US Politics June - FYGMents of the GOP's Imagination

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > US Politics June - FYGMents of the GOP's Imagination

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Captain_Maclaine: Sep 30, 2001; Every moment that I'm alive, I pray for death!

Relentlessboredomm posted:

Wait, what?

To put together what everyone else has said: Newt's PhD dissertation might as well have been titled: "Bravely Shouldering the White Man's Burden: Belgian Colonial Educational Policy for those Goddamn Savage Congolese Ingrates."

For those of you with Proquest access, you can find it there should you wish to subject yourself to some classic colonialist apologia.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 01:21

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# ? May 26, 2024 18:45

colonel_korn: May 16, 2003

Plastic_Gargoyle posted:

On that note, does anyone have that racist Tintin comic with lines from Gingrich's thesis substituted for dialogue?

http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/11/newt-gingrich-congo-tintin-comic

# ? Jun 12, 2014 01:24

Mc Do Well: Aug 2, 2008; by FactsAreUseless

Captain_Maclaine posted:

classic colonialist apologia.

To the moon!

:newt:

Nothing is a sin if done in the name of modernity :godwin:

# ? Jun 12, 2014 01:27

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Presented without comment:

quote:

Republican AG candidate Brad Schimel: Why can't legislators, donors collaborate on bills?

Is collaboration between a donor and a politician evidence of pay-to-play legislation, or is it politics as usual?

Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel declined a request earlier this year from the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now to investigate state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, and his bill to cap the amount of child support that can be imposed on the wealthy.

"If the political contributions are all reported pursuant to law, what law do you believe has been violated? Why can't a legislator press for legislation that benefits a person who has contributed to their campaign? Isn't that the essence of representative government?" Schimel, the sole Republican candidate for attorney general, wrote in an email to One Wisconsin Now.

Both OWN's request and Schimel's response were sent in January.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported in January that Kleefisch had worked closely with Columbus, Wis. millionaire Michael Eisenga on the child support bill. Legislative drafting documents showed Eisenga and his attorney offered line-by-line instructions that played a key role in writing the bill. A Kleefisch aide requested specific changes to the wording that would allow Eisenga to reopen his case and seek a previously denied reduction in his $15,000-per-month payments.

Eisenga has given $10,000 to Kleefisch and his wife, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, since 2005, and $19,500 to Gov. Scott Walker. Kleefisch donated $1,000 to Schimel's campaign in 2013, and Schimel gave Kleefisch $100 the previous year.

Kleefisch withdrew the child support bill quickly in January, decrying the "misinformation" spread by reports on his collaboration with Eisenga and the bill's intent.

OWN executive director Scot Ross said his group asked Schimel to investigate the bill because Kleefisch is a resident of Waukesha County. Ross said he doesn't know whether a law was broken, which is why OWN asked the district attorney to get involved. But Ross said he was dismayed by the response he received.

"If this is what he would say to a liberal advocacy organization and put it in writing, what is he saying to donors he is meeting with and courting on in his race to be the state�s top cop � the person charged with administering our laws, in a sense?" Ross asked. "And investigating allegations of wrongdoing, like public officials who may or may not be on the take?"

State Rep. Jon Richards, one of three Democratic candidates for attorney general, released a statement Wednesday responding to the email.

"I was astonished and disturbed to read that Brad Schimel once again blithely dismissed the concerns about pay-for-play politics in Wisconsin," Richards said. "He has been repeatedly accused of looking the other way when his political friends commit crimes, not the least of which was the former Assembly Speaker getting a sweetheart deal in what was one of the state�s biggest scandals."

Richards was referring to the plea agreement made between Schimel and former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen after the "caucus scandal" in 2002. Jensen's case was moved from Dane County to Waukesha County in 2010 after the Wisconsin Supreme Court found that a state law allowing elected officials charged with ethics violations to be tried in their home counties applied to his case. Under the agreement, felony charges against the once top-ranked Republican were dropped. Jensen was fined $5,000 and barred from running for office again.

Schimel's campaign manager, John Koremenos, said in an emailed statement Wednesday that there was no evidence in Kleefisch's case of a quid pro quo exchange and that One Wisconsin Now did not respond when Schimel requested that the group provide any. There is no evidence that any contributions were made based on a legislator taking specific actions, Koremenos said.

"Pay-to-play politics undermines our democratic system and perpetrators need to be held accountable," Koremenos said. "Schimel�s email to OWN clearly states that 'politicians should not solicit financial support in exchange for taking specific actions.' Any other characterization of his comments is taken out context."

