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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

[arafura]

In arafura sea land, we drive 800kms to aunty Jan's for dinner, stay the night, then drive back home the next day.

Electric cars?
Fine invention, good for pottering around European cities doing the grocery shopping.

[barton]

Nice clear explanation of why a conclusion on obstruction could not be reached....

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-obstruction-explaine/explainer-why-an-obstruction-case-against-trump-was-so-difficult-idUSKCN1R604Y



Araf:  the fuel cell version of the electric will not be so range limited. 

[whiskeypriest]

Arafura,

The simple solution on the issue of Ireland is to allow for a united Ireland.

But if the British remain in the E.U. then it does not seem to be much of an issue, because they are all on the same team.

I think the people of Europe just want peace.

Speaking for myself, I would rather see peace and prosperity for everyone. (There are also the issues of the Malvinas Islands, and Gibraltar. But, it must all be worked out peacefully.)

Salute,

Tony V.

Where is there not peace in Europe?   
British govt says that when the British people of Northern Ireland want one Ireland they can have it.  Same as with the British Falkland Islands and Argentina.

Texas and/or California were once part of Mexico?
What if Mexico were to demand a united Mexico...no border between California, Texas and Mexico...one republic?
Texans would likely say "We're American Texans, not Mexican Texans".

Texicans would. But there are a fair number who would be fine with calling themselves Mexican Texans. But then, only white people matter to you.

[barton]

“Case not proven” on two counts sounds like the end of a long Democratic dream.

It’s actually a blessing.

For starters, Mueller’s considerations were narrowly drawn and judged but the issues he has surfaced – and the investigations he has spawned – are far broader.

In particular, US and state attorneys in New York are peeling away the layers of the stinking onion that is the Trump family business. Those layers include hush money to a porn star, fraudulent statements to lenders and insurers about real estate, a sham family foundation and corruption involving foreign donations to an inaugural committee.

In short, a president who may or may not be guilty of obstruction of justice doesn’t suddenly grow a halo of legal purity while running for president. And he doesn’t clean up his act in office, either.....

They might just find out why Trump was so determined – even if he didn’t commit a crime, in the view of his own attorney general – to stop the Russian investigation. Especially if the investigation Trump feared was far more about his business than his election....     

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/24/mueller-report-trump-collusion-corruption-congress-democrats

[NeedsAdjustments]

“Case not proven” on two counts sounds like the end of a long Democratic dream.

It’s actually a blessing.

For starters, Mueller’s considerations were narrowly drawn and judged but the issues he has surfaced – and the investigations he has spawned – are far broader.

In particular, US and state attorneys in New York are peeling away the layers of the stinking onion that is the Trump family business. Those layers include hush money to a porn star, fraudulent statements to lenders and insurers about real estate, a sham family foundation and corruption involving foreign donations to an inaugural committee.

In short, a president who may or may not be guilty of obstruction of justice doesn’t suddenly grow a halo of legal purity while running for president. And he doesn’t clean up his act in office, either.....

They might just find out why Trump was so determined – even if he didn’t commit a crime, in the view of his own attorney general – to stop the Russian investigation. Especially if the investigation Trump feared was far more about his business than his election....     

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/24/mueller-report-trump-collusion-corruption-congress-democrats

I think the Trumpists (including Trump himself) dunking on Democrats (when Mueller's investigation was authorized and carried out by Republicans) and the Media (after they for the most part accurately reported on the issues) after they haven't seen the report may be ahead of their skis on this. All we have seen is the summary from a partisan/biased attorney general, and a decision from said AG to not pursue Obstruction when there is reason to think there was.  This isn't a complete exoneration.  Mueller was clear on this point.

We may need to accept that the Trump Campaign did not participate in the criminal conspiracy being carried out by the Russians to tip the election in his direction, despite all the smoke pointing to fire.  That does seem to be the big picture conclusion (again, as presented by the President's AG.)   But the report itself will provide important context on that conclusion.  Including much needed contextualization of the following:

- "If its what you say I love it, maybe by the summer"
- A high level Trump Campaign Official asking Stone to keep up communication with Wikileaks
- The chief of Trump's Campaign sharing internal polling data with a Putin operative.
- Numerous people in the Trump Campaign knowing about the stolen emails before they were released, and not alerting the FBI.
- Don Jr. lying to Americans about Russia's involvement in the theft of those emails.
- Trump and the Campaign lying about the existence of a Moscow tower deal, then lying about when the deal was canceled.

All of the above point to our "President" and his campaign being compromised by and working with Russia.  We need to understand how Mueller contextualizes the above while (supposedly) drawing a "no collusion" conclusion.

Last week Trump said he thinks the complete report should be seen by the public.  Haven't heard him say that again since its release.  Why not?

