OK, here's a question for you. If Dems followed your advice, and then Trump got to replace RBG, when Dems filibustered his pick in what universe do you think McConnell wouldn't drop the nuke then?

I mean, seriously, do you really think McConnell would hesitate a nanosecond to do so? I don't. So it really makes no difference, in the end.

michale [36] -

I found the tone a bit annoying, but then I thought you posted it solely for the "Aliens" quote in the middle there... "it's the only way to be sure..."

Heh.

dsws [43] -

I think the Constitution just basically says "the House and Senate operate under rules they set up" or something equally as vague.

It can be argued that the rules are too tight in Congress, but then again when you look at where our parent country went with that sort of thing, maybe it's not so bad. Ever seen the British Parliament? It's like watching kindergarteners at recess, at times...

michale [46] -

Wait, so you're saying Flynn did probably commit a crime? So what do you think that crime was? Inquiring minds want to know...

-CW

OK, have to say I was thinking about you and your recent comments while writing this. Credit due, although "thinking about" should be read as "disproving" here.

OK, if as you posit Trump becomes very unpopular then the filibuster won't even be necessary, because 3 GOP senators will vote against his pick.

Problem solved!

Seriously, though, I don't think Dems have anything to lose by doing it now versus then. Senate power and the Oval Office go back and forth, and in the future, Dems will benefit from dropping this particular nuke.

OMG... an actual compliment at the end, there?

Heh.

Well, truth be told, I did indeed write this in a very analytic (and non-partisan) frame of mind. I specifically didn't take much of a position on getting rid of the legislative filibuster because I wanted to hear what others thought on the matter. I just laid it out as a real possibility after the SCOTUS nuke gets dropped.

-CW

Excellent comment all around, just wanted to start with that.

On the Stones song, though (seems we're all in a musical frame of mind this week...), what I've always found somewhat head-scratching is that from what I've always understood, that song is about heroin addiction. To hear in played at Trump rallies in NH was particularly jarring.

Here's just one partial explanation of some of the lyrics:

https://hubpages.com/politics/The-Meaning-of-a-Song

Don't know what the truth is, but again, I've always understood the song's about heroin addiction -- a strange choice indeed for a political theme song, no?

But then most people don't care. Look at how many times "American Woman" and "Fortunate Son" are used in commericals as pro-USA songs, when they're both almost exactly the opposite, pointing out America's shortcomings...

-CW

So, you and I are in agreement...

If a person needs immunity, it's obvious they committed some crime...

I am glad we can find common ground on this subject...

:D

What "connections" would those be???

Beyond what's normal for an incoming administration and normal for every day business??

'sides, it was ya'all who scoffed at the idea that Russia was an adversary...

Of course, THAT was until it was politically convenient to make Russia the bogey-man....

And we go back to comment #37 which NO ONE can address...

Ya'all's problem is that there are absolutely NO FACTS to support the claim that Russia *DID* influence the election and there are absolutely NO FACTS to support the claim that Team Trump colluded with the Russians to influence the election..

What part of ***NO FACTS TO SUPPORT THE ACCUSATIONS*** do you not understand???

Oh, now I see what you're saying. It had to be Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick.
~lt. kaffee

I'm so proud {sniffle}

:D

so, the trump administration's connections to russia are really a CIA plot?

Oh, now I see what you're saying. It had to be Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick.
~lt. kaffee

I don't think so. I think the Senate deems itself to be continuously in existence: there is no new Senate, just a continuation of the old Senate. So the rules don't need to be re-adopted.

I think it's unconstitutional for the Senate to say that the Senate can't make changes to its own rules any more. The Constitution says it can make its own rules, so it still can, even if it says it can't. Anything in the Constitution can be changed only by an amendment, not a Senate rule.

The moronic-ness of the Left Whinery knows no depth... :^/

What part of ***NO FACTS TO SUPPORT THE ACCUSATIONS*** do you not understand???

Whooaaaa

Latest WikiLeaks release shows how the CIA uses computer code to hide the origins of its hacking attacks and 'disguise them as Russian or Chinese activity'
WikiLeaks published 676 source code files today which it claimed are from CIA
It says the CIA disguised its own hacking attacks to make it appear those responsible were Russian, Chinese, Iranian or North Korean
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4367746/WikiLeaks-says-CIA-disguised-hacking-Russian-activity.html#ixzz4cugK2B00

Now we come to find out that the CIA has the capability to hack and make it look like the Russians did it..

