US Pol January - Please, please leave the thread if this will affect you

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Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

My New Year thus far involved a kitchen fire, so needless to say my plans to build on and tweak the contribution of ComradeCosmobot were delayed. I present what they put together (9 pages worth) below

quote:

The 114th Congress is about to convene, and a new Republican majority in the Senate will necessarily lead to a tectonic shift in Federal governance.

One of the first actions after the swearing in of new members of Congress will be the election of the Speaker of the House (in the House, of course) and, if it's contemplated at all, filibuster reform in the Senate. Unfortunately for those of you who were paying attention to the thrilling moves in both cases in the 113th, we're unlikely to see anything nearly as exciting as an Allen West speakership or repeal of the filibuster. While there were a notable number of defections in the last Speaker election in 2013, the Tea Party Caucus, which was largely responsible for the defections, is now less powerful in the House, thanks to several of its members leaving (Bachmann, Broun and Stockman declined to seek reelection and Cassidy is now in the Senate) and Republicans now having a larger majority in the House, making the Tea Party Caucus less important to the majority vote. Boehner should likely sail to an easy victory, in spite of Hannity's wishes otherwise. On the Senate side, there's been little talk of filibuster reform (either repeal or rolling back the 2013 reforms), so it's unlikely we'll see any movement there.

Regardless of what happens on day one, however, one thing is clear: at long last, Republicans now believe they have finally broken partisan gridlock and only President Obama is left to stand in the way of quality legislation that will surely save America from becoming a second-rate nation.

Last Congress, the Republican House passed well over 350 bills that the Democratic Senate refused to act on. While not every House bill from the last Congress will make a reappearance in the upcoming Congress, there are a number of highlights that are certain to come back around again and, this time, land on Obama's desk. Some highlights follow:

Small Government!

Last Congress, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (H.R. 4) which passed the House packed tons of goodies for libertarians and starve-the-beast conservatives, including:

The All Economic Regulations Are Transparent Act. This act would require each agency to make a report each month on the rules it expects to finalize in the subsequent year. If such a rule passes, expect to see these numbers trotted out by Fox each time they're reported to the Federal Register.

The Regulatory Accountability Act, which would require the same agencies to report each time a rule might cost the economy more than $100 million or reduce employment or wages (many rules do to a small degree, so you can expect a lot of good rules to get published, and subsequently maligned by Fox, for doing so).

The Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act. Among other provisions designed to discourage regulators from making rules that harm small businesses, this would also allow the Small Business Administration's Chief Counsel for Advocacy change the definitions of what counts as a Small Business by fiat.

Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act. This act would require Congress to approve all major regulations (explicitly calling out carbon taxes, of course) and allowing Congress to disapprove any other regulations, so good luck getting any new regulations passed, Obama!

We might also see a return of the ENFORCE Act which allows either house of Congress to file civil action against the Executive Branch if it chooses to not enforce a law.

Nominations

While Cruz did Reid a favor in getting a few nominations through the Senate in the last few days of the 113th, there are still a few key nominations coming up for the Republican Senate to handle, including Loretta Lynch (replacing Eric Holder as Attorney general), Sally Yates (replacing James Cole as Deputy Attorney General), and Ashton Carter (replacing Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense). Senators Cruz and Lee intend to hold up Lynch (and possibly also Yates) to protest executive amnesty unless she explicitly denounces it (and Grassley has suggested that hearings on Lynch will focus similarly). Ashton Carter likely has a clearer path, but expect his hearings to be a sounding board for Republican complaints about Obama's bad relationship with his Secretaries of Defense and his extended period of "inaction" in Syria.

On the court side of the spectrum, there still remain a number of vacant seats in District Courts and Circuit Courts (mostly district court seats) despite Reid and Cruz's last-minute moves, mostly due to Obama not providing any nominees for the seats. These seats will likely remain unfilled in the 114th. The Supreme Court is, of course, fine for now, but the news about Ruth Bader Ginsburg receiving a stent in her right coronary artery in November is a reminder that it could become yet another contentious fight with Congress at any time (more so if the vacancy isn't Ginsburg, but instead one of the conservatives)

Obamacare

While a full-fledged repeal will likely be vetoed by Obama, expect more tinkering around the edges in an attempt to effectively defang the law. Possible highlights include changing "full-time employees" to include only those who work 40 hours a week and repealing the medical device excise tax.

