Google Goes Facebook, Trump Picks Ambassador to Russia, New Video Shows Dangers of Occupational Licensing: A.M. Links

• 

  Chris Fitzgerald / Candidate Photos/Newscom

  President Trump plans to nominate Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of American to the Russian Federation, the White House announced late Tuesday.

• Nothing excuses the way police treated the woman in this video. That said, this is why you don't give police the duty to enforce illegal flower peddling.
• "Google is following in Facebook's footsteps, with plans to redesign its popular search page on mobile phones so that you'll get something similar to the social media site's Newsfeed," NPR reports.
• Everyone's favorite Trump-conspiracy theorist Louise Mensch is convinced that Steve Bannon is about to be executed for espionage.

My sources say the death penalty, for espionage, being considered for @StevenKBannon. I am pro-life and take no pleasure in reporting this.

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) July 19, 2017

• What do Republicans in Congress think of the Trump-Russia controversy? Not much.
• It's FreedomFest time again!

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

President Trump plans to nominate Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of American to the Russian Federation...

HUNTSMAN VS BEAR

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

What a Mensch!

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

Her Twitter feed has become one of the most unintentionally hilarious features of the site--she's basically become Alex Jones with a vagina.

[Citizen X - #6]

Alex Jones with a vagina

You would not believe how much slashfic out there has that as its exact theme.

[gaoxiaen]

I predict Legends of the Fall.

[Robert]

Seriously, though, Huntsman's perfect, & a great stick in the eye of the neo-cons.

[Eek Barba Durkle]

HUNTSMAN VS BEAR

In Soviet Russia, man hunt bear!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Nothing excuses the way police treated the woman in this video.

Without seeing video... they feared for their lives?

[Necron 99]

She did not seek or receive government permission to offer items in exchange for money.

If you don't like it go to Somalia.

[cgr2727]

At least Somali cops won't shoot you for no reason...wait a minute......

[Azathoth!!]

She was an infidel--so there WAS a reason.

[gaoxiaen]

If they were Cannabis flowers they would have riddled her with bullet holes.Reefer Madness.

[Domestic Dissident]

Jon Huntsman

Weigel's favorite fake republican!

[Citizen X - #6]

Local Simpleton Continues Pointless Obsession With Third-Rate Beltway Journalist; No Film at 11

[Zeb]

No way, man. Weigel is single-handedly responsible for the election of Hillary Clinton as president.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Dave Weigel is our nation's greatest threat.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

See, I don't think Mikey is using Weigel as the name of a person. To him, it is an insult, a label, a class of sub-human.

[Chinny Chin Chin]

I'd be onboard if only he'd refer to the writer using some sort of clever nickname.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Cuck?

[Eek Barba Durkle]

Grave Libel?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Nothing excuses the way police treated the woman in this video.

Without seeing video... Hey, why should a random citizen be treated better than their wives?

[Cyto]

After seeing the video.....

It looks like more than it probably is.

She doesn't appear to understand what is happening. So I'll assume he has been telling her that he is placing her under arrest before the video starts, and she has no idea what he is telling her to do.

So when he grabs her, she pulls away and resists. Which seems a normal response when some huge guy starts grabbing you for reasons unknown.

The larger point is the salient one. Why in the world do we have armed law enforcement officers enforcing business codes with arrests? Is the same guy going to arrest the owner of the Starbucks across the street for having incorrect signage or a freezer that is not at the required temperature?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Every government law and regulation is backed, ultimately, by the threat of death. What is the cop supposed to do, ask and leave if she disagrees? Of course not! He has to back up hid demand (it's not a suggestion) with the threat of arrest, and if she won't come willingly, he has to force her; if she resists, he has to use more force. Ultimately that comes down to the threat of death.

Government's core competence is coercion. Statists forget that when convenient, but understand it all to well the rest of the time.

[Conchfritters]

Google Goes Facebook

I tried Google+, it sucks. Come to think of it, Facebook sucks as well.

[Rhywun]

Yeah, I can hardly think of a way for me to want to stop using Google faster than making it more like Facebook.

Fortunately this only seems to apply with their targeted app - which I don't use.

Aside from Pixel phones and the Google app, the feed soon will appear in your smartphone browser when you go to Google's search page.

OK... Fortunately I don't do a lot of mobile search. FU, Google.

