Joementum posted:

Wrap it up, Warrenailures, Martin's here to steal yo thunder.


Oh, and White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri left her job for an as-of-yet unannounced new position. Whatever could it be?

GhostofJohnMuir posted:

Does he actually think he can win, or is this a book deal and tv pundit circuit golden parachute he's going for? It's hard to tell these days.

I mean his announcement in itself is bizarre, but he's announcing so far out, way before anyone else. It just seems strange.

AsInHowe posted:

He has no path to the nomination whatsoever, and will exist largely to sink everyone else.

MC Nietzche posted:

However, I get the feeling that Cruz would absolutely eat Walker alive in a debate.

A MIRACLE posted:

My dad likes Jeb Bush but can't give any reasons why other than "he's actually very reasonable"

Zwabu posted:

Some right wing talking head wrote an article or blog post about this right after the 2012 election and it immediately took hold among the right as gospel truth. I think it fixated upon the fact that there were something like 6 million fewer voters for Romney than McCain, so rather than examine the reasons behind this there was a simple assumption that 6 million GOP voters stayed home. It would be pretty important to examine stuff like just how many GOP voters can be expected to die or become too medically infirm to vote every four years (an interesting question, given the demographics), how many actually voted but voted for the other party, etc.

But no. The true GOP electorate waits for Zombie Reagan to arise from his dreamless slumber to begin his terrible reign.

Joementum posted:

To be clear, my opinion of Walker's chances is confined to the primary, which I believe he has a chance (though certainly no guarantee) of winning, as does Jeb and a few of the other contenders.

Ted Cruz does not. He thinks he does, but he is incorrect. I am totally certain that I'll be proven correct on this point.

Joementum posted:

Also untrue. There were at least three in 2008.

There are very few hard rules in nomination battles but the one is that you need to have support from actors in your party and Cruz does not. It is hard to overstate how much he has pissed off fellow Republican politicians and he can't win without them, in fact they will work hard to stop him.

radical meme posted:

One of Cruz's big talking points is that there are "millions of voters" who have sat out the past elections when the GOP nominated a mushy middle of the road candidate and that a true conservative like him would bring those millions out to vote for him. He has talked about these millions of absent voters in the past and he made the same statement in his speech at Liberty. Is there any data anywhere that shows that these "millions of voters" exist anywhere other than in Cruz's warped mind? The idea that they exist is a major part of his imagined road to victory.

uncurable mlady posted:

when did weed get legalized in illinois

Shageletic posted:

So is there a legal place to bet on the presidential election this season? Just curious, I guess.

Shageletic posted:

EDIT: ^^^^ A little harsh?

I just answered my own question. Guess I'm being a dumbass today.

Fulchrum posted:

Why would Batman give a poo poo about diplomatic immunity? He's not affiliated with any government, and has already racked up thousands of assault, trespassing, illegal wiretapping charges, and has a space based weapon which is all kinds of unconsionable by the UN. What's ignoring international protocol to him?

mdemone posted:

I hope she never does. I don't know if you have seen Warren campaign/schmooze/speechify, but she's only average in all of the aspects that would be amplified in a national fishbowl.

Obviously she's great in the sense that she believes lots of correct things and generally has the right motivations, and there are certain contexts where she would do well (like a town hall, maybe), but she wouldn't be a great presidential candidate overall and I think she probably knows it. Staying put as a liberal lion in the Senate will have a long-term impact that dwarfs anything she could achieve by being a stalking horse for better contenders in a primary.

Wheeee posted:

Barring some major poo poo going down that leads to a Republican winning the general, Hillary is the next POTUS.

Belome posted:

I didn't know you could have a raccoon as a pet.

SedanChair posted:

I really just realized how much I want it to be Graham. I want him to beat off competitors with money and flip-flopping and get to the general. And grow a big beard, and turn into his true self.

