America - The Official Thread

[Liquid]

Unrelated: Chuck Schumer sounds like Elliott Gould.

 

[TexRex]

Unrelated: Chuck Schumer sounds like Elliott Gould.

Well, they're both Brooklyn Jews.

 

[TexRex]

 

[TexRex]

Voter fraud-focused Florida GOP mum in wake of Artiles arrest

In the wake of former Republican Sen. Frank Artiles’ arrest on allegations he paid a sham candidate nearly $50,000 to influence a key Miami race, Florida Republicans are reluctant to chime in on what amounts to a credible allegation of voter fraud — something they have long said they are focused on rooting out.

Prominent Florida Republicans are not vocally calling out that alleged voter fraud in the same way they lamented so-far unfounded allegations of fraud in other areas of the state voting system after Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle on Thursday unveiled the results of her four-month public corruption investigation into Artiles’ role in recruiting his friend, Alex Rodriguez, to run as a no-party affiliated candidate to siphon votes from incumbent Democrat José Javier Rodríguez.

“This is a matter for local law enforcement and the courts,” Meredith Beatrice, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, said on Friday.

Many prominent Florida Republicans, including DeSantis, joined President Donald Trump in falsely claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The GOP-led Florida House and Senate are teeing up election bills during the 2021 legislative session that would make changes to the state’s election system they say crack down on potential fraud. Opponents, however, say the bills are aimed at making it harder to vote.

A leadership-backed Senate proposal sponsored by state Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) aims to, among other things, get rid of voter drop boxes, which were used by 1.7 million people to cast ballots in 2020 during the pandemic without significant issue, but Republicans say could potentially be vehicles for fraud.

DeSantis has not hesitated to get into local election fights in the past. One of his first acts as governor was to issue an executive order suspending Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, a former Democratic lawmaker, over what he saw as failures during a contentious 2018 election cycle.

“Today, we turn our attention to the need to restore faith in our election processes here in Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement at the time.

On Friday, his office did not respond to POLITICO questions about whether he would call a special election, which Democrats requested because they believe José Javier Rodríguez, who lost by just 32 votes, would have beaten Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia without Artiles-planted candidate Alex Rodriguez, who got more than 6,000 votes despite not actively campaigning.

His office also did not respond to questions about whether the governor was concerned about the Artiles investigations after he has spent months railing against potential voter fraud, including encouraging people to give money to Trump’s legal defense fund as the former president was raising money off baseless claims that the presidential election results were illegitimate.

DeSantis has supported the Senate election bill that also would require everyone to submit new vote-by-mail requests for 2022, and limit the duration of future vote-by-mail requests.

“By strengthening these election integrity protections, we will ensure that our elections remain secure and transparent, and that Florida’s electoral process remains a blueprint for other states to follow,” DeSantis said in February when the bill was unveiled.

Baxley, the bill’s sponsor, told POLITICO in a text message Friday said he "will look into it” when asked if the Artiles allegations will impact election reform talks in the Florida Legislature this session.

“It is a concerning circumstance," he said.

The House election bill does not do away with voting drop boxes, but adds monitoring requirements, and also prohibits local elections officials from sending vote-by-mail ballots without someone making a specific request, and requires that vote-by-mail requests be renewed every election cycle.

“By all accounts, Florida’s elections last year ran smoothly, and we’re looking to improve on our successes,” House Speaker Chris Sprowls said in a Thursday statement announcing the bill. “Florida has come a long way since the 2000 election cycle. Our progress is a result of consistent work to ensure that our elections processes are the best in the nation – we cannot stop now.”

His office did not respond to a Friday request for comment about the Artiles allegations.

On Thursday, hours after the Artiles allegations were unveiled, Republican Senate President Wilton Simpson of Trilby said he is reserving judgement.

“I think you have to allow law enforcement to do what they do,” Simpson said. “I think we don’t have all the facts.”

He noted that there is no evidence tying Garcia, a candidate his leadership committee supported, to the alleged Artiles scheme, and was noncommittal when asked if he would support language being placed in the Senate election bill cracking down on the use of third-party sham candidates, which is legal in Florida.

“Two weeks ago, you all were asking ‘Shouldn’t we be doing other things in Covid liability [legislation],’ and so now this happens to be the topic of the day,” Simpson said. “And so now this happens to be the topic of the day. It will get accelerated based on the will of the Senate.”

Senate Democrats on Friday morning said it should be “no brainer” that a special election be held, and that the Senate to take up election language that would crack down on the use of sham candidates.

“This exposes some irony and inconsistencies on the party of the Republican Party,” Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer (D-Lighthouse Point) said during a Friday press conference. “Two months ago we heard repeated charges over and over and over against from then-President Trump and Republican leaders across the country ... that was completely nonexistent.”

“Now, we have evidence of actual fraud,” said Farmer, who in 2020 ran Senate Democratic campaigns. “Real fraud. Fraud proven in evidence and facts contained in the arrest warrant.”

He noted that there are election reform bills filed in both chambers that could be amended with language cracking down on some of the allegations outlined in Artiles’ arrest warrant.

