Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

The willow is too close to the house.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

You cannot shame the shameless.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Good lord, these people are nuts.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

You are here: Home / I Award You No Points and May God Have Mercy On Your Soul

I Award You No Points and May God Have Mercy On Your Soul

by | 273 Comments

This post is in: 

A judge in Kansas just administered a brutal beatdown on what is probably their next governor, Kris Kobach (this is fucking Kansas, after all- if you really want to know what is the matter with Kansas, the answer is Kansans):

A restrictive law on voting in Kansas championed by Kris W. Kobach, the secretary of state, was struck down on Monday by a federal judge who said Mr. Kobach had failed during a trial to show evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The ruling was a blow to Mr. Kobach, a Republican who has emerged as a national figure on voting limits, a candidate for governor of Kansas and an ally of President Trump in part by claiming that large numbers of noncitizens have cast ballots in American elections. Experts on election law say that there is no evidence that voter fraud is a pervasive problem.

My favorite part:

Mr. Kobach “chose to represent his own office in this matter, and as such, had a duty to familiarize himself with the governing rules of procedure, and to ensure as the lead attorney on this case that his discovery obligations were satisfied despite his many duties as a busy public servant,” Judge Robinson wrote.

On Monday, she ordered that Mr. Kobach be required to complete six hours of legal education. Those six hours “must pertain to federal or Kansas civil rules of procedure or evidence,” she wrote.

This is the equivalent of a Sergeant Major bellowing “UNASS MY AO” to a young buck sergeant.

Reader Interactions

273Comments

  1. 1.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    On Monday, she ordered that Mr. Kobach be required to complete six hours of legal education. Those six hours “must pertain to federal or Kansas civil rules of procedure or evidence,” she wrote.

    Isn’t Kobach a lawyer? Yeah, that’s backhand to the face for sure.

  3. 3.

    LAO

    I peed myself (a little) when the judge ordered him to take 6 hours of CLE (Continuing Legal Education).

  4. 4.

    Spanky

    Seems encouraging that msn.com is highlighting this NYT article:

    How the Koch brothers are killing public transit projects around the country

    More sunshine on the Koch brothers. Bring it!

  8. 8.

    LeeM

    @Vhh: Area of Operations. In other words, get your dumb ass out of my courtroom and don’t come back until you are educated on the rules and protocols.

  11. 11.

    Nelle

    A Kansan checks in to BJ. Because a rich man with no government experience is running as an independent, he will likely split the Democratic vote in a year that we might have had a better chance to pick up the governorship. It hasn’t been that long since we had a Democratic governor (Sibelius – and we had another female, Democratic governor earlier). But many friends are changing registration to Republican for the primary to try to block Kobach. He’s got an impressive pedigree (Harvard and Oxford) but he comes across dumber than a box of rocks. All I can do is ask for thoughts and prayers and we know how well that works.

    Meanwhile, if you find yourself traveling across the beautiful prairie, do stop in the blue dot town of Lawrence. A lovely downtown and a place where you can breathe in freedom.

  12. 12.

    PaulWartenberg

    if Kobach is a practicing lawyer that judge is within her rights to file him for disbarment. She also should have held in contempt of court for six months trying to pull this sh-t in her house.

  14. 14.

    PaulWartenberg

    @Nelle:

    This is why we need runoffs. I guarantee you that independent is running as a splitter to divide the anti-Republican vote.

    The next best solution is to try and convince enough Kansans to just fcking drop out of the GOP before the general election. Vote AGAINST Kobach in the primary and then even if he loses the primary just get the fck out of there. Everyone I know who got out of being a Republican has felt incredible spiritual relief when they did so.

  15. 15.

    trollhattan

    @Nelle:
    Waves back.

    I recall Lawrence from when they blowed it up in “The Day After.” Seemed nice during the prologue.

  19. 19.

    rikyrah

    @Nelle:

    A Kansan checks in to BJ. Because a rich man with no government experience is running as an independent,

    Why is he running as an independent?
    Did he lost one of the primaries?

  20. 20.

    efgoldman

    @LAO:

    I peed myself (a little) when the judge ordered him to take 6 hours of CLE

    Just maybe TMI
    In practical terms, he can lose his license and it won’t really change anything. Assholes gotta’ asshole.

  21. 21.

    efgoldman

    @rikyrah:

    Why is he running as an independent?

    Usually to fuck things up for everyone else.
    See also: Maine, vanity candidates for governor.

  23. 23.

    Brachiator

    @Spanky:

    How the Koch brothers are killing public transit projects around the country

    What? The Kochs think this would be a stronger country if people walked?

  24. 24.

    efgoldman

    @Brachiator:

    The Kochs think this would be a stronger country if people walked?

    No logic to the RWNJ hatred of public transportation and rails. I think it has something to do with being a rich glibertarian.

    ETA: “Public good” is not a concept in their ken

  26. 26.

    zhena gogolia

    (Re post title) But did they put the little black cloth on top of her wig before she said it?

    (I realize you’re referencing some Adam Sandler movie and not the countless British dramas in which the judge pronounces sentence.)

  27. 27.

    marcopolo

    @Nelle: But Nelle, you didn’t mention the 7 teenagers who are also running for governor–one of whom apparently does not even live in KS. Has anyone suggested that perhaps instead of folks like Kobach worrying about minuscule numbers of folks voting improperly that they tighten up the requirements to run for gov?

    Also, isn’t it just as possible the guy, Orman, running as an Ind will pull votes from disgusted R voters as D folks? From what I understand his Lt Gov running mate is a former R state senator.

  28. 28.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Baud: I agree with your comment yesterday. All this agonizing does not change what we need to do this November. We need to win both houses, the man in the WH needs to be kept in check.

  29. 29.

    efgoldman

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    He isn’t going to lose his license over this.

    Probably not, but it wouldn’t make a difference in what he does and how. He’s absolutely convinced of his moral righteousness.

  30. 30.

    Spanky

    @Brachiator: From the article:

    The Kochs’ opposition to transit spending stems from their longstanding free-market, libertarian philosophy. It also dovetails with their financial interests, which benefit from automobiles and highways.

    One of the mainstay companies of Koch Industries, the Kochs’ conglomerate, is a major producer of gasoline and asphalt, and also makes seatbelts, tires and other automotive parts. Even as Americans for Prosperity opposes public investment in transit, it supports spending tax money on highways and roads.

  31. 31.

    Steve in the ATL

    @efgoldman: he won’t, but wouldn’t matter anyway as he is a politician now and not a practicing lawyer.

    Also, everyone please remember that all lawyers must get 12 hours of CLE every year (may vary slightly by state). The smackdown is that the judge ordered a specific subject matter to highlight his ignorance therein even though it was critical to his claims.

  34. 34.

    Humdog

    We need a funny pet stores thread!
    I have a digging story. LAO can reshare her chewy toy in the bed story.
    Some small break in the bullshit tsunami!!

  35. 35.

    marcopolo

    @rikyrah: Orman says if you run under a party banner all those party folks wind up having expectations and making demands about your positions. Imagine that!

    Here is his wiki page. Ran as an Ind for the US Senate in 2014 and lost to Pat Roberts–the D had pulled out to keep the non-R vote from being split.

    Also too, being from across the border in MO, it is not like I have any bragging rights when it comes to living in a state that elects decent governors–glass houses, stones, etc…

  38. 38.

    joel hanes

    continuing legal education

    Was intended to shame Kobach, and will thus fail.
    He has no shame, only self-righteous zeal.

  40. 40.

    Amir Khalid

    @zhena gogolia:
    I think the black hankie only goes on the judge’s horsehair wig for the death sentence, which would mean it hasn’t been done in the decades since Britain abolished capital punishment.

  41. 41.

    Yarrow

    @Nelle:

    Because a rich man with no government experience is running as an independent, he will likely split the Democratic vote in a year that we might have had a better chance to pick up the governorship.

