General Political Discussion
 

On anything. Mueller. What's going to happen when the new House is in place. Anything. There's already a 2020 thread. But, otherwise any political discussion, drive-by comments or sustained discussion. Whatever.

Boy did I enjoy seeing Pelosi and Shumer stop Trump in his tracks. They kept saying maybe you want to have this discussion in private, proving how unexpected it was for him. He hasn't had serious opposition except in the Press, and we know how much he hates that. What fun! Also Pence poised behind them like a gargoyle. Hahahaha.

George Papadopoulos.........
 

Trump campaign adviser gets 2 weeks in jail for lying to FBI.....




With a sentence like this, where is the incentive to tell the truth and do the right thing?

False Statements....
 

Lawyers for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn argued Tuesday that their client deserved to receive no more than a year of probation and 200 hours of community...

Originally Mueller's office charged him with making 'false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements' - an offense which carries a maximum sentence of five years.

I realize he's given Mueller information, but again IMHO this is just another slap on the wrist...

However, can you imagine how humiliating it's going to be to a guy like that?
Actual jail time would be incentive enough for someone in his shoes
not to try emulating the behavior.

https://youtu.be/G6UErwiuLCM I think Jeanne Moos does some great clips. Sorry I do not know how to make the video visible without going to a different tab but it is worth a look/laugh.

Michael Cohen
 

Cohen sentenced to 3 years in prison, + fine of $50,000...

Isn't Mueller's team recommending no jail time for Flynn? I am fine with that if he has thrown Trump, Don Jr., and Kushner under the bus.

That was too funny. My favorite is Pence was powering down to save electricity.

Republicans
 

“The Senate on Thursday delivered back-to-back rebukes of President Trump’s embrace of Saudi Arabia, first voting to end U.S. participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen and then unanimously approving a measure blaming the kingdom’s crown prince for the ghastly killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”

https://www.msn.com/fi-fi/uutiset/ul...war/ar-BBQVwF6

“It would end U.S. support of Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen, which is suffering from a humanitarian crisis thanks to the conflict. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and 40,000 injured.”

Now, the outgoing Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, has blocked the House from taking up the Yemen bill.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ill/ar-BBQRkgF

Moreover, The Guardian states that in Yemen “up to 85,000 young children dead from starvation” - children!! – a fact that I find horrific, and brings up a sadness in me. Every time I see that on the news, my eyes tear up. Because, in the main, it is with American bombs and American money that all this is happening.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...e-the-children

The Americans under Republican leadership is complicit (insofar as I am concerned) in this murder.

Ryan is a card carrying Catholic, and one of the most Conservative of the right wing Republicans. As such, he is an active pro-lifer, opposes abortion rights, opposes same-sex marriage, opposes equity pay.

Contrast Ryan with the New Zealand Prime Minister, a woman, Jacinda Ardern, who voted in favour of same-sex marriage, believes that abortion should be removed from their Criminal Code, as well as decriminalizing cannabis. She was even the first Prime Minister in New Zealand’s history who marched in a gay pride parade. Her work on pay equity for women is historic. “Pay equity deal will see women in education support roles receive 30 per cent pay rise.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/edu...-cent-pay-rise

In Canada, the majority of Canadians tend to vote for a party rather than an individual (leader), as opposed to what happens in the States, where most Americans vote for a person who embodies their ideal of “leadership”; and, I think that is where the heart of the problem lies – a kind of cult of personality - of “leadership”, especially male leadership. And, I think that it is the belief in authority that lies at the heart of this problem. It is evident and, I think, unfortunate that most Americans are never taught to “question authority” per se. Because of this deliberate and inculcated belief leading to this overt omission (supported by organized religion), it follows that there is always a rise of nationalism and its ensuing violence, all at the expense of those who are poor, those who are women, those who do not fit into the GDP ideal of capitalism, where profit is the bottom line.

I really wonder when a large sector of American women (and if) will wake up to the damage they cause because of their support of male leaders.

Also, speaking of violence, please note that gun deaths in American have reached an all time high - 40,000 last year.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/h...cdc/index.html

Well, much as I appreciate charley's explanation of "Canadian" systems...please be aware that Canada has a "parliamentary system" ( despite having a snivelling lifetime appointment Senate, we don't have "checks and balances" ...tho seems you don't really have that either.

