
    it was really easy to get a bag of pot. I'm now 56 and now not so easy. (I just don't know the right people).


    Parent
    Same here (none / 0) (#78)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:22:21 PM EST
    But from what I know of the younger generation it's still pretty easy for them.

    But I love CSTs comment.  It's dead on.

    Parent

    I agree. (none / 0) (#102)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:58:43 PM EST
    In hindsight, with the subject of availability to kids (Oh, the poor children), I could probably ask the teenagers next door to get me a bag. I think that shoots that anti-legalization argument right in the keister.

    Parent
    My recently-out-of-the-teens nephew (none / 0) (#106)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:43:46 PM EST
    Remains my most reliable source.

    Parent
    Supreme Court rejects challenge to Colorado (5.00 / 1) (#112)
    by Mr Natural on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 05:28:00 PM EST
    pot law.

    WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a conservative challenge to the marijuana legalization laws adopted in Colorado and elsewhere that permit adults to buy, sell or use an ounce of the drug.

    By a 6-2 vote, the justices turned away a lawsuit brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma, whose state attorneys complained that illegal marijuana was pouring into their states as a result of Colorado's liberalized laws.



    Woo-HOOOOO!!! (5.00 / 1) (#114)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 05:46:15 PM EST
    Bong hits for everyone! CaptHowdy and kdog are buying!

    ;-D

    Parent

    Surprise! (5.00 / 1) (#125)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:41:20 PM EST
    NYTimes - U.S. might not need Apple's help to hack that cell phone after all.

    Nice bluff, FBI. Glad Apple called it.

    Has everyone's NCAA tourney bracket ... (none / 0) (#1)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 02:17:23 PM EST
    ... been thoroughly demolished yet? As Day 2 of the second round begins, the No. 1 seeds have made it through relatively unscathed thus far, but for many of the higher seeds, these last few days have seen a lot of wrecked dreams.

    As for all you "investors" out there, Vegas loves you and thanks you. Of all the wagers placed prior to the tourney on who you thought was going to win the national championship, 22% of you said Michigan State, which was a 9-2 favorite. As for the team that sent the Spartans home early in Saturday's first round shocker, Middle Tennessee's chances of winning the title were pegged at 2,000-1.

    Best highlight of the tournament thus far? Hands down, it's got to be the half-court buzzer beater shot by Northern Iowa's Paul Jesperson to eliminate Texas on Saturday, 75-72.

    Out here, all eyes this afternoon will be on the UH Rainbows as they take on Maryland at 1:10 p.m. HST (7:10 p.m. EDT). Nobody is under any illusions about their chances tonight, because Maryland is very good. But then not many people thought they'd dismember Cal on Friday. After that shocker, everyone was reminded that in last December's Diamond Head Classic, this same team demolished Northern Iowa and Auburn and came within a whisker of beating then-No. 2 Oklahoma, with their own buzzer-beater rimming out as time expired.

    The thing is this: Hawaii did not play anywhere close to their best game against Cal on Friday, and yet they still won by 11. They're a deeper team than most people realize, with reserves who can give them quality time when necessary. When Big West Player of the Year Stefan Jancovic and BWC tourney MVP both got into foul trouble and rode the bench most of the second half, their backups Stefan Jovanovic and Sherriff Drummeh stepped into the breech for 14 crucial minutes and they barely missed a beat.

    So if the 'Bows can show up tonight with their A-game, anything can happen. And when they're in peak performance mode, they're more than capable of matching up with anybody. But no doubt, the Maryland Terrapins have likely watched the film from Friday's Cal game and probably the Oklahoma game as well, so there'll be no taking them by surprise.

    Go, 'Bows!

    Oregon heads to the Sweet 16. (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by caseyOR on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 11:14:12 PM EST
    The Ducks beat St. Joe 69-64. It got very close there at the end, but the Ducks prevailed, helped by young Mr. Dorsey's two free throws at the end.

    Next up for Oregon? Duke!

    GO, DUCKS!!!

    Parent

    Oh yeah, I am toast unless Villanova goes all the (none / 0) (#21)
    by ruffian on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:01:00 PM EST
    way. It is fun to watch anyway though. Went to a sports bar with some pool-members to watch the games last night. I wanted Kentucky and they all wanted Indiana...I was the loser of course...it is not my year!

    Parent
    I root against Kentucky just on principle. (none / 0) (#32)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:53:15 PM EST
    Maybe your friends feel the same way. 7:26 to go in the UH-UM game, and Maryland's size is beginning to take its toll on the 'Bows. Whatever happens the rest of the way, they've certainly had a season to remember.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Lots of them are Indiana natives (none / 0) (#96)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:16:30 PM EST
    so yes, they are kneejerk against Kentucky on principle.

    I on the other hand as an Illinois native....against Indiana on principle!

    Parent

    Different views ... boo, hiss! (none / 0) (#105)
    by christinep on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:42:31 PM EST
    To: The Illinois native

    From:  The Indiana University alumna

    Parent

    lol, sorry!!! (5.00 / 1) (#129)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:12:13 PM EST
    At least you are not Indiana State...then we'd really have problem!

    Parent
    Wow! (none / 0) (#37)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 09:23:44 PM EST
    Northern Iowa just blew an 11-pt. lead on Texas A&M with only 1:03 to go in the game. It's now headed to OT at 71-71.

    Parent
    Final: Texas A&M 92, Northern Iowa 88 (2OT). (none / 0) (#39)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 09:56:06 PM EST
    Simply put, that was the mother of all chokes. The Panthers' season deserves to be over.

    Parent
    LOVE my Aggies! (none / 0) (#61)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:17:48 AM EST
    My bracket was blown with Muchigan State's loss, so now I can root with my heart.

    Gig 'Em!

    Parent

    Some fun stats (none / 0) (#63)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:20:35 AM EST
    Some statistics on this comeback: Northern Iowa failed to execute an inbounds play four times in 30 seconds. Texas A&M scored 14 points in a 32-second span. If they had maintained that pace for the entire 40 minutes of regulation time, they would have scored 1,050 points and would not have needed a absurd comeback to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Those 1,050 points would have beaten Loyola Marymount's single-game Division I scoring record by ... 864 points.

    Link

    Parent

    To be fair and honest -- and ... (none / 0) (#82)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:37:12 PM EST
    ... this is not the Aggies' fault at all -- the critical failure of the sideline official to start the game clock at 22 seconds, when the Panthers inbounded the ball and then scored on a long downcourt pass to go up by five at 71-66, gave A&M an effective (and wholly undeserved) timeout while officials stopped play to reset the game clock at 17.9 seconds.

    Texas A&M was completely out of timeouts at that point, and the game clock should've kept running down after Northern Iowa had scored and the Aggies had inbounded the ball. That stoppage of play for nearly two minutes while officials determined how many seconds had run off prior, gave both Aggies players a chance to regroup for a final push, and their coaches the ability to draw up an inbounds play, neither of which they would have otherwise been able to do.

