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virtual9mm wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 29, 2022 5:47 am

And Indy, yes...can't do much without fixing SCOTUS first. And how can you realistically do this?

I think it is beyond repair, honestly. Yeah it could be packed like Mori suggested by adding a justice for each district (honestly the 9 we have is just silly if they are supposed to represent the entire country). But I don't see that happening anytime soon. The real way to do it would be an Amendment that allows for terms that are shorter, expands the court based on population, and ensures that each admin term adds a justice.

Is stacking the court in accordance of accepted standards? If the Dems stack the court can’t the Cons stack the court and isn’t this just a silly game we are playing?

The court is already stacked with Republicans. They are supposed to represent America. They represent Christian Republicans and they have decided to not even care about trying to sound non partisan anymore.

Nodack wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 29, 2022 9:53 am

Is stacking the court in accordance of accepted standards? If the Dems stack the court can’t the Cons stack the court and isn’t this just a silly game we are playing?

The court is already stacked with Republicans. They are supposed to represent America. They represent Christian Republicans and they have decided to not even care about trying to sound non partisan anymore.

I think the hope is to do a one-time pack and then use the period after that to pass some reasonable legislation for things like SCOTUS resignations every N years (18?), schedule of appointment, process for appointing them, etc. so that we had a more reasonable and predictable process in the future. It's dumb that it all just sort of comes down to when old Justices happen to die and who happens to be President at that time. (And it's especially dumb that an obstructionist GOP party can block the party in power from doing nominations if they want to be evil.)

The polls are a bit more encouraging lately for several Democratic candidates. It's very early, and polls are not always reliable, but I am still happy to see this.

Regarding SCOTUS, Nodack is right. If we're going to have a DeSantis administration in 2025 with Republican control of Congress (a likely scenario), what incentive would they have not to re-pack? Indeed, the fear is that they'll push the US towards a Turkey-style scenario (or even a HK-style one) where the Republicans could never lose.

Regarding glimmers of hope for the Democrats, I'm not surprised that AZ is swinging further and further blue because the AZ Dems aren't like Beto or the other folks causing the Rio Grande Latinos to go Republican. AZ Dems are pragmatists in general. And while I've soured considerably on Sinema, I am just a huge fan of Mark Kelly. Indeed -- if the Democrats can (a) nominate and elect a balding white guy who's ex-military, an astronaut, a moderate, and has a puppy dog former congresswoman for a wife who survived being shot point blank in the head; and (b) get the identity politics wing of the party to unify behind such a candidate -- they can hold the White House in 2024. The question is whether they can nominate Mark Kelly or someone like him instead of Kamala (blew too many chances), Gavin Newsom (best known in SF for owning and enjoying a bar where 50-year old men pick up 20-year old gold diggers and professionals), or Pete Buttegieg (whom I have heard is sitting on his ass bored while the country goes to shit).

But I just gave $100 to Mark Kelly so I guess I haven't completely given up yet.

And coming back to Beltway dysfunction, I've been in DC for the past 10 days and it's bad, folks. Like really, really bad. The Democrats really are alternating between having their thumbs up their asses and sucking on their thumbs. And my friends who run media agencies tell me that even if they had a cohesive strategy for hitting Roe vs. Wade really hard (which could save the mid-term), it would take at least three months to execute it. There just isn't enough time.

My wife works at an airline and checked in Mark Kelly, his wife Gabby and an aid. Maybe he was just having a bad day, but she said he was very rude to Gabby and even told her to shut up at one point. My wife was taken back by it. She loves Gabby and didn’t like the way he treated her. I will still vote for Mark. Like I said, maybe he was just having a bad day. I’ve been with my wife for almost thirty years and have never told her to shut up once.

One reason AZ is swinging more and more blue I believe is because it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the country and city people generally vote blue while rural folks generally vote red.

For some reason Kamala just isn’t very likable.