Yoked Lindsey Graham with a beard/Jeb 2016; Let's appoint John McCain Secretary of Defense

Titus Sardonicus posted:

^^^same


Wow, dude sounds like the miserly villain who always tries to cancel Christmas.

quote:

Tainted funds from Pakistan[edit]
In July 2011, Burton was revealed by an FBI investigation to have received tainted election funds ultimately traced to the military intelligence services of Pakistan, apparently as a quid pro quo for "supporting to Pakistan's position on Kashmir".[30] These funds were routed via the so-called Kashmiri American Council, run by Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, later revealed to be a front for the Pakistani Military. Subsequently, Burton's office donated the funds to charity.[31]

Vincent Foster[edit]
Burton said, in 1998 of Bill Clinton, "If I could prove 10 percent of what I believe happened [regarding the death of Vincent Foster], he'd be gone. This guy's a scumbag. That's why I'm after him."[2] Burton led the House inquiry into the death of Vincent Foster, whom he believed was murdered and urged extensive investigation into the possible involvement of the Clintons. Burton gained attention for re-enacting the alleged crime in his backyard with his own pistol and a watermelon[32] standing in for Foster's head. After hearings into Democratic fundraising (see section below) began, a Democratic National Committee staffer appeared in a pumpkin suit with a button that read, "Don't shoot."[33] Burton's information during the Whitewater controversy was based on opposition research conducted by Floyd Brown, who founded Citizens United in 1988. Due to problems with the quality of Brown's research and testimony, the investigation was closed.[34]

Golfing[edit]
In 1990, The New York Times reported that in 1989, Burton had been a "celebrity player" at the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., the Kemper Open in Potomac, Md., the Larry Bird Golf Classic in Indianapolis, the Danny Thompson Memorial Tournament in Sun Valley, Idaho, the Sugarloaf Invitational tournament in Maine and the Arte Johnson Tournament in Chicago. Such players received free airline flights, free meals, and free lodging from tournament sponsors and, often, free merchandise.[35]

In November 1995, the House voted to prohibit members and their staffs from receiving gifts, including free meals and free travel to charity sports events. Burton, who led the effort to exempt charity trips, said that he played in two golf tournaments each year, and, "We get more of these lobbyists in our office than we do on the golf course."[36]

In January 1997, Burton played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, at the invitation of AT&T Corporation, the tournament sponsor. The day before the tournament, he played a practice round with Robert E. Allen, AT&T's chairman and chief executive, at a nearby country club. AT&T also hosted a campaign fund-raising dinner for Burton at a local restaurant. Three weeks earlier, Burton had become the chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, which had jurisdiction over the legislative agency scheduled to soon award at least $5 billion in long-distance and local telephone and telecommunications contracts with the federal government. Burton defended his participation in the tournament, saying it would not affect his objectivity when dealing with telecommunications issues. He said that he had partially paid for the trip, with his re-election campaign funds paying as well because he attended three fund-raising events while in California.[37]

In December 2004, Burton and two aides flew to the island of Guam. The trip was paid for by the Guam government and tourism industry. In addition to some official events, including touring a military facility, Burton played in a charity golf tournament. After he returned, he tried to help Guam's tourism industry get a sought-after change in visa rules.[38]

In January 2007, the House passed a measure by a vote 430-1 that banned members from accepting gifts and free trips from lobbyists and discounted trips on private planes. Burton cast the sole nay vote.[39]

In February 2007, a review by the Indianapolis Star of votes in the House of Representatives for the past decade showed that Burton had missed all votes during the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament for five years between 2001 and 2007. The tournament, the third event each season on the PGA Tour, pairs celebrities with golf professionals for four of the five days of play. Since 2004, Burton has played in a guest spot of the Eisenhower Medical Center, the primary charitable beneficiary of the event. The slot carries with it a commitment to donate $10,000 to the event; Burton has made arrangements with the hospital to do this over a period of time. Burton's campaign committee reported donating $1,500 to the medical center in December 2004 and $6,353 in January 2006.[38]

The Indianapolis Star review also found that in 2006, Burton ranked last in voting among members of Congress from Indiana, missing 11 percent of the 541 recorded votes.[38] In 2007, the Indianapolis Star rated his voting record as "one of the strongest in the House, with an attendance record consistently above 95%."[40]

"... off the coast of Bolivia"[edit]
On March 29, 1995, during congressional hearings on the US War on Drugs, Burton proclaimed that the US military "should place an aircraft carrier off the coast of Bolivia and crop dust the coca fields." It was later pointed out to him that a) Bolivia is landlocked and has no coast (Burton was chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee); b) the Bolivian coca fields (in the yungas and Amazon lowlands) are beyond the reach of any carrier-borne crop-duster, being separated from the nearest coastline (the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile) by the 20,000+ feet high peaks of the Andes; and c) F-18s cannot crop-dust. While criticism of this mis-statement was muted in Washington, it sparked a major anti-American backlash in Bolivia, derailing the same War on Drugs that Burton purported to be speaking for.[41][42]

