President Donald Trump

[Hodor]

My goodness man, you can't POSSIBLY be quoting fact here, can you? I mean assuredly, all the women march protesters were stopped and arrested, no? Or all the other peaceful protests? They were all hassled by the Secret Service, yes?

I guess we'll have to wait and see if Trump turns the IRS against them. I mean no sitting president has ever weaponized the IRS against protesting groups.

I'm glad you're back but try not to be a snarky dick.

[Hornsby]

OK my friend, you were eager to connect the dots when it came to Hillary, don't be one of those who conveniently forget when it's your guy. I never said they HAD, prohibited peaceful protest, but they are laying a foundation to limit them and or their effectiveness. Start with the unprecedented felony riot charges levied at some 200 plus protesters inauguration day, blockades preventing peaceful assembly, and the attacks against the media, both traditional and social on reporting anything negative about Trump.

My statement stands, should the erosion of our civil liberties constitutional rights continue, there will be violent reactions and rightfully so.

Don't forget that several state legislatures are also chipping away at the 1st amendment, trying to make certain protest actions such as blocking a freeway, gross misdemeanors, or even worse. North Dakota introduced a bill to allow motorists to actually hit pedestrians if they were blocking the roadway.

A bill introduced in the North Dakota legislature in early January would protect negligent drivers from legal consequences if they were to hit protesters with their cars if those protesters were blocking a road or highway.

House Bill 1203, which began receiving committee hearings last week, was written as a direct response to protests at the Standing Rock reservation in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, against the Dakota Access pipeline, Rep. Keith Kempenich, the bill's lead sponsor, told The Star Tribune.

"If you stay off the roadway, this would never be an issue," Kempenich said. "Those motorists are going about the lawful, legal exercise of their right to drive down the road. ... Those people didn't ask to be in this."

Kempenich has said the point of the bill is about shifting responsibility to people who have "made a conscious decision to put themselves in harm's way." He said however that the legislation would not protect those who intentionally hit pedestrians on the roadway, and it would not protect drivers who hit jaywalkers or children who wander off the sidewalk and onto the road.

http://www.businessinsider.com/north-dakota-bill-protects-drivers-from-law-if-they-hit-protesters-in-traffic-2017-1

[Redbirds Fan]

chance, when you refer to the IRS being weaponized, do you mean when non-profit "social welfare" organizations seeking tax-exempt status under the Code were delayed until they could show they weren't political in nature? Don't you sort of expect to run into a couple of hurdles if you put "Tea Party" or "9/12 Project" in the name of an organization which you claim is not primarily political?

How many of these victim organizations got denied their (c)4 status and how many were just delayed? Was there any other action taken against them?

The 'code words' used to scan suspect organizations included liberal codewords, too, or so found the Republicans who investigated it, and liberal groups were delayed, too. But, not too many of them had "screaming socialist" in the name of their groups.

All in all, weak sauce. I thought they would have been a hardier lot. I guess when it comes to minor grievance outrage, neither side has a monopoly.

[nots]

OK my friend, you were eager to connect the dots when it came to Hillary, don't be one of those who conveniently forget when it's your guy. I never said they HAD, prohibited peaceful protest, but they are laying a foundation to limit them and or their effectiveness. Start with the unprecedented felony riot charges levied at some 200 plus protesters inauguration day, blockades preventing peaceful assembly, and the attacks against the media, both traditional and social on reporting anything negative about Trump.

My statement stands, should the erosion of our civil liberties constitutional rights continue, there will be violent reactions and rightfully so.

I guess I'm not informed about who was charged on Inauguration Day. I didn't watch much beyond the speech, but there some store and property damage done by some folks? Is that who was arrested?

[chancellor]

I'm glad you're back but try not to be a snarky dick.

Snark is what's called for here. If you throw out the fallacious straw man that the Trump administration is denying the right to peaceably assemble and protest, snark is the best way to burn down such silliness.

Fact is, the Trump administration has already seen violent riots (primarily on inauguration) and many peaceful protests (primarily the women's marches). They did absolutely nothing to hinder the latter.

[chancellor]

chance, when you refer to the IRS being weaponized, do you mean when non-profit "social welfare" organizations seeking tax-exempt status under the Code were delayed until they could show they weren't political in nature? Don't you sort of expect to run into a couple of hurdles if you put "Tea Party" or "9/12 Project" in the name of an organization which you claim is not primarily political?

How many of these victim organizations got denied their (c)4 status and how many were just delayed? Was there any other action taken against them?

The 'code words' used to scan suspect organizations included liberal codewords, too, or so found the Republicans who investigated it, and liberal groups were delayed, too. But, not too many of them had "screaming socialist" in the name of their groups.

All in all, weak sauce. I thought they would have been a hardier lot. I guess when it comes to minor grievance outrage, neither side has a monopoly.

There's pretty thorough documentation that shows a vast majority of conservative groups were denied and delayed relative to liberal groups. I'd have been most impressed had tax free status been denied for all political c4 groups - but when you predominately target one group...well, let's just say I'm eagerly awaiting payback and the whining that will follow.

[Hodor]

I guess I'm not informed about who was charged on Inauguration Day. I didn't watch much beyond the speech, but there some store and property damage done by some folks? Is that who was arrested?

It was a mass arrest targeting a group rather than the actual individual trouble makers, to include journalists and peace keeping advocates.

Even so, felony riot charges have rarely been used in these cases and you have 200+ on a single event. Sure seems like they're sending a message to me.

[Hodor]

Snark is what's called for here. If you throw out the fallacious straw man that the Trump administration is denying the right to peaceably assemble and protest, snark is the best way to burn down such silliness.

