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Memorial Day Open Thread

This is a day to honor those who served in the military and made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

In light of the 97,000 plus Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19 in the last 90 days, I don't see any reason it can't also be a day to remember them. The New York Times clearly feels the same way -- here is the front page of their Sunday edition.

I also agree with the New York Times that it's an appropriate time to say "thank you" to the more than 144 million Americans who followed their state's stay at home orders for weeks on end, donned (and are still wearing) masks and who are still practicing "social distancing".

This is love of country at its best, generous and communal. And it’s all the more important to keep that spirit alive as we enter the warmer months and are tempted to forget all that we have learned in this dark and deadly spring. .

[More...]

I am very glad that children and young adults are not as susceptible to the disease as their grandparents, and that those in the youngest and middle-age brackets who do get infected have high recovery rates.

But to those Americans going to the beach and swimming pools and hanging out on boardwalks this holiday weekend while refusing to wear a mask or follow simple social-distancing rules, and the industry giants and small business owners who believe their personal economic concerns justify reopening businesses before it is safe for the entire community to do so, you dishonor this nation and lack any semblance of patriotism. You have no concern for your fellow Americans and should be deeply ashamed. I suspect, however that you are incapable of feeling shame, just like the manipulative, uncaring, narcissistic, ignorant and toxic man who occupies a desk in the oval office, whom I suspect the majority of these selfish Americans support.

Happily, it's been a cold and rainy weekend in Denver so there is less reason for people to be out in public. But as Colorado's death toll from this virus reaches, restaurants are being green-lighted to open this week, malls and public gyms and even ski areas will also open, my concern is that the inevitable second wave of this virus will send us right back to square one or worse, and shred any notion that what's happening now is a slow and safe reopening.

I'll give the last word to the NY Times editorial board:

[O]ur own decisions, as individuals, will be vital in helping to protect our neighbors. Until there is a vaccine, which could be years from now, the simple acts of wearing a mask and practicing social distancing may be the most reliable ways to stem the spread of the disease and save more lives.

The most patriotic thing that Americans can do right now is not to carry military-style rifles to a protest that shuts down their state legislature, or to spread baseless conspiracy theories online, or to pick fights in a supermarket over reasonable public health measures. The best way to serve the nation is to do the things that we know work, and to help each other out when we fall short. That’s how we protect the most vulnerable among us, restore our economy and reinvigorate the promises at the heart of the American ideal.

I wish you all a pleasant holiday. I thank the medical community, the scientific researchers working around the clock for a vaccine or a treatment, our first responders, and the brave souls willing to continue working at our ravaged elder care facilities. My condolences to those of you who have lost a friend or loved one to Covid-19.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Well said (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 08:37:27 AM EST
    Hope everyone stays safe.  I'm charcoaling today.  Just for me.

    Saw the family over the weekend.

    And, what (none / 0) (#2)
    by MKS on Mon May 25, 2020 at 10:22:42 AM EST
    about your buddies, the retrievers?

    Parent
    A friend is coming over (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:10:02 AM EST
    And bringing his own buns.  So to speak.  My deck is big.

    The dogs don't get human food but they will be happy.

    Parent

    A neighbor organized a Memorial Day (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:32:10 AM EST
    distance-keeping cookout block party in our middle-class suburban neighborhood. Everyone to bring their own food to the front yard or driveway at the same time, to eat within view of each other.

    Also, a neighbor three blocks away, who is (5.00 / 6) (#7)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 02:52:19 PM EST
    a trumpet teacher (and fourth generation klezmer) stepped out onto her front porch to play taps at 3 pm today. Our traditional parade and wreath-laying were cancelled.

    Parent
    I love her klezmer playing! (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by leap on Mon May 25, 2020 at 07:48:51 PM EST
    Thanks for that link. It be so much fun to play that music.

    Parent
    For those who may not be familiar with (none / 0) (#21)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:12:41 PM EST
    klezmer, by all means check it out. Klezmer is a Jewish folk music that evolved through the influence of Yiddish theater of the 1920s and American jazz of the 1930s into a unique and fun style, most akin (it seems to me) to New Orleans brass jazz combos.

    Parent
    that sounds awesome! (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Mon May 25, 2020 at 05:22:58 PM EST
    That really (none / 0) (#13)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 25, 2020 at 06:45:55 PM EST
    sounds wonderful. I hope you and everybody else had a wonderful time. We had nothing going on in my neighborhood but that is the norm.

    Parent
    So the neighborhood separation picnic (none / 0) (#15)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 06:53:11 PM EST
    was fun, and a good opportunity for a lot of folks  who live on the block to get to know each other better, but I was honestly disappointed in the degree to which our neighbors who are young parents (late 20s, early 30s) were not distancing that rigorously, and half or less wearing masks (when not eating, of course). We are now among the old-timers, having lived on this block for some 33 years.

    Parent
    Many thanks (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon May 25, 2020 at 01:34:06 PM EST
    Memorial Day is not (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 03:34:53 PM EST
    Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day. It a day of remembrance for those killed in war (all wars, all sides, and hopefully not forgetting the civilian victims), not a day to celebrate "all who served."

    Parent
    I make that mistake (none / 0) (#11)
    by Jeralyn on Mon May 25, 2020 at 05:25:58 PM EST
    sometimes and I actually have to sit and think to remember the difference. His graphic went to the U.S. Navy, so perhaps the Navy is personal for him and he is remembering those who served and died in that branch of service.

    Parent
    A lot of people do the same, (none / 0) (#14)
    by Zorba on Mon May 25, 2020 at 06:51:57 PM EST
    J.
    But I gave him a "5" because of his remembering all who served, and especially because of his Navy graphic.
    My father was in the Navy during World War II, in the submarine service in the Pacific, and then again on a sub tender during the Korean War.

