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Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[kiidcarter8]

The high-level US delegation includes Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser Robert O'Brien.

The group is expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to address the situation in Syria, marking the first major meeting between the two countries since Trump pulled US armed forces out of northern Syria. The pullback is widely seen as giving Erdogan room to act on his long-held goal of attacking the Kurds who fought for and with the US against ISIS.


The key objectives for Thursday's meeting remains unclear, but earlier Wednesday, Pompeo voiced optimism about the prospects of a deal to halt the ongoing Turkish military operation.



At one point this week, Erdogan also said he would only meet with Trump -- not the delegation. But by Wednesday, Erdogan said he would meet with the group.

----

And during a meeting with congressional leadership, the President was asked about Mattis' warning, according to a Democratic source familiar. Trump responded by saying that Mattis was "the world's most overrated general."
"You know why? He wasn't tough enough. I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take two years. I captured them in one month," Trump said, according to the source.



https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/16/politics/united-states-delegation-travels-to-turkey/index.html

[josh]

He has my email address if he wishes to appeal, to request that I let him back in.


read:  let him beg, then I will consider

Power isnt worn well by you, sir.

Interpretas you will, Kid.

"Beg" you say.

"Ask," I say.

"limits" you say.

Like what, Kid? We already know he has no respect for them.

Do you even know if he wants back in or is this all your invention?

As for how power sits with me, he had two warnings and months of forebearance. But as ever, Kid, please, if you have a complaint about how I have handled this situation (or any other you know of), take it to the Admin and tell him what a terrible, power-hungry dictator I am and ask him to relieve me of my position.

Hey, if you ask really nicely, maybe he will make you the moderator and then you can spend your copious free time deleting spammer and the like. If you want the job instead of me, let me know and I will put in a good word for you: "Give it to Kid - he deserves it!"

I'd tell him you're an asshole, but I am pretty sure he already knows.

[kiidcarter8]

I'd tell him you're an asshole, but I am pretty sure he already knows.

Why do you have this opinion? 

[bodiddley]

Of course it helps to know some of the backstory on the Kurds in Turkey.
For decades they have been a repressed minority, not allowed to use their language in schools and in public, etc.  And they fought back.  Finally Erdogan started to make peace overtures, restoring Kurdish in schools and names of towns and roads, etc.  There was even negotiations to release the imprisoned Kurdish leader Ocalan.  Perhaps the only good Erdogan policy ever.

But Kurdish political parties did well enough in elections to deny Erdogan a 2/3rds majority preventing him from pulling a Putin and changing the country from a parliamentary (term-limited PM) to a presidential system with more concentrated powers.  So in order to keep and consolidate power, Erdogan reignited the war on Turkish Kurds, jailed their leaders, and banned their political parties.  A fraudulent war because Kurds exercised their voting rights.  Then with the Kurds sidelined, Erdogan called new elections in which he was able to achieve his 2/3rds coalition and re-write the constitution so he could continue with unchecked power.  Reinstituting a war on a minority for political gain.  Real cynical hardball ish.   

These are the "terrorists" that Erdogan accuses the Syrian Kurds of aiding.  Just a few short years ago they were Erdogan's partners in peace and a reasonable resolution was at hand, with the Kurds finally getting rights and a voice in Turkey.  Erdogan is a malicious shit.

If Trump had any balls, he'd retaliate against Erdogan by calling for the establishment of Kurdistan, comprising Eastern Turkey, northeast Syria and northern Iraq.  The national borders are just fairly arbitrary colonial lines drawn on a map long ago, often following Ottoman colonial districts.

It's clear that Erdogan doesn't respect the border lines.  Well, lets move the border into Turkey by advocating the formation of a new Kurdistan state.  Kurds are pretty much our best allies in the region, and that would get them back on our side.  Give them Kirkuk, Iraq and that oil wealth could fund a Kurdish state.  See how Erdogan likes that.

[josh]

I'd tell him you're an asshole, but I am pretty sure he already knows.

Why do you have this opinion?

Which one?

[bodiddley]

I guess few people realize or admit to being an asshole.

I always like when kiid goes into hurt polite mode.
It's almost as good as his I'm-not-really-a-Trump-supporter, but just a concerned patriot routine.

I'd say the constant race-baiting and racism is Reason #1 to consider kiid an asshole.  Probably folks here who spend more time with him on politics can come up with a Top Ten list.

[josh]

[josh]

So, Kid... this is from a GOP member of Congress.

And he's talking about our having had to leave so hastily that we bombed our own base.

Tell me more about the sandwich that got left behind, would you?

ETA: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-bombed-its-anti-isis-headquarters-as-turkish-troops-advanced-2019-10?fbclid=IwAR0SYM7RYDTqXEf95t26s2KlO7KUYzEsncdwOE_kxB027QXIPpKTqeo8onQ

[facilitatorn]

I guess few people realize or admit to being an asshole.

I always like when kiid goes into hurt polite mode.
It's almost as good as his I'm-not-really-a-Trump-supporter, but just a concerned patriot routine.

I'd say the constant race-baiting and racism is Reason #1 to consider kiid an asshole.  Probably folks here who spend more time with him on politics can come up with a Top Ten list.

I think Josh was referring to Ham being an asshole. Since he’s not here, there’s no point in enumerating the ways in which he’s an asshole. But those are some astute and salient observations of Kiid’s copious assholery. Kudos.

2/3 of the voting republicans in the House put their names behind condemnation of this jack ass and his disaster making bend over for Putin policy. We also got a sense of the final number of House republicans who will vote to advance articles of impeachment when they are ready in February or March.

All roads lead to Putin.

Paper ballots in every state.

[facilitatorn]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5da7d355e4b0b5c9be48d8f3

Perry just threw trump and Rudy under the bus.

Salad days ahead for trumpkins. Did I say salad? I should have said Chop-slap (tm). Watch your fingers!

[facilitatorn]

Has Bill Taylor given testimony yet?

[NeedsAdjustments]

Your only defense is to quote the words of the biggest liar to ever sit in the Oval Office.


Had to give you what I know you didn't have.

I had seen the quotes already, and commented on them here.  Thanks.

I wasn't noting what you posted, but the fact that you take his ignorant ravings and lies as gospel. 

[NeedsAdjustments]

Only Mitch McConnell can squawk about due process being denied while simultaneously signaling that the trial in the Senate will be short, for show, and will end without Trump's removal before he sees any of the evidence collected by the House.

RIP Rep. Elijah Cummings.  You were a rare breed in a Congress increasingly without morality, decency, and good faith.

[kiidcarter8]

It's almost as good as his I'm-not-really-a-Trump-supporter, but just a concerned patriot routine.


I support most of what Trump has in mind for this nation.  Lets get that straight.

Nominate someone of worth and I will have a tough decision.  (again - not that my vote will count for much in this state)

[kiidcarter8]

I wasn't noting what you posted, but the fact that you take his ignorant ravings and lies as gospel.


CONSIDERING the President's words is the least you can do as a citizen.  Disagreeing with the entire package is not a good look for anyone looking to be taken seriously.  But maybe you just do so here - in the PACK.  And have more cerebral down the middle conversation elsewhere.