Trump's Supreme Court nominee

[buttslinger]

For Trump a Supreme Court pick that gets 50 votes is better than a Judge who gets 90 votes.
I wouldn't bet money on how many votes Bart will get, unless I can get 3 points.

[Stavros]

Courtesy of the BBC, I have watched Senator Susan Collins telling the Senate why she intends to support Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

It has been a powerful, articulate and compelling, even persuasive performance. And yet, listening to Senator Collins describe Kavanaugh with regard to his views on Roe -v- Wade, by implication Brown- v- Board of Education, her claim that Kavanaugh does not support the view that the President cannot be prosecuted be it in cases of criminal or civil law, that he has supported the law on same-sex marriage, and that in 96% of cases when he was able to, that Kavanaugh voted the same way as Merrick Garland, one is left with two stunning questions:

1) Why was Merrick Garland denied a seat on the Supreme Court, and
2) Why was Brett Kavanaugh nominated by a President who wants the Supreme Court to scrap the very laws that Senator Collins claims that he supports?

Senator Collins ended her assessment with the argument divisions in US society might be healed by the appointment of Kavanaugh, but seems to me to be out of touch with the manner in which those divisions affect real Americans, every day, be they divisions which mean Americans are denied the right to vote, divisions which mean that in spite of Roe -v- Wade many American women find their state has re-defined abortion to make it all but impossibe in that state, and crude situations in which a law enforcement office shoots dead an un-armed man, who just happens at the time to be Black.

She claims to be a supporter of the reality of Prof. Ford's claims of sexual assault, yet also denied that Ford has remembered correcly what she thinks happened: which is rather like saying, well, I guess you were assaulted, but not by my guy, at no point raising what should be the most obvious next question: suppose Kavanaugh and his mates are lying? Indeed, at no point did Senator Collins even hint that on any question posed to him by the Judiciary Committe, did Kavanagh tell a lie.

She also sought to exonerate him of the claims of bias against Bill and Hiillary Clinton by citing procedure at the time of the Whitewater Investigations -which any young and ambitious lawyer knows must be respected in the development of a career- with no regard to Kavanaugh's animosity toward Bill Clinton as a man or his position as President and whether or not he thinks it was right to impeach Clinton either because he lied to a Grand Jury, or because he was opposed to Clinton as a Democrat, or both, let alone the incendiary remarks he made to the Senate Committee.

In short, Collins gave a master class in the presentation of a decent candidate where all the rough edges have been smoothed to the point where I wondered if Brett Kavanaugh is in reality a liberal whose dedication to the rule of law would be part of a process whereby the US finds ways of coming together as a nation, protected by the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Then I reminded myself that Senaor Collins is not a liberal, that the President is not a liberal, that the entire purpose of the current Administration is to trash everything that happened in the recent past so that, as a Republican said recently, 'it will be as if Obama never happened'

Susan Collins, the consummate politician, offering diamonds that turn to shit as soon as you touch them.

[filghy2]

One of the big puzzles about the past 2 years is why Republicans who have clearly had major reservations about Trump have been so ready to roll over and toe the party line. In the past party discipline in the US was fairly weak and even Presidents whose party had majorities in Congress often had trouble getting their way.

Obviously a big part of the answer is that 85-90% of Republican voters have continued to approve of Trump regardless of what he has said and done. Still it's hard to understand why Trump critics have been so reluctant to use their bargaining position to back up their words with action, especially those like Flake and Corker who are not running again. I'm not just talking about the Kavanaugh nomination, but also things like protecting the Mueller inquiry and resisting protectionism.

[Stavros]

I am not an American and I don't live there, so there are always going to be nuances that I just don't get, but from where I am I think those Repubicans who detest their President for that reason regard him with contempt, but look over their shoulders at the voters, which is why I think some are concerned at their potential losses in the mid-terms though at the moment it does not look like the Senate will go blue. It presents them with a dilemma as they are clearly using an incompetent fool to drive their policies through with particular focus on tax cuts.
The Supreme Court decision on Kavanaugh becomes an additional boost if Kavanaugh confirms Court decisions to leave States alone when they suppress voter rolls, deny Americans the right to register through legal schemes, pollute the environment, and impose such strict limits on terms as to make abortion impossible at the same time as retaining its legality. It is this use of state law to undermine federal law that establishes the fault-lines of the new Civil War taking place in the USA.

