Finally one Republican speaks out!!!

[frugal-one]

John Kasich calls out Trump and asks all Republicans to do the same! It is time for EVERYONE to speak up.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/453077-kasich-calls-on-republicans-to-condemn-deplorable-trump-tweets

[Teacher Terry]

I bet all we will hear is crickets.

[Ultralight]

Kasich is not considered a real Republican here in Ohio.

[frugal-one]

Kasich is not considered a real Republican here in Ohio.

Something like ... Trump is not considered a real President in the US!

[ApatheticNoMore]

well last week Justin Amash resigned from the Republican party, so not just one. I mean that's a step.

Last week Nancy Pelosi was attacking those Dem congresswomen (really a dumb move), this week Trump joins the fray.

[jp1]

But now no one is talking about the fact that he was probably having sex with teenage girls at his buddy epstein’s house. And since his supporters think it’s cool when he acts like a stupid ass there’s literally no downside to this type of behavior.

[Rogar]

Where's Mitt when you need him. He seems like one of the only other people in the GOP to speak out against Trump, at least since McCain is gone. As long as the republicans are getting their way in advancing their agenda, I don't think they care what Trump says, and it only goes down in a long line of his racist remarks. I could almost see it as one of his diversions to shift away from the border crisis.

[Ultralight]

The GOP big wigs probably told Mitt to shut his trap. And he was like: "Yes, sirs." lol

Trump will win again in 2020. It is not because the Dems are "too far left." It is because the Dems are:
-Tangled up in the worst of identity politics
-Disorganized and all over the place
-Not falling in love with any particular candidate

I think that liberals need to focus on states' rights. We can do some powerful stuff at the state and even city level. We can make many states into progressive havens.

(Queue up Repubs to talk trash about Illinois or California... Go!)

[Alan]

Trump will win again in 2020. It is not because the Dems are "too far left." It is because the Dems are....

The current leader of the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi, has gone on record admonishing the most vocal far left members of her party because polling has recently shown that Independents don't care for their goals. If she doesn't get them under control the Democrats will probably lose the House next year.

I think that liberals need to focus on states' rights.
True liberals always have, the progressives have co-opted the name. There is nothing liberal in the actions of "liberals".

[iris lilies]

The GOP big wigs probably told Mitt to shut his trap. And he was like: "Yes, sirs." lol

Trump will win again in 2020. It is not because the Dems are "too far left." It is because the Dems are:
-Tangled up in the worst of identity politics
-Disorganized and all over the place
-Not falling in love with any particular candidate

I think that liberals need to focus on states' rights. We can do some powerful stuff at the state and even city level. We can make many states into progressive havens.

(Queue up Repubs to talk trash about Illinois or California... Go!)

Progressive havens need the big federal dollars to properly provide the services no one can afford. Although this week there was lotta publicity about California offering healthcare to undocumented persons, so there’s that.

I haven’t kept track of California’s financial situation, I am too worried about Illinois because that infection is right next to me, it’s like 20 miles away from me. But I assume California’s deficit spending has not improved but perhaps I am wrong.

( thanks for the set up)

[Ultralight]

Right on queue!

[LDAHL]

Trump will win again in 2020. It is not because the Dems are "too far left." It is because the Dems are:
-Tangled up in the worst of identity politics
-Disorganized and all over the place
-Not falling in love with any particular candidate




I think Trump would probably agree with you. He has little to lose by being called a racist. His enemies have been doing that from the beginning, and would continue to do so if he were to limit all future utterances to the Sermon on the Mount.

He has much to gain by making voters think of the “squad” when they think of the Democratic Party.

[jp1]

Progressive havens need the big federal dollars to properly provide the services no one can afford.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2019/03/20/how-much-federal-funding-each-state-receives-government/39202299/

California receives net federal spending of $12/resident more than they pay in federal taxes. The top ten net receivers are:

Virginia: $10,301 per resident
Kentucky: $9,145 per resident
New Mexico: $8,692
West Virgina: $7,283
Alask: $7,048
Mississippi: $6,880
Alabama: $6,694
Maryland: $6,035
Maine: $5,572
Hawaii: $5,270

The bottom ten includes Washington: -$184 per resident, Massachusetts: -$2,343 per resident, New York: -$1,792 per resident, Connecticut: -$4,000 per resident.

Missouri, at $3,949 per resident should probably change their slogan from the show me state to the gimme state.

[ApatheticNoMore]

California's spending is in the black, it has such a SURPLUS of revenue that it did things like that healthcare expansion for undocumented (look I may not agree with the priorities especially as it's not universal (only the young) so you can't even make a public health argument there, but get the facts right). Yes CA has a hard time of it in recessions, I believe Jerry Brown's rainy day fund is still in effect for that, but not sure.

