Trump 2019 - There are still children in detention separated from their parents

[onthewall2983]

So now what?

[ltrandazzo]

Happy New Year.

Two children recently died in US custody after crossing the border between US and Mexico because they didn't receive proper medical attention right away. Speaking of which, the government has shut down due to Donald Trump not getting the funding he wants for his stupid fucking wall. The next congress is sworn in on January 3rd and the Democratic house has vowed to pass a bill similar to the bill that passed the Senate a few weeks ago to reopen the government. However, Mitch McConnell is seizing the reins left to him by Paul Ryan to be Donald Trump's congressional servant, so it looks like the shutdown will continue for the foreseeable future.

Here's what you can do - check out Indivisible.org (https://indivisible.org) to see what you should do next.

[theimage13]

Despite government shutdown, taxpayers are footing the bill for parts of Trump's NYE party at his shitty Florida club. (https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-mar-a-lago-new-year-eve-party-shutdown-773385/)

Oh, and did I mention that he's not even at the fucking thing (https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article223672015.html)?

[Jinsai]

Is it just me or does Trump just suck at insults? It’s like he’s trying to deliver some cutting shit, but then it’s some lame grandpa insult popcorn fart. Why did anyone ever praise him for his mastery of social media? The only reason he succeeded at Twitter is the same as why he “succeeded” at business.

That, and Twitter allowed a perfect cover for him sounding like a fucking toddler, but when they increased the character count he lost his excuse. This “walls are like wheels” shit is beyond the pale though. Oh yeah, and “you’ll have to ask Elizabeth Warren ‘s psychiatrist.” What in the actual fuck?

[elevenism]

Happy New Year.

Two children recently died in US custody after crossing the border between US and Mexico because they didn't receive proper medical attention right away.


Don't forget that Red Don blamed those deaths squarely on "the democrats," which, would be baffling, but has become par for the course.

[onthewall2983]

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49390781_2286943217984928_3659846309864538112_n.jp g?_nc_cat=1&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=89418ea6cbc4a2933adb12787241af08&oe=5CD5316A

[ltrandazzo]

Mitt is Ronna's uncle. She also dropped the "Romney" from her last name because of Trump's insistence. Also, this Romney-Trump feud is super dumb.

1080475217850519552

[Demogorgon]

Also, this Romney-Trump feud is super dumb.

Probably written up by Vince McMahon's creative team.

[ltrandazzo]

The Democratic-led House will pass legislation tomorrow to re-open the government and that legislation is based on the bill passed by Mitch McConnell's Senate vote from a few weeks ago.

Also, I swear to god, Chuck Schumer needs to stop grinning in every video because I can't stand it when he does that.

1080579689754906625

[theimage13]

I'm in DC right now (near the White House, even), and...it just feels kind of weird to be here. I used to come more frequently because there's so much about the city and the surrounding area that I enjoy doing. But honestly, right now I feel kind of...I don't know how to describe it. It feels like I want to want to be here, but I can't summon up that desire. It's like the whole city has been tainted for me because of the utter disgrace that one office has become. Maybe a better way to describe it is this: did you ever have a crush on someone, or were just really stoked to start a relationship with someone, but over time you realized that either they or the chemistry between you just wasn't what you thought, and you're having one last date during which you know you have initiate "the talk"? That's the kind of despondent feeling I've got in this city right now.

edit: a German friend of mine just shared this. It's kind of painful to think how accurate it really is.

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49530648_2826899024064449_1721382725702647808_n.jp g?_nc_cat=1&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=a3c1819341114bbf967d6142c5d01f5d&oe=5CD173BD

[ickyvicky]

What happened to that GoFundMe page for the Wall? It's seems to have dropped out of the news...

[theimage13]

What happened to that GoFundMe page for the Wall? It's seems to have dropped out of the news...

$19m and counting. Second highest ever on the site.

[Jinsai]

$19m and counting. Second highest ever on the site.

Fuck. Just... fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck. Fuck
fuck.
It’s not that they’re “owning the libs,” Jesus, do you want some help there? Hey, morons, you can totes own the libs without lighting your money on fire while bragging about what a clueless racist you are. Fuck.

if these idiots want to fund the wall, FINE

[ltrandazzo]

Rashida Tlaib says at party last night, "we're going to impeach the mother fucker"; Civility police have a conniption fit, including Chris Cillizza -

1081227285297053698

Meanwhile, Trump tells Schumer he intends to keep the government shut down for months, maybe even years until he gets the wall money.

1081260333405167616

[ickyvicky]

Now Mike Pence and other top Trump aide officials are getting a $10,000.00 raise. Wtf???

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/04/while-federal-workers-go-without-pay-senior-trump-administration-officials-are-poised-get-raises/?utm_term=.7163b324bb00

[onthewall2983]

Hush money

[Jinsai]

uh, Trump is threatening to declare an international state of emergency to force funding for the wall. Unreal.

[ThermionicScott]

^ Reporters need to stop giving him crazy ideas like that.

[Jinsai]

^ Reporters need to stop giving him crazy ideas like that.