Newsome owning a bar where gold digging 20 year old girls hit on 50 year old men who are hitting on 20 year old girls doesn’t bother me. Meat markets of every variety are all over the place. I’m actually not apposed to prostitution. If some horny dude that can’t find love on his own wants to get laid and is willing to pay for it and some woman is willing to do the wild thing for compensation then why not? You can license it, tax them and regulate it

The Dems just come across as unorganized. Republicans are evil, but they are organized and generally are unified in their messaging. By unified I mean whatever Trump says. The only message the Dems are sending right now is being sent by the Jan 6 committee, which has skewered Trump and wrapped him in a little bow for the DOJ.

I am pretty sure the Dems are going to lose seats in the next election. How many I don’t know.

Biden administration to fill border wall gaps near Yuma, Arizona
President Joe Biden halted new border wall construction after he took office but has since made closing the gaps just south of Yuma a priority.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigr ... -rcna40567
PHOENIX — The Biden administration on Thursday authorized completion of the Trump-funded U.S.-Mexico border wall in an open area of southern Arizona near Yuma, where four wide gaps make it among the busiest corridors for illegal crossings.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who is seeking his party nomination’s next week to defend the seat in November, has pressed the Biden administration to close the gaps, calling them a challenge for officials trying to secure the border.

But Arizona environmentalist Myles Traphagen, who has been mapping ecological damage left by border wall construction under former President Donald Trump, said that closing the gaps won’t be much of a deterrent.

“People have traveled half way around the globe on planes, trains and automobiles,” he said, “so to expect that closing four small gaps is going to make them turn around and book a return flight on Air Ethiopia is sheer fallacy.”

Why the fuck is Biden authorizing more border wall construction? I really can't believe that.

Also, his COVID has returned. Oof. I haven't heard of people testing positive, fighting it off / becoming negative, and then flipping back to positive again. Hope he's okay.

Just fixing the holes. What's so hard to believe?

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:32 pm

Why the fuck is Biden authorizing more border wall construction? I really can't believe that.

Also, his COVID has returned. Oof. I haven't heard of people testing positive, fighting it off / becoming negative, and then flipping back to positive again. Hope he's okay.

It’s not unusual to test positive, then negative, and then positive again. I’ve seen it quite a few times at the hospital I work at. If he’s not having any symptoms it doesn’t mean he was reinfected or the virus is gaining steam. The tests aren’t perfect.

Split T wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:44 pm

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:32 pm

Why the fuck is Biden authorizing more border wall construction? I really can't believe that.

Also, his COVID has returned. Oof. I haven't heard of people testing positive, fighting it off / becoming negative, and then flipping back to positive again. Hope he's okay.

It’s not unusual to test positive, then negative, and then positive again. I’ve seen it quite a few times at the hospital I work at. If he’s not having any symptoms it doesn’t mean he was reinfected or the virus is gaining steam. The tests aren’t perfect.

Happened with my wife and I a couple months ago.

It is very common with people that took paxlovid, too.

For those who would say that the Democrats don't have any new young stars, I humbly submit Mallory McMorrow, a state senator in Michigan who is just awesome. Her reelection primary is this week. My favorite rising Dem overall is Katie Porter, but Mallory is also up there. She recently went viral for a video where she gave an impassioned defense of abortion rights in the wake of the Roe repeal. Watching this week to see what kind of numbers she gets.

She is in a district that has voted Dem for almost every office going back a ways. She should be very safe.

The first two years of Biden's presidency have often been frustrating, and it has felt like he never really had a majority to govern as he saw fit. But slowly but surely he has gotten a lot done.

MSNBC being a bit disingenuous there. I mean "huge jobs numbers" and "low unemployment" are two sides of same coin. And "negotiating" a change in legislation is not a win.

But the 12 unique things he accomplished on that list are big wins.

Biden is doing fine by me. I’m sure every Republican thinks he’s Satan.

Former Dem Congressman TJ Cox indicted for fraud and money laundering.

Tulsi Gabbard announces she is no longer a Democrat. It's about time. She has been a regular on Fox and has been railing against the Dems for years. Bye Felicia.