American Politics Thread 2013: I'm a cool Rodham grandma in the USA

just read a cool thing in Amy Davidson's manning trial column about the prosecution displaying a self-portrait manning took of himself cross-dressing, seems p cool, just dropping this in there for some colour, nbd

Verdict expected today.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-26/national/40863033_1_mobile-information-collection-unit-ashden-fein-david-coombs

Coombs also countered one of prosecutor Fein’s arguments that attempted to show Manning was seeking fame: A photo Manning took of himself, smiling in front of a mirror while on leave in Maryland. Fein said it showed a “gleeful, grinning” Manning who was proud to have leaked documents and be “on his way to notoriety” he wanted.

Coombs asked the judge to take a closer look at the photo, pointing out that Manning was wearing makeup and a bra.

“What you see is a young man who is cross-dressing,” Coombs said as Manning’s face tightened slightly in a pained look.“Maybe, just maybe ... he is happy to be himself for that moment,” Coombs said of Manning’s struggle to fit into the military at a time he was confused about his gender identity and serving openly was illegal for gays.

too many obv (this fucker treeship i swear) but still - james carville?

― balls, Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:58 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You got a problem with me, Mr. Testicles?

Oh wait that says Treeship not Waterface

I'm so used to everyone hating on me I assumed it was about me

I'm So Vain

see, James Carville ref = wawaface is an antiquated DNC fuckface

i'll be on I Love Baseball

Porbably thing tahta post is about me

YAY

Dr Pigface has left the building, oink oink

I should change my name to fuckface

i thought the joke was that waterface watches cnn

That would be funny but no

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/judge-to-announce-verdict-in-bradley-manning-case-today/2013/07/29/e894a75c-f897-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html?hpid=z1

An Army judge on Tuesday acquitted Pfc. Bradley Manning of aiding the enemy by disclosing a trove of secret U.S. government documents, a striking rebuke to military prosecutors who argued that the largest leak in U.S. history had assisted al-Qaeda.

The judge, Col. Denise Lind, found Manning guilty of most of the more than 20 crimes he was charged with. She also acquitted him of one count of the espionage act that stemmed from his leak of a video that depicted a fatal U.S. military airstrike in Farah, Afghanistan

some good news out of that, strangely.

Had Manning been convicted of aiding the enemy, Manning would have faced a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Civil libertarians saw the prospect of a conviction on that charge, which has not been used since the Civil War, as a dangerous precedent that could have would have sent an unmistakable message to would-be government whistle-blowers.

that could have would have

Washington Post writer in a hurry to get this posted

in theory i guess any whistle-blower is 'aiding the enemy' by making anything about america look less than awesome

Prosecutors had to prove Army Pfc. Bradley Manning had "a general evil intent" and knew the classified material would be seen by the terrorist group Al Qaeda.

"shoulda coulda" is the preferred usage, right?

"coulda woulda", sorry

Republicans and the White House both agree on proposals to cut Social Security known as chained CPI, referring to reduced payments to beneficiaries because of how annual cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. And the two sides seem to be on the same page regarding reducing benefits that wealthy seniors now receive from entitlement programs, a proposal known as means testing.

But the White House wants new taxes in exchange for those entitlement cuts, something at which the GOP continues to balk.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/is-the-grand-bargain-out-of-reach-94890.html?hp=f2

Seriously, thank you GOP for killing this bad bargain

our media:

https://twitter.com/BrettLoGiurato/status/362318301382180866

Back In Texas...

damn

that made me so mad i almost went nativist on the motherfucker

http://m.sfgate.com/sfchron/db_41688/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=6ncjpbUu"> yeah that'll work

did not work, as far as I can tell.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/gop-feuds/67795/

Toobin and Greenwald go at it (get your mind out of the gutter)

cool buzzfeed/heritage foundation team-up: http://www.buzzfeed.com/heritagefoundation/that-one-time-i-was-really-really-excited-about-o-cteg

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington are getting ready for a four-week break, followed by a September in which House Republicans have only scheduled nine days of work for the entire month, and they're leaving quite a to-do list behind. Four of the 12 appropriations bills that have to pass before the end of the fiscal year are being ignored; the farm bill is stuck; immigration reform is demanding attention; and a debt-ceiling crisis looms.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/31/19797380-what-a-governing-allergy-looks-like

oh they're hella busy fundraising, right?

Of course.

The Senate approved all five NLRB appointments yesterday. That was the good news-- Reid's threats to go nuclear paid off at least in the short-term.

Jesus I thought they were already 'off' the whole summer?

off their meds

August! When not only congress is on vacation, but also most of the rest of DC, leaving the town to deranged tourists who for some reason thought visiting a swamp in August was a good idea. (I'm a bit homesick.)

Its a tad cooler than usual though for some reason

i'll take it

srsly though, this time ... benghazi!!!

i don't get why people are suddenly talking about this CIA gun running thing, we knew this in the spring

Benghazi
Ben-e-e-e-h-ghazzii
no no no no
he only wants to impress youuu

Another Monday with my brother on furlough (every Monday for awhile), Republicans repeating cliches to their constituents and promises to lobbyists, Congressional Dems confused, and the Prez pushing his "moderate" "compromises"

I have been reading "This Town" and Joan Walsh comes away with an obvious (and unsurprising) conclusion about why people might possibly be cynical:

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/05/ka_ching_we_can_believe_in/

Joan Walsh goes very well with "obvious (and unsurprising)"

Why are some folks surprised about Messina, former longtime aide to Max Baucus (before Messina joined the White House) deciding to make big bucks with the Conservative Brits --

2011 article in The Nation

http://www.thenation.com/article/159577/jim-messina-obamas-enforcer#axzz2b7vDKgpM

As a former chief of staff to Baucus and deputy to Emanuel, Messina has clashed with progressive activists and grassroots Obama supporters both inside and outside Washington over political strategy and on issues like healthcare reform and gay rights, alienating parts of the very constituencies that worked so hard for Obama in 2008 and that the campaign needs to reinspire and activate in 2012. Obama’s fixer has arguably created as many problems as he’s solved.

Barry Crimmins ‏@crimmins
Former Obama campaign manager #JimMessia now working for Brit Tories. It's a lateral move.

Why is anyone surprised that anyone in the Obama administration would reneg on their "no ego, no glory" memo?

some of my dyed in the wool OFA buddies are just so backstabbed about messina and it's sort of frustrating to watch

Obama Cancels Meeting With Putin Amid Tension Over Snowden
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324522504578653791984020314.html

Not sure I think this is a good move.

hey at least he waited til his 2nd term to be Jimmy Carter after doing Dubya in his 1st.