US Politics, May 2024: They Shoot Puppies, Don't They?

oh no

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/25/trump-loudly-heckled-libertarian-national-convention

Former president Donald Trump encountered an unusually tough crowd at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night as the audience loudly booed him and used noisemakers to drown out his speech.

The first current or former president to speak at the third-party’s convention, Trump made several major promises to libertarians in the crowded, rowdy room, including assuring the audience that he would appoint a libertarian to his Cabinet if elected in November. But the presumptive Republican nominee also taunted the third party that has typically garnered around 1 to 3 percent of the vote in presidential races, saying they should nominate him if they want to win.

“Maybe you don’t want to win,” Trump said to a loud chorus of boos from the crowd. “Keep getting your 3 percent every four years.”

...Nonetheless, Trump lobbied for an invitation to speak to the libertarians, aiming to appeal to their voters amid concerns from the two major parties that third-party candidates could attract voters who could swing a close presidential contest with President Biden.

Despite the hostile crowd, Trump received his warmest response when he said if reelected, he would pardon Ross Ulbricht, the mastermind behind the online drug market Silk Road, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. A Trump adviser was paid to seek clemency for Ulbricht in the final days of Trump’s administration, but no pardon was forthcoming.

Libertarians, who believe that drugs should not be criminalized, have vocally criticized Trump for not pardoning Ulbricht. Many attending Trump’s speech carried “FREE ROSS” signs.

https://crooked.com/podcast/the-trump-voters-who-are-sick-of-trump-ep-2/

Here's an excerpt from a horror novel:

The story of how an elite strike force of Christian lawyers, activists and politicians methodically and secretly led the country down a path that defied the will of a majority of Americans, who wanted abortion to remain legal, has been hidden until now. The ultimate aim of this behind-the-scenes conservative coalition, which powered one of the most significant political resurgences the United States has ever seen, went far beyond questions of when — and if — a pregnancy can be legally ended. For them, the fall of Roe was not an end but a beginning in their effort to make all abortion illegal and, in effect, roll back the sexual revolution. It was not only a political battle but a spiritual mission, rooted in their Christian faith and their belief that they were fighting for the highest moral stakes of the modern age. Their opponents didn’t see what was coming until it was far too late. After so many decades of taking Roe for granted, supporters of abortion rights had grown dangerously complacent and disorganized in ways that made them slow to appreciate the severity of the threat.

This investigation is built on more than 350 interviews with people who had knowledge of these events, including elected officials, lawyers, activists, doctors and ordinary people whose lives were changed by the fall of Roe. The reporting spanned 16 states and Washington, from statehouses to the White House, and a review of previously unreported documents.

generous of nyt to give christianity to christofascists

Didn’t propublica just do this?

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/05/supreme-court-going-off-the-rails-amicus-end-of-term-june.html

(apologies if that was posted in the SC thread, which I do not follow for mental health reasons)

As Cam’ron once opined, “It’s gonna be a hot summer.”

As Cam’ron once opined, “it’s gonna be a hot summer” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/us/politics/robert-de-niro-trump-biden-campaign.html

my bet is that few will remember flags-gate by the time the roberts scrotus is over— and it sure looks like a lonnng time.

_I also think it’s not the Roberts Court anymore, and it hasn’t been since the day Justice Ginsburg died. And the reality is that, probably by this time in July, you’re going to see lots of pieces about how this is Amy Coney Barrett’s court—how Barrett’s going to be the real decisive vote in the cases that matter, because she picks up either Roberts or Kavanaugh.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: If Roberts really believed that the institution were on the brink and that some grand gesture was needed, there’s exactly one thing he can do that none of the other justices can stop him from doing, and that’s resign. Resign in a Democratic presidency with a Democratic-controlled Senate and give the seat to a Democrat. And he’s never going to do that._

oh snap. fuck, you're right, it's RBG all over again.

this is why I unbookmarked the SC thread lol

then again, there is no way Biden would get to nom a justice in June 24

Roberts specialized in denying voting rights denial in the Reagan White House. He ain't going nowhere.

Whereas I don't specialize in double negatives

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-05-29-three-barriers-biden-reelection/

DURING THE 2020 ELECTION, CANDIDATE BIDEN made a promise to not be a totalizing force in people’s lives as president. He would not generate drama or instigate day-to-day hysteria; he would end rage-tweeting and fight-picking and endless boasting. He would be a different kind of president, concerned with quiet progress over self-aggrandizement. He would bring things back to normal.

There was a comfort in this, and because we’re dealing with Democrats, anxiety about that comfort, fueling worries that a mass of resistance leaders “going back to brunch” would dissipate the energy around changes that needed to be made. By and large, the administration has gotten done what it wanted to do anyway, without a rank-and-file army pushing from below. But this determination to disconnect the presidency from Americans, after four years of a presidency delivered directly to the national bloodstream, has not worked out well in building a record.

meanwhile

My commitment to do everything I can to bring our country together has led me to register as an independent with no party affiliation. pic.twitter.com/tvMB2N87AW

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) May 31, 2024

barf

beautiful photo composition

me laughing with all my friends

“Get fucked” doesn’t seem a strong enough response to that tweet

his face is like a crater from Moon Patrol

isn't he retiring?

retired guys love to tell you about the paperwork they did today

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) May 31, 2024

This is probably about running for governor

govern my balls

no thanks!

This week in the NBERs: People hate inflation, obviously, but they also think interest rate increases are partly to blame, and prefer measures like price controls, taxing rich people/companies, and antitrust enforcement to deal with it. 🤷‍♀️https://t.co/LQu8YhNovl pic.twitter.com/nkEOq3ByCP

— Lydia DePillis (@lydiadepillis) May 29, 2024

they think interest rate increases are partly to blame

also chemtrails

Just under the wire to get washed away by a new month’s thread:

Donald Trump is a serial liar, cheater, and philanderer, a six-time declarer of corporate bankruptcy, an instigator of insurrection, and a convicted felon who thrives on portraying himself as a victim.@GovKathyHochul should pardon him for the good of the country.

— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) June 1, 2024

New Thread:

US Politics, June 2024: "Have there ever been this many cowards in power?"