Republican political scandals, not involving Trump

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kingdragonfly

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#248722 7-Apr-2019 16:52

I thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread involving Republican scandals, not involving Trump.
For reasons unknown, "Conservatives" seem to gravitate toward strange sex.

So likely not-safe-for-work. I assume children won't be reading this political discussion either.

To start this off, North Carolina.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/us/north-carolina-republicans.html

New York Times

Like ‘Stepping on a Rake’: A Wave of Scandals Hits North Carolina Republicans

When Republicans took control of virtually every lever of North Carolina’s state government for the first time since Reconstruction, they set out to transform the historically moderate Southern state into a more conservative stronghold.

That was less than seven years ago.

These days, the question is how much Republicans may have set their project back with a recent string of remarkable self-inflicted wounds.

“It’s never a dull moment with the Republicans here,” said Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist and an ally of Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democrat whose November 2016 election was helped along by the protracted fight over a Republican-backed bill limiting the bathroom choices of transgender people. “Every time we think it can’t get worse, they figure out a way to dig deeper.”

This week, federal prosecutors announced that the chairman of the state’s Republican Party, Robin Hayes, had been indicted on charges of bribery and other crimes related to a scheme they said was designed to aid a major donor, who was also charged. The revelation came almost six weeks after Republicans faced the rare embarrassment of watching their seeming victory in a congressional race unravel after it became clear that their nominee had financed an illicit voter-turnout effort.
...
Carter Wrenn, a longtime Republican consultant in North Carolina, said the allegations of chicanery created “a smell in the air and around the Republican Party.” The party, he said, would do well to try to quickly isolate the scandals.

Indeed, the Republican Party played down the idea of chaos, even as it moved to put a limited distance between itself and the accused. In a statement on Wednesday, it said Mr. Hayes had “relinquished most of his day-to-day duties” and that another Republican leader, Aubrey Woodard, had been named acting chairman. On Monday, the day before his indictment became public, Mr. Hayes said he planned to step down later this year as party chairman, citing his health.

The indictment is a dramatic turn of events for Mr. Hayes, 73, a former State House majority whip whose family founded the Cannon Mills textiles company, and who has long been an advocate of integrating biblical principles into state government. He opposes abortion and was criticized, in an unsuccessful 1996 run for governor, for supporting a sex education curriculum that promoted abstinence and recommended cleaning genitals with Lysol disinfectant after sex.
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#2212325 7-Apr-2019 17:33

It comes from the top.

Since 1969, Republican presidential administrations have 121 criminal indictments and 89 convictions, while Democrats have had 3 and 1 respectively.

That's from the "law and order" party.

kingdragonfly

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#2212382 7-Apr-2019 18:24

Before I accidentally reinforce a stupid conservative sex ed misinformation:

Lysol will not stop sexually transmitted diseases. Lysol will only kill bacteria and some parasites, but not viruses.

So in theory Lysol may sometime work on gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and possibly trichomoniasis, if you're quick and lucky.

STD viruses won't ever be killed, so won't ever work on human papillomavirus, genital herpes, HIV / AIDS.

Before someone dings me on "viruses", instead of "viri".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plural_form_of_words_ending_in_-us

Fred99

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#2212491 7-Apr-2019 22:36

Afaict, every epidiomological and sociological metric on sexual health strongly favours non judgemental "liberal" public health policy, and condemns conservative policies (abstinence as a viable preventative measure, it only happens to deviates etc) as an utter, abject failure.
.

kingdragonfly

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#2213746 9-Apr-2019 17:54

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article228990579.html

[Middle America Republican] sheriff resigns; faces 7 felonies, including rape and sexual abuse of a child

Idaho Sheriff Rene Rodriguez resigned Monday afternoon, three days after he was arrested and charged with rape, sexual abuse of a child and lewd conduct with a minor, according to the (Twin Falls) Times-News.