    Parent
    As a boy (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 25, 2020 at 09:02:58 PM EST
    we decorated our bikes with crepe paper weaved through the spokes for parades.  And, we  went to the cemetery to decorate graves of deceased family members.  My recollection is that "Decoration Day" (aka, Memorial Day)  parades honored and mourned military members who served and were mortally injured,

    Parent
    I had an uncle who, during WWII, (5.00 / 2) (#30)
    by desertswine on Wed May 27, 2020 at 12:21:17 AM EST
    was also in the Pacific Theater of War.  I remember he would tell us war stories of his experiences during the war, most of them horrifying (the torture of prisoners, kamikaze fighters, and such). One night, years later, he took his hunting rifle, walked over to an empty lot near his house, and blew his brains out.  

    I often wondered how much his war experience contributed to his suicide.  I guess we'll never know for sure. People back then didn't readily admit to need mental health help.  

    He, too, was a victim of war, even thought his death came years later.  I remember him today.

    Parent

    I'm so sorry (none / 0) (#49)
    by Zorba on Wed May 27, 2020 at 12:34:09 PM EST
    About your uncle.
    In retrospect, it is clear to me now that my dad suffered from PTSD.  He was a different father to us older kids than he was to the much younger ones.  We (the two oldest of us) loved him, but we were afraid of him.  He never hit us, but his temper was very short and explosive.
    By the time the younger ones came along, he had mellowed out considerably.  He was a different father, and for the sake of my youngest siblings (and my mom), I'm glad.


    Parent
    It's a warm and cloudy day in Hilo, HI. (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 25, 2020 at 07:24:41 PM EST
    We spent the weekend at home, working in the yard. We've been wanting to spruce it up a bit, especially the front, so on Friday afternoon we went to the local nursery and splurged on flowering plants and bushes, and we've been planting them over the last few days. Once they grow out, it will look awesome.

    One of these years, I'd like to go to Washington on Memorial Day and visit my father's grave in Arlington National Cemetery. It feels strange to think that at age 59, I'm now nearly twice the age he was when he died (32).

    Have a peaceful evening, everyone.

    The Dead Lands (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 26, 2020 at 09:41:23 AM EST
    Not the biggest zombie fan.  I dropped Walking Dead years ago.  I read about this and was bored enough to try it.  

    It's a series on Shudder.  Maybe some others.  But the thing is like the best zombie stuff (early Walking Dead) it's not really about the zombies.  Lots of recent zombies stuff not really about zombies.

    What makes this so good is what it's really about is ancient Maori culture.  And weapons and spirituality.  It's just really interesting stuff and it's all big budget. The cast is amazing including the lead female who is in her first acting role and doesn't even have a photo on IMDB.  But she is the best thing in the show

    How The Dead Lands hopes to change New Zealand television



    Another ho hum day in America. (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Chuck0 on Tue May 26, 2020 at 11:27:11 PM EST
    Another black man murdered by police. Minneapolis police dole out the death penalty for a forged check.

    And the occupant of 1600 PA Av continues to be more repugnant with every passing minute and tweet. There will be no Joseph Welch moment. He has no, zero, nada, sense of decency.

    The video from Minneapolis (none / 0) (#28)
    by desertswine on Tue May 26, 2020 at 11:57:07 PM EST
    was horrifying to watch.

    Parent
    Police copter (none / 0) (#33)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:15:49 AM EST
    Now over the fired cop's house.
    9:20 central.

    Parent
    I'd like to know more about what happened (none / 0) (#47)
    by McBain on Wed May 27, 2020 at 11:36:11 AM EST
    before the video. As for what happened during the video, This is what a police training expert had to say...
    "It is a control technique, so you can make sure that if you control the head, you can control the rest of the body," Masson explained. "But of course, there are parameters on that. We do a light pressure on there, just enough to stop the threat and we also make sure that, of course, the person isn't going to be harmed in any way."

    In the video, Floyd can be heard saying he can't breathe.

    "As soon as you hear somebody can't breathe, you need to ask for medical attention, change your positioning change to see what's going on," Masson said.

    Masson said MPD also does not typically teach the "knee on neck" technique and instead teaches "knee into shoulder blades" as a restraint tactic.



    Parent
    What happened before the video is immaterial (5.00 / 3) (#56)
    by Repack Rider on Wed May 27, 2020 at 03:35:26 PM EST
    Since it is your claim, give me an example of something that might have taken place "before the video" that justified killing Mr. Floyd.

    Parent
    I was curious how Floyd ended up (none / 0) (#70)
    by McBain on Wed May 27, 2020 at 06:50:40 PM EST
    on the street and why the police used that method of detaining him.  This video explains some  of that.

    Next I'd like to hear from the medical examiner and also learn more about proper police restraining techniques.

    Parent

    I am curious (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 27, 2020 at 10:42:54 PM EST
    to know if the police officer who held his knee on the neck has a history of infractions of police policies and procedures or disciplinary actions, especially involving minorities.

    Parent
    I'm not seeing (none / 0) (#87)
    by Repack Rider on Thu May 28, 2020 at 08:21:35 AM EST
    ...in your post an example of what Mr. Floyd could have done BEFORE the video that justified his treatment.

    Parent
    From that video (none / 0) (#96)
    by McBain on Thu May 28, 2020 at 12:22:31 PM EST
    around the :30 mark, it looks like Floyd falls as he approaches the curb .  I don't know if he tripped and that's what brought him down in front of the police cruiser.  Hard to tell but I don't see the police forcing him down.  Hopefully, we'll get a better video to confirm.

    The bigger issues to me are the use of the neck restraint in the first place and the continued use after Floyd stops moving.  

    Here's a link to a short discussion by police use of force experts.

    "Ideally, once you got a compliant subject you would take the weight off," said Duane Wolfe, a law enforcement instructor at Alexandria Technical and Community College.
    Wolfe wonders why that didn't happen in this case.  "At this point there's a lot of things that are unclear and until we get all of that information and a full investigation is conducted, we are left with a lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers," he said.

    More from that link...

    Use of Force policy

    Minneapolis Police policy allows the use of neck restraints - "Defined as compressing one or both sides of a person's neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway."



