this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
733 points (95.2% liked)

politics

18651 readers
3588 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.
  2. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  3. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  4. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive.
  5. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  6. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 285 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Thanks a lot, dude. Gonna be hearing about this from the right for forever

[–] [email protected] 120 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yep. Shitty, stupid move. Should be censured for it.

[–] [email protected] 124 points 10 months ago (3 children)

No, minor issue. Don't let it distract from the fact that Republicans can't even pass their own budget, or even a stopgap measure.

Republicans can't govern because they have no policies besides tax cuts for the rich.

[–] [email protected] 106 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Minor or not, it was simply a dumb thing to do. I'm not saying he did a terrible thing, but it was stupid and an unforced error that gave Republicans ammo. Censuring is basically just formally being told you did something bad and warned to knock it off.

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

The sad fact is, Republicans could be spending all day, every day, raping puppies, but it's the fire alarm thing that would get all the press attention, and they damn well know it. Democrats have to be held to a higher standard than the puppy-rapers, because we know exactly how everyone will respond when they're not. It's unfair and stupid, but that doesn't change anything, unfortunately.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

It doesn't matter what they say. They are going to say something negative about Democrats either way.

This is actually good because they can focus on this minor issue, blow it out of proportion, and look like idiots. Democrats should just respond with:

"He was pulling the alarm to wake up the Republican leadership. Our government needs to be funded as fast as possible."

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sadly, it does matter what they say, if it's something that news outlets will blast 24 hours a day.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It doesn't matter. Not only is it only going to be covered for 5 minutes, no one is going to vote based on this issue. Democrats can literally ignore it.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I don't think what Bowman did was smart, but giving ammo to Republicans genuinely doesn't matter. Republicans are currently trying to impeach Biden for literally nothing. If you act perfectly and give them no ammo, then they'll just straight-up make up bullshit instead.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Imagine what Republicans will say if he doesn't get any response at all.

What are Republicans saying about the fact that Trump is a fraudster and a rapist, that MTG spreads the most idiotic anti-semitic conspiracy theories and that Bobert gets tossed out of a theater for smoking, hollering, getting her boobs grabbed and giving a guy a hand job? What are Republicans saying about the fact George Santos is an obvious liar, huckster and fraud who has been charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements?

What response did that get from Republicans - as compared to, say, the response Al Franken got from Democrats?

And where's the benefit for Democrats in acting in good faith when dealing with an opponent that doesn't even know the meaning of the term "good faith?"

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 52 points 10 months ago (10 children)

It's the thing Republicans can't understand though: he's "our team" but we don't care and the appropriate charges should be pressed.

load more comments (10 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 142 points 10 months ago (4 children)

That explanation that he didn’t think it would set off an alarm has to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while. At least as dumb as the fact that the government is going to shut down because of a few moronic house members.

Charges should be pressed, IMO. Whatever the law says about pulling a fire alarm when there’s no fire. No idea what the code is but he shouldn’t be above the law.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Obstructing an official proceeding. Federal felony, what many of the January 6th defendants were charged with. Potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Of course, in practice the results will be much less severe.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago

Pretty much. He was trying to bide a bit of time in a moronic way in order to give democrats more than 5 minutes to look at the 45 day budget bill the Republicans were trying to immediately force a vote on before it could be read at all. Surprise surprise, one of the first crooked things found in it was a raise to give themselves.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Obstruction of congress too

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There are all sorts of congressmen that could get that charge. Let's start with those that ignored congressional subpoenas.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Or the one that just showed revenge porn in front of Congress?

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 136 points 10 months ago (23 children)

STOP GIVING THE RIGHT AMMO YOU FUCKING DUMBASS!

In any case, isn't this basically the whole "yelling fire in a crowded theater" example of speech that isn't protected and is explicitly criminal? Charge his ass.

[–] [email protected] 95 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The story I'm hearing elsewhere is he pulled the alarm to delay the vote, as Republicans are violating their "72 hours to read the bill" rule they agreed to at the start of this Congressional term.

While I don't condone the actions, the result was a delay, long enough for representatives to read a bill they are voting on, which is something that should always be allowed.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I just find it hilarious that it's a former school principal that pulled this shit. He's probably expelled kids for doing the same.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago

At the same time, he finally gets to experience the hilarity of it.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago

That certainly adds interesting context.

I previously read that the 72 page bill was given to House members initially with only about an hour before the vote to read and review it so that helps me make more sense of it than my own face value first conclusion.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If only people got this riled up whenever the other side broke the rules...

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

The fucking rage of people doing minor dumbshit stuff for kind of good reasons. Won't someone think of the precious norms.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I'll own it: I over reacted.

The older I get, the more critical I realize politics is - when we fuck up, people lose their rights and push our planet closer and closer to non-life-supporting, so seeing dumb shit from the left is especially aggravating cuz that's where our hope is. Dig through my recent posts and you'll find several chewing out Feinstein, and it's for the same reason. We cannot afford that shit in today's political environment - the stakes are just too high.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Reading a bill is part of a normal procedure and the outcome is more important. So, while I don't condone the action, at the end of the day, if the outcome benefits people other than himself, then I can understand his action. The thing is they weren't given enough time to read as Republicans violated their own 72 hours to read the bill rule.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Unless it's a felony they're immune to prosecution while im session.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (19 replies)
[–] [email protected] 91 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Many people are saying he pulled the alarm because McCarthy's pants were on fire

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] [email protected] 70 points 10 months ago

Dude, this is what your Congressional aids are for...

[–] [email protected] 61 points 10 months ago

seems like most people owe this guy an apology. the signage was genuinely confusing / missing according to the images and recordings. he legit was trying to get out.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Following reports of Bowman pulling the fire alarm, his spokesperson released a statement claiming he “did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

I don’t even understand how this non-answer even makes any logical sense.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 36 points 10 months ago (1 children)

he “did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

huh?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago (13 children)

Translation: "He really, really didn't think this through and would like everyone to forget about it."

load more comments (13 replies)
[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Between this idiot and Menendez refusing to resign after his second corruption investigation, the Dems are having a bad week, not even sure what Bowman was thinking, but punishment must be swift and severe, because the Right wing clout chasers are already chirping about it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

I thought it was Menendez's THIRD investigation?

Aha, third INVESTIGATION, second INDICTMENT.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2023/09/22/bob-menendez-nj-sentor-indicted-charges-history/70930479007/

2006 - Investigation
2015 - Investigation + Indictment
2023

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago

What an idiot

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (7 children)

I can't say it was a great move, but on the other hand he fucking did something

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

He did worse than nothing, this was just boneheaded.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›