A.M. Links: Rand Paul Says 'We Don't Have Money' for Border Wall, Five Women Accuse James Franco of Sexual Misconduct, Trump Attacks NSA Surveillance Powers

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  Gage Skidmore / Flickr.com

  President Donald Trump attacked the National Security Agency's surveillance powers today on Twitter: "'House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.' This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?"

• Rand Paul: "We don't have money to spend" for Trump's border wall.
• "The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled guidance allowing states for the first time to impose work requirements in Medicaid, a major shift in the health insurance program for the poor."
• Missouri Gov. Eric Greitans has admitted to having an extramarital affair but denies reports that he blackmailed the woman by threatening to release nude photos if she ever went public with their relationship.
• Five women have accused the actor James Franco of sexual misconduct.

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Comments

[Citizen X - #6]

President Donald Trump attacked the National Security Agency's surveillance powers today on Twitter: "'House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.' This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?"

Well, this is slightly encouraging.

[Jerryskids]

It might be encouraging, but only if you read it as an attack. The fact that he's asking a question about surveillance and abuse of the Trump Campaign by the previous administration "and others" raises the question of just who these other administrations were that were using the FISA ACT against the Trump Campaign.

[CatoTheChipper]

It's not an attack: Trump is just accusing the Obama Administration of having abused their surveillance authority. Obviously, we can all trust Trump to use such authority in a circumspect manner that always respects individual rights.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

"Rand Paul: "We don't have money to spend" for Trump's border wall."

What about a fence?

Cedars?

Cedars when they mature are awesome.

[CE]

When you're 20 trillion in debt, you don't have money for anything new.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

He wants to destroy a bad program, but for the right reasons.

[paranoid android]

Literally just last night the administration released a statement urging reauthorizing the FISA Amendments and opposing the reforms. Combined with this tweet one might reach the conclusion that Trump either does not understand what FISA is, or actually has no idea what is going on in his own office.

[Jerryskids]

Hence the question mark at the end of the tweet. You're assuming this is an attack only if you assume that's a rhetorical question. Making any assumptions about what Trump means by what he says is just foolish.

[Number 2]

Or, after last night's tweet, someone explained to him what all this was about.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

So when he needs intel, the President of the United States turns to his Twitter followers?

[CE]

Who ya gonna trust? Random world citizens on Twitter or the career bureaucrats appointed by Obama who have already spied on you?

[Citizen X - #6]

Or, it's yet another n-dimensional stratagem to keep the Liberal Media on the ropes! MAGA! [fart noise]

[Rufus The Monocled]

/arm pit fart.

[loveconstitution1789]

Akkkthhhhppppttt...
-Bill the Cat

[Bee Tagger]

Congrats on a fistless first

[Citizen X - #6]

Thanks, man. I'm gonna spend my prize money establishing a nonprofit to teach powerful men not to rape.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

So brave X.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Makes me think of a guy I worked with back in University. You have to pass a sexual harrasment test to work there. This one guy kept failing it. He just did not understand it. And the questions were really obvious, like don't say you want to eat your co-workers ass.

They eventually just had someone take the test with him to pass it.

That guy now? Trial Lawyer in Virginia.

[Citizen X - #6]

I've worked in various law firms in Virginia for most of the last decade, and that... doesn't surprise me.

What's broheim's name? I probably know him, by reputation at least.

[BestUsedCarSales]

I'm ashamed to say that I looked him up, and it's actually Georgia. I won't dox him, but he does exist and is named Josh.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

And the questions were really obvious, like don't say you want to eat your co-workers ass.

"Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?"

[BestUsedCarSales]

He got punched in front of me once for asking a coworker the color of her underwear.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Nice.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Until a general leans over and tells Trump how tough and smart the FISA Act is and how important it is for national security.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Which apparently happened within two hours:

With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today's vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!

Good TV show.

[loveconstitution1789]

Trump has a clear record of standing up to military brass and bureaucrats and slowing their roll a bit.