    Parent
    The very next sentence (5.00 / 3) (#106)
    by Yman on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:03:18 PM EST
    The policy states the neck restraint "may be used against a subject who is actively resisting."

    George Floyd was lying face down in handcuffs.  George Floyd was NOT "actively resisting".

    Link to the actual MPD policy.

    More precisely, the use of an unconcious neck restraint is even more limited:

    Conscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with intent to control, and not to render the subject unconscious, by only applying light to moderate pressure. (04/16/12)

    Unconscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with the intention of rendering the person unconscious by applying adequate pressure. (04/16/12)

    PROCEDURES/REGULATIONS II.

    The Conscious Neck Restraint may be used against a subject who is actively resisting. (04/16/12)
    The Unconscious Neck Restraint shall only be applied in the following circumstances: (04/16/12)
    On a subject who is exhibiting active aggression, or;
    For life saving purposes, or;
    On a subject who is exhibiting active resistance in order to gain control of the subject; and if lesser attempts at control have been or would likely be ineffective.
    Neck restraints shall not be used against subjects who are passively resisting as defined by policy. (04/16/12)

    But I'll be happy to answer the question you refuse to address.  There is NOTHING that justifies the use of that neck hold on a handcuffed man who is posing no threat.  He could literally have held a gun to the officer's head before the video began and it wouldn't change the fact that the use of deadly force against a subdued person was unjustified.  Unfortunately for the police apologists it's on video., they can't pretend that there is anything justifying the deadly force used by that police officer.

    Parent

    Why? (none / 0) (#69)
    by Yman on Wed May 27, 2020 at 06:48:19 PM EST
    What happened before the video changes nothing.  The officer knelt on the neck of a clearly subdued and handcuffed man for 5 minutes.  End of story.  I would think even the most die-hard apologist would understand that simple fact.

    Parent
    BTW (none / 0) (#71)
    by Yman on Wed May 27, 2020 at 07:01:49 PM EST
    New Videos Appear to Undermine Police Account That George Floyd 'Resisted' Officers

    "He was ordered to step from his car," the Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement. "After he got out, he physically resisted officers."

    But newly-surfaced videos do not appear to support that account. The first video, taken by a bystander through his windshield, shows several officers apprehending Floyd. But he doesn't appear to be resisting -- just standing next to his car.

    All of which doesn't change the fact that the officer knelt on a handcuffed man's neck for minutes, suffocating him.

    But, ... ya know ... maybe the victim smoked some p0t as a teenager ... or wore a hoodie ... or bought some skittles.

    Parent

    Such a lucky thing (5.00 / 2) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 07:55:39 PM EST
    There was good video of the "Central Park Karen" episode.

    He won't need to lose any sleep "wanting to know more" about just exactly what Christian Cooper did to the Karen before the police showed up and killed him.

    Parent

    Larry Kramer has died (5.00 / 2) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 01:09:03 PM EST
    At a ripe old age none of us thought we would see in the 80s

    ACT-UP was brilliant and awe inspiring

    Eerie Trump/Netanyahu Parallels (none / 0) (#5)
    by RickyJim on Mon May 25, 2020 at 12:49:17 PM EST
    Link

    If Netanyahu wrote that himself, he obviously has a talent Trump doesn't have.

    Grant (none / 0) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 05:00:40 PM EST
    Sounds good

    The History Channel miniseries "Grant," executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, celebrates Ulysses S. Grant's Civil War heroism and exposes the evils of the racist Confederacy.
    Grant, a History Channel miniseries airing over three nights beginning on Memorial Day (May 25)



    This is very good (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:30:09 PM EST
    Watching the final 2 hours now.  Haven't been bored once.  And I bore easily

    Parent
    I watched all six hours. (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by Chuck0 on Thu May 28, 2020 at 07:17:10 PM EST
    It was very good and very interesting. I learned a lot. Grant is really not taught much in school. Yeah, Lee surrendered to him at Appomattox and he was the 18th president. But not much else. Most people probably think Grant was at Gettysburg. I probably did at one time myself. (I live 30 miles from Gettysburg now, so have learned better from many trips through the battlefield.)


    Parent
    It (none / 0) (#86)
    by FlJoe on Thu May 28, 2020 at 06:31:21 AM EST
    was entertaining but I found the battle scenes over the top with gratuitous violence, how many times do we need to see very graphic head shot.

    IMO Grant was a decent General, but he was framed as a military genius.

    Parent

    Gen. Grant had the advantage of numbers. (5.00 / 1) (#129)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat May 30, 2020 at 04:54:15 PM EST
    And in a war of attrition against Gen. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, those numbers as well as a ready availability of supplies ultimately rendered the campaign's outcome a foregone conclusion.

    But Grant's bold unpredictability and his innate capacity for quickly reading a situation and adapting his tactics accordingly can be ascribed to his military genius. It served him well when responding to the Confederate attacks at Shiloh in April 1862, as well as in three specific instances where he caught his Confederate adversaries completely off guard:

    • Grant's surprise offensive against Forts Henry and Donelson in northern Tennessee in March 1862, which compelled the Confederates to evacuate Nashville and all of central Tennessee once those two posts fell.

    • Grant's surprise crossing of the Mississippi River at Grand Gulf in April 1863, which required him to cut his army loose from its long supply lines, and his subsequent march to Jackson, which cleaved the Confederate forces in two and neatly outflanked the river citadel of Vicksburg from the rear.

    • The Union Army of the Potomac's quick disengagement from its disastrous and costly frontal assault on the Confederate capital of Richmond at the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864, and its subsequent surprise crossing of the James River to instead attack the railroad hub of Petersburg, which effectively locked Gen. Lee and his forces into a siege. From there, as Lee himself had predicted only two months earlier, it was only a matter of time.

    Aloha.

