Trump

[BugMeister]

[Morkonan]

..Should have some emoji to to stick here meaning going down in flames...

("Disaster Girl" meme)

[Hank001]

@ Morkonan:
That'll do!

[ArcherVII]

What on earth is going on here?

because Trump was the lesser of two evils.

[Mightysword]

Because she's friggin' stoopid...

I don't want to dismiss it as someone simply being stupid. If we treat this sarcastically and passing it as meme, I feel we would fail to see the more serious issue. Again, amid all the fire and fury, nobody seemed to remember or care of the fact that Ford's letter was 'leak'. Sure, she was later persuaded to take a stand, but the order of event was all wrong. If the result of the hearing managed to strip Kavannaugh of his nomination, I'm willing to bet nobody will even remember how it started, and some may even believe it was totally worth it to leak such a story ... because hey, the end justified the mean right?

Stoopid? No. The angle, the content, the message the target, the setting of the ads all pointed at a very deliberated and strategic process. Perhaps a miscalculation, but this is definitely not the case of an innocent "opps, my bad". They did it knowing what they did, and because think they can get away with it. The question is "why do they think they can get away with it"? For me the answer is simple: because they just saw a precedent. They claim this is about the victims, of course they do. But I think anyone with half a brain can see it is not, they see something that can be weaponized and they use it, regardless of what's that "something" is.

Legal or illegal? Irrelevant. I don't think we need some kind of law to tell us not to release name of sexual abused victim. The serious issue is we no longer think along the line of traditional etiquette and common decency. Before Obama, there is a sacred tradition of no member of Congress will criticize and undermine the president when he's abroad. Republican broke this taboo on Obama, and we blame it on the craziness of the tea part. Trump has been getting the full brunt of it every time he's abroad, and you may think he deserves it. And maybe he does, but the question ... will it stop when it's not him? My bet is it won't. That's why I was very concern on the NYT's op-in about the WH leak last month. I don't care if it's Trump, or even someone worse than him. There are things that should never be done under any circumstance, because if you can justify it once, you can justified it all, or someone else will.

[BugMeister]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQeylLZNblE

[Morkonan]

Because she's friggin' stoopid...

I don't want to dismiss it as someone simply being stupid....

The "stupid" part is that anyone could possibly think that releasing the names of these people without their permission would not turn into a huge mess and provide a free avenue of attack, wide open, to her opponents. Any money and effort spent on that ad has gone directly into the campaign of her opponent. They may as well have just written them a check for the amount. And, not only did they provide a free negative campaign ad for their opponent, they may as well have taken pictures of her kicking a puppy and paid for it to be on the front-page of the newspaper...

Being seen as a person willing to use victims of sexual crimes against their will to further her own campaign = A person who enjoys kicking puppies

There is no "smart" thing that happened here. It's full of stupid. IF they had bothered with the most important aspect of this, getting the support of these victims for their names to be used in a campaign, it "might" have had some positive results. That was the most important part of this campaign ad and... they demonstrated to every possible voter that they didn't care about that. Stupid.

Well, it's either stupid or sociopathic. I'll defer to the former in absence of a diagnosable psychiatric condition.

...The serious issue is we no longer think along the line of traditional etiquette and common decency...

Well, I still have those values. Maybe some people don't, but that's always true at any one point in time. It's why things like that change. It is clear that enough people hold their political desires higher than these values to get Trump was elected. Granted, those people may have also felt that Hillary was worse when judged by these standards. I will agree that it doesn't seem that our elected officials are very willing to take a stand for these values if it risks losing support from their party machines.

As far as tradition goes in regards to a President Abroad - Tradition has been broken, already, with a President that doesn't serve as some sort of positive example for "somebody." Aside from supposing to be a good candidate for office, the holder of the highest office in the land is supposed to have certain desirable qualities that others see as elevating them. I can't see one. Not one quality that I know of for this person stands out as being an example of what others should aspire to. Being rich isn't a personality trait nor does it speak to one's character.

[Tycow]

Potential scandal n+1

New Emails and Photo Show President Intervened Directly in Decision Not to Sell FBI HQ Property to Potential Trump Hotel Competitors
Top House Democrats Seek More Information On Whether Trump’s Actions Served His Personal Financial Interests

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 18, 2018)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Peter DeFazio, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Rep. Mike Quigley, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and Rep. Dina Titus, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management sent a letter to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy raising serious concerns about President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to abandon a long-term plan developed over multiple administrations to move the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from its current site on Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. to a suburban location.

New documents obtained by the Ranking Members show that a more expensive plan to keep the existing property on Pennsylvania Avenue, demolish the existing building, and construct a new facility on the same site—and thereby prevent commercial developers from competing with the Trump Hotel directly across the street—was approved during a meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office on January 24, 2018.

These new documents include emails that describe this decision as “direction from the White House,” “what POTUS directed everyone to do,” and “the project the president wants.” The new documents also show that top GSA officials promised to “hold our ground” on this proposal “per the President’s instructions.”

“As a direct result of President Trump’s clear conflict of interest on this matter, we are now requesting information and documents to determine whether the President is making decisions about the FBI headquarters building based on what is best for the country or what is best for his own financial bottom-line,” the Ranking Members wrote.

Many years before becoming President, Donald Trump expressed interest in the FBI headquarters moving out of Washington, D.C. so he could acquire the land on Pennsylvania Avenue and redevelop the property. However, after he was sworn in as President—and became ineligible as a federal employee to obtain the property—he reportedly became “dead opposed” to the government selling the property to potential competitors.