Trump was spied on with Obama's adminstration's okay and being fucked by the government personally can change how supportive one might be of said government that fucks people.

[Bee Tagger]

Rand Paul: "We don't have money to spend" for Trump's border wall.

Hopefully this isnt the only reason to not build it.

[Libertarian]

Quick google search shows that a wall is estimated to cost $21B and that the U.S. spends about $33B on foreign aid EACH YEAR. Just saying.

[jcw]

Good point. I bet this is the federal project that's finally going to end up in budget and on time.

[Rufus The Monocled]

YOU tell countries they ain't getting their goodies.

[Citizen X - #6]

We're not sending our best dollars.

[Hank Phillips]

Is this the same Randal Paul who voted to confirm Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions as Attorney-General? And didn't Candidate Trump promise us Mexico was paying for Berlin Wall 2?

[Rhywun]

The Berlin Wall was built by a totalitarian regime to keep its prisoners inside. Last I checked, Americans are still free to come and go.

And no, I don't support Trump's Wall either but let's not be ridiculous here.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Berlin Wall 2: Berliner

[CE]

Define "free".

[loveconstitution1789]

Berlin Wall 2? Awesome! With land mines, searchlights, armored vehicle protection, and machine gun nests?

[Leader Desslok]

What? No moat with sharks with lasers on their heads?

[SIV]

President Donald Trump attacked the National Security Agency's surveillance powers today on Twitter

MAGA

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

*fart*

[$park? leftist poser]

In some cases, they said they believed Franco could offer them career advancement, and acquiesced to his wishes even when they were uncomfortable.

Fucking your way to the top is perfectly reasonable, but only when it works. When it doesn't work, it's rape.

[Conchfritters]

So he asked them to be naked for naked film roles. He asked one actress to play the part of a hooker - and he incidentally he is now filming a series on HBO about prostitution.

It's a damn good thing these girls never tried out for a part in Game of Thrones - they saved themselves from being naked and famous.

[Rufus The Monocled]

"You said I was going to be the star of the movie! Rape!"

[loveconstitution1789]

Buyer's regret?

[Bee Tagger]

President Donald Trump attacked the National Security Agency's surveillance powers today on Twitter: "'House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.' This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?"

Now, to have every governmental overreach impact Trump personally so that he wants to get rid of it.

[Citizen X - #6]

It's too bad he's personally benefited so much from eminent domain.

[SIV]

She told The Times that in a nude orgy scene she filmed with Franco and several women three years ago, he removed protective plastic guards covering other actresses' vaginas while simulating oral sex on them.

Yet he left hers in place?

That's some serious sexual harassment!

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

That plastic guard was for HIS protection!

[$park? leftist poser]

Rand Paul: "We don't have money to spend" for Trump's border wall.

Who cares? Mexico is paying for it.

[loveconstitution1789]

Technically they are.

All the taxes that illegal Mexicans pay going straight into Uncle Sam's coffers to pay for that wall completion.

[Zeb]

If that's the standard, I guess Mexico is paying for the whole federal government.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Man, we hit a dry spell on #MeToo, I was finding it hard to believe that America was cured of Sexual Assault and Misconduct. I mean, it was like that whole sudden acceleration problem just kind of went away.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Oprah put a stop to it.

Wouldn't be amazing if she had an affair with Weinstein?

That would be AWESOME.

I hate popcorn but I so would eat some to watch that story.

[Libertarian]

After the last two years, I'm amazed that there is any popcorn left in the entire country.

[Rufus The Monocled]

The Great Popcorn Shortage of 2017.

The Popcorn Famine.

[Johnny B]

Gentlemen: Popcorn will only run out when the government gets in the popcorn business.

[JoeBlow123]

This was the Summer of the Rape just as we have had the Summer of the Shark and Summer of the Donald and Summer of Love in the past.

Media loses interest fast. Did get some interesting scalps though.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Five women have accused the actor James Franco of sexual misconduct.

