Do We Have A 'Silly Shit Politicians Say' Thread? If Not, Here We Are

[archibaldcrane]

What's the point of saying it? Clarence Thomas isn't up for reelection soon. Does he think he's going to shame him into changing his judgements on the supreme court? Or is he just using Thomas as a whipping boy for notoriety going into election season?

[Blubbartron]

What's the point of saying it? Clarence Thomas isn't up for reelection soon. Does he think he's going to shame him into changing his judgements on the supreme court? Or is he just using Thomas as a whipping boy for notoriety going into election season?

Do... do you not know how the Supreme Court works?...

Also, yes, I imagine he is hoping that by calling him out he will reconsider how he handles the cases that come before him. How else are you going to change someone's mind other than emphatically stating how their actions hurt their own people?

[archibaldcrane]

Do... do you not know how the Supreme Court works?...

Do you know who I am?

He must not know who I am.

Also, yes, I imagine he is hoping that by calling him out he will reconsider how he handles the cases that come before him. How else are you going to change someone's mind other than emphatically stating how their actions hurt their own people?

I think it's wildly cynical politicking - this isn't exactly the first time Thomas has been labeled an uncle tom, nor will it be the last. It's pretty much been his label since he was appointed to the court by a white republican in 1990. He clearly doesn't give a fuck - he's long supported "colorblindness" as his credo, and thinks that affirmative action keeps black people down, he's extremely bitter about his success being seen as an affirmative action result.

[Meresgi]

Affirmative action was good..and then taken to drastic levels because that's how we do's it in America. Got to the point where white people were just crazy bitter after seeing minorities get jobs they weren't even qualified for, and while that's only rare cases, like EVERY THING, the rare cases and small % always make the news and get beaten into people's minds as being the norm.

[archibaldcrane]

Affirmative action was good..and then taken to drastic levels because that's how we do's it in America. Got to the point where white people were just crazy bitter after seeing minorities get jobs they weren't even qualified for, and while that's only rare cases, like EVERY THING, the rare cases and small % always make the news and get beaten into people's minds as being the norm.

It's weird that black people had such an easy time getting jobs they weren't qualified for but this is still a thing

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/2...d_20111005.png

[Meresgi]

I blame Obama

[Blubbartron]

Do you know who I am?

He must not know who I am.

I think it's wildly cynical politicking - this isn't exactly the first time Thomas has been labeled an uncle tom, nor will it be the last. It's pretty much been his label since he was appointed to the court by a white republican in 1990. He clearly doesn't give a fuck - he's long supported "colorblindness" as his credo, and thinks that affirmative action keeps black people down, he's extremely bitter about his success being seen as an affirmative action result.

If you were being sarcastic about an appointed position being up for reelection, then fair enough, and my bad. Just a weird way to make the point in my opinion.

As far as affirmative action goes, there is a case to be made for it "holding black people down" (primarily because it doesn't force them to meet/raise standards), even as it gives people opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise. It's one of those fantastic "it's great when it works as intended, but terrible when it doesn't" programs, and it's tough to measure which outcome is more frequent. However, Rep. Thompson brought up more issues than that. In particular, the voter ID laws. If Justice Thomas ruled that states have the right to make laws constituting thinly veiled racism, then he is a short-sighted moron. It's also true that Rep. Thompson is up for reelection this year, so it's completely plausible that he's using this solely for politicking. His motivation doesn't damage the truth of his argument, though. Justice Thomas' textualist approach to interpreting the "living document" that was written over 200 years ago (and rarely modified since) is inarguably hurting black people.

[Blubbartron]

It's weird that black people had such an easy time getting jobs they weren't qualified for but this is still a thing

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/2...d_20111005.png

They only have an "easy time" (read: easier - this can't be argued, that's literally the point of affirmative action) up until the quota for affirmative action is met. After that point, they're judged against the entire pool of applicants, and not just against the black/minority applicants.

These types of graphs are invariably worthless. They are too vague to be used in support of any claim. In the end, the only thing it shows is that different groups of people are different, and that's it (thanks Cpt. Obvious). They need to control for way, way more variables to show any meaningful difference, otherwise we'll have morons claiming that this proves racism in the same way the "women make 70 cents for every dollar a man makes" statistic proves sexism.

[kuronosan]

Jesus Christ, Blub.

[Blubbartron]

If you took issue with something, it would probably be more productive if you called it out explicitly, kuro.

[Cantih]

Lawrence Lessig is launching a crowdfunding/kickstarter superPAC.
If it can't reach the goals (1m by end of May, 5m by end of June), no money is collected. Also, commitments are in line if those goals are met, the pot will be 1:1 matched. If the commitment pulls out, nothing will be collected.

It's goal in 2014 it to run a test case in a handful of elections to get a sense of the bang/buck that would be needed to run a bigger operation in 2016.
The final goal is to use the superPAC as a big ass stick to force campaign finance reform (so yes, it's gotten "Fuck playing clean, we'll get as dirty as the other side"). Any candidate that pledges to sponsor specific reform legislation will be safe from the PAC getting involved in their races.

