POLITICAL CRACK UPS

[Duchess]

it could be very challenging for her in her first term as President.

Without a doubt.

I think there are Republicans who would absolutely prefer Hillary over Obama and there are so many from both sides who are gnashing their teeth in anticipation of him being out of office, sometimes I think many of them would prefer the debil over Obama. Totally serious.

[cannongal]

sometimes I think many of them would prefer the debil over Obama. Totally serious.[/i][/size]

I know people like that.


I also think Mitt's an idiot if he tries to run again, who does he think he is... Ron Paul?

[Duchess]

I don't think Mitt will run again but those politicians surprise me all the time. I read an interview shortly after his last unsuccessful run. I can't recall who conducted it but Mitt's wife was by his side and they both agreed that it was very difficult on them all as a family, it was no walk in the park. I took that to mean it wasn't something they would put everyone through again but you know how it goes...

[Maggot]

I kinda like Paul Ryan but that election is 2 years away. The Senate and house will be the Republicans for the next two years putting the Presidents agenda into the ice box unless he begins to work with more bi-partisan effort. Judd Greg found out what bi-partisan means to him when he realized that meant agreeing with everything. He didn't last very long I think about a month into his first term.


Quick Paul Ryan stats

Is there such a thing as "fantasy elections" ?

[HairOfTheDog]

And they all fall down

Prosecutors are really going after corrupt politicians these days. Good.



Patrick Cannon ^, a Democrat who served on Charlotte City Council before being elected mayor last November, pleaded guilty in June to a public corruption charge.

A nearly four-year investigation resulted in his arrest and immediate resignation in March.

Cannon, 47, told Chief U.S. District Judge Frank Whitney he was ashamed of tarnishing the reputation of the city he first began serving in 1993, when at age 26 he became the youngest person in Charlotte city history to win a council seat. "I'm sorry," Cannon said. "I let a lot of people down."

U.S. prosecutors said Cannon secretly solicited and accepted gifts and cash bribes from a strip club owner and two undercover federal agents posing as investors in exchange for using his official influence to help them navigate city government and zoning issues.

Prosecutors said the bribes also included paid travel to Las Vegas and use of a luxury apartment from the undercover agents. In February, Cannon accepted $20,000 in cash delivered to him in the mayor's office, prosecutors said.

[HairOfTheDog]

UPDATE: McDonnells' Corruption Case



Former Virginia Governor Bob and his wife Maureen were both found guilty of corruption. It was a weird trial -- Maureen McDonnell seems to have a lot of psychological and emotional hiccups, IMO.

Anyway, Bob was convicted of 11 of 13 counts. Maureen was convicted of 9 of 13 counts.

Both McDonnells are expected to be sentenced to jail time in January.

They're appealing the verdict. Source: http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-...2b8b6.html

[HairOfTheDog]

The Skies Aren't Always So Blue -- Corruption in Alabama?


Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R ) ^ was arrested on Monday and charged with 23 felony ethics charges.

Hubbard, who chaired the Alabama Republican Party from 2007 to 2011, faces charges that include using his office for personal gain and voting for legislation with a conflict of interest, Al.com reported.

Hubbard has claimed that he did nothing wrong and called the investigation a witch hunt, according to the AP (HOTD: that seems to be the go-to public response for politicians charged with criminal conduct these days).

Hubbard's indictment is reportedly part of an ongoing public corruption investigation in the state.

Here's the indictment doc: https://www.scribd.com/doc/243731850/Mik...Indictment

[Maggot]

Hypocrisy knows no bounds:

Earlier this week, Missouri state Senator Jamilah Nasheed, a Democrat who has sponsored several anti-gun bills, was arrested while protesting in front of the Ferguson Police Department, The Blaze reported Tuesday. What made the arrest interesting is that Nasheed was carrying a 9mm handgun with extra ammunition.



link


Another do as I say not as I do politician.

[Maggot]

And another thing, Saturday afternoon last week at about 2pm I was outside messing around and these kids pulled up to my house in these orange climate change t-shirts. they rang the door at my house and told my wife they were there to pickup my pledge that I said I would give them. They knew my name and all, so my wife being the smart bird says "hold on let me get him" Because she knew I would never do such a thing.
They said "never mind" and hopped in their car and took off before she could find me.
WTF?

[HairOfTheDog]

It's still a tight race for majority hold of the Senate, but looks like the Republicans are probably gonna take it by a hair tomorrow.

Obama's current popular rating is only around 50%. But, Congress' rating is even lower; much lower (like under 20% consistently). I don't know if a Republican majority in both houses of Congress will be a better or worse thing for the country, but it will hinder Obama's ability to get things done in his last two years (he's probably gonna need to use veto ink to keep some legislation he's pushed through in place, and use more Executive Action/Order to enact new measures, IMO).