Fact is, the Trump administration has already seen violent riots (primarily on inauguration) and many peaceful protests (primarily the women's marches). They did absolutely nothing to hinder the latter.

You can assume El Diablos mantle if you want, but as I have learned in here, snark just makes you look like a dick.

Read my response to nots, if you can make leaps in judgment regarding Hillary, you can do so with Trump and I have. I'd wager that there are more measures put in place to dissuade protests but I like having you around.

When you're not snarky

[chancellor]

It was a mass arrest targeting a group rather than the actual individual trouble makers, to include journalists and peace keeping advocates.

Even so, felony riot charges have rarely been used in these cases and you have 200+ on a single event. Sure seems like they're sending a message to me.

Yeah, they're sending a message that violent riots where people get shot, property is destroyed, and looting occurs will not be tolerated.

As noted and carefully documented, peaceful large assemblies - like the women's marches - proceeded with absolutely no incident.

Pretty simple, really - burn stuff down, beat and shoot people and you go to jail and get charged with felonies. Wanna go to a protest and hear how incoherent Madonna has become? Great, have a good time.

[Bernie Brewer]

You can assume El Diablos mantle if you want, but as I have learned in here, snark just makes you look like a dick.

Read my response to nots, if you can make leaps in judgment regarding Hillary, you can do so with Trump and I have. I'd wager that there are more measures put in place to dissuade protests but I like having you around.

When you're not snarky

Ok I've been gone awhile, what happen to Eld, GITH, and Lucky (who I think I've learned is now Redbirds Fan?), Bob Kohm, the guy who posted a lot on the Disney Board and was a DJ (can't remember his handle).

[Redbirds Fan]

There's pretty thorough documentation that shows a vast majority of conservative groups were denied and delayed relative to liberal groups. I'd have been most impressed had tax free status been denied for all political c4 groups - but when you predominately target one group...well, let's just say I'm eagerly awaiting payback and the whining that will follow.

The Republicans investigating this concluded that liberal and conservative groups were scrutinized under this program to crack down on the misuse of (c)4 status, although conservative groups were scrutinized more often. The FBI concluded there was no "enemy hunting". This hardly seems like "weaponizing" the IRS. At best, this is hyperbole.

In any event, I have found cases in which conservative groups faces scrutiny, but not denial. There may have been scattered cases I haven't seen, so if you can point out something which shows this was systematic, please do.

[revo]

Ok I've been gone awhile, what happen to Eld, GITH, and Lucky (who I think I've learned is now Redbirds Fan?), Bob Kohm, the guy who posted a lot on the Disney Board and was a DJ (can't remember his handle).

ElD left but apparently re-activated his account
GITH is Hodor
Bob Kohm is rarely seen around these parts
Papa Deuce's blowhard/boastful 'tude grew thin on many and as soon as he re-appeared he left again

[nots]

It was a mass arrest targeting a group rather than the actual individual trouble makers, to include journalists and peace keeping advocates.

Even so, felony riot charges have rarely been used in these cases and you have 200+ on a single event. Sure seems like they're sending a message to me.

Fair enough i giess. As i said, i dont know anythingbabout those arrests.
And just for the record to your earlier post:Trump isnt my guy-at least not yet. I voted for Sanders in the primary and posted as such in the primary thread. I would have certainly voted for Sanders in the general had he made it that far. You can read ny reservations about Trump in the GOP thread dating back all the way to the day he announced . However, i am not afraid to say i love what hes trying to do regarding jobs and trade. Meeting with CEOs and trying to bully them into keeping or opening plants in the US. Meeting with private sector unions and gathering their input on creating jobs. Cancelling TPP and hopefully NAFTA. Massive infrastructure proppsal. These are great things--things that up until last Friday most Democrats would have endorsed.
Im just not as interested in these other issues as some folks are in here. Differnt priorities are fine IMO. But if the guy contines to suppprt the issues i think are most important, i am going to support him.

[Hodor]

Yeah, they're sending a message that violent riots where people get shot, property is destroyed, and looting occurs will not be tolerated.

As noted and carefully documented, peaceful large assemblies - like the women's marches - proceeded with absolutely no incident.

Pretty simple, really - burn stuff down, beat and shoot people and you go to jail and get charged with felonies. Wanna go to a protest and hear how incoherent Madonna has become? Great, have a good time.

First, you seem to be ignoring the fact that not everyone arrested and charged was engaged in the violence. Should Ignore the fact not all Trump supporters are ignorant xenophobic racists?

Second, there's no way of knowing if the trouble makers were with the protest, just there to be trouble or plants, which has been known to happen.

Third, no one was shot at the protests in DC, one person was shot in Washington state where ironically NO riot charges were filed.

There was far more violence in furgeson and not one riot charge.

No, this is a tactic whose intention is to dissude dissent. Once charged, to be released, you must agree not to protest until charges are dropped or you are cleared which can take up to a year.

BTW, if you are adamant that violence at protests should be punished, what do you think the sentence should be for law enforcement at Standing Rock?

It's pretty clear what direction this administration is headed

[Hornsby]

By the way, just so you know (kind of an inside joke there), we now have a real life National Socialist on the security council...Steve Bannon was elevated to a seat on the National Security Council, while the Director of National intelligence and the Joint Chiefs were dismissed from the security council. Their input will be called for on a case by case basis.

Now if that doesn't put a chill in your bones, I just don't know. Bannon BTW, is the architect of the horribly flawed Exec Order banning Muslims from 7 countries...green card holders were handcuffed, their social media accounts were scrutinized, and they were asked their view on Trump.

Another BTW, there have been ZERO fatal attacks in the US carried out by citizens of the banned countries since 9/11, zero....