I just read a terrifying article speculating scenarios where he could abuse his powers in a state of emergency... I am praying he doesn’t read it.

anyway, this exchange really just happened - A reporter asks Trump “what is the safety net for federal workers?”

Trump: “The safety net will be having a strong border... because then we will be safe.”

Really.

[sweeterthan]

I just read a terrifying article speculating scenarios where he could abuse his powers in a state of emergency... I am praying he doesn’t read it.

anyway, this exchange really just happened - A reporter asks Trump “what is the safety net for federal workers?”

Trump: “The safety net will be having a strong border... because then we will be safe.”

Really.

I need to make “let them eat wall” trump meme. He is clueless.

[onthewall2983]

The NYT ran an article today on the devastating effects of the gov't shutdown on Republican foothold and hurricane-swept Marrianna, Florida (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/us/florida-government-shutdown-marianna.html)

Bear with me here, but reading the Twitter response to this from liberals saying they deserve it pisses me off. Indifference I can be okay with but to the point of kicking them while they're down and responding with cute memes make you as bad as the extreme cases on the right are.

[Jinsai]

The NYT ran an article today on the devastating effects of the gov't shutdown on Republican foothold and hurricane-swept Marrianna, Florida (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/us/florida-government-shutdown-marianna.html)

Bear with me here, but reading the Twitter response to this from liberals saying they deserve it pisses me off. Indifference I can be okay with but to the point of kicking them while they're down and responding with cute memes make you as bad as the extreme cases on the right are.

Well, just because you hate Trump doesn't automatically make you a good person, or bright for that matter.

There's also the possibility that social media posts of a nature that clueless and incendiary could be part of an influence campaign. I think at this point it's naive to ever assume that anonymously posted political opinions might not have an ulterior motive other than to clearly represent the opinions and beliefs of the poster. And, this goes beyond trolls or even the concept of influence campaigns implemented by hostile foreign governments that seek to bolster Trump's popularity.

I'd say that it all sounds outlandish and conspiracy-theorist... if it hadn't already been clearly documented that it's been happening on a shockingly broad scale.

[allegro]

Idk where this goes, but RBG is missing oral arguments for the first time ever today.

This makes me sad and scared.
Have you seen the new RBG movie, “On the Basis of Sex?”

(I thought it was AWESOME, I CRIED at the end OMG.)

Her husband, Marty, got testicular cancer while they were both students at Harvard Law School, and she told them “WE WILL FIGHT THIS,” and Marty stayed home to rest and recover and Ruth “Kiki” went to HIS classes (as well as her own) and gave him notes (and I guess notes from students who went to some of his other classes, which isn’t in the movie), and Marty survived and went on to be a successful attorney.

Not in movie: Ruth got cancer two times, including PANCREATIC cancer, and beat them, and then Ruth fought cancer again ... and staying home and missing oral arguments isn’t THAT big of a deal (other than SHE never does it) and COULD be perhaps maybe a TAD bit strategic? I mean, to instill hope in Trump and his minions and divert their attention AWAY from this OTHER shutdown for the wall crap? Like, “OMG, we could be nominating another SCOTUS Justice, soon, time to prioritize!”

Chief Justice Roberts was clear that Justice RBG was going to be provided with transcripts of the oral arguments at home, so she’s still working.

Trump got backed against a wall (pun intended) by Ann Coulter and now he can’t get out of this without looking like a loser. Word is that the WH and some Republicans are trying to find and negotiate some kind of compromise that allows Trump to save face and still get out of this, because the Democrats aren’t backing down without what THEY want (DACA, immigration reform). So going before the American people and convincing them Trump’s still a “winner” etc. is their focus. Lol. This is like Nixon and Vietnam.

This wall is going to be this Administration’s Iraq and WMDs.

[allegro]

EVERY time someone on Twitter insists that drugs are coming in over the Mexican border and that a Wall will stop it, I point them to links showing that most of those drugs are coming in via vehicles through border checkpoints (an average of 1 in 5 vehicles are scanned, agents must have just cause) or via elaborate tunnels, the number of which have been increasing as more fencing is erected.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AvQx_s2vMd8#


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd1VxW_fFwk

[Mantra]

If Trump was smart, we would have compromised on the wall early, ignored Ann Coulter's attack, and then shifted focus onto something else. Most of his base would have accepted it or at worst been somewhat upset for a while before moving onto the next dumpster fire. Ultimately, his people are gonna stay loyal to him, even if he doesn't come through with the wall. All he had to do was say that he had no choice because the lousy Dems are obstructionist assholes who would never give him the votes he needed. Put the blame entirely on the them and move on. Instead he's forced himself into this irresolvable showdown that will only end with him looking bad.

[Archive_Reports]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/08/support-growing-trump-emergency-declaration-1086229

[allegro]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/08/support-growing-trump-emergency-declaration-1086229


Others, however, are urging caution, telling the president that a legal challenge to his actions would be almost assured, putting Trump on course for a bare-knuckled fight with House Democrats and a grueling series of court challenges.

Stephen Miller, the outspoken immigration hawk and senior Trump adviser, is taking a leading role writing Trump’s remarks.

