Author Topic: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...  (Read 1308862 times)

DarkandStormy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1250 on: March 15, 2018, 06:54:31 AM »
The voters showed up for Pennsylvania's special election. In a US House district that went +20 for Trump, Lamb eked out a victory.

Quote from: 538
The number of votes Lamb received was 80 percent of the number of votes Clinton received in this district in 2016 — but Saccone got just 53 percent of the number of votes Trump got.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pennsylvania-18-district-lamb-results/

Midterms often tilt away from the President's party but this will be Trump's legacy: a major shift from the President's party. Redistricting won't be able to save the Republicans in the House.

There are some 118 House districts that are MORE competitive/left-leaning than PA-18.  Now, that was an odd election/district due to the sitting House member leaving due to scandal and it's a highly unionized district (20% of households estimated) so that helped Lamb who is a more "moderate" Democrat (pro-choice legislatively, anti-tax bill, pro-ACA, pro-legalization of marijuana, etc.). 

Do I expect the Dems to take all 118 seats?  No.  But should the GOP be scared and preparing to defend nearly 120 seats?  Yeah, probably.  I mean, if this map is any indication of what's to come in November....good luck.


A Definite Beta Guy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1251 on: March 15, 2018, 11:11:58 AM »
Yeah, I'd definitely bank on a Dem Wave large enough to retake the House at this point. They only need to flip around 25 seats to regain control, which definitely looks probable with the last few special elections.

Obviously, we'll have a better idea a few weeks out, when there are actual candidates and actual polling.


EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1252 on: March 20, 2018, 09:50:57 PM »
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/politics/trump-putin-advisers-do-not-congratulate/index.html

Quote
Washington (CNN) - US President Donald Trump congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election despite the warnings from multiple national security advisers and briefing materials that said "DO NOT CONGRATULATE," The Washington Post reported Tuesday evening.

The Post, citing an unspecified number of officials familiar with the call, said Trump likewise did not listen to aides who gave him talking points to condemn a nerve agent poisoning in the UK, which the US has blamed on Russia.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia that he had congratulated Putin in a call.

What will it take for his supporters to jump ship?  Does he have to tell America in a bombastic speech that we should teach Russian in our schools, since we're under new management?  How much more 'in your face' can this get?

EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1253 on: March 20, 2018, 11:25:13 PM »
Oh yeah, and anyone who still thinks that our President isn't compromised by embarrassing sexual discretion can not help to see the long line of behavior starting with his first wife and piling on through the Billy Bush tapes, Stormy Daniels, additional Playgirl lawsuit, 19 accusers at confirmation, and, well, that it's generally pervasive in our daily lives.  He's about the most disgusting human I can imagine the more that comes to light about him and his family, and yet he thinks that he is 'Making America Great Again'?

partgypsy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1254 on: March 21, 2018, 06:43:09 AM »
Oh yeah, and anyone who still thinks that our President isn't compromised by embarrassing sexual discretion can not help to see the long line of behavior starting with his first wife and piling on through the Billy Bush tapes, Stormy Daniels, additional Playgirl lawsuit, 19 accusers at confirmation, and, well, that it's generally pervasive in our daily lives.  He's about the most disgusting human I can imagine the more that comes to light about him and his family, and yet he thinks that he is 'Making white male America Great Again'?
ftfy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1255 on: March 21, 2018, 07:07:59 AM »
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/politics/trump-putin-advisers-do-not-congratulate/index.html

Quote
Washington (CNN) - US President Donald Trump congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election despite the warnings from multiple national security advisers and briefing materials that said "DO NOT CONGRATULATE," The Washington Post reported Tuesday evening.

The Post, citing an unspecified number of officials familiar with the call, said Trump likewise did not listen to aides who gave him talking points to condemn a nerve agent poisoning in the UK, which the US has blamed on Russia.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia that he had congratulated Putin in a call.

What will it take for his supporters to jump ship?  Does he have to tell America in a bombastic speech that we should teach Russian in our schools, since we're under new management?  How much more 'in your face' can this get?

I am not a Trump fan at all, but fwiw, Obama actually called and congratulated Putin in 2012. Apparently there was a lot of discussion over whether or not he should do it and the ultimate decision between him and his advisers was to call, highlight the progress in US/Russia relations under Medviedev (sp?), and lay out some ground rules on Assad and Syria.

