US Politics Mega-thread - Page 2154

On August 06 2015 03:05 Plansix wrote:
The fact that they keep going back to the well on that one, even though national polls show no one is on their side blows my mind.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court struck down Texas' voter ID law on Wednesday in a victory for the Obama administration, which had taken the unusual step of bringing the weight of the U.S. Justice Department to fight new Republican-backed mandates at the ballot box.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the 2011 law carries a "discriminatory effect" and violates one of the remaining provisions of the Voting Rights Act — the heart of which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013.

Texas was allowed to use the voter ID law during the 2014 elections, thereby requiring an estimated 13.6 million registered Texas voters to have a photo ID.

Section 2 of the landmark civil rights law required opponents to meet a far higher threshold and prove that Texas intentionally discriminated against minority voters.

"We conclude that the district court did not reversibly err in determining that SB 14 violates Section 2 by disparately impacting minority voters," the court wrote.

The Justice Department had argued that the Texas law, considered one of the toughest voter ID measures in the country, would prevent as many as 600,000 voters from casting a ballot because they lacked one of seven forms of approved ID.

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton did not immediately comment on the ruling.

On August 06 2015 04:07 Jormundr wrote:

Texas is pretty smart compared to the rest of the south. They're just more macho, gay, and afraid of people knowing that they're queers with steers.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans on addressing students at the evangelical Liberty University next month.

The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate plans to visit the Lynchburg, Va. campus on Sept. 14 for the school’s fall convocation, according to Liberty’s website.

Its website touts the event — held three a times a week at its Vines Center — as “North America’s largest weekly gathering of Christian students.” The Lynchburg News & Advance said the events frequently draw more than 12,000 people.
The speeches are also mandatory for residential, undergraduate students at Liberty.

Sanders’s appearance would provide him with a younger, more conservative audience than he typically attracts, as he is considered the most liberal candidate in the 2016 race.

On August 06 2015 09:52 darthfoley wrote:
Sanders schedules stop at Liberty University
By Mark Hensch



Talk about not giving a fuck and having balls of steel; i applaud Mr. Sanders for being risky

The new Drug Enforcement Administration chief has finally made it clear: Marijuana is safer than heroin.

DEA head Chuck Rosenberg told reporters Wednesday morning at the administration's headquarters that "heroin is clearly more dangerous than marijuana," clarifying a less definitive statement he made last week, when he said marijuana is "probably not" as dangerous as heroin. Rosenberg said cannabis is still "harmful and dangerous," but that his original remarks should have been clearer.

Cameras were not allowed at the press briefing, but DEA spokesman Joseph Moses confirmed Rosenberg's remarks to The Huffington Post.

The statement lines up with the science that has long been clear on the plant being one of the least dangerous recreationally used drugs. And while Rosenberg's comments may initially seem benign, they represent a significant shift in the point of view of an agency that continues to classify marijuana as one of the "most dangerous" drugs, alongside heroin and LSD.

They also represent a departure from the former head of the drug agency, Michele Leonhart, who resigned earlier this year amid allegations that DEA agents participated in "sex parties" with prostitutes in Colombia. She refused to acknowledge that marijuana might not be as unhealthy as harder drugs like heroin and crack.

Four states and the District of Columbia have now legalized recreational marijuana, and 23 states have legalized the drug for medical purposes. Activists and lawmakers in favor of marijuana policy reform have held out hope that Rosenberg would lead the DEA away from its heavy-handed, marijuana prohibition-focused past. Instead, they've championed a pragmatic approach to monitoring and enforcing the drug that falls in line with the public's support for its legalization, as well as congressional support for states that have relaxed their marijuana laws.

Under the Controlled Substances Act, the U.S. has five categories for drugs and drug ingredients. Schedule I is reserved for drugs the DEA considers to have the highest potential for abuse and no medical value. Marijuana has been classified as Schedule I for decades.

On August 06 2015 01:59 Mohdoo wrote:


Can you elaborate on what you think makes this task so impossible? Could he not hire consultants the same way candidates hire campaign managers and the like? How is it such an unknowable thing? I'm sure there are a few people you could hire to give you a very thorough rundown on the pros/cons/views of a wide range of candidates.

On August 06 2015 11:56 whatisthisasheep wrote:
FBI is now involved in Clinton's E-mail scandal and say its a Criminal Investigation.
http://nypost.com/2015/08/05/fbi-investigation-of-hillarys-emails-is-criminal-probe/
Hillary is going down faster than Monica.

On August 06 2015 03:05 Mohdoo wrote:


I don't think so. I think planned parenthood and gay marriage are two issues where that ship has sailed. I don't think being against either of those things is viable on a national stage.

On August 06 2015 13:34 Wegandi wrote:


Abortion as an issue is nearly split down the middle in this country (in the general sense). Once you get into more specifics, the Democrats are generally on the more extreme side with nearly 80% of the country against abortions after 20 weeks. If you think that's a winning issue, be my guest. The trend is also going more in my direction than it is the abortion direction. I can't believe how many people so vociferously support PP - one of the most heinous eugenic organizations in this country. Lauding Margaret Sanger should be a pendant worn only around the most vile, not be a rallying cry for anything. The killing of vast amounts of the poor and minorities (which are and were the whole point to PP - go read The Pivot of Civilization), is a huge tragedy.

People also need to stop conflating reproductive health, birth control, maternal care, and other OB-GYN issues with abortion. If anything is ill-funded in this country, and made ridiculously more difficult than it should be is adoption.

On August 06 2015 14:14 zlefin wrote:
wegandi - that sounds too much like crazy ranting to me, far too much extreme rhetoric. That's not going to convince anyone.

On August 06 2015 14:25 Wegandi wrote:


If that's extreme you should read Sanger, and the history of PP. She did some good with the overturning of Comstock laws and what not, even if she was a vapid white supremacist, but if she only stuck with birth control we'd all be better off. There's a huge gulf between birth control of all varieties, and abortions, especially given her raison d'etre. Given that one of the biggest reasons I see pulled out of the abortion hat is 'financial' and better to kill the unborn than have them live in a poor household with 'unfit' parents, and or, it puts too much stress on society, that I don't see any meaningful difference between a lot of today's abortion supporters and Sanger and her eugenic filth.

Then, there's these facts:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/abortions-racial-gap/380251/

Again, one of the main reasons for PP and abortions in the first place. To keep the 'undesirable' population in check. So, please, again tell me who's on the extreme side here?