DL Open Thread: Weds., January 1, 2020

Lewandowski Drops NH Senate Bid.  You say you didn’t even know he was running? Well, he’s not. Anymore, that is…

Protesters Swarm US Embassy In Iraq.  Can you imagine if this had happened on Hillary Clinton’s watch as Secretary of State? The investigations would have already started.  Anyway, this is what happens when you don’t have a coherent foreign policy:

The situation in Iraq reached a new level of volatility in the last few days as Iran and the United States attacked each other’s forces, in an escalation of hostilities that was at risk of spiraling out of control. The growing confrontations between the United States and Iran, the two main sponsors of the fragile Iraqi government and the two primary foreign military powers there, makes the already unstable region even more so.

Fortunately we have two superb diplomats ready to cool down the situation:

President Trump said on Tuesday that Iran was responsible for events at the embassy compound in Baghdad, and tweeted, “They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.”

That drew a taunting response on Wednesday from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. “You can’t do anything,” he said in a speech in Tehran, according to his website, adding: “If the Islamic Republic decides to challenge and fight, it will do so unequivocally.”

Going out on a limb here: This doesn’t look good.  BTW, you can get all the context you need on this issue right here. Worth reading.

Illinois Legalizes Pot And Expunges Records Of 11,017 Low-Level Users.  Meanwhile, in Delaware, despite the best efforts of our AG, John Carney continues to ‘monitor’ the legalization movement nationwide. Teh idiocy, it burns! Kathy, please primary his ass!  BTW, read this statement from the Illinois governor:

“Tomorrow when adult-use cannabis becomes legal, pay attention to the fact that we are beginning to accomplish four very important things: We are ending the 50-year long war on cannabis. We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Every state that has legalized cannabis has seen high demand and long lines in its earliest weeks, and to be sure, our state will too. But unlike other states, in Illinois, we purposely built a system where the market has room to grow, so that entrepreneurs, including especially those from the communities devastated by the war on drugs, will have real opportunities in this industry.”

In other words, the fucking cops won’t be in charge of the marketplace.

Biden/Buttigieg Battle For Moderates Heating Up?  I usually leave this stuff to a different site, but it’s an interesting look at the tactics both camps are now employing.

Federal Judge Blocks Discriminatory NC Voter ID Law.  First, it’s great to see a judge working on New Year’s Eve. But this is why Chris Coons supporting so many of Trump’s judicial nominees is so–evil. Right now, the courts are serving as democracy’s last protection. Every new Trump-appointed judge lessens those protections. They may soon be gone altogether.  Chris–bipartisanship does not mean crossing the aisle for Trump’s judges in exchange for inserting a loophole on behalf of Amgen into some tax code somewhere. 

BTW, kids, did you know that Amgen loves Chris Coons twice as much as any other politician?  Now you do. 

What do you want to talk about?