The Republican Utopia

[zoogs]

Gawker: The Republican Party is a trick

 

From Dec 2015.

 

Taxes are boring. Taxes are arcane. Guns and god and babies and terrorism are exciting. But taxes are where the real action is. For the sake of a ten percent plus or minus difference in income tax rates, an entire political party is constructed and funded. Why not? That difference amounts to millions or billions of dollars for those funding the party (...) This is what the Republican Party exists to do. And it has done it so well for the past 35 years that the rich have now accumulated more capital than we’ve seen since the Gilded Age, which was not so gilded for all of the non-rich.

 

This is not a big secret among those who have taken the time to look at it. (...) Yet here we are—seventy years into a more or less solid decline of top income tax rates. For the sake of that little fluctuating tax rate, cable networks are built, and think tanks are founded, and a thousand and one political candidates are lined up to receive their fundraising checks. I do not know what it will take to impress upon the average voter what is happening here. It is only possible to modestly hope that as people cast their votes for the good party conservative, they come to realize that they are not participating in an honest battle of political beliefs. They are participating in a grand con job. And the joke is on all of us.

[Moiraine]

To add on to what I said about congressional districts being a bad idea for presidential elections, let's say Democrats were the majority in the Nebraska state senate.

 

They could redraw part of the map to put north Omaha with Washington county. That would give 1 point to the Democrats. Even if the Republicans won the popular vote in Nebraska and even if Nebraska's electoral votes would have all gone Republican with the previous map drawing. We don't want politicians to be able to do that in anymore places than they already are doing it.

[mrandyk]

Thanks for pointing out why awarding votes based on congressional districts would be even worse. Foolish of me to think that something seeming logical would be abused by our politicians. Popular vote is apparently the only way to go.

[knapplc]

Republicans fear for their safety as Obamacare protests grow

 

House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday discussed how to protect themselves and their staff from protesters storming town halls and offices in opposition to repealing Obamacare, sources in the room told POLITICO.

 

House GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers invited Rep. David Reichert, a former police sheriff, to present lawmakers with protective measures they should have in place. Among the suggestions: having a physical exit strategy at town halls, or a backdoor in congressional offices to slip out of, in case demonstrations turn violent; having local police monitor town halls; replacing any glass office door entrances with heavy doors and deadbolts; and setting up intercoms to ensure those entering congressional offices are there for appointments, not to cause chaos.

 

“The message was: One, be careful for security purposes. Watch your back. And two, be receptive. Honor the First Amendment, engage, be friendly, be nice,” said Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.). “Because it is toxic out there right now. Even some of the guys who have been around here a lot longer than I have, have never seen it to this level.”

 

He later added: “For those of us who have children in grade school and that kind of thing, there’s a factor in all of this, saying: How far will the progressive movement go to try to intimidate us?”

 

 

 

This is absolutely astounding. Rather than take responsibility for the displeasure of their actions, rather than actually listen to their constituents, they blame "progressives" for creating a contentious atmosphere in America.

 

This completely tone-deaf stance is why America is so divided. They have zero interest in representing Americans, they want to push their own agenda down everyone's throat, and to demonize anyone who disagrees with them.

[Danny Bateman]

Someone summed that up quite well on Twitter:

 

They don't fear for their safety. They fear being asked questions for which they have no answers.

[commando]

to paraphrase trump from the campaign

 

 

if trump takes away your health insurance there is nothing you can do.....“Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.”

[AR Husker Fan]

 

 

This commission, in addition to helping improve voting systems for the states, also helps to protect the integrity of elections. Yet the GOP wants it gone, while at the same time engaging in gerrymandering at every opportunity.

[RedDenver]

 

 

This commission, in addition to helping improve voting systems for the states, also helps to protect the integrity of elections. Yet the GOP wants it gone, while at the same time engaging in gerrymandering at every opportunity.

And claiming voter fraud. So the GOP/Trump should be making the commission stronger.

[Moiraine]

So Trump says 3-5 million voted illegally, mainstream media is a bunch of liars, and now we've lost another protection against voter disenfranchisement.

 

If the GOP ever loses their grip and the shoe is on the other foot, they have no one to blame but themselves.

[ColoNoCoHusker]

So Trump says 3-5 million voted illegally, mainstream media is a bunch of liars, and now we've lost another protection against voter disenfranchisement.

 

If the GOP ever loses their grip and the shoe is on the other foot, they have no one to blame but themselves.

 

As long as we can still trust the integrity and accuracy of anything randomly posted on the internet, we should be just fine...

[Moiraine]

The vote in the House Administration Committee underscored, once again, the political differences between the Republican president and the party's rank-and-file.

The AP is wrong here.

 

Neither wants an independent commission in charge. I'm sure they're both happy with this.

 

Trump wants someone who thinks 3-5 million people voted illegally for Clinton to look into whether people voted illegally for Clinton. And since he doesn't believe any negative poll about him could be wrong, he won't believe in election fraud results unless they say what he wants them to say.

 

After his biased "research" on voter fraud occurs, his sheep will eat it up and our freedoms will be further eroded.

[Danny Bateman]

 

The vote in the House Administration Committee underscored, once again, the political differences between the Republican president and the party's rank-and-file.

The AP is wrong here.

 

Neither wants an independent commission in charge. I'm sure they're both happy with this.

 

Trump wants someone who thinks 3-5 million people voted illegally for Clinton to look into whether people voted illegally for Clinton. And since he doesn't believe any negative poll about him could be wrong, he won't believe in election fraud results unless they say what he wants them to say.

 

After his biased "research" on voter fraud occurs, his sheep will eat it up and our freedoms will be further eroded.

 

 

Perhaps this can make you feel a bit better, Moiraine.

 

 

Some consequential cases coming up soon. The anti-gerrymandering forces have made some strikes lately using technology. Maybe SCOTUS can save us.

[Moiraine]

Slightly.

 

We know which way 7 of the justices will vote. It'll be up to the new guy and John Roberts.

[knapplc]

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used a parliamentary procedure to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the middle of a speech critical of Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick to be the next attorney general.

 

McConnell claimed Warren broke the rules of decorum by quoting a letter from Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, opposing Sessions’ nomination to be a federal judge in 1986.

 

In the letter, King wrote that Sessions “used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens.” Among other things, Sessions attempted to “intimidate and frighten elderly black voters,” King added.

 

McConnell said that, by quoting Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, Warren “impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama.” He then invoked Rule 19 to force Warren to stop speaking.

 

The rule is intended to encourage senators to be polite to each other. But McConnell used it squelch debate about a man nominated to be the next Attorney General of the United States.

 

 

LINK

 

[Making Chimichangas]

I so badly want to talk about "The Republican Utopia" but if I do spell out exactly what it means, I'd more than likely get banned-again.

 

Because heaven forbid we actually talk about what Republicans truly want in a frank and truthful way. (Meaning, there's too much tip-toeing around this,)