Danny Bateman

I mean certainly I made my thoughts known in the Shed, but I think part of the issue here is just the weird amount of deference you’re paying to the current lead of the party whose politics you support on this matter while simultaneously remaining skeptical of his accuser.

So the guy who:

-Frequently swaps wives for a younger, hotter model

-Was busted cheating on said wives with a pornstar and paid her hush money to silence her

-Frequently alludes to wanting to bang his daughter

-Visited the changing room of the UNDERAGE girls in his beauty pageants because he could

-Likely chose his lawyer in said legal case on the basis of her looks (certainly not her legal prowess!); this is a pattern for him and almost all the women of prominence in his orbit

-“Grab em by the pu&&y”

-Was good friends with Epstein

You find it hard to believe THAT GUY is a sexual predator? And if so, good lord, why?

Wouldn’t it be easier to just admit you like his politics but you admit he’s by and large the worst human being of any political consequence in any of our lifetimes? 
 

And I’m fairly sure I say that without hyperbole in spite of the fact people like David Duke and Dennis Hastert exist.

3 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

Have no desire to fix anything. 
 

 

Isn’t that exactly what Trump tried to do with the COVID-19 checks?

18 minutes ago, commando said:

i had forgot about rons culture war against disney.  thanks for reminding me of that pettiness.

Judge appointed by Trump. They’ll appeal.

1 hour ago, Archy1221 said:

I don’t really see that a some major win in hat an organization founded by the AFL CIO is backing The Big Guy.   That seems like a normal historical endorsement 

True however in a lot of polls I've noticed older votes continuing to trend blue, which is decidedly against historical norms. Getting Medicare to negotiate drug prices was smart politics for Biden. Apparently they'll officially begin negotiating on common drugs for Medicare recipients in Sept 2024. Nice timing.

Fun fact about the group above though, per Wikipedia: Their executive director is Mr. d!(k Fiesta.

55 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

 

You can already see Republicans starting to gird their loins and level off their excitement after getting their marching orders from their bloated orange god

10 hours ago, nic said:

Well the Dems had control of Congress and the Exec branch for 2 years. The only thing I remember Biden doing was appointing Kamala Border Czar. Maybe what they wanted would not have gotten past Manchin, but perception is they own the mess. There was some policy called Remain in Mexico. Seems like when that expired it all started breaking loose.

 

My family and I invest our own time and money helping refugee families settle here. 3 so far from Karin Nation, Afghanistan (post withdrawal fiasco) and now Central Africa. I would not call myself anti immigration. I am anti chaos however.

Good for you guys. We need people out there trying to support and welcome these people. That's tremendous.

Remain in Mexico is, in and of itself, not an answer. IT may have made things better, temporarily, but likewise, the MAGA patriots in charge back then never had any intention of further addressing the situation besides tougher enforcement.

Rather than just lobbing blame back and forth like a tennis ball because it's an election year, hopefully we can both just admit both parties have dropped the ball on this matter for WAY too long. It's only hurting everyone involved, from the immigrants to all Americans here dealing with our broken system. Let's hope for everyone's sake they get it over the finish line this time.

22 minutes ago, teachercd said:

I don't think it really matters about the President in the US, I think it was just something that got worse while Joe was in office but it doesn't really have anything to do with Joe being in office. 

There's a whole swath of people who unironically think Joe Biden personally made gas prices and inflation go up himself.

I'm guessing a lot of the same folks think the Middle East is the way it is now because Brandon personally ordered that Palestinian attack on Israel.

That our society has become "any problem is fine if you can dunk on the other party with it" speaks super duper poorly to America's civic education system. For that I personally blame you, sir.

2 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

The middle east was not peaceful under Trump. That was the BS that was trying to be sold.

World-renowned international diplomacy expert Jared Kushner was busy "negotiating" a Middle East peace deal he never delivered. But hey, at least he pocked $2B from the Saudis for himself. Between that and all the Chinese trademarks Ivanka was granted when Daddy was president, they made out quite well for themselves.

I would love to hear the conservative case on these issues, though. Was being to announce Jared the great negotiator was on the case good enough? Or perhaps just letting Bibi be a corrupt right-wing asshat and take whatever his ultra right-wing caucus wanted by force is "peaceful" by con standards because he and Don were buddies? I know they LOVED the decision to relocate our embassy to Jerusalem, but what is the case that any of this was considered "peaceful" rather than the ongoing violent conflict that has wracked the region for literally decades?