    I’m not following Kansas politics. Who is this rich man? I’m skeptical of anyone running to split Dem votes. Seems like something Russia would like. Has anyone looked into that?

  42. 42.

    hitchhiker

    He wasted her time.

    The message was, YOUR CASE WAS A BIG FAT NOTHINGBURGER AND YOU DAMN WELL SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT.

    It is so weird to watch these guys who have lived inside their demented bubbles for so long step out into the sunlight and confront reality. I mean, I know Kobach is going to skitter right back into the loving arms of his fellow cray-crays, but just for a sweet moment there he had to stand up and hear the music. I hope it haunts his dreams.

  45. 45.

    JPL

    @Baud: Since I canceled ages ago, I can’t cancel again. They are afraid of losing coverage, because printing lies fed to them by the White House is so important.

  46. 46.

    Amir Khalid

    @Amir Khalid:
    If I remember my English* courtroom dramas correctly, the “May God have mercy on your soul” invocation is also specific tothe death sentence.

    *Scotland has a different legal system and may also differ in courtroom rituals. I never saw any Scottish courtroom dramas.

  47. 47.

    sherparick

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: Harvard Undergrad Summa cum Laude, PhD from University of Oxford, UK, and Yale Law School. Living proof that to maintain a reactionary and Conservative view of the world you have to make yourself more and more stupid, particularly if you enclose yourself in epistemic bubble of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and their ilk. 34 years after graduating from High School at the top of his class, he is ready to run as a White Supremacist Idiot to be elected by the other White Supremacist idiots of Kansas. And yes, Tom Franks, that is what’s the matter with Kansas, white privilege is a heck of a drug.

  48. 48.

    SRW1

    @Brachiator:

    What? The Kochs think this would be a stronger country if people walked?

    Horses worked fine. Though at today’s number of people, what comes out of horse exhausts might be a problem.

  51. 51.

    takebakawashi

    @Steve in the ATL:

    The Court therefore imposes a CLE requirement of 6 hours for the 2018-2019 reporting year in addition to any other CLE education required by his law license. [emphasis added]

  52. 52.

    Teddys Person

    Ted Cruz has an idea. From Raw Story:

    The provisions of [Cruz’s proposed] legislation, according to the news release, include:

    Doubling the number of federal immigration judges, from roughly 375 to 750.
    Authorizing new temporary shelters with accommodations to keep families together.
    Mandating that immigrant families be kept together, absent aggravated criminal conduct or threat of harm to children.
    Providing for expedited processing and review of asylum cases so that — within 14 days — those who meet the legal standards will be granted asylum and those who do not will be immediately returned to their home countries.

    Aside from continuing the policy of incarcerate immigrants indefinitely (although in family units). Are federal immigration judges appointed? Is this another move in their effort to stack the judiciary with Federalist Society picks?

  54. 54.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Baud: Shame on you for that comment, Baud. When you run in 2020, you have to be a President for all Americans. You shouldn’t be insulting whole states of potential voters.

  57. 57.

    Baud

    @Teddys Person: Immigration judges are essentially civil servants. They aren’t appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate like regular judges.

  58. 58.

    zhena gogolia

    @Amir Khalid:

    In the Adam Sandler movie they use the final line of the death sentence, “and may God have mercy on your soul,” in the context of some dumb quiz, so it’s very funny. But I don’t think most people know where it comes from unless they’re Masterpiece Theater junkies like me.

  59. 59.

    Kay

    What I like about it is she doesn’t give him the benefit of the doubt on incompetence. She indicates Kobach and his team are DISHONEST. She can’t sanction them for that because incompetence is always a possibility and she can’t prove intent, but she’s wacking them because they’re liars, not because they’re bad lawyers (although they are also bad lawyers).

    I like that she treats them as adults. It’s about giodammned time someone did. Keep the high standard. Don’t lower it to let low quality people slide by. She doesn’t have to race to the bottom. They have to meet the standard.

  64. 64.

    Kay

    Kobach is the brain trust of the voter fraud liar caucus on the Right.

    He’s the elite member. The best. The rest are worse. Mitt Romney and Donald Trump hired Kobach as the thought leader on the Right on voting issues. THAT’S how low standards are on the far Right. He can’t even conduct his side of a hearing and he is the best they have.

    They don’t have a single credible person on voting among thousands of far Right activists. It’s garbage all the way down.

  65. 65.

    Mnemosyne

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I’m assuming that this is supposed to be in addition to his mandatory 12 hours and not folded into that?

    (I peeked at the Google. 12 hours is the mandatory minimum annual CLE for Kansas.)

  67. 67.

    Kay

    I also love that she called him out on “tip of the iceberg”. The far Right have been claiming they would show their work on voter fraud for 20 years. This was their opportunity. They have nothing.

    Adult professionals don’t get 50,000 tries, endless do-overs. She told them to put up or shut up and they had nothing and she had the courage to say that. There’s an adult in the room. She stepped up and did her job, unlike everyone else who has been bullied into pretending these people are serious. They’re clowns. They’re cheap grifters and liars. They always have been.

  68. 68.

    Kay

    It’s a shame the US Supreme Court didn’t have the intellectual honesty to call them out a decade ago. They allowed this fleecing to continue. Cowards.

  69. 69.

    Aleta

    I mentioned how the CBP has been doing warrantless “citizenship checks” at bus stations in NH, ME, VT (Concord and Greyhound). * Yesterday the CBP responded in court to a Maine ACLU filing. (CBP ignored the FOI Act request made in January.)

    The Maine ACLU filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in early May against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, for failing to relinquish information or respond to the Maine ACLU’s Freedom of Information Act request in January. The ACLU’s request for information about citizenship checks around the state was made on Jan. 24, 10 days after CBP agents targeted a Concord Coach Lines bus at the Bangor Transportation Center to inquire about rider’s immigration status.

    The recent statement by the bus line’s employee highlights the need for more information, the ACLU said.

    “That really confirms to us the importance of getting information on this,” Emma Bond, a staff attorney for the Maine ACLU, said Friday.

    The Maine ACLU requested descriptions of CBP operations at the Bangor and Portland transportation centers, including dates and times when agents were deployed and the names and ranks of the officers involved. It’s also seeking the number of people questioned, their country of origin, race and ethnicity, and the criminal or immigration charges against those questioned.

    In a Monday court filing, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol denied the ACLU’s request for records, saying that it doesn’t owe the ACLU a response over its practice of performing citizenship checks.

    -Bangor Daily

    Afaik, this is the first news report in the Bangor paper about what they’ve been doing for the last 6 months, and it was triggered by a passenger’s video that he provided to the ACLU. Again…the power of an individual’s video to focus media attention.

    The Maine video is available at the ACLU site representing VT, NH and ME. The Maine ACLU (and ProPublica which publishing the sound video, taken clandestinely) are also in need of donations.

    *Seemingly they just do it w/o asking the companies, as the passengers are boarding, and the companies have not refused them. Employees — usually only a clerk or two and the driver are on site) don’t have a clue when they show up.

    But I don’t know whether the company heads have given permission. It’s on their property, so they could demand a warrant or else turn them away, but again the staffing up north is sparse and uninformed about what to do. So they “defer” to the uniform and the aggressiveness.)

  70. 70.

    Spanky

    Continuing the story of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette firing its editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers, t looks like we’re heading toward civil war:

    Post-Gazette employees, newsroom editors emphasize they are separate from editorial pages

  72. 72.

    lgerard

    “At one point in our interview, [Miller] said, ‘Imagine, in the context of domestic law, if you said that the speed limit doesn’t apply to you (because of your sincerely held religious beliefs) if you have a child in the backseat,’” Davis recalled. “‘Can you imagine what the consequences of that would be?’ And one of the things he says is, ‘A lot more child endangerment.’”

    I see your point

  73. 73.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Kay:
    They punted on 2 gerrymandering cases recently too. Probably for the best considering the current make up of the Court

  74. 74.