Democrats have already suggested declaring a national emergency to build the wall would be unconstitutional, arguing that Trump has no proof that an emergency actually exists and no authority to move around already-appropriated federal funds without congressional approval. Pelosi and Schumer will follow Trump’s address with their own rebuttal and will be sure to hit that point.


Congress alone has the power of the purse under the Constitution. But presidents are able to use unobligated military funds during a national emergency. Whether such a crisis exists, of course, is hotly contested, with Democrats noting that there are actually fewer border apprehensions this year than in past decades.

Stephen Miller, LOL, I knew that Nazi Turd was behind this new plan.

[Jinsai]

Did I miss anything? I caught the last couple seconds

[Mantra]

I couldn't stomach watching it. I had a bad day. I tried to watch it for like 8 seconds, but my soul just wasn't in the mood for his bullshit tonight, so I switched to watching the last hour of pretty in pink, which, frankly, was far more entertaining.

I'll just read the fucking transcript tomorrow. I can't take the sound of his voice anymore.

[marodi]

Did I miss anything? I caught the last couple seconds

Stale incense, old sweat and lies, lies, lies.

More of the same, really. He stuck to the script so at least he made sense, grammatically speaking.

And it's all the Democrats fault, of course.

[Harry Seaward]

1082954334906781697

[elevenism]

EVERY time someone on Twitter insists that drugs are coming in over the Mexican border and that a Wall will stop it, I point them to links showing that most of those drugs are coming in via vehicles through border checkpoints (an average of 1 in 5 vehicles are scanned, agents must have just cause) or via elaborate tunnels, the number of which have been increasing as more fencing is erected.

]
Oh yeah! They also fly drugs over with drones, build ramps to drive drug filled vehicles over extant fencing, build fucking SUBMARINES packed full of drugs.

Anyone who thinks any kind of fence or wall is going to stop the Sinaloas and the Zetas doesn't have a fucking CLUE about these organizations.

Oh, wait. That makes sense, because the guy demanding the wall doesn't know shit about shit.

Or, he DOES know, and this is just symbolic. But it's a terribly fucked up symbol. I swear to god, this wall could be the low point in American politics since I've been following it. It probably is.

Canada won't have me. I wish we had the money to move to Sweden. You need a roommate RocketScience ?

[kdrcraig]

He stuck to the script so at least he made sense, grammatically speaking.

It looked like it was causing him physical pain to stick to the script. For a second there I thought he wasn't going to mention the wall and end this bullshit and then...nope.

[Jinsai]

All this “emergency address on the border crisis” seems to be overshadowing yesterday’s revelations about Manafort sharing polling data and discussed the Russia-Ukraine situation with a Russian intel agent. This came out from a redaction error.

So much for “Paul Manafort did all the bad stuff before he joined my campaign” and “nobody involved in my campaign was in contact with Russian intelligence.” God I wish they’d hurry this up.

[theimage13]

President Googoo Gaagaa throws tantrum; storms out of meeting with Democrats regarding the shutdown.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/us/politics/government-shutdown-trump-senate.html

[Sarah K]

I just thought of something this morning- is the shutdown going to fuck federal financial aid? Mine is due to be disbursed on the 25th and that was my plan for paying tuition + my next six months of rent. Gonna be REAL fucked if this interferes!

[sinspots]

I just thought of something this morning- is the shutdown going to fuck federal financial aid? Mine is due to be disbursed on the 25th and that was my plan for paying tuition + my next six months of rent. Gonna be REAL fucked if this interferes!

Well, there's this re: student aid: https://www.uncf.org/the-latest/government-shutdown-does-not-affect-fed-student-aid . Course, I don't trust anything I read online anymore.

[allegro]

Yeah, this is NOT a full Government shut down; only about 25% of the Government isn’t funded. The rest is funded through September.

[theimage13]

I'm really pissed off about this now because of the flight impact it's having. I have three flights coming up this month alone, including one out of Denver, which sucks balls on a good day. I don't want to think about how bad it'll be if all the TSA employees who can't afford to work for free anymore* are absent in order to make ends meet elsewhere. There's also this (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/01/10/aviation-industry-government-shutdown/2535789002/) aspect of it.

I just....ugh. I know, first world problems when compared to the people who are actually going without pay right now.

*yes, I know, back pay. But if you're living paycheck to paycheck, you can't count on back pay with an IOU date of "TBD".

[Kodiak33]

I'm really pissed off about this now because of the flight impact it's having. I have three flights coming up this month alone, including one out of Denver, which sucks balls on a good day. I don't want to think about how bad it'll be if all the TSA employees who can't afford to work for free anymore* are absent in order to make ends meet elsewhere. There's also this (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/01/10/aviation-industry-government-shutdown/2535789002/) aspect of it.

I just....ugh. I know, first world problems when compared to the people who are actually going without pay right now.

*yes, I know, back pay. But if you're living paycheck to paycheck, you can't count on back pay with an IOU date of "TBD".

Even though Indianapolis isn't a packed airport, I had no issues going through Atlanta or New York. I just felt bad for the people working for free...hopefully people are more reasonable with them.

[halo eighteen]

So just to help clear this up for me, people actually doing jobs like TSA employees currently aren't getting paid, but pieces of shit like fuckface Mitch McConnell are?