One additional issue that has already raised its head at the end of the year is the cut of Medicaid payouts to doctors, which had been temporarily increased in 2014 to encourage doctors to take new Medicaid patients. Given that extending the increased payouts would only be a win for Obamacare, expect no action on them, so that Fox and conservative pundits can point out how many people have lost doctors (and how many doctors have had to drop patients) in 2015 thanks to Obamacare.

Banking and Finance

While the banking industry has already received one item on their wishlist from the CROmnibus (repealing derivative regulations), we can expect more of Dodd-Frank to be attacked in the next Congress. Some particular deregulations that passed the House in the 113th include: removing reporting and registration requirements for "small" investment companies that give investment advice, removing requirements for banks in the insurance business from preparing financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, removing collateralized loan obligations from regulation under the Volcker Rule, removing requirements for disclosure of certain points and fees in mortgage transactions, removing certain regulations on security swaps for risk hedging (they are really keen on getting these through I might add), and defanging the CFPB (although this last might not be as easy now that it has had a year to actually act)

Oh, and we might finally get that audit of the Fed the Paulites have been wanting... But with fewer Tea Partiers in the House to muck things up, it's just as likely that it won't happen.

Fiscal Cliff

No, we're not due for a fiscal cliff like we were in 2012, nor are we due for a government shutdown like we had in 2013. The CROmnibus bill means that everything but DHS is funded through until the 2015 budget comes up in September/October of this year (more on that exception a little later).

That still leaves the debt ceiling to deal with: the last agreement to extend the debt ceiling in February 2014 expires on March 15. Unlike last time, however, the smaller Tea Party contingent and Republican control of the Senate means that the 2015 debt ceiling hike will almost certainly not be a clean hike. Ideas floated last time that might reappear this time include: requiring approval of the Keystone Pipeline, Obamacare cuts (possibly to risk corridors), or requiring a balanced-budget amendment be presented to the states.

If there�s a chance for another shutdown, it may come late in 2015 when Obama and Congress come to loggerheads over passage of the FY2016 budget. The first signs of this battle will probably crop up when Obama submits his proposed budget early in the year. Also watch for the media to lavish attention on the latest Paul Ryan budget in April or thereabouts, when it is usually released. Some are speculating that the FY2016 budget will feature a nasty fight over entitlements and breaking down the wall between non-military and military spending under the ongoing sequester (so the GOP can cut more on food stamps and restore military funding, of course).

Trade

President Obama has pushed hard to get approval for the Trans-Pacific Partnership from the Senate, but Reid has balked and refused to grant the White House "fast track authority" to negotiate take-it-or-leave it terms for the trade pact. Obama and Republicans are both eager to see the TPP passed, however, so expect a straight up-or-down vote for fast-tracking early in the term, followed by final ratification a little later down the line.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

After Patrick Leahy killed patent reform earlier in 2014 at the urging of pharmaceutical companies and trial lawyers, expect patent reformers to try pushing largely the same bill in the 114th, as they had largely gotten bipartisan support until those two groups got involved. It's unclear whether the revival of patent reform will succeed, however.

On the copyright side of things, there's been little serious discussion of reform. Although the Unlocking Technology Act of 2013 was introduced with some Republican support, it got no traction in the 113th, and it seems unlikely to get any traction in the 114th for similar reasons (i.e. mostly Democratic support). That said, the Copyright Term Extension Act allows old works to enter the public domain in 2019, so we may start hearing rumblings about that, but that will more likely wait until the 115th before there is serious discussion on extending copyrights again.

More likely to crop up, however, will be efforts to force more and higher royalties for music streaming by reforming how audio copyrights are handled on the federal level (right now, music recorded before 1972 is covered by a patchwork of state laws, not federal law). In a similar vein, the recent Sony Pictures hack may provide a backdoor to getting SOPA revived, which the MPAA would still very much like to see.