    Immanentize

    I’m still curious — where are the girls? My guess is women’s prisons and jails and female juvenile justice detention centers. It would be worth a look… Asking around.

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne

    @lgerard:

    So I was correct in my original hyperbole and Miller thinks that people should lose custody of their kids if they get a speeding ticket.

  77. 77.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @lgerard:
    That’s…so fucking stupid I’ve think I’ve lost over 70 IQ just by reading that.

  78. 78.

    CliosFanBoy

    I want to put “and may God have mercy on your souls” on my syllabi next fall.

  79. 79.

    Tokyokie

    @Nelle:

    Meanwhile, if you find yourself traveling across the beautiful prairie, do stop in the blue dot town of Lawrence. A lovely downtown and a place where you can breathe in freedom.

    It’s also a place that a ideological predecessor of Trump supporters, Bloody Bill Anderson. burned to the ground back in the day.

  80. 80.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @sherparick: Considering the judge told Kobach, Kobach doesn’t even understand the basics of his alleged expertise it sounds like dad bought Kobach only the best grades. Everything out of Kobach sounds Trump level stupid.

  83. 83.

    Yarrow

    Polling must be really bad for Republicans.

    Well, well, well.

    Who's teacher NOW?

    Pollster for one of Trump's most passionate, white-hot, flame-on ride-or-die defenders sends:

    "We have about a week before XXXXXXXX bails on Trump. The numbers are THAT bad."
    — Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 19, 2018

    Edit: Later follow up says it’s someone in the Senate.

  84. 84.

    LAO

    Wait, what?

    The President says Canadians come to the United States, buy shoes, scuff them up and smuggle them back to Canada.— Phil Elliott (@Philip_Elliott) June 19, 2018

  85. 85.

    catclub

    @randy khan:

    That was some serious shade from the judge. Much nastier than fining him for contempt.

    If Kobach is running for governor, he might that scolding from an elite jurist will help him with Kansas voters. He might be right.

  86. 86.

    efgoldman

    @Yarrow:

    Later follow up says it’s someone in the Senate.

    Sure some will bleat; unless s/he cosigns DiFi’s bill, it’s all bullshit.

  87. 87.

    Punchy

    From what Ive seen from my fellow Kansans, even the mouthbreathers are weary of this shitheel. He aint as automatic as you think.

  90. 90.

    Kay

    @mkraju
    1h1 hour ago
    More
    Cornyn is leading Senate GOP efforts to pass a narrow bill to keep families together at border, hoping to unveil a bill as soon as tomorrow. He said funding for Trump’s wall will NOT be included in bill bc it could collapse otherwise, differing from House approach

    The smarter Republicans must be terrified. They should be. You’ve all read where state childrens agencies have dropped the ball and children have fallen thru the cracks.

    Well, Donald Trump and his collection of low quality incompetents now have custody of 2000 children over several states. How do you think that’s gonna go? Racist nutjob Stephen Miller is responsible for the care and well being of 2000 brown children. Trump took then from their parents and gave them to his mean-spirited, nasty and completely unqualified employees. I wouldn’t give a dog to any of them.

  91. 91.

    catclub

    @LAO: basically true. Canadians love to not declare everything they bought when they return to Canada from the US.

    How much it matters, probably close to zero. How much it hurts US producers? A negative amount. the loser is Canada Revenue, the winner is the company in the US that sells more shoes.

  92. 92.

    Amir Khalid

    On a purely frivolous note, I see that Mr Kobach’s first name is not short for Kristopher, but comes from that of a weapon native to the Malay world, although over here, we spell and pronounce it “keris”. Readers of Dune may also remember a dagger Frank Herbert called the “crysknife”, which also takes name from this weapon.

  93. 93.

    lgerard

    @Mnemosyne:

    So I was correct in my original hyperbole and Miller thinks that people should lose custody of their kids if they get a speeding ticket.

    If you are speeding to get to church you are eligible for a special “mulligan” per religious liberty advocates evidently

  94. 94.

    Immanentize

    This is the wildest June Teenth I’ve experienced since I have been alive. Slavery — In or Out? Trump talks about separate but equal (air force and Space Force)…

  96. 96.

    efgoldman

    @Immanentize:

    Trump talks about separate but equal (air force and Space Force)…

    If Space Farce gets even a ten dollar appropriation, I’ll buy you a half dozen Krispy Kremes.
    “Make it so” only works on Star Trek

  97. 97.

    Immanentize

    @Kay: The 2000 number is just one month’s worth of children. The zero tolerance policy at the border has been going on for more than one month. When Trump says, “It’s only 2000” (like he did today) you know it is many many more than 2000.

    What is the death toll in Puerto Rico again?

  98. 98.

    LAO

    @catclub: Well, I think the answer is pretty clear. We (the US) need to separate Canadians from all of their belongs at the border. Send them back home naked.

  100. 100.

    trollhattan

    @Ladyraxterinok:
    One of many brilliant cultural tie-ins used on “The Americans” was the Jennings and Beemans watching “The Day After” intercut with Oleg and Tatiana watching it over at the Soviet D.C. Rezidentura. The faces said it all.

  102. 102.

    LAO

    So, this isn’t remotely ominous. Not at all —

    "They're fake," says @POTUS of news media. "They are helping the smugglers, these traffickers."— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 19, 2018

  104. 104.

    Amir Khalid

    @LAO:
    Canadians evading import duties payable to their government on American-made shoes bought in America is clearly a grievous wrong against America justifying punitive tariffs on Canada. Or something.

  105. 105.

    Yarrow

    @LAO: Why would anyone willingly come to the United States of America at this point? Fleeing oppression, I understand. Maybe you have to come for work. But by choice? No way. Too risky. If you aren’t strip searched or thrown in a cage by ICE, or at the very least have all your tech items taken and downloaded, then you risk getting shot just going about your daily life. I would not choose to come here.

  106. 106.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Baud:
    I agree. How do you plan to beat the fascist-in-chief? I need to feel insidery

  107. 107.

    burnspbesq

    @PaulWartenberg:

    If you don’t think that six additional hours of CLE is a meaningful punishment, I have to assume that you’ve never sat through six hours of CLE.

  109. 109.

    LAO

    It’s 1:02 pm in the east — not too early to drink, right?

    Trump, as expected, is doubling down:

    TRUMP: "These countries that we give tremendous foreign aid to in many cases, they send these people up & they're not sending their finest. Does that sound familiar? Remember I made that speech and I was badly criticized? Turns out I was 100% right and that's why I got elected." pic.twitter.com/2G9T3T8v03— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 19, 2018

  110. 110.

    Kay

    @Immanentize:

    No judicial oversight, no local police investigations- just a federal agency in far-away DC and a bunch of 12 dollar an hour contract employees.

    They better hurry up. Donald Trump and every single Republican in Congress are the parents of those children until they’re returned to their parents. Kelly and Sessions and Miller placed those children on Donald Trump’s doorstep and he’;s too stupid to realize it.

  111. 111.

    cain

    @Spanky:

    Sucks to be them, millenials and gen zs don’t give a shit about cars. So the “Free Market” is saying “no cars”. So they need get with the times.

  115. 115.

    efgoldman

    @Immanentize:

    What is the death toll in Puerto Rico again?

    Doesn’t matter. They were mostly brown, speak another language, and live(d) on an island in the middle of the ocean.
    Now, if he thought he could build and bankrupt a casino there…..
    Maybe you ought to come to the dark side and organize his workers

    ETA: Probably better meant for Steve, but the thought stands

  116. 116.

    NotMax

    @Amir Khalid

    Speaking of Canada –

    Justin Trudeau won’t ‘play politics’ and weigh in on Trump administration’s immigration policy
    [snip]
    Canada’s immigration laws require ongoing monitoring of the domestic asylum system in the U.S., and that assessment is currently being done to determine if the U.S. policy change will affect its designation by Canada and the UN as a safe country, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. Source

  117. 117.