[BestUsedCarSales]

User Bing. They give you points for having it anyway. I've gotten about 100 bucks in Amazon gift certificates out of it.

[Fuck you, Shikha (Nunya)]

I was going to say, finally a reason to use Bing.

[darlenebrooks566]

I found a great site that focuses on stay at home mom's complete guide to gaining a serious amount of money in very little time. While being able to earn an passive income staying home with your kids. If you are someone who needs more money and has some spare time, this site is perfect for you. Take a look at...

?..????????????

Trump"s New Opprunuties See Here

[KerryW]

Good grief, now even the spammers have to mention Trump ...

[Fist of Etiquette]

My sources say the death penalty, for espionage, being considered for @StevenKBannon. I am pro-life and take no pleasure in reporting this.

? Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) July 19, 2017

Her source is her, and she's the one considering it.

[I can't even]

She the ass-whisperer.

[gaoxiaen]

If they have a government job they deserve summary execution. Just sayin', no threat (or woodchippers) intended.

[Fist of Etiquette]

What do Republicans in Congress think of the Trump-Russia controversy?

Cue Welch to SUDDENLY care about apologists and GO APE.

[Citizen X - #6]

Everyone's favorite Trump-conspiracy theorist Louise Mensch

What the fuck is a Louise Mensch?

[Zeb]

She's your favorite Trump-conspiracy theorist.

[Conchfritters]

Would

[gaoxiaen]

She's a butterface. Probably would.

[juris imprudent]

A real mensch?

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

As far as I can tell, a former legit journalist (she was editor of the short-lived Heat Street for a minute) and pundit who has recently gone off the deep end and shares the most wild and outlandish theories about Trump, Russia, etc., which she swears come from all these top-level secret sources, and a certain segment of social media just eats it up.

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

see also: http://www.standard.co.uk/news.....20094.html

[Citizen X - #6]

ENB delivers, so i'm modifying my original question to WHY the fuck is Louise Mensch?

Asked by chairman David Dimbleby to say which drugs she took, Ms Mensch said: "I have never said what Class A drugs I did. I don't want to say so because I do not want to glorify those drugs and give those drugs a great name.

Oh girl, nobody is looking at you and thinking, "yeah, that's how i'd like to be."

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

ENB delivers, so i'm modifying my original question to WHY the fuck is Louise Mensch?

That, I'm as lost as you on

[Rhywun]

"Hon, maybe you were crazy before the drugs."

[Citizen X - #6]

From ENB's link:

Jane Harris, at Rethink Mental Illness, said: "Drugs affect people in different ways, but there is a strong link between the use of drugs like cannabis and cocaine, particularly by young people, and mental health problems."

Note the elision of any reference as to which is the cause and which is the effect. Is it really so hard to believe that a person with mental issues would attempt to self-medicate? Spoiler alert: for most people, apparently so.

[BestUsedCarSales]

A huge portion of people with Schizotypal disorders smoke too. Coincidence?

[BYODB]

A former friend of mine was going into psychology and he quipped that 100% of Schizophrenics smoke cigarettes. He was, of course, full of shit as are most psychologists but it is interesting to note that the 'real' number they like to bandy about is around 80%.

And yeah, I'd say pretty much everyone with some type of clinical mental issue probably self-medicate in one form or another which makes these types of stats fairly suspect.

[gaoxiaen]

Louise Mensch: My mind is messed up after taking hard drugs. Of course. Otherwise, why bother?

[Dillinger]

don't blame the drugs if people can't handle their shit.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

I'd think this is the final bit of evidence one needs to conclude that she just trollin'.

[Ecoli]

Never heard of her.

Now I have.

Advertising works.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

I am worried she is going to start using Uber.

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

+1

[loveconstitution1789]

Bestest mench?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Google is following in Facebook's footsteps, with plans to redesign its popular search page on mobile phones so that you'll get something similar to the social media site's Newsfeed," NPR reports.

Is redesigning something that's "popular" usually a good idea?

[Zeb]

I've always thought not, but people keep doing it anyway. Every time there is something I really like, it gets redesigned.

[Citizen X - #6]

Uh oh, Zeb. If that trend continues, pretty soon someone will make an IPA that actually tastes not-terrible, and then where will you be?

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Much happier?