[ltrandazzo]

So just to help clear this up for me, people actually doing jobs like TSA employees currently aren't getting paid, but pieces of shit like fuckface Mitch McConnell are?

Correct.

[Deepvoid]

Gofundme to refund all donors for the wall after it fails to reach $1B goal.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-wall-gofundme-gofundme-border-wall-campaign-to-refund-all-donors-after-falling-short-2019-01-11/

[theimage13]

Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha


Kolfage, an Air Force veteran, claimed that he would start his own charity and organize resources to begin construction on the wall. He tapped former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Blackwater founder Erik Prince as advisers.

“We are better equipped than our own government to use the donated funds to build an actual wall on the southern border,” he said. “Our team strongly believes that we can complete our segments of the wall for less than half of the government’s estimated costs on a per mile basis.”

[richardp]

Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha




lolololololol man Kobach is such a fucking cartoonishly stupid asshole.

[theimage13]

NYT: FBI Opened Inquiry into Whether Trump was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html)

[Jinsai]

NYT: FBI Opened Inquiry into Whether Trump was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html)

and so Trump is Twittering like crazy about it now... it’s been revealed that he was being investigated by the FBI for possibly being a stooge for a hostile foreign government, something unprecedented in US history, and he’s trying to spin his way out of it on Twitter.

[theimage13]

and so Trump is Twittering like crazy about it now... it’s been revealed that he was being investigated by the FBI for possibly being a stooge for a hostile foreign government, something unprecedented in US history, and he’s trying to spin his way out of it on Twitter.

I mean...to clarify, it's not like the investigation came up with "holy shit you guys, he was working for them!" But the fact that they even had a credible reason to open that investigation should make people wonder why the fuck we'd ever let him in the building in the first place.

[Mantra]

I thought this tweet was really funny...

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084117143988461571

It's such a weird defense tactic. "Chaos? How can there be chaos when I'm this sad and alone?"

[theimage13]

Bragging that everyone has abandoned him and left him alone. Wow.

We've got a minimum age for running for office; maybe it's time to put a stopper on the upper end of that too.

[Mantra]

^I was just thinking about that, and honestly, what it really comes down to is that I don't want dumb people in charge, regardless of age. So idk, maybe they should have yearly tests for IQ and cognitive ability or something along those lines. That would take care of aging politicians like Reagan who are losing their shit, and it would also keep out morons like Bush Jr.

None of which addresses ethics, good politics, etc, but it would be a nice starting place.

[ltrandazzo]

My god.

1084954858254405633

[onthewall2983]

He should leave them there for a week and come back and eat them all, if he's so proud of them

[nmitchell86]

So quick question, if the Government shut down last until Groundhog Day and the Groundhog sees it's shadow (you know where I'm going with this)... does that mean six more weeks of Government shut down?

[theimage13]

My god.

1084954858254405633

I hadn't realized until now that this only happened because most of the people who would normally be in charge of this are...you guessed it...furloughed right now.

So just to clarify, the BEST that the President of the United States of America could come up with for feeding guests to the White House was lukewarm fast food.

Jesus, this office is a joke that just writes itself. But not a funny joke.

[thelastdisciple]

Donald McDonald or President McCheese, hmm not sure which one suits him better.

Oh and we have this gem!

1084979952326369280

[eachpassingphase]

I hadn't realized until now that this only happened because most of the people who would normally be in charge of this are...you guessed it...furloughed right now.

So just to clarify, the BEST that the President of the United States of America could come up with for feeding guests to the White House was lukewarm fast food.

Jesus, this office is a joke that just writes itself. But not a funny joke.

Our household income is like 50k a year, we have a disabled kid to pay bills for and even we will spring for something better than fast food when we get catering for honored guests of some kind.

This doofus got millions of people to worship him based on hIs SuCcEsS aS a bUsInEsSmAn. I'm just...befuddled. I honestly don't get how people got sucked in by this. He's got no business acumen, he's soft in the brain, he's got the charm of a tapeworm, zero self-awareness; and that's not even touching the deeper issues of his racism, illegal behavior etc.

What is there to worship? Where's the "wow" factor? There's nothing admirable there. Nothing. At least with most authoritarians, you can make the claim that they are intelligent (in a conniving sort of way) or convincing orators or handsome or SOMETHING. Trump has none of those qualities.

[theimage13]

Trump is wealthy, white, and male. That’s pretty much all you need to get a LOT of the country to like you.

[the duder]

All I want is Trump's face on the ERMAHGERD girl's body saying ERMAHGERD, HAMBERDERS!"

Is this too much to ask?

[sweeterthan]

Trump is wealthy, white, and male. That’s pretty much all you need to get a LOT of the country to like you.

You forgot fake Christian. They forgive him for the pussy grabbing because he pretends to love their Christ. The old white Christians I grew up with love him and think he’s just great. On face book they post border wall memes and claim trump’s working for free. Because Jesus, y’all.

[Wretchedest]

I loathe the man to very bone but it must be understood that he himself loves fast food. I think he truly believes he was giving them the best meal imaginable: that's what he would eat

[Haysey_Draws]

I suspect he succeeded as a business man as most of the other business men he worked with are just as racist, sexist and hungry for money that they get alone like a bank on fire, difference is most of those guy's stay in the shadows with their money while burgers for brains LOVES attention.