    But her emails!!!

    @Brachiator:

    What? The Kochs think this would be a stronger country if people walked?

    The Kochs have a crap load of money dependent on people continuing to drive vehicles fueled with gasoline on roads made from asphalt. That’s the main reason for this opposition.

    The BS about high taxes, “old technology”, “freedom”, and failure to service marginalized communities is just window dressing.

  118. 118.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    the Beast had been talking on my muted TeeVee for a very long time now. According the chyrons he’s digging in like a coke-fueled grave-digger

  120. 120.

    efgoldman

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    the Beast had been talking on my muted TeeVee for a very long time now

    I have Lawnorder reruns on all day as background noise. My blood pressure is high enough, thank you

  121. 121.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Immanentize:
    Wouldn’t the “Space Force” (stupid name btw) be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty? I know Trump doesn’t know or care, but I’m curious. I’m pretty sure it is.

  122. 122.

    ruemara

    @Immanentize: I predict the death toll in PR will top 8.5k & the lost children will be around 5k. I wonder what the death toll is in USVI.

  123. 123.

    sukabi

    @Immanentize: Nielson says 10,000 – 12,000 kids

    ZELENY: The images Cecilia was talking about and the sounds that we’ve seen from these big box stores, the other box stores, when you see this, how is this not specifically child abuse for these innocent children who are, indeed, being separated from their parents?

    NIELSEN: So, I want to be clear on a couple of things. The majority, the vast, vast majority of children who are in the care of HHS right now, 10,000 of the 12,000 were sent here alone, by their parents. That’s when they were separated. So, somehow we’ve conflated everything. But there’s two separate issues. 10,000 of those currently in custody were sent by their parents to undertake a completely dangerous and deadly travel alone. We now care for them. We have high standards, we give them meals, we give them education, we give them medical care, there’s videos, there’s TVs, I’ve visited the detention centers myself, THAT would be my answer to that question.

    ZELENY: If I could follow up, the hundreds that are not included in there, you said there were 10,000, but for the hundreds we have seen, perhaps up to 2,000, are there any examples of child abuse, that you believe? And how could this NOT be child abuse for the people who are taken from their parents? Not the ones who are sent here with their parents’ blessing with a smuggler. The people who are taken from their parents.

    NIELSEN: Unfortunately, I’m not in any position to deal with hearsay stories. If someone has a specific allegation, as I always do when I testify, I ask that they provide that information to the Department of Homeland Security. We will look into it.

    When she says 10,000 were sent alone …pretty sure she’s lying. They’ve already says that when border patrol takes the kids from their parents they classify the kids as unaccompanied.

  125. 125.

    JPL

    @LAO: If he hasn’t called them animals that are infesting our country, I call it a good day.
    If he does, I’m opening a Guinness.

  126. 126.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @cain: I’m a (late) millennial and I sort of like cars although I’m no gearhead. Always enjoyed racing games.

    But this is among many reasons why NASCAR is dying. However, IndyCar is doing fairly well or so I’ve heard. Probably helps that they have a greater appeal outside one regional area and doesn’t have morons that constantly tinker with the rules.

  127. 127.

    Yarrow

    @Kay:

    They better hurry up. Donald Trump and every single Republican in Congress are the parents of those children until they’re returned to their parents. Kelly and Sessions and Miller placed those children on Donald Trump’s doorstep and he’;s too stupid to realize it.

    Trump will never ever take responsibility for these kids. He’ll blame everyone else and turn his back on them.

  131. 131.

    Nelle

    @rikyrah: He won’t taint himself with party politics. He did this in the senate race a few years back and then, the Democrat pulled out and threw support to this guy as an independent, in hopes of knocking Pat Roberts out of the Senate. That didn’t work, but I’ve always viewed that election with intense suspicion – it gave Kansas more Brownback, Kobach, and Roberts, in contradiction to the polls. But then, when I voiced the suspicion I was told I was a conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, a statistician at Wichita State (Beth Clark) found all sorts of statistical anomalies. She tried to get the voting results released but Kobach denied her access.

  132. 132.

    NotMax

    OT.

    The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago is one of the largest users of water from the Chicago River, but records show it has never followed state rules governing the protection of the river’s fish.
    [snip]
    The records show that of the nearly one dozen high-rise buildings using the river for cooling water, Trump Tower is the only one that has failed to document that it followed the requirements. Officials at the decade-old building also failed to study fish killed by the complex. Source

  133. 133.

    But her emails!!!

    @SRW1:

    Horses worked fine. Though at today’s number of people, what comes out of horse exhausts might be a problem.

    Part of their spin is that things like rail and buses are “old”, “dirty” technology as opposed to the new, clean driverless cars that will soon be entering the market. Their schtick is specially constructed mislead/inflame single issues voters who might not dig further into the issue.

  134. 134.

    rikyrah

    @Kay:

    She stepped up and did her job, unlike everyone else who has been bullied into pretending these people are serious. They’re clowns. They’re cheap grifters and liars. They always have been.

    Tell that truth, Kay.

  136. 136.

    Fair Economist

    @LAO:

    “They’re fake,” says @POTUS of news media. “They are helping the smugglers, these traffickers.”— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 19, 2018

    Also, remember it is always about projection with Republicans. We already knew this chaotic mess was covering up human trafficking. Now we know Trump is in on it somehow.

  138. 138.

    Ruckus

    @efgoldman:
    I know a geezer ten yrs older than me, who drives a fairly new Corvette, who hates gov Brown because the Gov wants to spend money on more trains. Because his gas tax was raised. I asked him if fewer cars on the road might be nice. He ignored me for a month, wouldn’t talk to me. No concept of cause and effect. He was a high school principal.

  141. 141.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @efgoldman:
    Not irrelevant, as I like cars in an abstract way, but not enough to learn about they work mechanically on a deep level, like many millenials.

  142. 142.

    Mandalay

    @Kay:

    The far Right have been claiming they would show their work on voter fraud for 20 years. This was their opportunity. They have nothing.

    Based on the evidence presented, that was literally true:

    Since July 1, 2015, Defendant has had the independent authority to prosecute any person who has committed or attempted to commit any act that constitutes a Kansas elections crime…Since obtaining prosecutorial authority over Kansas elections crimes, the SOS [i.e. Kobach] has filed zero criminal complaints against a noncitizen for allegedly registering to vote.

    Yep, they have nothing.

  143. 143.

    LAO

    This deserves a new thread:

    NEW: I just spoke with the former head of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) – He tells me that he expects hundreds of separated children will never be reunited with their parents. They will be lost in the system. Orphaned by the US Govt'.— Jackson Proskow (@JProskowGlobal) June 19, 2018

    This is really the worst. We really are the worst.

    ETA: Our government steals children. Steals children.

  145. 145.

    ruemara

    @Nelle: It’s time that people stopped thinking that being Independent and “eschewing party politics & identification” is a bullshit use of ego to ratfuck elections. Seriously, how long can people opposed to republicans keep being ignorant of why they keep losing to republicans. The solution is to stay in the race and point out that the IND who is in the race is is there to split the vote & keep the GOP in power.

  146. 146.

    sukabi

    @rikyrah: it’s my guess that Drumpf doesn’t like to pay duties on things he buys abroad, so he detags and wrinkles / scuffs them and doesn’t declare them. Ie, in his mind ‘smuggles’….yes, he’s an idiot.

  147. 147.

    Fair Economist

    @LAO:

    WeRepublicans really are the worst.

    FTFY. “We” on this blog are intensely opposed, as is the majority of Americans.

  148. 148.

    rikyrah

    A lot of you have asked where the girls and younger children are held. The former Walmart detention facility houses boys 10-17. Girls and younger children are held at separate facilities. Unfortunately, some are as far away as Miami and New York. #wherearethegirls

    — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) June 18, 2018

  149. 149.