The difference being Obama and his advisers decided together to make the call and put a lot of thought into it. Trump just ignored his advisers and who knows what he said because they hadn't come up with a statement to release to the press - additionally, and obviously, Putin had not yet meddled in US elections in 2012 (as far as we know) so circumstances were also 100% different.

But I've seen a bunch of "Obama would never have done it" coming from my liberal compatriots, so wanted to set the record straight :) He did do it in 2012, but would not have made the call in 2018 against the advice of his NS folks.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1256 on: March 21, 2018, 07:39:45 AM »
Oh yeah, and anyone who still thinks that our President isn't compromised by embarrassing sexual discretion can not help to see the long line of behavior starting with his first wife and piling on through the Billy Bush tapes, Stormy Daniels, additional Playgirl lawsuit, 19 accusers at confirmation, and, well, that it's generally pervasive in our daily lives.  He's about the most disgusting human I can imagine the more that comes to light about him and his family, and yet he thinks that he is 'Making straight christian white male America Great Again'?
ftfy
ftfy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1257 on: March 22, 2018, 05:21:19 PM »
McMaster is out and to be replaced by John Bolton. Dowd is also out of the legal team today, supposedly frustrated by Trump not listening to him. I swear that Trump's favorite staff would just be a tape recorder playback machine. Anyone else having trouble keeping up with the whack-a-mole staffing system at the White House?

wenchsenior

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1258 on: March 22, 2018, 05:38:12 PM »
Jesus H.  Bolton is a proponent of first strike attacks on North Korea and Iran.  And he doesn't require Senate approval.  I didn't really think a new war was inevitable, but I'm starting to think it now.

Kris

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1259 on: March 22, 2018, 05:43:26 PM »
Seriously. Better get those bomb shelters built, folks.

I'm only sort of kidding.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-legal-case-for-striking-north-korea-first-1519862374
« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 05:52:56 PM by Kris »

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1260 on: March 22, 2018, 05:56:06 PM »
Dowd is also out of the legal team today,

Isn't this like the fourth Trump lawyer to leave Trump's defense team?  I'm not a lawyer, can anyone who is offer me some perspective on why people who are being paid to defend a powerful client might all up and quit?  I mean just knowing that he's guilty doesn't usually cause a lawyer to abandon a client, right?

Quote
Anyone else having trouble keeping up with the whack-a-mole staffing system at the White House?

He's making it harder than it needs to be.  As late as last week, Trump was on Twitter saying he was thrilled with his current legal team and wouldn't be changing any of them, and Sanders was on tv saying McMasters was staying despite rumors to the contrary.  Oops?

I think Trump still thinks of his presidency like a reality show, where you need to keep the audience guessing so they come back next week to see what happens.  He'll outright lie for no other reason than to create fake "drama".  It's not presidential, but I think I can sort of understand the mindset.  Everything is about public perception to him, not facts or accomplishments, and in that context he's more worried about spinning a narrative than he is about doing any actual work.

partgypsy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1261 on: March 22, 2018, 06:10:46 PM »
Hopefully that narrative doesn't include an end of season let's start a war cliffhanger. This is what happens when you elect an unprincipled narcissist as president. I hope there is some amendment passed that will say that all people nominated for running for president need to pass an independent psychological and psychiatric examination before being allowed on the ballot.

Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1262 on: March 22, 2018, 06:28:29 PM »
Dowd is also out of the legal team today,

Isn't this like the fourth Trump lawyer to leave Trump's defense team?  I'm not a lawyer, can anyone who is offer me some perspective on why people who are being paid to defend a powerful client might all up and quit?  I mean just knowing that he's guilty doesn't usually cause a lawyer to abandon a client, right?

