U.S. Politics

[snowychap]

February 29th 1999?

[Straggler]

1 hour ago, NurembergVillan said:

Further evidence of Trump being a proper scumbag...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-admin-reverse-ban-elephant-trophies-africa/story?id=51178663

I can't imagine who could be lobbying to get that sort of law reversed?  What I want to say about them would break the word filter on here.

 

[Keyblade]

5 minutes ago, Straggler said:

I can't imagine who could be lobbying to get that sort of law reversed?  What I want to say about them would break the word filter on here.

 

I've never had such an urge to punch someone.

[TheAuthority]

Al Franken now. FFS you moron.

Quote

A woman accused Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken on Thursday of groping her and kissing her without her consent in 2006 while she was on a USO Tour overseas.

Leeann Tweeden is now a morning news anchor on TalkRadio 790 KABC in Los Angeles and posted her story in a lengthy post on the station's website.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/16/politics/al-franken-sexual-harassment/index.html

[StefanAVFC]

Quote

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is calling for an ethics investigation into his own behavior after a woman accused him of kissing and groping her without consent.

Franken in an expanded statement on Thursday apologized for the incident, in which he groped television host and sports broadcaster Leeann Tweeden while she was asleep on a military plane during a 2006 USO tour.

“I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences,” he said. “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/360697-franken-releases-new-statement-calls-for-ethics-investigation-of-himself

Quote

The woman who accused Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of sexual misconduct said Thursday she accepts his apology.

"The apology, sure I accept it, yes. People make mistakes and of course he knew he made a mistake," she said. "So yes I do accept that apology."

She said it's up to Congress whether they want to have an ethics investigation into Franken's behavior.

"There's no reason why I shouldn't accept his apology," she said. 

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/360709-woman-who-accused-franken-says-she-accepts-his-apology

Most boring scandal ever.

Franken acted inappropriately, got called out, took responsibility, accuser accepted apology. There was no name-calling, no cries of "she's lying!", no "why am I being bullied?"
In other words: adults acting like adults.

[maqroll]

46 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

adults acting like adults.

 

[maqroll]

Huge own goal for the Dems, because the GOP will hammer away at this relentlessly

 

[villakram]

Trickle down on steroids just passed the House. MAGA.

[NurembergVillan]

2 hours ago, villakram said:

Trickle down on steroids just passed the House. MAGA.

It's amazing what they can make out of balloons these days.

[AJ]

9 hours ago, Straggler said:

I can't imagine who could be lobbying to get that sort of law reversed?  What I want to say about them would break the word filter on here.

 

Daddy said it was OK now to bring back the heads of slaughtered elephants, so f***wit here cuts off the tail.

Never mind that this is the Republican Party mascot.

[maqroll]

1 hour ago, AJ said:

Never mind that this is the Republican Party mascot

I hadn't thought of the symbolism!

Still has a long way to go to be as bad as Nixon or GW Bush, but he's making big strides.

 

[HanoiVillan]

12 hours ago, StefanAVFC said:

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/360697-franken-releases-new-statement-calls-for-ethics-investigation-of-himself

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/360709-woman-who-accused-franken-says-she-accepts-his-apology

Most boring scandal ever.

Franken acted inappropriately, got called out, took responsibility, accuser accepted apology. There was no name-calling, no cries of "she's lying!", no "why am I being bullied?"
In other words: adults acting like adults.

This isn't a good take IMO.

It's not a boring scandal, it's a scandalous scandal. He has ceded any moral high ground the Dems could take over Roy Moore, and could end up costing that Senate race in a close-fought election. He was being mentioned as a potential 2020 candidate, which is now finished, and if he doesn't resign, which it doesn't look like he will, he could end up costing the Dems a Senate seat in a fairly blue state in 2020, when his term runs out. Senate Republicans might also now make his resignation the quid pro quo for agreeing to expel Roy Moore if he wins. 

Bigger picture, it's a scandal because a] Franken is a 'celebrity' as well as a Senator, b] there's photographic evidence, on front of every newspaper and rolling around the news for the next several days, of him groping a woman while she slept, and c] it has the same taste of sanctimonious hypocrisy that is so damaging to Moore. 

EDIT: Calling for your own investigation by an ethics committee is a bit like sawing your own leg off after getting frostbite while stranded on a polar ice-cap. It might be the textbook 'best move in the circumstances' but it's not a sign of strength. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by HanoiVillan

[StefanAVFC]

46 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

This isn't a good take IMO.

It's not a boring scandal, it's a scandalous scandal. He has ceded any moral high ground the Dems could take over Roy Moore, and could end up costing that Senate race in a close-fought election. He was being mentioned as a potential 2020 candidate, which is now finished, and if he doesn't resign, which it doesn't look like he will, he could end up costing the Dems a Senate seat in a fairly blue state in 2020, when his term runs out. Senate Republicans might also now make his resignation the quid pro quo for agreeing to expel Roy Moore if he wins. 

Bigger picture, it's a scandal because a] Franken is a 'celebrity' as well as a Senator, b] there's photographic evidence, on front of every newspaper and rolling around the news for the next several days, of him groping a woman while she slept, and c] it has the same taste of sanctimonious hypocrisy that is so damaging to Moore. 