“We can fix this now,” Farmer said.

 

[TexRex]

 

[TexRex]

AAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

 

[McLaren]

The proper response was to fly across the country & play golf. Duh.

 

[TexRex]

Aww, cute. Conservative Christian hissy fit over fairytales.




These are the things that matter.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Out of all the political platitudes, "fighting for the soul of our nation" is one of the most irritating to me. What is that even supposed to mean? Democrats and Republicans (though Republicans have been using it more lately) seem to throw around that phrase a lot when trying to make a good counter-argument against their opponents.

 

[Populuxe]

Aww, cute. Conservative Christian hissy fit over fairytales.




These are the things that matter.

Streisand Effect is in play. They will sell out in minutes.

 

[TexRex]

Streisand Effect is in play. They will sell out in minutes.

Sodom and Gomorrah all over again.

 

[Liquid]

The proper response was to fly across the country & play golf. Duh.

It's not even transparent how hypocritical, "okay when we do it, wrong if you do it" Fox, the Republican Party and the Trumps are. It's so transparent that it's a fifth-dimension of engery-based, extraplaneal existence.

 

[TexRex]

 

[Touring Mars]

"fighting for the soul of our nation"

Fighting for the soles of our nation...

I'll get me coat.

 

[Keef]

What is that even supposed to mean?

It means Jesus was white. The "soul of the nation" as these people call it is actually white Christianity. I think it's time we all stop asking frivolous questions out of disbelief such as "what's that even mean" because we know exactly what it means.

Streisand Effect is in play. They will sell out in minutes.

I don't think it even goes that far. Most of the people who will buy these shoes don't know and could care less of who Chris Christie is or whatever her name is.

 

[GranTurNismo]

It means Jesus was white. The "soul of the nation" as these people call it is actually white Christianity. I think it's time we all stop asking frivolous questions out of disbelief such as "what's that even mean" because we know exactly what it means.

I doubt that's what Joe Biden and Barack Obama meant by that, and they've both used the phrase before. If I were to take a guess, it probably means "fighting for what is morally right" or "fighting for the best American values". But the meaning of those things is so ambiguous, which is where the problem lies.

 

[Keef]

I doubt that's what Joe Biden and Barack Obama meant by that, and they've both used the phrase before. If I were to take a guess, it probably means "fighting for what is morally right" or "fighting for the best American values". But the meaning of those things is so ambiguous, which is where the problem lies.

Obviously what it means depends on who says it. I was referring to that Chris Christie lady's usage. I don't really care what Biden and Obama mean by it - they're not stone cold terrible people. I don't have to worry about them.

 

[Biggles]

Larry Kudlow warns Biden tax plan would ignite ‘class warfare’

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/larry-kudlow-warns-biden-tax-plan-would-ignite-class-warfare

I'm worried about Larry. Could we organize a GoFundMe to make sure he survives the devastating tax cuts?

 

[Dotini]

Out of all the political platitudes, "fighting for the soul of our nation" is one of the most irritating to me. What is that even supposed to mean? Democrats and Republicans (though Republicans have been using it more lately) seem to throw around that phrase a lot when trying to make a good counter-argument against their opponents.

For what it's worth, I'll give you my personal take on that platitude.

It means two things, one for a Republican, another for a Democrat.

For the Republican it means the whole family values and conservatism package - keeping the best traditions and all that - slow or no changes. For the Democrat, it means change for the better, all the time in all things.

IMHO, for the conservative, error, disaster and violence in the cause of no change cannot be morally justified. But for the liberal, error, disaster and violence can be morally justified on the grounds of trying to do what's right.

 

[TexRex]

IMHO, for the conservative, error, disaster and violence in the cause of no change cannot be morally justified. But for the liberal, error, disaster and violence can be morally justified on the grounds of trying to do what's right.

Keep grasping at those partisan straws.

 

[Famine]

I guess all the violence at the Capitol was liberals after all.

 

[Dotini]

I guess all the violence at the Capitol was liberals after all.

If so, then IMHO justified. If by conservatives, then not justified.

 

[Famine]

If so, then IMHO justified. If by conservatives, then not justified.

D- - poor attempt at trolling, even by user's own low standards.

 

[Dotini]

D- - poor attempt at trolling, even by user's own low standards.

I'm very sorry if I am trolling. I don't really understand how. Perhaps you could explain it so this daft old man could understand it better, please?

I'm not a philosopher or graduate in morality studies. But it seems to me that the conservatives thought the election was stolen by fraud and staged a violent riot. They were wrong, and their actions were not morally justified, IMHO.

On the other hand, it is my belief that if a US Presidential election was thought by liberals to be stolen by fraud, then they would be morally justified in staging a violent riot. I could be wrong, as I often am. But that is my opinion.

 

[UKMikey]

Deleted... not going there

 

[GranTurNismo]

Deleted... not going there

ANTEEFA did it!

 

[Imari]

Aww, cute. Conservative Christian hissy fit over fairytales.




These are the things that matter.