I'm not a lawyer, but Preet Bharara talked about this on his podcast a week or so ago. In short, normally representing the president on something high profile would be a big gold star on your resume. This president may not have that same luster, and may be very professionally frustrating because of his inability to follow counsel. Sometimes high-functioning people just don't need that level of bullshit in their lives. I secretly hope that it is because he is privy to inside info and is a rat jumping off the sinking ship.

former player

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1263 on: March 22, 2018, 06:32:14 PM »

Isn't this like the fourth Trump lawyer to leave Trump's defense team?  I'm not a lawyer, can anyone who is offer me some perspective on why people who are being paid to defend a powerful client might all up and quit?  I mean just knowing that he's guilty doesn't usually cause a lawyer to abandon a client, right?

A lawyer can't present in court a defence that they know to be untrue, or lie to an opposing party in negotiations: to do so is a breach of professional standards.  The key to this is "know": guessing or believing that your client is lying is OK, knowing that they are is not.  It's entirely possible that Dowd got to the point where there was nothing more he could do for Trump's defence because he would have had to lie, in breach of his professional obligations as a lawyer.

Alternative explanations are that Dowd found out that Trump had been lying to him and so undermining any possible attempt to defend Trump in any legal action, or that Trump's bullying (eg to send those weekend tweets) had become so bad as to unsupportable.

It looks as though the new lawyer from Fox isn't going to be doing much lawyering as such, just muddying the waters with conspiracy theories so that there are enough members of the public and congress supporting Trump to stand against impeachment or a jury conviction.

lbmustache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1264 on: March 22, 2018, 08:49:17 PM »
Jesus H.  Bolton is a proponent of first strike attacks on North Korea and Iran.  And he doesn't require Senate approval.  I didn't really think a new war was inevitable, but I'm starting to think it now.

Oof. I was really hoping it would be the other guy (Ford exec??). This week on the White House show, Bolton says he told Trump he wouldn't start any wars. Stay tuned for the season finale (there will be a war). Total disaster.


EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1265 on: March 22, 2018, 10:54:04 PM »
Jesus H.  Bolton is a proponent of first strike attacks on North Korea and Iran.  And he doesn't require Senate approval.  I didn't really think a new war was inevitable, but I'm starting to think it now.

Oof. I was really hoping it would be the other guy (Ford exec??). This week on the White House show, Bolton says he told Trump he wouldn't start any wars. Stay tuned for the season finale (there will be a war). Total disaster.

When someone says that they are not going to do something, it means that it is on their mind and thus likely to happen.  For some odd reason, Bolton makes me think of Wormtongue from LOTR...

Just Joe

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1266 on: March 23, 2018, 05:50:16 AM »
Jesus H.  Bolton is a proponent of first strike attacks on North Korea and Iran.  And he doesn't require Senate approval.  I didn't really think a new war was inevitable, but I'm starting to think it now.

Oof. I was really hoping it would be the other guy (Ford exec??). This week on the White House show, Bolton says he told Trump he wouldn't start any wars. Stay tuned for the season finale (there will be a war). Total disaster.

Promises have been especially flimsy over the past couple of years.

DarkandStormy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1267 on: March 23, 2018, 06:52:39 AM »
Trump has a higher turnover rate than McDonald's (not a joke).

Kris

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1268 on: March 23, 2018, 07:49:11 AM »
Exactly why Trump chose Bolton, in one sentence:

"Bolton is a true-believing ideologue firmly encamped on his party’s right flank, who appears regularly on Fox News to propound ultrasimplistic solutions to the world’s problems, which Trump can easily grasp on his sofa."

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/nobody-is-left-to-save-the-world-from-trump-now.html?utm_campaign=nym&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=s1

PathtoFIRE

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1269 on: March 23, 2018, 07:56:40 AM »
Trump's favorite staff would just be a tape recorder playback machine.

You're not far off

"In the midst of a Cabinet shake-up and a possible staff upheaval, President Donald Trump considered firing his chief of staff this month and not naming a successor, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Trump has mused to close associates about running the West Wing as he did his business empire, essentially serving as his own chief of staff, these people said."

PathtoFIRE

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1270 on: March 23, 2018, 08:02:31 AM »
It looks as though the new lawyer from Fox isn't going to be doing much lawyering as such, just muddying the waters with conspiracy theories

This lawyer is so much more than just a conspiracy theorist, he and his wife were actively involved in a conspiracy to manufacture an October surprise against Clinton right before the election. And they succeeded. The two of them also already represent several other key players in the Trump orbit and which either already are or could be witnesses against Trump and others.

