Politics What is happening????

I cant post this with a serious face.

The Donald is serious this time!

 

I love that someone (Hugh Hewitt) actually had the guts to ask the jerk if he was just being a troll.

Hugh Hewitt to Trump: Are You Just ‘Trolling the Republican Party’? | Mediaite

 

There has been some break in the log jam with Walmart announcing their intent to raise wages across the board (and give steady schedules which is actually more important).
The fact that Target has refused to follow suit could really hurt their status as "we might suck but we're better than Walmart".

 

(1) Other countries don't have as many active duty military members.

(2) Our set-up, with Congress independent of the executive, with "checks and balances," allows banks (and all other interest groups) the independent power to block legislation with cooperation from just a few of many gatekeepers of choke-points in the process.

Things don't work that way in a parliamentary system, where legislation supported by party leaders is quickly approved, and is much less likely to be compromised with carve-outs or loopholes or exceptions demanded by interest groups.

Other countries also have much more centralized administrative and judicial systems than we do.

Hence, if Spain or Japan or Argentina decrees that lenders can't unilaterally seize assets from active duty military members, then they can't.

 

I'm in the wrong government contracting job then...

Yes, it is better than many other jobs out there, but it isn't the European style ideal, 6 hour workday with 3 day weekends that I would want. And that our increased productivity should be allowing us the get to.

I don't have a problem working on big projects for 2-4 weeks straight, 12 hour days, 7 days a week if traveling however.

It isn't that I don't want to work, I just like the sense of accomplishment from doing something instead of reports, documentation, and logistics in between projects.

 

A very positive, overwhelmingly bi-partisan action in the Senate today, led by John McCain and Diane Feinstein.

It remains to be seen if the more extremist Republican House will go along. I have my doubts.

 

In general John McCain annoys the pee out of me but on this he is consistently right.
So glad he stood up to the crazies in his party who defended torture and pushed for this bill.

 

Who has time to read a 6,700 page report? Even a 500 page summary is a full novel.

Well maybe Dick Cheney isn't doing anything for the next few months...

 

You could get the audio version as read by Helen Mirren.

 

Two big Supreme Court decisions to be announced tomorrow (or no later than Monday)

Obergefell v Hodges - will the Court strike down state gay marriage bans?

King v Burwell - will the Court kill the ACA subsidies to people who obtained subsidized health insurance from the federal exchange rather than state exchanges.

Crowds are sleeping outside the Court tonight.

 

Big win for the Affordable Care Act with the 6-3 decision to uphold the subsidies, with conservative Roberts writing the opinion.

Obama: "...today, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law, after a presidential election base in part on preserving or repealing this law, after multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court -- the Affordable Care Act is here to stay..."

Scalia in his dissent: "...Words no longer have meaning....We should start calling this law SCOTUScare...the Court's next bit of interpretive jiggery-pokery.....pure applesauce..."

The Court rarely issues opinions on Fridays, but speculation is that the gay marriage decision may be announced tomorrow rather than delayed until Monday, the last day of the current term of the Court, to coincide with the anniversary of two important gay rights cases -- Lawrence v Texas (6/26/03) and U.S. v Windsor (6/26/13). Kennedy was a swing voter in both of those cases and could very well write the opinion for the majority, making the Reagan appointee the Court's champion of gay rights.

 

"The right to marry is a fundamental right in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same sex may not be denied of that right and that liberty. Same sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."

5-4, Kennedy writing the majority opinion.

 

Happy 4th anniversary to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, created under Dodd-Franks to protect consumers from illegal banking practices (mortgage lending, credit cards, other financial practices).

Republican response:
Sen. Ted Cruz introduces bill to abolish CFPB.