    Mnemosyne

    @Kay:

    I saw a really heartbreaking story on Facebook from an ER doctor. She has seen at least 4 foster kids brought in who are from Central America. The foster parents are doing their best, but the kids are REALLY traumatized. Like, one foster mother said she can’t bathe the toddler because the child refuses to let go of her at all, even for a moment, without screaming.

    These well-meaning foster parents are being forced to try and clean up Trump’s mess without traumatizing the kids any further — and these are the good ones who are experienced with taking care of foster kids. What’s happening to the kids who are getting handed off to people who are not used to dealing with traumatized kids?

  151. 151.

    rikyrah

    And? So?

    Confirmed — Trump Jr. withdrew from a George P. Bush fundraiser because of the family’s criticism of his father. He cautioned George P. that he wouldn’t publicly support him if it continued — the tweet from Jeb about the separation of families was the last straw, I’m told.

    — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 19, 2018

  152. 152.

    rikyrah

    Dems haven’t carried more than 52% of white working class women since 1992, so clearly the solution is to spend more time figuring out how to woo them as opposed to focusing on ensuring that reliable Dems—BLACK PEOPLE—can actually exercise their right to vote.

    ? pic.twitter.com/Q7DueCTcCP

    — Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) June 19, 2018

  154. 154.

    Nelle

    @Tokyokie: Yep, I know the great-granddaughter of one of the men murdered that day when they tried to murder every man and boy in town. 164 were mu;murdered in a few hours.

  155. 155.

    Yarrow

    @rikyrah: And this is why I said to call your governors. Maybe people in New York state think they don’t border Mexico so detention facilities aren’t in their state. They’re EVERYWHERE. Call your Governor’s office, your state reps’ offices and ask them. Call your Mayor. Ask everyone if these kids are in your state.

  157. 157.

    rikyrah

    Trump Says Children Are Lying

    Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the immigrant children being held at detention facilities in the United States are being trained to lie in order to gain unlawful entry into the country.

    Trump said that immigrant children were coached to make false statements about the reasons they are fleeing their home countries to gain entrance to the United States.
    “They tell these people exactly what to say,” Trump alleged. “They say, ‘Say the following.’ They write it down. ‘I am being harmed in my country. My country is extremely dangerous. I fear for my life.’”

    Trump then said that such statements were “given to them by lawyers who are waiting for them to come up” to the United States.
    Finally, Trump said that refugees fleeing violence in their home countries were simply lying about the reasons for wanting to come to the United States.

  161. 161.

    Aleta

    @Aleta: Also the driver and clerks are on a tight time schedule, so the driver is unlikely to tangle with the CPB. He’s normally the only one out there; he’s in charge of the line to get on the bus; and he’s frantically loading all the bags while putting on tags and responsible to his bosses for the departure time. Inside at the desk is a sole clerk working w a balky computer and a line of passengers, under time pressure.

    It’s an ideal situation as far as the CPB is concerned. I imagine if they cared about who is on the bus they could get warrants and, after the bus leaves look at clerk’s records. Since people in line are handing over IDs to the clerk. (Whether IDs are scanned or not, I don’t know, but I presume they are keeping records for HS and police since that’s supposed to be the point of asking for an ID.)

    But this is about intimidation (the sterile word is “deterrence”) and making immigrants afraid to ride the bus. To be honest, I think this overall chill is also part of a web of efforts they will intensify to discourage protestors using public transport to get to a different city.

    Anyone who feels like it, please complain to the companies on their twitter or phones; or mention that some people will avoid them if it continues.

    (There’s another effect of this but I’ll put it in another comment.)

  162. 162.

    LAO

    @Spanky: I like it. I have fairly shitty tastes. My preference is gin but I don’t keep that in the office because gin makes me crazy.

  163. 163.

    TenguPhule

    @Baud:

    You know Kansas is bad when a West Virginian throws shade on it.

    All we need is Mississippi to join in and all of Kansas will be forced to kill themselves from the shame of it.

  164. 164.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Aleta: I have taken the Concord Trailways bus from Boston to Bangor innumerable times. I preferred that to driving to Boston. Never did I see any INS or CBP personnel. This is all T. He is making United States into a police state. Make America Russia.

  165. 165.

    TenguPhule

    @LeeM:

    In other words, get your dumb ass out of my courtroom and don’t come back until you are educated on the rules and protocols.

    Six hours seems about two magnitudes of understatement for Kobach to learn them.

  170. 170.

    TenguPhule

    @LAO:

    He tells me that he expects hundreds of separated children will never be reunited with their parents. They will be lost in the system. Orphaned by the US Govt’

    Sex slaves or dead. There is no way the predators did not seize on this perfect opportunity to feed.

  171. 171.

    TenguPhule

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I am kinda of surprised it took us this long to get there. Kelly has been fantasizing about this for more than a year now.

    Trump set so many fires that they were literally getting in the way of each other.

  173. 173.

    Kay

    @LAO:

    Orphaned by the US Govt’.

    Orphaned by Donald Trump, specifically. This was an executive decision. He hires low quality people so he gets garbage advice.
    Bush was a governor and Obama was a state legislator so they had some understanding of the state role in child custody.

    Trump was a sleazy NYC real estate developer.

  174. 174.

    TenguPhule

    @efgoldman:

    If Space Farce gets even a ten dollar appropriation, I’ll buy you a half dozen Krispy Kremes.
    “Make it so” only works on Star Trek

    Does it count if he ignores Congress and steals the money budgeted for something else?

    I’ll take mine plain frosted, thanks.

  177. 177.

    Spanky

    @LAO:

    My preference is gin but I don’t keep that in the office because gin makes me crazy.

    How would we tell?

  178. 178.

    Yarrow

    @schrodingers_cat: Since you’ve chosen to become an American citizen and are now one, it seems like you want to stay. My observations were for people who are not in this country and have a choice of coming here or not. I know people who will not come here because they perceive it as dangerous, both for gun violence and how they fear they’ll be treated by our immigration officials.

  179. 179.

    TenguPhule

    @Immanentize:

    I’m still curious — where are the girls? My guess is women’s prisons and jails and female juvenile justice detention centers.

    They’re not there. Those facilities don’t have that kind of room to spare, not in the numbers being reported now.

    Nobody knows where they are or refuses to admit it if they do know.

  180. 180.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @GregB:
    Kids are reported as going hungry, only being fed “apples and water”. These are human beings, not animals. This is literally dehumanizing

  182. 182.

    TenguPhule

    @rikyrah:

    “They tell these people exactly what to say,” Trump alleged. “They say, ‘Say the following.’ They write it down. ‘I am being harmed in my country. My country is extremely dangerous. I fear for my life.’”

    Trump then said that such statements were “given to them by lawyers who are waiting for them to come up” to the United States.
    Finally, Trump said that refugees fleeing violence in their home countries were simply lying about the reasons for wanting to come to the United States

    Trump is literally refusing to follow the law on accepting refugees. And he is not being burned in effigy by the MSM for this.

    Canada, invade us now. We can’t be saved otherwise.

  183. 183.

    delk

    MEH. Kobach will get a breakfast and lunch and probably won’t even have to pay the registration fee. I used to put together CLE for ERISA and Tax attorneys.

  184. 184.

    Jay

    @catclub:

    Nope, most Canadians declare everything coming back, as since Chimpy McStagger, every year we are happier and happier to see the smiling faces of Canada Customs, knowing we are almost home.

  185. 185.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @TenguPhule:
    Didn’t you theorize human trafficking in some thread? I fear you may be somewhat right on that

  187. 187.

    rikyrah

    @Nelle:

    That didn’t work, but I’ve always viewed that election with intense suspicion – it gave Kansas more Brownback, Kobach, and Roberts, in contradiction to the polls. But then, when I voiced the suspicion I was told I was a conspiracy theorist.

    I’m sitting there with you.
    I have said for awhile, that those elections in Kansas were the test run for 2016.
    I stand by that.
    So, yeah, I’m saying they phucked with the actual machines in 2016 in those key states.