Here's Seth Abramson's Twitter thread discussing this back in February; and here's that Twitter thread unrolled for easier reading


PathtoFIRE

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1271 on: March 23, 2018, 08:07:37 AM »
A lawyer can't present in court a defence that they know to be untrue, or lie to an opposing party in negotiations

Not a lawyer here. So I'm watching The People Vs. OJ Simpson, and at several points one of OJ's lawyers either asks him directly if he did it or discusses his true guilt or innocence to his colleagues. Now I just assumed this was normal for defense attorneys to ask, in order to fully prepare for what to expect from the prosecution. But if they can't defend a not guilty plea of a client who has admitted to them that they are guilty, does this mean defense lawyers generally forbid their client from telling them this kind of info?

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1272 on: March 23, 2018, 08:43:58 AM »
The two of them also already represent several other key players in the Trump orbit and which either already are or could be witnesses against Trump and others.

I have seen several people suggest that the real reason Trump is hiring these people is not so they can serve as his lawyers but to establish attorney client privilege so they can't testify against him.  I agree that they are already deep embroiled in the scandal on a personal level, before becoming his counsel.

That still doesn't explain why so many other people are dropping out, only why Trump is hiring new ones.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1273 on: March 23, 2018, 10:50:13 AM »
A lawyer can't present in court a defence that they know to be untrue, or lie to an opposing party in negotiations

Not a lawyer here. So I'm watching The People Vs. OJ Simpson, and at several points one of OJ's lawyers either asks him directly if he did it or discusses his true guilt or innocence to his colleagues. Now I just assumed this was normal for defense attorneys to ask, in order to fully prepare for what to expect from the prosecution. But if they can't defend a not guilty plea of a client who has admitted to them that they are guilty, does this mean defense lawyers generally forbid their client from telling them this kind of info?
A lawyer who knows that his client is guilty can still act for the client by challenging the prosecution case.  It's possible that if they can tear down the prosecution's case sufficiently then they will win without needing to put the client on the stand to defend themselves.  But they can't put the client on the stand to give evidence in their defence that they know to be false.

I'm not a criminal defence lawyer.  From general knowledge I would say that a lawyer needs to say to their client anything you tell me must be the truth, because I can't do a good job for you if I'm working on lies.  I don't know about the OJ case specifically but I think they were essentially challenging the prosecution rather than putting OJ up to speak in his own defence which means that they could avoid any professional standards issues around knowledge of his guilt.

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1274 on: March 23, 2018, 11:05:29 AM »
which means that they could avoid any professional standards issues around knowledge of his guilt.

"Professional standards" are voluntary controls.  You can voluntarily ignore them, if the case is big enough.  Imagine a case so big, so important, and so profitable that winning it means you become the richest and most famous lawyer in the world.  Professional conduct and standards can go right out the window, because you never need to work again.  You can get disbarred with no consequence, because you don't need to work ever again.

What kind of case could possibly be that big, important, and profitable?  Maybe defending a US President who also claims to be a billionaire?  Even if a lawyer commits not only professional misconduct but also literal felonies, who cares?  He's the F'in president, he can just pardon you as long as you keep him happy.

I'm not very impressed with "professional standards of conduct" as our only guardrail when it comes to high profile cases.  I learned long ago that the key to winning anything in life is learning which rules can be bent, and which can be broken.   Ask the Patriots or the Yankees.  Ask any NASCAR team.  Ask the Kennedy's or the Trumps.  Ask any Olympian.  Ask any lawyer.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1275 on: March 23, 2018, 11:39:20 AM »
which means that they could avoid any professional standards issues around knowledge of his guilt.

"Professional standards" are voluntary controls.  You can voluntarily ignore them, if the case is big enough.  Imagine a case so big, so important, and so profitable that winning it means you become the richest and most famous lawyer in the world.  Professional conduct and standards can go right out the window, because you never need to work again.  You can get disbarred with no consequence, because you don't need to work ever again.

What kind of case could possibly be that big, important, and profitable?  Maybe defending a US President who also claims to be a billionaire?  Even if a lawyer commits not only professional misconduct but also literal felonies, who cares?  He's the F'in president, he can just pardon you as long as you keep him happy.

