News Burst: March 21, 2017 (Patreon)

Hey All,

Here are a few stories I've been reading/watching today. As promised, I'll be doing this multiple times a week, so we can start a collective conversation.

Feel free to add your own stories in the comments, and talk amongst yourselves as to what you think! As always, keep it civil. I will  expel any person(complete with pledge cancellation)  who doesn't treat other people here with kindness, even if there is a disagreement. Debate all you want -- it's essential to intellectual growth -- but don't make it personal or hurt others around you in the process.

Neil Gorsuch Talks Roe v. Wade: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/21/gorsuch_if_trump_asked_me_to_overturn_roe_v_wade_i_would_have_walked_out_the_door.html

My Take: I'm of the mind that Roe v. Wade is essentially bulletproof, even if the Supreme Court starts to stack conservative. While this video clip doesn't necessarily prove that Gorsuch won't vote to overturn it, it does prove that Trump doesn't seem all that interested in seeing that done. (And, even if it is somehow overturned 4+ decades after passing, the 10th Amendment will see it returned to the States.)Trump is clearly a social moderate or liberal masquerading as a social conservative.

Trumpcare Divide Healing?: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_HEALTH_OVERHAUL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-21-03-20-21

My Take: I don't understand the point of this legislation. It seems to solve almost none of the problems with Obamacare, and actually appears to make some issues worse. The status of the Medicare grants seems especially tenuous, and could cause a lot of problems. I think Obamacare needs to be fixed, but it needs to be fixed with a bill that's actually better. Either way, I don't know for sure if the GOP Senate will pass this thing, which makes the House voting on it at all kind of silly, politically. No one in either chamber should expose themselves on this vote if leadership isn't positive it will pass, and even if they're sure it does, they better be careful, because this bill can have catastrophic effects on their base.

The Democrats Have A Leadership Void:http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/324903-for-democrats-no-clear-leader

My Take: This is a serious problem. As the story points out, Obama may have found success from 2009-2017, but the Democrat party has been wiped-the-fuck-out during that time, especially at the state and local levels, where Republicans completely dominate. Democrats have to focus on finding a moderate, relatable person to push their agenda forward. Warren may be appealing, and I think she'd be interesting to watch on the national stage, but that may not be the smartest thing to do. They throw Mark Cuban into the mix here; I think he runs in 2020, but as an independent.

French Presidential Debate Gets Crazy:http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_ELECTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-20-17-47-43

My Take: This is going to be one hell of an election to watch, especially since it happens in two waves. I'm completely fascinated by Marine Le Pen, who I think may very clearly be suffering from the same polling malfunctions that led most people (including me) to believe Trump didn't stand a chance in November of 2016. Her populist message is appealing to people, and that seems obvious, considering how all of her rivals are targeting her. Sound familiar? If she wins it all, it's proof that Brexit is a trend, not an outlier. If she loses, liberal Europe may be able to breathe easy again. This is gonna be close, particularly in the final round.

Is Tomi Lahren Imploding?: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/21/tomi-lahrens-nightly-show-pulled-for-a-week-after-her-abortion-comments/?utm_term=.a83a1231a782

My Take: I feel bad for her. To be clear, I don't know her personally, and I don't like her style at all -- it's too riled-up and incendiary for me -- but I think what's happening to her here is bullshit. They've now suspended her show, and I think it's clear she's probably on her way out. People's political opinions should be allowed to evolve, and, way more importantly, people shouldn't have to EVER fit completely into a political mold to associate with that mold. I'm especially confused by Glenn Beck's response, here, as I said on his radio show to millions of people that I'm pro-choice. There's more to this story than I think any of us know. I'll be interested to watch it develop.

I hope you all have a great day! Be good, and take care! -Colin