The line is going to be..."see, trump didn't pardon him! So that's a great thing isn't it? It proves that everything he did was on the up and up! What are you complaining about?"

Millennials Hate Josh Duggar Because They Hate Forgiveness. http://t.co/V6mKbHg8H5

— The Federalist (@FDRLST) June 9, 2015

Pilotman, there is no way they will ever admit Gaetz did anything wrong. He will be the victim. Mark it.

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Voter Fraud!

A Delaware County man admitted he cast an illegal ballot for Trump and gets sentenced to probation

No pictures on the site but I can guess what he looks like. I'd be very curious to see how the lawyer got paid for.

SI

Probation.

Texas upholds sentence for woman who didn’t know she was ineligible to vote | Texas | The Guardian

Over 4 months after the fact SMH, this should have been done by January

Oregon Lawmaker Who Opened State Capitol To Far-Right Protesters Faces Charges : NPR

Two misdemeanors? You know, if the DoJ is bored these days and has a moment to look at this case...

SI

Wow. WTF

Didn't see this part, holy shit, that is pathetic, a slap on the wrist

Remember that op-ed from 10 former Sec Defs? The New Yorker is reporting that Liz Cheney was the one that organized it.

I hate having to root for a Cheney.

She's a god damn hero, regardless of her political beliefs or family history.

I wouldn't go that far. SHe's going to lose, in large part because she hasn't tried to organize a public campaign against the GOP establishment. She's been stalwart in her beliefs, but it will take more than that to ward off the authoritarians.

I think anyone willing to stand up for the truth in the face of such blatant lies, knowing what is going to happen to her is nothing short of heroic.

Not sure what public campaign she could have organized. The GOP is a full on cult of personality at this point beholden to one man. It would be like pissing into the wind. I admire her for not compromising her principals for the sake of reelection unlike several of her colleagues who most assuredly know the big lie is just that.

Lindsey Graham: GOP can't 'move forward without President Trump' | TheHill




Twice lost the popular vote, lost the house, lost the senate.....can't grow without him.

Growing doesn't equal winning.

Worst case outcome for her is a multi-million dollar executive job somewhere. It's admirable that she actually believes what she claims to believe, especially compared to the rest of the GOP, but I want more from my heroes.

She is no hero, but I respect people more when they are at least consistent with their ideology. Even when I totally disagree with them.

I wonder if Cheney decides to run as an independent for President in 2024? That would completely F the Republicans and would not shock me at all.

3rd party might hurt Dems more than the GOP if it draws suburban professionals.

So Cheney is remover from her position, no surprise and just confirms more than ever that there is no room for sanity or reason in the republican party. They literally have sold their soul to a deranged madman for votes.

Ladies and gentleman the future of your republican party

Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye Liz Cheney

— Rep. Madison Cawthorn (@RepCawthorn) May 12, 2021

I hope they get trounced for abandoning the GOP I knew for this bastardized version.

Absolutely. If Trump runs, there is no one that is going to loosen his grip on the 38-40% that have sworn fealty to him. Give independents a non-Democratic option, then you are probably looking at Trump losing a couple of percentage points that would have held their nose and voted for him. But there would probably be a 5-7 point loss of independent voters for Dems. That of course depends a bit on the Dem candidate, but it would more likely break worse than better.
2024 isn't the biggest concern now. 2022 is. History tells us that the Dems are likely to lose both sides of Congress. Preventing that should be 100% of the focus. How the lawsuits play out against the voter suppression laws will tell much of that story.

This hearing on the insurrection makes it pretty clear that the mainstream GOP position is that the government attacked and killed innocent protestors on Jan. 6.

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

I listened to some of it and the way they are trying to rewrite history is staggering. The congressman from Mass flat out called them out on it. Then you have Gym Jordan who spent his 5 minutes talking about the dems saying the right isn't allowed to object. They also brought up Hillary at some point, because of course.

Another one, I think from Ga, quoted trump saying to peacefully march, then accused the dems of cherry picking words, failing to also say Trump said they need to fight like hell for their country without a hint of irony. There is also the token hint that is was antifa behind it all, and the Trump protesters were all fun bunch of God lovin Americans, despite the fact masses of them have testified they felt compelled to be there because Trump instructed them to.

I can't pull links and quotes at the moment, but to me the most telling analysis from this week or so has been, when looking at the near-term future of the GOP: the notion that "old school" Republicans or conservatives might threaten to break away and form a third party is more or less laughable (in that it wouldn't work and everyone knows it) but the notion that Trump-loyal people currently under the Republican name might do so is a very serious proposition.

