Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Ghengis Jon]

A little more than a year ago, the State Department was granted $120 million to prevent (any) foreign countries from meddling in our elections. Not a dollar has been spent yet. The State Department's Global Engagement Center has the responsibility to engage Russia's electoral disinformation campaigns. Guess what? It has no analysts that speak Russian and the dept hiring freeze prevents them from hiring computer geeks to combat hacking. Admiral Mike Rogers, head of US Cyber Command, told Congress a month ago that Putin's cock holster has specifically withheld granting him authority to confront Russian cyber operators. Furthermore, it is Rogers' belief that this deliberate inaction has emboldened the Russkies in their preparations for future interference. Although the money has been granted, it has not been released by the State Department for use, per direction of the Executive Branch.

That is absolutely treasonous. There may not have been collusion going on in 2016, but it sure looks like the Orange Menace has failed to register as a foreign agent in 2018. He needs to be tried and sentenced without delay.

[Ghengis Jon]

PA's Libertarian candidate Drew Miller has drawn 1372 votes (not counting absentee ballots), more than the difference between Sack-O-Shit and the Christian hating, Jew hating, USA hating Connor Lamb. Shouldn't take long for the GOP to blame Miller, instead of looking in the mirror. Or maybe it will be millions of illegal aliens casting illegal votes that will have swayed this election. I hope Geezer is in PA selflessly defending the sanctity of our electoral process.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It was Tillerson that wouldn't release funding for the GEC and that decision had more to do with the GEC's dysfuction than any sort of treasonous act by DJT:

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2017/10/27/secretary-tillerson-is-doing-the-right-thing-so-why-is-congress-bashing-him/

[hack]

It may not be treason - we'll see if the country has an appetite to fix itself - but it is unquestionably treasonous. Compromising national security as a part of the fundraising process for family businesses happens so often with this bunch. Core part of their strategy.

[Ghengis Jon]

Then Tillerson should have been fired long ago. To have the resources and not act upon an assault on our democracy is criminal. The change of administration (to Trump) should have spurred the reorganization (or eliminating the current and then implementing a functional entity) of the GEC. No excuse.

Don't let Chump off the hook. Two dysfunctional organizations responsible for electronically protecting the electoral process should be left unfixed? Better to do nothing (that benefits Chump's puppet master) than it is to be a vanguard against hostile foreign threats? If you identify the problem, FIX IT. Especially when it comes to national security. And THAT falls squarely into the lap of the Oval Office.

Thanks for the link. The author is clearly biased in that he believes that not using the funding benefits the US taxpayer (don't throw good money after bad money). He appears to take the position that allowing hostile foreign intelligence agencies free hands to meddle in our elections is somehow good for Americans since it saves tax dollars. I strongly disagree. Whining that the Board of Governors needs to be fixed is the statement of Capt Obvious.

The $64,000 question is why hasn't Chump turned loose Rogers and the Cyber Command? What exploitable dirty laundry does Putin have over his cock holster?

[iam416]

Good link, Jeff. I'm going to miss Tillerson.

[hack]

I think it's very difficult to look at this and admit what it really is, because admitting requires an acceptance that the country is very sick in some ways and that fixing it is going to be very difficult. That's hard to reconcile with worlds only superpower/largest economy/etc etc. statuses. It still can be done, frankly -- many of us can live thriving, prosperous lives in ideal environments, and still acknowledge that the country needs some serious unfucking. But when Jeff relies on an argument like that, or suggests that we shouldn't even both with Russia or whatever because the odds of criminal justice are so low, that, IMO, is the citizen's version of running away from the problem.

[Kapture1]

Dems have found the key to win back the house, stright white males running right of Ron Paul

[iam416]

Regardless of the outcome of the PA18 -- and it's about as meaningless an outcome as you can get with the districts being redrawn for November -- it's a terrible sign for Rs. This is a district that the Rs will need to flip the B10 from purple to red. I still think it will happen long-term, but it sure isn't going to be pretty in 2018 or 2020.

[Kapture1]

Regardless of the outcome of the PA18 -- and it's about as meaningless an outcome as you can get with the districts being redrawn for November -- it's a terrible sign for Rs. This is a district that the Rs will need to flip the B10 from purple to red. I still think it will happen long-term, but it sure isn't going to be pretty in 2018 or 2020.

We're sitting home, while the dems are energized. Bad combination, surely will lose the house if the trend continues.

[iam416]

Dems have found the key to win back the house, stright white males running right of Ron Paul

Heh heh.

Yeah, Lamb is a good candidate. I would have voted for him based on what I read.

I think the Ds can find good candidates. However, once they go to Washington the party's over. They'll vote with the #GentryProgs and they won't ever be able to run on the stuff that wins again. That said, for 2018 it may work because they're opposing PDJT and the Ds have no way of legislating. In 2020, though, they won't have a choice. And I don't see a "Blue Dog" caucus similar to the "Freedom" caucus that causes problems for the party. So, they'll have a 2-year window to legislate before they get wrecked in 2022.

[Ghengis Jon]

... straight white males running right of Ron Paul...

Really? Why do you say that? From what I've read about Lamb (albeit not much) is he is indeed a rarity among the Dems - a moderate. Pro-gun rights and not a fan of Pelosi. What makes him right of Ron Paul? I voted for Paul in the primaries so I am familiar with his positions, some of which were arguably 'out there.'

[iam416]

We're sitting home, while the dems are energized. Bad combination, surely will lose the house if the trend continues.

I think the House is probably gone. My totally unscientific estimate -- say 60% chance. The Rs single mission should be to retain the Senate. There are at least 6 flippable seats the Ds hold right now. They need 2 or 3 of them to be safe (Nevada is probably gone and who knows about Arizona). I'd pour money into Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, etc. And I'd put those Senators to the test with legislation that plays with the home folks but not the #GentryProgs.

The Rs are also going to lose a lot on the state level. PDJT won't reverse all of the gains made under Oprama, but they'll take back a sizable chunk.

Really? Why do you say that? From what I've read about Lamb (albeit not much) is he is indeed a rarity among the Dems - a moderate. Pro-gun rights and not a fan of Pelosi. What makes him right of Ron Paul? I voted for Paul in the primaries so I am familiar with his positions, some of which were arguably 'out there.'

I doubt he's right of Ron Paul, but he's definitely a blue dog D though I don't think he's pro-tariff. I dunno -- didn't pay that much attention. I would have voted him, though, over a guy that basically fully embraces PDJT.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Lamb ran as pro-tariff and pro-Obamacare. Dunno where he stood on the tax plan. All anecdotal evidence I've heard though suggests the tax cuts had zero impact in this race. R's stopped running ads boasting about them in early Feb and switched to culture war/sanctuary city stuff. Maybe in blue collar, high unemployment "Trump Dem" areas the tax cuts won't mean much; hard to get excited over a small, temp tax cut when you're making $24,000/yr and desperate to find a better job.

That said, Lamb did FAR better than Hillary in the Allegheny County suburbs too. Suburbs of big cities everywhere are driving the anti-Trump animus. Country club Republicans or maybe just well-off white women are revolting.

[Dr. Strangelove]

FWIW, the United Mine Workers union also declined to endorse either Hillary or Trump in 2016

They heavily supported Lamb