Schimel referenced the role of former state Sen. Chuck Chvala, a Madison Democrat, in the caucus scandal in his email to One Wisconsin Now.

"If there was some specific quid pro quo that required a contribution before the legislator would take action, such as Senator Chvala did years ago, that could be different," Schimel wrote. "You have not asserted that Representative Kleefisch engaged in any 'pay for play' type of pressure. I realize that corruption does not usually occur overtly, but there must be some evidence of wrongdoing. What is there besides your suspicions?"

Schimel went on to say that it would not be proper for a prosecutor to "engage in a witch hunt without any evidence whatsoever."

"Only liberal groups like OWN believe that political witch hunts absent of real evidence is a proper use of our legal system," Koremenos said.

Ross said his group was requesting that Schimel investigate whether there is anything that legally precludes an elected official from specifically targeting legislation to benefit a donor.

"I am sure the people of Wisconsin believe the essence of democracy is a government that protects their rights, not one that takes them away while encouraging the buying and selling of official action to economic elites," Ross said.

Actually, gently caress no comment. I cannot believe how nakedly corrupt the GOP is getting. And I particularly can't believe how the Dems are getting blamed for the corruption.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 01:38

Broken Box: Jan 29, 2009

Relentlessboredomm posted:

Wait, what?

The leader (possibly) of the civilizing forces.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 01:51

ErIog: Jul 11, 2001

Broken Box posted:

The leader (possibly) of the civilizing forces.

Oh god, I never tied his defense of the Belgian Congo to that weird note. He really does want to be the one to do the raping.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:01

dreffen: Dec 3, 2005; MEDIOCRE, MORSOV!

Fried Chicken posted:

Presented without comment:

Actually, gently caress no comment. I cannot believe how nakedly corrupt the GOP is getting. And I particularly can't believe how the Dems are getting blamed for the corruption.

I really got to get out of this loving state. Jesus Christ.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:03

Ghost of Reagan Past: Oct 7, 2003; rock and roll fun

Fried Chicken posted:

Presented without comment:

This quote needs to be highlighted.

quote:

"If the political contributions are all reported pursuant to law, what law do you believe has been violated? Why can't a legislator press for legislation that benefits a person who has contributed to their campaign? Isn't that the essence of representative government?"

I see we've replaced high school civics with corporate worship hour.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:08

Pyrolocutus: Feb 5, 2005; Shape of Flame

Fried Chicken posted:

Team Cantor Self-Medicates to Tune of $6,500

To be fair, if I was a supposedly rock-solid incumbent and ended up losing an election like that, I'd drink too.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:10

dreffen: Dec 3, 2005; MEDIOCRE, MORSOV!

Ghost of Reagan Past posted:

This quote needs to be highlighted.

I see we've replaced high school civics with corporate worship hour.

Wanna post this quote on every billboard in Dodge County. gently caress.

This entire article just makes me want to throw my god drat hands up in the air. You think that someone who was this blatant about this stuff would've been eaten alive but he wasn't.

dreffen fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Jun 12, 2014

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:12

Mayor Dave: Feb 20, 2009; Bernie the Snow Clown

Cheekio posted:

Did anyone thank you for this post yet? It was really good. I feel like I should read up on Adam Smith so I have more ammunition to work with, it sounds like has gently caress all to do with libertarianism the way it's envisioned today.

Never let libertarians try to tell you that Adam Smith was one of them. He's a guy who said stuff like

quote:

When the happiness or misery of others depends in any respect upon our conduct, we dare not, as self�love might suggest to us, prefer the interest of one to that of many. The man within immediately calls to us, that we value ourselves too much and other people too little, and that, by doing so, we render ourselves the proper object of the contempt and indignation of our brethren.

and

quote:

The difference between the most dissimilar characters, between a philosopher and a common street porter, for example, seems to arise not so much from nature, as from habit, custom, and education.

and a bunch of other stuff. If Adam Smith belongs to any type of modern tradition (he doesn't), it's some form of market egalitarianism or social democracy.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:14

HUGE PUBES A PLUS: Apr 30, 2005

Handsome Diamond Joe let out one of his zingers again. :allears:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/joe-biden-nennt-deutschland-auslaenderfeindlich-a-974516.html

quote:

Clumsy diplomacy: Joe Biden calls Germany "xenophobic"

Washington - Diplomatic utterances sound different than what the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has said in a lecture on Tuesday: "We have to get through the immigration law," he said before the trade association National Association of Manufacturers in Washington. "Look at Germany, look at the rest of the world. We are the only non-xenophobic nation in the world, which is an economic power."