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

Drinking Zima (after wiping off the lube)?

[Zeb]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Nice. Going in dry, huh?

[Citizen X - #6]

Let's ask Coca-Cola.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

And Microsoft.

Where the fuck is this function I've been using for 10 years that used to be in a somewhat logical menu?

[Zeb]

That one was really annoying. MS Office worked pretty much the same way forever, everyone was fine with it and they had to go and change everything just to confuse people.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

MS Office worked pretty much the same way forever, everyone was fine with it and they had to go and change everything just to confuse people.

Microsoft's uncanny ability to fuck up the few products of theirs that are actually functional never ceases to amaze and anger. Photo Viewer, for instance, was once a very useful product, with a user-friendly edit feature and a way to easily caption photos.

The shift in the market to people using tablets/iPods and fondle-screen technology has really screwed up a lot of once-easily managed applications. Even Acrobat is a pain in the ass to use now.

[Zeb]

Yeah, that's another thing that bugs me in new software. Everything has to be aimed for tablets now. And everything has to try to guess what you want to do rather than just letting you do what you want to do.

[Ecoli]

International Harvester, a name I have known since childhood changed its name to Navistar. I still have to take a moment to translate Navistar to IH every time I hear it.

Google became Alphabet.

I do not understand this stuff.

[gaoxiaen]

+ 1 John Deere letter

[Rhywun]

Popularity schmopularity - they've done the calculus and decided it will put more money in their pockets.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That said, this is why you don't give police the duty to enforce illegal flower peddling.

Not the only reason.

[Rebel Scum]

What do Republicans in Congress think of the Trump-Russia controversy? Not much.

There's not exactly much to think.

[68W58]

The Dems lost an election that they ought to have won easily. Therefor there must have been nefarious forces at work which cost them that easy win. Once you reach that conclusion, all you have to do is work backwards looking for evidence. Simple.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

The Dems lost an election that they ought to have won easily. Therefor there must have been nefarious forces at work which cost them that easy win

When you consider your political ideology to be holy writ ("Get on the right side of history, bigot!") and have been conditioned by Hollywood propaganda to believe that your side will always win in the end, the shock of losing creates the ultimate in cognitive dissonance.

The funny part of their tantrum is that the DNC emails showed they WANTED Hillary to run against Trump or Cruz because they were considered easy targets--they never considered that a lot of people outside Mega-City One and Mega-City Two hated her guts and would never vote for her even if she ran against Satan himself.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Why ordering from the kids menu is harmful to children

The ubiquitous high-sodium, low-flavor offerings we've come to accept as "kids food" are bad for kids' health in the short term, but aren't they also bad for business in the long term? Aren't restaurants grooming another generation of picky eaters who will turn out folks unwilling to eat sushi or shakshuka? (A thirtysomething friend proudly professes never to eat anything that is the color green.) Or like my retirement-age in-law who still gravitates to the most familiar menu item, not even confident enough to ask the server to identify an unknown ingredient? (It turns out he went several years not knowing what "EVOO" was and shunning any option that included it.)

What bothers me more is that going out to eat is supposed to be fun. It should be a treat, an adventure. And we're robbing kids of that, too. If a meal at a restaurant is boring, bland, familiar food, what message does that send to our little ones?

[Cyto]

Far be it from me to miss the forest for the trees...

But, EVOO? E.V.O.O. maybe, but evoo?

[chemjeff]

"What bothers me more is that going out to eat is supposed to be fun. It should be a treat, an adventure. "

Sure, on some level. But there are people out there (raises hand) who have the same or similar dish each time, because they settled on something that they like and they don't want to rock the boat. The adventurous part is in just getting out of the house.

[Gadfly]

Not to mention that the junk food on the kids' menu is a treat for most kids. Kids generally like bold flavors, not developing a taste for subtlety until later in life, so this author really shouldn't sweat the kids menu.

[Rhywun]

I like Shake Shack. Wait, what?

You found someone more snotty elitist than David Brooks - well done.

[gaoxiaen]

shakshuka I'll try it tomorrow.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

Let's not kid ourselves. When Crusty says "I am ordering from the kids menu," he is not talking about a high-sodium, low-flavor offering.

[Corduroy]

Dinner with you would not be fun.