    I would imagine that particular sideline official in charge of the game and shot clocks yesterday has probably worked his last game this postseason. While the Aggies deserve all the credit in the world for mounting that miraculous comeback, and only availed themselves of an opportunity granted to them by that official's miscue, it's certainly not a stretch to say that his inattention at a very critical juncture likely impacted the game's outcome, even if it was inadvertent.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Omegawiki, Bronson Koenig! (none / 0) (#41)
    by Towanda on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 10:43:02 PM EST
    The Ho-Chunk just got revenge on the Jevvies.

    Go, Badgers!

    Parent

    What a great finish! (none / 0) (#43)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:37:40 AM EST
    The Spouse was telling me that Xavier needed to play for the final shot and not foul, and not turn the ball back over to Wisconsin with time on the clock. The Musketeers proceeded to do just that.

    Parent
    Family plans for Easter weekend (none / 0) (#60)
    by Towanda on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:14:21 AM EST
    are being adjusted, accordingly.

    I wish that I could post the videos of son and son-in-law, in their respective viewing sites that are hundreds of miles apart, as they watched the win.  Hilarious.  But this weekend, we all will be together to observe, we hope, more celebratory hooting and hollering and acrobatics that I did not know that the boyos had in them.

    Parent

    Last Night Wisconsin... (none / 0) (#62)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:19:49 AM EST
    ...beats Xavier at the buzzer.  

    Great, but I regret this, great man looking bewildered.

    Parent

    Yes, that was Bronson at the buzzer (none / 0) (#93)
    by Towanda on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 02:08:49 PM EST
    and he is, by the way, very activist among the Ho-Chunk and the tribes here -- especially about racist school mascots, so he is using his deserved moment in the sun to tweet on that issue today.

    And also by the way, he is not the only Native American on the team.  That's unusual among campuses and teams in the country, although it ought not be, with the popularity of hoops on the rez.  Not that he is from the rez, but the push to get more Native Americans here into college and to graduation is a legacy of greats like Ada Deer, the first Menominee to graduate from the Madison campus (there always have been far more at the other UW campuses) and the emerita director of American Indian Studies there . . . after heading the BIA in the Bill Clinton administration.

    Parent

    On line caucus in Utah (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 05:39:27 PM EST
    This seems like a great idea


    SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- At least 30,000 Republicans are expected to participate in an online presidential caucus vote in Utah Tuesday.

    The Utah Republican Party announced the numbers Saturday morning.

    The party says they expect a total of 200,000 Republicans to vote next week, either online or in-person at neighborhood caucus meetings.

    In addition to the 30,000 Republicans registered for the new online system, the GOP says they're working to verify voter registration information with 10,000 more who are seeking to vote online.

    The decision by the Utah GOP to allow online voting is one of the first prominent uses of the process in the country

    LINK


    An online (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by FlJoe on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:03:48 PM EST
    caucus sounds like an oxymoron to me.

    Parent
    What a buncha (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:17:27 PM EST
    Luddites

    Parent
    I would still prefer a primary (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 05:54:47 PM EST
    Better yet an online primary but if you are going to do a caucus I love the idea of being able to do it in your PJs

    Parent
    Oh god, no (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by jbindc on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 05:59:07 PM EST
    They can't get Diebold machines to work right (we here in Virginia went AWAY from touch screen this year back to "fill in the blank" ballots this year).

    I don't want online voting to be hacked.

    But I do think we should have a week or so in which to vote - IN PERSON - unless you have a darn good reason for an absentee.

    Parent

    Yeah, isn't one of the "features" of (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by NYShooter on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:11:24 PM EST
    caucuses being there in person, persuading and cajoling each other why they should vote your way?

    I think you would lose that "touchy, feely" benefit that differentiates caucuses from primaries.

    (and, of course, you wouldn't want fights to break out over who pays off Diebold).....hey, scratch that, I didn't say that! Must've been hacked.

    Parent

    I was told the advantage (none / 0) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:16:22 PM EST
    Of a caucus was cost.   Personally I find the possibility of "foul play" no more or less likely online.   Jb I bet it took you decades to start shopping online, right?

    Parent
    No, I was an early adopter (none / 0) (#29)
    by jbindc on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:43:44 PM EST
    But I have had my Itunes account hacked,  running up $1000. Luckily, I caught it in time, and it cost only a few days of inconvenience and got the money back.

    Parent
    Me Too... (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:46:22 AM EST
    ...and I don't know that it was hacked, but someone purchases like 5 $150 apps in another country.  I think my phone number was hacked, not the actual account.

    Apple in all their infinite wisdom has never removed the charges, I had to get my CC company to cancel the charges.  This was like 7 years ago and I was never able to talk to a human being, which is why I have had exactly one iPhone.  I am banned from the Apple network.

    To this day, I use my GF's account, which actually is better in that we can share music on our home network.

    Online shopping, I have a designated card, and if possible I try to run through PayPal and through that card.  I have never lost a dollar shopping online, and had maybe 3 instances where I have to have the CC reverse false charges.
    --------------

    That being said, there is no way data on paper is safer than online.  One hack and the entire state counts would be a problem.  With a paper 'hack' only the polling station in question would be problematic.  For paper to be effective it would have to involve a lot of people, not so with hacking, and the identities of paper would be known.

    I do like the idea of voting online, a lot.  Seems like if they are going to do it they should have an official page where you can validate your vote is being counted correctly.  Some sort of code not related to your SS# or name, on a separate server.

    Parent

    Wait (none / 0) (#67)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:56:45 AM EST
    Aren't you contradicting yourself here?

    That being said, there is no way data on paper is safer than online.

    Then you say:

    One hack and the entire state counts would be a problem.  With a paper 'hack' only the polling station in question would be problematic.

    But then you say:

    For paper to be effective it would have to involve a lot of people, not so with hacking, and the identities of paper would be known.

    It sounds like you are advocating for online voting,  but then you aren't. I'm sorry - am I just not reading this right?

    Parent

    I Am... (none / 0) (#73)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:22:40 AM EST
    ... but we are not there yet with security IMO.

    Parent
    Absentee ballot here (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by TrevorBolder on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:14:34 PM EST
    Generally spend election day walking the beach searching for schools of striped bass

    Would hate to not vote because I got caught up in a striper blitz

    Usually mail the ballot in the day before election day

    Parent

    Vote by mail is the way to go. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by caseyOR on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:26:17 PM EST
    Oregon has been doing it since 1996. It works great. Everybody gets their ballot in the mail and has 3 weeks to get it back to the county election commission. You can mail it back, bring it to your county election office or drop it in one of the many secure drop boxes in libraries, community centers, places like that.