Rodriguez, 40, of Shoshone, appeared in court from the Blaine County Jail on Monday afternoon, according to the Idaho Mountain Express. He faces seven felony charges: one count of sexual abuse of a child younger than age of 16, four counts of lewd conduct with a minor younger than age 16 and two counts of rape.

He was booked in Blaine County on Friday. If convicted, he could face multiple life sentences.

The charges stem from crimes that are alleged to have occurred between August 2005 and August 2014 in Lincoln, Jerome, Twin Falls and Blaine counties, according to the Idaho Mountain Express.

Rodriguez reportedly had his resignation letter accepted by the Lincoln County commissioners, who had amended their meeting agenda to address the issue, describing it as an emergency situation, according to the Times-News.

The Lincoln County Republican Central Committee will now submit three candidates for sheriff to the county commissioners for their consideration, according to the Times-News

wsnz

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#2213806 9-Apr-2019 18:48

Fred99: Afaict, every epidiomological and sociological metric on sexual health strongly favours non judgemental "liberal" public health policy, and condemns conservative policies (abstinence as a viable preventative measure, it only happens to deviates etc) as an utter, abject failure.
.

The correlation with conservative policies however, is not representative of causation. The strong religious beliefs are what drives the belief that abstinence is a viable preventative measure. That's an important distinction.

Of course none of this invalidates the claim that it simply doesn't work, so I agree with you.

kingdragonfly

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#2214306 10-Apr-2019 11:18

Republicans beg drug company CEOs to NOT cooperate with Investigations

"Democrats in the House of Representatives want answers from drug company CEOs about their continuously inflating prices.

But Republicans Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan are actually telling these CEOs that they SHOULD NOT cooperate with the Democrats because they claim it is a big conspiracy to cause pharma stocks to drop.

These men are not well, but at least they would be able to afford medication for their conditions if the Democrats are successful."

kingdragonfly

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#2215194 11-Apr-2019 18:16

DO NOT USE #YachtCocaineProstitutes or thin-skinned Republican Devin Nunes Will be Mad

Jimmy Kimmel Live

"It appears that there is one Republican with skin even thinner than Trump's and that honor goes to California Congressman Devin Nunes.

Last month Devin Nunes filed a $250 million lawsuit against Twitter and a couple of accounts that were making fun of him and now he's taking action against his hometown newspaper the Fresno Bee.

He's suing the Bee for $150 million because of a story that linked a company he's an investor in, to a yacht party at which the entertainment was cocaine and prostitutes.

In a delightful twist, the moment the lawsuit was announced, #YachtCocaineProstitutes was the #1 trending thing on Twitter. So whatever you do, do not use that hashtag when writing about him. He doesn't like it."

kingdragonfly

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#2217051 14-Apr-2019 18:43

Gay actor Chris Colfer once said "I'm really not good blackmail material" and "If you truly own who you are, no one can use you against you."

It's really a pity that powerful hypocrites often hurt their compatriots beforehand.

However it always satisfying to see villains get their comeuppance.

23 Anti-Gay Republicans Caught Being GAY

kingdragonfly

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#2217593 15-Apr-2019 17:10

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/texas-bill-would-expose-women-having-abortion-to-execution.html

Texas Bill Would Make Abortion Punishable by the Death Penalty

[The bill] secured an extensive hearing ... introduced by Republican State Representative Tony Tinderholt that would make abortion a criminal act of homicide, as explained by Andrea Gonzáles-Ramirez:

The bill alters Texas’ penal code, eliminating the exception for abortions from the definition of criminal homicide. Therefore, everyone involved in providing abortion care — from physicians and nurses to patients seeking this type of care — would face murder charges.

HB896 makes no exceptions for rape, incest, or cases where the women’s life is in danger.

Tinderholt also proposed the legislation would be enforced “regardless of any contrary federal law, executive order, or court decision,” which would go directly against Roe v. Wade.

