RedDenver

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Intelligence is done to better serve America, something forgotten by both parties.

As for the thread title, Bernie would be the first Jewish President, and I think the first non-Christian President as well.

Wanting only vets to take care of vets is silly. Vets make up a tiny fraction of the population, so while vets should have an important voice in decisions about the VA, they certainly shouldn't be the only ones.

Right now maybe, but what about when unemployment is higher? If you're going to say people need to move away from high cost of living areas, then it stands to reason that other people would need to move to where the jobs are.

Does that mean rural people need to stop complaining about the lack of jobs and move to the big cities?

Doesn't the Senate have authority over the powers granted to cabinet members?

By definition, wouldn't that be better than Hillary? And it wouldn't have been a runaway IMO. I think some are remembering Biden as Obama, but Biden isn't anywhere close to Obama especially as a campaigner. And Trump wasn't as disliked during the election as he is now. Looking at recent polling which has 54% saying they won't vote for Trump, whichever Dem candidate gets to the general should be favored. So if beating Trump is your main objective, then it might not matter among the top Dem candidates which one wins the nomination.

It's likely one or more of them will run for President in the future and having voted to protect Trump could be a deciding factor for a lot of people. A public vote on the record is much harder to weasel your way out of then simply remaining silent or saying you support the President. When did the precedent of not impeaching the President for obstruction get set? The Dems have control of the House, so the Dems are driving whether to consider impeachment or not.

Fill the swamp! Fill the swamp! Fill the swamp!

That's entirely possible, but his past stances affect how people view what he's saying. For example, does anyone think Biden wants to fix healthcare or just defend Obamacare? Does anyone trust him to stand up to Wall St? You're assuming that Biden is a good campaigner, but I'm not sure he'd have done better than Hillary. Biden's previous candidate campaigns have not done well. But of course that was before he was VP, so we'll have to wait and see.

I doubt the Senate will convict Trump, but that wasn't a part of my argument. The Senate will have to hold a trial if the House votes to impeach though. Then every member of the Senate will be on record with their vote - that could come back to haunt the Repubs in a big way. My precedent comment has nothing to do with the Republicans. It's about the Dems setting the precedent that a President can obstruct justice without consequence. Future Presidents are then greatly encouraged to obstruct justice as it both helps them conceal what they've done and know they aren't going to be held accountable for that concealment. But what if Trump wins in 2020? Or another wacko is elected in 2024 or 2028? There's almost nothing that can be done because Trump will have done it and gotten away with it.

I can just as easily say Trump would have beaten Biden easily. I think Biden is a lousy campaigner based on his previous attempts at the nominee. There's no way for either of us to know. And while Comey may have cost Hillary the election based on changes in the polling, it's difficult to say for sure especially since it's the Electoral College and not the national vote that matters. She might have still lost the midwest states that she needed. And you're assuming that Biden would have done better than Hillary. I think it's mainly name recognition and pre-Trump nostalgia. Maybe Biden can maintain that lead, but I have doubts. Everything from his creepy touching, opposition to integrated schools, writing the crime bill, racist comments about Mexicans and building a wall, negotiating to cut Social Security - will eventually get out and we'll see how his numbers fair then.

Yeah, if only someone other than Trump's staff and family had the authority, responsibility, and duty to intervene.

It's the Dems job to fix the Republican party by beating them in elections. They could start by running on issues that the people want instead of what their donors want.

I don't understand how this is even good politics. What do the Dems gain by not even considering impeachment? It's not like Trump or the Senate is going to allow them to pass any laws. But there's a lot to lose when the Dems won't even defend the Constitution.

That's not true. Impeachment forces a debate on the merits in the House, and if Trump is impeached, then a trial on the evidence in the Senate. It forces politicians to put a vote on record, which can be a big thing. But regardless, it's the Constitutional duty of the Congress to hold the President accountable. If the Dems play politics and don't even consider impeachment, then the precedence has been set that the President is above the law and can freely obstruct justice.

Maybe. I think Biden would have lost to Trump, but we'll never know. Plus, Biden being President doesn't fix the underlying problems that allowed Trump be elected.

I'd say living through 9/11, the Great Recession, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were "bad times" for Millennials.

PSU and Baylor should both have been kicked out of the NCAA.

I agree with you. I was adding that M4A would complement the VA and help with a lot of the issues with things like distance and where care is available.

Medicare-for-All would allow everyone including our veterans to have healthcare almost anywhere. It would also allow the VA to focus on the specific needs of veterans that aren't as common in the general population (like PTSD).