Asshole Politician of the Day

[bermstalker]

Too many trips to the Hamptons and Swiss Alps, $70,000 steak dinners and negative adverts that backfired: How hubris caused the downfall of House Leader Eric Cantor
Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor went down in a stunning defeat to college professor Dave Brat in the Republican primary yesterday
Cantor was glad handing lobbyists at a Starbucks instead of trying to whip up last minute votes from his constituents
He spent too much time on the road and in the Hamptons, his critics claim
Brat had two paid staffers and ran his campaign with a flip phone
Cantor spent more money on steak dinners during his primary campaign over the past year than Brat spent period


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz34QB3HHfR
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He should have been hugging babies and otherwise schmoozing his constituents in his district in a last minute effort to get out the vote.
But seven-term congressman Eric Cantor was so convinced he would come out the victor in his party's primary, the Virginia Republican reportedly spent yesterday morning at a Starbucks in Washington, D.C. powwowing with lobbyists two hours away.
While House leadership staff were 'shocked' to learn of the No. 2 Republican's defeat last night but former Cantor staffers and conservative activists could smell defeat in the air as far back as January, when Cantor's opponent, Dave Brat, entered the race for the conservative congressional district, located just outside of Virginia's capitol city, Richmond.

Then

President Obama has vowed to carry on with controversial reforms to immigration legislation despite Eric Cantor's defeat in the Republican primary.
With the absence of Cantor, who was seen as sympathetic to laws that would have granted amnesty to illegal immigrants, many now see reform as impossible.
But Obama said his absence would not stop the Government pushing the issue, adding that he 'fundamentally rejects' that the argument is already lost.
Speaking to 40 big-dollar donors in Boston, Massachusetts, he said: 'It's interesting to listen to the pundits and the analysts, and some conventional wisdom talks about how the politics of immigration reform seem impossible.
'I fundamentally reject that and I will tell the speaker of the House he needs to reject it.'
The Democratic-controlled Senate has already passed a sweeping bipartisan immigration bill that increases border security and provides a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who entered the country illegally.
But the Republican-controlled House, led by House Speaker John Boehner, has yet to act in the face of stiff opposition from conservatives.
Before meeting with donors Obama delivered a commencement address at a technical school in Worcester, where he said 30 to 40 percent of the students were children of immigrants.
'You wouldn't know it looking at them because they are as American as apple pie,' he told the donors.
'They're worried about whether they're going to be able to finance their education because of their immigrant status. They wonder whether this country that they love so deeply loves them back.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz34QBjJYm6
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Four hundred child immigrants now entering the U.S. every day as authorities liken growing humanitarian crisis in makeshift centers to aftermath of Katrina
More than 160,000 immigrants have been apprehended in Texas' Valley sector in the first eight months of this fiscal year - more than all of last year
Over 400 children a day are coming and as many as 60,000 will cross the Mexican border illegally this year
Photos of these children lying on the floors of a large barren facility in Nogales, Arizona, have shocked the nation
Concerns are growing of a humanitarian crisis on a par with Hurricane Katrina with reports of sickness due to cramped conditions
The Obama administration is attributing the huge influx to violence in poverty stricken nations such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador
Some members of Congress say President Obama's policies and a lack of enforcement are to blame
Critics point to the President's decision in 2012 to stop most deportations of young people brought to the U.S. as kids
Senator John McCain criticized the false message of amnesty to illegal immigrants
He admitted that the border crisis would significantly harm any effort to pass some sort of immigration bill
The massive tide of unaccompanied children flooding the country illegally isn't expected to end anytime soon


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz34QC78e7Y
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Overflowing: The shelter at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas can no longer accommodate large numbers of children and mothers traveling with their kids, forcing the federal government to open more facilities and move many to Nogales for processing

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz34QCGe9s6
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[bermstalker]