Likewise with the southern border. Is kids in cages sufficient to solve our problem? Turning people back into Mexico? Some of those psychos in the previous administration wanted to just straight up shoot migrants as a deterrent. Trump suggested shooting them in the leg to slow them down, as well as firing missiles into Mexico to target drug labs.  I get that most people think our immigration system is upside down and don't like illegal immigration, but a lot of cons just seem to want tougher enforcement. They don't care about doing the hard things to actually address the situation as long as they get harsh enforcement (for some, outright cruelty is the point) so they can feel good.

Again, conservatives are deeply unserious.

56 minutes ago, Archy1221 said:

I must have forgot how the Middle East was on fire 2017-2020.   Or when the border encounters averaged 250,000 A MONTH 2017-2020  Weird times, man 

Pick out your stats and miss the point all day bud. Knock yourself out.

On 1/28/2024 at 10:36 PM, nic said:

Great. Close it for 30 days and tell congress to close the loophole. That would look good and put the spotlight back on the congress. It would also help with the criticism. Pull the trigger man. 

Yeah. As much as I dislike it, I’ve got to remember America is definitely to the right of me on immigration things.

Most people would definitely support a “shutdown” even if it was largely symbolic in nature or presidential overreach without authority to really do anything of consequence. The uber text post above basically laid out that Trump tried something similar before there’s just no teeth to it after he lost in court repeatedly. Biden is the definition of an institutionalist so he doesn’t want to overreach in a way Trump wouldn’t give two s#!ts about.

Still would be applauded by most voters.

It takes some serious want to to consider either of those things true, man.

10 hours ago, nic said:

Now Biden is willing to shut it down?

I am not sure I believe it can be shut down. Maybe that means we send everyone back. Seems like a President could shut down the border on their own if it's an emergency. At least he finally realizes Trump is going to pummel him on this if he doesn't do something.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/27/politics/biden-border-shut-down-us-mexico-immigration/index.html

 

 

Did you guys really think Biden was just going to waltz right into a trap Trump's party was very obviously trying to set up for an election year in broad daylight?

I mean without a doubt he's not a spry as he used to be. But he's not a moron and he understands the system he's spent decades working in.

The bill spells out exactly what we'd do. Ramp up enforcement whenever crossing numbers exceed the designated limits and impose stiffer penalties for repeat offenders. While adding extra immigration judges and other support staff to finally start unclogging of LEGAL immigration system to make it actually functional again.

The Speaker is calling on Biden to do something which Trump already tried and was legally determined unlawful by the courts. There is a loophole that is allowing immigrants to LEGALLY claim asylum due to the way the current laws are written. If we don't like it we need to write new laws addressing the matter. Which is solely the job of Congress.

Biden can close the border unilaterally just like he can legally authorize use of military force anywhere he wants. He's rightly trying to push Congress to do their damn jobs, just like they've failed to do in both areas for decades.

10 hours ago, Born N Bled Red said:

Texas is having a great bit of fun "protecting its sovereignty." And thumbing it's nose at the federal government. Treasonous activity, if you ask me...

 

But Biden has an amazing solution to this problem. Renounce the US's claims to the territory of Texas and recognize Mexico's claim... Boy, wouldn't that be a turn of the table.

Just posted elsewhere but it's too good not to post here.

Texans way ahead of you.

1 hour ago, commando said:

not MAGA enough for the party.  i was told the more reasonable portion of the republican party was taking the party back.  guess that was wrong

I mean if you read the story it paints the picture perfectly. At the state level MAGAists have largely usurped power from the old school establishment GOP in a ton of places. Up here in Michigan some conspiracy nut whackjob in the leader of the state GOP (or was, I think the rest of them got so sick of her they ousted her - she said she wasn't stepping down now that party leaders just do that when they get voted out so not sure where that's at). The state GOP here has gotten a ton of pub for infighting (literally fistfighting at meetings - with injuries!) and is basically broke because they managed their finances like morons.

So in a lot of states the radical fringer grassroots people are in the driver's seats.

Meanwhile Joe effin' Biden is president and is pushing Dems to pass a bipartisan border deal. Dragging his party to the center to do things the old-school way through bipartisan compromise. You know, howe it was done when Congress actually worked well for decades, from FDR pretty much up until Newt Gingrich introduced reflexive obstruction and opposition which is now the norm.

It's exceedingly clear when party is getting crazier and which isn't.

Meanwhile in Texas, the GOP education platform in action...

In other news, did you guys see the rapist (R) running for president is inciting further unrest on the southern border?

Who doesn't respond to the multi-million dollar court judgment against them for raping a woman and then repeatedly attacking her as a liar out to damage HIM by stoking a little more national unrest?