Edit: Additionally the guy loves fast food, and the guys he dines with love money so they don't care what they're eating (though they probably laugh at him about it behind his back)! I imagine he is also a tight wade, so getting in fast food instead of something more upper class saves money. I have nothing against loving fast food, i do too, but i imagine at that level you should make a bit more of an effort then a few cheese burgers...

[Jinsai]

I loathe the man to very bone but it must be understood that he himself loves fast food. I think he truly believes he was giving them the best meal imaginable: that's what he would eat

of course he loves fast food. And of course he’s bad at thinking and stuff, so of course, the McNugget sauce packets go in the silver gravy boats.

So... I’ve been thinking, and I don’t see this government shutdown (or future discourse at some point) going anywhere. Trump has backed himself into a corner that only the greatest negotiator could spin his way out of, and (surprise!) he’s not the great negotiator he promised he was. Instead, it appears that the art of the deal is to dig in your heels and whine until you get your way.

which might work if you’re playing chicken in a business deal, and you inherited 400 million dollars... not so much when you’re bargaining with the US economy. I don’t think he’s willing to accept the fact that he’s not going to win this... and no matter how this ends, I doubt it will be his last shutdown, and I guess we’ll see if he learned anything next time he pulls this shit

[M1ke]

of course he loves fast food. And of course he’s bad at thinking and stuff, so of course, the McNugget sauce packets go in the silver gravy boats.

So... I’ve been thinking, and I don’t see this government shutdown (or future discourse at some point) going anywhere. Trump has backed himself into a corner that only the greatest negotiator could spin his way out of, and (surprise!) he’s not the great negotiator he promised he was. Instead, it appears that the art of the deal is to dig in your heels and whine until you get your way.

which might work if you’re playing chicken in a business deal, and you inherited 400 million dollars... not so much when you’re bargaining with the US economy. I don’t think he’s willing to accept the fact that he’s not going to win this... and no matter how this ends, I doubt it will be his last shutdown, and I guess we’ll see if he learned anything next time he pulls this shit

Yeah, and the shutdown isn't going to affect him personally, so he doesn't really care either.

The shutdown could go on for the rest of his presidency and he wouldn't care.

[Haysey_Draws]

Yeah, and the shutdown isn't going to affect him personally, so he doesn't really care either.

The shutdown could go on for the rest of his presidency and he wouldn't care.

This is so true and terrifying!

[Jinsai]

this bit where Pelosi is encouraging Trump to postpone the state of the union address or to submit it in writing is kind of hilarious. I would assume that Trump already intended to ditch it, but now, if he does it's going to look like "he's avoiding it because Nancy told him to."

So... now... is Trump going to try to defy her advice to look tough or something? I'm trying to picture how sadly that will roll out. "So...uh... as we sit through the longest government shutdown in American history... I can proudly say that the state of the union has never been stronger..."

[ltrandazzo]

this bit where Pelosi is encouraging Trump to postpone the state of the union address or to submit it in writing is kind of hilarious. I would assume that Trump already intended to ditch it, but now, if he does it's going to look like "he's avoiding it because Nancy told him to."

So... now... is Trump going to try to defy her advice to look tough or something? I'm trying to picture how sadly that will roll out. "So...uh... as we sit through the longest government shutdown in American history... I can proudly say that the state of the union has never been stronger..."

LOL like Trump will actually write his SOTU speech.

[allegro]

LOL like Trump will actually write his SOTU speech.

Sean Hannity is running the country, now, so he probably wrote it (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hannity-trump-shutdown_us_5c319d38e4b0bcb4c25c6c7d).

[dvdglss]

Nancy is smart... take away baby's TV time. No media for you. thats how he needs to be handled.

[Jinsai]

Sean Hannity, Anne Coulter, and Rush Limbaugh run the fucking country.

Wouldn't it be a crazy plot twist if the three of them were compromised Russian agents all along?

[allegro]

Nancy is smart... take away baby's TV time. No media for you. thats how he needs to be handled.

Yup, she handled this one like a FUCKIN’ BOSS!!

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/01/16/politics/nancy-pelosi-state-of-the-union-donald-trump/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&rm=1

This all is a fucking MESS, though. 50,000 more government workers were just called to work, without pay. People can’t give IOUs to mortgage companies, and this could lead to the a huge loss in the real estate market. Child support isn’t being deducted from pay. Low income seniors’ subsidized rent isn’t being paid by HUD.

I personally don’t think a “wall” is Trump’s sole motive: he and his crazy followers want to rid the government of the majority of these agencies, and privatize or dissolve them. This is all going to be his Exhibit “A.”

[ltrandazzo]

BstmkvDFGAm

[allegro]

National Air Traffic Controllers Association (https://www.natca.org/)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXK07_Ucsc

ACTION NETWORK, CALL YOUR SENATOR NOW: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/end-the-government-shutdown-call-your-senator-now?source=aflcio

[allegro]

MEANWHILE: WHAT THE FUCK regarding sanctions against Oleg V. Deripaska (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/us/politics/senate-trump-russia-sanctions.html)???