    Parent
    Maybe the heads kept me interested (none / 0) (#88)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 08:33:25 AM EST
    I didn't get that at all.  I was struck by how much they focused on the things he really screwed up.  I had never heard of, not a huge Civil War buff, the business with the blowing up the mine to break the confederate lines and then instead of marching around the giant crater as planned the idiot commander just charged right down into it resulting in what was called a "turkey shoot".  Of mostly colored troops.

    I knew nothing about his early life which I found fascinating.  That he was kicked out of the army under threat of court marshal for being a drunk and only returned when they were desperate enough to not care.  That he sold firewood to feed his family right up to that time.

    I didn't know he was supposed to be at the Ford Theater.

    As far as the violence I think the idea was try to convey the scale of the death and horror.  Which was almost unimaginable.

    Parent

    One other thing (none / 0) (#95)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 11:29:24 AM EST
    Was how timely it was.

    I don't think you could sit thru that 6 hours of the descriptions of the way the two sides saw each other without thinking about where we are right now.

    The union soldiers were genuinely horrified that they would fight and die for the right to enslave other human beings.  As I would be, btw.

    And the confederates were unable to understand why they couldn't see this is their "heritage".  This is who they are.  Who THE BIBLE TOLD THEM to be.

    The two sides looked at each other like they were from another alternate reality.

    Now, today, they literally are from an alternate reality.

    It had a lot to say about politics in 2020.

    Parent

    Are we great yet (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 06:38:19 PM EST
    "So, count me among the perplexed that Trump, who clearly considers himself a marketing genius, suddenly announced on May 8 that he was changing his theme to `Transition to Greatness.'"

    "I believe that any bipartisan parsing of the statement would conclude that its basic meaning is: We are not currently great. But we are going to get there at some point. We are on a general trajectory toward greatness. The implication is that we are not currently great, even though Trump promised us we would be. Moreover, even though Trump had promised to keep America great, he was now saying we're not even going to do that because we aren't, in fact, great yet. Instead, he is saying: We're going to transition to all the greatness he'd been promising during the last election. We just have to wait for it."



    Are you sure that slogan isn't an admission (none / 0) (#16)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 06:57:53 PM EST
    that this election provides an opportunity to make a "transition to greatness"? Provided, of course, that we get rid of the incumbent and his too-numerous enablers.

    Parent
    He's also been saying (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 07:19:57 PM EST
    That next year will be great.

    If he is not president it will, by definition, be great.

    Parent

    Pretty sure a pig just flew by (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 26, 2020 at 05:08:46 PM EST
    Twitter adds warning label to Trump's tweet for promoting misinformation -- the first time they've done so

    It's a pretty lame attempt but I'm sure Trump will still threaten legal action.

    Oh shi+ (none / 0) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 26, 2020 at 05:18:40 PM EST
    From Stu Rothenberg

    "That doesn't mean the outcome is inevitable. A dramatic development could change things. But for now, Trump's options are narrowing as Election Day approaches. The White House will need to do something dramatic to alter the trajectory of the race."



    Here's a link to that (none / 0) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 26, 2020 at 05:41:46 PM EST
    it's pretty long and pretty good

    I was just thinking what a huge gamble they are taking with this push to open krap.  Just saw Pencie echoing Trump and threatening  the governor of N Carolina with moving the convention unless he gives them permission, and so takes responsibility for the fallout, to have a massive super spreader event at the convention.

    But boy, if this goes sideways, as in a major new wave of Memorial Day infections, it's going to be hard to blame anyone else.

    And it will be heavily Trumpers.


    Parent

    Smart (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 26, 2020 at 06:15:40 PM EST
    Brown-nose Pence - (none / 0) (#29)
    by desertswine on Wed May 27, 2020 at 12:09:22 AM EST
    "I think by Memorial Day weekend we will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us."

    Sydney Omarr he ain't.

    Launch day (none / 0) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:30:15 AM EST
    SpaceX's moment of triumph arrives as astronauts ready for US launch

    If the bad weather clears, at 4:33 pm (20:33 GMT) a SpaceX rocket with the new Crew Dragon capsule on top will take off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, the same from which Neil Armstrong and his Apollo crewmates left for their historic journey to the Moon.



    The (none / 0) (#37)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:35:01 AM EST
    weather looks extremely iffy, it's already clouding up. If we are lucky the rains will come early afternoon and suck the energy up in time.

    If we are unlucky a seabreeze will form up setting up later more violent storms.


    Parent

    Tornado warning at the cape (none / 0) (#51)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 01:10:40 PM EST
    But it's still on.  Fer now.  Next try Saturday.

    Parent
    getting (none / 0) (#52)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 27, 2020 at 01:22:16 PM EST
    ready for the second wave of storms for the day here. The first one was short but violent, lots of nearby lighting strikes.

    The western side of the state looks relatively clear so maybe everything will clear out in time.There is one small cell SW of Orlando that might be problematic.

    Parent

    I really like the suits (none / 0) (#53)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 02:27:36 PM EST
    Nice.. (none / 0) (#84)
    by desertswine on Wed May 27, 2020 at 11:36:18 PM EST
    costumes.  Are these astronauts Space Force guys?  or are they Musk employees?


    Parent
    Postponed for weather unfortunately (none / 0) (#55)
    by McBain on Wed May 27, 2020 at 03:28:23 PM EST
    In related news I've been enjoying Apple TVs For All Mankind.  An alternate, politically correct version of the Apollo days.  

    Sean Penn's Mars show The First on Hulu had a few good moments but was too much earth drama, not enough space action.  

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#57)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 27, 2020 at 03:42:29 PM EST
    there's always on location shooting
    Doug Liman and Tom Cruise are teaming up on a previously announced film that will be shot in space.
    NASA confirmed to CNN Business earlier this month that Cruise will launch into space for the movie and stay aboard the International Space Station, a multibillion-dollar laboratory that orbits about 250 miles above Earth.


    Parent
    Cruise doesn't get enough credit (none / 0) (#60)
    by McBain on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:38:17 PM EST
    For all the physical work he does in films.

