Washington state representative Matt Shea was investigated last year by the Washington House of Representatives. Last month, a group hired by the legislature to analyze the behavior of Representative Shea released its report, which can be seen here.
The Report, prepared by the Rampart Group, concludes that Shea, as a leader of the Patriot Movement, planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the U.S. government in three states outside the state of Washington. They were in Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho.
Representative Shea was first elected to the Washington house in 2008, the first year the top-two system was in effect in that state. He has been re-elected every two years since, always comfortably. In 2008 he faced two Republican and two Democratic opponents. In 2010 he had no opponents. In 2012 he had one Democratic opponent. In 2014 he had one Republican opponent. In 2016 and 2018 his only opponent was a single Democrat. Shea represents the Fourth District, which is east of Spokane.
There is a wave of activism in the United States that teaches that political parties, and partisan nominees, promote extreme policies, and that if only we didn’t have partisan nominations, office-holders would be more moderate. Reporters all over the country accept this idea. It is rare for any reporters to do any research. If they did, they would find that political science research has consistently debunked this idea. Detailed research shows that the two states with top-two systems, California and Washington, have among the most polarized state legislatures in the nation. Most of the other states with extreme members of Congress, and their own state legislatures, are open primary states. This is no accident. Political parties have an interest in nominating candidates who will reflect well on the party that nominates them. When parties have control over their nominating process, they are more likely to nominate people who cooperate with the other major party.
I do not suggest that Representative Shea would not have been elected and re-elected if Washington state had another type of primary, but I do suggest that if parties in Washington nominated by convention, as they did in all states in the 18th and 19th and early 20th centuries, Shea would not be a state legislator. The Washington Republican caucus in the House has expelled Shea and he has lost all his committee assignments.
I’m only here for Demo Rep’s rants.
It would appear that Top Two accentuates partisanship, rather than diminishes it.
JB – thank you very much for your wisdom.
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See lead up to USA Civil WAR I — esp bleeding Kansas [Free State in 1861 – Final Senate nail in slavery casket] , 1859 John Brown raid in VA.
Instant conspiracy of slave state killers/enslavers to take action if ANY Republican was elected Prez in 1860.
Donkeys split 3 ways at least in 1860 – various conventions.
39 pct minority rule election of Lincoln.
750,000 DEAD in 1861-1865.
New gerrymander Elephants in POWER kept same olde rotted gerrymander systems.
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See 1931-1936 Spanish extremists lead up to horrific 1936-1939 Spanish Civil WAR
— set up for 1939-1945 WW II — 80 million DEAD.
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Party stuff nonstop — See Federalist No. 10.
More or less control freak statism — for 6,000 plus years.
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NOOOO party hack caucuses, primaries and conventions for nominating ANY body for public offices
— only for platform machinations.
Top 2 R-O-T esp if 2D or 2R get nominated >>> more NON-votes — neither HACK acceptable.
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ONLY Nom Pets for ballot access.
PR and AppV and TOTSOP
IF Shea ***planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the U.S. government*** THEN where is a Fed 5 Amdt indictment of him ???
See 1861 USA laws just after Battle of Bull Run in July 1861.
Now see treason and insurrection/rebellion sections in USA Code, Title 18.
Top2 can only work if each party nominates one candidate and voters vote for two candidates. An undervote wouldnt count.
@RW
Do you understand the difference between causality and correlation?
Would the USA be better off without the direct primary, and the 16th, 17th, and 19th amendments?
Leland Yee was repeatedly elected under the old partisan primary system where he simply had to win the Democrat primary. It was only when running in a Top 2 primary that his gunrunning came to light.
Any international stuff about Shea ???
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AM report of Iran general [who allegedly got USA military persons in Syria/Iraq killed] somehow in Iraq [somehow] — being killed in IRAQ on Trump order — govt by MURDER ???
Main issues — extent of ANY USA laws overseas regarding defense of USA persons
– counter-force use of USA power ???
[SCOTUS default – USA domestic laws generally do NOT apply overseas]
Iraq laws being violated – ie Murder/Conspiracy ???