SEE ALSO. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/some-in-gop-split-with-white-house-on-russia-sanctions/2019/01/15/46b565c2-1928-11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7241aecada58)


In addition to Collins and Hawley, the Republican senators voting with Democrats were John Boozman of Arkansas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Steve Daines of Montana, Cory Gardner of Colorado, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Martha McSally of Arizona, Marco Rubio of Florida, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Jerry Moran of Kansas.

Not voting today? Bernie Sanders - "He was meeting with women who had accused his 2016 presidential campaign of sexual misconduct, his spokesman, Josh Miller-Lewis, told CNBC."

"Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who had warned as a presidential candidate in the 2012 election that Russia is the United States' top geopolitical foe, voted against Schumer's resolution." <--- WTF

[GulDukat]

From the Atlantic:

Impeach Donald Trump:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/impeachment-trump/580468/?utm_source=fbb&fbclid=IwAR35pgXPtU7XclYuEZ-JIzC0CdHV_9HhJJgG2p8X412rbkHImobilm9lwqo

[elevenism]

You forgot fake Christian. They forgive him for the pussy grabbing because he pretends to love their Christ. The old white Christians I grew up with love him and think he’s just great. On face book they post border wall memes and claim trump’s working for free. Because Jesus, y’all.oh yeah, that's fucking infuriating.
I saw this video where some Christian interviewer was asking him about asking God's forgiveness for things.

And Red Don said he had NEVER done that and didn't believe in the concept. It was fucking baffling. Everyone seemed stunned. He doesn't know ANYTHING about Christianity, the awful bastard.

[Jinsai]

so... this new Cuomo interview with Giuliani... "I never said that there was no collision between the campaign or between people in the campaign... I have not. I said the president of the United States."

So... the official stance is now, "well, there may have been collusion between Russia and the people HANDLING the Trump campaign, but Trump didn't know anything about it." That is, literally, unbelievable. However, if it were believable, it makes Trump sound like the most aloof idiot ever.

Also, of course, YES, Giuliani is lying, he did insist this, and so did Trump.

[Haysey_Draws]

oh yeah, that's fucking infuriating.
I saw this video where some Christian interviewer was asking him about asking God's forgiveness for things.

And Red Don said he had NEVER done that and didn't believe in the concept. It was fucking baffling. Everyone seemed stunned. He doesn't know ANYTHING about Christianity, the awful bastard.

In this age where fewer and fewer younger people are accepting religion alot of these desperate Christians will latch onto anyone willing to say he is their man...even this absolute twat!

[Jinsai]

Oh god now Trump is “cancelling” some international trip Pelosi was supposedly planning to Egypt and Afghanistan?

[theimage13]

Food for thought:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/impeachment-trump/580468/?utm_source=fbb&fbclid=IwAR35pgXPtU7XclYuEZ-JIzC0CdHV_9HhJJgG2p8X412rbkHImobilm9lwqo

Already posted above you.


Oh god now Trump is “cancelling” some international trip Pelosi was supposedly planning to Egypt and Afghanistan?

He canceled the use of military aircraft and told her she's welcome to go; it just won't be with government transit. Which, yeah, is effectively canceling it. The bigger concern is that the trip was previously unannounced, so POTUS yelling "HEY NANCY YOU CAN FLY COMMERCIAL INTO A WAR ZONE IN AN HOUR IF YOU WANT" isn't exactly going to convince her to keep the trip. It's 100% a tit-for-tat for her SOTU letter.

[Jinsai]

He canceled the use of military aircraft and told her she's welcome to go; it just won't be with government transit. Which, yeah, is effectively canceling it. The bigger concern is that the trip was previously unannounced, so POTUS yelling "HEY NANCY YOU CAN FLY COMMERCIAL INTO A WAR ZONE IN AN HOUR IF YOU WANT" isn't exactly going to convince her to keep the trip. It's 100% a tit-for-tat for her SOTU letter.

Yep. Shit is getting completely absolutely fucking insane... and I hate that I feel redundant by saying that.

[allegro]

Already posted above you.



He canceled the use of military aircraft and told her she's welcome to go; it just won't be with government transit. Which, yeah, is effectively canceling it. The bigger concern is that the trip was previously unannounced, so POTUS yelling "HEY NANCY YOU CAN FLY COMMERCIAL INTO A WAR ZONE IN AN HOUR IF YOU WANT" isn't exactly going to convince her to keep the trip. It's 100% a tit-for-tat for her SOTU letter.

AAAAAAAAND Madam Speaker is 2nd in line to the Presidency. Trump IS President, Pence is 1st in line, Pelosi is 2nd in line. So her safety - as Speaker of the House - is to be highly protected. Trump is a moron.

Okay and THIS here is ... omg ... I hope Cohen has tapes ... SUBORNED PERJURY

https://twitter.com/angrierwhstaff/status/1086105414058602496?s=21

[Jinsai]

SUBORNED PERJURY

https://twitter.com/angrierwhstaff/status/1086105414058602496?s=21

isnt there enough with just the testimony though? I almost feel like if the mountain of evidence isn’t sufficient, then no recording is going to really make the difference.