    Linman directed cruise in the underrated sci fi film, Edge of Tomorrow.

    Parent

    He is an athlete. (none / 0) (#68)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed May 27, 2020 at 05:56:34 PM EST
    In the small world department there is a fairly high potential that I wrestled him in HS. We are the same age, and same approximate height and weight. We both wrestled and attended rival high schools in NJ.

    I've never been able to find a newspaper report of our schools' wrestling matches online so I can't confirm, but probably we did.

    If we did, I'd like to say I probably won, but the competition in NJ was pretty strong and I was a kinda mediocre, so...

    Parent

    Quote of the day (none / 0) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:33:48 AM EST
    "That's why in the short period of time, it's only temporary, if you can't social distance, please wear the mask. Do it for your mom, your dad, your grandma, your grandpa."

    Sean Hannity

    What is happening? (none / 0) (#34)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:17:14 AM EST
    Mr Bothsides (aka. NYTimes Columnist Tom Friedman), says that Mike Pompeo is the worst Secretary of State---ever. No on the one hand, and on the other.

     A foreign planned deadly terrorist attack on his watch, torpedoing Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, having the IG fired for investigating him and his wife for corruption.  Even points out the Republican Committee that investigated Hillary (which was spearheaded by Pompeo) found no culpability for Benghazi. Even noted the pompous Pompeo smirk.

    WSJ, NYPost and Washington Examiner (none / 0) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:28:56 AM EST
    All have pieces today saying basically Trump has lost his mind and is not fit to lead.  

    Just the ones I saw.

    Parent

    It's (none / 0) (#38)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:40:38 AM EST
    about time someone noticed, unfortunately nothing short of a full scale public meltdown will change a thing and I'm not even sure about that. "Sarcasm" and all that.

    Parent
    The Washington Examiner? (none / 0) (#39)
    by Chuck0 on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:41:06 AM EST
    Aren't they usually kind of right wingy? Supportive of the orange clown?


    Parent
    Well (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:54:53 AM EST
    when you have lost Annie
    Ann Coulter went on an early Sunday morning Twitter tear, calling President Donald Trump "the most disloyal actual retard that has ever set foot in the Oval Office."
    You must be getting close to the bottom of the barrel.

    Parent
    That was surprising (none / 0) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:58:34 AM EST
    But I thought that thing from Hannity was really the cherry on top.

    After that insane episode yesterday when he insulted and belittled a reporter just for wearing a mask.

    I think that was really the moment.  More than the dead intern or injecting disinfects.  Even Hannity could see this is not going to end well.  I need an off ramp.

    Parent

    The moment (none / 0) (#73)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:01:06 PM EST
    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "made an extensive pitch for Americans to don face masks as a means to begin returning the country to normalcy while the coronavirus remains a threat," Politico reports.

    Said McConnell: "There's no stigma attached to wearing a mask. There's no stigma attached to staying six feet apart."



    Parent
    Boy (none / 0) (#76)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:32:57 PM EST
    are they going to be confused now. They are either going to have to start wearing a mask because their leaders told them to and forget that they were ever against it or are going to continue on with not wearing a mask. My money is they turn on McConnell and don't wear a mask.

    Parent
    This is pure CYA (none / 0) (#78)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:41:19 PM EST
    From Mitch and Hannity.

    When the Covid hits the fan, again, it will be helpful to say "I said wear masks"

    Parent

    People need to blow-up (none / 0) (#80)
    by jondee on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:48:05 PM EST
    and circulate that photo of virus-proof tough guy Trump wearing a mask in the Ford plant..

    Just to drive him further over the edge and make people like Laura "the masks are coming off!" Ingraham crazy.

    Parent

    Only about six to eight weeks (none / 0) (#82)
    by Peter G on Wed May 27, 2020 at 10:25:21 PM EST
    too late to save lives.

    Parent
    I saw that a couple of days. (none / 0) (#48)
    by Chuck0 on Wed May 27, 2020 at 11:53:02 AM EST
    I abhor Ann Coulter. But I did say bravo for her calling him a "complete moron."

    Parent
    All three are (none / 0) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:55:03 AM EST
    The examiner has been not the worst on the last few months but they are very much right wing.  As is the WSJ Editorial  board and Murdoch's NTPost.

    Parent
    Here (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 10:07:24 AM EST
    Washington Examiner editorial: "Whatever his issues with Scarborough, President Trump's crazed Twitter rant on this subject was vile and unworthy of his office. Some will undoubtedly shrug it off as Trump being Trump, but one could hardly be blamed for reading it and doubting his fitness to lead."

    Wall Street Journal editorial: "Donald Trump sometimes traffics in conspiracy theories--recall his innuendo in 2016 about Ted Cruz's father and the JFK assassination........"We don't write this with any expectation that Mr. Trump will stop. Perhaps he even thinks this helps him politically, though we can't imagine how. But Mr. Trump is debasing his office, and he's hurting the country in doing so."

    NYPost on with the DRUDGE headline


    Parent

    Illinois court ruling (none / 0) (#35)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Wed May 27, 2020 at 09:18:35 AM EST
    Looks like an oral ruling of a single (5.00 / 2) (#44)
    by Peter G on Wed May 27, 2020 at 10:16:43 AM EST
    trial-level judge of who knows what court with who knows what jurisdiction and authority. Not a precedent-setting appellate court. Not persuasively researched or documented. Unimportant and unimpressive.

    Parent
    Appears to be (none / 0) (#54)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 27, 2020 at 03:18:03 PM EST
    a Clay County (southern Illinois) 4th Judicial Circuit Court Judge....Mainer v Pritzker.  James Mainer and his business, a tanning salon, was excepted from a temporary restraining order on the governor's stay at home order. The order applies just to Mainer, who was striving for a broad order.

    Yes, not very impressive. For example, the judge seems to be having difficulty discerning between the urgency of a colonoscopy, where, based on average risk, is every ten years, and time-sensitive women's health issues.

