Vox Populi – 09-28-2018

CU Soon, Ad.

pinkpantheroz

Howdy. I am early…..good lord….what a roller coaster ride. Had lunch with a local judge. His perspective- the GOP recognizes that SCOTUS control is worth any gambit since it has emerged as both legislature and executive in a world in which gridlock governs the other two branches. Only someone with nothing to lose, like Flake would do as he did.

MurphTheSurf3

hi all. Tell me the news – has the committee bowed to FBI investigation?

pinkpantheroz

It did. And so has the Senate as a whole and so has the President.

MurphTheSurf3

WOW!!!!!!!! I saw Kav do his dummy spit and wondered when anyone there would grow a pair. Great News

pinkpantheroz

let it be so, Ad.

pinkpantheroz

I think Collins and Murko are history anyway

pinkpantheroz

glenn!

pinkpantheroz

FD!

pinkpantheroz

Evening, gents! Murph! You’re here early!

glenn

Hey peeps! Are we all ready to “burn down the mission,” yet?

Fuzzy Dunlop

With great news, glenn.

pinkpantheroz

Glenn….I am…..needed the sanity of the Planet….after a day of crazy.

MurphTheSurf3

Hey P, Ad, glenn,Murph, and Jenuine! How goes it…besides the obvious.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Murph–good to see you. Yeah, it’s been two days of crazy, hasn’t it? I think Flake is just covering his ass; he’ll still vote to seat Kavanaugh.

glenn

FD–Going well, how about you?

glenn

Ad, a great idea for tomorrow’s music thread would be a tribute to women everywhere. What would we dogs ever do without them?

Fuzzy Dunlop

I think Collins and Murko will hunt with the hounds and run with the hare and then toe the GOP line. All bluff and bluster. No more confidence in their integrity

pinkpantheroz

I do not understand Flake’s motivation entirely…..his rep is one of a real conservative, with strong family/faith roots….he is leaving the Senate, he says, because he cannot stand the environment any longer….so maybe this is last stand on the moral high ground.

MurphTheSurf3

Me neither P. all sound and fury…signifying nothing.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad–Flake may have delayed the vote for a while, but I’ll be very surprised (and pleased) if Flake, Collins, or Murkowski vote No on Kavanaugh. I’ll also be very surprised if the rapepublicans do anything with the information the FBI uncovers, good or bad.

glenn

Ad, but, but the SCOTUS! it will be biased for a generation

pinkpantheroz

hellooo!

x27

Hiya X!

pinkpantheroz

Murkowski….won reelection against the GOP candidate and owes her political life to independents, tribal peoples, and democrats….Collins is in a state that despises its GOP governor and is very pro choice….

MurphTheSurf3

I guess Mango Moonshot has now asked for an FBI investigation. Gee, what took him so long?

Fuzzy Dunlop

Hello, X.

glenn

FD….Mango moonshoot…..gotta luv it.

MurphTheSurf3

Chief of Staff with a baseball bat, methinks, FD

pinkpantheroz

I am sick and tired over politics in America…but I cant stop watching,I need a 12 step program

x27

Or Jeff Flake!

Fuzzy Dunlop

X–We all need a 12-step program, but in its absence, we turn to the Planet for sanity and just some good talk!

glenn

LOL glenn

x27

good idea, glenn.

pinkpantheroz

Great ad. Not a simple “Ladies Night,” but a real praise of le femme!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Brett doth protest too much,me thinks

x27

I hoe Prof. Ford, God Bless her can say ‘Je ne regrette rien!”

pinkpantheroz

hope!

pinkpantheroz

Ad–I don’t believe that any rapepublican will vote against Kavanaugh. Their dream of a conservative court, plus McConnell’s bullying and bluster, will win out in the end.

glenn

Mango Moonshot has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it Murph?

Fuzzy Dunlop

Woman are fired up! it is the year of the woman!!

x27

Ad, can the Law Association do anything?

pinkpantheroz

Ad. Those motivations also make sense.

MurphTheSurf3

Had lunch with a local judge. His perspective- the GOP recognizes that SCOTUS control is worth any gambit since it has emerged as both legislature and executive in a world in which gridlock governs the other two branches. Only someone with nothing to lose, like Flake would do as he did.

MurphTheSurf3

“womMEN I mean

x27

Ad–won’t it take more than one rapepublican No vote?

glenn

PPO….Bar Association rescinded their endorsement….that is about it.

MurphTheSurf3

P, the American Bar Association has strongly recommended an FBI investigation, but they have no power to force one.