What in a YouTube video can be heard, called the news website "salon" as "undiplomatic attempt" to campaign against the industrialists for the immigration law.

As David Shepardson, director of the Washington office of the "Detroit News", tweeted , claiming Biden, who is considered as a possible presidential candidate, further, other rich nations such as Germany, Japan and China were to foreigners is not as "welcoming" as the United States. The United States needed more immigration to its advantage over global competitors to keep the Obama Vice called on.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:15

Relentlessboredomm: Oct 15, 2006; It's Sic Semper Tyrannis. You said, "Ever faithful terrible lizard."

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

Handsome Diamond Joe let out one of his zingers again.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/joe-biden-nennt-deutschland-auslaenderfeindlich-a-974516.html

Play to that Israeli lobby Joe.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:25

Fojar38: Sep 2, 2011; Sorry I meant to say I hope that the police use maximum force and kill or maim a bunch of innocent people, thus paving a way for a proletarian uprising and socialist utopia

also here's a stupid take
---------------------------->

Japan and China not being as welcoming to foreigners as the US isn't really disputable.

I dunno about Germany though.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:33

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

I think Germany's got a fair amount of issues with immigration from certain parts of the world, but probably not more than the US with regards to Mexico.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:39

Relentlessboredomm: Oct 15, 2006; It's Sic Semper Tyrannis. You said, "Ever faithful terrible lizard."

Fojar38 posted:

Japan and China not being as welcoming to foreigners as the US isn't really disputable.

I dunno about Germany though.

Its true. No one is as welcoming to foreigners as the US which really says more about everyone else than it does about us.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:40

Blindeye: Sep 22, 2006; I can't believe I kissed you!

Relentlessboredomm posted:

Play to that Israeli lobby Joe.

Honestly it's only a gaffe because goddamn is the rest of the developed world crazier about immigration than even we are.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:43

Fritz Coldcockin: Nov 7, 2005

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

Handsome Diamond Joe let out one of his zingers again.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/joe-biden-nennt-deutschland-auslaenderfeindlich-a-974516.html

Oh, Joe.

I'm not entirely sure what he meant, though.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:46

Nintendo Kid: Aug 4, 2011; by Smythe

Fojar38 posted:

Japan and China not being as welcoming to foreigners as the US isn't really disputable.

I dunno about Germany though.

Isn't there still a lot of fuckery going on against the Turkish "guest workers" who've been guests for generations?

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:46

shrike82: Jun 11, 2005

Xandu posted:

I think Germany's got a fair amount of issues with immigration from certain parts of the world, but probably not more than the US with regards to Mexico.

I'd say that Germany's treatment of 2nd/3rd generation turkish-germans is worse than the States wrt mexicans
Americans tend to underestimate how lovely other countries treat immigrants.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:47

Captain_Maclaine: Sep 30, 2001; Every moment that I'm alive, I pray for death!

Nintendo Kid posted:

Isn't there still a lot of fuckery going on against the Turkish "guest workers" who've been guests for generations?

In short? Yes. Germany is (if I remember right) a jus sanguinis nation, where citizenship isn't necessarily conferred just because you were born there (unlike the US, which is jus soli).

# ? Jun 12, 2014 02:49

Smiling Knight: May 31, 2011

So I actually know the Paulite wunderkid who was was Brat's adviser, because our college years overlapped a bit. Dude was a big, imposing guy who would drive his pickup truck onto the campus green to hold barbecues and blast country music. Whenever formal dress was required, he would wear a white jacket with a red bowtie. One year at Plenary, a biannual event where the entire student body meets to discuss things like alcohol policy, changes to the honor code, etc, he went up to the microphone and proposed a resolution to make himself dictator of the college.

When the news about Brat came it, it took me a while to realize that I knew the guy, because at college literally everyone include he called him "Nard." I wouldn't have know his actual name if it weren't for Facebook. I had this really weird moment where that night that Cantor lost, someone posted a link to Brat's website, and chrome had it darkened as though I had already clicked it. Turned out I had read about him months ago when the Paulite posted it on Facebook.

So Cantor was beaten by a Paulite called Nard.

