News Stories

[Sugetsu]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

My opinion of Obama has certainly gone downhill with all these NSA revelations...though in this instance it's just a case of him going back on most of the promises he made at the 2004 convention and ending up being not much different than the man he excoriated then. Of course, leftover neocons like Charles Krauthammer continue to insist that "Bush kept us safe for eight years" and of course when they had the reins to the Patriot Act, they were using it with utmost caution. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of course talked about how mass wiretapping protected us from "bad guys and only bad guys" over the past decade, and Bush's Homeland Security advisor Fran Townsend talked about it could've prevented the Boston bombing. At least the libertarian types are somewhat consistent when they say Obama acts as much like a neocon as Bush.

But I think the pressure to overturn the VRA instead of apply it equally across the country speaks not so much of latent racism on the GOP's part as it does extremely petty anti-Obamaism. They seem to think he's just such an abomination that electoral laws have to be rewritten to assure that such a mistake as him never happens again. That's what politics have become in this country at least since Clinton; a political pissing contest.

I don't know why you trow Obama into the mix here when this news is not about Obama but the bigger picture. Yes Obama is one of the reasons why the GOP has gone nuts in the last 5 years, but this process has been going since the Reagan years. The real problem is that overturning the VRA means that the GOP pretty much declared that racism is over and that America has changed a lot since the 60s; and of course Mitch mcconnell and the rest of the GOP are happy to beat the same drum.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Vexx

And sadly, the lt. governor decided to abrogate the protocol and rules and simply halted the filibuster. So much for rule-of-law in Texas and now it will cost the state millions in court cases as various groups file suit against the constitutionality of the law.

The Democrats are still pulling last minute parliamentary inquiries to stop it at all costs.

And a Democrat Senator just pointedly ask, at what point does a female Senator, raising her hand or her voice [get recognized over her male colleagues] -- referring to her previous motion to adjourn which the President of the Senate pretended didn't happen (and of course, to the issue at hand of old white male dudes deciding the fate of women).

The crowd went wild. lol.

[synaesthetic]

The crowd is preventing the roll call vote from being put through. If they can keep yelling for 9 minutes, they've got it.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

The crowd is preventing the roll call vote from being put through. If they can keep yelling for 9 minutes, they've got it.

The people's filibuster.

It's a minor victory at best (they can still create new bills during future sessions). But fuck the GOP, given the way they abused filibuster in the national stage, and the way they conveniently forgets about the rules when they can't abuse them, this -- much nobler cause -- is just having them hoist by their own petard.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

My opinion of Obama has certainly gone downhill with all these NSA revelations...though in this instance it's just a case of him going back on most of the promises he made at the 2004 convention and ending up being not much different than the man he excoriated then. Of course, leftover neocons like Charles Krauthammer continue to insist that "Bush kept us safe for eight years" and of course when they had the reins to the Patriot Act, they were using it with utmost caution. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of course talked about how mass wiretapping protected us from "bad guys and only bad guys" over the past decade, and Bush's Homeland Security advisor Fran Townsend talked about it could've prevented the Boston bombing. At least the libertarian types are somewhat consistent when they say Obama acts as much like a neocon as Bush.

But I think the pressure to overturn the VRA instead of apply it equally across the country speaks not so much of latent racism on the GOP's part as it does extremely petty anti-Obamaism. They seem to think he's just such an abomination that electoral laws have to be rewritten to assure that such a mistake as him never happens again. That's what politics have become in this country at least since Clinton; a political pissing contest.

good thing i never had a high opinion of Obama in the first place. never did get the enticement of the man form 2008. love seeing the expression on some of his former supporter when i ask how they like Obama change form bush. you would think someone force a slug down their throat.

Originally Posted by andyjay729

Oh man, no one thought to report on the latest episode of "Otakus Do The Darnedest Things"?

we did, in the voice actor thread.

[Irenicus]

Hmm, did they pass it under the noise after all? And actually, how the hell are they still continuing the session?

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

good thing i never had a high opinion of Obama in the first place. never did get the enticement of the man form 2008. love seeing the expression on some of his former supporter when i ask how the like Obama change form bush. you would think someone force a slug down their throat.

I was an ardent supporter in 2008, a lukewarm supporter in 2012. Call me naive, but I like to wish for a better world. I am willing to work for a better world.

The motherfucking traitor.

[synaesthetic]

I don't know, but they're continuing the session after midnight which means they're breaking the law.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

I was an ardent supporter in 2008, a lukewarm supporter in 2012. Call me naive, but I like to wish for a better world. I am willing to work for a better world.

The motherfucking traitor.

it is not naive to wish for a better world. You are naive for thinking any politicians are different.

[Ithekro]

Well if they are breaking the law, that means it will be contested, which mean some lawyers somewhere will get money.

[Irenicus]

Syn: it's super confusing, but apparently right now the senators are arguing whether the vote taken was legal or not. Of course, this after an obvious series of heinous rule-breaking...