It's hard to believe. It really is testament to the power of cheap psychology tricks and basic persuasion theory...the stuff is so powerful with such a wide share of people (including many who are otherwise pretty reasonable) that it's hard to see how the toothpaste gets back into the tube, so to speak. Conspiracy theories are just more powerful than boring "studies" or "analysis" or "expertise," and how do you combat that?

It's back to an old saying "in politics, if you're explaining, you're losing." The experts and scientists are the ones who are now suddenly trapped in this inescapable political conundrum. If the M.D. in charge of public health in your county goes on television telling people it's very important to get the vaccine, a terrifyingly high share of Americans see it and respond with "oh, wonder what's in it for her?" How the fuck do you defeat that? And how far does it go, on beyond the issue of the moment (covid shutdowns, vaccinations, etc)?

Yeah, I'll believe in the supposed GOP division/fall just as soon as they stop voting as a single bloc to impede any and all progress.

So where are the felony murder prosecutions? How come they haven't arrested the pipe bomber?

The GOP stance seems very much in-line with the DOJ.

Liz Cheney is also a piece of shit and it is really funny to see her ousted like this.

Where were we deploying the National Guard, Libya?

That comment really stuck out to me as well. I am willing to concede the challenging logistics, but they should have been prepared for this scenario. Some serious buck passing going on with a side of CYA.

Bet your ass if it was 30K Muslims they would have been a lot quicker.

So when Trump gets re-elected, do you think he appoints himself dictator for life?

Yes or at least makes it easy to pass the crown to his kids.

The revenge he is going to take out on people will be something to behold. They really need to hang something major on him to disqualify him from holding office

I remember clearly having a convo with a Trump supporter I work with back in the day where he said, after I asked, that he would never support Trump having a 3rd term. I even got him to admit that that would be tantamount to a dictatorship taking hold. Then I recall one conversation where he threw out an aside that because Trump suffered such obstruction and unfairness while in office his first term that it shouldn't count and when he wins the reelection he should bee able to get his 3rd term do over. It's amazing what lengths Americans will go to in their march towards tyranny. Then due to the incredible amount of projection that worked during his term they'll say it's the other side that wants tyranny. I literally learned that every time Trump or the admin accused the other side of something I immediately rang the register that the admin/Trump were guilty of exactly that. Biden son corrut in Ukraine? Clearly the Trump org and Rudy were guilty of the same. etc etc

At least Cheney reached a point where she decided she couldn’t just go along with the rest of the lemmings.

So by this logic after a full term of blatant obstruction by McConnell, Obama can run against him in 2024 right?

Yeah but that wasn't unfair. Obama deserved that.

Just so no one forgets just how crazy MTG is.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/polit...tez/index.html

What are the odds trump made phone calls to encourage palestine hits

also odds on trump giggling with glee about how many children were killed

MTG makes my first wife look like Mary Poppins........and that takes some doing.

Yes, and in doing so she committed political suicide. However, she did get some very complimentary (albeit disingenuous) praise from Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer.

She somehow reminds me of a combination of the worst types of sports parents and Facebook trolls.

Dola, we knew Liz Cheney's days were numbered after she fist bumped President Biden at the State of the Union Address. She was absolutely hammered by MAGA fanatics on Twitter, which Cheney responded to:

"I disagree strongly w/@JoeBiden policies, but when the President reaches out to greet me in the chamber of the US House of Representatives, I will always respond in a civil, respectful & dignified way. We're different political parties. We're not sworn enemies. We're Americans."

this Matt Gaetz thing is such a no win for the Dems and is just going to divide the country further.

If he isn't charged the right will scream "witch hunt! The media attacking another sweet, innocent, republican"

If he is charged but not convicted the right will scream "witch hunt! They had nothing on him all along! the media pressured them into it! The Biden DOJ is trying to make this angel of virtue look bad!"

If he is charged and convicted the right will scream "witch hunt! He is innocent and being set up. He didn't do anything wrong! It is the medias fault"

and the religious right, party of family values, led by FOX News will make this into a political thing yet again and ignore the fact a sitting congressman paid for sex, likely with a minor. there will also be some Hunter Biden references tossed in.

It's really sad to watch the absolute disregard of morals that exist in the GOP after 4 years of fake news, constant lies and constitution shredding. It's like why should we even pretend to have integrity anymore? Let's just embrace corruption and scream not fair when we get called on it.

I am seriously feeling like there is no political home for me anymore. I really hate the fact that I feel I can't trust anyone on the right anymore when until 2020 I had a very balanced voting records between parties.

Dola, I think ultimately Gaetz will skate because of how much money and influence daddy has, when it should be apparent to everyone that he is in politics for the sole reason of lining his pockets and sucking every ounce of opportunity out of his privilege possible.

I just continue to get this sick feeling that the last election was a "last gasp" of democracy, and we are going to go off the cliff into a total authoritarian state in the next couple of years. I mean like possible "reeducation camps" type of stuff.