This last part is probably the least radical aspect of Tinderholt’s bill (which, in a nod to the meme comparing abortion to slavery, he dubbed the Abolition of Abortion Act) insofar as legislation challenging or defying Roe is being enacted in Republican-controlled legislatures all over the country (including Texas). This bill is best understood as representing the logical end of the strong belief in Right-to-Life circles that a fetus, and even an embryo, are indistinguishable metaphysically, and should be indistinguishable legally, from adult human beings — including very specifically the pregnant women involved. Indeed, as supporters of the bill have pointed out, it reflects the Texas GOP’s party platform
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Rikkitic

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#2217723 15-Apr-2019 22:18

Even with modern medicine, women sometimes still die in childbirth. I hope when the first woman dies in Texas this way, the logic of this legislation will be rigorously applied and State Representative Tinderholt will be put to death as the one ultimately responsible.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

gzt

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#2219419 16-Apr-2019 20:10

Many anti-abortion parents send their kids out of state already.

In practice this bill means exile to California.

kingdragonfly

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#2220815 18-Apr-2019 19:10

From the NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/opinion/roy-moore-alabama-election.html

On Tuesday we’ll learn whether Alabama voters care if their next U.S. senator is an accused pedophile with a long history of dating teens when he was in his 30s.

History would suggest … not so much.

Roy Moore hasn’t pulled out a gun at any rallies lately, but he’s still the person you’d least like your daughter to run into in the Gadsden Mall. Women have charged, with what seems like extreme credibility, that he sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and 16. You’d think that would be enough to do him in.

Yet the chronicles of American politics are absolutely stuffed with stories about politicians who shocked their constituents with bad behavior, generally along the sexual line, without being punished at the polls.

kingdragonfly

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#2220819 18-Apr-2019 19:24

Ocasio-Cortez confronts CEOs with companies' illegal acts TO THEIR FACES

Regarding New Zealand banks, perhaps we should be throwing bank NZ CEO's in jail too.
https://www.canstar.co.nz/home-loans/judgement-day-sweeping-changes-banking-royal-commission-proposed/

About 19 of the recommendations suggest potential criminal breaches across 24 financial institutions, including three of the major banks.

However, Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s report does not name any bank executives or individuals in relation to possible criminal charges over misconduct.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this did not prevent individual executives from being prosecuted.

He told reporters that the Morrison government backs all recommendations in the report.

“My message to the financial sector today is that this misconduct must end,” he said.

kingdragonfly

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#2226472 27-Apr-2019 18:10

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/03/matt-shea-washington-republican-biblical-basis-for-war

Washington Republican under fire for setting out 'Biblical Basis for War'

State representative Matt Shea has made national headlines – a look at his far-right links draws a line to the Trump White House

The Washington state Republican Matt Shea< has been abandoned by donors over a document he distributed which condemned abortion and same-sex marriage and outlined a “Biblical Basis for War”.

The minority caucus chair in the Washington state house wrote: “If they do not yield – kill all males.”

Shea< is seeking a fifth term as representative for district four, centred on the Spokane Valley. Amid rising concern over far-right invective, particularly over immigration, and its relevance to violent attacks such as the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue last week, the case brought him to national attention. Now, new information has emerged about Shea<’s beliefs and associations on the far right.

Shea<’s oft-expressed belief that Muslims and leftists are organizing “counter-states” within the US appears to have been sourced from a conspiracy-minded seven-page memo by Rich Higgins, a national security council staffer in the Trump administration who was fired in July 2017 after the document became public.

Shea< has promoted versions of Higgins’ claim that “the hard left is aligned with Islamist organizations at local, national and international levels”, and its claim of links between “‘deep state’ actors, globalists, bankers, Islamists and establishment Republicans”.

Higgins also alleges such groups believe that “for their visions to succeed, America must be destroyed” and Donald Trump removed from office.

According to Higgins, the broader aims of this “cabal” include “population control”, administered by “certain business cartels in league with cultural Marxists/corporatists/Islamists who will leverage Islamic terrorism in order to justify the creation of a police state”, and the maintenance of a high level of immigration.