Investigation of Democratic Party fund-raising[edit]
Main article: 1996 United States campaign finance controversy
In 1997, Burton headed an investigation into possible Democratic Party campaign finance abuse, focusing on the 1996 presidential election. The committee investigation ran for several years and issued over 1,000 subpoenas of Clinton administration officials and cost over $7 million.[43] The committee, and Burton's leadership, were labeled a "farce",[44] a "travesty",[45] a "parody",[45] and "its own cartoon, a joke, and a deserved embarrassment".[46]

In March 1997, as the investigation began, Burton was accused of demanding a $5,000 contribution from a Pakistani lobbyist. The lobbyist said that when he was unable to raise the funds, Burton complained to the Pakistani ambassador and threatened to make sure "none of his friends or colleagues" would meet with the lobbyist or his associates.[22]

In May 1998, Burton apologized for releasing edited transcripts of prison audiotapes of Webster Hubbell, a former associate of President Bill Clinton. The edited transcripts omitted substantial information and differed significantly from the original recordings. Burton was harshly criticized by members of his own party, including Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who called the investigation a "circus" and chided Burton for initially refusing to admit any error.[47]

David Bossie, the staff member who arranged the editing and release of the tapes, resigned on Burton's request. Noting that Burton had personally released the tapes and had supported Bossie's plans over the objections of other committee staffers and attorneys, Democrats urged Burton to step down as well. Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt said, "A committee staff member should not be made the scapegoat for Chairman Burton's mistakes, missteps, and misdeeds."[47] Burton said, "I take responsibility for those mistakes," but never resigned nor faced any consequences for his actions.[47]

In President Clinton's final year in office, Burton was mentioned in a short film for the White House Correspondent's Dinner. President Clinton: Final Days, which depicted Clinton as a lonely man closing down a nearly-deserted White House. Clinton is shown hitting golf balls from the South Lawn, and gets excited when he hits a car parked in a spot near the U.S. Capitol that says "Reserved for Chairman Burton."

Autism[edit]
Main article: Thiomersal controversy
Burton has been an outspoken critic of what he terms the failure of government to determine the cause of an alleged autism epidemic. When his grandson began to show the signs of autism shortly after receiving inoculations, Burton inferred the relationship to be causal: "My only grandson became autistic right before my eyes – shortly after receiving his federally recommended and state-mandated vaccines."[48]

Burton was instrumental in pressuring the National Institutes of Health to launch a five-year, $30 million study of chelation therapy for cardiovascular disease."[49]

In an October 25, 2000, letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, acting in his role as chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, Burton asked the agency's director to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall all vaccines containing the preservative Thimerosal. "We all know and accept that mercury is a neurotoxin, and yet the FDA has failed to recall the 50 vaccines that contain Thimerosal," Burton wrote, adding "Every day that mercury-containing vaccines remain on the market is another day HHS is putting 8,000 children at risk."[50]

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not agree that vaccines containing mercury caused autism, and the US FDA refused to ban the vaccines. Most manufacturers removed the preservatives from their vaccines anyway, with no resulting decrease in autism rates.[51]

Burton continues to maintain a page on his Congressional website called House.gov "Autism" which includes his speeches, transcripts from hearings, and newspaper articles on the relationship of autism and vaccines.

Constituent mailings[edit]
An Arizona newspaper study ranked Burton as the fifth-biggest user of free congressional mail, sending constituents more than $190,000 worth of mail in 2007.[52]

Daughter[edit]
In June 2007, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington reported that during the 2001–2006 period, Burton's campaign fund had paid $143,900 to his daughter Danielle Sarkine, who manages his campaign office. It is not illegal for federal candidates to pay family members for political work, as long as they are paid fair market value, the Federal Election Commission has ruled.[53]

Sibel Edmonds allegations[edit]
On January 6, 2008, FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds included Dan Burton's photograph among others featured in the "State Secrets Privilege Gallery" posted on her website, composing images of figures considered to be relevant to her case.[54] Later, on August 8, 2009, she gave sworn testimony about Burton and others during a witness deposition before the Ohio Elections Commission in the Schmidt v. Krikorian case, in which she alleged that he had engaged in "[E]xtremely illegal activities against the United States citizens ... and against the United States' interests" that involved covert operations by foreign governments and entities, but did not further elaborate on these activities, ostensibly due to the limitations applied by the State Secrets Privilege.[55][56]

Rincewinds posted:

How did this guy stay in office, when his own seem to consider him a nutcase? Do the GoP accept anyone as long as they vote as far to the right as possible?