Cybersecurity

You can be sure, too, that the recent Sony hack will provide impetus to reexamine CISPA, the cybersecurity act previously blocked in the Senate which simultaneously guts privacy regulations to allow more sharing of consumer information with the government.

Social Security and Entitlements

While a Grand Bargain might return to the table at any time, there isn't much currently on the table designed to curtail Social Security or Medicare spending (barring a quite possible reappearance in the FY2016 budget battles, as mentioned previously). That said, keep an eye out for the revival of the ABLE Act, which, in addition to providing for programs to help disabled individuals save money for their needs, offsets expenditures in the program by lifting the age at which Social Security Disability payments are no longer subject to reductions (among other minor tax reforms)

Gun Control

Last Congress, legislation to force all states to recognize and reciprocate concealed carry permits passed the House, but failed to pass the Senate. Expect this one to sail through pretty easily.

Environment

One of the last bills to fail in the Senate in December (after another similar bill had passed the House earlier in the year), a bill to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline is currently slated to be the first bill up in the Senate and will almost certainly pass this go around. Other environmental goodies likely to be in such a bill (or subsequent bills) can be seen in last Congress's H.R. 2, including:

Prohibiting the EPA from promulgating any rule that would cost more than $1 billion if the Secretary of Energy determines that the rule would cause significant adverse effects to the economy (and requires the Secretary of Energy to make such a determination for any such rule that won't help the economy)

Prohibiting the EPA from using the "social cost of carbon" in any cost-benefit analysis relating to energy rules that will cost more than $1 billion (which a carbon regulation almost certainly would)

Prohibiting the EPA from making any greenhouse-gas-related performance-based regulations that haven't already been achieved by at least 6 different power plants around the country that aren't demonstration plants of the "category" of plant being regulated (categories explicitly include coal, natural gas, and coal plants which burn coal which contains less than 8300 BTUs per pound)

Requiring the Secretary of the Interior to lease at least 50% of unleased acreage within each continental shelf unit believed to have the largest undiscovered oil and gas resources, including sales off Virginia, South Carolina, and in Southern California.

Streamlining drilling permits by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to decide on a permit within 30 days, and automatically approving any permit undecided upon after 60 days

Requiring the Secretary of the Interior to offer for sale at least 25% of all federal lands nominated for leasing for oil and gas exploration each year.

Prohibiting the Secretary of the Interior from canceling or withdrawing from a lease after a sale has occurred

Deeming the BLM oil shale management plans issued in late 2008 as satisfying all legal requirements, paving the way for oil shale leasing in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming

Requiring annual lease sales of land currently unleased in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

Prohibiting the Department of the Interior from enforcing any federal regulations on fracking, and defer instead to state regulations

Adding additional requirements to the EPA research on fracking (presumably to make the wording as wishy-washy and inconclusive as possible)

Requiring state regulation of coal mining to incorporate the 2008 federal regulations on such and prohibiting any additional regulations requiring stream buffer zones

Congress may again try to hamper the EPA's science-based regulatory approach by requiring that all scientific data used by the EPA for regulatory purposes be completely public and open for public review. While this may sound like a good idea, in the debate on an amendment requiring such, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) pointed out that such a requirement is designed in part to prohibit the EPA from relying on research which depends on confidential patient information (which for obvious reasons cannot be made public, and therefore could not be used for regulatory purposes), including research linking air pollution to lung cancer by analyzing the Cancer Prevention Study II data set.

Immigration

Republicans are still mulling how best to respond to Obama's executive amnesty, and have already decided to hold the Department of Homeland Security's funding hostage, extending its funding on a continuing resolution until February as part of the CROmnibus passed in December. What will happen is still a big question mark, but it's fair to say that something will happen even if Obama has to veto the bill. Their best leverage, of course, is not a standalone bill, but in the DHS budget itself, so expect some pound of flesh to be demanded in exchange for its passage.