“Given this background, President Trump should have avoided all interactions or communications relating to the FBI headquarters project to prevent both real and perceived conflicts of interest,” the Ranking Members added. “He should not have played any role in a determination that bears directly on his own financial interests with the Trump Hotel. The GSA also should have taken steps to wall off the decision from improper influence.”

Contrary to sworn testimony from Administrator Murphy that she had no communications with President Trump or other White House officials about this decision, an official White House photo shows Murphy, Trump, and others discussing the proposal in the Oval Office on January 24, 2018.

“Even more troubling is that you concealed this information from Congress,” the Ranking Members wrote to Murphy. “During sworn testimony, you were asked directly and repeatedly whether you had any communications with President Trump or other White House officials about this project. In response, you withheld information about this and other meetings—omissions the Inspector General warned may have left a ‘misleading’ impression that you ‘had no discussions with White House officials in the decision-making process about the project’.”

Based on the latest projections, the Trump Administration’s new proposal to rebuild the existing Pennsylvania Avenue facility could cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than the long-term relocation plan, but it would accommodate 2,306 fewer employees.

“We have heard no legitimate justification for this decision,” the Ranking members concluded.

Thoughts?

[Hank001]

Tycow asks:

Thoughts?

The Republican leadership will congratulate him on a savvy business deal. And if he used his position to push it through, then isn't that a big reason they're politicians in the first place? If there's regulations saying no they'll deregulate. If there's laws against it they'll either ignore them or strike them. It's "The Art Of The Deal". Rake in what you can as much as you can and hurry up about it. That goes for Dems as well. Oh the media will bitch about it, but the lawmakers are all busy filling their own ricebowls. Big money owns DC one way or other and raking it in is the name of the game. You probably have the DC Dogcatcher grabbing pets to sell to medical researchers. It's Dodge City on the Potomac and the Sheriff's out of town! Trump probably thinks since his paycheck is peanuts then if he can't do business then what's the point other than the whole ego trip thing?

[Grim Lock]

Thoughts?

Same shit, different day.


I think the one time Trump was telling the actual truth was when he said he could walk out on times square, shoot someone, and not lose votes over it.


What a sad sad mess.

[Observe]

Thoughts?

No collusion. Lock them up. That will be the mantra from the angry mobs with pitchforks at the next Trump rally.

[RegisterMe]

With a touch of WAGA.

[Chips]

No collusion. Lock them up. That will be the mantra from the angry mobs with pitchforks at the next Trump rally.

He allows, or perhaps more correctly, his handlers allow anyone who isn't a supporter, let alone "angry mob" anywhere near his rallies?

Actually, which serving leaders hold rallies mid term?

[felter]

The Rallies are Trumps comfort food, he does them as it is the only place where he can get any sort of love and adoration. They make him feel and believe he is doing the greatest job of any President anywhere in the world and at any time in history. His ego has to be filled up every so often and that is where he gets it done. He has to stand up in front of a crowed that he knows will shout out his name and not laugh at his imagined achievements, while making fun of his fallacies. It's his one and only safe zone.

[BugMeister]

the lunatic Trump has science in his DNA..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOaWhF-QVYw


- tales from the swamp..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSH6zuIo7qc

- grifters anonymous..

[felter]

The thing about the FBI building, has there actually been any crime committed. I know the women may be in trouble for telling lies to congress, but has Trump actually done anything wrong legally. Ethically may be one thing but that doesn't necessarily mean he has done anything legally wrong.

[Morkonan]

Potential scandal n+1
...
Thoughts?

It requires too much speculation to say that Trump did this to enrich himself. But, it requires no speculation to say that the woman in question lied to Congress or tragically "forgot" that she did discuss this with the President. One would think having a discussion with the President of the United States and the Owner of the World's Worst Comb-over would be a fairly unforgettable event...

AFAIK, the FBI didn't want a new building nor did they wish to be moved, anyway.

[Observe]

Here is how we defeat Trump in the next election: During the primary, If all democrats voted for whoever is the most liberal Republican, Trump would lose the primary and not be elected to represent the republican party. Then, for the general election, those democrats can switch sides and vote for the democrat candidate. Problem solved. Trump out of the way.

Worst that could happen, is we get a moderate republican. Nothing wrong with that. We need to reduce the impact of both far-left and far-right, while boosting the influence of moderates.

[Grim Lock]

Here is how we defeat Trump in the next election: During the primary, If all democrats voted for whoever is the most liberal Republican, Trump would lose the primary and not be elected to represent the republican party. Then, for the general election, those democrats can switch sides and vote for the democrat candidate. Problem solved. Trump out of the way.

Worst that could happen, is we get a moderate republican. Nothing wrong with that. We need to reduce the impact of both far-left and far-right, while boosting the influence of moderates.

Make it so!

[felter]

Russian woman charged with attempted US election meddling

The programme allegedly used social media and other platforms to discuss topics including immigration, gun control, gun rights, the Confederate flag, race relations, LGBT issues, the Women's March and the NFL national anthem debate, according to the justice department.

Looks like we are going to get into trouble, as we talk about them all the time here.

Project Lakhta has a budget of $35m (£27m), but not all of their projects is directed at the US, according to officials.

What the hell, why are we doing it for free when the Russians should be paying us for doing so.