Smiling Knight fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Jun 12, 2014

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:00

Aurubin: Mar 17, 2011

shrike82 posted:

I'd say that Germany's treatment of 2nd/3rd generation turkish-germans is worse than the States wrt mexicans
Americans tend to underestimate how lovely other countries treat immigrants.

Which is funny considering their labor base is dependent on regular influxes of immigrants due to an aging population. Same problem with Japan. Demographics are a bitch.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:00

sleepingbuddha: Nov 4, 2010; It's supposed to look like a smashed cinnamon roll

Smiling Knight posted:

So I actually know the Paulite wunderkid who was was Brat's adviser, because our college years overlapped a bit. Dude was a big, imposing guy who would drive his pickup truck onto the campus green to hold barbecues and blast country music. Whenever formal dress was required, he would wear a white jacket with a red bowtie. One year at Plenary, a biannual event where the entire student body meets to discuss things like alcohol policy, changes to the honor code, etc, he went up to the microphone and proposed a resolution to make himself dictator of the college.

When the news about Brat came it, it took me a while to realize that I knew the guy, because at college literally everyone include he called him "Nard." I wouldn't have know his actual name if it weren't for Facebook. I had this really weird moment where that night that Cantor lost, someone posted a link to Brat's website, and chrome had it darkened as though I had already clicked it. Turned out I had read about him months ago when the Paulite posted it on Facebook.

So Cantor was beaten by a Paulite called Nard.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:07

Zeitgueist: Aug 8, 2003; by Ralp

What is it with libertarians and bowties?

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:17

OAquinas: Jan 27, 2008; Biden has sat immobile on the Iron Throne of America. He is the Master of Malarkey by the will of the gods, and master of a million votes by the might of his inexhaustible calamari.

Zeitgueist posted:

What is it with libertarians and bowties?

It's kinda like gold fringe and sovereign citizens. It's just a thing for them.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:24

Ghost of Reagan Past: Oct 7, 2003; rock and roll fun

shrike82 posted:

I'd say that Germany's treatment of 2nd/3rd generation turkish-germans is worse than the States wrt mexicans
Americans tend to underestimate how lovely other countries treat immigrants.

Oh yeah. People might be racist against 2nd/3rd generation Mexican-Americans and others from Latin America but HOLY gently caress do we treat them better than the Germans treat Turks.

Smiling Knight posted:

So I actually know the Paulite wunderkid who was was Brat's adviser, because our college years overlapped a bit. Dude was a big, imposing guy who would drive his pickup truck onto the campus green to hold barbecues and blast country music. Whenever formal dress was required, he would wear a white jacket with a red bowtie. One year at Plenary, a biannual event where the entire student body meets to discuss things like alcohol policy, changes to the honor code, etc, he went up to the microphone and proposed a resolution to make himself dictator of the college.
When the news about Brat came it, it took me a while to realize that I knew the guy, because at college literally everyone include he called him "Nard." I wouldn't have know his actual name if it weren't for Facebook.

So Cantor was beaten by a Paulite called Nard.

The insidious hand of Ron Paulitics is at it again.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:30

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Nintendo Kid posted:

Isn't there still a lot of fuckery going on against the Turkish "guest workers" who've been guests for generations?

Oh yeah. And not just them, huge issue with Polish or Slavic immigrants. "Beware the Polish plumber" was a whole thing. And god, the Roma... poo poo, most Americans think offending a "gypsy" is about as real as offending an "elf" or offending a "faerie".

Not to whitewash America on anything, but as bad as we are at dealing with immigration and the legacy of racism we are still better than most other countries. Which is a really damning indictment.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 03:41

door Door door: Feb 26, 2006; Fugee Face

Smiling Knight posted:

So I actually know the Paulite wunderkid who was was Brat's adviser, because our college years overlapped a bit. Dude was a big, imposing guy who would drive his pickup truck onto the campus green to hold barbecues and blast country music. Whenever formal dress was required, he would wear a white jacket with a red bowtie. One year at Plenary, a biannual event where the entire student body meets to discuss things like alcohol policy, changes to the honor code, etc, he went up to the microphone and proposed a resolution to make himself dictator of the college.

When the news about Brat came it, it took me a while to realize that I knew the guy, because at college literally everyone include he called him "Nard." I wouldn't have know his actual name if it weren't for Facebook. I had this really weird moment where that night that Cantor lost, someone posted a link to Brat's website, and chrome had it darkened as though I had already clicked it. Turned out I had read about him months ago when the Paulite posted it on Facebook.