[Zeb]

I do get slightly annoyed when people always have special food for their kids. But they aren't my kids, so I try not to let it bother me.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

What?? How?? That's unpossible.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

I think it's generally a poor idea, but of course one never knows the circumstances of strangers.

What's really stupid in this piece is the belief that one's tastes are 'taught' at an early age. Many people's palates expand as they mature. Giving your goddamn preschooler a bunch of carbs and sodium doesn't mean they will never enjoy sushi or will not be adventurous eaters 10+ years later. A person's life is not determined entirely by these first few years of experience. As seems so common nowadays, this is a parent who vastly overestimates the influence he has over his child's development.

[Zeb]

I think too much food coddling can cause issues later on. But some kids are super picky and just won't eat certain things (or will only eat certain things).

But after the age of (just spitballing) 6 or so, it seems like under most circumstances kids should just be eating what everyone else is. But again, I'm not going around telling any parents what they should be doing. I don't know what special circumstances they might have and it's none of my business anyway.

[Juice]

high-sodium, low-flavor

huh?

[BYODB]

I will never stop referring to crabs as 'sea-bugs' to children. The looks they give are worth the price of the crab.

[Rebel Scum]

Google is following in Facebook's footsteps

Filtering the news to prevent wrong-think or allowing acquaintances to wax non-philosophical and/or post pics of their stupid kids?

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Counterpoint brought to us by Anthony Bourdain in April of this year:

Any tips on cooking for young children?

I think it is key, as a relatively new dad?my daughter is 10, actually?the most valuable lesson I learned is never, ever suggest to a child that something is good and they should try it. Eat adventurously around a child. Let them find their way to the food. Give them the buttered noodles they want and the grilled cheese sandwich day after day if necessary. Just eat well and adventurously around them and they will shock you with what they will try and like. My daughter picked up raw oysters at age three. I would have never suggested that?she just thought they were pretty. She called them shells.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Rufus's offspring: What's that daddy?
Rufus: It's orphan blood pudding.
Kid: I-i-is that Pepe?
Rufus (looks at pudding): I'm...not....sure.

[Cyto]

No, no, no!

Cooking for young children. Not four. For.

[Rhywun]

"TO SERVE CHILD"

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

[Blows some dust from the cover of the cookbook:]

TO SERVE FOR CHILDREN

[geo1113]

To Serve Man

[Crusty Juggler :)]

The people of America Jr. "cook for their children" by handing their child a stick and then pouring maple syrup on some snow.

[gaoxiaen]

Tell them it's grown-up food and they can't eat it. They'll say that they like it even if they don't.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Cop allegedly traded drugs using code 'shopping at Woodbury'

?She also told the undercover courier that she was a cop and boasted that she would display her NYPD badge to avoid further investigation and potential arrest if they were stopped by other members of law enforcement, teh DA said.

At the time of the alleged sting against Stroud, she was already under internal NYPD probe in another matter ?? and thus wouldn't have been stupid enough to deliver drugs while being watched, Grosshtern? claimed?.

Stroud was on "modified duty" ?? stripped of her gun and normal job responsibilities while being limited to desk work ?? when the suspected drug deliveries were made, her lawyer said.

"She denies these allegations. It appears she has been under investigation because she was under modified duty," ?said ?Grosshtern.

[Dillinger]

Seven-Five, redux.

[Conchfritters]

Moar sex links ENB - your at freedom fest in Vegas for crying out load - I want to read thought provoking stories about hookers on my bus ride into work.

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

I'm not there this year, alas =(

But I am about to head to ... Baltimore! For a First Amendment Lawyers Association gathering. Which I am actually excited about but it kinda sounds sad in comparison to FF

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Which I am actually excited about

My goodness.

[Citizen X - #6]

Well, she's excited because it's legal to hunt people in Balmer.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Plus, there's The Block.

[Elizabeth Nolan Brown]

Facebook just reminded me that this week last year, I was spending the most post-FF hungover day at Trump Hotel Vegas (because it was one of the cheapest room rates there) http://www.facebook.com/photo......3

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

What is the male/female ratio at these things? Do both female libertarians usually show up?

[Crusty Juggler :)]

your at freedom fest

When you don't do grammar good you don't get no sex links

[gaoxiaen]

I don't care about grammar. Can she make a sammich?