    Parent

    You may not have heard. (none / 0) (#91)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:05:10 AM EST
    Colon cancer is time sensitive. Ditto heart valve replacement. Ditto aortic aneurysm repair. The judges ruling does lay out the arbitrary and unscientific nature if the governor's dictates.

    Parent
    Colonoscopy (5.00 / 1) (#98)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 28, 2020 at 01:20:48 PM EST
    is a procedure for screening and prevention.  If polyps or suspicious growths are observed they can be removed during the procedure,  However, a colonoscopy is not a treatment for colon cancer.  Emergencies such as aneurysms are not elective.  

    In any event, stay at home orders to the extent they became necessary could have been avoided, or at least minimized, if Trump was not asleep at the switch, or when he woke up and was not obsessed with stock market prices and his dimming prospects for re-election, he might have shown national leadership and a consistent and coherent mitigation strategy.

    Parent

    I am completely aware of that. (none / 0) (#112)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu May 28, 2020 at 07:10:13 PM EST
    Stopping the prevention will result in more cancer. Is that so difficult to understand?

    Emergencies such as aneurysms are not elective.  

    My beautiful bride's aneurism was discovered during a routine checkup.  That elective checkup is now proscribed. Without an examination you don't know you have an emergency aneurism until it pops and you are dead almost as soon as you hit the floor.

    Parent

    You were aware? (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by Yman on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:50:44 PM EST
    So your conflation between testing AMD treatment wad intentional?

    Not surprising at all.

    BTW - All essential medical treatments were permitted by the order.   But you already knew that.

    Parent

    No. (none / 0) (#125)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Fri May 29, 2020 at 02:14:23 PM EST
    Because undetected cancer is untreated cancer. Lockdowns kill.

    Parent
    Stupidity kills (none / 0) (#127)
    by Yman on Sat May 30, 2020 at 09:39:24 AM EST
    People who demand we reopen without proper testing and tracing in place kill.  People who LIE about the emergency orders and convince their fellow rubes the shutdown is unnecessary kill.  People who LIE and conflate elective medical procedures with medically necessary procedures kill by spreading their stupidity among the ignorant.

    Parent
    Wow, you really are turning (none / 0) (#128)
    by MKS on Sat May 30, 2020 at 10:08:21 AM EST
    this into a cultural and political dispute.

    It is about health.   But the MAGA guys need to follow Trump.

    Take a look at the lockdown in New Zealand.  A real tight lockdown.   How many cases do they have now?  How many deaths?

    Take a look at the UK.  What did they originally want to do?  The Trump thing and ignore it all:  people die, you know, from the Flu all the time. Officially, for a few days, they wanted to let the virus take its course so they could develop herd immunity.  Where are they now?

    South Korea.  Where are they now?

    Italy.  Where are they now?

    NYC....

    And, Brazil, another MAGA follower?

    Lord, you MAGA guys will really work hard to ignore reality just to support the gran Cheeto.  

     

    Parent

    You may not have heard (none / 0) (#109)
    by Yman on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:18:40 PM EST
    The Illinois order does not prohibit essential procedures for life-threatening conditions - just like orders issued by Republican governors.

    During the COVID-10 pandemic, surgeries and procedures (collectively referred to as "procedures") for life-threatening conditions or those with a potential to cause permanent disability have been and continue to be allowed.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Centers (ASTCs) have deferred nonessential procedures to conserve resources for the care of COVID-19 patients. Some procedures that could reasonably be delayed for a time have now been postponed to the extent that potential harm could result from further delay. It is important to be flexible and allow facilities to provide care for patients needing non-emergent, non-COVID-19 healthcare.

    Also, as KeysDan pointed out, a colonoscopy is a diagnostic procedure to test for colon cancer.  It is NOT "colon cancer".

    Parent

    Y'all (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 27, 2020 at 10:29:59 AM EST
    could start looking at GA which was the last to close and the first to open. We had 37% unemployment for April and now have 40% for May. instead you guys are being completely stupid. Opening up when people don't trust the person doing the opening does nothing but make businesses completely fail.

    Parent
    Scott Peterson appeal to be heard next week (none / 0) (#46)
    by McBain on Wed May 27, 2020 at 11:07:34 AM EST
    Link
    Peterson was convicted in 2004 of the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci. I was never impressed with the evidence in that case and didn't believe he received a fair trial.  

    This is what Jeralyn had to say in 2004...

    Why they'd find him guilty? He romanced another woman while his wife was missing and he showed no emotion. If how a defendant looks and emotes is being used as proof of guilt, perhaps it's time to shield defendants' faces from jurors.

    According to my link, some issues that might be brought up in his appeal....  the dog scent evidence and the location of the trial (moved from Modesto to Redwood City).  

    In a NYTimes op ed (May 27), (none / 0) (#58)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:24:05 PM EST
    Rachel Bitcofer, an election forecaster and senior fellow at the DC Think Tank, Niskanen Center, discusses potential Biden vice presidential running mates.

    In an interesting article, Ms. Bitcofer groups potential candidates into "complementers" and "balancers".  Complementers re-enforce the strengths of Joe Biden; balancers bring different strengths that may assist in the motivation of a group in the electoral coalition.

    For example, Amy Klobuchar would be a complementer, wheres Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, and Elizabeth Warren would be balancers.  The first two, would bring gender and racial diversity as well as a more liberal ideology.  The third, would bring gender, a liberal ideology and assistance in reaching certain progressives.

    Ms. Bitcofer argues for a balancer. In my view, the vice presidential bench is deep in quality and the selection, in addition to those qualities essential to possible succession, needs to turn on the best choice for turnout. And, from my vantage point that is a balancer who brings excitement and racial diversity.

    She leaves (none / 0) (#59)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:36:44 PM EST
    out qualifications. I would say all of them meet the qualification hurdle but Abrams. Due to Biden's advanced age I think this is really important.