So Cantor was beaten by a Paulite called Nard.

He would also occasionally show up to our (D3) sporting events with a giant american flag.

After scraping his facebook this morning, it's now gone. That article also contains a link to his fb pre purge: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:F3bYuLGLW5oJ:https://www.facebook.com/zacharywerrell+&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

door Door door fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Jun 12, 2014

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:03

Ditocoaf: Jun 1, 2011

Holy christ. I've tried to keep up with this thread, but there've been nearly as many posts in the last 36 hours as there were in the first 10 days of the month. Was all of that gunchat, or did something else happen?

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:43

Dr. Arbitrary: Mar 15, 2006; Bleak Gremlin

Ditocoaf posted:

Holy christ. I've tried to keep up with this thread, but there've been nearly as many posts in the last day as there were in the first 10 days of the month. Was all of that gunchat, or did something else happen?

A complete nobody libertarian goofball won an unexpected primary against the sitting House Majority leader. The House Majority leader was one of the most competent and effective Republicans in congress and now he's going to be replaced by some goober.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:45

Barudak: May 7, 2007

Ditocoaf posted:

Holy christ. I've tried to keep up with this thread, but there've been nearly as many posts in the last 36 hours as there were in the first 10 days of the month. Was all of that gunchat, or did something else happen?

A person who believed their job was so locked up he didn't bother to campaign in his home district and has been making plans to stab fellow party members in the back lost to a man who spent 74k on his campaign and believes in being an Objectivist Christian Economist.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:47

Samurai Sanders: Nov 4, 2003; Pillbug

So, did Brat really win with that little money? Or did he have quote-unquote grassroots help?

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:50

Fojar38: Sep 2, 2011; Sorry I meant to say I hope that the police use maximum force and kill or maim a bunch of innocent people, thus paving a way for a proletarian uprising and socialist utopia

also here's a stupid take
---------------------------->

Barudak posted:

A person who believed their job was so locked up he didn't bother to campaign in his home district and has been making plans to stab fellow party members in the back lost to a man who spent 74k on his campaign and believes in being an Objectivist Christian Economist.

Also it may or may not have been orchestrated by a bunch of accelerationist democrats led by Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:52

Ditocoaf: Jun 1, 2011

Dr. Arbitrary posted:

A complete nobody libertarian goofball won an unexpected primary against the sitting House Majority leader. The House Majority leader was one of the most competent and effective Republicans in congress and now he's going to be replaced by some goober.

Barudak posted:

A person who believed their job was so locked up he didn't bother to campaign in his home district and has been making plans to stab fellow party members in the back lost to a man who spent 74k on his campaign and believes in being an Objectivist Christian Economist.

Hahahaha okay, I'll go back and read about Cantor's downfall. Oh man. Thanks guys.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:52

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Samurai Sanders posted:

So, did Brat really win with that little money? Or did he have quote-unquote grassroots help?

A lot of money flowed to Ingram and Levin who then gave him a lot of free publicity. But nope, Freedomworks and the others weren't in on this

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:54

Sir Tonk: Apr 18, 2006; Young Orc

Fojar38 posted:

Also it may or may not have been orchestrated by a bunch of accelerationist democrats led by Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard.

Normally, this would be a joke.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:54

JT Jag: Aug 30, 2009; #1 Jaguars Sunk Cost Fallacy-Haver

Fojar38 posted:

Also it may or may not have been orchestrated by a bunch of accelerationist democrats led by Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard.

This isn't a joke.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:54

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Ditocoaf posted:

Hahahaha okay, I'll go back and read about Cantor's downfall. Oh man. Thanks guys.

for context, this is something that hasn't happened in 115 years. It is setting off a huge power scramble in the House to replace him. It came out of nowhere - he outspent the other guy 25:1 and is one of the most connected men in DC. And he got beat by a campaign run by a 23 year old Ron Paul fan fresh out of college with a nutbar who wants to harmonize christian socialism with Ayn Rand for his vision of utopia as the candidate.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 04:56

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# ? May 26, 2024 18:45

Chris James 2: Aug 9, 2012

Ditocoaf posted:

Hahahaha okay, I'll go back and read about Cantor's downfall. Oh man. Thanks guys.

I really hope he comes back and posts his immediate reaction when he gets to the Cooter stuff.

# ? Jun 12, 2014 05:05

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > US Politics June - FYGMents of the GOP's Imagination

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