Isn't that what the 1619 Project is about? :p

Shocked I tell you! Shocked!

House Minority Leader McCarthy opposes current bipartisan deal for creation of January 6 commission.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 18, 2021

I don't see how a 9/11-like commission can happen.

If the 9/11 terrorists had all been wearing Al Gore gear and blown up the towers and the Pentagon with the express purpose of deposing Bush so that Gore could be President, we wouldn't have had a 9/11 commission either.

My State Rep Thomas Massie made sure to co-sign a letter with another congressman expressing his concerns to Garland and the Justice Department over what he feared was "hyper-politicization" that will lead to unfair treatment and possible overly aggressive prosecution for suspects from Jan 6.

Capitol riot: Rep. Thomas Massie warns of prosecutorial overreach

Just imagine if Dems did this with Antifa......

I should be surprised. I hope his shit stain client get 30 years and he gets disbarred.

I spoke to the "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley's attorney, Albert Watkins, for this story. Here's what he had to say... https://t.co/6gZ2jzPvSh pic.twitter.com/b4w62dYvLN

— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) May 18, 2021

I think the Shaman needs to conjure up a better lawyer. It's like he picked an old high school friend who once binged a season of Law and Order.

Oh FUCK this guy and FUCK that piece of shit Chansley, this is a pathetic, ignorant attempt to get his client leniency while both insulting and marginalizing others with this condition that do just fine in society and are perfectly capable of rational thought and actions.

My oldest son has Aspergers and guess what, he holds a near 6 figure job in IT as a project analyst, is married, owns a house and has a wonderful daughter. He struggles with social anxiety, but he is brilliant in his job, a loving and devoted Dad.

Hearing shit like this makes me irate and I would like to clock that fucking attorney! Seriously, I actually looked him up to see if he is local and it's probably good he isn't. Man I am heated right now.

Yup.

My son is 11 with Aspergers. Most people don't even realize because he is very high functioning, just not great in certain social situations. It's beyond gross the generalizations the attorney is making, and really shoddy. I would imagine the prosecution will have a field day with that defense. My son also knows Trump is a huge POS and came to that conclusion on his own while FOX News was on at his grandparents.

Republican leadership is whipping against the forming of a bipartisan commission on the January 6th attack. They are the party of Trump wholly and completely.

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McConnell indicated today he was open to a committee, but I am sure it is just another tease and he will find a reason to oppose it when the time comes.

I agree. It's a shame they cut a plea with Greenberg who is a bottom of the barrel crook.

Reminds me of the Mueller probe when all these crooks got sweetheart deals to help and it led to jack squat.

Seems like the "we cut a deal for his cooperation" is just a tool to let the rich connected white dudes off easy.

If only he was selling individual cigs on the sidewalk....man, we'd have his ass NAILED! We'd choke that fucker out!

The Republican party is in total disarray right now. What was once a proud party, with great statesmen like Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush no longer exists. MAGA fanatics love to throw out the term "RINO" (Republican in Name Only) to anyone who dares to defy Trump and seeks to compromise with the opposition party. The irony that is lost on these idiots is that in fact they are the "RINOS" who have taken over and destroyed a once honorable party.

More sickening are the Republican congressmen who suck up to Trump. Lindsey Graham is a mealymouthed, flip flopping hypocrite with the spine of a jellyfish. Ted Cruz is no better. Keep in mind, this is the same guy who called Trump a pathological liar during the 2016 presidential campaign after Trump accused Ted's father of being responsible for the assassination of JFK. Now, he's a boot licking Trump sycophant along with the rest of them.

He also said Cruz’s wife was ugly, I believe.

It only took 1 day for this prediction to come true. I am so sick of that fucking guy. I'm so sick of literally opposing everything. Like yeah, it's totally cool.

Yep, right on queue, he is such a shady bastard.

McConnell says he'll oppose Jan. 6 commission to probe riot

Might as well just go ahead and do the insfrastructure and jobs plan by reconciliation now. If they won't even vote for a commission to study the attack on themselves that their own member negotiated they're not serious about anything bipartisan.

Bingo. Might as well forget the Scotus investigation, and go ahead with nominations there too.

All this buzz about the Trump criminal probes is just like the buzz about Mueller. Until they actually indict him, it means nothing.

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You can see the direction the party is going.

US House candidate Bouchard says he impregnated 14-year-old when he was 18 | 307 Politics | trib.com

So I guess that all worked out then.


Oh.

The rapist talking about the "right thing to do".

It gets 'better', because of course it does ... The son he calls "estranged after some poor decisions" ? Aparently not code for "gay" but imprisoned for rape, sodomy and false imprisonment.