Rather than seeing this as a retreat behind state lines, it could be seen as an advance for a sub-nationalist enterprise in which individual states which may already have a long-established political culture, for example one derived from their Confederate past, resist and reject the authority of Congress to -as they see it- impose their policies on them. It is worth noting that states which voted for the President and approve of his attacks on political correctness, muti-culturalism and issues around women's rights, LGBT rights -indeed what they see as a 'rights culture' -are using States Rights to consolidate their alternative policies.

In practical effect, the suppression of the vote because it affects Black Americans more than any other single identifiable social group, returns those former Confederate states to the condition they were in when Slavery was legal -a state in which Black people can work, and even get paid, but in which they have no rights to participate in the political process, and states in which Black children as young as 12 can be imprisoned for life in an adult prison with no hope of parole for a minimum of 40 years. Segregation is real, it is happening, it is working: millions of Black Americans have been removed from public America, to the benefit of incumbemt Republicans. It is as if they do not exist.

This is not just revenge on America for putting a Black man in the White House, it is an attempt to make positive the argument that there is only one True America, and that there is no place in it for Jews, Asians, Latinos, or Africans, who were never voluntary immigrants anyway. In religious terms it outcasts anyone who is not a Christian, but may also include Roman Catholics, traditionally regarded by some Americans as natural born traitors because they believe that ultimately their Pope is more important than their Constitution.

That some of these 'True Americans' believe their President was sent to them by God further exposes fault-lines among those Americans who have no religion and those who think you cannot be American without it. The deeper problem is that without voter suppression, many Congressional Districts that return Republicans would be Democrat, just as the Demographic changes in the US tend to support the view that by 2050 or 2100 the majority of Americans will not represent the 'historic' 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant' cohort that allegedly created the USA, 'from Jamestown to today'.

From this perspective, the phenomenon we saw in 2016 may have been the last gasp of a declining component of the American project, Bannon and the alt-right desperate to enforce as much change as they can to slow the process through an end to immigration, but insisting on the right of states to go their own way to both undermine the authority of Washington DC, and in time, to end it altogether.

For at some point in the future, do not current trends suggest that once again, when something happens or the time is right, those old Confederate States will secede from the Union again? It would not be legal, or constitutional, but after all many of the new Confederates were in such despair when Obama was elected, and re-elected, that they realised they have to change. Using state law at the moment is their chosen weapon, in the future, more traditional weapons may be in their hands, determined to reclaim their states 'for God, Family and Country' -only that country will no longer be the USA.

One of my oldest friends who lived and studied in the US made the chilling remark a while ago -'If the USA wants to tear itself to shreds, let it. I no longer care'. The warning signs have been there since the 1980s, but can American rescue itself from its own demons?

[CD_Sasha]

I am not an American and I don't live there, so there are always going to be nuances that I just don't get, but from where I am I think those Repubicans who detest their President for that reason regard him with contempt, but look over their shoulders at the voters, which is why I think some are concerned at their potential losses in the mid-terms though at the moment it does not look like the Senate will go blue. It presents them with a dilemma as they are clearly using an incompetent fool to drive their policies through with particular focus on tax cuts.
The Supreme Court decision on Kavanaugh becomes an additional boost if Kavanaugh confirms Court decisions to leave States alone when they suppress voter rolls, deny Americans the right to register through legal schemes, pollute the environment, and impose such strict limits on terms as to make abortion impossible at the same time as retaining its legality. It is this use of state law to undermine federal law that establishes the fault-lines of the new Civil War taking place in the USA.