War on Terror

With Congress having already approved funding to fight ISIS as part of last year's National Defense Authorization Act which passed in December, there's not much new for Congress to add on the war on terror, other than perhaps making Obama's life miserable in negotiating with Israel and Iran (but more on that a little later). Something that has been getting some attention is Congress's inability to pass an extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act which expired at the end of 2014. The lack of this reinsurance program may cause some havoc in the insurance market as businesses and skyscrapers have their insurance plans revoked since the federal government will no longer guarantee insurance plans which protect against losses due to terrorism. A retroactive extension will probably pass early on once enough businesses raise hell, but it's also an opportunity to throw in some extra riders on what is likely to be "must-pass" legislation, so look forward to some dirt on what the extension may involve.

The Torture Report and the NSA

Given that the US recently bolstered the NSA's powers instead of increasing oversight, and the fact that the new Senate Majority Leader explicitly cited the war on ISIS as a reason to block cloture on an NSA reform bill, NSA reform is basically DOA for the next two years. And the Republican rage response at the CIA Torture Report should be a pretty good indicator of what's likely to happen on the CIA side of things (nothing).

Foreign Policy

Foreign affairs may be the prerogative of the executive branch, but that won't stop Congress from using the power of the purse to make sure Obama does what Republicans work. While Congress and Obama might be on the same page on Ukraine and Russia (hawks aside), there's been more than enough rumbling about strengthening Iranian sanctions to thwart Obama's recent talks with Iran that something on that topic may indeed pass Congress early on.

It's also entirely likely that Congress may pass something to explicitly help out Israel in spite of Obama's reticence on the issue, but given little discussion on the issue in the media, it's probable that any such actions will simply be extensions of the status quo (i.e. funding the Israeli military in the foreign aid budget) rather than anything novel to really spite Obama, though that could easily change.

Republican reactions to Obama's plans on opening relations with Cuba, however, have been more muted, so it's less clear whether anything will pass on that topic, although it's far from certain that the existing embargo will be lifted, as that does require positive Congressional action.

War on Drugs

Given the success of legal weed efforts in Oregon and Alaska, and a likely return of legal weed efforts in California in 2016, a return of the Preserving Welfare for Needs Not Weed Act is probably in the cards. This act would prohibit TANF/SNAP from being given to any establishments that sell weed.

Abortion

Udall was right! The Wall Street Journal has announced that Republicans are likely to pass a ban on abortion after the 20-week mark. Last Congress's Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797) will likely serve as a guide.

Pee-pee, doo-doo, Obama is a bad president

No, despite what everyone is saying, impeachment isn't likely in the cards. For as well as Republicans did in November, they're still a long way from the 67 votes they would need to convict, so it's not likely to progress that far barring some shocking revelations. That said, there are still several cards that are on the table to keep Obama (and ~~Hillary~~ any Democratic 2016 candidate) on their toes:

Benghazi: Sure, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released its report on Benghazi in November, but Trey Gowdy's Select Committee on Benghazi is still ongoing and Lindsay Graham has called for a Senate Select Committee on Benghazi, so ~~Hillary~~ Obama will continue to hear a lot about that over the next year or two.

IRS targeting: While the Senate and House have issued initial reports, Jason Chaffetz has vowed to continue Issa's investigation in the next Congress, and Orrin Hatch will also continue the Senate investigation.

House Lawsuit: Pundits largely regarded this as a play to avoid explicitly invoking impeachment but still placate the Tea Party contingent. With the elections out of the way, and the Tea Party a less significant component of the House Republican Caucus, expect this to continue for a year or two until it ends ignominiously in a "political question"/"you should use impeachment if you think something is wrong" decision.

You can be sure that Republicans will find something else to keep filing investigations against the illegal, unconstitutional presidency of Barack Hussein Obama. Grubergate might be a suitable calling card here.

Regional Issues

With Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) now Majority Leader in the House, it's almost certain that some sort of drought relief act (like H.R. 5781 last session) granting farmers in the Central Valley more water at the expense of environmentalists concerned about the ecology of the San Joaquin River Delta will pass both Houses.