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Jennifer Lawrence Vomits at Broadway Adaptation of '1984'

The Daily Beast's Tim Teeman described the torture scene in the Broadway adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 as "tough and awful to watch" and noted that audience members have apparently "fainted during the show" ? but it seems Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence is the first to actually throw up.

According to a report in Page Six today, the Hunger Games star got violently sick in the lobby after leaving a performance of the play, which stars Tom Sturridge and Olivia Wilde, on Monday night.

A source told Page Six: "Midway through the show, Jennifer Lawrence bolted from her seat. Several people saw her getting sick in the lobby. The ushers were very helpful and courteous in helping her out.

How in the charles dickens are people just discovering 1984?

[Citizen X - #6]

Because it's sooo timely.

[Gadfly]

Well, 1984 was written by a white European male over 50 years ago, so reading it is probably a hate crime.

More seriously, there has been for a while a trend in English departments in America to eschew classics in favor of modern literature (most of which will be forgotten dross in a few decades), and it would not surprise me if this trend is strongest in the locales that tend to produce the glitterati. Most people who are not exposed to classic literature in school will remain ignorant of it.

[Zeb]

Most Modern literature was written before 1984.

[Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting]

I think Gadfly means stuff after the 60s, not Modern Lit in the traditional sense. We probably have to come up with a new definition for it, but by our standards, books published in the last 30 years would probably be considered "modern" in that they're contemporary to current generations such as the Boomers and Gen-X.

Most of the college classes assigning overrated crap like Man in the High Castle or Handmaid's Tale are probably the more pointless boutique classes like "Literature in the Age of Trump," "Patriarchy and Privilege in Post-60s Lit," or something equally nonsensical.

[Zeb]

I just have a thing about people saying "modern" when they mean "recent" or "contemporary".

"Literary fiction" is probably a good word for what he is talking about.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

She's so down-to-earth.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

She fainted as well?

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

Was it the rats-eat-face scene?

[BestUsedCarSales]

It was the scene where they sit and read the book for hours.

[Dillinger]

>>>the first to actually throw up

it's not drama unless you're first. she has a good agent.

[Jerryskids]

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of American to the Russian Federation

Please tell me somebody got paid a hefty bonus at the Department of Office Title Development for coming up with that one. Do we have to refer to Huntsman as "Your Most Supremely Excellent Highness" now or can we stick with the informal "Fuckhead"?

[Rhywun]

I wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. Hoping the former.

[gaoxiaen]

+1 Quisnos

[Crusty Juggler :)]

In Fresno teacher sex crimes case, some admissions and some blaming the alleged victim

The beginning of the end of Nelson's teaching career may have started with photos.

"He said they were sexually naked pictures," said Fresno police officer Malcolm Walls, referring to his conversation with the teenage boy.

Police said nude photos of Nelson popped up on social media, which prompted an investigation. The eighth grader who allegedly posted them didn't even have Nelson as a teacher at Tenaya, but he told investigators she initiated their relationship in the school hallway.

"He said Mrs. Nelson walked up to him one day and asked him why he never talked to her and said that he was cute," Walls said.

From there, the relationship progressed to kissing and then more. Investigators said the boy remembered being 13 years old when they had their first sexual contact, then turning 14 before they stopped.

They're reaching their sexual peak at 14 now? Holy moly.

[gaoxiaen]

+1 senior high school Home Ec teacher.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Such indecency. Good men only collect non sexual naked photos of teens.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Bill would ban teacher sex with students

The legislation would require teachers, employees, volunteers and independent contractors at public and independent schools and youth organizations to undergo annual training to recognize the signs of sexual predators and potential victims and expand the number of mandated reporters of child abuse to include coaches and volunteers.

It would raise the age of consent for students in any student-teacher relationships from 16 to 19, outlawing school employees or anyone in a position of authority over a student from engaging in a sexual relationship with a high school student. Punishment would be no more than five years of prison or a $10,000 fine or both

[loveconstitution1789]

Somehow I don't think making sex illegal between an 18 years old and anyone over 18 is constitutionally authorized.

[Zeb]

Yeah, I would think that the same reasoning used in overturning sodomy laws would apply.

But I do believe that at least some states have laws making teacher/student sex illegal even if the student is 18.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Two points:

undergo annual training to recognize the signs of sexual predators and potential victims and expand the number of mandated reporters of child abuse to include coaches and volunteers.

