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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

[josh]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/supreme-court-military-sexual-assault-prosecuted-any-time/index.html

The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 on Thursday that the military can prosecute at any time sexual assault cases committed between 1986 and 2006, overturning what had been a loophole of a five-year statute of limitations that existed for military sexual assault before 2006.

The case centered on three men in the Air Force whose rape convictions were overturned in 2018 -- including one whose confession the Air Force recorded -- when the top military appeals court affirmed that the five-year statute of limitations existed for military sexual assault before 2006. That decision lead to the rape convictions of at least four service members being vacated.

[josh]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/house-democrats-cdc-director-email/index.html

The House subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis is requesting an interview with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield after the panel describes concerns in a new letter over potential efforts by the Trump administration to "conceal and destroy evidence" of interference from political appointees in the work of career officials dealing with pandemic response.

The letter, sent to Redfield and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar by Democratic subcommittee chairman Jim Clyburn, states that a career CDC official told the panel she was ordered to delete an email -- an instruction she understood came from Redfield -- where an HHS appointee "demanded that CDC alter or rescind truthful scientific reports he believed were damaging to President Trump."

According to the letter, Dr. Charlotte Kent, chief of the scientific publications branch and editor-in-chief of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report at CDC, told subcommittee staff earlier this week that she was told to delete an email sent on August 8 by Health and Human Services senior adviser Dr. Paul Alexander.

The letter states that the panel was not given the email by the department despite its request, but notes that an excerpt was published in the media. It includes an excerpt in which Alexander is critical of the CDC, saying, according to the letter, "CDC tried to report as if once kids get together, there will be spread and this will impact school reopening .... Very misleading by CDC and shame on them. Their aim is clear ... This is designed to hurt this Presidnet [sic]."

[bambu.]

" North Korea executes man by firing squad for breaking Covid-19 restrictions."

#####

One way of getting compliance.

[facilitatorn]

Trumpites and the liberal elites are united in their desire to open live schooling despite the dire consequences.

Your hogwash is bizarre.

No he’s right. It’s a goal on both sides to get kids back in school. Republicans are counting on herd mentality, positive thinking, and trumps protective glow to make it happen. Lefties would like to see school staff immunized first, contact, cleaning, and ventilation protocols in place, among other data driven, sensible, modifications.

Doing right means not doing it at all until September at the earliest. In this county that’s already the plan in place.

[josh]

Trumpites and the liberal elites are united in their desire to open live schooling despite the dire consequences.

Your hogwash is bizarre.

No he’s right. It’s a goal on both sides to get kids back in school. ... Lefties would like to see school staff immunized first, contact, cleaning, and ventilation protocols in place, among other data driven, sensible, modifications.

You are ignoring his "despite ... consequences."

That's the bizarre part of his claim.

The GOP insists that it happen and lies about children never dying from it, etc.

[facilitatorn]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/opinions/13th-amendment-slavery-involuntary-servitude-joseph/index.html

I agree.

Agree with what?
The 13th Amendment in its entirety:


Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.


It was the 14th Amendment which extended the terms of Constitution to the states. Nearly a half century ago SCOTUS  interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment (section 2) as permitting the states to disenfranchise convicted criminals. It is the decision of each state to decide  and to enumerate the crimes that qualify, usually felonies.
Today most states permit felons to vote after they complete their sentences.
But should people convicted of violating the individual rights of others be permitted to vote on the laws they showed no respect for?

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Convict leasing system - black codes, Jim Crow etc.

Mass incarceration - war on drugs, James Crow, Esq.

That’s why cracker legal “scholars” who like to call themselves “originalists” read it the way Red does. They want their slavery and they want their Apartheid.

I take it as Red’s somber admission he knows he can’t compete on a level playing field.

[bambu.]

Illegals working for a pittance is a form of "slavery/involuntary servitude?"

[Hairy Lime]

But should people convicted of violating the individual rights of others be permitted to vote on the laws they showed no respect for?

On what basis should the punishment for a crime be perpetual, lasting after.the completion of a legally imposed sentence to the end of their lives? Just because someone once showed, for instance, no respect for the laws against theft does not mean they cannot call the cops when they are robbed.at gun point.

Nice bit of dancing there.
Voting rights, in most cases, are restored after prison time.

LOL at you ignoring the content of your own post.

[LarryBnDC]

" North Korea executes man by firing squad for breaking Covid-19 restrictions."

#####

One way of getting compliance.

He’s fired!

[facilitatorn]

Illegals working for a pittance is a form of "slavery/involuntary servitude?"

This is why a broad, open, and above board immigration policy is an anti-slavery measure.

It’s why Red opposes it. Red loves slavery as long as he doesn’t understand how enslaved he himself is.

[REDSTATEWARD]

But should people convicted of violating the individual rights of others be permitted to vote on the laws they showed no respect for?

On what basis should the punishment for a crime be perpetual, lasting after.the completion of a legally imposed sentence to the end of their lives? Just because someone once showed, for instance, no respect for the laws against theft does not mean they cannot call the cops when they are robbed.at gun point.

Nice bit of dancing there.
Voting rights, in most cases, are restored after prison time.

LOL at you ignoring the content of your own post.

Guess you can’t read nor pay attention to the original article 

[bodiddley]

Arguing/discussing/engaging with Red is a waste of time.
________________________________________________

This is a pretty good read of what held, and stopped Trump from doing seriously unconstitutional ish.
What Really Saved the Republic From Trump

Summary:

The presidency of Donald Trump, aggressive in its autocratic impulses but mostly thwarted from realizing them, should prompt a re-examination. For our system of checks and balances, in which the three branches of government are empowered to control or influence the actions of the others, played a disappointingly small role in stopping Mr. Trump from assuming the unlimited powers he seemed to want.

What really saved the Republic from Mr. Trump was a different set of limits on the executive: an informal and unofficial set of institutional norms upheld by federal prosecutors, military officers and state elections officials. You might call these values our “unwritten constitution.” Whatever you call them, they were the decisive factor.

Followed by details.
(he backs up some and admits courts played a role, especially with Trump's post-election shenanigans)

[LarryBnDC]

Arguing/discussing/engaging with Red is a waste of time.
________________________________________________

This is a pretty good read of what held, and stopped Trump from doing seriously unconstitutional ish.
What Really Saved the Republic From Trump

Summary:

The presidency of Donald Trump, aggressive in its autocratic impulses but mostly thwarted from realizing them, should prompt a re-examination. For our system of checks and balances, in which the three branches of government are empowered to control or influence the actions of the others, played a disappointingly small role in stopping Mr. Trump from assuming the unlimited powers he seemed to want.

What really saved the Republic from Mr. Trump was a different set of limits on the executive: an informal and unofficial set of institutional norms upheld by federal prosecutors, military officers and state elections officials. You might call these values our “unwritten constitution.” Whatever you call them, they were the decisive factor.

Followed by details.
(he backs up some and admits courts played a role, especially with Trump's post-election shenanigans)

Informal and unofficial rules is what got us to this point.

McConnell threw all that away a decade ago.

[bodiddley]

The kind of power Trump wishes he had.

Vladimir Putin set to receive LIFETIME immunity protecting him from prosecution once he leaves office

The new law will also reset term limits so that Putin can start again serving the maximum two terms.  Putin's only leaving by death or coup. 

[bodiddley]

If Trump had been a bit more popular and charismatic in a positive way, things might have turned out different.  Trump surrounded himself with generals, and upped military spending significantly.  If he could have bought off/persuaded the military to deal with the BLM protests, and got the military on his side and in the trenches for him ...