    This system works well. Voter participation has gone up. It is less expensive than the old polling place method. And no problems with voting fraud.

    Parent

    BREITBART shares your concern (none / 0) (#14)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:29:04 PM EST

    Soros Board Member Chairs Firm Running Online Voting for Tuesday's Utah Caucuses


    Parent
    Oh, I don't know (none / 0) (#56)
    by Valhalla on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:42:14 AM EST
    I am for more accessible and participatory voting -- early, mail, online, what have you.  I'm not for caucuses because they reward the most obnoxious supporters rather than the most widespread support.

    But I like everyone going to the voting booth.  There IS something about everyone going to the same place in your community and state on the same day.  It makes it significant, and marks our participation in this great and terrible democracy of ours in a piblic way.

    Ah well, soon to be bygone days!

    Parent

    Sometimes it's difficult (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:44:07 AM EST
    For people to go to those places.  For all kinds of reasons.

    Parent
    Yes well access and participation are (none / 0) (#110)
    by Valhalla on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:58:46 PM EST
    definitely more important.  But maybe they could at least include an "I Voted Today" sticker with the mail-in ballots!

    Parent
    You know what really "marks (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by caseyOR on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 06:30:57 PM EST
    our participation in this great and terrible democracy"? People actually voting. Vote by mail has increased voter participation in every state where it is used. Every state.

    That, to me, counts for much more than a sticker.

    I get the nostalgia for the days when people walked to the local grade school to cast their votes, neighbors chatting while they waited in line, kids standing in the voting booth with mom or dad. But those days are over. Both mom and dad have full time jobs. So, only the retirees vote during the day. Everybody else tries to crowd in after work, if they even have time to do that.

    Let the people vote!

    Parent

    You won't let me have a sticker? (none / 0) (#132)
    by Valhalla on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:16:49 PM EST
    It doesn't have to be either/or!

    My state only got early voting this year, and it's very limited.  It's only for even-year November elections.  No mail voting, and even absentee requires you to have an excuse.  You need a doctor's note to be able to mail your vote.  It's a shame.  Although at least they defeated a Republican initiative to require id.

    Parent

    We LOVE vote by mail here in Oregon... (none / 0) (#146)
    by Cashmere on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 11:44:39 AM EST
    We LOVE vote by mail here in Oregon...  I also think that it enhances one's ability to make critical decisions on local and other matters as there is ample time for research, which is not always the case when voting in person.

    Parent
    I miss vote by mail. (none / 0) (#147)
    by caseyOR on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 11:51:00 AM EST
    I really do. And the Voters' Pamphlet. There is nothing remotely like the Voters" Pamphlet where I am now. That pamphlet is such an excellent source of information for voters. Every state should publish one.

    Parent
    I have only lived in Oregon! Naive me, but I... (none / 0) (#150)
    by Cashmere on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 01:33:35 PM EST
    had no idea that other states do not provide this!

    Parent
    Saw a (none / 0) (#15)
    by FlJoe on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:44:18 PM EST
    poll out of Utah Cruz 53, Kasich 29, Trump 11.

    Those numbers seem weird to me. I wonder if the Utah GOP would do anything to get Cruz over 50% (or keep Trump under 15%)....just wondering.

    Parent

    Wouldn't be surprised if it's correct (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:51:15 PM EST
    Donald has said some pretty nasty things about Mormons


    Speaking before one of his smallest crowds this campaign season, Donald Trump declared Friday night at a rally in Salt Lake City that he loves the Mormons.
    The feeling does not appear to be mutual

    LINK

    Parent

    I heard a news report from npr today that (none / 0) (#23)
    by NYShooter on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:12:16 PM EST
    the "establishment" folks who were trying to hammer out a procedure to deny Donald the nomination have run into a, seemingly, impenetrable roadblock. If they should be "successful" in stopping Trump, they would end up with Cruz as the nominee. After a moment of silence it became obvious, not a single person thought that outcome would be acceptable.

    LoL, you remember, at the beginning of the debates, when you had a dozen and a half candidates, the "Leadership" was crowing, "how wonderful it was that the American people would have such a sterling group of outstanding people to choose from."

    You will reap what you have sown; couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of creeps.

    Parent

    From the Charles Pierce blog (none / 0) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:26:38 PM EST

    Second, what makes them think that Cruz will get out of the way for, say, Paul Ryan or, worse, Willard Romney? Even if you accept the notion that He, Trump is not the perfect manifestation of the conservative prion disease afflicting the Republicans, and I don't for a moment accept that, you cannot deny that Cruz is an even more perfect product of the Party's madness. After all, he will show up with a boatload of votes fairly won over the previous seven months, a legitimate claim to be the party's second choice, and his profound belief that the Deity has marked him to lead this nation to Canaan. Who's going to tell him he's wrong? Quin Hillyer? And is there any doubt that both He, Trump and the Tailgunner are greasy enough to enter into an ad hoc alliance to blow the whole thing sky high if they don't get what they want? I never thought I'd say this but, on this point alone, N. Leroy Gingrich is absolutely right. His wolverine's sense of political opportunism remains as sharp as ever.

    Here's what the old line Washington establishment doesn't get, there are only two candidates would could be nominated--one is Ted Cruz, the other is Donald Trump. The best way for Cruz to be the nominee, and he understands this, is to beat Trump in the primary, and he is working very hard to do this. Lets say Cruz... comes short. That doesn't mean there's going to be a third candidate. So the establishment gets to choose, do you want Ted Cruz who is an outsider? Or do you want Donald Trump who is an outsider? But there's not going to be a third candidate... One of these two outsiders is going to be nominated, and anybody who tried to sneak in at the last moment would find Trump and Cruz opposed to them, and they would simply be crushed. Those two guys are going to have over 80% of the delegates between them...



    Parent
    Newt (none / 0) (#31)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:49:10 PM EST
    being a blind squirrel it seems.

    Parent
    So (none / 0) (#26)
    by FlJoe on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:27:38 PM EST
    there is one demographic that Trump can't touch. I keep forgetting that Mormons are not the pack of rubes that make up the evangelicals.

    Parent
    Dude (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:31:43 PM EST
    If Mormons are our last hope we are seriously and truly fu@ked

    Parent
    No, They are Not Our Last Hope... (none / 0) (#66)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:53:48 AM EST
    ... that would fall onto republican voters, then the republican convention rules committee, and then the Mormons.

    Not exactly the controls one wants in regards to the Presidency of the United States.

    Parent

    Salt Lake Tribune (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:43:01 PM EST

    Beck said that he, like many Mormons, believes in a prophecy that the Constitution will hang by a thread in the last days. He said he believes that now is that time, and people like (Mike) Lee and Cruz will save it.

    He also said the Book of Mormon was created as a guide on how to protect freedom in our day. At the Provo rally, many responded yelling, "I believe."