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

You are naive for thinking any politicians are different.

Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Bomb the Pentagon? bring it on, NSA

I never expected The Messiah. I only expected that our dear President would have the decency to at least not expand on the Bush legacy.

[synaesthetic]

It wasn't legal; the vote was taken at 12:02... so... yeah they're going to reconvene later apparently.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

I was an ardent supporter in 2008, a lukewarm supporter in 2012. Call me naive, but I like to wish for a better world. I am willing to work for a better world.

The motherfucking traitor.

He is just an old school Republican. Let's face it, there are no Democrats in office, just Republicans who are called Democrats and Crazy people who are now called Republicans.

This is just what happens when the politics is so loop sided. The Left does not exist. I wish Obama was a communist like Fox News liked to call him...

[Solace]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

I don't know, but they're continuing the session after midnight which means they're breaking the law.

Yeah they don't really care. They did it in Wisconsin and Michigan too. Hell they did it to deny possible contenders in their own party during the last presidential primaries.

[Reckoner]

Man scandal after scandal in this country, and now the VRA gets struck down by the courts and we got mayhem in Texas? Good god. Can we just burn down the white house and start anew? We need to hit the refresh button on this country.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Solace

Yeah they don't really care. They did it in Wisconsin and Michigan too. Hell they did it to deny possible contenders in their own party during the last presidential primaries.

The time stamp -- 6-26 -- has been blatantly changed to 6-25, despite public coverage and evidence, and the senate has ordered senators to caucus in a backroom.

A literal attempt at a backroom deal.

My sides.

[SeijiSensei]

I cannot see any way the Texas "vote" doesn't end up being challenged in court, possibly later today. The Texas Tribune has screenshots which allegedly show that the datestamps on the official record-keeping software had been tampered with: http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/...-wan/#liveblog I'm sure the archived video of those last chaotic minutes are being intensively examined as I write this.

That was the most intense legislative session I have ever witnessed. If Sen. Davis has to filibuster again, I hope she puts on the back brace before she enters the chamber.

For the rest of the world that didn't watch this event live, they will be reading the AP's reporting which carries the title "Texas Senate GOP passes restrictive abortion bill." The first couple of paragraphs (dated about 1:23 am CDT) now states that the outcome is in dispute, but the headline has yet to be revised.

The reporting also fails to mention the dispute over whether Sen. Davis had actually violated the "three strikes" rule. If you were watching around 11:30 CDT, you'll recall one of the Democratic legislators pointing out that the rule required that Davis be reprimanded three times for discussing issues not "germane" to the bill she was filibustering. Since one of the strikes that Lt. Gov. Dewhurst used to stop the filibuster had to do with Davis being helped into the back brace, his ruling itself may have violated the Senate's rules.

You may recall hearing some disputes just after midnight about about adjourning sine die. That motion was never made nor voted on. That means the Senate had not technically adjourned even though the midnight hour had passed and the session ended. Texas Tribune reporter Becca Anderson blogged this:

12:43 a.m. by Becca Aaronson

12:02 a.m. — that's the time state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, says the Senate timestamp shows a vote taken on Senate Bill 5. If that's true, the vote may not withstand legal scrutiny.

"It's pretty conclusive that it didn't pass," said Whitmire. The Senate still has not officially adjourned sine die, although the special session legally ends at midnight. When Senators resume floor proceedings, Whitmire said Democrats will call a point of order on the motion to vote on a bill after the midnight deadline.

I wonder when the proceedings will resume? Perry has hinted he will call for another special session. Perhaps then? Otherwise there are no proceedings scheduled until the next general session of the legislature. That won't take place until January of 2015!

A state with over 30 million inhabitants, and its legislature meets for only 140 days every two years. I know that Texans don't like to be governed, but that schedule is absurd.

Well, like the tourism ads say, "Texas. It's a whole other country!"

You can say that again.

[Vexx]

The Texas clown show .. (I'm up to date now). Even if the idiot governor Perry (yes, he's documented to be dumb as road gravel) calls a special session immediately, that will give the opponents some time to throw a truckload of legal challenges to the mess of today.

If they eventually pass it - it'll be in the courts. MPFC Holy Grail: "It is a silly place."

At some point, I think we'll have to issue travel advisory on a state by state basis warning people which states are simply not safe to travel through or visit because the authorities are lethally dangerous.

[ganbaru]

Analysis: Brazil riots raise questions over sporting mega-events
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95P04F20130626
A questioning than should had happened years ago.

Unrest leaves 27 dead in China's troubled Xinjiang: Xinhua
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95P08C20130626

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

I am just surprised at the stupidity of hosting the Olympics and World Cup so close to one another. No one has that kind of money.

[Shay]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Unrest leaves 27 dead in China's troubled Xinjiang: Xinhua
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...95P08C20130626

Anyone know what this was really all about?