Too many trips to the Hamptons and Swiss Alps, $70,000 steak dinners and negative adverts that backfired: How hubris caused the downfall of House Leader Eric Cantor
Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor went down in a stunning defeat to college professor Dave Brat in the Republican primary yesterday
Cantor was glad handing lobbyists at a Starbucks instead of trying to whip up last minute votes from his constituents
He spent too much time on the road and in the Hamptons, his critics claim
Brat had two paid staffers and ran his campaign with a flip phone
Cantor spent more money on steak dinners during his primary campaign over the past year than Brat spent period


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz34QB3HHfR
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

He should have been hugging babies and otherwise schmoozing his constituents in his district in a last minute effort to get out the vote.
But seven-term congressman Eric Cantor was so convinced he would come out the victor in his party's primary, the Virginia Republican reportedly spent yesterday morning at a Starbucks in Washington, D.C. powwowing with lobbyists two hours away.
While House leadership staff were 'shocked' to learn of the No. 2 Republican's defeat last night but former Cantor staffers and conservative activists could smell defeat in the air as far back as January, when Cantor's opponent, Dave Brat, entered the race for the conservative congressional district, located just outside of Virginia's capitol city, Richmond.

[animosity]

not sure where to put this, so i'm putting it here because a lot of people thought this was asshole-ish.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/07...ek-105547.html

at first, i was like, wtf? 77 bucks to live on is very easy if you have already payed your rent and utilities. one week? what? way to trivialize poverty.

not sure how i feel about it now.

[bermstalker]

Rick Perry was indicted by a grand jury for abusing his powers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/t...hreat-25003869

[animosity]

Rick Perry was indicted by a grand jury for abusing his powers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/t...hreat-25003869

he's the guy who denied the stay of execution for willingham, right?

[Ron_NYC]

Rick Perry was indicted by a grand jury for abusing his powers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/t...hreat-25003869

Fuck him and fuck Niggerhead Ranch.

[bermstalker]

Come on Ron- this story starts off like all good stories must......with lots of vodkas.

IDK if this is a right leaning or left leaning newspaper, but I thought this article was pretty good at explaining what happened exactly.
http://www.texasobserver.org/everyth...s-new-scandal/

Oh...and here is vodka lady-

[blighted star]

https://newmatilda.com/2014/08/16/ab...nemies-freedom

Abbott Brands Almost Half The Scottish Population Enemies Of Freedom'
By Chris Graham


Keywords:*
tony abbottscotlandmh17vladimir putin
Freedom loving Tony Abbott has done it again, this time insulting almost half the Scottish population over an upcoming referendum on secession.*Chris Graham reports.

Ladies and Gentleman, the world might just have found its new George W. Bush. Albeit without the muscle of the US. Or the nuclear weapons. Or the economy. Or the international recognition. Or anything like the power.

But the swagger and the international derision? well, it?s there in spades.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has decided to weigh into Scottish politics, giving a startling interview to The Times newspaper in which he labeled people who wanted Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom as ?enemies of freedom and justice?.

[animosity]

asshole politician? more like the entire GOP. here is how they intend to appeal to female voters:



http://thinkprogress.org/election/20...the-candidate/

[Shins]

Is this serious? Was it intended to be serious?

[animosity]

deadly serious. the article links to another one that was previously put out about breaking up with obama like he was an abusive boyfriend.

this is so stupid.

[Shins]

OMG that's so bad and desperate.

[bowieluva]

I can't understand why the republican party keeps picking these fucking morons to represent them.

There are plenty of intelligent, evil republicans.

[Shins]

I feel like the harder they try to advocate themselves, the more they hurt themselves. I'll be honest, even I'm shocked at some of the stupidity.

[bowieluva]

I feel like the harder they try to advocate themselves, the more they hurt themselves. I'll be honest, even I'm shocked at some of the stupidity.

What it actually is is that they think everyone else is really, really stupid, and that they're getting on the same level as them.

http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=173362

[Shins]

What it actually is is that they think everyone else is really, really stupid, and that they're getting on the same level as them.

http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=173362

Well that's fair, considering you'd have to be pretty fucking stupid to buy into this shit. Which people do... which amazes me...

The Republicans for People campaign is awesomely bad. Didn't you post something about how they don't even use real people? Not surprising, but SO AWESOMELY BAD.

[bowieluva]

They used stock photos.

