JUburton wrote:I think they would all be good. Look forward to the backlash from dipshit ultralib twitter when it's Perez.

pacino wrote:they're all fine. buttigieg is young and avoids the shitshow that will happen with the character assassination of Perez and Ellison can stay in Congress.

td11 wrote:i think the people want single payer. it's gonna happen one day

td11 wrote:it's cool that so many more people on the left seem to be more politically awake since the election. no one used to care about things like DNC chair-- DWS ran it for 8 years ffs-- and now there's a healthy debate about 3 good candidates

pacino wrote:

td11 wrote:it's cool that so many more people on the left seem to be more politically awake since the election. no one used to care about things like DNC chair-- DWS ran it for 8 years ffs-- and now there's a healthy debate about 3 good candidates

Well, it wasn't an open seat

jerseyhoya wrote:

RichmondPhilsFan wrote:

thephan wrote:Need Richmond's take on David Brat's unruly town hall crowd in what seems to me to be a fairly rural place. 1 - 1.5 hours from the VA capital. Over to you sir.

He's my Congressman (sadly). Blackstone should be about as friendly* a place as he can find in that district--it's a rural town and as remote as possible in the southernmost part of the district. Classy guy to hold his town hall down there... Route 460 goes through it, but it's over an hour drive from Richmond on non-Interstate roads and a good 2.5 hours from the northernmost towns in his district, at a facility with capacity for 200 people--my daughter's elementary school gym holds more than that. Talk about making it convenient to his constituents.

(* I say it "should" be friendly because I'm not naive enough to ignore that many of the protesters at that town hall were from other parts of the district, but they were certainly his constituents and not paid Soros protesters as he likes to claim.)

A few thoughts:

--I think my favorite part was when he repeatedly pimped his biography during the town hall and was interrupted with people shouting "questions! questions!"

--My second favorite part was when he was asked whether he believed in climate change and he answered that "the climate changes all of the time." He's a #$!&@ economics professor but is going to give a glib, anti-science answer like that to a question that is obviously important to one of his constituents?

--My third favorite was that he had the gall to criticize "Democratic obstruction" in Washington. Jesus Christ.

--You know it's a bad town hall when even the Richmond Times-Dispatch isn't ignoring the protests or the Congressman's terrible performance.

But yeah, #$!&@ Dave Brat. Gutless coward hiding behind inconvenient locations and arbitrary crowd limits. He's also not particularly smart despite his academic resume (oh the irony of the Tea Party bitching about out-of-touch liberal academics then electing their own academic). The problem is that he's still in an exceedingly safe district and probably isn't going anywhere unless he gets primaried or unless Trump tries to repeal the 13th Amendment.

Trump only got 50.5% in VA-07, though Brat won by 15%.

About 130 prescreened people filled Fairview City Hall to hear Blackburn’s remarks. The city’s website said the event was open only to residents (population 8,000) who had reserved seats.

...

After a brief overview of her legislative agenda, during which she affirmed her desire to “phase out” the ACA, Blackburn opened the floor to questions from the public.

The first question came from a constituent who said he was “concerned about oversight in Washington,” specifically the elevation of Steve Bannon, whom he identified as “a notorious white nationalist,” to the National Security Council.

Blackburn initially deflected, saying only, “I don’t speak for the president,” then, after saying she had personally had no problems interacting with Bannon, added, “I am not aware that he’s taken anybody’s place on the NSC.”

A chorus of incredulous boos followed. “It’s all over the national media,” the man asking the question replied.

Several audience members also shared critical opinions of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet appointees. A Franklin High School senior expressed concern about the abilities of newly confirmed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

“I think Miss DeVos is going to be a fine secretary,” Blackburn said to loud boos from the crowd. “She’s going to do a fine job.”

“We are not stupid,” someone in the crowd fired back. “Stop this.”

Jeers also followed a similar question about the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt.

“We’re all for clean air, clean water and want to have a healthy environment,” Blackburn told a woman who expressed concern that Pruitt would dismantle critical environmental safeguards. “Next question,” she said tersely, as someone countered, “You voted against that just this month!”

Another Franklin High student asked the representative to comment on Trump’s statement that he wants to prioritize refugees who are Christian.

“Is it right to prioritize people based on their religion?” he asked, to applause from the crowd.

Instead of answering the question directly, Blackburn launched into a discussion of refugees and the need for more vetting, prompting the student to ask again, pointedly:

“Do you think it’s right to prioritize people based on their religion? Yes or no?”

“I know that Christians have seen incredible persecution,” Blackburn replied, prompting another chorus of boos.

In one of the rowdiest moments, much of the audience erupted into shouting when Brat said Obamacare had "collapsed."
Fed up with the dissent in the room, an apparent Brat supporter stood up and yelled at activists, calling them "f---ing idiots" and left the event.

thephan wrote:Martha Blackburn appears to be 100% POS, which her town hall seems to have confirmed. She is a horrible human, and functions only in a universe where her fact free personal truths, or the presidents' talking points are acceptable. Time and again she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to whatever talking point she has wed herself too, and has accepted this as gospel even in the face of inconvenient facts.

td11 wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marsha-blackburn-town-hall-tennessee-boo_us_58ac8833e4b06e5f777b293e

About 130 prescreened people filled Fairview City Hall to hear Blackburn’s remarks. The city’s website said the event was open only to residents (population 8,000) who had reserved seats.

...

After a brief overview of her legislative agenda, during which she affirmed her desire to “phase out” the ACA, Blackburn opened the floor to questions from the public.

The first question came from a constituent who said he was “concerned about oversight in Washington,” specifically the elevation of Steve Bannon, whom he identified as “a notorious white nationalist,” to the National Security Council.

Blackburn initially deflected, saying only, “I don’t speak for the president,” then, after saying she had personally had no problems interacting with Bannon, added, “I am not aware that he’s taken anybody’s place on the NSC.”

A chorus of incredulous boos followed. “It’s all over the national media,” the man asking the question replied.

Several audience members also shared critical opinions of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet appointees. A Franklin High School senior expressed concern about the abilities of newly confirmed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

“I think Miss DeVos is going to be a fine secretary,” Blackburn said to loud boos from the crowd. “She’s going to do a fine job.”

“We are not stupid,” someone in the crowd fired back. “Stop this.”

Jeers also followed a similar question about the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt.

“We’re all for clean air, clean water and want to have a healthy environment,” Blackburn told a woman who expressed concern that Pruitt would dismantle critical environmental safeguards. “Next question,” she said tersely, as someone countered, “You voted against that just this month!”

Another Franklin High student asked the representative to comment on Trump’s statement that he wants to prioritize refugees who are Christian.

“Is it right to prioritize people based on their religion?” he asked, to applause from the crowd.

Instead of answering the question directly, Blackburn launched into a discussion of refugees and the need for more vetting, prompting the student to ask again, pointedly:

“Do you think it’s right to prioritize people based on their religion? Yes or no?”

“I know that Christians have seen incredible persecution,” Blackburn replied, prompting another chorus of boos.

A border security memo calls for the use of a long-standing but obscure U.S. law to send some immigrants who have crossed the border illegally back to Mexico even if they are from other countries. The memo and the law it cites don't include details on how or if the U.S. can force the Mexican government to allow foreigners to wait in that country while U.S. officials decide their fate. Historically, the U.S. has jailed and tried to deport foreigners from countries other than Mexico, while Mexican nationals could be easily and quickly sent back over the border. The proposal is likely to come up in discussions this week in Mexico among Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Mexican government.