Might get him to support "Fight for 15" if we tell him it's an age of consent thing.

I thought that the 2020 election would be a clear repudiation of Trump with everything going on. When that didn't happen, that was almost worse than 2016 because it wasn't just a one time charlatan but an ethos we're now stuck with until something breaks. Trump's death will weaken the movement but they've now seen the blueprint.

Look at what's going on around the average state house now. It's always been a little meth lab of democracy where it's a lot cheaper to cook up bad stuff to try and get past the judiciary. But, now, for instance, here in Texas, they've seen there's no reason to go with "merely bad with a pretense of less bad" - just serve up the "batshit crazy" as there's no electoral consequence and even some benefits in your primary.

SI

With the Senate, electoral college, and gerrymandering the House, this country wasn't too big on democracy in the first place.

Yes, it's pretty much all over for the US. We only have two political parties - still, somehow, even after Trump, the election lies, and January 6th - and one of them, currently the only sane one, isn't going to win every important election until the other one gets its crap together again. So when the GOP does win eventually - whether in 2 or 4 or 8 years - we're screwed.

The GOP is like an evil AI right now, learning from what went wrong in its failed attempt to force itself into power, taking the necessary steps to ensure laws and people are in the proper places to seemingly overturn any "wrong" decisions made by the voters next time. They aren't just changing voting laws, they are looking to take over SOS and other election official positions in key states to stop the Raffensperger's of the world from refusing to put party over country/truth.

Meanwhile, the Dems do nothing. I voted Dem for President for the first time in my life to buy us, like, 2-4 years, tops, it looks like. It's like the Democratic Party goes fishing every morning and just throws the boat out on the lake today like any other day, completely ignoring the storm they can clearly see in the distance. "Eh, we'll be OK, we're in the Unsinkable Democracy! It'll all work out fine!"

January 6, 2025 will be the official end of the American Republic.

Which party is the sane one?

It's admittedly a low barrier these days, but the one with which I can disagree on policy without concern for ending the basic principles of democracy.

Florida, in a First, Will Fine Social Media Companies That Bar Candidates

So if I run for office in Florida does that mean I can't be banned on FOFC w/o the site being fined?


Unless of course FOFC runs a theme park I don't know about, because that is totally relevant to the subject matter.



And also is there no concern that the internets will be overran by Florida candidates?

It's unconstitutional, especially with the exemption for companies who donate to them.

Those small government conservatives at it again!

Captain obvious checking in, but it really just further illustrates how they have zero interest in anything other than being beholden to Trump. It is truly mind blowing.

I do think DeSantis is setting up a run for the white House if Trump somehow ends up in prison.

We are on our way to state run media, what in the holy hell is happening to this country, to where government now dictates what can and cannot be carried by "free" media entities.

I can't see this surviving the litany of lawsuits sure to follow, but it is scary they even attempt it.

We have been talking about retiring early to Mexico or Portugal in 2025 and it used to be just due to the cost of living and quality of life. I think that might be reason 3 or 4 when the time comes.

Portugal is amazing.

I think the right knows a lot of these "bills" they pass will be challenged and lose, I think they do it to make it look like they are fighting the man. gotta keep the base engaged.

Fixed it for you ;)

And the inescapable irony in this is that DeSantis had no issues signing that anti-riot which can effectively be used to quash free speech based on the actions of 1 person in a group of 250 that subjects the other 249 to arrest.

Yet he attacks free speech "suppression" by private companies that have every right to ban users for hate speech and blatant disinformation, claiming the same protections he himself wants to destroy.

This guy has no shame whatsoever.

DeSantis went to Harvard Law School. He knows it is woefully unconstitutional and will likely end up losing 8-1 in the Supreme Court (likely this just gets shut down in a lower court and they don't fight it).

It's just a little show for the audience of one and maybe a bone to throw at the people who are really mad they can't use the n-word at people on Twitter.

Well, Trump proved that you were basically untouchable if you didn't have any so, yeah.

Texas passed a law today that you don't need ID, background check or a permit to carry a gun.

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Why Jan 6th vs the 20th?

SI

Cause everything was better in the old west. Of course the picture on the article I saw had a shot of an old school holster and a forearm with 'we the People' tattooed on it in full gunfighter stance. Would you expect less?

GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville told me just now he’s opposed to the Jan. 6 commission “until they make it bipartisan.”

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 24, 2021

You couldn't write satire better than the actual republican party right now.

Because until House Republicans self select the 2024 President regardless of the actual vote, people will pretend everything's okay. The remaining two weeks is just a mourning period

The main hope might be that folks get impatient and they eat themselves by then.

Nevada County GOP Cancels Meeting Amid Fear of Proud Boy Insurgency