EDIT: Calling for your own investigation by an ethics committee is a bit like sawing your own leg off after getting frostbite while stranded on a polar ice-cap. It might be the textbook 'best move in the circumstances' but it's not a sign of strength. 

I disagree.

Comparing this in any way, shape or form to Roy Moore is not only ridiculous in terms of the offence committed, but also in how both the accused and the people around him have acted.

Franklin immediately comes out, apologies, admits he made a mistake, doesn't try to deny anything or hide anything. Accuser accepts apology; immediately calls for an ethics investigation to himself, everybody moves on. What's the point of dragging it on and on when both parties have come to an agreement? The victim didn't have any obligation to accept his apology. Yet she did. Adults acting like adults, as I said.

Compare that to Moore. Multiple accusers, underage accusations. No apology, no remorse. Roy Moore and his lawyer have repeatedly insulted the accusers and press who reported the story. The local Alabama republicans have slandered the victims also. There simply isn't a comparison to this situation.

Hypocrisy would be if Dems had acted the same way in lieu of the accusations. They simply have not. Both at a representative level and also at a supporter level.

I think your post is a clear example of how the left hold our politicians to a higher standards, which isn't a bad thing, but the Dems won't win because the Republicans aren't playing by the same rule book.

Also, if Franken needs to resign, then so does the POTUS due to the 16+ accusations leveled against him - with recorded evidence of him boasting about it. Speaking of Trump, it is amusing how he left it mere hours to publicly berate Franken, but still no condemnation of accused child molester Roy Moore.

Sexual assault is a partisan issue to the Republicans.

Edited November 17, 2017 by StefanAVFC

[Straggler]

1 hour ago, StefanAVFC said:

I disagree.

Comparing this in any way, shape or form to Roy Moore is not only ridiculous in terms of the offence committed, but also in how both the accused and the people around him have acted.

Franklin immediately comes out, apologies, admits he made a mistake, doesn't try to deny anything or hide anything. Accuser accepts apology; immediately calls for an ethics investigation to himself, everybody moves on. What's the point of dragging it on and on when both parties have come to an agreement? The victim didn't have any obligation to accept his apology. Yet she did. Adults acting like adults, as I said.

Compare that to Moore. Multiple accusers, underage accusations. No apology, no remorse. Roy Moore and his lawyer have repeatedly insulted the accusers and press who reported the story. The local Alabama republicans have slandered the victims also. There simply isn't a comparison to this situation.

Hypocrisy would be if Dems had acted the same way in lieu of the accusations. They simply have not. Both at a representative level and also at a supporter level.

I think your post is a clear example of how the left hold our politicians to a higher standards, which isn't a bad thing, but the Dems won't win because the Republicans aren't playing by the same rule book.

Whist I agree that Roy Moore and Franken are very different cases for me Franken has to step down.  His behavior was that of a sexual predator, I'll be stunned if that is the only time he has written a script or asked for a rehearsal that has involved similar actions.  He tried to use a position of power / celebrity to grab a woman who didn't want to be grabbed, it is the same story that has been told many times in the last year about so many people.  In my mind he has lost the right to represent the people that voted for him.

That Republicans hold themselves to a different and repugnant standard is in no way an excuse or an example to live by. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by Straggler

[peterms]

1 hour ago, StefanAVFC said:

Compare that to Moore. Multiple accusers, underage accusations. No apology, no remorse. Roy Moore and his lawyer have repeatedly insulted the accusers and press who reported the story. The local Alabama republicans have slandered the victims also. There simply isn't a comparison to this situation.

As well as that, I gather Breitbart have deployed a couple of people to try to find anything on any of the complainants that might possibly be used to try to discredit them.

[StefanAVFC]

1 hour ago, Straggler said:

Whist I agree that Roy Moore and Franken are very different cases for me Franken has to step down.  His behavior was that of a sexual predator, I'll be stunned if that is the only time he has written a script or asked for a rehearsal that has involved similar actions.  He tried to use a position of power / celebrity to grab a woman who didn't want to be grabbed, it is the same story that has been told many times in the last year about so many people.  In my mind he has lost the right to represent the people that voted for him.

That Republicans hold themselves to a different and repugnant standard is in no way an excuse or an example to live by. 

It's tasteless (from the picture, it's not even clear if he's touching her IMO - look at the shadows) but calling the it the behaviour of a sexual predator is massively OTT.

[Straggler]

2 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

It's tasteless (from the picture, it's not even clear if he's touching her IMO - look at the shadows) but calling the it the behaviour of a sexual predator is massively OTT.

I'm not talking about the picture, I'm talking about him trying to force himself on her as part of a "rehearsal". The picture is taking all the headlines but is far and away the least important of the two incidents. 

[Xann]

The Pentagon 'accidentally' shared a tweet calling on Donald Trump to resign

[ender4]

4 hours ago, Xann said:

The Pentagon 'accidentally' shared a tweet calling on Donald Trump to resign

Any pic or link of that?

[Xann]