This is going to be a disaster.

Also, as I have stated previously here, a good friend of mine was a teacher in that state. While a teacher he slept with many students. He was eventually fired. The amount of people who knew, according to the lawsuit a student filed, was everyone. He was then hired in a new school at a different state, because no one from the new school even bothered to call anyone at the old school. Zero background or reference check of any kind. Guess what he did at the new school? He was then fired, and then hired at a youth organization, where he was summarily fired for other reasons.

They are lazy, desperate to fill the space with someone with the proper education and certification, and don't even bother to check the applicant's past.

[creech]

I guess how desperate a school is depends on the location. In Phila. suburbs, a school gets at least 100 resumes from qualified teachers for every opening.

[Gadfly]

I think it works if you make it a part of contract law: enhanced penalties for breach of contract for teachers, and then have the contracts forbid sexual contact with students.

[Juice]

Trying to find the "18 is the universal age of consent" clause in the constitution.

[loveconstitution1789]

There is no authority for government to prohibit adults from having sexual relations.

In other words, people often forget that government is supposed to be limited to enumerated and specific duties.

If a state deems 18 to be age of consent for contracts, military service, drinking, etc, then it is 18.

[gaoxiaen]

Then what's the point of teaching?

[Dillinger]

more illegal = more salacious...der

[Rebel Scum]

Louise Mensch

Never heard of her.

is convinced that Steve Bannon is about to be executed for espionage.

I guess there was not a trial or anything. But that's just what you have to do with these nazis.

[Ken Shultz]

After having saved ObamaCare in the name of capitalism, I wonder what Rand Paul will do next. Will he seek a declaration of war against Syria in the name of peace?

Will he try to prohibit alcohol in the name of ending the drug war or seek to raise the debt ceiling in the name of fiscal conservatism?

When some libertarians supported Rand Paul for president, it was because they thought they could count on him to support getting rid of the individual mandate, getting rid of the employer mandate, rolling back Medicaid eligibility for the first time ever, and cutting $880 billion from the budget.

If libertarians can't depend on him to get rid of those things when he gets the chance, why should we support him to be president?

If Republicans can't depend on him not to immortalize ObamaCare, why should they nominate him to be president?

This is very much like when his father opposed free trade--in the name of free market capitalism. What's the point of a libertarian president whose vote on cutting back Medicaid eligibility as a senator was virtually indistinguishable from Elizabeth Warren's?

[creech]

What should he have done? Hold his nose and vote for the GOP Senate bill? Would this then be his "Read my lips, no new taxes" moment?

[Ken Shultz]

Hold his nose?

The bill cut Medicaid eligibility such that the CBO said it would save taxpayers a net $880 billion over ten years.

In addition to that, the bill repealed both the individual mandate and the employer mandate, the latter of which requires businesses to either offer their employees health insurance or cut their hours to less than 29 hours a week.

Not being able to do away with those things because it doesn't also do other good things is absurd.

For goodness' sake, moving people from Medicaid to private insurance with subsidies is exactly like moving kids from public schools to private schools with vouchers--and should be supported by libertarians for all the same reasons. That bill wasn't just a means to move some 11 million people from Medicaid to private insurance; it pointed the way to moving everyone off of Medicaid and moving them to private insurance eventually.

But nooooOOOoooo. Rand Paul is too principled for that!

What the principle is, God only knows, but it sure as hell isn't libertarian leadership.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

it sure as hell isn't libertarian leadership.

Okay, it's too late in the links to actually do this but it's time for a commenter poll*:

Does anyone other than Ken believe this?

*Yeahhhhhhhhhh...

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

yeh, no, he's stretching something, and it's either his other leg or reality.

[Citizen X - #6]

"Libertarian leadership" here means "backing an unlibertarian thing in the hopes that maybe, one day, anti-libertarians will remember and back some hypothetical libertarian thing."

[BYODB]

No, not really. Ken was really wanting this to go through because it did a few things he likes while ignoring the fact that it didn't matter either way. The core portions of the ACA that are going to inevitably destroy the system were left in place.

I like Ken, but this is an issue I can't agree with him on. I don't consider myself a utilitarian, so there wasn't any particular use for the Senate plan in my book.