[Mantra]

Holy shit

[Haysey_Draws]

...what the fuck?!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/18/trump-michael-cohen-lie-congress-moscow-project-democrats

*edit this was the story posted above. Sorry i'm a bit slow today!

[Jinsai]

I know we need a smoking gun or something here, but did anyone ever really doubt that Trump regularly instructs his minions (and children) to do this sort of thing?

[allegro]

isnt there enough with just the testimony though? I almost feel like if the mountain of evidence isn’t sufficient, then no recording is going to really make the difference.

You need evidence that Trump directed it (suborned), yes. I don’t THINK Cohen’s word, alone, is enough for suborned perjury. But I don’t think that the Mueller team would be wasting time with this guy if they didn’t have evidence of all kinds of stuff.

Cohen is going to be testifying before Congress about all of this, so we shall see.

The Tweet above said it all: “If they can prove this, checkmate.”

Note that no other news outlet has verified Buzzfeed’s report as of now.

But Ivanka’s response is interesting.

[Jinsai]

How did we ever prove this sort of thing in the days before audio/video devices though? I ask this without sarcasm... the circumstantial evidence is incredible and it’s almost a “duh of course” kind of thing... did Trump do what we all know he did? Well, it’s not enough without a photo and a recording? Even if there is an audio recording, it likely won’t be clean enough to pass the plausibility smell test... I could fake the audio and a jury wouldn’t know the difference

[Jinsai]

I’ll never understand why we protect the president like this. This is well beyond a reasonable doubt... feels like it should be the other way around, given the stakes at hand

[theimage13]

You need evidence that Trump directed it (suborned), yes. I don’t THINK Cohen’s word, alone, is enough for suborned perjury. But I don’t think that the Mueller team would be wasting time with this guy if they didn’t have evidence of all kinds of stuff.

Cohen is going to be testifying before Congress about all of this, so we shall see.

The Tweet above said it all: “If they can prove this, checkmate.”

Note that no other news outlet has verified Buzzfeed’s report as of now.

But Ivanka’s response is interesting.

What was Ivanka's response?

[allegro]

What was Ivanka's response?

https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/ivanka-trump-issues-carefully-worded-denial-of-buzzfeed-report-on-trump-tower-moscow/


”Ms. Trump did not know about this proposal until after a non-binding letter of intent had been signed, never talked to anyone outside the organization about the proposal, never visited the projected project site and was only minimally involved.”

Hence confirming shit in the Buzzfeed report about the Moscow project.

[Jinsai]

is the nightmare finally ending? Oh my god, please. Please. PLEASE FUCKING PLLLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Mantra]

Well it sure seems like they have solid proof that Trump directed Cohen to lie. The Buzzfeed article says...


The special counsel’s office learned about Trump’s directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents.

That sentence makes it pretty clear that this information isn't only coming from Cohen. Obviously the evidence proving this would have to be presented in order for this to mean anything, but still, unless this Buzzfeed article is literally filled with fabricated information, I don't see how Trump is getting out of this.

[Demogorgon]

In other news... https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/426053-trump-campaign-asking-supporters-to-donate-money-to-send-fake-bricks-to?fbclid=IwAR2cNGe3CwFNsZGnui-nv2VAQXbNsbyMrRkOYWoVcQVKSCTKViYXcYrFsEw

[allegro]

Well it sure seems like they have solid proof that Trump directed Cohen to lie. The Buzzfeed article says...

“The special counsel’s office learned about Trump’s directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents.”

That sentence makes it pretty clear that this information isn't only coming from Cohen. Obviously the evidence proving this would have to be presented in order for this to mean anything, but still, unless this Buzzfeed article is literally filled with fabricated information, I don't see how Trump is getting out of this.

Dershowitz says that more than that is needed:

https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-dershowitz-trump-cohen-buzzfeed-20190118-story.html

WaPo: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-vow-aggressive-investigations-into-report-that-trump-directed-cohen-to-lie-to-congress/2019/01/18/9ac53612-1b29-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html

[allegro]

in other news... https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/426053-trump-campaign-asking-supporters-to-donate-money-to-send-fake-bricks-to?fbclid=iwar2cnge3cwfnszgnui-nv2vaqxbnsbymrrkoywovcqvksctkviyxcyrfsew

w t f

[theimage13]

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/18/trump-to-make-a-major-announcement-about-border-and-shutdown.html

Well, my money is on him declaring an emergency in order to steal funding. Anyone want to speculate otherwise?

[Jinsai]

A member of the special council investigation has released a statement claiming Buzzfeed’s reporting is inaccurate according to CNN

quick, alert the fair weather fans of CNN

[theimage13]

Dershowitz says that more than that is needed:

https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-dershowitz-trump-cohen-buzzfeed-20190118-story.html

WaPo: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-vow-aggressive-investigations-into-report-that-trump-directed-cohen-to-lie-to-congress/2019/01/18/9ac53612-1b29-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html

Goddamnit, Buzzfeed. I have enough reasons to hate you. Please don't add "we did a shitty job verifying things and now the president can rightfully call us out on false reporting" to the list.

edit: after reading it, they basically snuck in one line that says "oh by the way, the SCO says this is inaccurate", then continues to otherwise present it as 100% factual, complete with MASSIVE bold text headline. I hate this kind of shady shit. You got called out by a legitimate source with first hand knowledge of what you're reporting; it deserves way more than a passing mention.