    Parent
    Rachel does not appear to agree (none / 0) (#61)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:49:25 PM EST
    So the Biden team must make a pick that can help Democrats match what promises to be an energized Republican base. The best way to do that is a ticket-balancing candidate like Stacey Abrams or Kamala Harris. They would bring gender and racial diversity to the ticket and, perhaps even more important, ideological diversity.

    That might prove to be the single most effective way to head off the Trump campaign's "divide and conquer" plan for progressives in 2020. With 120 million millennials and Generation Z potential voters now powering their coalition, Democrats would be wise to recognize that their electoral fate hinges on getting these voters to the polls. Mr. Biden is positioning himself as a bridge to the party's future -- and liberals like Ms. Harris and Ms. Abrams would help pave the way.



    Parent
    FTR (none / 0) (#65)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 05:01:12 PM EST
    I totally agree with that.  And I think those two are probably the two best picks.  Each has pros and cons.

    Of the two, IMO, if you are out to motivate the young and the non white, a former prosecutor is not the best choice.

    That said I would love to see a Pence/Harris debate.


    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#66)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 27, 2020 at 05:36:38 PM EST
    Abrams lost. That is a biggie. You don't pick people who lost. She's totally ignoring that fact. While Abrams did well with African American men she dropped like 20 points with African American men. So there's that to consider. She also did not pull enough votes in the suburbs. Granted GA is not the entire country but I don't see where she adds much to the ticket.

    I disagree with Bitcofer. I think it needs to be the person who brings the most voters over and gets Democrats to vote. I don't know who that is but the other argument is does it really matter? Do VPs matter that much? As it is we're going to have a primary in 2024.

    Parent

    It matters (none / 0) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 05:46:44 PM EST
    In my opinion (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:15:51 PM EST
    Are you ignoring her record? (none / 0) (#92)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:08:43 AM EST
    Biden needs the level of self promotion Stacy has in spades.

    Parent
    A stopped clock (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:11:14 AM EST
    Is right twice a day

    Parent
    Interesting tho (5.00 / 1) (#94)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:17:05 AM EST
    That "self promotion" should be used as shade.  Since self promotion is so rarely seem in public officials I guess.  Come to think of it becoming president without having a talent for self promotion seems more difficult.

    And considering the one and only skill the current occupant of the White House has is self promotion, in SPADES (love that part) I guess self promotion is only bad if an overweight black woman does it.

    Makes sense.

    Parent

    Are you calling (5.00 / 2) (#103)
    by MKS on Thu May 28, 2020 at 03:30:34 PM EST
    a spade, a spade?

    Parent
    From My Vantage Point (none / 0) (#62)
    by RickyJim on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:52:41 PM EST
    I would choose the one who least turns off the 2016 Trump voters who are considering voting for Biden in 2020.  I haven't seen polling that explicitly tries to determine that but the few studies that try to determine favorable/ unfavorable ratios indicate that Klobuchar is the one that has a ratio less than 1.  For example:
    But Klobuchar enjoys higher net marks in the most categories overall, including several key ones. The Minnesota senator bested her two colleagues among all voters and in every region of the country -- the Midwest, Northeast, South and the West. And Klobuchar had a stronger image among white voters, independents, Republicans, moderates and conservatives and those with a favorable view of Trump.
    Link

    Parent
    NEXT (5.00 / 1) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 02:25:02 PM EST
    While serving as Minnesota's chief prosecutor between 1999 and 2007, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) "declined to bring charges against more than two dozen police officers who had killed citizens while on duty - including against the officer that killed George Floyd" in Minneapolis this week, MintPress News reports.



    Parent
    link? n/t (none / 0) (#101)
    by leap on Thu May 28, 2020 at 02:29:55 PM EST
    -

    Parent
    It's in the quote (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 03:02:55 PM EST
    The source cited in the linked article (none / 0) (#105)
    by Peter G on Thu May 28, 2020 at 04:52:28 PM EST
    does not support its claim that Chauvin has "killed multiple times" previously, and with impunity. Which in no way excuses the present incident. The law -- even at its most indulgent -- does not allow a police officer to apply deadly force when its use is not necessary to protect someone's life or to stop a fleeing felon, nor beyond the point at which deadly force ceases to be necessary, even if it was initially. That said, I have to assume that Klobuchar's chances at becoming VP are now toast.

    Parent
    Thank god (5.00 / 1) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:16:04 PM EST
    She is not the nominee

    Parent
    Yeah no kidding (none / 0) (#107)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:05:06 PM EST
    That was updated

    George Floyd's death in police custody is renewing criticism of Sen. Amy Klobuchar's (D-MN) prosecutorial record, The Week reports.

    "Before she became a senator and a top contender for former Vice President Joe Biden's vice presidential spot, Klobuchar spent eight years as the Hennepin County attorney, in charge of prosecution for Minneapolis. And while in that position, Klobuchar declined to prosecute multiple police officers cited for excessive force, including the officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck as he protested."

    As for the officer who apparently killed Floyd, The Guardian reports that Klobuchar "did not prosecute and instead the case went to a grand jury that declined to charge the officers with wrongdoing in 2008."

    The Washington Post examined Klobuchar's record as a prosecutor early last year: "As a prosecutor in heavily white Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar declined to go after police involved in fatal encounters with black men."

    Jonathan Capehart: Why black voters don't want Klobuchar as Biden's running mate.

    Note to readers: An earlier version of this post linked to a source that may not be credible, although the reporting is similar.



    Parent
    To (none / 0) (#110)
    by FlJoe on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:25:15 PM EST
    be honest Kamala is likely to have some such "skeletons" in her closet. Kamala the cop was circulating early in the campaign.

    Val Demmings was a cop and the Orlando police were
    certainly no angels under her watch.

    Probably not a game breaker for either, but this real time outrage will be too much for Amy.

    Parent

    Possible reexamination (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 05:33:17 PM EST
    Of the wisdom of going with a former prosecutor

    Parent
    I think (none / 0) (#114)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2020 at 08:44:15 PM EST
    this takes Kamala out of the running too. It seems now that Warren's stock is rising but two old white people I don't know if that would work.