Leader of party with most members selected gets to be Prime Minister. That's it. They want to throw him/her out, they vote "no confidence" on a budgetary bill. No budget, no money, go away till we choose someone else.

Many many differences but this is at the core. We never have one guy who can have over- ruling say over a whole house of parliament. He is just one guy voted in to his seat in parliament ... just like everyone else...then selected to rep the majority party and be the PRIME minister ..everyone else is just a minister ( no PRIME) ). If he gets them to support him, and the majority and his policies, he gets them passed...otherwise too bad for him and his party.

Weird how US fought to overthrow a KING and ended up with a system that can't seem to evade having one....and Canada ended up with no revolution but an evolved representative system.

Be careful what you wish for.

We do have checks and balances. So not perfect, but the courts have have put he brakes on Trump and the Executive many times in the last two years. And now a Democratic House means he will have to negotiate if he wants to get anything done. Trump learned he can't ignore the Courts or laws passed by Congress.

There's a lot wrong with our system. Guaranteeing two Senators to what have become pretty much depopulated states is one. Allowing partisan politicians to oversee elections. Continuing to allow gerrymandering. Allowing corporate money to influence elections via PACs, etc. The fact that third parties have no way to influence policy.

But our checks and balances are still there. It was hard seeing this fascist fuck with everything when the Republicans had both the Senate and the House. But those days are over.

I loved it! Trump believes if it's televised and he's in it, he will own the event with his self-described brains and charm.
Nancy Pelosi disagreed.
She totally ripped him to shreds over his ignorant, sexist comments, and while she was at it, Chuck Schumer played to the cameras as he trapped Trump into owning the absurd shutdown.
Trump seems to think he is master of every topic, whether he knows what it's about or not.
His habit of pulling facts out of his ass and bullshitting his way through complicated topics may have worked when he was CEO of his shady business empire, but he's playing with the big girls now and looking like the buffoon he is.
It's almost anticlimactic to watch the news these days and see everything coming true regarding facts Rachel Maddow gave us months earlier.
I particularly like the recent focus on Trump's company, and how his adult children Usay, Poosay and Lucretia are implicated up to their necks in tons of shady transactions.
The news about how the inauguration committee collected well over $100 million, yet they refuse to show the media the audit results is a nice fuse on a stick of dynamite. If Obama's inauguration cost a record high $170 million, perhaps it was because more than a million citizens showed up and security costs were through the roof.
Trump's skimpy inauguration cost more than $200 million, and the pilferage done by committee members and the Trump Organization has to set some kind of skimming record.
Current federal laws are lax regarding inauguration costs and audits, but I hope the Feds still manage to dig out the truth and indict anyone who took a penny they didn't earn.
The Feds should turn the screws on every sniveling crook attached to the Trump regime to show future politicians and con artists that crime doesn't pay.
Trump has often said if he's impeached or indicted, his base will hit the streets and riot. Fine with me--I have the perfect shovel to fit the face of anyone wearing a MAGA hat. :goodluck:

The Congress, with a huge new Democratic majority, aren't going to give Trump jack-shit. They are going to be Checks and Balance demons!
During all the midterm election campaigning, the Dems wisely avoided the "I word" (impeachment) and stuck to issues like health care and preserving pre-exising conditions.
But now that they blue waved their way to a majority, Congressional Democrats like Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, Joaquin Castro, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and many more have hinted that, come January, Trump's ass is grass and they are weed whackers. :fastdraq: Git a rope.

..
What the hell is with Susan Collins lately?? Has she lost her mind or perhaps fallen on her head?

https://i.imgflip.com/7lx.jpg



Voted out Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin.........

It makes sense. Putin is very invested in returning control of Syria to Assad.

Wow re the chaos. Wall Street in the tank after the Fed raised interest rates as a supposed vote of confidence in the economy (Ha!) and because China and Canada are going at it (our fault). Mattis' resignation letter and Republicans losing their shit over Syria. And, last but not least, the the potential government shut down. Fucking crazy shit.

OMG, RBG has cancer. Praying for her, for all of us.

You're right. Just read that they wouldn't have found it otherwise and that there's no evidence of cancer anywhere else and no plans for additional treatment. Whew.

Justice John Roberts, of the SCOTUS, just sided with the Liberal minority in blocking President Asshats asylum ban.

Thank goodness that the Justices are there for a check and balance.