Fuzzy Dunlop

OK, pity they can’t pull his licence pending, or something

pinkpantheroz

They can if Kav is found guilty of perjury…which he clearly is.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Hope Mrs K will be ok tonight

pinkpantheroz

Ad…I suspect that at the least they will show how much of a debauched brigand he was…and that may well do it too.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–I think his “your” judge’s perspective is spot on. The rapepublicans don’t care one whit about public opinion, what’s good for the country, or whether or not Kavanaugh disqualified himself with his testimony yesterday. All they care about is having that 5-4 conservative majority for the next 20-30 years.

glenn

Glenn…and that judge is a dyed in the wool lifelong GOPer.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph, but that qualifies him more with this mob!

pinkpantheroz

Sadly true glenn. They’re souless, spineless slugs!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Did you all see O’Connell on the floor of the Senate….acting as the wounded defender of the heroic victim….Judge K?

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–I think the FBI is already crippled in their job. First of all, only a one-week investigation? How many agents will the FBI assign to this task? Secondly, the lying bully has said they can only investigate “credible accusers”. Besides Dr. Ford, whom do they consider “credible”? Even I have my doubts about the woman Avenatti represents.

glenn

Ad…but that creates yet another precedent smashing precedent…..court packing was an idea that even FDR could not sell.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–do you think the Dems really have the spine to do that? I don’t.

glenn

Ad…that she does…..

MurphTheSurf3

who is this Coons person?

pinkpantheroz

Murph–Yeah, I saw O’Connell. The worst one, though, was graham yesterday. OMG! What a drama queen he was!

glenn

Viva le femme!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad, can the FBI trace the money trail to the paying off of Kav’s loans?

pinkpantheroz

Glenn….that hizzy fit was a staged bit of drama……and queen is precisely the right term.

MurphTheSurf3

glenn, gaydar set to 11!

pinkpantheroz

sure P. That’s one of their specialties.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Murph–Rapepublicans are packing the court right now, with the ramming through of Kavanaugh, no matter what!

glenn

Kav is a real ferret face. Frank Burns incarnate!

Fuzzy Dunlop

My judge friend says that if K fails to be confirmed it will be because there is evidence that will likely lead to his being forced off of the federal bench entirely.

MurphTheSurf3

FD A Real MASH character.

pinkpantheroz

There’s no statute of limitations on sexual assault in Maryland.

Fuzzy Dunlop

I don’t care one whit if graham is a closeted queen. In fact, if he is, I wish he would come out. Murph, I think you had the better term, “staged bit of drama.” That was for an audience of one.

glenn

Glenn…he was chosen for the role because no one does it better.

MurphTheSurf3

Yep P! A real life ferret face!

Fuzzy Dunlop

If Graham is a closet queen, he’s a self loathing one. My daughter told me there are a lot of self loathing gay men.

Fuzzy Dunlop

glenn, the GOP is so uptight abut sex. Most people if someone comes out there days, just say ‘Meh’ and get on eith life. No biggie anymore.

pinkpantheroz

Glenn….I too do not care about his orientation but he has been engaged to a trophy fiance for…well forever……

MurphTheSurf3

PPO and Ad–I truly think that Kavanaugh will be seated on SCOTUS. I only hope Dems can flip the Senate, as well as the House, so that impeachment proceedings against him can be begun immediately. The charge should lying to Congress.

glenn

Exactlt P. Unless one is republican.

Fuzzy Dunlop

They call that a “beard,” Murph.

Fuzzy Dunlop

FD–oh, no doubt graham is a self-loathing human being, and I’m not sure it’s only from being a closet queen.

glenn

Oooh, great point ad.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad, then watch PapyaPuss excoriate the FBI for the ‘Witch Hunt’ !

pinkpantheroz

Ad….you know that the FBI wants to take K down because in doing so they take T down and his GOP sychophants.

MurphTheSurf3

A culmination, glenn? His little hissy fit was quite entertaining I thought. McCain is rolling in his grave, I’m sure.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Oh, the irony, Murph!

pinkpantheroz

I always thought of McCain as Graham’s daddy

MurphTheSurf3

At this point in the game, it’s only the hard core Trumpies that aren’t sick of this twisted bread and circus of an administration and congress.

