The Political Thread - Machiavelli Edition

[ShadySands]

If my experience a couple of years ago is anything to go by then things haven't changed much. They wanted nearly double what I was paying before I got laid off.

[ktchong]

Seems like there are potentially a second and third women who may be coming forward to make accusations of sexual assaults against Brett Kavanaugh:

* https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/senate-democrats-investigate-a-new-allegation-of-sexual-misconduct-from-the-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaughs-college-years-deborah-ramirez

* https://nypost.com/2018/09/23/avenatti-says-he-represents-woman-with-credible-information-about-kavanaugh/

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by ktchong

[smjjames]

As someone said, with those sexual predators, it's almost never just one.

 

Also, ktchong, it's the identity of the woman Avenatti is representing that hasn't been revealed yet, the New Yorker one has the womans name right in there.

[ktchong]

BTW, the second woman was  interviewed by Ronan Farrow, and she went to Yale University with Kavanaugh.  Both which add to her credibility.

Edited September 24, 2018 by ktchong

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Speaking of COBRA, we had to pay for it when my wife transitioned from personal training to student teaching. It was outrageously expensive, particularly since we were bringing in barely anything in substitute teacher pay and still actually paying for college. But if we didn't do it, we not only ran the risk of not being covered, but also could be turned down for coverage when we started employment. What a racket.

 

I'm hoping that has changed a bit over the last 15 years. Now we just pay like $800 a month to cover the family while our employer chips in twice that. Plus deductibles, co-pays, and a bunch of other fees.

 

Yay freedom.

 

Sharpie, I'll send you the statements so you can verify the story. I know you worry.

I pay $80 a month but don't get ****. Between the insane rent and other expenses I'm glad I flipped some bitcoin and had some lucky investments or else I'd have to go Walter White.

[smjjames]

Seems like there are potentially a second and third women who may be coming forward to make accusations of sexual assaults against Brett Kavanaugh:

 

* https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/senate-democrats-investigate-a-new-allegation-of-sexual-misconduct-from-the-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaughs-college-years-deborah-ramirez

 

* https://nypost.com/2018/09/23/avenatti-says-he-represents-woman-with-credible-information-about-kavanaugh/

 

 

 

Some further information: https://www.axios.com/michael-avenatti-tweets-kavanaugh-woman-credible-dc3e1cd0-c03e-410b-b6ec-6a54c53e8873.html and I believe the Ronan Farrow one mentions the same type of incident. So, really, it's an indictment on the party culture.

 

Gotta wonder how no less than six FBI background checks missed this, or maybe they did and people chose to ignore them.

[ktchong]

 

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/18/report-youtubes-alternative-influence-network-breeds-rightwing-radicalisation

Edited September 24, 2018 by ktchong

[Malcador]

Graham saying that he doesn't want to ruin Kavanaugh's life would be a good joke. Not getting on SCOTUS isn't that bad

[Chilloutman]

James Damore xD

[Hurlshort]

 

Sharpie, I'll send you the statements so you can verify the story. I know you worry.

We all know you wouldn't. Another false claim.

 

 

Super sleuth on the case. You are correct, I will not be sending a bunch of insurance paperwork to you, despite our wonderful internet friendship here on this video game forum. That would be really weird.

[Amentep]

 

Thnx Pidesco, that was what I was trying to get at.

 

Regarding severence, not all employment factors a severence in, and once FMLA runs out the employer can try to keep the person, but there's pressure to open the position up and hire someone (some employers will try to fund an equivalent job when the employee is able to run, but that's not a guarantee and may end up in a pay cut, and of course no vacation/sick/FMLA means no pay until you can come to work)

That still doesn't hold up to the very first claim that the income was cut in half the day she got sick.

 

The only way that makes sense to me (without more information because it could be a type of work situation I just haven't encountered) would be if the person was something like an independent contractor who only gets paid for work completed. But in my experience, work-for-hire contractors aren't paid employees getting insurance, nor would they be eligible for FMLA.

 

So I don't disagree that there might be more information not being let on in the story, even if some of the story does match things I know of or have experienced during employment in the US (and even then there are some state specific stuff that I'd never see unless I worked in that state).

[Pidesco]

 

 

Thnx Pidesco, that was what I was trying to get at.