Take that, all you who thought he was gay.

[Citizen X - #6]

Oh, so now gays can't harass women? Don't be such a homophobe.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Not sexually. Only bitchily.

[Ken Shultz]

100 famous French women signed an open letter in Le Monde denouncing #MeToo for going too far.

The letter makes a number of allegations against #MeToo, centering on the idea that the movement threatens the sexual liberation of women. The letter and its signers go so far as to defend "the right of men to hit on women".

"Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or clumsily, is not".

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-42630108

The argument between puritan feminists and feminists who thought that sexual freedom was part of feminism used to be a real thing. The latter group survives in America, mostly, as a bunch of women who argue that "sex work" should be legal--but largely seems to have been steamrolled by a combination of progressivism and the election of Donald Trump.

The only well known, American feminists I can think of who have bucked the TDS trend (present company on Reason staff included) are Paglia and Cathy Young. It's good to see some legitimate debate on feminist puritanism, we can only hope the debate spreads to the United States.

[Number 2]

The collapse of the Paglia wing of feminism predated Trump. It fell victim to the rise of identity politics and the realization that you can claim more goodies from the government by claiming to be helpless victims of the Male Patriarchy than you can by seeming yourself equally capable as men in fending for yourself in the world.

[poptart]

I don't think the trajectory of that argument lands them where they want to be.

[Ken Shultz]

"The collapse of the Paglia wing of feminism predated Trump.

It may have started falling apart in the wake of Bill Clinton's sexual issues--particularly surrounding the way he and his supporters treated the women who accused him of misconduct.

At any rate, I didn't say that the Paglia wing of feminism collapsed because of Trump. I wrote that what's left of the sexual freedom movement seems to have been steamrolled by progressivism and the election of Donald Trump.

Can anyone here imagine ENB writing a piece that defends the right of individual men to hit on women "persistently" . . . and yet ENB may be considered emblematic of sex positive feminists--for thinking that "sex work" should be legal? Not sure that separates her from progressive feminists at all.

Oh, and I wouldn't say that Paglia (or Cathy Young) represent a wing of feminism so much as they represent individualism and intellectual honesty, both of which are concepts that progressivism finds abhorrent. After all, the purpose of progressive activism isn't intellectual honesty. The purpose of progressive activism is to rally support for using the coercive power of the state for what they see as the common good.

[$park? leftist poser]

Can anyone here imagine ENB writing a piece that defends the right of individual men to hit on women "persistently"

I don't recall ever seeing her write anything against free speech, but... *shrug*

[Zeb]

I can certainly imagine it. Imagination is a wonderful thing. I also don't see any reason to believe she wouldn't defend that. But I'm hardly an avid follower of what ENB thinks about everything.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

That's why you lose.

You see, this 2014 tweet from ENB is damning proof that...

[BestUsedCarSales]

She once outed a guy on Twitter as a lamer. That's all the evidence I need that she's evil.

[Crusty Juggler]

a bunch of women who argue that "sex work" should be legal

Shouldn't it be?

[Ken Shultz]

Did I say it shouldn't be?

[BestUsedCarSales]

I don't know. The scare quotes at least imply some doubt. So then Crusty asked a clarifying questions and you responded with another question. Perhaps you can understand the confusion this generates.

[Unlabelable MJGreen]

Should he?

[Ken Shultz]

Those weren't scare quotes.

That was actually just quoting ENB's favorite term for it.

[Hail Rataxes]

Sorry, Ken, but your totally nonsexist friends at the other site decided these women are just hypocritical bitches.

[Ken Shultz]

It isn't up to them.

[poptart]

Ladies, you thought Franco was hot and wanted to fuck him, to advance your careers, but when that didn't work, you want to fuck him to advance your careers.

[Rebel Scum]

This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?"

Yes. It has been used to illegally spy on the entire country. Veto pls.

[Number 2]

"Two other student actresses also recounted negative on-set experiences. Both said Franco became angry when no women, while at the shoot, would agree to be topless."

