US Politics Thread

[Federberg]

Shouldn't QAnon get on this??

 

[Jelenafan]

Shouldn't QAnon get on this??

Rep. Matt Gaetz denies relationship with 17-year-old and claims extortion attempt​

Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday denied that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old after the New York Times reported that, according to its sources, the Justice Department was investigating a possible sexual relationship with the girl and whether he paid for her to travel with him.

www.cnn.com

Gaetz also accused a former Department of Justice prosecutor, David McGee, of attempting to extort him and his family over the allegations.
McGee did not immediately respond to a request for comment by CNN, but in an interview with The Washington Post, he denied that he is involved in attempts to extort Gaetz or is connected to the DOJ investigation.
"It is completely false. It's a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he's under investigation for sex trafficking of minors," McGee told the Post. "I have no connection with that case at all, other than, one of a thousand people who have heard the rumors."

This guy is on meltdown when of all people, Tucker Carlson backs away.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/31/tucker-carlson-matt-gaetz-17/

 

[tented]

Are any of you following the Derek Chauvin trial? I’m riveted.

 

[Moxie]

Are any of you following the Derek Chauvin trial? I’m riveted.

Mostly in reporting on the radio. Do you think they'll convict him? Having his own chief testify that that was not protocol seems damning.

 

[tented]

Mostly in reporting on the radio. Do you think they'll convict him? Having his own chief testify that that was not protocol seems damning.

My guess is this is going to end either in a conviction or a hung jury. He won’t be found innocent.

Not only did the chief of police testify against him, there are several others from the Minneapolis police who did the same. Yes, that’s quite damning. In a way, though, yesterday was even worse. Dr. Martin Tobin, a world expert on all things pulmonary, delivered a devastating account of Floyd’s death, going microsecond by microsecond through the events, as they watched the videos. He explained why fentanyl played no part in the death (despite defense’s attempt to portray it that way), why there was no bruise on the neck, and finally how and why the knee to the neck was what truly killed Floyd. The defense attorney tried desperately to respond, but couldn’t put a dent in the doctor’s testimony, who rejected the key points the attorney tried to make.

 

[Federberg]

Are any of you following the Derek Chauvin trial? I’m riveted.

I'm just keeping up with it online to be honest. Same thing with Gaetz-gate. I find that one more gripping

 

[Federberg]

My guess is this is going to end either in a conviction or a hung jury. He won’t be found innocent.

Not only did the chief of police testify against him, there are several others from the Minneapolis police who did the same. Yes, that’s quite damning. In a way, though, yesterday was even worse. Dr. Martin Tobin, a world expert on all things pulmonary, delivered a devastating account of Floyd’s death, going microsecond by microsecond through the events, as they watched the videos. He explained why fentanyl played no part in the death (despite defense’s attempt to portray it that way), why there was no bruise on the neck, and finally how and why the knee to the neck was what truly killed Floyd. The defense attorney tried desperately to respond, but couldn’t put a dent in the doctor’s testimony, who rejected the key points the attorney tried to make.

I think the testimony yesterday of the Pulmonologist was absolutely devastating. He basically refuted everything the defence was trying to use to get him off. Including the fact there were traces of drugs in his system. That was powerful stuff...

 

[Moxie]

I think the testimony yesterday of the Pulmonologist was absolutely devastating. He basically refuted everything the defence was trying to use to get him off. Including the fact there were traces of drugs in his system. That was powerful stuff...

I did see that doctor. He was very credible. As for Matt Gaetz, I'd rather just skip ahead to when he gets the boot.

 

[Federberg]

I did see that doctor. He was very credible. As for Matt Gaetz, I'd rather just skip ahead to when he gets the boot.

I can't help wallowing in the irony. What is it with the GOP in this era. Every accusation they send towards the Dems seems to be pure projection. And more pertinently when are their followers going to figure it out? I blame Fox News for their lack of awareness. I truly believe that Rupert Murdoch is one of the most evil human beings living today. And that might just be another type of projection as well where he's concerned. All the attacks on Soros and the billionaire who's out to corrupt the world owns the very media enterprise that's mainly responsible for the anti-Soros invective. You couldn't make it up...

 

[Federberg]

These 2 new officer involved incidents, one with the military guy, and the other with the woman police officer who mistakenly shot the guy. I can't help being appalled at how trivial the actual traffic stops are. This is what they lose their lives for? Also it has to be said, in both cases, the lack of professionalism and composure from the police is really quite stunning. They seem like rank amateurs. I mean seriously... WTF??

 

[Moxie]

These 2 new officer involved incidents, one with the military guy, and the other with the woman police officer who mistakenly shot the guy. I can't help being appalled at how trivial the actual traffic stops are. This is what they lose their lives for? Also it has to be said, in both cases, the lack of professionalism and composure from the police is really quite stunning. They seem like rank amateurs. I mean seriously... WTF??

The one where the woman shot the guy because she mistook her gun for her taser is particularly disturbing. Of the many things it reveals, I would say a design flaw in that there are apparently tasers that look like guns and the trigger works the same, too. As you say, WTF? Another thing that ought to change is that the lieutenant who was stopped says that he drove two miles with his blinkers on so that he could stop at a more well-lighted place, rather than a dark road. With plenty of good reason, being a Black and Hispanic man. Whereas the police felt it gave them reason to believe he was evading them. If a white woman were being stopped and said the same, they would believe her, I'd wager, in most cases. Which they used as an excuse to escalate a stop over a temporary license plate they (said) they couldn't see. This man was in uniform and he was treated with no respect, only hostility. As to the man who died, for having an outstanding MISDEMEANOR on record, it's hard to believe that 3 police officers would have felt they needed to use so much force if he weren't a Black man. Three cops, one guy...even the taser seems like a lot.