 

Regarding severence, not all employment factors a severence in, and once FMLA runs out the employer can try to keep the person, but there's pressure to open the position up and hire someone (some employers will try to fund an equivalent job when the employee is able to run, but that's not a guarantee and may end up in a pay cut, and of course no vacation/sick/FMLA means no pay until you can come to work)

That still doesn't hold up to the very first claim that the income was cut in half the day she got sick.

 

The only way that makes sense to me (without more information because it could be a type of work situation I just haven't encountered) would be if the person was something like an independent contractor who only gets paid for work completed. But in my experience, work-for-hire contractors aren't paid employees getting insurance, nor would they be eligible for FMLA.

 

So I don't disagree that there might be more information not being let on in the story, even if some of the story does match things I know of or have experienced during employment in the US (and even then there are some state specific stuff that I'd never see unless I worked in that state).

 

 

I got the impression that their income got cut in half because she lost her job. (two wages)/2 = (1 wage) 

 

 

Meanwhile, stuff just got real:

 

https://twitter.com/statuses/1044236144223899648

 

Rosenstein is apparently about to get fired.

[smjjames]

No, he's pre-empting Trump waiting until after the midterms to fire him., he's on the way to the WH to give his resignation rather than have Trump fire him outright. So much for Trump and allies wanting to wait for the midterms.

 

Basically, it looks like he's calling Trumpworlds bluff: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/23/politics/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-brett-kavanaugh/index.html

Edited September 24, 2018 by smjjames

[Pidesco]

No, he's pre-empting Trump waiting until after the midterms to fire him., he's on the way to the WH to give his resignation rather than have Trump fire him outright. So much for Trump and allies wanting to wait for the midterms.

 

Basically, it looks like he's calling Trumpworlds bluff: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/23/politics/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-brett-kavanaugh/index.html

 

News has already come around that Rosenstein was summoned to the WH, but that he refuses to resign. May be speculation, I don't know.

[smjjames]

I'm seeing that too. There may be a bit of conflicting information whether he voluntarily went or he was summoned. We'll just have to see what happens.

 

As I noted in the previous post, Trumps allies and the GOP really didn't want to deal with the firing before the midterms, now they may have no choice.

[Pidesco]

Following the Watergate script seems insanely stupid but, given that this is Trump, it's not that surprising. Besides, Trump has been consequence free so far, so why would that change now.

[smjjames]

Following the Watergate script seems insanely stupid but, given that this is Trump, it's not that surprising. Besides, Trump has been consequence free so far, so why would that change now.

 

 

As Mark Twain once said (at least I think it was attributed to him?), "History never repeats (exactly), but it can rhyme." This doesn't seem like following the Watergate script (not this particular moment anyway), but the similarities are uncanny.

 

Not surprised Trump changed his mind (or whatever is going on), he's so mercurial that he makes Mercury jealous.

Edited September 24, 2018 by smjjames

[Pidesco]

While it's not exactly the same, the president firing the guy who can fire the special investigator that is investigating the president, because he refuses to do said firing is, pretty much, how Nixon got impeached.

 

 

Cool sentence.

[Malcador]

Good thing Congress are spineless this time around

[Pidesco]

It all the depends on whether the senate flips when the midterms come around. It's not too likely, but it's currently looking like Trump is doing his best to make it as likely as possible.

[smjjames]

Good thing Congress are spineless this time around

 

How is that a good thing?

[Malcador]

It's not, was being sarcastic.

[smjjames]

Hard to tell sometimes, sorry.

 

A bit of background: https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/rod-rosenstein-fired-resigns-dle/h_547cb0aa5bdbeb64206bda39e2b8fecb

 

Adam Schiff tweeted a statement that Rosenstein should 'under no circumstances rresign' and instead force Trump to fire him. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/408102-schiff-calls-on-rosenstein-not-to-step-down

Edited September 24, 2018 by smjjames

[Guard Dog]

he's so mercurial that he makes Mercury jealous.

I am sooo stealing that line!

[smjjames]

Kavanaugh apparently said, unprompted, that he was a virgin in high school and college, https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/kavanaugh-second-sexual-allegation-latest/h_1e7966334b3e234d7f6f55a4bcb2b256 should we start asking his girlfriends whether they had consensual sex?

 

In all seriousness, this is exactly where an FBI investigation would best be deployed because they can privately get statements and Kavanaugh would be under oath.