It's a classic case of the following, stolen from the commentariat because I like it:

SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!

THIS IS SOMETHING!

THIS MUST BE DONE!

[Dillinger]

*Rand Paul* is the center of that mess?

[Ken Shultz]

He was 50% of it.

The bill needed two Senators and he was one of them who wouldn't support it.

[Ken Shultz]

Right now, he's trying to do damage control for his presidential aspirations.

There's no way the Republicans primaries are going to nominate the man who saved ObamaCare--and that's who Rand Paul is.

[Dillinger]

If passing the bill was the goal, I see where you're coming from.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

It's the most libertarian bill Congress has ever devised, and Paul alone killed it.

[Dillinger]

ever seems a stretch?

[Ken Shultz]

I said he was 50%, not that Paul alone killed it.

Can you link to another bill that kills the individual mandate, kills the employer mandate, rolls Medicaid eligibility back, and cuts $880 billion in spending over ten years?

Yeah, when I supported Rand Paul, it was because I expected him to support these things--even in a less than ideal world. If I can't depend on him to support a bill that does these things, then why should I support him?

That dog won't hunt.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

The bill does other things, you know.

[BYODB]

Yes, such as destroy the market itself with guaranteed issue. Ken ignores this, because Ken saw some things he liked while ignoring the vast majority of the terrible things it did.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

Liberals can win again if they stop being so annoying and fix their 'hamburger problem'

This combination of facts has me thinking a lot about what I call "the hamburger problem." As I see it, Democrats' problem isn't that they're on the wrong side of policy issues. It's that they're too ready to bother too many ordinary people about too many of their personal choices, all the way down to the hamburgers they eat.

They don't always want to prohibit those choices. But they have become smug and condescending toward anyone who does not match the personal lifestyle choices of liberal elites. Why would the voters on the receiving end of that smug condescension trust such a movement to operate the government in their best interest?

The nice thing about the hamburger problem is that Democrats can fix it without moving substantially on policy. They just have to become less annoying.

I am pretty sure nags are going to keep on nagging.

[Citizen X - #6]

As I see it, Democrats' problem isn't that they're on the wrong side of policy issues. It's that they're too ready to bother too many ordinary people about too many of their personal choices, all the way down to the hamburgers they eat.

"The problem isn't their nagging policies, it's their nagging policies." What?

[Rhywun]

They just have to become less annoying.

I don't think that's possible.

[geo1113]

Why does AM links show old photo on Nicky Scarfo?????

[geo1113]

DAMN! ..an old photo of Nicky,,,

[Crusty Juggler :)]

I was transfixed by a the prominent Mormon moose knuckle.

[geo1113]

One can see the moose knuckles in South Philly too!

[Citizen X - #6]

Judging by his facial expression, so was that kid.

[Crusty Juggler :)]

"I'm so Republican I even dress to the right."

[Crusty Juggler :)]

This was a damn fine line, and I am aghast - but not surprised - that I have not received kudos from you freaks. I am so much better than all of you.

[Citizen X - #6]

It was just okay.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

The kid's expression makes me think Huntsman took off a costume and said, "Hi folks, Jon Hunstman from Utah."

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

We all know it happens, but here's video evidence of 3 Baltimore cops planting drugs.

A cop planted the drugs, went out into the street, turned on his bodycam, then went in to "discover" them. They didn't realize that their cams record the 30 seconds prior to being activated. The suspect was jailed with a $50k bond, and reportedly he was offered a 3 year plea deal after the video was reviewed. The DA also continued to call the cop as a witness in other trials.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

How can their cams record 30 seconds prior to being activated?

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

I assume it's always recording while it's on and erases footage after 30 seconds. You hit record, and it saves the material that was stored in the 30 second buffer.

[dschwar]

MJGreen is correct, at least for some models. According to the BCA, the cameras on the two officers in the Justine Ruszczyk (Damond) shooting also are continuously recording, and will store the prior 30 seconds once the camera is "turned on". Unfortunately, neither officer turned their camera on until well after 30 seconds post-shooting.

[Chipper Morning, Now #1]

Also, now I am worried about ENB going to Baltimore.

[Juice]

You'd think that would make most future drug finds suspect, but no. Credibility only matters for the little people.

[Dillinger]

not a mensch.