I'm not very impressed with "professional standards of conduct" as our only guardrail when it comes to high profile cases.  I learned long ago that the key to winning anything in life is learning which rules can be bent, and which can be broken.   Ask the Patriots or the Yankees.  Ask any NASCAR team.  Ask the Kennedy's or the Trumps.  Ask any Olympian.  Ask any lawyer.
I agree.  The legal and constitutional protections against Trump seem to me to be wafer-thin until a different President is sworn in.

I don't think any modern governmental systems are set up to deal with the consequences of the obscene levels of extreme wealth that have been created and celebrated in the last two or three decades.  Putin has built his power base by creating and/or suborning the Russian oligarchs and Trump gained power with the support of the USA's own Republican oligarchs such as Robert Mercer, permitted to choose elected officials by the Supreme Court removing restrictions on election spending under the guise of "free speech" - which has of course become paid-for speech and fake news.

Just Joe

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1276 on: March 23, 2018, 01:50:48 PM »
A lawyer can't present in court a defence that they know to be untrue, or lie to an opposing party in negotiations

Not a lawyer here. So I'm watching The People Vs. OJ Simpson, and at several points one of OJ's lawyers either asks him directly if he did it or discusses his true guilt or innocence to his colleagues. Now I just assumed this was normal for defense attorneys to ask, in order to fully prepare for what to expect from the prosecution. But if they can't defend a not guilty plea of a client who has admitted to them that they are guilty, does this mean defense lawyers generally forbid their client from telling them this kind of info?
A lawyer who knows that his client is guilty can still act for the client by challenging the prosecution case.  It's possible that if they can tear down the prosecution's case sufficiently then they will win without needing to put the client on the stand to defend themselves.  But they can't put the client on the stand to give evidence in their defence that they know to be false.

I'm not a criminal defence lawyer.  From general knowledge I would say that a lawyer needs to say to their client anything you tell me must be the truth, because I can't do a good job for you if I'm working on lies.  I don't know about the OJ case specifically but I think they were essentially challenging the prosecution rather than putting OJ up to speak in his own defence which means that they could avoid any professional standards issues around knowledge of his guilt.

That's got to wear on the soul. A client is a dirtbag and guilty as hell (perhaps truly heinous things) their lawyer has to defend them - and live with their conscience. 

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1277 on: March 23, 2018, 02:24:42 PM »
That's got to wear on the soul.

That's why they get paid the big bucks, though, to deal with these sorts of conflicts.  It's why there are so many jokes about lawyers not having souls.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1278 on: March 23, 2018, 02:57:18 PM »

That's got to wear on the soul. A client is a dirtbag and guilty as hell (perhaps truly heinous things) their lawyer has to defend them - and live with their conscience.
Yes, except that by challenging the prosecution to prove their case against someone who is guilty a defence lawyer is ensuring the application of due process, and if you as an innocent person are ever prosecuted you will be very grateful for due process.

Gin1984

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1279 on: March 28, 2018, 06:30:10 PM »
Its time for social/religious conservatism to split off from fiscal conservatism. PART of their platform is valid but the whole tamale sucks. Of course they preach fiscal responsibility but rarely demonstrate it in recent times...
I'm fiscally conservative, but in my life time I have not seen the GOP once balance the budget, even once.  That is not fiscally conservative.

dividendman

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1280 on: March 28, 2018, 07:28:25 PM »
Its time for social/religious conservatism to split off from fiscal conservatism. PART of their platform is valid but the whole tamale sucks. Of course they preach fiscal responsibility but rarely demonstrate it in recent times...
I'm fiscally conservative, but in my life time I have not seen the GOP once balance the budget, even once.  That is not fiscally conservative.