As for states rights, I suspect people who say that don't fully know what they are talking about.

I mean yes do what you can on a state and local level of course, I want to elect good people there. However, the Feds WILL try to overrule it.

Why do you think blue states keep having to sue the Trump Federal government again and again and again? And states like CA and WA have, many times, the lawsuits are endless.

CA can ONLY enact stricter air quality standards because it has specific exemptions to do so in the Clean Air Act and even then the Trump administration keeps challenging it. Most states, uh all states but CA, don't have specific exemptions to enact stricter laws than the Feds there.

So if you think you can just think: "ok, the Fed government is all messed up, but I'm going to run my state exactly like I want", that's not how it works. The Feds aren't going to be all "ok, you go your way we'll go ours" in return. You will have to be in court constantly to try to maintain your state laws. The Trump administration has no great respect for state's rights! So something can be done on the state level but it will be a constant pitched battle. We really need a less hostile administration.

[JaneV2.0]

It seems progressive states are showing the way. Oregon has a huge revenue surplus, too.

[jp1]

I think Trump would probably agree with you. He has little to lose by being a racist.

Fixed it for you. I would add, though, that since 43% of the country loves this aspect of him and all those people are likely to vote for other R's there's not much upside, if any, in R politicians calling him out for it. I will be supremely surprised if Justin Amash pulls off a reelection victory next year.

[LDAHL]

Fixed it for you. I would add, though, that since 43% of the country loves this aspect of him and all those people are likely to vote for other R's there's not much upside, if any, in R politicians calling him out for it. I will be supremely surprised if Justin Amash pulls off a reelection victory next year.

I see Trump as racist. He judges and has expectations of people based on arbitrary categories. I think the squad does much the same thing for many of the same reasons. Their real dispute isn’t so much over treating people in that manner, it’s about who gets to play the victim.

[jp1]

I don't see calling out racism as playing victim anymore than I see telling someone to practice their religion however they want to but don't force it on me as me practicing religious persecution.

[LDAHL]

I don't see calling out racism as playing victim anymore than I see telling someone to practice their religion however they want to but don't force it on me as me practicing religious persecution.

I see the grievance industrial complex as a form of racism in it’s own right, assigning both sin and virtue on the basis of arbitrary traits. I see little difference between Trump’s tweets and the squad’s. Two sides of the same imbecilic coin.

[jp1]

So what should people who are being judged/treated poorly because of immutable traits like race or sexual orientation do? If people never complain nothing will ever change. If there had not been a lot of complaining women still wouldn't be able to vote, sexual harassment would still be treated as something to joke about, and we'd still be treating black people like we did in 1890.

[JaneV2.0]

So what should people who are being judged/treated poorly because of immutable traits like race or sexual orientation do? If people never complain nothing will ever change. If there had not been a lot of complaining women still wouldn't be able to vote, sexual harassment would still be treated as something to joke about, and we'd still be treating black people like we did in 1890.

And presumably, today's conservatives would be fine with that.

True conservatives like John Paul Stevens (RIP) are sadly missed.

[jp1]

Well at least now trump has moved on from the two minutes hate being chants about Hillary to chants about Ilhan. He's trying to say that he didn't like it or approve of it but either because he lacks the honor of John McCain, https://youtu.be/JIjenjANqAk?t=00m28s or because he was lying when he said he disliked it (or both), he did nothing to try to stop the people https://youtu.be/WFtCKxG9Ims?t=0m42s . For the moment republican politicians claim to be very upset about this. I put the over under at 3 days before we never hear another republican say anything about this, despite the fact that it will undoubtedly happen at every trump rally from here on out. Because that's just the awesome kind of people they are.

[Ultralight]

Ilhan. I actually think it is likely she is anti-Semitic. I suspect Tlaib is too. They are certainly anti-Israel.

As old Hank says: "You are never too old to abandon your prejudices."

I suggest they ditch the anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli bull crap.

[jp1]

And I suggest that Israel stop treating Palestinians like crap.

[Ultralight]

And I suggest that Israel stop treating Palestinians like crap.

Did I ever tell you about the gay tour guide?

[jp1]

Did I ever tell you about the gay tour guide?

That sounds like the setup of a bad joke. But I’m game. Tell me about the gay tour guide.

[Ultralight]

That sounds like the setup of a bad joke. But I’m game. Tell me about the gay tour guide.

I spent a couple weeks in Israel back in 2017. I went all over -- Tel Aviv, Golan Heights, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Red Sea, etc. I also went into Palestine.

The tour guide who took us from Tel Aviv to Palestine was straight and Jewish. He had a wife and kids. When we crossed into Palestine we had to get a local guide. And the moment I saw him my gaydar was going off big time!