Joementum posted:

You do you, Teddy.

DaveWoo posted:

Source? I haven't seen any specific polling on the Indiana or Arkansas RFRA bills.

Joementum posted:

Actually, Newt brought the 30 minute ad back in 2012 with his Vultures of Wall Street attack on Mitt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLWnB9FGmWE

But I'm betting Rand's will be an uplifting biopic about him and the free market. Or, better idea: part one of a 10 part series of him reading the Galt speech.

Lote posted:

Trolling would be Clinton filing Form 2 at 8AM of April 7 without an announcement.

ozmunkeh posted:

Spaceman Future! posted:

Obama was only an "underdog" because the media and right wing talksphere had spent so long sneering at his community organizer background they managed to convince themselves that being a young charismatic man with experience gathering grassroots organizations was somehow a detriment to his campaign. Turns out organizing communities immediately translates into organizing voters, which DUH. Obviously that translated really well to the general but in the primaries expecially it was deadly, dude laid down organizations overnight with no pre-existing infastructure on a miniscule budget compared to Hilary and tapped groundsweels of support in the small gaps between polls and voting, catching Hilldog by suprise in every single state. It was pretty awesome to watch, also theres no one in the republican field with the ability or background to do anything even close to that sooooo

Frijolero posted:

So nothing? hahaha

You literally said nothing about Clinton personally.


I'm not asking to be convinced to vote Democrat and I am not raging. I simply want y'all opinions on Clinton and her views and actions.

Frijolero posted:

I never asked for convincing on Clinton and I am not saying she's no different than Republicans. What I asked was: Are there any redeeming qualities to Clinton?

The answer is clearly No.


As a Democratic candidate there are slight benefits over a GOP candidate, but as a unique person with unique traits and unique skills there seems to be a consensus that she has nothing good going for her.


I'll be voting Sanders in primary and Jill Stein in the final.

Joementum posted:

True for candidates in the general election, but the primary still offers a chance to articulate and resolve differences within the coalition. For example, Obama was criticized in the 2008 primary for his position that he'd agree to negotiations with Iran without preconditions. We're only now seeing the result of that choice - and still don't know if it will pay off.

quote:

It's too early to say what choices Hillary will need to articulate during the primary, but people who assume that she's going to be the same candidate she was in 2008, 2006, or 2000 are just plain wrong. The Democratic party has changed considerably in the last decade and she'll change with it.

Grouchio posted:

I call bullshit on this. Our presidential system, in terms of electability, has a lot to do with the candidates personality, as it dictates that candidate's popularity and thus voter's willingness to vote for that candidate, lest vote at all. Especially considering how many PACs and gaffes can make or break a candidate's electability. And that still matters. What you're thinking of in my mind is more of a british parliamentary election, in which the people do in fact vote for parties and not for PM candidates, which does mean in that case that who the PM is as a person doesn't matter.

Frijolero posted:

lol

You are getting your panties in a bunch over nothing. I've been reading about Clinton and it seems she's done very little for the welfare of average Americans. I was expecting to be proved wrong but instead I got a Democrat calling me names and getting all riled up and defending someone who really needs no defending. Good luck with life loser.

Joementum posted:

I'm less pessimistic about this than you are, but we'll see.

Frijolero posted:

Ok mister! I will get out of your way! I am sorry for being boring I will let you get back to your biting political commentary.

Nonsense posted:

The stage we're at where liberals admit: "There are some hard truths we need to understand about social security, and covering our eyes and ears won't change that."

Joementum posted:

And then she'll get into office, appoint Larry Summers as Treasury Secretary and I'll have to start pumping whisky directly into my stomach

Joementum posted:

Meanwhile, at a Chipotle in Ohio....