Republicans are fiscally conservative - but only when the Democrats are in power.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1281 on: March 29, 2018, 10:12:06 AM »
I think this is a pretty good opinion piece from Shulkin, who was just canned as head of the VA, and apparently replaced by the next medical-type person Trump saw... his own personal doctor.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/opinion/shulkin-veterans-affairs-privatization.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

My SO works in the VA and offered a pretty nuanced view of what Shulkin had actually done while in his position. It seemed that he was actually doing some very good things... the things that are good and don't make headlines. After discussing what the VA does, I am in agreement that privatization of the VA is a bad idea and would result in degradation of care for veterans. Vets have a pretty specific set of needs and having facilities that specialize in those areas is immensely beneficial. The VA does have some mind numbing bureaucracy, but that is a solvable problem... and is different but not necessarily worse than the mind numbing bureaucracy of dealing with insurance companies.


partgypsy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1282 on: March 29, 2018, 03:02:56 PM »
I think this is a pretty good opinion piece from Shulkin, who was just canned as head of the VA, and apparently replaced by the next medical-type person Trump saw... his own personal doctor.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/opinion/shulkin-veterans-affairs-privatization.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

My SO works in the VA and offered a pretty nuanced view of what Shulkin had actually done while in his position. It seemed that he was actually doing some very good things... the things that are good and don't make headlines. After discussing what the VA does, I am in agreement that privatization of the VA is a bad idea and would result in degradation of care for veterans. Vets have a pretty specific set of needs and having facilities that specialize in those areas is immensely beneficial. The VA does have some mind numbing bureaucracy, but that is a solvable problem... and is different but not necessarily worse than the mind numbing bureaucracy of dealing with insurance companies.

Both the acting secretary and new nominee have no depth of experience dealing with the VA, among other things. I really don't know what kinds of balls will be dropped because of this.
What is interesting is I was talking with a fellow employee (who happens to be an veteran). She brought up the subject, that Shulkin was doing a good job for the VA, and feels this is a mistake. She volunteered that she voted for trump as she "can't stand Hillary" but now she's not so sure what's going on with him.

DarkandStormy

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EscapeVelocity2020

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1284 on: March 30, 2018, 07:10:44 PM »
Only in America, only at this point in time https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/30/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-white-house/index.html

Quote
Senior White House aides are exasperated with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, the already embattled Cabinet secretary who now finds himself at the center of an expanding controversy over his decision to rent a room in Washington, DC, from the family of an energy lobbyist.

How obviously corrupt do you need to be until people notice you anymore?  This used to be caught way before things of this nature but now it's like, well, he managed to move to the top of the list finally.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1285 on: March 30, 2018, 07:24:23 PM »
Only in America, only at this point in time https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/30/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-white-house/index.html

Quote
Senior White House aides are exasperated with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, the already embattled Cabinet secretary who now finds himself at the center of an expanding controversy over his decision to rent a room in Washington, DC, from the family of an energy lobbyist.

How obviously corrupt do you need to be until people notice you anymore?  This used to be caught way before things of this nature but now it's like, well, he managed to move to the top of the list finally.


To be fair, that's just some low grade un-sensational open and shut type corruption.  Are we supposed to get excited about it?  It's not like he was threatening the child of the porn star he fucked/attempted to bribe into silence, or was the star of a document about urine and Russian spies.

:P

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1286 on: March 30, 2018, 07:58:03 PM »
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-april-sexual-assault-awareness-month-230244986.html

Holy hell! My wife and I busted out laughing at this!! I thought it was a joke!

Any guesses on what next month will be called? Perhaps "National monogamy month."

NoStacheOhio

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1287 on: March 31, 2018, 06:15:47 AM »
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-april-sexual-assault-awareness-month-230244986.html

Holy hell! My wife and I busted out laughing at this!! I thought it was a joke!

Any guesses on what next month will be called? Perhaps "National monogamy month."

Wait, are we sure it's not an April Fools' joke?

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1288 on: March 31, 2018, 06:52:37 AM »
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-april-sexual-assault-awareness-month-230244986.html

Holy hell! My wife and I busted out laughing at this!! I thought it was a joke!

Any guesses on what next month will be called? Perhaps "National monogamy month."

Wait, are we sure it's not an April Fools' joke?

I thought the same thing. Perhaps they will come out and say "April Fools" at some point.

sequoia

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1289 on: March 31, 2018, 08:50:17 AM »
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-april-sexual-assault-awareness-month-230244986.html

Holy hell! My wife and I busted out laughing at this!! I thought it was a joke!

Any guesses on what next month will be called? Perhaps "National monogamy month."

Wait, are we sure it's not an April Fools' joke?