Fuzzy Dunlop

so did Graham, Murph!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad–I hope you’re right; that the FBI will go all out to prove Kavanaugh is a serial sexual predator. However, from what I understand, the FBI is not supposed to draw any conclusions, just present the evidence. And, just as yesterday, the evidence will not sway rapepublicans one bit. They will vote to seat K no matter what. Look, if Kavanaugh’s hysterical, partisan, lying, bullying performance yesterday didn’t change any minds, I’m not sure anything will.

glenn

Will Rosy keep his job?

pinkpantheroz

Ad….the framers defined the need for regular constitutional conventions to fine tune and fix the core document but that never happened…our flawed instrument gets more and more out of whack time and again until there is a rending crisis…like the civil war, or the great depression…..I think we are heading in that direction.

MurphTheSurf3

PPO–Exactly what I was going to say next. The lying bully will only say that it’s the “deep state” lying again. It will be all the Clintons’ fault, dontcha know?

glenn

It’s simply unwise to lay everything down on a centuries old document. Problems have crept up that the framers couldn’t possibly have foreseen.

Fuzzy Dunlop

When K. went on his rant at the start of his opening remarks about the “conspiracy” anchored in the Clintons I found that by itself disqualifying.

MurphTheSurf3

They say you don’t hear the bullet that kills you. Mueller is VERY quiet just now, isn’t he? Hee Hee

pinkpantheroz

Mueller…..The Silencer!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad–Once again, you are the voice of hope, and I am still the cynic. However, I like your scenario of expanding SCOTUS, and promise to not be too much of a cynic.

glenn

And then when the GOP have control…they expand SCOTUS….43 justices somewhere down the road.

MurphTheSurf3

glenn, you’re not the only one trying not to be too cynical, but it’s tough right now.

pinkpantheroz

I think 13 is a good number! Ha!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Murph–exactly. Aren’t judges supposed to be objective? Kavanaugh really showed his ass yesterday, yet not one rapepublican mentioned how disqualifying his partisan remarks and his screaming about whirlwinds are.

glenn

Hey, Ad, don’t give the GOP the idea to expand sooner and stack SCOTUS even more!

pinkpantheroz

Ad and Murph–Personally, I think K needed to smile more yesterday. He would have been so much more “handsome” if he had done that. And his screeching voice–just sent shivers down my spine. Not only because of what he was saying, but in the screeching manner he was sayng it.

glenn

Exactly glenn. The SC has never really been impartial, but it was usually ignored, for the large part. Now, the GOP is just being downright blatant about it and how peachy keen they are with it.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Glenn….I hated his smile during his first hearings….seemed so studied…so fake.

MurphTheSurf3

Arrogant shit

pinkpantheroz

The GOP has a number of punchable faces, but Kav is the king of punchable faces. There, I said it!

Fuzzy Dunlop

The court has become the surefire instrument to shape policy and the wealthy/powerful have provided the funds to ensure generational control…Citizens United was the keystone in this.

MurphTheSurf3

Nah, He’s third in line. McConnell and Ryan both need a good slapping

pinkpantheroz

Just slapping?

MurphTheSurf3

That’s a real toss up for me P.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Full power backhanders can be devastating

pinkpantheroz

with a lead filled glove, Murph!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Murph–I should have identified my “smile” remark as snark. I was just using that as what rapepublians say about women when they get too emotional. I think the most compelling part of Dr. Ford’s testimony yesterday was how she got Kavanaugh to demonstrate exactly how he would have done what she said he did. His belligerence, entitlement, and bullying came through loud and clear to this woman!

glenn

Ad…..our foundation document was an interesting experiment which has been copied by……well no one….why? It is crap. When you separate the executive from the legislative as our does gridlock is hard wired into the structure…

MurphTheSurf3

Great point glenn!

Fuzzy Dunlop

FD–and yesterday, Kavanaugh demonstrated quite a few of his punchable faces.

glenn

Glenn….ah, yes.

MurphTheSurf3

He should have “Privileged Snot,” tattooed on his forehead.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad….and he was the handpicked choice of the Federalist Society, a constitutional front for the monied powers.

MurphTheSurf3

But the GOP have blinkers on, or virtual reality rose covered lenses, and will probably vote for the weasel anyway

pinkpantheroz

no doubt about it Murph!

Fuzzy Dunlop

oh they see him for what he is P, they just don’t give a squat!

Fuzzy Dunlop

PPO…they know what they are doing…walking the path their masters want them to take….

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–So what you are saying is that once again, it’s up to women to save the rapepublicans. I respectfully disagree that it should come down to only them. I just can’t understand how every man in the rapapublican party could sit there and listen to Kavanaugh disqualify himself with his partisan rants and his lying. It just astounds me that he got away with that!

glenn

Ad….in such an America how could the dems win?