Talk to other goons (why would you want to do that?)
Remember that we have an IRC channel at synirc in #poligoon for livesteaming stuff.

Goon Recommendations
Documentaries
Slavery by Another Name

Talks

Long pieces
The Tragedy of the American Military

Books
Punishment and Inequality in America
The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

Twitter feeds

Related threads
"US Politics" is an incredibly broad topic, as A) the country is freaking huge and B) given our role in international events pretty much everything impacts us. So there are other subthreads
2016 Presidential Primary
SCOTUS thread
Right Wing Media

post suggestions for adding to the above and I'll edit them in. I would be more thorough, but currently I'm investigating how chrome cladding on a pot can catch fire

so yeah, post

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:11

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 2, 2024 22:25

Quidam Viator: Jan 24, 2001; ask me about how voting Donald Trump was worth 400k and counting dead.

Get ready for a lot of fun and excitement!

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:16

fool of sound: Oct 10, 2012

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:17

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

I'm all tingly with excitement!

Also, did you have an empty pan on the stove with a burner left on? Left on long enough the pan will get hot and do all sorts of amazing things. I have a very wobbly 2qt Revereware sauce pan I did that to. Also took off a layer of the copper.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:32

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

I'm all tingly with excitement!

Also, did you have an empty pan on the stove with a burner left on? Left on long enough the pan will get hot and do all sorts of amazing things. I have a very wobbly 2qt Revereware sauce pan I did that to. Also took off a layer of the copper.

nope, I had a corned beef roast (~2.5 lbs worth) and enough water it was barely covered. Fire started about half way through the simmer time.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:42

Kobayashi: Aug 13, 2004; by Nyc_Tattoo

That's a fantastic writeup. Would you mind unquoting the text, so that if people try to quote the OP, links and formats will be preserved?

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:45

AtomikKrab: Jul 17, 2010; Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.

Another year of wasting my life reading about politics!

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:46

William Bear: Oct 26, 2012; "That's what they all say!"

The passing of Mario Cuomo made me think about how it's a rule in U.S. politics, on both parties, that that children are inferior in quality to their parents.

George Romney was a good man.
Mario Cuomo was a good man.
Even HW Bush was more reasonable than his son.

I guess the longer your family is among the powerful elite the shittier you become

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:46

mandatory lesbian: Dec 18, 2012

Hello new thread, stay safe fried chicken

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:47

Hodgepodge: Jan 29, 2006; Can't post for 238 days!

wrt the second-to-last post in the old thread, I feel as if Chelsea would be an exception because being compared to a dog in national media must be one hell of a formative experience.

Imagine Hillary, but angry.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:48

Defenestration: Aug 10, 2006; "It wasn't my fault that my first unconscious thought turned out to be-"
"Jesus, kid, what?"
"That something smelled delicious!"; Grimey Drawer

William Bear posted:

Mario Cuomo was a good man.

Debatable but better than Pataki.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:48

computer parts: Nov 18, 2010; PLEASE CLAP

William Bear posted:

The passing of Mario Cuomo made me think about how it's a rule in U.S. politics, on both parties, that that children are inferior in quality to their parents.

George Romney was a good man.
Mario Cuomo was a good man.
Even HW Bush was more reasonable than his son.

I guess the longer your family is among the powerful elite the shittier you become

John Adams was a shithead.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:49

Captain_Maclaine: Sep 30, 2001; Every moment I'm alive, I pray for death!

Here we go again. Take it away, Uncle Sam!

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:51

Gunshow Poophole: Sep 14, 2008; OMBUDSMAN
POSTERS LOCAL 42069; Clapping Larry

AtomikKrab posted:

Another year of wasting my life reading about politics!

And not having the ability to do even the slightest thing about them! :glomp:

Good luck to all and remember to play with a puppy or a kitten regularly!

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:51

WhiskeyJuvenile: Feb 15, 2002; by Nyc_Tattoo

Any text from the patent reform bill?

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:52

ComradeCosmobot: Dec 4, 2004; USPOL July

WhiskeyJuvenile posted:

Any text from the patent reform bill?