    Parent
    "A Republic," said Ben Franklin, (5.00 / 1) (#139)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 07:32:37 AM EST
    "if you can keep" [the credulous from turning it into yet another grovelocracy.]

    Parent
    It's an (overlooked) (5.00 / 2) (#152)
    by NYShooter on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 04:55:32 PM EST
    yet vital point. I'm talking about the, "if you can keep [it]" part.

    Most people know about our Founders wanting to limit voting rights to land owners, and, many people also believe (correctly, in my opinion) that it was meant to retain power & control. But, the reason given, while debatable, could also be true. And, that is that there were no public schools at the time, and only wealthy people could afford to hire teachers to educate their children. That role fell mostly to land owners.

    But, regardless of all the possible reasons given, the important thing about it was that they all felt voting was such a critical part of a Republic's existence, and continued viability, that it should be restricted to only educated & knowledgable people.

    Based on what we've witnessed these past several decades its hard to argue against that principal.

    Parent

    speaking for me only (none / 0) (#69)
    by CST on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:00:05 AM EST
    I want my paper trail.

    I don't even like electronic voting machines, they just seem ripe for abuse.

    Why not mail-in ballots?  You can do those in your PJs too.

    And yes, I shop online.  But if something messes up, I know that something is messed up, because I can check my bank records and I can check to make sure a product has arrived.  I can't check to make sure my ballot got counted.

    Parent

    I think (5.00 / 1) (#71)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:19:25 AM EST
    mail in ballots is really the best way to go.

    Parent
    Yes, vote by mail is (none / 0) (#74)
    by caseyOR on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:34:43 AM EST
    the way to go. I voted by mail for 18 years. I am now in a state where people go to the polls. I can tell you, based on my experience, vote by mail is the better way.

    Here is an article written by a former Oregon Secretary of State that explains vote by mail, how it works and why it is the best option.

    Parent

    I would assume online voting is coming (none / 0) (#76)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:18:24 PM EST
    No idea how long that will take.  But I would assume it's coming.   OTOH I would not even assume "Mail" as we now understand it will even exist in the not that distant future.

    Parent
    Tomorrow night on CNN (none / 0) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:19:45 PM EST
    They are having something they are calling "THE FINAL 5".   Which is said to include all five remaining presidential candidates.  Not sure if the are all supposed to be on stage at once but if so it could get interesting.

    Never mind (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:22:50 PM EST
    Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich will appear at CNN's "Election Center" in Washington, while Bernie Sanders will be interviewed remotely from the campaign trail. The interviews will be conducted separately, so they will not engage with one another on stage like in a debate

    Parent
    Not to be confused with the final 5 cylons (none / 0) (#38)
    by McBain on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 09:51:40 PM EST
    I assume you watched all of BSG?  Great show.  

    I still don't get the Neegan angle on WD.  I haven't watched tonight's episode yet, so no spoilers please.  

    Parent

    Never a fan of BSG (none / 0) (#58)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:45:34 AM EST
    Not sure why.  Maybe someday but it's not high on the list.

    Parent
    Super Tuesday (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:46:34 PM EST

    ......Apple gave the Federal Bureau of Investigation early access to iOS 8 so it could study how the new system would change evidence-gathering techniques, according to people familiar with the software's development. The agency quickly realized Apple had closed an important access point used for years by agents to collect information about criminal suspects. Many in the FBI were stunned. Suddenly, photos, text messages, notes and dozens of other sources of information stored on phones were off-limits.

    The new encryption protections set off a behind-the-scenes battle that ultimately spilled into the open last month, when a California judge granted the Justice Department an order requiring Apple to help the FBI unlock an iPhone used by one of the shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. Federal prosecutors and Apple will argue their cases before a magistrate judge on March 22.

    ---

    This story, based on interviews with more than a dozen government officials, technology executives and attorneys tracking the case, charts the 18-month period between the iOS 8 release and San Bernardino attacks--revealing the complicated, up-and-down nature of Washington's relationship with Silicon Valley. At times, Apple and the White House enjoyed good ties, even working together to persuade China not to force phone makers to give authorities a key to unlock a handset's encryption.  The administration also didn't give in to FBI lobbying for new legislation that would make it easier to unlock data on mobile devices with warrants.  

    But the San Bernardino attack changed the dynamic, ratcheting up tensions that had simmered ever since Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations that the U.S. was collecting Americans' personal data. Law enforcement officials had long warned that stronger encryption would eventually shut out criminal investigators. Now they had a case with national security implications they could use to press their argument that Apple had gone too far with iOS 8

    Behind-the-scenes fight between Apple and the FBI

    How Lucky... (none / 0) (#68)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:58:59 AM EST
    ... for the FBI that they directed the county to reset the password to his Apple Cloud account and ensure that the only way to get to the information is something they were looking for before this crime was committed.

    Parent
    It was very interesting (none / 0) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:20:10 PM EST
    To read how this developed.  Very little seems by chance.

    Parent
    Change of subject. (none / 0) (#18)
    by NYShooter on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:54:05 PM EST
    I know we at TL sometimes make fun of some posters who, disingenuously, begin a narrative with the, "I'm just asking a question" meme. But, sometimes people, really do, "have questions."
    Such as, "how come we don't have safeguards for, inadvertently, electing a President who may have a mental illness we don't know about?

    It's not a coincidence that I bring up this subject now, a time when Donald Trump has a realistic chance of, not only winning the Republican Primary, but,  incredibly, a real shot at the Presidency itself.

    I read a lot, and, since my father was a psychiatrist, I, naturally, am drawn to article featuring mental illness as its topic. And, recently, more and more articles, from top-shelf, authoritative medical journals are questioning the mental status of D. Trump.

    from The Mayo Clinic

    Narcissistic Personality Disorder"
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Narcissistic personality disorders are conditions in which people have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially distressing ways"

    "If you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior. You may feel a sense of entitlement -- and when you don't receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry. You may insist on having "the best" of everything -- for instance, the best car, athletic club or medical care.

    At the same time, you have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as criticism. You may have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation. To feel better, you may react with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make yourself appear superior. Or you may feel depressed and moody because you fall short of perfection."
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Naturally, the backfire will be something like, "Oh, so now you're going to play armchair psychiatrist?" My answer to that would be, "I'm not an attorney either, yet, if I see an individual running around, shooting people for no apparent reason,  I feel confident that it would be in my purview to ask the question, 'isn't that against the law?"

    Anyway, I think we'll hear a lot more about this subject in the weeks and months ahead.

    In all seriousness (5.00 / 2) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:58:00 PM EST
    I think the argument could be made that Narcissistic Personality Disorder was a requirement for even wanting to run for president.

    Parent
    As I've said here many times, (5.00 / 3) (#24)
    by NYShooter on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:23:08 PM EST
    I agree with you.