Higgins also wrote that beneficiaries of supposed subversive activities include “international banking”, a term often used as an antisemitic code word. The “cultural Marxism” narrative that underpins the document, meanwhile, has been described as inherently antisemitic, due to its baseless allegations of a subversive conspiracy among Jewish intellectuals of the Frankfurt school, with the aim of bringing down western civilization.

The conspiratorial overtones of the Higgins memo resonate with recent concerns about far-right discourse in the US.

Far-right claims about immigration have come under greater scrutiny since similar beliefs were expressed by Cesar Sayoc – the suspect in the sending of pipe bombs to prominent Trump critics including Barack Obama, the Clintons and the financier George Soros – and by Robert Bowers, who is charged with killing 11 people and wounding six at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

The Higgins memo has been heavily promoted by groups like the John Birch Society (JBS), with which Shea< has formed an apparent alliance.

Shea< has hosted Alex Newman, a writer for the JBS magazine the New American, on his podcast. The two men shared a stage at last month’s New Code of the West conference in Whitefish, Montana, which also featured the leader of the 2016 Oregon wildlife refuge occupation, Ammon Bundy. Shea< has promoted visits by Newman to the Spokane area. Newman has lauded Shea<’s speeches.

At the New Code of the West conference, Shea< recommended his listeners read the Higgins memo.

“There are two counter-states that have been established in America,” he began. “Rich Higgins’ memo is a must-read for everyone. Rich Higgins’ memo is tremendous.”

He then explained his belief that far-left “antifa” groups were cooperating with Muslims in subverting the US government.

The Higgins memo has also been promoted by members of the so-called “American Redoubt” movement, which encourages religious conservatives to relocate to the Pacific north-west. On the 29 October episode of Radio Free Redoubt, the host, who broadcasts under the pseudonym John Jacob Schmidt, read the memo in full.

Shea< contributes a pre-recorded weekly message to Radio Free Redoubt, which also broadcasts on ACN, a Christian radio network in eastern Washington state. Shea<’s campaign expenditure records show four monthly payments to ACN of $1,250 each.

A theocratic state’

Following a Rolling Stone story, Spokane resident Tanner Rowe released the “Biblical Basis for War” document on his Facebook page. Rowe showed the Guardian a version of another document which he said came from a January meeting of the Liberty State movement, which aims to create a new state in eastern Washington.

Another local man, Ian Pickett, said he attended a rally in Colville at which Shea< spoke in support of Liberty State. Pickett said flyers were handed out under the heading “Stevens County Property Rights Group”. The flyer contained a list of policies to be pursued in the notional 51st state, he said, among them “open public lands”, “no gay marriage” and “no legalized marijuana”.

Since drawing attention to the flyers on social media, Pickett has been characterized by Shea< as “antifa”. He said he had received threatening texts from disguised phone numbers and had been criticised several times on Radio Free Redoubt.

owe said he worked on Shea’s security detail in 2016, but had not spoken to him since 2017. He said he was given the “Biblical Basis for War” document by someone who attended an American Redoubt-related event at a hotel in 2014. Shea has acknowledged that he wrote the document, though he has disputed the interpretation of it as a “battle plan for when the government collapses”.

Rowe described his own politics as “libertarian” and “constitutionalist” and said he and Shea “share some beliefs”. But he said he supported liberty for all: “If you want to buy a gun, go buy a gun. If you’re gay, go and get married.” Shea’s involvement in plans to carve a 51st state out of eastern Washington, he said, was motivated by his wish for “a theocratic state”.
...

kingdragonfly

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#2226473 27-Apr-2019 18:15

Do Republicans Have Anything to Offer America Besides Hate?

Thom Hartmann Program

The controversy around Rep. Ilhan Omar is being manufactured by Donald Trump. The Republican Party, Fox News, and Right Wing Hate Radio. And this controversy is putting her and other Muslim people in danger. Why are they doing this?

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