Political Randomness

[Pyperkub]

KY lawmaker faced with rape allegation commits suicide.

A Kentucky state representative accused of molesting a teenage girl has committed suicide, according to WDRB.com in Louisville.

Rep. Dan Johnson, a Republican, reportedly shot and killed himself on a bridge in Mt. Washington, Ky. The gun was recovered by police, according to WDRB.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an expose on Monday detailing allegations that Johnson forced himself on a 17-year-old friend of his daughter after a New Year's Eve Party in 2012.

The accuser was a member of the congregation Johnson led as a preacher and self-anointed "pope." He denied the allegations, claiming that he was "drugged" at a bar before the party.

This is more disturbing than the cancer diagnosis hypocrisy.

[Holman]

Roy Moore still refuses to concede.

In a four-minute video, Moore (seated in front of a giant U.S. flag and wearing a prominent cross on his lapel) casts doubt on the final vote totals and complains that America is evil.

It was a four-minute fire-and-brimstone video about abortion, same-sex marriage, school prayer, sodomy and “the right of a man to claim to be a woman and vice versa.”

“We are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization and our religion and to set free a suffering humanity,” Moore said. “Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty. Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

When was the last time a politician delayed concession by implying that the voters sinned in choosing his opponent?

[LordMortis]

Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

That's an eyeroll that is pr0ner worthy

Ten seconds on google shows among other things

http://www.newsweek.com/roy-moore-net-w ... nes-744834

Moore earned over $1 million from his position as president of the Foundation for Moral Law between 2007 and 2012—despite claiming he didn't have a "regular salary" from the charity his wife leads.

And since when is the pursuit of happiness divorced from materialism anyway? What a piece of shit lying sack of child molester. Why on earth would I want to see the republican party dismantled? People like him make me into a hateful human being.

[El Guapo]

Roy Moore still refuses to concede.

In a four-minute video, Moore (seated in front of a giant U.S. flag and wearing a prominent cross on his lapel) casts doubt on the final vote totals and complains that America is evil.

It was a four-minute fire-and-brimstone video about abortion, same-sex marriage, school prayer, sodomy and “the right of a man to claim to be a woman and vice versa.”

“We are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization and our religion and to set free a suffering humanity,” Moore said. “Today, we no longer recognize the universal truth that God is the author of our life and liberty. Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

When was the last time a politician delayed concession by implying that the voters sinned in choosing his opponent?

Thank God this man is being kept from real power.

I'm relieved from what I have seen so far from the Alabama Secretary of State on this. During the preface to Moore's remarks on election night, the Moore campaign person who introduced Moore said that after Moore talked he could lead people over to the Alabama Secretary of State's office, who could explain what was going to happen from here on out (in terms of certifying the vote). That was concerning, because it suggested that the SoS might be advising / helping the Moore people (or, that he might wind up getting intimidated by an angry crowd of Moore supporters). Evidently the Secretary of State said no to that. Also said that "the people of Alabama have spoken" and that he didn't see any reason why Jones would not be certified the winner.

[pr0ner]

Abortion, sodomy and materialism have taken the place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

That's an eyeroll that is pr0ner worthy

I'm not sure when the giant eyeroll that vomits out smaller eyerolls is worthy of that remark.

Good grief.

[Holman]

KY lawmaker faced with rape allegation commits suicide.

A Kentucky state representative accused of molesting a teenage girl has committed suicide, according to WDRB.com in Louisville.

Rep. Dan Johnson, a Republican, reportedly shot and killed himself on a bridge in Mt. Washington, Ky. The gun was recovered by police, according to WDRB.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an expose on Monday detailing allegations that Johnson forced himself on a 17-year-old friend of his daughter after a New Year's Eve Party in 2012.

The accuser was a member of the congregation Johnson led as a preacher and self-anointed "pope." He denied the allegations, claiming that he was "drugged" at a bar before the party.

This is more disturbing than the cancer diagnosis hypocrisy.

Holy Cow. The Details.

tl;dr: The guy was a con man who invented extravagant stories of his own heroism, and members of his church (which featured hateful and racist messaging) attended drunken parties every weekend at his house.

[GreenGoo]

Duh

What was the point of saying it then? You can't ignore the context that he was a devout anti-ACA'er.

As I pointed out, insurance companies are ALREADY penalizing those who smoke and often require a physical. How does Mr. Healthy Living plan on regulating things like diet, sleep, stress, exercise etc?

It's a stupid statement because it's either meaningless or irrelevant. His goal is to make it easier on healthy people and harder on sick people. That's a dick move.

[malchior]

Paul Ryan to retire? I think he will - it is called cashing in.

[Pyperkub]

KY lawmaker faced with rape allegation commits suicide.

A Kentucky state representative accused of molesting a teenage girl has committed suicide, according to WDRB.com in Louisville.