[oilcan]

Since Trump was talking as if the Mueller report would give him a golden halo and a spot on the bench in Heaven, he should have absolutely no problem with the public release of the complete report.  Which will certainly include all the shady stuff that caused Mueller to say that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice.  Since this opinion was offered in the context of an official who is aware that he cannot indict a sitting President, we should have the access that tells us if the evidence does offer sufficient cause for a Congressional inquest. 

[oilcan]

Arguments in the SCt this week should be interesting, and hopefully the public will be paying attention as the Court may decide the fate of healthy democracy in this country....

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/us/supreme-court-gerrymandering-north-carolina.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Nobody disputes that the North Carolina map was drafted to elect a maximum number of Republicans to the House, not even the Republicans themselves. The map has a 10-3 Republican tilt, one of its drafters said, “because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether such partisanship violates the Constitution. One case involves the Republican-drawn map in North Carolina. A companion case centers on Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which Democrats admit they redrew in 2011 to make it harder for the Republican incumbent there to win re-election.

The two cases hold the potential to set the course of American politics for generations. A decision to rein in partisan gerrymanders could reshape House maps in a number of states, largely but not exclusively to the benefit of Democrats. A decision not to rein in the mapmakers would give both political parties carte blanche to entrench themselves and hogtie their opponents when state legislatures draw the next decade’s House districts in 2021.

[oilcan]

Conservatives here:  Imagine for a moment what it would be like if Republicans got into office the classic way - by developing vision and implementing it with policies that would actually make most voters want to vote for them.  Instead of just pandering to a donor base and figuring out ways to keep other people from voting at all - or making sure their votes don't count.   

[REDSTATEWARD]

This isn't a complete exoneration.  Mueller was clear on this point.

So was my barber.
You can't obstruct Justice when there was no crime to cover up in the first place.

[bankshot1]

Well i'm just thankful the DOJ and the the Barr Cliff Notes has seemingly sanctioned what passes as legal campaign conduct in time for the 2020 elections. 

[REDSTATEWARD]

Conservatives here:  Imagine for a moment what it would be like if Republicans got into office the classic way - by developing vision and implementing it with policies that would actually make most voters want to vote for them.  Instead of just pandering to a donor base and figuring out ways to keep other people from voting at all - or making sure their votes don't count.   

Interesting take except for the fact that pandering to the base was exactly what the Hillary campaign was all about.
As a result she lost 99 electoral votes that were won by Obama, many of those votes in states she hardly campaigned in.

[barton]

The Barr report is pretty much irrelevant, given that it's a very brief take on a 300 page document which somehow the AG, by some miracle, was able to read and fully digest and deliberate over,  all in a one weekend.  The actual report seems to have punted the question of obstruction, which means that we need to see the actual report and why Mueller could not exonerate Trump on this matter.  If Mueller could not assert Trump's innocence, then it would seem to logically follow that he felt there may have been a crime and an attempt to impede investigation of it, but he didn't feel there was sufficient evidence to bring an indictment.  If so, then Trump's "I'm totally exonerated" is yet another lie. 

While GOPs are patting themselves on the back (and elsewhere), they should ponder what sorts of matters Mueller passed along to the Manhattan U.S. attorney and others.

As Needs said, we need to know how Mueller "contextualizes" all the disturbing things we do know about the Trump circle's activities during the campaign.   

[LarryBnDC]

"I think Democrats and the liberal media owe the president and they owe the American people an apology. They wasted two years and created a massive disruption and distraction from things that impact everyone's day-to-day life.”

Sarah Sanders
 
The Russian government has actively attacked our electoral process and that’s ok.

[barton]

Conservatives here:  Imagine for a moment what it would be like if Republicans got into office the classic way - by developing vision and implementing it with policies that would actually make most voters want to vote for them.  Instead of just pandering to a donor base and figuring out ways to keep other people from voting at all - or making sure their votes don't count.   

Interesting take except for the fact that pandering to the base was exactly what the Hillary campaign was all about.
As a result she lost 99 electoral votes that were won by Obama, many of those votes in states she hardly campaigned in.

Focus.  On what's happening with SCOTUS this week, not on your favorite History Squirrel. 

Or do you prefer to evade the tough questions raised by gerrymandering? or note that Oily was recognizing that both parties have cut themselves some salamandery districts.  If the people like GOP policies, they will vote GOP, and fair districts and easy access to polls shouldn't be a problem for them.  Good old fashioned democracy.  Right? 

[NeedsAdjustments]

This isn't a complete exoneration.  Mueller was clear on this point.

So was my barber.
You can't obstruct Justice when there was no crime to cover up in the first place.

Incorrect.  You absolutely can.  Nor can you convincingly say "there was no crime" when there was obstruction.

And you may want to tell the 7 people who pled guilty, five people in prison (so far) accounting for some of the 199 criminal counts that there was "no crime."