What/whose LAWS [[if any]] apply regarding USA military persons in ANY foreign regime ???
Interpol jurisdiction [Arrest Warrant] if Iraq regime charges Trump with Murder/Conspiracy ???
One more rigged distraction by Trump spider tyrant brain to distract from Impeachment mess ???
Iran making revenge noises re murder of the Iran general
— mere 40 years of area chaos – LOTS dead in Iraq-Iran War in 1980s.
Generally – 6,000 plus years of monarch/oligarch killers/enslavers in Middle East — lots of cooked brain nutcases in desert heat.
Stay tuned.
See start of WW I — all the interlocking contingent machinations — excuses for WAR.
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PR and AppV and TOTSOP — even in olde rotted hotttt Middle East — somewhat coolish in early Jan.
USA military folks supposedly only have to obey LAWFUL orders of USA PREZ as CIC.
Thus — many chain of command FELONS in murder conspiracy ??? Duh.
In the super-BAAAD olde days of divine right of kings —
a king could declare WAR via his mouth/hand.
Perhaps 15 plus major wars by Brit kings/queens in 1066-1776 — getting multi-thousands killed/injured.
THIS side of the Atlantic Ocean —
The DEAD 1787 USA Const has —
1-8-1 The Congress shall have Power ***
1-8-11 To declare War ***.
Means ZERO to KILLER Prezs and SCOTUS HACKS.
Declaration of War References by the U.S.A. Supreme Court thru 2005
[T]he genius and character of our institutions are peaceful, and the power to declare war was not conferred upon Congress for the purposes of aggression or aggrandizement, but to enable the general government to vindicate by arms, if it should become necessary, its own rights and rights of its citizens. Fleming v. Page, 50 U.S. 603, 614 (1850).
By the Constitution, Congress alone has the power to declare a national or foreign war. It cannot declare war against a State, or any number of States, by virtue of any clause in the Constitution. The Constitution confers on the President the whole Executive power. He is bound to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. He is Commander- in-chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States. He has no power to initiate or declare a war either against a foreign nation or a domestic State. Prize Cases, 67 U.S. 635, 668 (1863) [during the super-stressful Civil War]
By the Constitution of the United States the power to declare war is confided to Congress. The executive power and command of the military and naval forces is vested in the President. Hamilton v. Dillin, 88 U.S. 73, 87 (1875).
*** [T]he case of a declaration of war, which must be made by Congress, and which, when made, usually suspends or destroys existing treaties between the nations thus at war. Head Money Cases, 112 U.S. 580, 589 (1884).
[After quoting the military related parts of Art. I, Sec. 8 and Art. II the Court wrote -]
The Constitution thus invests the President, as Commander in Chief, with the power to wage war which Congress has declared, and to carry into effect all laws passed by Congress for the conduct of war and for the government and regulation of the Armed Forces, and all laws defining and punishing offenses against the law of nations, including those which pertain to the conduct of war. Ex Parte Quirin, 317 U.S. 1, 26 (1942) [during the super-dangerous World War II].
Among the powers granted to Congress by the Constitution is power to provide for the common defense, to declare war, *** Art. I, Sec. 8, Const. Johnson v. Eisentrager, 339 U.S. 763, 788 (1950).
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It is obviously a *just cause* for a Declaration of War (by an Act of Congress, Art. I, Sec. 8, cl. 11) against a foreign NATION-State if that foreign NATION-State allows [aka harbors] military or civilian persons inside such foreign NATION-State to directly or indirectly attack U.S.A. persons and their property in the U.S.A., on the High Seas or in ANY foreign nation.
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Inform your local brain dead media.
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2020 killing of Iran General = 1914 killing of Aust-Hung Crown Prince ??? Stay tuned.
NONSTOP subversion of above since 1950 Korean WAR.
Result – possible WW III — lights out for human race.
BAAAAD olde days –
post-Civil WAR Convention HACKS >>>
1883 USA Civil Service ROT — rise of Bureaucrats and Comms.
Start of RED communist Donkeys.
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NOOOO party hack caucuses, primaries and conventions.
Ballot access ONLY via Nom Pets.