Now everything is becoming clear... :D

Or ya'all can just agree with me and concede reality...

That, just because a person has failed once or twice in their lives, doesn't mean they are a failure...

Ya'all have denigrated President Trump time and again because he has a small percentage of businesses that have failed..

So, if President Trump is a "luser" because he has failed a few times, then NOT-45 is a total and complete luser because she has failed EVERY TIME she ran for POTUS...

Applying your own argument... :D

Yea... NO hatred there, eh? :^/

Yer just pissed because President Trump totally devastated yer totally corrupt and totally incompetent hero....

Wiped the kitchen floor with her.. :D

Still waiting for an answer to that one..

Don't be shy.. Anyone can chime in.. :D

The simple FACT is that there are absolutely **NO FACTS** to support ya'all's accusations against Team Trump vis a vis the election or collusion with Russians..

Let me repeat that for the cheap seats..

***NO*** ***FACTS***

None... Zero... Zilch.... Nada.... Nuttin' Honey....

This entire sad affair has been a total and complete pile of horseshit, courtesy of FORMER president Odumbo and his merry band of Dumbocrats...

That is all....

I agree solely and completely with the points in the above article.. There are MANY good points in the entire article, not just the points I posted..

The tone?? Well, that's a bit nasty, even for my tastes.. :D

But this is the environment the Left Whinery has created for the last 8 years...

Tis sad, tis true.... Tis true, tis sad....

If you don't believe me, read the Ninth Circuit’s decision interpreting the president’s powers to exclude aliens under the applicable statute. You'll find something missing, something significant: any mention of the applicable statute. You aren’t interpreting the law if you neglect to ever mention the law you’re allegedly interpreting. What you're really doing is exercising raw power in the service of your whims.
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2017/03/30/nuke-em-til-they-glow-n2305926

Yep, yep, yep....

At least, according to Flynn.

Flynn thought it was just shameful that Hillary's staff was given immunity in order to testify in for their witch hunt. But now that he's in the hot seat, well, immunity looks pretty good. Of course, Hillary's team was innocent.

That's how Republicans roll. My fantasy is that Trump, once it's clear he's in deep trouble, turns around and throws the other Republicans to the wolves in exchange for being allowed to step down rather than face prison. That's his usual MO and why should he depart from his long-running pattern? I'd actually rather see Pence, McConnell, Ryan and Priebus go down, if I had my 'druthers. Trump can sail off into the sunset to die whenever his bad diet catches up with him, despised by all except his deplorable fans. He will have done this nation a great service by exposing to the entire world the rot that is the GOP.

Well, I'd like to see Bannon, Stone and Manafort in jail too. And Flynn.

Hay now.. There is no call to get nasty....

:D

NO ONE has ever denied Russia was trying to influence US elections..

That *ALWAYS* happens..

Just like the US tries to influence other country's elections..

"DOOOYYYYYYY"
-Vanillope Von Schweetz...

Ya'all's problem is that there are absolutely NO FACTS to support the claim that Russia *DID* influence the election and there are absolutely NO FACTS to support the claim that Team Trump colluded with the Russians to influence the election..

What part of ***NO FACTS TO SUPPORT THE ACCUSATIONS*** do you not understand???

No, I want you to cite exactly what comment of mine you are commenting on so I can know EXACTLY what you are talking about...

But hay.. If YOU don't know exactly what you are talking about, that's fine.. :D

No.. YA'ALL don't remember the Harriet Myers debacle...

Because THIS time around, Democrats won't be able to STOP IT....

Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh would be wonderful to see in the confirmation hearings.

And, if I had said Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh then you would have a point.

But I didn't, so you don't...

You cut and pasted two parts of my comment to avoid doing it once... and you want me to cite your own words.

I'm not qualified to treat what ails you.

Don't go all Hillary on me and blame others for your own problems.

A

Critiquing President Obama for not forcing the issue and going public with what was known at the time is justifiable. But to do so without placing even greater blame on Mitch McConnell misses an important piece of the puzzle.

When all of our intelligence services are saying that an opponent like Russia is attempting to influence a U.S. election and your response is to say that if the administration goes public with that information you will accuse them of partisan politics, you are demonstrating a willingness to play political games with our democracy. But then, this is the same guy who, in the midst of the Great Recession, said that making Obama a one-term president was his number one goal. Neither the welfare of the American people nor our democracy has ever been a priority for Mitch McConnell. That is deplorable.