H.R. 3309 was the House bill, but it doesn't include any proposed compromise language that was floated in the Senate Judiciary Committee before it was killed by Leahy.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 03:58

Evil Fluffy: Jul 13, 2009; Scholars are some of the most pompous and pedantic people I've ever had the joy of meeting.

So how often will we see Democrats cross the isle to override Obama's Veto?

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:02

Job Truniht: Nov 7, 2012; MY POSTS ARE REAL RETARDED, SIR

death is certain

Evil Fluffy posted:

So how often will we see Democrats cross the isle to override Obama's Veto?

Unlikely. the Democrats really don't have anything to lose at this point. I expect Warren and Sanders to take point in the Senate.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:05

Cliff Racer: Mar 24, 2007; by Lowtax

Meanwhile, continuing on last thread's Pope chat. I have to disagree with HEY GAL that any of those, bar the Quadrigesimo Anno, come down against trickledown economics. QA seems to be pretty firmly on the side of competition being largely bad, though useful when regulated. While there is wiggle room in the text I don't have much doubt in my mind what Pius XI meant when he wrote it and its definitely not Reaganomics. Indeed the parts of Rerum Novarum quoted could easily be construed, if you believed that the theory really did have economic benefits, to support it.

edit: I don't think there will be many vetoes overrode. As a matter of fact, if the Democrats will have learned anything from the past eight years of Republican senate rule its that they can easily kill most of the stuff they don't like before it even gets to the president. Maybe something on Keystone XL but honestly I don't even see Obama vetoing that. Its also a possibility that we'd get a farm bill situation (or was it a water bill?) like we did with Bush where the President is pretty much alone on some issue or another.

Cliff Racer fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Jan 2, 2015

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:08

Mister Facetious: Apr 21, 2007; I think I died and woke up in L.A.,
I don't know how I wound up in this place...

Nice OP, I just have one question.

Now, I'm not a lawyer or knowledgable in finance, but uh, going by the sentence as written...

quote:

removing reporting and registration requirements for "small" investment companies that give investment advice

- didn't the lack of which assist in Bernie Madoff running his Ponzi scheme as long as he did?
At the very least, it was an immediate red flag according to Harry Markopolos in his book "No One Would Listen".

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:08

i say swears online: Mar 4, 2005

Okay, in 2011 the GOP debate schedule kicked off with three debates ranging from May to August before the campaign began in earnest the first week of September. There's a general sense out there to back up the campaign, but I don't think they'll be able to hold off the first debate until September of this year. At least one debate before September 1 will feature a Serious Candidate, book it.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:10

Cliff Racer: Mar 24, 2007; by Lowtax

Aliquid posted:

Okay, in 2011 the GOP debate schedule kicked off with three debates ranging from May to August before the campaign began in earnest the first week of September. There's a general sense out there to back up the campaign, but I don't think they'll be able to hold off the first debate until September of this year. At least one debate before September 1 will feature a Serious Candidate, book it.

Probably, but I don't think it will be one of the electable in a general ones. I can easily see Rand Paul or probably non-candidate Ted Cruz participating for example but would be shocked if Romney or Jeb Bush showed up in one. Maybe Christie? Basically any candidate who would enjoy telling party bosses to gently caress off will probably be up for it.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:13

fade5: May 31, 2012; by exmarx

Fried Chicken posted:

Goon Recommendations
Documentaries
Slavery by Another Name

Thank you very much for this. Since this is the first page, a recap/explanation of the documentary:

The documentary basically covers the history of blacks in the south during the "missing" 100 years from post-civil war to civil rights, and it also does a really good job of explaining why race relations are and remain so incredibly hosed up in America. That 100 years is "missing" because you can't really whitewash what happened, so you get America up to Civil War, the bare-bones basics of Jim Crow/the KKK/sharecropping, and then we skip ahead to WW2 where America got to be the "good guy" again.

I'd honestly recommend that it be a standard part of American history courses, and everyone should watch it. As a warning, it is depressing as all hell. (But seriously, go watch it, it has stuck with me even going on two years later).