 

[tented]

The one where the woman shot the guy because she mistook her gun for her taser is particularly disturbing. Of the many things it reveals, I would say a design flaw in that there are apparently tasers that look like guns and the trigger works the same, too. As you say, WTF? Another thing that ought to change is that the lieutenant who was stopped says that he drove two miles with his blinkers on so that he could stop at a more well-lighted place, rather than a dark road. With plenty of good reason, being a Black and Hispanic man. Whereas the police felt it gave them reason to believe he was evading them. If a white woman were being stopped and said the same, they would believe her, I'd wager, in most cases. Which they used as an excuse to escalate a stop over a temporary license plate they (said) they couldn't see. This man was in uniform and he was treated with no respect, only hostility. As to the man who died, for having an outstanding MISDEMEANOR on record, it's hard to believe that 3 police officers would have felt they needed to use so much force if he weren't a Black man. Three cops, one guy...even the taser seems like a lot.

I heard yesterday that the standard practice for guns and tasers is for them to be on opposite sides of your body, with the gun being on the side of your dominant hand, and the taser on the other side. This would mean in order to get the taser you would need to reach around your waist — a purposefully deliberate move, which couldn’t possibly be mistaken for drawing your gun. I also heard the difference in weight makes them easily identifiable: literally a blind person could tell the difference if you put them in their hands. This means the officer is either a complete idiot or did it on purpose but is pretending it was an accident. Either way, she had no business being in law enforcement to begin with, and never should be again.

 

[tented]

These 2 new officer involved incidents, one with the military guy, and the other with the woman police officer who mistakenly shot the guy. I can't help being appalled at how trivial the actual traffic stops are. This is what they lose their lives for? Also it has to be said, in both cases, the lack of professionalism and composure from the police is really quite stunning. They seem like rank amateurs. I mean seriously... WTF??

I wrote the sergeant in charge of my local police station a couple of years ago, praising him and his officers for not having been involved in any of these awful incidents. He thanked me, and said his belief is all of this comes down to recruitment. If you’re recruiting people who aren’t psychologically fit to be police officers, then you’re going to have problems. He said he is extremely careful who he hires, and if someone gets through the process and is later determined not to be fit, he’ll get rid of them immediately. This made sense to me.

 

[Federberg]

I heard yesterday that the standard practice for guns and tasers is for them to be on opposite sides of your body, with the gun being on the side of your dominant hand, and the taser on the other side. This would mean in order to get the taser you would need to reach around your waist — a purposefully deliberate move, which couldn’t possibly be mistaken for drawing your gun. I also heard the difference in weight makes them easily identifiable: literally a blind person could tell the difference if you put them in their hands. This means the officer is either a complete idiot or did it on purpose but is pretending it was an accident. Either way, she had no business being in law enforcement to begin with, and never should be again.

it's particularly egregious because this woman was actually training other people!

 

[Moxie]

it's particularly egregious because this woman was actually training other people!

I take your point, but I can't decide if that is worse than her being on the force for 26 years. I'm with @tented in that I can't quite believe that this is just stupidity.

 

[Federberg]

Guilty! Justice is done against the murderous bastard. Such a relief

 

[Moxie]

Guilty! Justice is done against the murderous bastard. Such a relief

Agreed! I thought they might just go with the lessor one, but they went for all.

 

[Moxie]

This trial showed a rift in the Blue Wall. So many cops, not just in his immediate PD, felt that this did not represent how they do police work. Lots of work to be done, but it's a start.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Guilty! Justice is done against the murderous bastard. Such a relief

Unlike all the other unfortunate incidents of unarmed police shootings, this time there were no gun , bullets where the officers could say that they were fearful of their lives. This time it was a sonabitch who put his knee on the neck of someone who's hands was handcuffs while he sat there with his hands in his pockets.This was paramount and the evil devil prosecuted himself in front of the entire world. I'm glad for the country because that murdering MFRs wasn't worth the aftermath of what would happen if the jury exonerated that bastard..The burning of property by both instigators on both sides would have been devastating to a country that has been already torn apart. I still feel that there needs to be peaceful protesting because just like Newton's first law of motion, a body stays at rest unless it is opposed by A Force. In America, it has been a body that has been in motion for more than 400 years.

 

[Moxie]

Unlike all the other unfortunate incidents of unarmed police shootings, this time there were no gun , bullets where the officers could say that they were fearful of their lives. This time it was a sonabitch who put his knee on the neck of someone who's hands was handcuffs while he sat there with his hands in his pockets.This was paramount and the evil devil prosecuted himself in front of the entire world. I'm glad for the country because that murdering MFRs wasn't worth the aftermath of what would happen if the jury exonerated that bastard..The burning of property by both instigators on both sides would have been devastating to a country that has been already torn apart. I still feel that there needs to be peaceful protesting because just like Newton's first law of motion, a body stays at rest unless it is opposed by A Force. In America, it has been a body that has been in motion for more than 400 years.

I've been a little queasy about everyone talking about how the streets would have erupted in violence had Chauvin been acquitted. Surely, anger would have been expressed. But what I'm worried about now is white supremacist backlash. No one is mentioning THAT possibility.