Republicans: party before country.

I think that the filibuster is needed, but it should require actual "filibustering" by the person! They don't work enough as it is, making them DO the job that we sent them to do isn't asking too much! The recent Congresses have had it too easy, and they have worked hard to make it that way. Sadly, it's the only thing they seem to work hard to accomplish.

Actually, that sounds like the Republicans right now.

"Tell us, Mr. Hannity, what qualifications you have for this position."

Then you don't remember the Harriet Myers debacle?

Yup.
Annoying.

I know, I know.. It's always annoying to be asked to back up claims with facts...

Just spreading the joi :D

It's the Democrat Party way...

It's EXACTLY why we have President Trump...

Remind me again how "fine" it is when President Trump nominates a Sean Hannity or a Rush Limbaugh and Democrats will be completely and utterly impotent to stop it.. :D

Yep..

The tone is IDENTICAL when ya'all were claiming that there never would even BE a President Trump... :D

Republicans can't be trusted as far as I could throw the fattest of them and no "promises" they make now will be honored later.

If McConnell goes nuclear, fine. If they put Gorsuch on the court now they need to do it on pure party lines. Make them own it, make them eat it.

You can't negotiate with liars. Democrats are finally grasping this. GOP has gotten away with lying and cheating for years because too many people/institutions were unwilling to call them out for their treachery. The only way to beat them now is to expose, expose, expose them for what they are. They will do damage every step of the way but at least they will do damage in the teeth of opposition instead of acquiescence. The opposition can slow them down and blunt some of their stinking-rotten efforts. And when the administration comes crashing down because it's headed by a criminal-traitor, Democrats won't have to answer for helping them do their dirty work.

Yup.
Annoying.

Good luck with that.

A

Huh. Exactly the same response, almost word-for-word, as the last time I brought up a Rachel piece. I can't blame you, she's been kicking the shit out of Faux News lately, and pointing out all sorts of uncomfortable links between the Trump cartel and the Russians.

Trump's Tax Returns, just one piece of his giant "fuck ethics" pie, will eventually be made public, as will the entire picture of his playing footsie with the Russian gangster-state. It's not a matter of 'if', dude.

Nobody knows for sure if Millian is genuinely plugged in at high levels, or if he's just a fast-talking huckster. But put all this together and it's easy to see why the Trump-Russia story won't go away. The FBI believes Steele to be credible. In the cases where it's been possible to check out the allegations in the dossier, they've turned out to be true. Other intelligence corroborates much of the alleged Russian activity. And Millian's claims are genuinely explosive.

This isn't going away anytime soon.

See.
You've got the punk attitude in spades.

Even your story about Santa the other day shows you've had it all along... though, you could have made those kids cry even more by telling them that Christmas was embraced to coopt the pagan celebration of the winter solstice... or maybe just confused them.

Sorry about foisting a whole album on you.
It is indeed rastacore.
The first album Bad Brains put out was Rock For Light, and it had more reggae songs... but also harder, less polished hardcore that I thought may be too overwhelming.

Live shows are at the heart of the experience. I spent an hour trying to find live versions with video of some of my favorite songs, but technology back then just couldn't produce decent sound quality. So I resorted to posting a link to a studio album... and even that sounds like crap on my laptop... hopefully you have a better system because I Against I is one of the best albums ever made.

Anyway, here's another favorite (just one song)-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4OlCROoRbc

A

That's Act 1. In Act 2, they have to defend all that to local constituents.

Yea.. MadCow also had a report on President Trump's tax returns.. :D

Big woop....

GOP: Traitors, filled top to bottom with shit.

“My biggest fear isn’t being on Putin’s hit list or psychological warfare targeting, I’ve been doing that for two years,” Watts explained. “My biggest concern right now is, I don’t know what the American stance is on Russia, and who’s going to take care of me. I mean, after years in the army and the FBI… today I’m going to walk out of here and ain’t nobody going to be covering my back.”

Trump/GOP in power, going along with or actively colluding with Putin and his various gangs, Americans who serve their country are unprotected. Expendable so long as Trumpie gets his money and GOP gets their tax cuts and Trumpers get to sneer at liberals.

Deplorable.

Interesting that you should bring that up, as Rachel Maddow last night covered the fact that Putin has been quietly financing secessionist movements in California and Texas - part of his ongoing 'Make America Weak' campaign.