    But, there's a, quite serious, difference between what we lay-people consider as over-the-top narcissism, and, professionally diagnosed, "Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

    And, don't get me wrong, I doubt very much this is going to impact this election cycle.....at all.

    But, who knows, it might get some potential Trumpsters thinking a little bit.

    Nah, doubt it.

    Parent

    And JFK (none / 0) (#22)
    by TrevorBolder on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:01:23 PM EST
    Had his own personal Dr Feelgood,

    Based a MadMan character on him.

    As Robert Kennedy once quipped, "If a mosquito bites my brother, the mosquito dies."

    As a result, Kennedy took a crazy-quilt array of drugs, including corticosteroids, both oral and implanted as pellets, procaine and other painkillers, and intermittent but huge doses of antibiotics. Plus amphetamines and a slurry of other goodies from Max Jacobson, the original "Dr. Feelgood." (Jacobson enjoyed a burst of pop-currency currency earlier this year, when "Mad Men" featured a character that was apparently based on him.)


    Parent
    Wouldn't be the first (none / 0) (#19)
    by TrevorBolder on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 06:56:38 PM EST
    Here's a look at some of the presidents and the mental disorders they were, or may have been, affected by:

    Depression: James Madison (4th), John Quincy Adams (6th), Franklin Pierce (14th). Abraham Lincoln (16th) suffered a depression so severe that friends feared he'd commit suicide. Calvin Coolidge (30th) fell into a bout of depression after the loss of his teenage son, who died suddenly of sepsis, a fatal condition caused by a staph infection.
    Social Phobia: Thomas Jefferson (3rd), Grant and Calvin Coolidge (30th). Grant also retreated into alcohol.
    Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Woodrow Wilson (28th)
    Mania: Theodore Roosevelt (26th) and Lyndon B. Johnson (36th) displayed manic energy, an indicator of bipolar disorder.



    Parent
    Funny, that's what lots of Repubs (none / 0) (#30)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 07:44:52 PM EST
    say about Obama.

    And yes. You are guilty of practicing psycho babble without a license. ;-)

    Parent

    With due regard to Donald Trump, ... (none / 0) (#40)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 10:34:44 PM EST
    ... I subscribe to the wisdom of John Wooden about the difference between one's character and reputation:

    "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

    And Maya Angelou warned us to trust our initial instincts:

    "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Well, you just defined and condemned (none / 0) (#70)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:16:29 AM EST
    Obama.

    Unfortunately the American voter hadn't read Angelo.

    Parent

    And neither have you, undoubtedly. (5.00 / 1) (#94)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:11:38 PM EST
    That's why you're an anachronistic 1950s-era white male who's unable to cope with a modern 21st century society. What you and your fellow Trumpsters whine about as "reverse discrimination" is nothing more than the long-overdue curtailment of undue privilege based upon your race and your gender.

    Parent
    Also just a layman's view (none / 0) (#45)
    by Nemi on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:05:43 AM EST
    but I would suggest combined with some sort of 'arrested development'? As Digby proposes posting a sampling of Tweets from Donald Trump obsessions of a 12 year old's mind.

    I'd say that age proposal is overrated. How did he ever get even this far?

    Parent

    So glad we are the party of grown ups (none / 0) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:08:12 AM EST
    Lena Dunham says that she has received "more hostility" for supporting and campaigning for Hillary Clinton than she has ever gotten from the American right.

    "I have received more hostility for voting for a qualified female candidate than I have ever received anywhere from the American right wing," she said at a Clinton campaign event at NeueHouse in Hollywood.

    "The fact that other members of the Democratic Party have spoken to me like I was an ill informed child for voting for someone who represents everything I think this country should be is outrageous."

    Dunham noted that she's received the "vitriol" via her Instagram feed, where she has posted photos as she campaigned for Clinton in primary states



    Parent
    She's (5.00 / 2) (#52)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:26:14 AM EST
    not the only one. There have been complaints from Hispanics and African Americans too about being lectured if they "know what is good for them" by either Bernie supporters or pretend Bernie supporters. Along with women getting similar lectures from the same groups.

    Parent
    Did you read the tweets? (none / 0) (#49)
    by Nemi on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:22:47 AM EST
    Only some that were online (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:25:01 AM EST
    Do you doubt this? (none / 0) (#51)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:25:21 AM EST
    Here's (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:37:53 AM EST
    her Instagram feed

    They clean it up but there's plenty still there.

    Parent

    Better (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:39:20 AM EST
    Maybe I misunderstood? (none / 0) (#79)
    by Nemi on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:24:55 PM EST
    I thought your comment was a slap at Digby - and me - for suggesting Donald Trump sounded childish. That's why I asked if you had read the tweets. Donald Trump's tweets that is.

    Parent
    Nothing to do with digby (none / 0) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:26:29 PM EST
    Or you (none / 0) (#83)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:46:55 PM EST
    Actually.


    Parent
    But, if that is Trump's mental illness (none / 0) (#98)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:18:31 PM EST
    we DO know about it. He sure is not hiding it.

    The voters can take it or leave it.

    Parent

    Sadly, you're right (5.00 / 1) (#153)
    by NYShooter on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 05:23:21 PM EST
    But, to discuss (or debate) this point could take the rest of the year.

    That The Donald has this affliction isn't debatable. The problem with all this is, why does such a big plurality of the public fall for it?   The critical thing behind this travesty is that "Leaders" (especially the evil kind) require dumbed down followers. And, when we finally come to understand this truism, we'll get the answer to, "What's the Matter With Kansas?"

    Parent

    AIPAC (none / 0) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 08:19:10 PM EST
    Politico

    Over the nine months of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has yet to step to a podium and read from a script. That changes Monday, when he is set to address more than 18,000 people attending the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington.
    He's also looking to surprise the crowd with something else: substance.

    "He has taken input from a number of very significant Jewish influences who have reaffirmed to him the importance of this particular speech," according to a source close to Trump's campaign. "He is taking it very seriously."
    As he closes in on the Republican nomination, the unconventional and controversial candidate is taking steps to address concerns about his seriousness and whether he has the policy chops and intellectual curiosity to be commander in chief.
    The anti-establishment firebrand is spending the entire day in Washington, D.C. on Monday. He'll meet with two-dozen influential Republican lawmakers and lobbyists and hold a press conference ahead of his speech to AIPAC that evening. The speech, prepared over the last week and finalized last week, will "outline his depth of knowledge about the U.S.-Israel relationship and his 30 years of supporting Israeli causes," the source continued.
    But, like most of the raucous, off-the-cuff speeches he delivers at his rallies, Trump's remarks at AIPAC Monday are likely to be marred by various forms of protest from attendees unwilling to let him turn the page on months of controversial statements.