That's sexually exploitive behavior? Asking actresses to shoot a scene topless? As if that never, ever happens in film! Hell, you can't even qualify as "quality television" without at least three topless scenes per episode.

Next thing you know, that monster Franco will be asking actresses to kiss the leading man!

[Rebel Scum]

Rand Paul: "We don't have money to spend" for Trump's border wall.

I agree with Rand. But I do wonder what nickname the Donald will give him.

[Crusty Juggler]

It's "Guy I'm Going To Blame For My Failure."

[Crusty Juggler]

Substitute teacher, 40, who had sex with teen boy student while her husband and children were upstairs is jailed again

[Crusty Juggler]

Substitute teacher pleads to soliciting boy for sex

According to the arrest warrant, Rogers was a teacher-in-training at Murray Middle School when she used her cell phone several times to attempt to arrange a meeting with a 13-year-old student for an "unlawful sex act."

[BestUsedCarSales]

Gross. I make sure my sex acts are consecrated by God and Government

[Crusty Juggler]

Harmony, make way for Solana: RealDoll sex robot inventor unveils new personality as he removes Harmony's FACE on stage at CES and swaps it for a new one

Time she's up.

[Citizen X - #6]

The latent serial killer market is certainly an underserved niche.

[Aloysious]

The faceless option will appeal to those with a Hellraiser fetish, I reckon.

[Ken Shultz]

"Rand Paul: 'We don't have money to spend' for Trump's border wall."

We'd already be spending less if Rand Paul hadn't led five of his fellow senators to vote against this bill cutting $1.022 trillion in spending.

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52849

I haven't forgotten, Mr. Paul.

People aren't libertarian or not depending on whether they support Rand Paul.

Rand Paul is libertarian or not depending on whether he votes against cutting $1.022 trillion from a socialist entitlement program.

[Crusty Juggler]

I haven't forgotten, Mr. Paul.

Someone is on Ken's naughty list.

[poptart]

"People aren't libertarian or not depending on whether they support Rand Paul. "

Especially since he's a Republican.

"Rand Paul is libertarian or not depending on whether he votes against cutting $1.022 trillion from a socialist entitlement program."

Especially since he's a Republican.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Rand Paul likes baby otters too Ken.

[Ken Shultz]

I support the sexual liberation of sea otters.

Even the right of male otters to hit on baby seals.

[$park? leftist poser]

Rand Paul's response:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi.....Scream.jpg

[CE]

Maybe he didn't want to pretend to repeal Obamacare, and thought he would hold out for a real repeal.

[BYODB]

Ron Paul didn't vote for a lot of things that would have lowered the deficit, thus it's clear Ron Paul isn't a 'real libertarian' or a friend to liberty.

Ken isn't usually a purist, but when he is he eats his own.

[Crusty Juggler]

TRUMP ACCUSER BRANDS IVANKA'S TIME'S UP TWEET 'VERY HYPOCRITICAL'

[$park? leftist poser]

SHE SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN A BETTER FATHER!

[Rebel Scum]

"The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled guidance allowing states for the first time to impose work requirements in Medicaid

Do you know who else?

[Rhywun]

Five women have accused the actor James Franco of sexual misconduct.

In before the public flounces on to some other shiny object of interest.

[Rebel Scum]

Five women have accused the actor James Franco of sexual misconduct.

To be fair, James Franco's face is an act of sexual misconduct.

[$park? leftist poser]

Just because.

Police stand guard outside Florida university class on 'white racism'

[$park? leftist poser]

Maybe with Firefox?

[$park? leftist poser]

Well that settles it, iPhone is even shittier now than it was before.

[loveconstitution1789]

National Guard stood outside classes for black students during re-integration of University of Alabama.

Just Because.

[Brandybuck]

Ah, I see James Franco isn't properly voting Democrat like he should be.

Oh, has Franken actually resigned yet? No? Okay.