It's only been a day and they've reached nearly a quarter of the first goal.
https://mayone.us/faq/

[Acevalefor]

But as a first step, any candidate for Congress who has pledged to co-sponsor one of these reforms will be safe from the Mayday PAC. At this point, we will only target candidates who have not committed to co-sponsoring fundamental reform.That standard may change. The requirements for “safe harbor” may need to evolve. But at this point, the simplest way for a candidate or incumbent to avoid the Mayday PAC is commit to fundamental reform.

What exactly does it mean when they say that co-sponsoring Congressional candidates are safe from the MayDay PAC? They make it sound like this is a Sherrif's possy out to round up all the outlaw politicians unless those politicians give them money...

[Cantih]

Someone with money has an agenda, they make it known that the money will execute that agenda. You can either have that money working for you, or working against you, which will it be?
(And maybe you don't get in bed with one agenda, but now you have money pointed at you. So you need to already have your own, or start getting in bed with someone else who has more money than the other agenda.)
And thus, wealth and politics have the lovely relationship we've come to know and loathe. It's something that already happens.

EDIT: Shit, even SMBC is here today to break it down for you

Spoiler: show

http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3344#comic

[ringthree]

Do you know who I am?

He must not know who I am.

I think it's wildly cynical politicking - this isn't exactly the first time Thomas has been labeled an uncle tom, nor will it be the last. It's pretty much been his label since he was appointed to the court by a white republican in 1990. He clearly doesn't give a fuck - he's long supported "colorblindness" as his credo, and thinks that affirmative action keeps black people down, he's extremely bitter about his success being seen as an affirmative action result.

He is also the worst SC justice in modern history. No other SC justice has failed to ask a question or even make a statement in court. No other SC justice falls asleep during court. He is a disgrace to the bench. I dislike Scalia with a passion, but the man has a deep and profound respect for the role of the SC. Thomas is the worst.

[djzombie]

I'll just leave this right here...
http://issuehawk.com/tamar/2014/02/2...en-by-god.html

“There isn’t a more American ideal than to impact society, do good for others and do it in the name of God,” host Hagee said to the prominent Republican. “Where did we get off of that track?”

DeLay responded by telling Hagee that the trouble began “back when we allowed our government to become a secular government.”

He said that the American people have stopped giving credit to God for America’s origins and ”that God created this nation [and] that He wrote the Constitution, that it’s based on biblical principles.”

[Anoat]

http://news.yahoo.com/florida-lawmak...-politics.html

Over the past few months, the new U.S. education standard known as the "Common Core" has attracted its fair share of negative attention by opponents.

But Florida Republican State Rep. Charles Van Zant took the Common Core critique to a new level by claiming that the educational initiative promoted by the Obama administration will turn your children "homosexual."

Van Zant made the comments at an Orlando education conference back in March, but the video of his remarks went viral on Tuesday. Van Zant told his audience that the American Institutes for Research (AIR), that implements the Common Core in Florida, "will promote double-mindedness in state education and attract every one of your children to become as homosexual as they possibly can."

Watch the video, courtesy of the liberal blog Think Progress.

"Please go on their website, click the link to what they're doing with youth and you will see what their agenda really is," Van Zant implored his audience. "They are promoting as hard as they can any youth that is interested in the LGBT agenda."

Van Zant added, "I'm sorry to report that to you, but you need to know."

Van Zant is hardly the only vocal critic of the education initiative. Conservative radio host Glenn Beck recently called the Common Core "evil" and equated the standards with "slavery", saying that "if you can no longer critically think, then they can do whatever they want. I mean, this is slavery, they are breeding an entire new generation of slaves."

[Melena]

Wow, I agree Common Core is fucking retarded, but dear lord, it's like the super right wing republican base just want Democrats to win so they can keep spewing this stuff.

[ronin sparthos]

Jesus wrote the Constitution, Common Core is a secret freemason ideal to turn your kids gay, affirmative action as reverse racism.

Ah it feels good to be American.

[Moss]

Over the past few months, the new U.S. education standard known as the "Common Core" has attracted its fair share of negative attention by opponents.

But Florida Republican State Rep. Charles Van Zant took the Common Core critique to a new level by claiming that the educational initiative promoted by the Obama administration will turn your children "homosexual."

Van Zant made the comments at an Orlando education conference back in March, but the video of his remarks went viral on Tuesday. Van Zant told his audience that the American Institutes for Research (AIR), that implements the Common Core in Florida, "will promote double-mindedness in state education and attract every one of your children to become as homosexual as they possibly can."

Watch the video, courtesy of the liberal blog Think Progress.

"Please go on their website, click the link to what they're doing with youth and you will see what their agenda really is," Van Zant implored his audience. "They are promoting as hard as they can any youth that is interested in the LGBT agenda."

Van Zant added, "I'm sorry to report that to you, but you need to know."

Van Zant is hardly the only vocal critic of the education initiative. Conservative radio host Glenn Beck recently called the Common Core "evil" and equated the standards with "slavery", saying that "if you can no longer critically think, then they can do whatever they want. I mean, this is slavery, they are breeding an entire new generation of slaves."

Spoiler: show

http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q.../vanzan4-1.jpg

[Cantih]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...637_story.html

The CIA’s top officer in Kabul was exposed Saturday by the White House when his name was inadvertently included on a list provided to news organizations of senior U.S. officials participating in President Obama’s surprise visit with U.S. troops.

WHOOPS