Rather than seeing this as a retreat behind state lines, it could be seen as an advance for a sub-nationalist enterprise in which individual states which may already have a long-established political culture, for example one derived from their Confederate past, resist and reject the authority of Congress to -as they see it- impose their policies on them. It is worth noting that states which voted for the President and approve of his attacks on political correctness, muti-culturalism and issues around women's rights, LGBT rights -indeed what they see as a 'rights culture' -are using States Rights to consolidate their alternative policies.

In practical effect, the suppression of the vote because it affects Black Americans more than any other single identifiable social group, returns those former Confederate states to the condition they were in when Slavery was legal -a state in which Black people can work, and even get paid, but in which they have no rights to participate in the political process, and states in which Black children as young as 12 can be imprisoned for life in an adult prison with no hope of parole for a minimum of 40 years. Segregation is real, it is happening, it is working: millions of Black Americans have been removed from public America, to the benefit of incumbemt Republicans. It is as if they do not exist.

This is not just revenge on America for putting a Black man in the White House, it is an attempt to make positive the argument that there is only one True America, and that there is no place in it for Jews, Asians, Latinos, or Africans, who were never voluntary immigrants anyway. In religious terms it outcasts anyone who is not a Christian, but may also include Roman Catholics, traditionally regarded by some Americans as natural born traitors because they believe that ultimately their Pope is more important than their Constitution.

That some of these 'True Americans' believe their President was sent to them by God further exposes fault-lines among those Americans who have no religion and those who think you cannot be American without it. The deeper problem is that without voter suppression, many Congressional Districts that return Republicans would be Democrat, just as the Demographic changes in the US tend to support the view that by 2050 or 2100 the majority of Americans will not represent the 'historic' 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant' cohort that allegedly created the USA, 'from Jamestown to today'.

From this perspective, the phenomenon we saw in 2016 may have been the last gasp of a declining component of the American project, Bannon and the alt-right desperate to enforce as much change as they can to slow the process through an end to immigration, but insisting on the right of states to go their own way to both undermine the authority of Washington DC, and in time, to end it altogether.

For at some point in the future, do not current trends suggest that once again, when something happens or the time is right, those old Confederate States will secede from the Union again? It would not be legal, or constitutional, but after all many of the new Confederates were in such despair when Obama was elected, and re-elected, that they realised they have to change. Using state law at the moment is their chosen weapon, in the future, more traditional weapons may be in their hands, determined to reclaim their states 'for God, Family and Country' -only that country will no longer be the USA.

One of my oldest friends who lived and studied in the US made the chilling remark a while ago -'If the USA wants to tear itself to shreds, let it. I no longer care'. The warning signs have been there since the 1980s, but can American rescue itself from its own demons?

You worry too much about Trump. Live life and enjoy the fresh air. Stop following that fear mongering liberal narrative and worry about your own country.. We're doing fine. Latina here and love the guy. The more trash talk you place on my president, the more we love him.. so want to be counter productive? Keep bitching about him. Saturday's justice supreme Court confirmation will be bliss <3

[filghy2]

You worry too much about Trump. Live life and enjoy the fresh air. Stop following that fear mongering liberal narrative and worry about your own country.. We're doing fine. Latina here and love the guy. The more trash talk you place on my president, the more we love him.. so want to be counter productive? Keep bitching about him. Saturday's justice supreme Court confirmation will be bliss <3

I'll probably regret asking this, but why??? How exactly do you expect to benefit from Trumpism? You are non-white, non-heterosexual, not rich, and (I assume) not a religious nut or a gun nut. You live in New York, not the manufacturing rust belt.

Are you one of those people like Kanye West who seem to get great satisfaction out of being a contrarian? At least Kanye is rich. Liking someone just because others don't like him does not seem very logical.

Also, you suggested in another post that you were a libertarian. You don't seen any inconsistency in supporting a president who can't hide his admiration for dictators and would clearly like to be one if he could? This is a man who has suggested many times that the power of the state should be used to punish his opponents. How is that consistent with libertarian philosophy?

[peejaye]

You worry too much about Trump. Live life and enjoy the fresh air. Stop following that fear mongering liberal narrative and worry about your own country.. We're doing fine. Latina here and love the guy. The more trash talk you place on my president, the more we love him.. so want to be counter productive? Keep bitching about him. Saturday's justice supreme Court confirmation will be bliss <3

Oh I love you Sasha, I love you
Don't let them drive you in to a mental institution though, you're better than that.

