Catalonia's Independence: Today's News for October 2nd

Per this blog's policy, terrorist acts will be ignored, as that only encourages more. If you feel the lurid need to read about the latest terrorist act in Las Vegas, here is a link. However, I am taking the view that "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Or anywhere else, when it comes to pointless murdering by losers to score political points.

In more important news...

Associated Press:

Yes side wins Catalonia independence vote marred by chaos

Catalonia’s regional government declared a landslide win for the “yes” side in a disputed referendum on independence from Spain that degenerated into mayhem Sunday, with more than 800 people injured as riot police attacked peaceful protesters and unarmed civilians trying to cast their ballots.

Catalonia has “won the right to become an independent state,” Catalan president Carles Puigdemont said after the polls closed, adding that he would keep his pledge to declare independence unilaterally if the “yes” side wins.

“Today the Spanish state wrote another shameful page in its history with Catalonia,” Puigdemont added, saying he would appeal to the European Union to look into alleged human rights violations during the vote.

Catalan regional government spokesman Jordi Turull told reporters early Monday that 90 percent of the 2.26 million Catalans who voted chose the “yes” side in favor of independence. He said nearly 8 percent of voters rejected independence and the rest of the ballots were blank or void. He said 15,000 votes were still being counted.

The region has 5.3 million registered voters, and Turull said the number of ballots didn’t include those confiscated by Spanish police during violent raids that aimed to stop the vote.

When a people try to peacefully declare their independence, and the state tries to stop them violently, this is the recipe for a civil war.

In other news, with the new Supreme Court term beginning today, here comes an interesting rumor...

Fox News:

Supreme Court kickoff: Trump agenda, union dues, Kennedy speculation

...Sources close to Justice Anthony Kennedy say he has been seriously considering retirement and may not stay on the bench for Trump's entire first term. Rumors were at a blustery pitch that he would step down last June, but the new term begins with the 81-year-old justice on board, his unique power base intact.

His influence as the court's "swing" member -- the deciding vote on a range of high-profile cases from gay marriage to immigration to abortion -- has left his seat coveted by those on the right and left. Replacing him would launch an epic political fight, and could prove [a boost] to the Trump presidency itself.

While any Supreme Court decision can have far-reaching implications, the retirement or death of a SCOTUS member is far more important. If conservatives could get a strong justice to replace Kennedy, this could be more important than anything else Trump could accomplish in office.

Speaking of people Republicans won't miss...

Fox News:

Kasich floats idea of leaving Republican Party if 'party can't be fixed'

Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, in an interview Sunday hinted that he would consider leaving the Republican Party if its members don’t get their act together.

Kasich, who ran against President Trump in 2016, was the last man standing in Trump’s path for the presidency. He announced his decision to end his bid in May.

Kasich is widely seen as a Republican moderate.

“If the  party can’t be fixed, Jake, then I’m not going to be able to support the party,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Period. That’s the end of it.”

Kasich made it clear that, in his opinion, the Democratic Party may not be a viable alternative. He said he has no “idea what the Democrats are for.”

'What I'm trying to do is struggle for the soul of the Republican Party the way that I see it,' Kasich said. 'And I have a right to define it, but I'm not going to support people who are dividers.'   

Kasich is saying, "It's my way or the highway."

At least Democrats are socialists. On the other hand, Kasich doesn't stand for anything, and that was apparent in his milquetoast presidential run. "Compromise" isn't a valid political ideology, especially when compromising with the failed socialist ideology. If Republicans need to fail to keep him around,  then he shouldn't let the door hit him on the ass on the way out.