Anyway, despite it being kind of illegal, our original guide -- the straight Jewish one -- came with us to Palestine. He did not do any tour guiding though. He was seemingly pretty good friends with the gay Palestinian guide.

So we take a tour, the place feels a bit sketchy, but all in all, I enjoyed my time in Palestine and I tipped the gay tour guide well.

On the way back to Tel Aviv, the straight Jewish tour guide starts having a casual conversation with us about life in Palestine. He explains that he knows many Palestinian gays. And he tells us how he lives near a banquet hall in Tel Aviv.

Apparently a very big group of gay Palestinians came to Tel Aviv and asked community leaders if they could have a place to do gay stuff -- like hold a dinner party, have some dancing, hang out -- you know, really gay stuff.

The community leaders in Tel Aviv were welcoming to these gay Palestinians and they got them that banquet hall. So en mass a whole bunch of gay Palestinians go into Tel Aviv once a month so they can be themselves and have fun openly being gay.

You see, the government of Palestine does not allow gays to engage in any gayness. They could be horribly punished -- formally or "informally."

I would be willing to bet that Israel would be much more open to a two state solution that involves giving Palestine its own land if the government of Palestine wanted a free and open society where all races and genders and religions have rights and can vote in free elections. And no sharia.

But it seems to me, from what I was told and what I have read that Palestine wants a repressive theocracy.

Israel, though a Jewish state, is not a repressive theocracy. It is a bastion of freedom in a region where you, my friend, would be killed for simply being yourself.

But go to Tel Aviv in June. You will see a huge pride parade. Go to the beach all summer and you will see gay and lesbian and trans people milling about openly. You will see protests and demonstrations where people have free speech.

This is why I am Team Israel: The civil liberties!

[JaneV2.0]

And I suggest that Israel stop treating Palestinians like crap.

Hear hear! Voicing that suggestion, however timidly, seems to be the third rail of conservative politics. Representative Omar is completely justified, IMO, in voicing criticism of Israel--her family lived with its oppression.

[iris lilies]

I am glad, for the sake of California residents here, that CA can, at the moment, afford to pay health insurance costs for any group of people residing in that state legally or illegally. I am sincere in my wish for CA to use their budget however they like. That is the beauty of a loosely federated organization of states—we do not all have to do that same thing.

I am still waiting for the state that pays for health insurance for all within their state to step forward. Havent all of those plans, wishes, and dreams gone by the wayside? CO and OR were the last two I remember taking up that mantle. What happened to those efforts? Why doesnt CA just cover everyone?

[dado potato]

On the continuum of Disrespectful Behavior the highest intensity behaviors are:
Violent Behavior
Unwanted Physical Contact
Physical Intimidation
Verbal Threats (are we there yet?)

I see a news item: that on Facebook a sworn law enforcement officer, Charlie Rispoli, wrote in regard to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, This vile idiot needs a round ……. and I don't mean the kind she used to serve.

Ofc. Rispoli has been a member of the police force of Gretna LA since 2005. The Chief of Police is investigating. He said to nola.com that he does not think the comment represents an actual threat, but it appears to violate the police department's social media policy. "This is not the sort of thing a public servant should be posting."

[iris lilies]

On the continuum of Disrespectful Behavior the highest intensity behaviors are:
Violent Behavior
Unwanted Physical Contact
Physical Intimidation
Verbal Threats (are we there yet?)

I see a news item: that on Facebook a sworn law enforcement officer, Charlie Rispoli, wrote in regard to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, This vile idiot needs a round ……. and I don't mean the kind she used to serve.

Ofc. Rispoli has been a member of the police force of Gretna LA since 2005. The Chief of Police is investigating. He said to nola.com that he does not think the comment represents an actual threat, but it appears to violate the police department's social media policy. "This is not the sort of thing a public servant should be posting."

And so?

Is cherry picking through millions of incidents reported on the internet to, well, report it on the internet, useful discussion? I would say no.

But I think many service officers including police will be required to be more careful of their online vents. Saying something stupid about AOC is stupid but not of great concern to me.

I remember back in the day the website called Cop Talk here in St. Louis was a public site that anyone could read. Later they made it available only to registered users. I learned some interesting things there, including the reason why one of the Police Commissioners resigned from his position and was ushered out of town by his employer, The Catholic
Church. He was a priest who was hitting on two gay police officers by continually requesting they be his escorts around town. They just wanted to do their job and not service an old Queen.

Our city newspaper never reported the underlying reason for this debacle, to their credit.

I dont have a point here, am just relaying a story about young police officers who were sexually harassed and who Didn’t splay their situation all over the Internet, they went through channels to report the old goat. Their families and friends spilled the beans on Cop Talk.

So in this talI am as random as you are in reporting internet talk.