But I agree, we should totally be patting his cronies on the back for their very serious legislative bonafides.

6 hours ago, Archy1221 said:

Here’s the thing.   If Schumer would take up the bill and add in/subtract what the Senate wants, a negotiation is then started between the two houses of Congress.   Issues like immigration caps, combined with funding for processing and security are discussed.  But hardliners like Schumer won’t allow the process to happen. 

“Here’s a s#!t sandwich. You can eat it or go hungry.

If you put a little mustard and some mayo in there, it’ll taste better.

I don’t understand why I haven’t gotten anybody who doesn’t love s#!t sandwiches to eat this thing!”

26 minutes ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

H.R.2, as far as I can tell, does not expand legal immigration. 

 

It mandates E-Verify, potentially gutting industries that rely on illegal immigration - but does not increase legal visas for agricultural workers, construction workers, or any form. So what's the plan after entire sectors of the economy are gutted?

Not their concern.

That bill was written by the immigration hawks specifically to limit immigration of all stripes. It is the brainchild of the anti-immgration folks over at the CIS. They don’t care about any secondary effects as long as they get their way.

1 hour ago, Archy1221 said:

What does Putin and Orban have to do with passing immigration/border security bill? Or is this more non-helpful political rhetoric? 

The two had to be linked because the deeply unserious clown show of a party you still support can’t be trusted not to sell out our allies to thugs like Putin without being thrown a bone.

Said bone is thrown and of course it’s ignored. Because they don’t want compromise to solve problems. They want everything on their wish list or nothing at all. Not exactly shocking if you fundamentally don’t want the government to work anyway.

But that’s not how life works and it’s not how government works, either. But they’d rather hold the border hostage hoping it sweeps them into power so they can just pass their bad immigration bill and whatever other damaging pieces of policy they can actually manage to drag across the finish line on their own.

3 hours ago, commando said:

sure sounds like a dictator.   but some think it is ok if this guy wins

 

 

I always get a chuckle any time he mentions corruption.

It takes an absolutely breathtaking brand of stupid to take him seriously.

Why not let Bernie Madoff run the SEC or Bill Cosby head up a sexual abuse support network. Jared Fogle can be the new host of Dateline: To Catch a Predator. And heck, appoint this guy to run the DoJ. 
 

They’d all be similarly terrific!

17 minutes ago, Moiraine said:

You know the Republican party is a cult when a run of the mill president not doing anything out of the ordinary like Biden has about the same approval rating as a wannabe dictator who attempted a coup and says he wants to be like dictators. I won't list the rest of the things.

You’re right. He’s just about the model example of a trash human being in every regard, but these rubes decided he’s their guy and they’re absolutely not unhitching the wagon now.

I also think it says a bit about how useless approval/disapproval and right track/wrong track numbers are in modern society.

19 minutes ago, commando said:

millions of people wanting to move to the united states kind of proves that america is pretty damn great right now.  countries  having to close it's border to keep their people home shows that we shouldn't model; our country after theirs like Trump wants to do.  the "strong leaders he admires so much like putin or rocket man.

Hot takes on the matter:

 * Republicans aren’t serious about any policy whatsoever. They merely want power. 
 

* They’re also fine rolling over to dictators like Putin. Hell half of them probably admire him because their cult leader loves him.

* Ukraine and the border getting boned by a guy who probably shouldn’t be in Congress at all, let alone guiding a whole party, sucks. Double sucks that he’s so to help a corrupt, fascist, blowhard traitor try to return to power.

* The GOP immigration bill sucks. It’s just hardline immigration reduction across the board. It’s only good if your primary objective is to curtail all forms of immigration, not if you want to do it in any kind of intelligent, beneficial way. They don’t want compromise because, well, see the first point.

8 hours ago, Archy1221 said:

Having roughly 3% of our total population enter the southern border illegally is a bit of a turnoff too.  

 

 

Congress has kicked the can on any meaningful immigration reform for decades. The recent focus on it is an electoral tactic. Looks like the Turtle has decided to keep it that way.

1 hour ago, JJ Husker said:

Yawn. It’s Hunter effin Biden. Not a government employee or elected official. Wake me up when they prove (actual proof, not unsupported claims of proof) that money and influence was flowing to his President father. Until then all this is HB, just another POS.

You’re gonna be napping for a while.

Or course they’ll insinuate there’s proof, allude to it, etc. Everything but showing it to you. I’ll let you decide why. I’ll just say if this clown car of an “investigation” had actual damning evidence implicating a sitting president of the opposite party, they wouldn’t be hitting pause on their current work.