  188. 188.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I think they’re may be something happening here..

    Daniel @ Taniel
    This Gravis poll of Montana is… unexpected: Democrat Kathleen Williams leads by 6% against Rep. Greg Gianforte (yes, him). That’s about the same lead as Senator Tester’s 7% edge in the Senate race.

    one poll, long way to go, complacency is the enemy, et cetera, et cetera….

  189. 189.

    Oklahomo

    As a former Kansan, I used to think, “Well, at least it wasn’t Oklahoma.” Now it’s like both states are in a race to destroy themselves.

  190. 190.

    TenguPhule

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    Didn’t you theorize human trafficking in some thread? I fear you may be somewhat right on that

    Yes.

    The fragments of information we’ve gotten so far have indicated at least some of the girls were flown from Arizona to Florida. And that girls from one mixed camp have suddenly disappeared, according to a priest who had contact with the children. And we know that the people in charge of this shit are not keeping track of names, parents or any other form of identification for the children that would enable them to be tracked.

  191. 191.

    Mnemosyne

    @TenguPhule:

    As I understand it, CLE is kind of like getting sentenced to community service — it takes WAY longer to complete than the number of hours would lead you to think.

  193. 193.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    it takes WAY longer to complete than the number of hours would lead you to think.

    I still maintain that its too short.

  194. 194.

    trollhattan

    @LAO:

    but I don’t keep that in the office because gin makes me crazy.

    You say that like it’s a bad thing. :-P

  195. 195.

    Sebastian

    @rikyrah:

    New York? And how does the NYAG not roll in with a NYPD SWAT team and arrest these shifucks for x counts of kidnapping and let them rot in Rikers gen pop?

  196. 196.

    trollhattan

    @Manxome Bromide:
    You’d think that would resonate today, wouldn’t you? I’m still trying to figure out when Iowa went feral and have no hope of understanding Kansas.

  197. 197.

    Mnemosyne

    @JPL:

    This is part of the plan. They steal people’s children and then deport them back to their home countries so they will tell everyone there not to try and get help from the US because the US government will steal their children.

    IT’S. THEIR. ACTUAL. PLAN.

  198. 198.

    ruemara

    I just got into an argument with a leftier than thou person who is positing that we are “creating criminals” with Trump’s separation policy. I said we’re not creating criminals, we’re abusing & traumatising children, it’s a mistake to repeat the narrative that a traumatising event creates criminals and actually echoes Trump’s statements of nascent criminality. These arguments are very similar to what black people have heard about themselves to justify over-policing. There are many people who’ve suffered from abuse & trauma, but they didn’t all turn into criminals. We should be careful about using arguments similar to rightwing anti-immigrants.

    She then asked if that made it ok to abuse people because criminality is dependent on the person, not the abuse.

    I cannot with these meme-sharing, Truth-Out worshiping, low info left people.

  199. 199.

    JPL

    @LAO: Trump is great at projecting, so one has to wonder how many pairs of scuffed shoes from Europe did Ivanka and Melania bring in.

  200. 200.

    guachi

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Cook has this race as Likely Republican. At this point, it basically means a race to watch for potential movement. It’s been there for months but there hasn’t been any polling of any kind other than this that I’m aware of.

    Montana, despite Republicans moving much farther right, still has relatively tight open races (though this isn’t one, it’s about as close as you’ll find).

  202. 202.

    NotMax

    @rikyrah

    Have mentioned it before, but it is George P. G. Bush. Shortly before he announced for Texas Land Commissioner all mention of his second (Hispanic) middle name (Garnica, his mother’s maiden name) suddenly vanished and was scrubbed form many places on the ‘net. That doesn’t change what his name is, though. Adopting their labeling is to be avoided.

  203. 203.

    Hoodie

    @Mnemosyne: well, their immigration policy is coming from the heart – of darkness. Maybe they can move on to severed heads on stakes if this isn’t sufficiently deterrent.

  204. 204.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Phil Mattingly @ Phil_Mattingly
    should note several members and staffers have said their offices are being inundated w/ constituent calls re: the family separation issue – at a level they haven’t seen since probably health care, one aide said

  205. 205.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @TenguPhule:
    I’m boiling with so much rage over this and other things. I still believe it got this bad this fast.

  206. 206.

    TenguPhule

    @JPL:

    Not to worry they will be reunited at sixteen

    You assume the children will still be alive by then.

    The logistics at the camps are fucked. They aren’t keeping track of them as people, they’re treating them like LIVESTOCK.

  207. 207.

    Mnemosyne

    @TenguPhule:

    It’s not just sex slavery, either. Fundie Christianists are fond of “adopting” kids from developing countries and basically turning them into domestic slaves.

    These kids are tailor-made for that because they have no papers and are not citizens, so their only option will be to stay with their “new family” or be deported back to a country they haven’t seen since they were toddlers with no way to track down any relatives.

    Basically, they’re creating a bunch more DACA kids on purpose so they can be exploited for their labor by fundies.

  208. 208.

    The Ancient Randonneur

    Let me interject a tiny ray of sunshine in this thread. RAICES Texas, a legal aid organization that provides assistance to poor migrants and refugees, started a fundraiser on Saturday with a goal of $1500 to help families reunite. As of late last night they’ve received $1.65 million in donations.

    It doesn’t change anything today but those working to assist the families being torn apart by the government are beginning to get the financial support required to fight these monsters

  210. 210.

    Elizabelle

    @rikyrah: I think so too. I wish someone was investigating that with the relentlessness of Mueller. Maybe they are, by now.

  212. 212.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    so they will tell everyone there not to try and get help from the US because the US government will steal their children and you will never ever see them again..

    The Shining City on the Hill has become the Silent House.

  213. 213.

    Elizabelle

    I pied someone. For the very first time.

    The program is hilarious. Thank you, Mr. Cleek.

  214. 214.

    joel hanes

    I’m still trying to figure out when Iowa went feral

    Two answers :
    – the boil-a-frog effect: it’s been gradual. Iowa Republicans have slid right just a little more quickly than the national party. This has been fueled by fifty years of brain and youth drain, as most of the state’s most promising youth went to college and promptly decamped to somewhere else, leaving behind economic and cultural stagnation, and a population that grows steadily older and more provincial.
    – abortion. Iowa Right-To-Life was the biggest political force in the state just a few years ago, and the stolen Supreme Court seat gave those folks their best chance ever to overturn Roe; they may even succeed. The 2016 election in Iowa turned 10% on that single circumstance.

  215. 215.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne:

    It’s not just sex slavery, either. Fundie Christianists are fond of “adopting” kids from developing countries and basically turning them into domestic slaves.

    I’m afraid the sex trade offers them better payments. That’s why there’s mainly boys left locked up for display.

    The Fundies want full use slaves.

  217. 217.

    Mandalay

    Florida Senator Bill Nelson tried to gain access to a “facility” holding 1,000 migrant children in Homestead, FL this morning, but when he turned up:

    The company running this facility told us we would be welcomed to tour the facility. HHS then denied us entry and said that they need “two weeks notice” to allow us inside. That’s ridiculous and it’s clear this administration is hiding something.

  218. 218.

    Elizabelle

    @Nelle: If you know any group or individual that is doing postcards to Kansas voters, maybe on the subject of independents serving as ratfuckers (of course, the post card will be way more genteel), please, please let us know.

    I’d be delighted to write and illustrate some postcards. I think they might be more effective than phonebanking (cuz screening calls, especially from out of state or unknown callers).

    Found all your comments today interesting. (You are not the pied person!)

  224. 224.

    Mandalay

    @RobNYNY: Kobach is not the AG, he’s Secretary of State for Kansas. But either way he’s certainly not much of a lawyer.

  225. 225.

    TenguPhule

    @Kay:

    Donald Trump and every single Republican in Congress are the parents of those children until they’re returned to their parents.