Glad to see you admit that the Democrats ARE being childish..

I get it, I really do..

The GOP were big fat meenies, so the Democrats are going to be big fat meenies right back...

The problem for the Dems in that scenario is that it will net them NOTHING... Gorsuch will still be confirmed..

In actuality, it will be WORSE than nothing for the Democrats because they would have needlessly thrown away a weapon that MIGHT be effective for President Trump's next nominee...

Consider what's going to happen if President Trump nominates a Rush Limbaugh or a Sean Hannity or a Mitch McConnell to replace Justice Kennedy or Justice Ginsberg..

The Dems won't be able to do a DAMN thing to stop it...

Remind me THEN how the Democrats childish antics at the time was worth it...

That's the problem with Democrats. By and large, they NEVER think long term... The opt for the quickie result and to hell with the future..

One would have thought the Dems would have figured that out with Harry's bonehead play back in 2013...

But that's Democrats for ya... Doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different result....

But one thing that makes me feel good about the building resistance to Gorsuch is that the Democrats in Congress seem at last to be bridling at the notion that "bipartisanship" is primarily the responsibility of their party, that they don't necessarily have to be the grown-ups in a room where childish vandals roam free, and that, sooner or later, the Republicans have to take responsibility in real time for the damage they do. Chuck Schumer is under no obligation to salve the consciences of the people who stiffed Merrick Garland—and, by the way, there is no requirement that the Supreme Court be "balanced" ideologically—by giving them exactly the result they wanted a year ago.

Touch off the powder for a change.

Take California... Please!! :D

You intruded into my conversation with goode trickle and now you want me to cite what you wrote?
Have you forgotten or are you just being annoying?

Hay, senility is slowly creeping up on me.. :D I barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning...

It was an oatmeal raisin cookie and 3 cans of Diet Coke, if yer curious...

I am constantly badgered and bugged to cite my claims.. I figure the LEAST I can do is spreak the joi.. :D

You do realize that by agreeing with my "other interpretations are possible" argument you are admitting that racism may sometimes be a factor, right?

Abso-frakin'-tively I am agreeing with you that racism could be a factor.. I have *NEVER* claimed otherwise..

My point then, now and always, is that racism is the ONLY factor that the anti-cop fanatics proffer...

I read your comments about my comments.
Somebody call the Pope.

Cite???

Cut and paste into Google-
racism emergency room

Your source of "proof" is a google page?? :D

Unlike the survey of cops, the results that come up are NIH funded scientific papers and media reports about them. No wiggle room for favorable interpretations.

Then it won't be a problem for you to cite one...

As for the video of the police beating a man who got on his knees and surrendered, goode trickle provided the background info on what happened before the video starts...

If I recall correctly (I could be wrong, a lot's happened since then)......

"Stanley, did you mean what you said before about how bringing a child into this world is an act of cruelty??"
"I meant it at the time.."
"At the time!?? Stanley, it was like 7 seconds ago!!"
"Well, gee whiz. Kinda a lot's happened since then.."
-THE ROCK

....er.. where was I??

Oh yea.. If I recall correctly, GT didn't describe THAT specific incident, but rather an approximation of the incident based on GT's personal knowledge of the area...

As I said, I could be wrong. If you would like me to address it more fully, please repost what GT said..

This idea of bring forth comments from days or weeks ago is taxing me po' bairns... :D

It's funny that you are being wishy washy about it now.

I may be many things, but when it comes to LEO issues NO ONE could EVER describe me as 'wishy-washy' :D

In the article I linked to in my first comment about this, there is a video of a retired police chief being interviewed... and he defended the cop.

Cite???

If you want me to answer questions it behooves you to provide as many salient details and FACTS (if you have them) as possible...

You intruded into my conversation with goode trickle and now you want me to cite what you wrote?
Have you forgotten or are you just being annoying?

You do realize that by agreeing with my "other interpretations are possible" argument you are admitting that racism may sometimes be a factor, right?
Or are just skimming and not following?

OMG!
I read your comments about my comments.
Somebody call the Pope.

36

Cut and paste into Google-
racism emergency room

I know it's difficult, but if you only read the pages of article titles you will still learn something... or crawl further into willful ignorance and denial... or maybe just exercise your clicking finger while staring blankly or something... unlike Listen, I have no idea how you process thoughts.