It's amazing.

[blighted star]

Yesterday ...



http://www.abc.nme.au/7.30/content/2014/s4106143.htm


Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he will 'shirtfront' Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit following his criticism of Russia's involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine

Transcript LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: If you can believe what you read, Vladimir Putin has wrestled bears and now Australia's one-time pugilist Prime Minister Tony Abbott is spoiling for a fight when the Russian President comes to town.

Just three months since the shooting down of Malaysian flight 17 over Ukraine by pro-Russian militia, Mr Putin has confirmed, to the dismay of many, that he will visit Australia for the G20 leaders' meeting in November. In unusually robust language today, Mr Abbott said he plans to "shirtfront" Mr Putin when he's here

<<snipped>>


SABRA LANE: Yesterday, the Prime Minister chose his language carefully in talking about the looming visit.

TONY ABBOTT (Yesterday): What I'll be wanting from the Russian President is an assurance from him that he and Russia will do everything they can to ensure that now, at least, justice is done.

SABRA LANE: Today, Mr Abbott toughened up his rhetoric, outlining exactly what he wanted to achieve in his one-on-one meeting with Mr Putin.

TONY ABBOTT: Look, I'm going to shirt-front Mr Putin. You bet you are - you bet I am. I am going to be saying to Mr Putin, "Australians were murdered. They were murdered by Russian-backed rebels using Russian-supplied equipment. We are very unhappy about this."

SABRA LANE: In recent weeks the Prime Minister and Treasurer have spoken to their G20 counterparts about the Brisbane meeting, its aims and the Russian President. It was made clear to Australia the forum's main purpose is to bring the world's largest economies together to talk economics, not strategic issues and that Australia didn't have enough support to ban him.

Pravda, the Moscow newspaper that's viewed as a mouthpiece for the Russian administration, denounced Mr Abbott earlier today for a degree of insolence, arrogance and incompetence which mirrors the intrusiveness, belligerence and chauvinism inherent in other members of the NATO alliance and that editorial was written before the "shirtfront" commentary

For those (like me) who don't live in Victoria &/or follow AFL - What the fuck does "shirtfront"mean?


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-1...in-g20/5811502

Look, I'm going to shirtfront Mr Putin ... you bet I am." Prime Minister Tony Abbott's fighting words almost certainly sent the diplomats in the Russian Embassy rushing for their Australian slang dictionaries on Monday.

Many Australian observers were also left scratching their heads at the evocative choice of words, which hails from the lexicon of Australian Rules football. Ultimately Mr Abbott (or his media manager) may be the only one who truly knows what he plans to do during bilateral talks with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, at the G20 in Brisbane next month. So what exactly is a 'shirtfront'?

Shirtfront (Australian Rules) noun, "A fierce tackle, usually delivered by the shoulder to the chest of an opponent." verb, "The act of delivering such a tackle." - Oxford Australian Dictionary.


Politicians usually tailor their words to suit their audience, so it was a curious choice of words from Mr Abbott. Speaking to reporters in Brisbane (rugby league heartland) about the president of Russia (Moscow is approximately 14,400 kilometres from the MCG), the PM pulled out a word clearly associated with 'Aussie Rules' football.

Any AFL fan worth their salt would know that a 'shirtfront' is an old-fashioned shoulder charge to an opposition player's chest (the front of their shirt). The word has fallen out of usage in recent years, replaced by the less colourful term, 'bump'. The shirtfront itself is now somewhat of a dying art in the AFL, as the game's administrators try to make the game safer for players and more palatable for the parents of young footballers. A 1970s-era shirtfront that drew plaudits from fans and critics would probably earn a modern footballer a month or more on the sidelines for "dangerous conduct".

Social media has been full of speculation Mr Abbott was referring to Mr Putin's penchant for ditching his shirt, in which case it remains to be seen how a shirtless shirtfront will play out at a diplomatic level. There has been no formal response from Moscow yet, but given Mr Putin's tough-guy reputation, and the fact one of Russia's most popular sports is ice hockey, things could escalate.

Today ...