    --

    There will be a walkout by rabbis who plan to study passages of the Torah focused on tolerance while Trump is speaking. Others are planning to wear buttons signaling their opposition to Trump. Some are mobilizing via social media and urging attendees to sit silently through Trump's speech without reacting at all.
    "We didn't want to walk out or be disruptive -- his campaign thrives on that -- but we did want to make a statement about our discomfort with his campaign," said Rabbi Adam Raskin of Potomac, Maryland, who will be among 300 rabbis wearing "Rabbis Against Trump" buttons because his campaign, Raskin continued, "is at odds with Jewish values and American values."



    I believe (none / 0) (#34)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 08:23:43 PM EST
    that his son in law is Jewish and his daughter converted to Judaism.

    Parent
    Also Politico (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 20, 2016 at 08:28:43 PM EST
    Why Israel loves Trump - and why that awkward for Israel

    Yet, a recent poll found Trump was by far Israel's favorite GOP candidate, and the second-most popular overall. A plurality even thought he would be best at "representing Israel's interests," better than Hillary Clinton, with her decades of advocacy at the highest levels of government


    Parent
    And Yet... (none / 0) (#72)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:19:37 AM EST
    ... Jewish leaders/groups will be protesting his visit to AIPAC.

    "We do not draw analogies to the rise of communism and fascism lightly, but both of those tyrannical movements rose to power replacing democratically elected governments, by virtue of threats of, or actual, violence against their opponents," the AJC(the American Jewish Committee) said.


    Parent
    There is as much discord (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:30:57 PM EST
    And disagreement in the Israeli political system as there is in our own.    What happens in a democracy.

    I am very interested to hear what Donald says here.  Much has been made about him being "serious".   Very curious what serious Donald sounds like.

    He speaks at 6 eastern.

    Parent

    AIPAC (5.00 / 1) (#149)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 01:27:01 PM EST
    An influential pro-Israel lobby group has denounced Donald Trump for his blunt criticism of Barack Obama at its conference in Washington on Monday.

    The Republican frontrunner was cheered by some delegates at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (Aipac) event when he said: "With President Obama in his final year - yay!" and added: "He may be the worst thing that ever happened to Israel."

    But on Tuesday morning the Aipac president, Lillian Pinkus, broke from the planned agenda to distance the organisation from Trump's remarks. Other Aipac leaders stood with her on stage.

    "Last evening, something occurred which has the potential to drive us apart, to divide us," Pinkus said. "We say unequivocally that we do not countenance ad hominem attacks and we take great offence against those that are levied against the president of the United States of America from our stage."

    She added: "While we may have policy differences, we deeply respect the office of the United States and our president, Barack Obama. There are people in our Aipac family who were deeply hurt last night and for that we are deeply sorry."

    LINK

    Parent

    Hoping for contained protests (none / 0) (#84)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:52:50 PM EST
    AIPAC is going on a block from where I work and I'd like to get out of here tonight!

    Parent
    Who knows what happens outside (none / 0) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:57:18 PM EST
    Inside is supposed to be very low key

    Parent
    I heard his AIPAC bit on CNN while driving around (none / 0) (#140)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 07:42:51 AM EST
    "Believe me," was the Donald's refrain.  He said that over and over and over again.

    For me, that statement is like a toggle switch; it turns off whatever level of belief I may have entertained.  Believing a sales pitch is the last thing you want to do anyway.

    That said, someone mentioned Secretary Clinton's "decades of experience."  That won't wash with many.  She fueled the implosion of Libya and Syria.  Not much of a recommendation.

    Parent

    I was thinking the exact same thing (5.00 / 1) (#141)
    by ruffian on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 08:38:44 AM EST
    listening to NPR. Only a liar says 'Believe me' that much. My favorite bit - "Believe me, oh, believe me".

    Parent
    And yet..... (4.00 / 2) (#144)
    by mm on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 09:22:12 AM EST
    Who do you suppose was the first candidate the Today Show went to today for his insights and reaction to the terrorist attack in Belgium?

    Of course, Mr. Donald J. Trump, because who wouldn't be interested in the thoughts of the most unqualified buffoon to ever get this far in the presidential race in my lifetime.

    Parent

    Gag me. Really, it is sickening (5.00 / 1) (#145)
    by ruffian on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 09:31:57 AM EST
    ... (University of the Pacific, Stockton CA) opines that credit is due the late Justice Antonin Scalia for the advancement of LGBT civil rights in this country, though certainly not for any desire to that effect on Scalia's part.

    Rather, Levine argues that Scalia's well-documented animus toward gays and lesbians was so overt and over the top, he likely convinced his conservative colleagues Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day O'Connor to side with the High Court's moderate-liberal wing in Romer v. Evans, and then encouraged Kennedy to bring the legal hammer down in Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges:

    "In his powerful majority opinion in Romer, Justice Anthony Kennedy explained that gays and lesbians could not be singled out for disfavored treatment without some appropriate justification. Given its reach and breadth, Kennedy could find no legal basis for Amendment 2 other than animus - or hostility - toward gays and lesbians. And animus toward homosexuals was not a constitutionally acceptable justification.

    "Enter Scalia, who unwittingly became a force leading to the expansion of gay rights that culminated in June with nationwide marriage equality.

    "Scalia's dissent was so angry and acerbic that he exemplified the very animus that led the court's moderate conservatives - Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Kennedy - to join the court's liberals in striking down Colorado's law.

    "While Scalia had ample grounds to criticize Kennedy's opinion based on its arguably novel approach to constitutional law, Scalia went much further. He asserted that Coloradans could deprive their gay and lesbian neighbors of protection from discrimination for any reason whatsoever, including their dislike of the group. He belittled those in committed same-sex relationships as "long-time roommate(s)," and likened gay people to murderers and animal abusers.

    "Scalia's words oozed animus toward gays and thus nudged Kennedy toward becoming the justice who has furthered gay and lesbian constitutional rights more than anyone in the court's history. Kennedy has authored every major pro-gay decision since Romer."

    Interesting take on Scalia, that's for sure.

    That's McGeorge, (none / 0) (#47)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:09:03 AM EST
    not McGregor, School of Law. I went to high school in Stockton. Lived about two blocks from UOP.

    Parent
    My bad. Thank you for that correction. (none / 0) (#95)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:13:09 PM EST
    ;-D

    Parent
    About those open primaries (none / 0) (#44)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:00:32 AM EST
    The Montana Republican party challenges cross-over voting

    The Montana Republican Party and eight of its county-level committees have asked the Supreme Court to bar non-Republicans from crossing over and casting GOP ballots in the state's "open primary" election on June 7.  The application (Ravalli County Republican Central Committee v. McCulloch, 15A911) seeks action by the Court by March 31.  The state has been told to reply by Tuesday afternoon.

    Potentially, this dispute over cross-over voters could affect all of the eleven states that now have an "open primary" -- that is, one in which voters are not restricted to vote only for a specific party's candidates for state and congressional offices.