I thought the same thing. Perhaps they will come out and say "April Fools" at some point.

I almost lost my coffee (and probably ruin my keyboard) this morning lmao. I have to admit that among the bad news that continuously coming from this administration, this one is real funny!

DavidAnnArbor

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1290 on: March 31, 2018, 09:59:50 AM »
If the Democrats succeed to take the US House of Representatives what will the strategy be? I can see investigations of Trump for sure. But what will happen that will inspire voters in 2020 to turn out and vote? It's not a give that the Democrats will win in 2018, there might be some kind of Russian efforts to attack the Democratic party.

wenchsenior

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1291 on: March 31, 2018, 10:06:25 AM »
If the Democrats succeed to take the US House of Representatives what will the strategy be? I can see investigations of Trump for sure. But what will happen that will inspire voters in 2020 to turn out and vote? It's not a give that the Democrats will win in 2018, there might be some kind of Russian efforts to attack the Democratic party.

I don't know because Dems are resolutely strategy-impaired in all ways. The Dem base will demand impeachment, but any actual attempt to impeach Trump is just liable to backfire by re-inspiring his less inspired voters and driving up GOP turnout.  It's a depressing pickle to be in.

jim555

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1292 on: March 31, 2018, 11:58:39 AM »
Wait, are we sure it's not an April Fools' joke?
Ashton Kutcher is gonna come out soon and say Punk'd.

NorthernBlitz

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1293 on: March 31, 2018, 12:20:47 PM »
..there might be some kind of Russian efforts to attack the Democratic party.

I think it's a good bed that they'll send Dem staffers e-mails asking for their passwords again. If it ain't broke...

Just Joe

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1294 on: April 02, 2018, 08:05:51 AM »
Oh yeah, and anyone who still thinks that our President isn't compromised by embarrassing sexual discretion can not help to see the long line of behavior starting with his first wife and piling on through the Billy Bush tapes, Stormy Daniels, additional Playgirl lawsuit, 19 accusers at confirmation, and, well, that it's generally pervasive in our daily lives.  He's about the most disgusting human I can imagine the more that comes to light about him and his family, and yet he thinks that he is 'Making America Great Again'?

The sentence just isn't complete. Its "making America Great Again" for him and his circle. The rest of us are on our own.

partgypsy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1295 on: April 02, 2018, 01:49:49 PM »
Oh yeah, and anyone who still thinks that our President isn't compromised by embarrassing sexual discretion can not help to see the long line of behavior starting with his first wife and piling on through the Billy Bush tapes, Stormy Daniels, additional Playgirl lawsuit, 19 accusers at confirmation, and, well, that it's generally pervasive in our daily lives.  He's about the most disgusting human I can imagine the more that comes to light about him and his family, and yet he thinks that he is 'Making America Great Again'?

The sentence just isn't complete. Its "making America Great Again" for him and his circle. The rest of us are on our own.

I can't fix your quote but that should be "playboy" not "playgirl" (lol). I actually clicked on link because I was, Trump and Playgirl scandal, got to see what THIS is about!

sequoia

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1296 on: April 02, 2018, 07:49:41 PM »
Amazon Caused Donald Trump to Lose $400 Million in Net Worth, Says Forbes

http://fortune.com/2017/10/17/amazon-donald-trump-net-worth-forbes/


Davnasty

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1297 on: April 02, 2018, 08:38:33 PM »
Amazon Caused Donald Trump to Lose $400 Million in Net Worth, Says Forbes

http://fortune.com/2017/10/17/amazon-donald-trump-net-worth-forbes/

An article written in the hope that it might reach Trump's desk and really piss him off. I like it.

partgypsy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1298 on: April 02, 2018, 08:48:26 PM »
Huh interesting. I think someone might have read this article to him already, judging from the amount of time he is spending bashing Amazon lately.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-war-trump-reportedly-seeking-ways-to-hurt-amazon-2018-04-02

GrayGhost

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #1299 on: April 02, 2018, 11:29:44 PM »
It definitely is in POTUS's character to come out swinging against any perceived threat, but I can't help but wonder if there is something to his concerns about Amazon. Even Bernie Sanders seems amenable to the idea that Amazon is getting to be too powerful.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!