If Republicans take over the Senate, John McCain (R-Ariz.) will assume the gavel at the Armed Services Committee. He'll rally for more direct and aggressive US action against IS(IS), I think. No doubt, he'll turn the spotlight back onto the Obama administration’s perceived missteps in Benghazi — especially the ones that Republicans say were committed by Hillary Clinton while she was Sec of State. A GOP majority will definitely be an advantage for 2016 Republican Presidential candidates.

Anyway, if the Republicans wind up with the most seats in Congress after tomorrow, it could mean some big changes in foreign relations and domestic policies.

[HairOfTheDog]

The Future is not Grimm



This stuff sometimes just makes me shake my head.

Hard to believe that a Congressman with a 20-count felony indictment for tax evasion, hiring undocumented workers, lying under oath while in Congress, etc...could be re-elected to his seat, right? Well, NY Republican Rep Michael Grimm accomplished just that in the November midterm elections.

For years he's denied the allegations against him. The FBI, however, has plenty of evidence against Grimm and he's just pleaded guilty and admitted to the crimes. In exchange for his guilty plea, he wants a short sentence -- 1 year to 18 months. The Feds want the judge to sentence Grimm to between 2 and 3 years behind bars.

In the meantime, Grimm says he's staying in Congress. For real. There is no law against convicted felons serving in Congress (seriously). But, of course, if he's sentenced to jail time and his sentence begins when the felon is still in office, it's gonna be a little tricky getting his politicking done from the pen.

Boehner will convince him to resign soon, I'm sure of it. Unsurprisingly, Democrat Nancy Pelosi is pushing like a mad dog to get Grimm out now -- the Dems are hoping to gain that seat.

A liar, a thief, and someone who believes he's above the law -- this is who gets voted into Congress. Ah well, at least there's more focus on prosecuting the bad apples these days.

See ya, Grimm.

Story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/23/politi...mm-resign/

[HairOfTheDog]

Update, post #86.

Yesterday, Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years behind bars. He starts serving time on February 9^th.

Federal prosecutors had pushed for a longer prison term. McDonnell's defense team wanted no jail time; they'd pushed hard for 6,000 hours of community service instead.

Judge Spencer seemed to sympathize with the former governor when handing down the sentence, saying: "It breaks my heart, but I have a duty I can't avoid. Mrs. McDonnell may have allowed the serpent into the mansion, (but) the governor knowingly let him into his personal and business affairs."

Maureen McDonnell will be sentenced on February 20^th.

[HairOfTheDog]

Australia's PM's Popularity Polls have Plummeted

Well, Duchess, looks like the man down under on whom you're kinda crushin' is having a hard time holding on to the reins.



Since his election in September 2013, Abbott has accumulated more critics than supporters. A litany of broken promises and a stalled budget have left his achievements looking parlous.

He had promised there would be no cuts to health, education and pensions, nor the national broadcasters, ABC and the SBS. All have since faced reduced funding. His first budget has been hijacked by minor party objections and horse-trading. Many measures remain stuck in the Senate, the upper house of the Australian parliament.

He's managed to keep one of his central promises: to dump a carbon tax introduced by Julia Gillard, the predecessor he maligned for breaking promises.

And his government can be fairly said to have stopped the boatloads of asylum seekers making their way to Australia from Indonesian ports. This was achieved after several years, during which up to 1,000 people died on the journey.

However, even that achievement has come at a cost to his personal reputation. Sending asylum seekers to Australian-run camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru has ended in riots and one death.

Queenslanders took the opportunity to slap down his conservative allies by throwing them out of office in a statewide election last weekend.

Talk had begun, worsening after the Queensland poll, that Abbott would be dumped if he refused to resign.

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/02/asia/a...index.html

[HairOfTheDog]

Dennis Hastert (Republican) Indicted


He was the Speaker of The House from 1999 to 2007 and was since one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington.

On Thursday, 73-year-old Hastert was indicted on allegations that he made cash withdrawals, totaling $1.7 million, to evade detection by banks. The federal authorities also charged him with lying to them about the purpose of the withdrawals.

Seems Hastert, who's been married since 1973, was being extorted by a former male student with whom he'd had an inappropriate sexual relationship. Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Illinois. He led the 1976 wrestling team to the national championship and is regarded as a local hero there. Hastert worked at the school from 1965 to 1981.

It's not clear if the former student is being charged with extortion. He demanded $3.5 million from Hastert to keep his mouth shut and Hastert set up the illegal financial dealings to pay the guy off.

Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/pol....html?_r=0

[HairOfTheDog]

JOHN KERRY TAKES A TUMBLE



U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hit a curb and has broken his leg in a bike crash near Geneva. He has called off the rest of a four-nation trip.

Kerry now plans to return to the United States on Sunday after X-rays at a Swiss hospital confirmed that he fractured his right femur.

He will receive further treatment in Boston.

State Department spokesman John Kirby says Kerry will be treated by the same doctor who performed a prior hip surgery.

Kirby says Kerry is stable, never lost consciousness and that his injury is not life-threatening.

He says Kerry should make a full recovery and is in good spirits.

P.s. it's a good thing that Kerry wasn't on that Happy Trails bike that Zero posted about; he could have wound up with some serious internal injuries!

[HairOfTheDog]

Update to Post 62 -- Leland Yee (Democrat) Pleads Guilty



He's such a disgrace.

Former California State Senator and top gun control advocate Leland Yee pleaded guilty Wednesday to public corruption. Still facing allegations of weapons trafficking, money laundering, murder-for-hire, and drug distribution, Yee’s plea deal seems to indicate that he is ready to “rat out” an even wider group of Bay Area and Sacramento conspirators.

Yee and his three co-defendants that include political consultant Keith Jackson, 50, his son Brandon Jackson, 29, and former sports agent Marlon Sullivan, 30, avoided trial with a deal to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of the Northern District of California.

Yee and Keith Jackson pled guilty to conspiracy for offering political favors in exchange for contributions to Yee’s 2014 campaign for Secretary of State, and for helping pay off debt still owed from his unsuccessful 2010 run for San Francisco mayor. The felony charge carried a maximum prison term of 20 years and financial penalties, as well as possible restitution and forfeiture. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

[HairOfTheDog]

Two more for the road...



Toronto Mayor Rob Ford now says he's packing his bags and heading for rehab. FOR REAL THIS TIME! He's taking a leave of absence (and still planning to run for re-election in October, AFAIK).

Remember how Rob's enabling mom and sister denied that he had substance abuse problems a few months back? Well, Rob's alleged realization that he needs help comes on the heels of a new video being acquired by The Globe and The Mail -- the video reportedly shows him smoking crack in his addict sister Kathy's basement last weekend.

But, that's not all. On Monday night, Rob got blotto, yet again, at a neighborhood bar and was outed on a radio station by a patron who'd recorded him bagging on his wife and yammering about how he wanted to fucking jam it to a mayoral contender, but the woman didn't want that (geez, wonder why not?).

Anyway, hope he's serious about pulling his shit together and succeeds. As it stands now, the guy's a melting mess (but absolute comedy gold for the pundits, meme makers and talk show hosts).

UPDATE: Rob Ford was diagnosed with cancer several months after his last bust for crack cocaine and thus, although he still had a lot of supporters, did not run for re-election as Mayor of Toronto.

Yesterday, Rob Ford passed away. What a colorful character he was. RIP.

[HairOfTheDog]

Post 94 Follow-up

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 74, made a name for himself in D.C. as a reliable, moral, born again Christian and dedicated public servant.

He was just sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud associated with his now-confessed molestation of several minor boys when he served as their wrestling coach decades back.

Hastert couldn't be prosecuted for the sexual abuse due to statute of limitations.

Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/opinio....html?_r=0

[HairOfTheDog]

NY Representative Chris Collins (Republican) Arrested/Indicted for Insider Trading; Won't Seek Re-election



After he, his son, and his son's future father-in-law were arrested last week for insider trading, Representative Chris Collins announced that he would not give up his House seat and tried to blame political opponents for his legal troubles.

However, he did an about-face a couple of days back and announced that he won't be seeking re-election after all.  I'm sure the Dems wish he would have run again.  I think they would have had a better chance at beating him in his red district than they will another Republican.  

The evidence against Collins and company looks airtight, based on the indictment:  https://www.scribd.com/document/38574221...-18-Cr-567

Story:  https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending-now/.../810994219

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

It also looks like a case of extreme hubris and stupidity. Collins, candidate Trump's first congressional supporter and a board member of Innate, was already under investigation for his dealings with the Australian medical research company when he allegedly tipped off his son that the Multiple Scleroris drug had unexpectedly failed in its trial study.

Collins' son, his son's fiancee's father, and several of his son's friends dumped a shitload of Innate stock before the trial results were published, saving them over $750,000 in losses.

The FEC of course monitors out-of-the-ordinary trade volumes and Collins and company held a good volume of the company's share.

So, now the Republicans are looking for a candidate to run for Collins' seat and the Democrats have another piece of ammo to use in their "corrupt GOP" messaging heading into the November mid-term elections.