MurphTheSurf3

The public have had 2 years of Drumpf to inure themselves, glenn

pinkpantheroz

Term Limits for all public offices and SCOTUS

pinkpantheroz

i agree P. And public financing of all federal elections.

Fuzzy Dunlop

No more corporate money trough!

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad–Holy shit! If we come to an America like you describe, I think we’d have another civil war. I do hope it doesn’t come to that. I can accept overturning Roe v Wade, we can fix that and the ACA. I just don’t think the lying bully being put above the law and states prevented from prosecuting him. That would be a catastrophe and I’m not sure even Dems increasing SCOTUS numbers could fix that.

glenn

PPO–sad but true that we have come to accept lying as a fact of life. As long as you’re a rapepublican, that is.

glenn

Perfect point from Twitter: “Kavanaugh spent four days at the White House being #coached. What he did Thursday was follow the #trump game-plan. Deny, deny, deny and yell LOUDLY while asking idiotic questions in response to questions. SAD!”

pinkpantheroz

PPO–Yes, that is exactly what Kavanaugh did.

glenn

Ad–I can’t remember with all of the shit we’ve had to process this year. Was it Dems who changed the 60-vote rule?

glenn

Worth hopping on a plane to see, Ad!

pinkpantheroz

glenn, I think it was McConnell to screw the DEm Scotus nomination

pinkpantheroz

SO….what do we predict is the likely result of the week’s investigation?????

MurphTheSurf3

FD–I like your idea of public financing for federal elections, but how would it work?

glenn

glenn, TAX the SHIT out of the 1% !

pinkpantheroz

Ad….and in Parliamentary system the executive cannot hide.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–my prediction is that nothing changes, and Kavanaugh is unfortunately seated on the Court.

glenn

Ok Glenn says that Kavanaugh still gets in. Others?

MurphTheSurf3

Does the pope shit in an ivory bowl?

Fuzzy Dunlop

Ad…..K and T lied….of course…..birds of a feather…..

MurphTheSurf3

glenn, maybe, but will his ‘colleagues’ want anything to do with him?

pinkpantheroz

Ad–Kavanaugh lying? Say it ain’t so!

glenn

My vote is that K is out and T names someone else just as repugnant and the GOP puts him on the express train to confirmation….

MurphTheSurf3

PPO–still, I’m curious. How would it work? Would there be a finite “pool” of money? What happens when that runs out? Would every candidate get the same amount? Who determines the amount and who gets the money? Do candidates in larger states get more than those in smaller states? Would it be determined by state population? Amount of state land mass?

glenn

I’d like that, Murph, but any follow up would be after the mid terms. Now, if only the FBI could keep delaying the investigation……

pinkpantheroz

FD–he does? Why is it ivory?

glenn

Let’s say the GOP lose both the House and Senate in November…what will they do….PUSH EVEN HARDER TO GET THEIR CHOICE INTO THE SCOTUS ROBES….no matter what the cost….control of the court is worth it.

MurphTheSurf3

glenn, not sure myself. Here in Oz, here are no PACS as such. Each party gets an allocation of taxpayers money do do with what they can, and do their own fundraising as well.

pinkpantheroz

Ad–and we appreciate those men who march with us. Thank you.

glenn

Ad…..which is why the GOP will push their choice onto the court…that gives them the safety net they need.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–That’s what I fear as well. That the “lame ducks” will fight like hell to get one conservative on the court, and especially Kavanaugh.

glenn

PPO…Oz….much like most of the enlightened democracies in the world….we are not one of those any longer.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad, much more reasonable than lifetime appointments.

pinkpantheroz

PPO–so who decides the allocations? Are they equal for every candidate? You say the money comes from taxpayers; is it a separate tax or does the government just take a percentage of it from the total treasury?

glenn

In 1789….life expectancy for men was 54…..life long meant something entirely different then.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…they all get coaching.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–not only SCOTUS judges but Congressmen and Senators too. I also think we could decrease our deficit tremendously by putting all of Congress on Social Security, and not the lifetime pensions they now get.

glenn

Sorry folks, had a phone call. I gotta go, but you folks take care and keep your spirits up.