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...14-115tvj.html

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has wound back his threat to "shirt-front" Vladimir Putin, instead predicting a "very robust conversation" with the Russian President at next month's G20 summit in Brisbane.

ETA hmm. Taking into account his careful diplomacy the day before, & the day after he threatened the Russian leader with physical violence, & his utter confusion over the use of "you bet you are" vs. "you bet I am", maybe he thought "shirtfront" meant "confront".

Accidentally threatening to shoulder barge & assault Vladimir Putin is far more hilarious than doing it intentionally. How do you repair international relations after a fuckup like that? Has any other world leader ever threatened to physically attack Putin?

[animosity]

i think abbott is going down in two hits.

[beli]

An Ad With a Wheelchair Shakes Up the Texas Governor?s Race




A 30-second TV spot airs only in selected markets in Texas, but just four days after its release, the ?wheelchair ad? from the campaign of State Senator Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate for governor, has provoked a nationwide debate over its tone and the boundaries of political attack ads.

But as all negative advertising does, the spot puts a second fundamental issue in play: Will it help Ms. Davis?s campaign or hurt it?

The ad, which Ms. Davis defended in a news conference on Monday, constitutes the latest push in her campaign against the Republican front-runner, Greg Abbott, the state attorney general, who has used a wheelchair since becoming partly paralyzed in 1984 when he was struck by a falling tree while jogging. Mr. Abbott, who entered the race last year on the anniversary of the accident, has cited his successful struggle to adapt to the disability as a sign of strength and determination.


State Senator Wendy Davis briefly spoke of terminating a pregnancy during her filibuster in the Texas Capitol in June 2013.Texas Candidate Reveals Personal Tale of Two AbortionsSEPT. 6, 2014
The Davis ad opens with a picture of a wheelchair, mentions the accident and says: ?He sued and got millions.? It then accuses Mr. Abbott, the state?s chief legal officer, of hypocrisy, saying he has spent ?his career working against other victims? who wanted to pursue lawsuits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/us...race.html?_r=0

[blighted star]

Just want to say that Australia LOVES your president today. He fucked an arsehole politician up bigtime a few hours ago. I've gone from thoroughly humiliated (by ours) to completely jealous (of yours)


http://junkee.com/president-obama-sh...e-change/45314

You know when*your dad’s been away for a while and he lays into you about not taking the rubbish out while he was gone? He says he’s not mad, just a little disappointed, then goes into an inspiring speech about how we all have to do our part around the house. That’s essentially what just happened to our entire country.*President Obama has only been in Australia for a matter of hours and he’s already incited people to take action on climate change.

Speaking at the University of Queensland prior to the official commencement of the G20 Summit in Brisbane today, Obama delivered his trademark oratory fireworks to*a large crowd mostly comprised of local students. Though his speech spanned the gargantuan topics of foreign policy, social discrimination, international diplomacy and of course, climate change, he kicked things off with some jokes.

Though XXXX Gold were understandably*jumping for joy and getting photoshop at the ready, the rest of the nation was not so thrilled. Regardless, it took the President just 20 minutes to get to the topic on everyone’s minds: climate change. And when he did, the entire room broke into applause. “Here in the Asia Pacific, nobody has more at stake when it comes to thinking about and then acting on climate change,” he said. “Here in Australia, it means longer droughts, more wildfires… The incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened.”

After acknowledging that there has been some “healthy debate”*on the topic in our country, he stated that “leaders must be held accountable”. “Combating climate change cannot be the work of governments alone,” he said. “You have to keep raising your voices, because you deserve to live your lives in a world that is cleaner and that is healthier and that is sustainable … That’s not going to happen unless you are heard.”

He then announced he was going to contribute $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund to help developing nations deal with climate change, dropped the mike and moonwalked off the stage. Except, no, it didn’t even stop there. He then went on to talk about broader issues of social inequality, religious freedom and human rights. “We’ll stand up for our gay and lesbian fellow citizens because they need to be treated equally under the law,” he said. “We’ll stand up for the rights and futures of our wives and daughters … because I believe that the best measure of whether a nation is going to be successful is whether they are tapping the talents of their women and treating them as full participants in politics and society and the economy.”

