Jump to content
The Education Forum

MAINSTREAM COOLER - For those who believe mainstream contemporary facts.


Sandy Larsen

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 4.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

French Election Results & Correction

Sorry, but I made an error in how the French Elections work for the Assembly National.

If the candidate for a region doesn't receive over 50% of the vote - all candidates with more than 12.5% are in the runoff - if they choose to run.

This means that although the RN has 33% of the vote in the first round there will now probably be a lot of deal making between the left and center candidates to determine who stands down where in the second round in an attempt to stop RN candidates from winning.

Seems to me to make the elections more interesting and lead to more proportional representation.

Quote

Marine Le Pen’s far-right, anti-immigration party is in reach of becoming the biggest political force in the French parliament after a historically high showing in the first round of snap parliament elections.

The left and centrists immediately began to call for tactical voting to try to stop the far-right before next Sunday’s final round runoff, after exit polls indicated the National Rally (RN) performed well.

Official results showed that RN and its allies received 33% of the national popular vote, with the leftwing New Popular Front in second with 28%. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc was third on 20% of the vote.

Speaking after the polls had closed, Le Pen said French people had shown “in an unambiguous vote … their wish to turn the page on seven years of the disdainful and corrosive [presidency]” of Macron. The president’s centrists, she said, had been almost “wiped out” by the RN, which was now hoping to increase its 88 seats in parliament to a majority of 289.
 

Far-right National Rally in reach of being dominant French party after election first round

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin Say Dems Are Discussing Biden’s Political Future

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-donald-trump-debate-live-updates_n_667c473ce4b05521a7f0538b

 

“Speaking to MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, Raskin also said that there are “very honest and serious, rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party.” The Maryland Democrat implied that it’s normal for a political party with diverse perspectives to have such conversations, as compared to the apparent lack of discussion in the Republican Party after Trump was convicted.”

 

That’s the way I look at it. That’s what Democracy is all about.

Let the Democrats show the world that they are not in a cult.

 

Steve Thomas

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scathing Sotomayor dissent: "The President is now a king above the law"

From CNN's Devan Cole July 1, 2024

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-immunity-supreme-court-decision-07-01-24#h_970d5ce788355fc04d44ed8795e178fb

Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not hold back in her dissent.

“Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today. Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”   
“Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.” 
“Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today.”  

The justice did not end the dissent with the traditional “respectfully” language.

“With fear for our democracy, I dissent,” Sotomayor wrote.  

 

Read the Decision here:

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-immunity-supreme-court-decision-07-01-24#h_ef662a44ee1fb39182a3d46680a5718a

 

Steve Thomas

 

Edited by Steve Thomas
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin Say Dems Are Discussing Biden’s Political Future

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-donald-trump-debate-live-updates_n_667c473ce4b05521a7f0538b

 

“Speaking to MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, Raskin also said that there are “very honest and serious, rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party.” The Maryland Democrat implied that it’s normal for a political party with diverse perspectives to have such conversations, as compared to the apparent lack of discussion in the Republican Party after Trump was convicted.”

 

That’s the way I look at it. That’s what Democracy is all about.

Let the Democrats show the world that they are not in a cult.

 

Steve Thomas

Exactly right, Steve.

The Democratic Party is not a monolithic cult.  We sometimes disagree with each other.  That's healthy.

About half of us are "progressives" who didn't vote for Biden in the 2020 Democratic primaries.

Some of us disagreed with each other about Biden's response to the Gaza disaster.

And some of us disagree now about Biden's fitness for office in 2025, and beyond.

I'm in full agreement with Norman Soloman's opinions about Gaza and about Biden's age.

Opinion | We Cannot Gaslight Our Way Out of This | Common Dreams

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Matt Allison said:

It's entirely possible that the United States was just legally turned into a dictatorship.

Obviously President Biden will not behave in such an un-American way. But we all know Donald Trump will.

Indeed, Matt. July 1, 2024 is a dark, dark day in American history.

The Koch-bought/Federalist Society MAGA SCOTUS has no shame.

These sociopaths in black robes-- Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Coney-Barret-- have gone out of their way to block the prosecution of Donald Trump's historic crimes against American democracy.

I naively thought that they would, ultimately, uphold the rule of law.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New York Times editorial on the court's ruling that gives Trump if elected president in November the path to dictatorship on steroids.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/opinion/supreme-court-presidential-immunity-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4E0.gEKG.yRPMubPLiolW&smid=url-share

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my favorite part from the Supreme Court decision:

"In dividing official from unofficial conduct, courts may not inquire into the President' motives."

 

"I just killed someone."

"Why did you kill him? 

"Well, it was part of my official duties."

"Yeah, but why did you kill him?"

"It was part of my official duties, and you're not allowed to ask me why. I'm immune."

 

Steve Thomas

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Steve Thomas said:

This is my favorite part from the Supreme Court decision:

"In dividing official from unofficial conduct, courts may not inquire into the President' motives."

 

"I just killed someone."

"Why did you kill him? 

"Well, it was part of my official duties."

"Yeah, but why did you kill him?"

"It was part of my official duties, and you're not allowed to ask me why. I'm immune."

 

Steve Thomas

 

Not only that, Steve, prosecutors can't use evidence against a POTUS that is based on the testimony of his official staff.

I'm picturing Haldeman, Erlichman, John Dean, John MItchell, and Rosemary Woods not being questioned about Nixon's possible involvement in Watergate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, perhaps he wasn't drugged. Sure seemed like it though to me.

Carl Bernstein, who I trust implicitly, says Biden has had other senior moments like Thursday night. But that he's also perfectly great the rest of time. He is 81. Stuff does indeed happen at that age.

Beating Trump is quite obviously an existential necessity now.

I honestly feel Biden at the top of the ticket has a better chance of doing that than Kamala Harris does.

I personally adore Harris; her intellect and grace. But sadly racism and misogyny are still rampant in this country. She is not as popular as she deserves to be.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/watergate-reporter-carl-bernstein-biden-has-bad-days?ref=home?ref=home

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...