Unlike the survey of cops, the results that come up are NIH funded scientific papers and media reports about them. No wiggle room for favorable interpretations.
If it makes you feel better, sometimes patients are racist too... and there are articles about that as well.

As for the video of the police beating a man who got on his knees and surrendered, goode trickle provided the background info on what happened before the video starts...

It's funny that you are being wishy washy about it now.
If I didn't know better, I'd say you were leaving room for the possibility that the beating wasn't justified after all.

The whole "we can't know because we don't have all the information" bit is either an excuse to avoid condemning the brutality or a cop out (no pun intended) to avoid taking a stand in defense of the brutality.

In the article I linked to in my first comment about this, there is a video of a retired police chief being interviewed... and he defended the cop.
Why are you wimping out?

A

It could make a HUGE difference..

Postulate a scenario where President Trump's popularity continues to plummet. I concede... It could happen..

So, then you have an UNPOPULAR President whose nominee is also unpopular...

All of the sudden, the filibuster WOULD have the desired effect..

Oh, but shucky darn, the Democrats ALREADY lost the filibuster using it against a nominee that EVERYONE agreed was acceptable..

I said it before and I'll say it again..

If Democrats had more than 2 brain cells to rub together, they would realize that the smartest tactical move would be to preserve the filibuster and use it where it will tactically do the most good...

The funny thing is, there was near universal agreement on that point from the vast majority of Weigantians..

Of course, when the Democrats opted to fight Gorsuch, virtually *ALL* of those Weigantians, all of the sudden, changed their minds..

"Oh, I've ALWAYS thought it was a good idea to fight the Gorsuch nomination!!"

Not Party slaves, my ass!! :D

Excellent commentary, CW...

I love these informative commentaries that hold both Partys accountable for their screw-ups...

Would we see the abuse of the "reconciliation" process that we see today if the law of the land was much like it is in California, no budget, no pay?

I think that the GOP would be foolish to drop the remaining nukes... but then again in the zero sum world of lobbying that has become "congress" short term gains for ones money interests tends to rule over the interests of the actual citizens. I was in support of the R-bomb getting dropped because as I see it a president is entitled to whomever they choose to be their advisers, of course so long as they are not foreign agents... Likewise I also believe in a functional judiciary system. I may not like the advisers or the judicial selections, but that is immaterial to a point, as to some extent to the victors go the spoils.

To me, preserving the filibuster for supremes and major legislation is more important than most people might think as it forces congress to actually talk with each other to get 60 votes. If you can't get 60 votes go back to the drawing board until you can.... This prevents bad selections from stacking the court, although the court would still swing a bit, and keeps major pieces of legislation from becoming just bad pieces of legislation the benefit solely the corporate interests of either party. No, the auto filibuster we have in place now also does not work...I think if you are going to filibuster you need to line them up and have a speach-a-thon. Sorry, no panhandling from corporate interests today... you have a filibuster to attend.

I like to think that the majority of Americans simply want to see a government more responsive to their needs and one that works together to actually govern. Even in today's market of information contoured to what makes one comfortable, I have faith in our citizens to realize that you can't always get 100 percent of what you want, but you will get what you need (as a side note, I find, trumps use of that Stones song a rather humorous way of telling his voters they will not get what they want...) and can look to fix it down the road.

In the current day the only time politics really pits us against each other is when you are in an environment that is designed for only one side, or you break one of the social taboos for political discussion. In theory I could slide up on bar stool next to Michale and have a beer with him or go shopping in his shop and we would probably get along or the same could be said for having a seat with Alto or any number of others around...I know this works having worked both the RNC and DNC and have been forced to work and socialize with those that have radically different points of view.

Perhaps the answer to getting congress backs to governing is to take the power away from congress determining how congress behaves. After each election and before a new congress is seated we form a citizens commission that is comprised of a member from each recognized political party from every state and voting territory names are selected at random from the voter roles and they are convened like a grand jury and they get to set regulation for congress... You know like No budget, no pay... this is what you can reconcile this is what you can't .... or how about no fundraising while congress is in session.

Gotta get off of the soap box...Time to catch a plane.

I swear I wrote and posted this before seeing today's column from George Will:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-filibuster-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-its-time-to-bring-the-old-way-back/2017/03/29/f8242af0-13e9-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html

He discusses bringing back the old "talking" filibuster, which I didn't really address in my article. But I was a bit surprised to see the same subject in the Washington Post so quickly, I have to admit!

:-)

-CW