Rep. Dan Johnson, a Republican, reportedly shot and killed himself on a bridge in Mt. Washington, Ky. The gun was recovered by police, according to WDRB.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an expose on Monday detailing allegations that Johnson forced himself on a 17-year-old friend of his daughter after a New Year's Eve Party in 2012.

The accuser was a member of the congregation Johnson led as a preacher and self-anointed "pope." He denied the allegations, claiming that he was "drugged" at a bar before the party.

This is more disturbing than the cancer diagnosis hypocrisy.

Holy Cow. The Details.

tl;dr: The guy was a con man who invented extravagant stories of his own heroism, and members of his church (which featured hateful and racist messaging) attended drunken parties every weekend at his house.

Actually, the 2nd click through there has the full, in-depth details of how scummy he was.

[Defiant]

[Jaymann]

Since when is concession by the loser a requirement for election?

[El Guapo]

It's not. But conceding would preclude asking for a recount, which would remove the only possible obstacle to Jones taking the Senate seat (once the vote is officially certified).

[Sepiche]

Wow. When Mike Huckabee and Donald Drumpf are telling you it's time to move on...

[tjg_marantz]

Wow. When Mike Huckabee and Donald Drumpf are telling you it's time to move on...

Yeah but they're the swamp! MAGA! Fake news! Benghazi!

[Smoove_B]

First, this sounds a lot like he's encouraging some type of "Quiverfull" movement - which makes me uncomfortable. Good job, human sack of excrement Paul Ryan.

Second, in the middle of gutting health care (and specifically targeting women and children) as well as a steadfast resistance to any type of institutionalized parental leave, is he really standing up in front of reporters and telling Americans to have more kids?

Oh right, hypocrite. I forgot.

[Kraken]

First, this sounds a lot like he's encouraging some type of "Quiverfull" movement - which makes me uncomfortable. Good job, human sack of excrement Paul Ryan.

Second, in the middle of gutting health care (and specifically targeting women and children) as well as a steadfast resistance to any type of institutionalized parental leave, is he really standing up in front of reporters and telling Americans to have more kids?

Oh right, hypocrite. I forgot.

Well, the US fertility rate recently hit a record low of 1.7, considerably below replacement level. This is largely due to millennials deferring parenthood (along with adulthood in general). That's bad for programs like social security and medicare that are predicated on an ever-growing payroll tax base, especially in an anti-immigration environment, so the tax code absolutely should be tilted toward encouraging them to reproduce...although I doubt whether a refundable credit of $1000 or $1200 or whatever per child is really going to make much difference, given all the liabilities that children bring.

So yeah, hypocrisy coming from Ryan, but rational policy nonetheless.

[Isgrimnur]

First, this sounds a lot like he's encouraging some type of "Quiverfull" movement - which makes me uncomfortable. Good job, human sack of excrement Paul Ryan.

He's just following in Patrick Buchanan's footsteps. And I'm ashamed to say that I own a copy of that book.

[Captain Caveman]

Look at this bullshit:

https://twitter.com/bylenasun/status/941819553230680066

[Skinypupy]

We have gone utterly insane. More details, for those behind WaPo's paywall:

The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the nation’s top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases — including “fetus” and “transgender” — in any official documents being prepared for next year’s budget.

Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden words at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden words are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

In some instances, the analysts were given alternative phrases. Instead of “science-based” or ­“evidence-based,” the suggested phrase is “CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes,” the person said. In other cases, no replacement words were immediately offered.

Complete and total cowards, the lot of em.

[GreenGoo]

"evidence-based" and "science-based".

Doesn't get much clearer than that.

How the fuck did you guys get to this state? You just had Obama, one of the more articulate, thoughtful presidents in a long time.

Now you've got part clown show, part 1984.

[Holman]

How the fuck did you guys get to this state? You just had Obama, one of the more articulate, thoughtful presidents in a long time.

Now you've got part clown show, part 1984.

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

Not everyone. Not even a majority, maybe, but the worst are full of passionate intensity and all that.

[GreenGoo]

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

I don't believe that.

[Holman]

The import of the vocabulary restrictions just dawned on me: the fucking **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention** are forbidden from implying that they are guided by science and evidence.

[Holman]

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

I don't believe that.

How about: our rulers are dumb and racist, and we've shown them that we're easily fooled.

[GreenGoo]

The import of the vocabulary restrictions just dawned on me: the fucking **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention** are forbidden from implying that they are guided by science and evidence.

Well, they suggest that you can use evidence and science, as long as it's in accordance with community norms and wishes.

i.e. you can say science if you first make sure the science matches peoples' opinions (actually, more like what people WANT to be true), not the other way around.

It's the goddamn dark ages again. Can men be witches? I hope not. Is floating a good thing or a bad thing? I can't remember.