Stunned to be in the presence of a politician who had a semblance of a coherent idea and a general sense of moral decency, the entire audience rose to their feet in rapturous applause and convulsive fits of pleasure. Obama was then whisked away to the official start of the G20 Summit like a goddamned rock star

[The Crone]

I really wonder where this country is headed when our possible next president doesn't know it is illegal to employ undocumented workers. Her remarks are insulting to so many people went through the trouble to do things the right way.

My own grandmother immigrated from Europe and was very proud of the fact that she attained citizenship. In my lifetime I've met others who were very happy to have been able to come here and become a part of this country, even if they could only achieve jobs as lowly hotel employees.

Really, Hillary Clinton does deserve the Asshole Politician of the Day for her remarks on 11/21 in NYC.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...ls_819848.html

A New York luxury hotel says it does not knowingly employ illegal immigrants, despite a suggestion by Hillary Clinton that it does.
The former secretary of state spoke at a gala for the New York Historical Society at the Mandarin Oriental hotel on November 21. During a Q&A session, Clinton, who received an honor from the organization, praised President Obama’s recently announced executive order on immigration that will give around 5 million illegal immigrants legal status. Calling the executive order “historic,” she urged the black-tie crowd to remember that “this is about peoples’ lives.”

“This is about, I would venture to guess, the people who served us tonight, who prepared our food tonight,” Clinton said, according to MSNBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald.

But a spokesperson for the Mandarin Oriental disputes Clinton’s suggestion that the executive order would be extended to any of the hotel’s employees.

“Mandarin Oriental, New York does not knowingly employ illegal and/or undocumented immigrants. We require all employees to provide proof of their eligibility to legally work in the U.S.,” said Tammy Peters, a spokesperson for the hotel, in an email to THE WEEKLY STANDARD. “All wait staff and catering staff are employed through our hotel and we do not use outside contractors for such services.”

It is not clear why Clinton was under the impression illegal immigrants were serving or preparing food for the fete. The Sheraton in New York hosts the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, but a request to that hotel for a comment on the legal status of its employees was not returned

[bowieluva]

Well, it is a billion times harder today to get citizenship than it was for your grandmother. Especially if you aren't coming from Europe.

My best friend's mother came from Mexico and tried for years to get citizenship. After being drained thousands and thousands of dollars that she didn't have to spend, she gave up.

She has worked for years as an illegal alien at various restaurants. Clinton is right in the extent that most kitchens in this country wouldn't be able to provide documents for their kitchen workers if pressed,, but they're certainly not going to admit that to the media. If you are under the impression that people do not hire illegal immigrants to work in hotels and restaurants all the time, you're wrong.

[Shins]

Yeah, that's nothing new. She's just saying what everyone already knows.


And yes, it was 1000x easier to get citizenship in America when our grandparents did. Like, you got off the boat, wrote down whatever name you wanted to be known as, and there you were (more or less).

My grandparents came over here from Spain and France, and when they looked at my grandfathers 4 last names they literally picked one and said "This is your name now." At least that's how they described it.

[puzzld]

She has worked for years as an illegal alien at various restaurants. Clinton is right in the extent that most kitchens in this country wouldn't be able to provide documents for their kitchen workers if pressed,, but they're certainly not going to admit that to the media. If you are under the impression that people do not hire illegal immigrants to work in hotels and restaurants all the time, you're wrong.

Yeah a couple of years ago somebody was mad at one of the owners of several restaurants here in town (ugly divorce) and ratted them out to immigration. The INS deported several dozen people based on just the one tip, from here in the middle of the country. It's not like they got off the boat and found the first job available... If you eat, every bite of food you put in your mouth probably passed through the hands of illegals. They pick up your trash and wash the dishes at the cafe' you eat at too. I'm pretty sure that the Spanish speaking gentlemen who shingled my house may have been lacking in documentation.

Let's get them documented and paying taxes. Let's make sure their kids get an education, and have health care too. Every generation of immigrants have added way more than they take away.