Do you think that they're aware that all humans are full of human blood? I feel like having a drop of it in a pair of shoes is sort of meaningless when people are toting around litres of this unholy fluid literally inside their bodies.

Out of all the political platitudes, "fighting for the soul of our nation" is one of the most irritating to me. What is that even supposed to mean? Democrats and Republicans (though Republicans have been using it more lately) seem to throw around that phrase a lot when trying to make a good counter-argument against their opponents.

It's code for "anyone who doesn't agree with me isn't a real American".

I'm very sorry if I am trolling. I don't really understand how. Perhaps you could explain it so this daft old man could understand it better, please?

I'm not a philosopher or graduate in morality studies.

Right. That's why the vast majority of your posts are philosophical in nature. A man who spends four days a week racing cars may claim not to be a racing driver, but he's wrong.

But it seems to me that the conservatives thought the election was stolen by fraud and staged a violent riot. They were wrong, and their actions were not morally justified, IMHO.

On the other hand, it is my belief that if a US Presidential election was thought by liberals to be stolen by fraud, then they would be morally justified in staging a violent riot. I could be wrong, as I often am. But that is my opinion.

You're wrong. Staging a violent riot because you think an election was stolen is not morally justifiable. If you have actual evidence of a stolen election then maybe, but I'd really have to hear the argument that the violent riot was preferable over all the other options for responses that might have resulted in outcomes that better met the intended goals.

I mean, say the government is actually overthrown by force. Best case scenario you have a country where half the population considers the government totally illegitimate with pretty good cause, and in which it has been roundly established that using force to seize power is acceptable. This sounds significantly worse than living in a "peaceful" country with a President who you think is a dribbling imbecile.

Yes, I'm aware that calling America peaceful when they're apparently going for the high score at self-murder is a bit laughable, but I hardly think encouraging any loon with a weapon and a grudge against a politician to have at it will make things better.

 

[TexRex]

Do you think that they're aware that all humans are full of human blood? I feel like having a drop of it in a pair of shoes is sort of meaningless when people are toting around litres of this unholy fluid literally inside their bodies.

It's there (or at least is purported to be), but I don't think the blood is the issue here.

Some years back, the Flaming Lips' frontman conceived of a very limited run of an album made through notable collaborations that would feature small amounts of collaborators' blood in the cavity between the layers of the vinyl pressing. It was a gimmick just as these shoes are and I'm not aware that it was the subject of performative outrage including a Republican governor who has decried "cancel culture" advocating for the individual responsible to be "canceled."

The issue is the stories people have been told and tell one another. It doesn't matter that the belief in which the stories are steeped is irrational (with no implied correlation between irrational belief and skin color), it still empowers people to condemn others for harmless action.

 

[Keef]

It's there (or at least is purported to be), but I don't think the blood is the issue here.

Some years back, the Flaming Lips' frontman conceived of a very limited run of an album made through notable collaborations that would feature small amounts of collaborators' blood in the cavity between the layers of the vinyl pressing. It was a gimmick just as these shoes are and I'm not aware that it was the subject of performative outrage including a Republican governor who has decried "cancel culture" advocating for the individual responsible to be "canceled."

The issue is the stories people have been told and tell one another. It doesn't matter that the belief in which the stories are steeped is irrational (with no implied correlation between irrational belief and skin color), it still empowers people to condemn others for harmless action.

First of all religious people are crazy but besides that this dude is a pastor. So whatever. He can believe what he wants. He's a religious zealot, that's his job. In that video his sole purpose is to suggest Lil Nas X is a devil worshipper. From a religious perspective he's got a strong point lol. He's free to do religion, or cocaine idk maybe White Jesus thinks those go hand in hand but I've never read the Silly Book so I have no idea. Anyways, freedom of religion and I guess freedom of coke if he's in Oregon. Have at it, dude.

But an elected official is a different story. Their job is to treat everyone fairly. Even if their constituency is full of religious zealots, protecting freedom of expression comes first. Some guy selling devil shoes does not threaten religious people's ability to practice freely, but the governor suggesting there is something wrong with some guy selling devil shoes does threaten the concept of freedom of expression. Religious zealots of all colors and heritages exist and I simply don't go to those neighborhoods, but when the governor brings that neighborhood to me then we've got a problem. That governor is unqualified. And the people who elected that governor expose themselves as not believing in the right to expression, aka they expose themselves as unAmerican.

 

[McLaren]

The Lil Nas X thing is hilarious. He's just rolling with it now, openly asking, "I thought ya'll didn't like political correctness?".

Anyway, Parler was kind of a honeypot.

The social network Parler was flooded with a wave of angry comments on Friday after it emerged that the "free speech" platform had repeatedly collaborated with the FBI in the weeks leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot.

Hundreds of users have responded to a post published by the official Parler account on Thursday that called for "an investigation into big tech collusion" that, it alleged, "took place just as Parler began to pose a credible threat" to Facebook and Twitter.

https://www.newsweek.com/parler-fbi...ry-posts-referred-federal-authorities-1579113

Lot of comments once again, amusingly boasting about "free speech".