Random Politics & Arguments Over Nothing #16

Having discussions and debates about political activity is more productive than throwing out random song quotes from an obscure "artist" in a political thread.

I'm not renaming the thread in your honor, no.

your friend

Joe Walsh is a member of the Eagles, one of the best selling groups of all time.

Your use of the words "obscure" is roundly rejected!

There are no friends in politics and religion. Only mortal enemies.

There are no friends in politics and religion. Only mortal enemies.

That's about an average sample size for polls such as this.

Not going into details though. Rav would be the best person to talk to about polls such as this. Considering that he is a Statistician, bless his heart.

*Puts on nerd glasses*

Are they different from hipster glasses?

Finally someone who tells it like it is!
Wtf at all this "we can argue but we can always grab a beer together later" bs!!

*** everyone!!

Yes, one pair actually works.

If I'm going to *** everyone I need to grab more than a beer.

You're gonna have to let the wife know. Wouldn't want her finding out second hand that you impregnated girl-boy mod.

"She was very pretty, even though she didn't have teeth"

or something like that.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday strongly condemned any foreign interference with U.S. elections and announced that the Senate intelligence panel will investigate Russia’s suspected election interference.

“The Russians are not our friends,” he told reporters at a scheduled year-end news conference.

McConnell’s announcement came a day after a group of senators called for a thorough, bipartisan investigation of Russian interference. Some have endorsed the idea of a special select committee to lead an inquiry, but McConnell stopped short of endorsing that, saying that any congressional probe would follow “regular order” through the current committee structure.

“This simply cannot be a partisan issue,” he said, before adding that the Intelligence Committee “is more than capable of conducting a complete review of this matter.”

McConnell declined to address his role in a September briefing for lawmakers, where he reportedly dismissed intelligence assessments suggesting that Russia was trying to sway the presidential election in favor of Donald Trump. Instead, he credited Senate Republicans for standing firm against Russia and blamed President Obama for Russian encroachment around the globe.

“The Obama administration for eight years attempted to reset relations with Russia, and sat back while Russia expanded its sphere of influence and intervened in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, Syria, and attempted to bully Baltic countries. It defies belief that somehow Republicans in the Senate are reluctant to either review Russian tactics or ignore them,” he said.

McConnell expressed strong support for the intelligence community, putting him at odds with Trump’s public doubts about the reliability of the nation’s intelligence agencies.

“I have the highest confidence in the intelligence community and especially the Central Intelligence Agency,” McConnell said. “The CIA is filled with selfless patriots, many of whom anonymously risk their lives for the American people.”

Meanwhile, Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller told reporters on a Monday conference call that talk of Russian interference in the election “might upset some people who are bitter that their candidate lost in November, but that’s not going to slow us down from focusing on going to work for the American people,” he said.

Miller’s comments seemed to suggest the “bitter” talk was coming from the CIA, which has concluded privately that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and individuals close to Hillary Clinton in order to release documents tilting the electorate toward Trump. Miller did not mention the CIA directly.

McConnell’s calls for a nonpartisan approach to the subject echoed the sentiments of the Senate’s new top Democrat, who also vowed Monday to keep any congressional investigation of Russia from devolving into partisan warfare.

“Just the facts” is what incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) pledged that any inquiry would focus on during a national television interview Monday morning.

“We don’t want to point a finger and I don’t want this to turn into a Benghazi investigation, which seemed at least to many people to be highly political,” he told “CBS This Morning.” “This is serious stuff, when a foreign power tries to influence our election or damage our economy, for that matter. This is serious and it’s gotten worse. And a bipartisan investigation that’s not aimed at one specific instance but looks at the broad scope of this is just what’s needed.”

In a separate statement, Schumer said he welcomed McConnell’s support for a bipartisan investigation.

But McConnell and Schumer had not discussed the details of how an investigation would unfold as of Monday morning, aides said. Schumer is expected to call for at least the partial disclosure of any investigation’s findings, aides added, a request that would carry significant political weight, given the Intelligence Committee’s penchant for secret proceedings and the potential for revelations embarrassing to the Trump administration.

At least some Democrats are also calling for a joint House-Senate probe, believing that a public review of the information, on par with past public reviews of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, would better serve the public.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that a bicameral investigation “would serve the purpose of informing the public, developing a concerted response, deterring the Russians from further malign cyber action and inoculating the public against such manipulation in the future.”

But House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) dismissed calls for such an investigation on Monday, saying that the House Intelligence Committee is already “working diligently on the cyber threats posed by foreign governments and terrorist organizations.”

In a statement, Ryan added that “exploiting the work of our intelligence community for partisan purposes does a grave disservice to those professional and potentially jeopardizes national security. As we work to protect our democracy from foreign influence, we should not cast doubt on the clear and decisive outcome of this election.”

McConnell announced plans for a Senate probe the day after Schumer and Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) — the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee — and Democrat Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called for a bipartisan probe. Their calls came after The Washington Post reported the CIA’s conclusion that Russia’s activities were intended to tip the scales to help Trump.

...blah blah blah

she was all bark and no bite?

Italy has the sad average of changing 1 government a year since 1945. They never make it to the end of the term, this country is ridiculous.

I know hardly anyone cares but anyway new PM here in Italy is Gentiloni

Also, is it sad that I had to check to make sure that this is P&R and not RT?

There are no friends in politics and religion. Only mortal enemies.

get rid of the stench of obscure song quotes*

No, this is all according to plan!

I'm planning on making good on my promise and leaving this damn country!

....said no entertainer ever.

*ahem*

Not the narrative you were looking for, but you're still wrong!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to have the Senate Intelligence Committee review the matter of Russia's influencing the elec.

Should be noted that McConnell is an ex officio member and that his wife Elaine Chao would be nominated to the position Secretary of Transportation by Donald Trump.

It should probably be noted that Chao was Deputy Secretary of Transportation under George H W Bush and Secretary of Labor under George W Bush.

#drainingtheswamp?