    I’m afraid those parents are never going to see most of their children again.

  226. 226.

    FDRLincoln

    I live in Lawrence, and yes, this is a very liberal town.

    Kobach is not automatic. A lot of the important GOP players haven’t committed yet or are lining up behind Colyer, the current governor. Colyer is a Brownback ally and very conservative but he’s not a shameless demagogue in the sense that Kobach is. He negotiates in good faith. Kobach does not.

    My wife had the mispleasure of meeting Kris Kobach a few months ago at her place of employment. She took great delight in asking him to show his ID even though it was not strictly necessary to complete the transaction.

  227. 227.

    TenguPhule

    @Mandalay:

    HHS then denied us entry and said that they need “two weeks notice” to allow us inside.

    JFC, what are they hiding? Literal dead bodies?

  229. 229.

    sukabi

    State Departments summer tips for traveling with kids doesn’t go as planned…

    sampling of the questions and comments that were presented by the public:

    “OH! By “Family Travel Hacks” you mean you hack families apart. Got it.

    “I can’t find any of your child detention facilities on TripAdvisor. Can you let me know which ones have the highest detainee satisfaction ratings?”

    “Hi! I need a travel tip. What can the State Department do to help the children who are being ripped from their parents’ arms?”

    “Hi, I have a 3 year old who is potty training. When we arrive in the US, will she need to learn to change her own nappy or will another child be around to do it for her?”

    “What fun vacation hacks does the US State Department have for kids to avoid sexual assault from guards during their indefinite detention?”

    “Any tips to beat the heat for toddlers locked up in a tent camp in 100+ degree heat in the texas sun? And what type of baby pajamas go best with tinfoil blankets?”

    “Hi, what does a person do if they arrive in a country and their baby is ripped from their arms and put in a cage?”

    And on…

    No questions were answered.

  230. 230.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    always interesting when the Beast shows his flabby ass

    Daniel Dale @ ddale8
    Trump raaambling: “We have to have a real border. Not judges. Thousands and thousands of judges they want to hire. Who are these people?” “Five or six thousand more judges…can you imagine the graft that must take place?”

    Nobody is proposing this many new immigration judges.

    so…. the people coming here to escape gang violence and grinding poverty are going to bribe judges, because trump just assumes you bribe people. Also, how many people under fifty are familiar with the term “graft” for corruption?

  233. 233.

    Aleta

    @schrodingers_cat: I’ve taken that bus too, and liked it. (The free tea and newspaper in the morning, fast way to get from to Logan, safer in a snowstorm than driving.)

    Agree with you it is Trump. It’s a planned piece of his “hate immigrants” policy. Underneath it’s not about paperwork or checkpoints or legal entry points for asylum. It’s a campaign to support racism, intimidate immigrants and threaten everyone’s rights.

  236. 236.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Elizabelle:
    I’ve found that that temptation to read what the person pied said often defeats the purpose

  237. 237.

    Amir Khalid

    @Mnemosyne:
    But won’t kids without documentation have problems enrolling in school and university? Of for that matter, doing anything which requires such documentation?

  238. 238.

    Kay

    @TenguPhule:

    I just think it’s appalling that the President who refers to these children as an infestation is supposedly caring for them.

    Donald Trump is unfit to care for these children. No one would place brown children with him if they interviewed him. He’s a stone cold racist. He doesn’t see them as people. I wouldn’t put a dog in the care of any of these mean-spirited, nasty assholes and neither would anyone else who had any common sense. They’re unfit.

  239. 239.

    Nelle

    @FDRLincoln: I didn’t know there was another BJ person in Lawrence. We lived here from 88 to 05 and then decamped to New Zealand, for the most part. Thought it was safe to come back in 2015. A grave miscalculation. Let me know if you want to meet up, ever.

  241. 241.

    Kay

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    They all cheered him. We have a bigger problem than Donald Trump. A lot of fancy, powerful people are fucking horrible human beings. They always have been. Trump empowered them to show us what they are, and it ain’t pretty.

  242. 242.

    scav

    @ruemara: For your “creating criminals” lefty, one might also note that she is fixated on the most profoundly selfish element of what is being done to those children: how the damage done to their lives and minds might just maybe potentially impact her life by criminality. The bulk of those children will not manifest their trama that way, but will have twisted emotional relatio relationships and other harm for the entirety of their lives. And your lefty is willing to ignore that as it’s no (immediate) skin off her nose. She should be called on her lack of empathy.

  244. 244.

    TenguPhule

    @Kay:

    He doesn’t see them as people.

    Donald Trump doesn’t see anyone else as a real person. That’s what’s so horrible and terrifying. The world begins and ends in his mind with him and only him.

    It could take years to try to find who their parents are. These fucking bastards aren’t keeping written records, so simply trying to figure out which country the parents came from is going to be a nightmare. Even the reported logistics for the camps are fucked up. Chips, apples and water are school snacks, not meals required by international law.

  245. 245.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    @rikyrah:

    @Karoli

    This is why they do not show girls or small children, only boys. They want to send the subliminal message that every child they’re ripping away is really a violent gang member-in-waiting.

  246. 246.

    FDRLincoln

    @Nelle: I moved here in 1990 to attend graduate school, got married in 1992, and we decided it was a good place to raise kids. Which it is. The rest of the state, not so much. I grew up in Iowa and the Hawkeye State has gone insane too. But I have no desire to move to a coast. I am a progressive in the farmer/labor Midwest tradition, a tradition which is almost dead now except in the scattered college towns.

  247. 247.

    efgoldman

    @TenguPhule:

    Does it count if he ignores Congress and steals the money budgeted for something else?

    Neither he nor his satraps are competent enough to move billions around.

  249. 249.

    WaterGirl

    @JPL: I haven’t watched Chris Hayes since about 2 weeks after he got his evening show, but…

    Chris Hayes must e riled up about this, because everywhere I turn I am seeing a tweet or some quote from him and now a dedicated show. I have never seen him this active and visible.

  251. 251.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @TenguPhule:

    Donald Trump doesn’t see anyone else as a real person. That’s what’s so horrible and terrifying. The world begins and ends in his mind with him and only him.

    This.

    Try considering every interaction with another human being your day as a transaction like President Spanky does, it’s batshit crazy and creepy.

  252. 252.

    cs

    I’m also in Kansas. Volunteer with my tiny county branch of the Democratic Party. Heading out this evening to a forum of our Democratic gubernatorial candidates. In the miniscule chance that any other person here will be going to Osage City for the event, say hi to me. I’ll be the guy in the Coffey County Democrats t-shirt.

    I’m kinda optimistic for a few reasons. Every Democrat I’ve spoken with is incredibly disdainful of Greg Orman, the independent. He’s not attracting much attention from either Democrats or the mainstream press at this point. Have some faint hope he’s a nothingburger at the end.

    Also hopeful because our chances in two house districts looks good. The GOP can’t find a good candidate for the 2nd District while the Democrat, Paul Davis, is well-known. This is the district that includes Lawrence and Topeka, so if enthusiasm is up and if Democrats show up to vote en masse, we’ll take the seat. 3rd District with incumbent Republican Yoder, covering the soccer moms of Johnson County, is also looking good for us. Yoder’s been very unresponsive, held few constituent meetings, and is on the wrong side regarding health care and immigration.

    And then there’s the general mood of the state. Two years ago in local elections, voters went against Brownback pretty strongly. Moderate Republicans defeated Brownbackian candidates. Democrats gained 15 seats. The onslaught of Koch propaganda mostly didn’t work two years ago. Schools & roads are the two primary concerns of the state. Both have visibly decayed under Brownback & Colyer. Wall-to-wall ads from the Kochs can’t hide the fact that schools are reducing services, or closing down in rural districts. We’re still not out of the woods yet regarding schools. The moderate Repubs have been better than their predecessors, but they still can’t deliver. I don’t know what Colyer’s current approval is, but Brownback and his tax cuts poll lower than syphillis. That’s a huge uphill battle for even Americans For Prosperity, or any of the other noise generators.

