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9 minutes ago, Sociotard said:

Did she have a voice recorder going? I can't think of any other way to get those long stretches of text, but I'm surprised the President allowed it.

 

Have to think so, but remember, Trump set the meeting up, with a pretty clear intent to be recorded.  Why bother going out of his way to draw the people in, if it's off the record?

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On 10/10/2018 at 9:44 PM, DShomshak said:

I oversimplified or overstated.. Here, I'll type in the paragraphs from page 26 of the article:

 

On more general matters of judicial philosophy he was, for what it's worth, more forthcoming. When he interprets the constitution, Mr Kavanaugh told the judiciary committee, he considers himself bound by the document's "original public meaning, of course informed by history and tradition and precedent." This view, that the constitution has one meaning, the one it was originally taken as having by its readers, and that singular meaning is best found by close study of the text, is known as originalism. Scalia was for a long time its most prominent exponent on the court (its most ardent advocate now is Clarence Thomas). Partly because Scalia regularly and persuasively expounded on its merits it has gained much currency. This is particularly true on the right--Mr Thomas is the court's most conservative justice--but holds to some extent across the ideological spectrum. Justices pay far more heed to specific wordings today than they did in the Warren Court's heyday. As Elena Kagan once put it, "We're all textualists now."

 

Associate justice, no peace

However some, such as Eric Segall of Georgia State University the author of an upcoming book on originalism, worry that originalist language is often used by justices to uphold positions quite at odds with the philosophy's seemingly hand-off tenets. "Justices use the rhetoric of originalism to mask political judgement," Mr Segall says. Past proponents of originalism argued that courts should strike down laws only in cases of clear textual error. Today, argues Mr Segall, proponents of originalism want to "shrink the federal government and deregulate the economy, but there is no reasonable originalist argument for that kind of strong judicial interference with our political system."

 

So, the article itself does not say originalism is a fraud; it quotes someone who seems to be saying that originalism is used fraudulently. I grant it's an important distinction. Other people who know more about these things than I do can perhaps supply examples.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

Thank you for the clarification.

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"original public meaning, of course informed by history and tradition and precedent."

 

That last word is why originalism is silly. You can't have both common law and originalism, the very idea of precedent invalidates any claim to original meanings' power over jurist interpretation.

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2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

I would actually have some sympathy for Pres. Trump's hard line toward China, if he didn't show such blatant favoritism in which dictatorships he picks a fight with, and which ones he cozies up to.

Well...If you wanted to give credit, playing Russia off China, and vise versa is old school diplomacy.

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On 10/9/2018 at 1:08 PM, Lord Liaden said:

 

You don't see the label, "liberal," being used to silence and ostracize citizens critical of government and society, the way "communist" was once used.

 

 

But we do have anti-Trump protestors described as "angry mobs" and proposals being made to restrict the right to protest.

 

Quote

“They have encouraged mob rule,” Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said on the Senate floor Friday. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said there was “a paid mob trying to prevent senators from doing the will of their constituents,” while Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wondered on Twitter: “Imagine the coverage on cable news if an angry mob of conservatives stormed the steps of the Supreme Court building.”

 

Quote

Under the proposal introduced by the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, in August, the administration is looking to close 80% of the sidewalks surrounding the White House, and has suggested that it could charge “event management” costs, for demonstrations.

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People have often complained that Trump has never stopped "campaigning" since he won the last election. I suspect he's not campaigning at all. One of the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder (of which Trump displays several) is a need for constant adulation. On the campaign trail Trump experienced crowds worshiping him, and I believe he's addicted to that.

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On 10/9/2018 at 1:51 AM, assault said:

Veterans did, however, get shafted, but not by anti-war protesters. Conservative politicians, naturally, cut and minimized their entitlements in the traditional way, the same as veterans have always been treated - heroes in wartime, disposable trash afterwards. But of course being able to blame this on anti-war protesters, "liberals" and so on is a godsend.

 

Isn't that always the way?

 

Quote

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! "
But it's " Saviour of 'is country " when the guns begin to shoot; 

 

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On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:52 PM, Lord Liaden said:

People have often complained that Trump has never stopped "campaigning" since he won the last election. I suspect he's not campaigning at all. One of the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder (of which Trump displays several) is a need for constant adulation. On the campaign trail Trump experienced crowds worshiping him, and I believe he's addicted to that.

 

As a semi-defense to "never stopped campaigning".  I don't see many politicians not always campaigning in some fashion or other (except for the occasional lame-duck retiree).  Certainly some exceptions, but campaign season is perpetual and eternal.