[Pyperkub]

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

I don't believe that.

OK, how about a majority of Republican voters are willfully ignorant?

[Isgrimnur]

It's the goddamn dark ages again. Can men be witches? I hope not. Is floating a good thing or a bad thing? I can't remember.

Floating was a bad thing and meant that you’re a witch. Sinking meant drowning and an apology fruit basket to your family.

[GreenGoo]

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

I don't believe that.

OK, how about a majority of Republican voters are willfully ignorant?

I don't even believe that.

With Drumpf's approval ratings below 40%, and 30ish% diehard Repubs (many of which are more stubborn than ignorant, I would imagine) who would never vote Dem even if Satan himself was their candidate, I think there are plenty of people on the right that recognize Drumpf for what he is. The problem is that gerrymandering plus low information voters didn't recognize the pit they were about to fall into at election time. Something I suspect many regret now (not nearly enough though).

Now, with Drumpf ensconced in the WH and congress willing to do whatever it takes to get their crap done (which seems completely contrary to their constituents well-being, which is bizarre), there is no good way to rectify. If the gossip is true and they are going to try to shut down the russia investigation and/or fire Mueller, we're entering a level of corruption that threatens the very foundations of your democracy. How they think they can get away with that, I don't know.

We You just had a Dem elected in AL for the first time in 25 years. That's a helluva thing. Reps should be treading lightly, not working hard to fuck over the American people (to no good effect, from what I can tell. Literally screwing over the American public and not accomplishing anything. Not paying down the deficit, not economic stimulation, nothing).

[Smoove_B]

The forbidden words are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”

Well...next semester just got interesting.

[YellowKing]

Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. The fact is we didn't elect this piece of shit. A combination of voter apathy and Russian influence elected that piece of shit.

[Isgrimnur]

Won't someone please think of the entitlement programs for the vulnerable transgendered fetuses and their need for science based diversity programs?

[Holman]

Won't someone please think of the entitlement programs for the vulnerable transgendered fetuses and their need for science based diversity programs?

Rectify unMAGA oldthink oldspeak upsub anteposting, mmkay?

[pr0ner]

Won't someone please think of the entitlement programs for the vulnerable transgendered fetuses and their need for science based diversity programs?

Rectify unMAGA oldthink oldspeak upsub anteposting, mmkay?

This is doubleplus ungood.

[Zarathud]

Well, this is the year the CDC study of the incidence of sparkly vampires compared to the pubescent male werewolves finally has a chance. Until the study of zombie illegal immigration hits the presses.

[Max Peck]

Won't someone please think of the entitlement programs for the vulnerable transgendered fetuses and their need for science based diversity programs?

I see no evidence for your concern.

[Kraken]

How the fuck did you guys get to this state? You just had Obama, one of the more articulate, thoughtful presidents in a long time.

Paybacks are hell.

[Pyperkub]

Mostly we're just dumb and racist and easily fooled.

I don't believe that.

OK, how about a majority of Republican voters are willfully ignorant?

I don't even believe that.

With Drumpf's approval ratings below 40%, and 30ish% diehard Repubs (many of which are more stubborn than ignorant, I would imagine) who would never vote Dem even if Satan himself was their candidate, I think there are plenty of people on the right that recognize Drumpf for what he is. The problem is that gerrymandering plus low information voters didn't recognize the pit they were about to fall into at election time. Something I suspect many regret now (not nearly enough though).

Now, with Drumpf ensconced in the WH and congress willing to do whatever it takes to get their crap done (which seems completely contrary to their constituents well-being, which is bizarre), there is no good way to rectify. If the gossip is true and they are going to try to shut down the russia investigation and/or fire Mueller, we're entering a level of corruption that threatens the very foundations of your democracy. How they think they can get away with that, I don't know.

We You just had a Dem elected in AL for the first time in 25 years. That's a helluva thing. Reps should be treading lightly, not working hard to fuck over the American people (to no good effect, from what I can tell. Literally screwing over the American public and not accomplishing anything. Not paying down the deficit, not economic stimulation, nothing).

With regards to Alabama, I think you need to look more closely at the numbers. Republican turnout was way down, but a majority of Republican voters still voted for Moore. Democratic turnout was way up for this.

A majority of Republicans still vote like idiots and for idiots. The good news is that the pool of Republicans appears to be shrinking, but it doesn't change what I posted.

[GreenGoo]

AL went to a Democrat. First time in 25 years.

It's hard to put a negative spin on that, whatever the details. It's not like there is a vast amount of Democrats in the state.

[malchior]

AL went to a Democrat. First time in 25 years.

It's hard to put a negative spin on that, whatever the details. It's not like there is a vast amount of Democrats in the state.

The R candidate was a lunatic and an alleged child molester and still he barely lost.

[GreenGoo]

He's a lunatic only if you're​ not a religious conservative.