Fried Chicken posted:

I would be more thorough, but currently I'm investigating how chrome cladding on a pot can catch fire

I'm assuming that there was something flammable stuck to it that caught fire, not the pot itself. You generally can't catch metal on fire unless you're working with something super toxic. Now, if you were working with something like Chlorine Triflouride your kitchen fire could have been so much worse, since CLF3 can set stuff like metal, ash, bricks, asbestos tile, sand, water, and fire on fire. :science:

Reminder: optimism and humor (and stuff like TV, video games, and other cool/interesting distractions) are keys to keeping sane while following US Politics. Some people also say drinking, but that's the easy way out. Wimps. :colbert:

_{_{There's also .}}

fade5 fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Jan 2, 2015

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:17

Joementum: May 23, 2004; jesus christ

Aliquid posted:

Okay, in 2011 the GOP debate schedule kicked off with three debates ranging from May to August before the campaign began in earnest the first week of September. There's a general sense out there to back up the campaign, but I don't think they'll be able to hold off the first debate until September of this year. At least one debate before September 1 will feature a Serious Candidate, book it.

The Reagan Library announced a debate for September 16, but Reince immediately pushed back and said the RNC hasn't sanctioned any debates yet. At their meeting in November the RNC said they would remove any candidate from their sanctioned debates who participates in an unsanctioned event. We'll have to see if they're able to actually hold the candidates to that.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:19

kitten emergency: Jan 13, 2008; get meow this wack-ass crystal prison

Joementum posted:

The Reagan Library announced a debate for September 16, but Reince immediately pushed back and said the RNC hasn't sanctioned any debates yet. At their meeting in November the RNC said they would remove any candidate from their sanctioned debates who participates in an unsanctioned event. We'll have to see if they're able to actually hold the candidates to that.

Is it too much for one GOP primary debate to be all of the candidates stuck in an elevator with a drunk Reince?

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:24

William Bear: Oct 26, 2012; "That's what they all say!"

uncurable mlady posted:

Is it too much for one GOP primary debate to be all of the candidates stuck in an elevator with a drunk Reince?

After some time interacting with Preibus in person in 2014, I think that's just his normal speaking voice. Either that, or he's drunk constantly. I know that's what I'd do in his position.

computer parts posted:

John Adams was a shithead.

True, the one exception to the rule I thought of, but it was so long ago. Is there a 20th century example of a politician being a shithead, but his child being much better?

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:29

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

Joementum posted:

The Reagan Library announced a debate for September 16, but Reince immediately pushed back and said the RNC hasn't sanctioned any debates yet. At their meeting in November the RNC said they would remove any candidate from their sanctioned debates who participates in an unsanctioned event. We'll have to see if they're able to actually hold the candidates to that.

What the hell is he waiting for? He's going to be competing with football season.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:29

VirtualStranger: Aug 20, 2012

Happy 2015. :toot:

This year will almost certainly be the year that Gay Marriage becomes legal across all 50 states, so at least there is something that isn't terrible.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:30

Armani: Jun 22, 2008; Now it's been 17 summers since I've seen my mother

But every night I see her smile inside my dreams

Quidam Viator posted:

Get ready for a lot of fun and excitement!

Accompanying music to follow this quote with. Now, let's start!:

http://youtu.be/grDk_vs-jMU

Happy Newest of Years.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:31

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

computer parts posted:

John Adams was a shithead.

Debatable, but JQA was pretty good.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:32

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

VirtualStranger posted:

Happy 2015.

This year will almost certainly be the year that Gay Marriage becomes legal across all 50 states, so at least there is something that isn't terrible.

Maybe, but it will definitely be the year the Fair Housing Act gets gutted.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:35

berzerker: Aug 18, 2004; "If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

fade5 posted:

The documentary basically covers the history of blacks in the south during the "missing" 100 years from post-civil war to civil rights, and it also does a really good job of explaining why race relations are and remain so incredibly hosed up in America. That 100 years is "missing" because you can't really whitewash what happened, so you get America up to Civil War, the bare-bones basics of Jim Crow/the KKK/sharecropping, and then we skip ahead to WW2 where America got to be the "good guy" again.