    The request was filed with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who handles emergency legal matters from the geographic area that is the Ninth Circuit, which includes Montana.  Kennedy has the option of acting on his own or sharing the request with the other Justices.

    The specific request is for a order by the Court that would free the Montana GOP to conduct a primary in which only members of its party could participate.  If such an order were issued by March 31, the GOP groups said, they would have time to write rules for the party's nomination process that would confine it to registered Republicans only.   Ballots for military and overseas voters who will be absent on election day will start going out in the mail on April 22.

    Montana has had an "open primary" since the state's voters approved that approach in 1912.  As it currently operates, a voter goes to the polls to vote, and is free to choose either a ballot on which only Republican candidates are listed, or one  listing the Democratic candidates.

    No proof of party affiliation is necessary, and the voter has the option of requesting both parties' ballots.  In that case, the voter must choose one, and throw the other away.  But election officials do not know whether any particular voter has cast a ballot for the GOP or for the Democrats.  No one is asked which of the two ballots he chose.



    A couple of days ago (none / 0) (#48)
    by Nemi on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:18:52 AM EST
    I checked and copied the numbers of Popular Votes at RCP. Hillary Clinton was ahead followed by Trump, Sanders and Cruz.

    When I checked back yesterday the order was still the same but some of the numbers had drastically changed: Bernie Sanders had gained close to five thousand votes while Hillary Clinton had lost more than 200,000!

    Now I don't suspect foul play, but what could the explanation possibly be for such a rather huge correction in between elections?

    On the Republican side the numbers had changed by only a couple hundreds.

    Maybe (none / 0) (#53)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:27:11 AM EST
    someone posted the numbers wrong the first time you checked.

    Parent
    Probably (none / 0) (#151)
    by Nemi on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 03:04:55 PM EST
    It's just that the correction amounts to 10% of the difference between the two Dems, and to me that seems like a lot. But then I'm no expert, and thought maybe some of the expert poll crunchers around here could offer a rational explanation. :)

    Besides, not least because of the size of the numbers, I would have expected an 'Update' from RCP mentioning that a correction had been made.

    Parent

    Hillary (none / 0) (#59)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:13:21 AM EST
    Is currently speaking at AIPAC.  MSNBC is covering it all day.

    Interesting bit on Bernie (5.00 / 1) (#85)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 12:53:24 PM EST
    being the only candidate to skip AIPAC

    And why he just being a hypocrite again

    Progressives shouldn't give Bernie Sanders too much credit for skipping a major pro-Israel conference Monday. He offered to speak on video and was turned down.




    Parent
    Sad to say (none / 0) (#107)
    by pitachips on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:48:51 PM EST
    That Trump has the most rational policy of all the candidates, both Dem and GOP, on this issue.

    Parent
    Possibly (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:53:12 PM EST
    Very interested in what he says.  It's coming up real soon.

    Kasich is speaking now.   He is pandering so hard he is going to break something for sure.

    Parent

    Hmmmmm (none / 0) (#116)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 06:01:20 PM EST
    Not so much.  Pretty hard line.

    The bad news is when he actually decides to stop the nonsense sentences and be specific about policy, he's pretty good at it.   Which is not to say I agreed with anything he said but just an observation about delivery and content.

    Clearly he can deliver a TelePrompter speech when we wants to.

    Parent

    Heard on the radio as he finished speaking (none / 0) (#123)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:30:03 PM EST
    "Donald Trump started his speech by promising not to pander. That promise didn't last much past that statement."

    Parent
    Trump (none / 0) (#87)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 01:25:20 PM EST
    Reveals some advisors on his foreign policy team

    Jeff Sessions!

    Yikes (none / 0) (#88)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 01:35:57 PM EST
    Trump praised George P. Shultz, who served as Ronald Reagan's secretary of state, as a model and was harshly critical of current Secretary of State John F. Kerry. He questioned the United States' continued involvement in NATO and, on the subject of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, charged that America's allies are "not doing anything."
    --
    Trump declared U.S. involvement in NATO may need to be significantly diminished in the coming years, breaking with nearly seven decades of consensus in Washington. "We certainly can't afford to do this anymore," Trump said, adding later, "NATO is costing us a fortune and yes, we're protecting Europe with NATO, but we're spending a lot of money."

    They wanted details.

    Be careful what you wish for

    Parent

    Trump previously (none / 0) (#103)
    by KeysDan on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:13:04 PM EST
    stated that his foreign policy adviser was himself.  Maybe, he ought to stick to that guy. The others do not seem to be as terrific.  Surprised George Shultz made the cut, not being among Trump's favorites--the poorly educated.  Shultz was professor of economics at MIT and professor and Dean of the School of Economics at the U of Chicago; and he held for cabinet posts, Labor, Treasury, State, and OMB. He is really Republican Establishment, being president of Bechtel and at Hoover Institute, and a member of Bohemian Grove, where only the rich and powerful go to talk big business etc.

    Schultz fingered both Reagan and G HW Bush as culpable in the Iran/Contra scandal and claimed a "battle royal" in his opposition to the illegal activities. But, he was a good soldier and carried on.  Shultz put the brakes on Reagan's total disarmament at Reykjavik, thinking Reagan had lost it.  

    The others named into guys who worked in Bremer's disastrous provisional Iraq occupation, Blackwater, and a Ben Carson adviser.  A lot of standard Republican fare, not much "outsider" stuff here, it seems.  The NATO stuff has been a Trump staple, with a detail or two added.  Maybe, with the help of his experts.

    Parent

    Interesting fact (none / 0) (#124)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:33:15 PM EST
    One of his advisors, Joseph Schmitz, former DoD Inspector General (and who worked for Blackwater) is the brother of Mary Kay Fuuala (nee LeTourneau).

    Parent
    Bernie wins (none / 0) (#89)
    by jbindc on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 01:44:02 PM EST
    Demicrats abroad primary 69-31.

    He wins 9 delegates, she wins 4.  He has the backing of 1 superdelegate, she has 3.  4 remain uncommitted.

    The joint press conference (none / 0) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 01:56:30 PM EST
    With Obama and the Cuban president is fascinating..

    Happening now  

    Trump is a loser, (none / 0) (#99)
    by KeysDan on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:19:22 PM EST
    says Senator Elizabeth Warren. Trump responds by calling her "the Indian."   There goes another group, Trump.

    I Would Rather Not Have... (none / 0) (#100)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 03:27:50 PM EST
    ... out political elite using Twitter to blast politicians.  She is above that IMO, it not like anyone following her is voting for Trump.

    How does Trump know that she has Indian ancestry and not know who David Duke is ?

    Parent

    Yeah there is something awkward about her (none / 0) (#104)
    by Valhalla on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:37:44 PM EST
    power-tweeting attacks on Trump.  Like when your junior high teacher tries to be hip by using the prevailing slang and just provokes a lot of eyerolling.