    Maybe there is someone else we don't know about.

    Parent

    Of course (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by Peter G on Thu May 28, 2020 at 09:29:54 PM EST
    There are many, many such people. Think of Tim Kaine.

    Parent
    Tim Kaine (none / 0) (#116)
    by MO Blue on Thu May 28, 2020 at 10:06:05 PM EST
    Was IMO a big mistake. He added absolutely nothing to the campaign.

    Parent
    Agreed. (none / 0) (#119)
    by KeysDan on Fri May 29, 2020 at 09:30:42 AM EST
    Kaine hurt by not helping.  Tim Kaine would have helped a Hillary Clinton Administration, but you don't get to govern if you don't get elected.  Hillary did win Virginia's electoral votes but that was likely in any event.

    Parent
    Could be mistaken (5.00 / 2) (#122)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 29, 2020 at 10:41:22 AM EST
    But I didn't think Peters comment was meant to suggest otherwise.

    Parent
    For the 2020 Democratic (none / 0) (#123)
    by KeysDan on Fri May 29, 2020 at 10:52:39 AM EST
    Presidential ticket, age may be less a consideration than representational balance. The coins of the realm necessary to a restored America are experience, competence and compassion.  The absence of diversity of officials at that Minneapolis news conference yesterday underscored their disadvantage in effectively working in 21st Century America.

    Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have come to appreciate senior leaders such as Joe Biden  Nancy Pelosi and Anthony Fauci.

    Although Elizabeth Warren would be an excellent running mate, it would not be her age that would be of issue.   Indeed, she would make a great Cabinet officer.  But, I believe a Black woman is what is needed.

    Parent

    I think this has (none / 0) (#124)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 29, 2020 at 12:48:43 PM EST
    Stopped being optional

    Parent
    Although She is Now Unpalatable (none / 0) (#120)
    by RickyJim on Fri May 29, 2020 at 10:35:25 AM EST
    to many people here, she may be now even more palatable to those Trump voters who are thinking of switching to Biden.  I don't think anybody knows now if that will more than offset the losses that will occur when those that are appalled by her behavior when she was a public prosecutor decide not to vote or vote for a third party candidate.  

    Parent
    I'm pretty sure I know (5.00 / 1) (#121)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 29, 2020 at 10:39:44 AM EST
    It won't

    Parent
    Oops (none / 0) (#64)
    by RickyJim on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:54:08 PM EST
    I meant favorable/unfavorable ratio greater than 1.

    Parent
    Your link didn't work for me (none / 0) (#63)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 04:54:03 PM EST
    No one could have predicted (none / 0) (#74)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:15:29 PM EST
    According to the NYTimes the NW part of my state now has the fastest growing case count in the nation.

    6 straight days of triple digit increases in cases statewide.

    The State Health Director just quit.

    We are #2! (none / 0) (#104)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 04:01:03 PM EST
    Trump SCJ #3 (none / 0) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:38:34 PM EST
    Clarence Thomas is thinking about retiring according to THE HILL

    Just months before Election Day, the question of whether President Trump will get to select a third Supreme Court justice hangs over the final weeks of the court's term.

    Speculation over a possible vacancy has focused in recent years on the prospect of Justice Clarence Thomas exiting while Republicans control the White House and Senate

    They go on the mention RGB but that appears unlikely.  If it looks like they are going to lose the senate Clarence would not surprise me.

    The good news is (5.00 / 1) (#79)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 27, 2020 at 08:43:28 PM EST
    Hard to find anyone who would actually be worse.

    Parent
    Unfortunately, to prove (5.00 / 3) (#85)
    by jmacWA on Thu May 28, 2020 at 04:57:44 AM EST
    they are up to the challenge the Federalist Society will go out and find someone worse  

    Parent
    It's time (none / 0) (#97)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 01:07:48 PM EST
    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged federal judges who are in their mid-to-late 60s to step aside so that Republicans, increasingly nervous about holding the Senate majority in the November election as they eye President Trump's poll numbers, can fill the vacancies now, the Washington Post reports.

    Said Graham: "This is an historic opportunity. We've put over 200 federal judges on the bench... If you can get four more years, I mean, it would change the judiciary for several generations. So if you're a circuit judge in your mid-60s, late 60s, you can take senior status, now would be a good time to do that, if you want to make sure the judiciary is right of center."



    Parent
    "right of center" indeed (5.00 / 3) (#99)
    by Peter G on Thu May 28, 2020 at 02:14:24 PM EST
    More like "to the right of the far right." Appointing new judges who were merely "right of center" would produce a substantial liberalization of the current federal judiciary.

    Parent
    Great start to the day (none / 0) (#89)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 28, 2020 at 08:45:37 AM EST
    While doing morning cardio I hear this on MJ from Robert Costa.  Who has the best Republican sources when he is asked (paraphrase) are elected Republicans really just going to follow Trump off a cliff?

    He says

    "They know this.  They see a Senate majority in peril.  They see a House out of reach and they see (losing) the White House.  They think they all must stick together with Trump and hope the economy, at some level recovers.
    That is the plan.  There is no other plan"

    Happy Thursday

    Not surprised (none / 0) (#90)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2020 at 09:00:18 AM EST
    from the behavior I have been seeing. Here even in local legislative races it's all about who is the bigger Trumper.

    Parent
    Here the Republican (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by desertswine on Fri May 29, 2020 at 12:51:52 AM EST
    primary tv ads are all repulsively negative. They're eating their own.  It's all about who's more Trumpian.  I notice that all the ads contain four elements: 1) Trump  2)Trump's wall  3)Guns and 4)Either horses or cowboys.

    Parent
    I think that the Idiot Trump said... (none / 0) (#126)
    by desertswine on Fri May 29, 2020 at 10:55:04 PM EST
    Mindianapolis instead of Minneapolis.