 

Narcissitic? Trump?  I'm so shocked. :angel:  (to be fair that personality disorder is common and practically required out of politicians, Trump just has way higher doses of it than most)

 

 

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Well, politicians are always managing their public image and their message, yes. But actually out stumping the rallies almost non-stop? That's reserved for election years, for any other politician.

 

I do believe that a strong ego actually is necessary for a successful politician, particularly those who aspire to significant power. You have to believe you're capable of and worthy to make decisions impacting many people's lives, or you'd be paralyzed by doubt. But NPD is a recognized psychological ailment that detracts from a person's ability to function in society.

 

Besides need for constant adulation, other hallmarks of the condition include: grossly inflated sense of self-worth; total intolerance to criticism; and lack of empathy for others. Sound familiar?

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2 hours ago, Sociotard said:

Elizabeth Warren took a DNA test, and it did indicate that she has a bit of Native American ancestry. Trump retains the ability to pretend he never called for the test or called her a liar.

 

https://www.salon.com/2018/10/15/trump-backtracks-on-demand-elizabeth-warren-release-dna-results-after-she-does-i-didnt-say-that

She's from Oklahoma. Why is this a surprise? 

CES 

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The difference between what most politicians do, and what Trump does, is that he's much more blatant about it.  His rhetoric is also that of a campaigner, not of a leader, no matter if he's at a rally or from the White House.  

 

On a side note, anyone else in as much despair over the *glut* of late-season political ads?  Had the baseball game on the TV, Chiefs/Pats streaming off and on.  Carpet-bombed by them, and of course, a HIGH percentage of them are corrosive, pernicious attack ads.  

 

 

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Heck, he claimed he'd owe her a million dollars the charity of her choosing. He tweeted this, so it is written record and everything.

 

Warren asked for it to be paid to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, which seem apropos.

 

I'll put down $5 to charity that says Trump will not pay.

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15 minutes ago, Sociotard said:

Heck, he claimed he'd owe her a million dollars the charity of her choosing. He tweeted this, so it is written record and everything.

 

Warren asked for it to be paid to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, which seem apropos.

 

I'll put down $5 to charity that says Trump will not pay.

 

No bet.

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2 hours ago, unclevlad said:

On a side note, anyone else in as much despair over the *glut* of late-season political ads?  Had the baseball game on the TV, Chiefs/Pats streaming off and on.  Carpet-bombed by them, and of course, a HIGH percentage of them are corrosive, pernicious attack ads.  

 

I've certainly noticed it. It's the one thing other than the Broncos' offense that can make football unwatchable for me.

 

We had a particularly egregious example in my US House district. Four years ago, one candidate didn't even bother with ads based on position or platform, she went straight into mud-slinging. She ended up winning the election (in large part because there are too many people in this district who'll vote for any damned fool with an 'R' after their name).

 

So she came up for re-election two years ago, and announced publicly that she was not going to 'engage in the kinds of negative campaign ads that my opponent uses' (not her exact words). And I couldn't help but think, "Really? After the smear tactics you used last time, you expect us just to forget all that and vote for you just because you said you're not going to use negative campaign ads this time? How stupid do you think we are?"

 

Stupid enough, apparently, because she got re-elected.

 

Now she's running for another term, and she's back to mud-slinging.

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12 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

We had a particularly egregious example in my US House district. Four years ago, one candidate didn't even bother with ads based on position or platform, she went straight into mud-slinging. She ended up winning the election (in large part because there are too many people in this district who'll vote for any damned fool with an 'R' after their name).

 

 

 

That's not par for the course...but it's damn close.  It *is* par for the course when it's a PAC ad, rather than a candidate's ad.  To be sure, it may be selective memory, but Republican PAC ads always seem to be nothing but fearmongering and/or personal attacks.  Democratic PAC ads aren't immune;  not saying that.  My sense, tho, is that the Republican PAC ads sink 2 or 3 levels deeper into the cesspool.  

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When I am watching TV, I see about 80+% pro-Dem ads, I think.   Don't care to guess who sinks lower though, I know me (and nearly everyone else) is going to carry a bias into that conversation.  In any case it seems this year has been typical in mud-flinging from my viewing.  Not really more or less (ok its never really less). 

 

Edit: I think both sides seem to have used the Kavanagh hearing results/shenanigans as their own free "campaign ad" to drill up the votes.

 

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