Each day brings a new gasp moment. At least RBG is going to continue to be with her...we need her (I know it is selfish).

He continues to make the world a frightening place. The shame is the fears that his fellow Repugs hide behind for fear of not getting reelected.

~
 

I agree, lol I gasp everyday not out of surprise but out of disgust. The fact that someone would even consider USING his power to hurt the people of the country he so call loves and wants to make it better. His own followers are turning against him. We as Americans will see a new government when he is out of office . His future is questionable . We will be ok :)

FOXYcontin
 

Special Medication Just for Donald Trump



:superfunny:

You know, as soon as "he" started acting crazy i said "one day he's going to fuck with the wrong white man's cash flow" and look! It's happening.

He tanked the stock market.

I track Mr. Jenny's stocks every day! This week has been bleeeeeaaaak

He's been on a leash this whole time, and that leash is Wall Street. No amount of stunting was too much until it affected the rich.

And he lost the military this week and the House next month?

Something is about to happen to him. Somebody is going to neutralize him in some kind of way.

From your lips to God’s ears!

I agree with Dark Crystal. The rich men will raise up their voices, however, who is the market crashing really effecting: retirement accounts, college savings, etc. In a word, the people he doesn't care about...evil people. Oh, I understand there was an emergency meeting for a cheese act known as the Curd Act.


Wow, this congress has their priorities straight, NOT!

In the end, eventually, the suits will save us.

It's going to be really anticlimactic and seem as if all of the revolutionary fervor of the last 3 years has been squandered. Capitalism will get a reprieve for another two to three generations

This was a trial balloon on going full evil. They tried it with a clown first so it can go down in history as "Trumpism" and be remembered as an unique incident triggered by a unique guy in a unique cultural moment. A "perfect storm" that can't possibly happen again.

Then they will try all the exact same shit with, like, Greg Abbot.

All of our stocks have been down since the 20th. Today ONE of them rallied, and came up 1.57%.

Guess which one: FACEBOOK

wtf??? Facebook is how we got here and there the ones that are ok today?? :bigcry: :superfunny:

I'm hoping he fires the chairman of the Fed. THEN, the shit will hit the fan. Republicans are out there reassuring investors that he won't. But Trump's unpredictable.

This I suppose could be considered Mueller-esque, but here it is, Christmas Eve Day, and resident Trump spent the morning Tweet bitching instead of pretending to be a Christian and shoring up waning support among the GOP evangelicals, by Tweeting all about Baby Jesus.
Although I'll admit, when I saw all of his nasty Tweets, I said, "Jesus Christ!"
Does that mean his crap inspired me to mention Baby JC, the reason for the season?
His evangelical base must be pretty easy to mollify.
When pressed about whether his "favorite book" was the old or new testament, he said, "Both! I think both the old and the new testicles are really, really special, and it's hard to pick a favorite, because they are both really super great, fantastic, and really great, great books."
:fastdraq:

I'm at work and am watching the confirmation hearings for a new Attorney General. I think anyone will be better than Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, though I don't have any hope for Barr ... and I know he may be worse than Sessions, if that's even possible.

IRS says it will issue tax refunds, but not audit, during shutdown

How conVEEEEEENient for our tax challenged President

No one should go crazy and add dozens of dependents though bc there is a 3-year window for audits

Wonder what Don Jr is thinking.
 

"I never said there was no collusion between the campaign or between people in the campaign... I have not. I said the President of the United States ..." Pres. Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani to Chris Cuomo in televised interview.

Of course this is a lie, but I also thinks it’s the first step in Trump throwing his family, particularly Don Jr., under the bus. I don’t think it will be an effective tactic, but it will help Trump deflect for awhile.

I’m looking forward to seeing Trump’s downfall, but not this. Regardless of how complicit a child may be, I don’t like watching a parent throw their children to the “wolves” especially when it’s to deflect a spotlight, but I guess it’s unavoidable with this family.

There was a long Julia Ioffe article about Don, Jr. in GQ last year. I am sure it was slanted to make him appear sympathetic, but if it is all true, i feel kinda bad for him:

[The] evening he was born, little Don was left by his parents to the care of the hospital's nursery. His father headed home to celebrate New Year's Eve, while Ivana put a boa and a mink over her hospital gown and went to visit a girlfriend recovering from back surgery on another floor of the hospital.