Fuzzy Dunlop

Not really sure, glenn. I know that smaller parties only get refunded their election expenses if they get a certain percentage of the vote. Strict rules apply to where the money can be spent, like posters, ads, etc. I think the Party can direct more moneys to marginal seats , less to the ‘blue Ribbon’ certain seats.

pinkpantheroz

See You, FD

pinkpantheroz

Ad–I this November will be a mini-revolution and will prevent much of what you laid out. What do you think of the theory that’s being pushed that if Kavanaugh doesn’t get out on the court that it will motivate republican voters to turn out in higher numbers than Dems?

glenn

PPO–It’s an interesting concept; but it requires a huge change and much nuance. Which in today’s political climate in the US, is impossible.

glenn

Ad–I’m confused. Trashing the 60-vote rule was designed to keep extremists off the Court? Or the 60-vote rule itself was designed to keep extremists off the court?

glenn

Ad–I hope so. I’m going to be pissed at fellow Democrats if they don’t get out and vote like there’s no tomorrow. Because, if K gets on the court, that may well be the case. Or, at least happy tomorrows.

glenn

Ad….as I noted earlier….they will find that he has lied a number of times misrepresenting himself as a young person time and again…and that this creates a fog around all of the claims….there will be too much chaff in the air for him to continue. He will withdraw hoping to hold onto his current court and the next GOP Choice will step in. Despite the likely electoral results the GOP will get that person through to ensure their command of the Supreme Camp for a generation.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad….the court can rule that such an expansion is unconstitutional…..it would take an amendment of the constitution to do this.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–I hope if Kavanaugh returns to his current court that a judicial review is begun to see if his rulings were based on law, or his partisan opinions.

glenn

Hope that blue wave comes in Nov, not 2020

pinkpantheroz

Glenn, who does the review? Ultimately…the Supremes.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–I’m still hanging on to your hope.

glenn

Murph–it’s still worth a shot. I would think the Supremes would want to at least keep the illusion of non-partisanship.

glenn

Let me go a step further….I would not be at all surprised to find the GOP actively undermining Trump once they have the court….Pence would be a better agent of their masters will.

MurphTheSurf3

Glenn….why would the care. What can be done?

MurphTheSurf3

Murph, isn’t there enough to oust Pence and Ryan? I can’t imagine two less worthy people

pinkpantheroz

Ad….ending the supermajority rule was the plan all along to get them to the goal…control of the court.

MurphTheSurf3

Okay, gents, it’s time for me to go. Murph, I’d love to stick around and discuss your last post, but I’m getting pretty tired and not sure I can put any more coherent thoughts together. G’night all. Have a great weekend. See you next week.

glenn

good night glenn. Sleep well

pinkpantheroz

PPO…..it is only Pence who matters now and they will not bring him down…he has enough distance to hold on.

MurphTheSurf3

ad, would it prevent his being seated?

pinkpantheroz

Ad…..sorry….but those changes took place with the cooperation of the court and the approval of the parties in power…..and the changes put into place from the outside have actually been relatively minor….the biggest changes (mostly in regard to the scope of the court’s authority) have happened as a result of court action.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…..our crummy constitution makes the court the last arbiter of a law’s standing….and a GOP dominated court is not going to validate the action you outline.

MurphTheSurf3

Well, folks, great chat as always, but I’ve got to vamoose. Take care

pinkpantheroz

Ad….all the GOP need is for Pence to hang in for two more years so they can finish packing the federa courts…and then it will serve them to have a Dem prez they can beat like a Pinata!

MurphTheSurf3

The coming bruising of the big money economy created by a trade war, and the collapse of the trade treaty structure is going to motivate the GOP to dump Trump.

MurphTheSurf3

The court can declare anything it wants to…there is NO check on its power except an amendment and even those have been altered by SCOTUS interpretation. Money is speech!

MurphTheSurf3

Money is speech. Corporations are people. Personal guns are the core of the 2nd amendment…and so much more.

MurphTheSurf3

As long as the SCOTUS is controlled by the GOP in the way that we are heading…..nothing that the GOP’s puppet masters do not bless will pass its muster.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…and my point is that the damage will be done and that a Dem victory in 2020 will be a Phyrric one

MurphTheSurf3

Hate to be a bummer but I have long been a proponent of the theory that our constitutional structure is the cause of much of the pain we have experienced across our history.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…I do not see a single GOP member of the court who will do the right thing in this. Not a one and why should they care. Really? Legacy is overrated.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…that does not matter….the court is its own arbiter of what is or is not in their purview.

MurphTheSurf3

I came to this conclusion with the Citizens United ruling…..out of thinnest air….with the Bush v. Gore ruling as the other pinion in my sad hypothesis.

MurphTheSurf3

Well, it is late…a very focused discussion….you have a higher opinion of the court than I do…..and again it is Citizens United capping Bush v. Gore that are at the core of my case. Good night. We will see you next week.

MurphTheSurf3