I'd honestly recommend that it be a standard part of American history courses, and everyone should watch it. As a warning, it is depressing as all hell. (But seriously, go watch it, it has stuck with me even going on two years later).

It's bizarre to me, as a historian, to see anyone refer to Reconstruction and Jim Crow as "missing" years. They ARE a standard part of American history courses. Few high school courses go into enormous detail on any aspect of US history, and fewer still get past WWII due to time reasons, but that doesn't make a conspiracy to hide post-WWII history from students. (Cue 20 pages of people with anecdotes about how well or poorly taught it was in their specific schools)

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:38

EmpyreanFlux: Mar 1, 2013; The AUDACITY! The IMPUDENCE! The unabated NERVE!

William Bear posted:

After some time interacting with Preibus in person in 2014, I think that's just his normal speaking voice. Either that, or he's drunk constantly. I know that's what I'd do in his position.

True, the one exception to the rule I thought of, but it was so long ago. Is there a 20th century example of a politician being a shithead, but his child being much better?

Uh, maybe Ron Reagan? It's not a high bar to set though.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:38

Joementum: May 23, 2004; jesus christ

William Bear posted:

True, the one exception to the rule I thought of, but it was so long ago. Is there a 20th century example of a politician being a shithead, but his child being much better?

Ronald Reagan Jr. :v:

edit: Dammit!

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:39

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

William Bear posted:

After some time interacting with Preibus in person in 2014, I think that's just his normal speaking voice. Either that, or he's drunk constantly. I know that's what I'd do in his position.

True, the one exception to the rule I thought of, but it was so long ago. Is there a 20th century example of a politician being a shithead, but his child being much better?

I won't count Ron Reagan since he's not a politician, but for sure,

Bobby Kennedy > Joseph Kennedy

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:43

i say swears online: Mar 4, 2005

berzerker posted:

It's bizarre to me, as a historian, to see anyone refer to Reconstruction and Jim Crow as "missing" years. They ARE a standard part of American history courses. Few high school courses go into enormous detail on any aspect of US history, and fewer still get past WWII due to time reasons, but that doesn't make a conspiracy to hide post-WWII history from students. (Cue 20 pages of people with anecdotes about how well or poorly taught it was in their specific schools)

It's a problem of only focusing on the wars. A lot of people only remember Revolution -> Civil War -> WWII, and our most important social stuff happened between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:45

Jerry Manderbilt: May 31, 2012; No matter how much paperwork I process, it never goes away. It only increases.

This would have belonged in the last thread, but I'm glad that my congressional district was not fired up and ready for Ro.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 04:51

FlamingLiberal: Jan 18, 2009; Would you like to play a game?

Captain_Maclaine posted:

Here we go again. Take it away, Uncle Sam!

That bottle needs to be replaced with one about 10 times bigger, judging by the garbage that will be passing just in the next couple of months

# ? Jan 2, 2015 05:02

computer parts: Nov 18, 2010; PLEASE CLAP

Aliquid posted:

It's a problem of only focusing on the wars. A lot of people only remember Revolution -> Civil War -> WWII, and our most important social stuff happened between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

There's a difference between only focusing on the wars and people only remembering the wars. If you're a white 10 year old kid that lives in a state that doesn't say "War of Northern Aggression" you probably don't give two shits about the Antebellum (or Reconstruction) period anyway, just the cool explosions.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 05:03

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# ? May 2, 2024 22:25

berzerker: Aug 18, 2004; "If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

Aliquid posted:

It's a problem of only focusing on the wars. A lot of people only remember Revolution -> Civil War -> WWII, and our most important social stuff happened between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

Well, if anyone wants some straight up classics, go read

Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1865-1877.
Ayers, Edward. The Promise of the New South: Life after Reconstruction.
Litwack, Leon. Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery
Rose, Willie. Rehearsal for Reconstruction: The Port Royal Experiment.
Woodward, C. Vann. The Strange Career of Jim Crow.

# ? Jan 2, 2015 05:03

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > US Pol January - Please, please leave the thread if this will affect you

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