Don had little luck with the first of his nannies, under whose watch he both broke his leg and nearly drowned. From there, a succession of caregivers followed, though Ivana was also active in her three children's upbringing.

Largely absent from childhood tales is the father. “He would love them, but he did not know how to speak to them in the children's way of thinking,” Ivana said of her ex-husband on The Wendy Williams Show last year. “He was able to speak to them only when they came from university, when eventually he was able to speak business to them.

When divorce proceedings began and the paparazzi set up camp outside Trump Tower and Don's school, Ivana decided to explain the situation to her children. Ivanka, 8, and Eric, 6, got the sanitized version. Twelve-year-old Don, Ivana concluded, “could handle hearing the truth.” After being told about his father's mistress and the fact that his parents would never live together again, Don stopped speaking to his father.

Soon after that, as Trump engaged Ivana in an epic public feud, he dispatched a bodyguard to his triplex apartment with instructions to bring his elder boy down to his office. Don, still not talking to his father, descended with the bodyguard to the 28th floor, and a few minutes later, Ivana, who described all this in her book, got a phone call. It was Trump, looking for some leverage by announcing that he was going to keep Don and raise him alone.

“Okay, keep him,” Ivana said she told him. “I have two other kids to raise.”

A few minutes later—his bluff out-bluffed—Trump ordered his boy to be taken back upstairs.

According to his first wife, Ivana, Donald Trump was never keen on bequeathing his name to anybody. It was Ivana who wanted to call their newborn Donald junior. “You can't do that!” Trump is quoted as saying in Ivana's memoir, Raising Trump. “What if he's a loser?”

Don tells his own story about coming into the world on December 31, 1977. “I like to joke that my dad wanted to be able to claim me as a dependent on his taxes for 1977,” he once told Forbes, “so he told my mom she had to have me before midnight and, if she didn't, he'd make her take a cab home.” (Ivana wrote about her labor being induced by doctors.)

So began the difficult, defining struggle of Donald Trump Jr.'s life—to make himself useful while carrying a name so beloved by the man who bestowed it that he put it in gold letters on buildings all over the world. When he was growing up, his dad called him Donny—a moniker the elder Trump would never go by. “[It's] a name I hate,” he explained in The Art of the Deal.

Don has lately found improbable purpose and renown as a savage defender of his father. His once private desires to win his father's approval now come packaged as angry tweets and memes tearing down his dad's opponents as illogical, histrionic socialists.

To the president's most ardent supporters, Don is venerated as a natural incarnation of everything the MAGA brand stands for: transgressive and defiant white, rural masculinity. “He's a fighter,” says one Breitbart editor. “The stuff he's focused on is the stuff the conservative movement is focused on. It's not an act. With him, I think it's genuine.”

To people who have known Don for decades, this identity is jarring. He had always loved the outdoors. But the use of the Pepe the Frog meme and tweeting about taking away half his daughter's Halloween candy “because it's never too early to teach her about socialism”—that isn't the Don they recognize. “I don't remember him having political views,” says a friend of Don's from college. “You've been hearing his dad for a long time,” but as for Don's views, “I didn't see anything emerge until the campaign.”

For years, Don seemed contentedly inattentive to politics. “He probably had the opinion that most New Yorkers have of politicians—they're full of shit,” says sometime Trump business partner Felix Sater, who worked with Don on the ill-fated Trump SoHo project in Manhattan. “He wasn't political. He didn't like politics.”

So old friends were shocked by the demagogic fury he unleashed. “What's surprising is that the tone and the rhetoric are so”—the college friend grasped for a term—“so Fox News-ish. The anger is surprising. None of us would've guessed that he would've been so outspoken in either direction. It hit me strange to see this guy that was a friend in college all over the news in this way.”

Those who have seen the political transformation from hunting-businessman father to the most prominent MAGA troll explain it as a simple, sporting calculation. The snarling political persona, the friend contends, is a show for an audience of one.

He's going to jail for trying to make his dad happy, and his Dad is putting him there.

Edits for brevity...

”Even the wicked get more than they deserve.” —Willa Cather

i feel bad for Melania, too. She's probably not that nice of a person but her options may never have been great.

i am ready to adopt Barron and raise him as my own

You can have the lot of them—especially Melania. Her options are good enough for her to have made better decisions.