  253. 253.

    Aleta

    @Kay: He doesn’t see them as people. I wouldn’t put a dog in the care of any of these mean-spirited, nasty assholes and neither would anyone else who had any common sense. They’re unfit.

    Posted this last night too:

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz 23 hours ago

    As the @ProPublica audio of crying migrant children started, my dogs looked around urgently, trying to find the children in need of comfort. That’s the instinct of fucking dogs, but not of the president.

    From retweets by McEwan, here’s a link to a statement by an
    “ER doc who has seen children taken away from their parents and placed in foster care by ICE,” posted by Jennifer Gunter @DrJenGunter.

    and McKewan’s retweet of Senator Bill Nelson
    ‏

    Melissa McEwan Retweeted
    Senator Bill Nelson ‏@SenBillNelson 2 hours ago

    HHS just blocked us from entering its facility in Homestead, Florida to check on the welfare of the children being held here. They are obviously hiding something, and we are going to get to the bottom of this.

    The company running this facility told us we would be welcomed to tour the facility. HHS then denied us entry and said that they need “two weeks notice” to allow us inside. That’s ridiculous and it’s clear this administration is hiding something.

    The administration’s action today to deny us access to their Homestead, Florida facility where they are holding 1,000 migrant children is against EVERYTHING that we as a country stand for. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

    Short videos from Sen Nelson in FL here.

  254. 254.

    FDRLincoln

    @cs: I agree that Davis has a good shot at the 2nd district seat. Lawrence is blue, Topeka is purple, and from what I’ve read Davis is actually spending time in the red rural areas to bolster support. His funding looks good, the state party is lined up behind him, and he’s quietly got some moderate Republican support. Since the conservative Republicans can’t find a candidate yet, Davis has a good shot.

    I also agree that Yoder is in trouble. Clinton did well in that district and Yoder has been a mediocre congressman who is to the right of the district on many issues. He’s not exactly Mr. Charisma and his polling must be telling him he’s in trouble because he came out against the Trump Admin policies on immigration families yesterday.

  256. 256.

    rikyrah

    @Mandalay:

    Florida Senator Bill Nelson tried to gain access to a “facility” holding 1,000 migrant children in Homestead, FL this morning, but when he turned up:

    DA PHUQ?

  257. 257.

    rikyrah

    @WaterGirl:

    Chris Hayes must e riled up about this, because everywhere I turn I am seeing a tweet or some quote from him and now a dedicated show. I have never seen him this active and visible.

    I was watching when he did his first segment on this. The look of horror on his face – he couldn’t hide it. And, his rage on this topic is pretty evident.

  258. 258.

    sukabi

    @Amir Khalid: you miss the point. How many slaves go to college, get medical treatment, vote, drive ect?

    They are making an entire group of people invisible and disposable

  259. 259.

    tybee

    @Spanky: i’m always interested in learning. what are a few irish beverages that are better than jamisons? tullamore dew?

  260. 260.

    Jay

    @scav: @ruemara:

    And, statistically speaking, your Leftier Than Thou “friend” is 96% more likely to be assaulted, murdered or raped by a male friend or relative than by an immigrant or refugee,

    and 99.9% more likely to be robbed by her own Bank or Wall Street.

    A lot of lefty bloggers in Canada are now talking about permently separating, politically and economically from the US, that Trump is not an abberation, he’s a continuation,……

    I’ve been pushing back hard because Juicer’s give me hope.

  261. 261.

    Spanky

    @tybee: Right now I have Redbreast (12 yr?) in the cabinet, as well as Knappogue Castle 14 yr and a Glendalough, although I couldn’t tell you which one off the top of my head.

  262. 262.

    cain

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    @cain: I’m a (late) millennial and I sort of like cars although I’m no gearhead. Always enjoyed racing games.

    Probably more to do with the fact that hte lot of you have huge debts and car is a luxury. Maybe something for Kochs to think about. Whatever the case is, the market is that cars suck and that Uber and Lyft is what people want more or less. They want high density housing and like living in the city.

  263. 263.

    Aleta

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz is posting a lot of good information and links.
    (Quotes are from Guardian article, linked at McKewan’s twitter feed.)

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz
    Police told him he’d be killed for filing a complaint about a drug house, so he fled to the US w/ his family. “I learned yesterday they killed my landlord b/c he helped us…Please forgive me. I came w/ my entire family b/c I did not want us to be killed.”

    She fled to U.S. w/ her 3yo daughter to escape her daughter’s abusive father. “The thing my client was attempting most to avoid has actually happened. Immigration authorities handed her daughter back over to the abusive father at the international bridge.”

    “Through a Spanish interpreter, Fuentes Castro implored the court to forgive him. ‘I felt powerless. El Salvador is going through a terrible moment. The only thing I could think is I had to get my children out of there. I am very sorry.'”

    From Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz. Quotes are from Guardian: “Parents tell a Texas court their reasons for coming to the US as families are divided at the US border.”

  264. 264.

    Ruckus

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:
    Nascar has very tight rules to keep the cars together, which they think is racing. They think this because they get crashes which the fans like. Also they put a lot of cars on the track for the same reason. Indy and F1 want to see one driver kicking everyone’s ass..

  265. 265.

    WaywardDavid

    @But her emails!!!: There’s also a suggestion that light rail, especially, makes it easier for ‘those people’ to get from their poor (brown) neighborhoods to wealthier (white) areas where they would of course steal from and assault their betters.

  266. 266.

    Aleta

    Quotes are from a Guardian article Families divided at the border: ‘The most horrific immigration policy I’ve ever seen.’ It’s linked at Melissa McKewan’s twitter feed.

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz
    ‏”‘This is as shocking an immigration policy as we’ve seen from this Trump administration but frankly I’ve been doing this work for approaching three decades and this is the most horrific immigration policy I have ever seen,’ [the ACLU’s Lee] Gelernt said.”

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz
    “KIND was advocating on behalf of a 2yo separated from her father in March. The father was deported w/in a month, but as of 12 June the girl was still in [govt custody]. ‘The consequences in terms of human suffering can’t be underestimated,’ McKenna said.”

    Melissa McEwan @Shakestweetz
    Janet Gwilym “said children aged 12-17 had been comforting toddlers who, like them, had just been taken from their parents. [Children] were told by immigration officials they would see their parents again in a few minutes but hadn’t seen them for months.”

  267. 267.

    Ruckus

    @Elizabelle:
    I lost the pie filter for a while and it gave me a big sad.
    But now that it’s a part of the blog and not an add on its even better. Still doesn’t retain the info on my phone though.

  269. 269.

    TriassicSands

    Let’s be honest. Ordering him to take 6 hours of CLE is insulting, but the judge really should have ordered him to start over in law school. CLE is fine, but his real problem is stupidity and zealotry. CLE won’t fix Kobach. It’s too bad that being a complete idiot is not an adequate reason to disbar a lawyer. If it were, Kobach would be gone.

  270. 270.

    Elizabelle

    @Ruckus: It’s a great filter. I always assumed it said “Chocolate Silk” or “Lemon Meringue”, but it’s even more fun than that.

  271. 271.

    john fremont

    @TenguPhule: If DynCorp somehow is involved with this, yes. I remember DynCorp employees running prostitution rings in the former Yugoslavia 25 years ago.

  272. 272.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Mnemosyne: TD is good sipping whisky but it’s blended, so not for the purist. I have a bottle of a peated Irish called Connemara that I’ve never sampled (not a big drinker) – brought 5 bottles (all I could carry) back from Eire some years ago when it wasn’t being imported, at the behest of the owner of my favorite Irish bar whose patrons had been nagging him for it. (“What do I owe you?” he said. I replied, “You’re paying for 5, you’re getting 4.” A fair price considering his markup – & of course the fifth was mine.)

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