[CD_Sasha]

Because I know Trump is not what the liberal media claims he is. The dude was born and is a New Yorker. He's centrist, not Republican. He's not part of the political establishment and can tell both parties are outraged because he wasn't meant to be elected by the political establishment. We got tired of the status quo and especially of Hillary Clinton's failure as secretary of state (her laughing at Gaddafi when he died did it for me..). My biggest worry was her stance on open borders and ignoring how Europe was suffering with random terror attacks from radical islamist terrorists at the time ISIS was losing ground in Syria and Iraq. Me living in NYC, my biggest fear is getting caught in a random attack on my way to work or coming back home. Trump strong stance on temporarily halting refugees from terror prone countries (which the media miscategorized "Muslim ban") with governments either collapsed or brink of collapse (Syria) just to keep us safer. Gotta love the way he says it like it is without worrying about political correctness. I got tired of the liberals forcing us to fall aligned with their way of thinking and what really pissed me off is how they're treating anyone wearing a damn MAGA hat - attacking those who disagrees with them and not respecting anyones right to think differently.

The good:
First few weeks of presidency, he blocked CIA funding and arming rebel groups that we had no idea were either our friends or foe.

He placed strict ban and temporary halted refugees from countries where there's an active war with Al-queda, ISIS, Hezbollah and Taliban

Tax cuts - gotta love seeing an extra $100 on my paycheck. I see the company I'm working in constantly hiring and interviewing new people on a weekly basis. Didn't see this much during previous president administration. If Trump tax plan was so horrible, why is the economy doing so damn good that the federal reserve increased interested the 3rd time within 2 years into Trump's presidency? We're doing fine.

His tough stance on North Korea and pressing China against the rogue regime. Even South Korean president gave credit to Trump for having the opportunity to have peace talks with Kim Jong Un. Obama did terrible with his "strategic patience" and his handling during North Korea provocation against South Korea and Japan. He allowed the Kim regime to create bombs of stronger yields and finally create their first hydrogen bomb.

NAFTA has been renegotiated which both Democrats and Republicans have praised. It's about damn time and of course the media ignores it because it doesn't fit their anti-Trump narrative

Enforcing immigration laws. Not too sure why the liberal media keeps blurring the lines of "immigration" and "illegal immigrants". Trump has nothing against those entering the country legally. And the whole ripping children away from parents at the border, it's always been like this and why is it a problem now? If a US citizen commits a crime, do they get separated from their children? Of course they do! But we should do it the liberal way - let's keep families together and place children in prison with us! ��

The bad:
Ending Net neutrality. This was something I felt strongly against when he announced it and when the FCC pulled the plug on. But surprisingly, we're still alive lol

Attempting to scrap Obamacare with NO replacement. This whole process was sloppy and completely utter failure

The wall - this is such a stupid idea of him trying to push for it. His attempt to have US tax payers pay for it makes it even worse. I wish he would've used "the wall" as a metaphor to beef up border security. He should know damn well that the wall is a such an antiquated method of border security and instead, should heavily invest tech to secure it.

On Russia - I honestly believe if Hillary and Bernie were at the final race of presidency, Russia still would had meddled and attacked Hillary since he blamed her for the protest in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010~2011, during the time other countries "uprising" protests. But Trump's weak stance against Putin is making it look more likely they colluded, which I don't believe they did.

And just as an FYI, I'm neither a republican or Democrat (hint hint.. libertarian here) but love the job he's doing so far. Nothing wrong with America first. Sorry for any typos.. typed this all up on my phone

[buttslinger]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/05/u...naugh-fbi.html
The last thing you want in a Judge is prejudice, the Republicans bought a Judge. Trumpettes are cool with that.

[CD_Sasha]

Phew, I hope that clears things up regarding my views. Sravros, figly and that other guy Buttslinger dude should know that Sasha isn't your typical Trump loving redneck airhead lol