    However, I suppose they are trying to redirect younger progressives' energy toward the General and against Trump and away from Sanders.  I'm not the target audience there, so it doesn't matter if it sounds awkward to me.

    Parent

    It does have a transitional sound (none / 0) (#109)
    by christinep on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 04:55:55 PM EST
    Warren is baiting Trump ... a bait here, a probe there, a tweek & a shove ...the early general jabs.  

    Of course, the he-is-a-this and she-is-a-that are only background noise to feel out Trump's suspected vulnerabilities.  

    Parent

    Regarding her ancestry (none / 0) (#113)
    by RCBadger on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 05:46:07 PM EST
    He's not saying she's an Indian. He's calling her a liar because she claimed to be Native American when she applied for various jobs.  From what I gather, Harvard referred to her as being partially Native American and for some reason when she was asked about it, she said she had no idea why they would do that.  Then bloggers etc. discovered that she had listed herself as partially NA on employment applications.  Because of that, pretty much every conservative blog (I follow several) will always refer to her as a fake Indian.  It's kind of her Benghazi or e-mail scandal, I suppose.

    Parent
    To me (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 06:22:01 PM EST
    this is a perfect example of how the GOP would attack her as a liar much like they have done Hillary. The politics of personal destruction is what the GOP has for breakfast.

    Parent
    Cherokee-gate! (none / 0) (#115)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 05:50:22 PM EST
    As if the members of that nation didn't have enough affronts to their culture to worry about.

    ;-D

    Parent

    Trump is a loser, (none / 0) (#119)
    by KeysDan on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 06:38:51 PM EST
    two affronts: affirmative action (Senator Warren got where she is without talent, and with  politically correcthelp); and "Indian"  rather than Native American, At least he did not call her a red skin, or Geronimo.


    Parent
    Dunno... (none / 0) (#133)
    by linea on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:23:13 PM EST
    Maybe the Indian Tribes would welcome the sarc of someone (alegedly) eroneously claiming tribal membership?

    Parent
    Depending on the Native American Tribe (none / 0) (#120)
    by CoralGables on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 06:43:24 PM EST
    You can have as little as 1/32 tribal blood to be considered in their lineage.

    Parent
    Not sure it works that way. (5.00 / 1) (#134)
    by linea on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:33:05 PM EST
    I believe there is a legal definition involved and that involves actual tribal membership. I believe you cant just decide to check that box because grandpa was told a tale about being part injun in the long ago. I don't believe it's like being trans-racial. But I really don't know the details.

    Parent
    Ancestry (5.00 / 1) (#137)
    by jbindc on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 07:15:34 AM EST
    And citizenship in a tribe are two different things.

    Parent
    The Question Still Remains... (none / 0) (#148)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 11:54:13 AM EST
    ... how does Donald Trump know the ancestry or non-ancestry of a Senator from Massachusetts and not know who David Duke is.

    Your excuse only makes it worse, it means he is spending time on the internet focusing on past application check boxes and not focusing on important matters, like being endorsed by a former grand wizard of the KKK, who Trump conveniently forgot on National TV, although he has spoken in the past about David Duke.

    Parent

    what's that saying about wrestling with a pig? (none / 0) (#142)
    by ruffian on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 08:41:46 AM EST
    You both get dirty, and the pig likes it...

    I don't want to see Warren go the way of Rubio.

    Parent

    The upside of Donald (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 05:14:53 PM EST
    Donald Trump is on the verge of two things once thought to be impossible: winning the Republican presidential nomination, and putting Republicans' historically large House majority in danger.
    Democrats have for the past year discussed the GOP's 30-seat majority as a long-term problem, solvable only by shrinking it over several successive elections. But Trump's remarkable rise in the GOP presidential race, and the backlash he has already provoked among the broader electorate, has suddenly raised the prospect of a large November wave against Trump and the Republicans who would share the ballot with him

    LINK

    Trump Supporter's Roadside Sign (none / 0) (#138)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 07:17:02 AM EST
    Has anybody seen any decent polling (none / 0) (#121)
    by caseyOR on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 07:26:23 PM EST
    on tomorrow's primaries/caucuses?

    RCP (none / 0) (#122)
    by FlJoe on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:26:53 PM EST
    has a few, kind of sparsely polled states but Trump looks in control in AZ as expected, Cruz will win Utah but he is right at that 50% WTA trigger to make it interesting.

    The Democrats are even harder to read, it should be Hillary's territory but the latest poll showed it 50/22, Bernie's been working hard for those 28% undecided so should he can over perform and stay within 30 or even 20, it look like a toss up in Utah but I suspect Sanders to squeeze out a slight victory there, again because he seems to be putting more effort there.


    Parent

    For Sanders to gain ground towards the nomination (none / 0) (#126)
    by CoralGables on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:45:28 PM EST
    he'll likely have to win Arizona by 10 points.

    But to answer your question, No there is no decent polling from any of them. Logic gives Arizona to Clinton and Utah and Idaho to Sanders. That would be a bad result for Sanders.

    Parent

    I thought he would (none / 0) (#127)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 08:50:22 PM EST
    have to win Arizona something like a blowout of 70/30 to gain any ground.

    However it seems like his fundraising might be drying up.

    Parent

    Why do you think Sanders' fundraising (none / 0) (#128)
    by caseyOR on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 09:21:58 PM EST
    is drying up? I heard on the Newshour tonight that he out raised Clinton by $12 million in February. That strikes me as pretty well-watered fundraising.

    Now, he did seriously outspend Clinton. And so he has less on hand, but that is not the same as donations drying up.

    Parent

    That (none / 0) (#130)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 10:34:46 PM EST
    was February but now after Super Tuesday he's announcing things like raising 4 million over the span of days when in Feb he was raising 6 million in one day. Hillary has more cash on hand than Bernie does because he literally blew through a ton last Tuesday.

    Parent
    Bernie drew 30,000 supporters (none / 0) (#131)
    by NYShooter on Mon Mar 21, 2016 at 11:02:09 PM EST
    to his rallies in Washington; boisterous, enthusiastic, he's outdrawing Clinton, and TRUMP!

    Parent
    He also drew over 20,000 in Las Vegas, NV. (none / 0) (#154)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 07:13:57 PM EST
    And three days later, about 15% of them showed up to caucus for him.

    Parent
    Tad Devine (none / 0) (#135)
    by jbindc on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 05:12:34 AM EST
    got $800,000 just for March.

    Good work if you can get it.

    Parent

    And March (5.00 / 1) (#136)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 06:22:44 AM EST
    isn't even over yet.

    Parent
    Good place to start getting $$ out of politics (5.00 / 2) (#143)
    by ruffian on Tue Mar 22, 2016 at 08:44:14 AM EST