A member of the special council investigation has released a statement claiming Buzzfeed’s reporting is inaccurate

Yes, that's what Cat Mom just posted.

[Demogorgon]

Buzzfeed is terrible. Almost TMZ level terrible.

[Harry Seaward]

When I read the Buzzfeed story, I was like "This can't be a dupe right? Surely they double checked and didn't just take the word of two agents who could be Trump fans? Buzzfeed's journalism department is actually pretty good right?"

[Mantra]

Ah, well. And here I thought that maybe we were getting somewhere. lol

Man a whole lot of people are going to be fucking pissed at Buzzfeed for a while.

[allegro]

A member of the special council investigation has released a statement claiming Buzzfeed’s reporting is inaccurate according to CNN

quick, alert the fair weather fans of CNN

Yeah more keeps coming out on that: https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/01/18/politics/mueller-statement-buzzfeed/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&rm=1

Dershowitz was right, this was too good to be true.

[theimage13]

Can someone just put me in a medically induced coma and wake me up when Mueller's report is released?


A member of the special council investigation has released a statement claiming Buzzfeed’s reporting is inaccurate according to CNN

quick, alert the fair weather fans of CNN

I'm picturing Trump's head exploding in a robot/"does not compute" sort of error.

[allegro]

Attorneys I follow on Twitter are noting that the Buzzfeed report being “not accurate” does not mean “not true.”

[thelastdisciple]

I'm just wondering if it's a measure to protect the deal they have with Cohen if it could change at all. Doesn't the Buzzfeed article get Cohen in even more shit as well? perhaps they figure if the report is denied there's less chance of Cohen trying to work a new deal, if there's less threat to Cohen he can be more cooperative? I have no idea. This is all insane.

[Jinsai]

Attorneys I follow on Twitter are noting that the Buzzfeed report being “not accurate” does not mean “not true.”

well, again, like I was ranting about earlier, we all know it's true. It's about, I guess, how demonstrably true it is.

Anyone with half a brain KNOWS that Trump has directly suggested that his underlings and kids do things that are illegal. It's obvious. But just because you drive away hysterical after practically cutting your wife's head off in your blood soaked car doesn't mean shit if enough people want you to be innocent and there's no LITERAL smoking gun in your hand.

Can we please just fast forward to the part where the Mueller report is actually released, and stop grasping at leaks?

Also, fuck you Buzzfeed. Strike two, you're out, get the fuck out of here as far as you being a legit news source.

[Exocet]

Clutching....get over it, it's been 2 years, nothing has connected Trump to Russia. I bet you 50 trillion all the Russia conspirators will look like fucking morons in a couple years time.
Quit now.

[Jinsai]

Clutching....get over it, it's been 2 years, nothing has connected Trump to Russia. I bet you 50 trillion all the Russia conspirators will look like fucking morons in a couple years time.
Quit now.

NOTHING?!?! I bet you don’t have fifty trillion. I’ll bet every fucking sorry ass cent you have. Let’s call Vegas now. FUCK YOU

this shit pisses me off. You are so full of shit. I bet you're scared to throw $50 on the table. Nobody actually paying the smallest bit of attention with half a brain would actually bet that, so of course, you're throwing around stupid figures.

I'd be shocked if you'd even risk an amount large enough for a bet holder to consider worthwhile commission

[theimage13]

Clutching....get over it, it's been 2 years, nothing has connected Trump to Russia. I bet you 50 trillion all the Russia conspirators will look like fucking morons in a couple years time.
Quit now.

TIL that ETS doesn’t have the “laughing until crying” emoji.

[Swykk]

Clutching....get over it, it's been 2 years, nothing has connected Trump to Russia. I bet you 50 trillion all the Russia conspirators will look like fucking morons in a couple years time.
Quit now.

https://medium.com/@KeithDB/a-running-tab-of-mueller-investigation-convictions-indictments-f518b9a72827


Pipe the fuck down. The Cohen aspect alone seals it.

[sweeterthan]

If you’re getting your news from fox and trump’s twitter feed then yeah, no collusion. No collusion. No collusion. Even typing it, I hear trump saying it. He’s doing his best to convince us.

[Jinsai]

Except now, his fucking lawyer is saying, basically "ok, there totally was collusion from a bunch of people, and it goes all the way up to Trump, but stops right there. See he didn't know everyone involved in his campaign was doing this. He's totally upset about it, which is why he's publicly floating the suggestion that he'll pardon Manafort; y'know, the guy who shared internal polling data with Russian Intel. Trump Sr also had no idea that his son was setting up that meeting in his own fucking tower! See, everyone knew about this stuff except for the guy who stood to reap the actual rewards of the collusion.... That's why after he had a back room chat with Putin, he destroyed the interpreter's notes!"

It all makes about as much sense as "who'd believe Michael Cohen? He's an admitted liar!"
of course Cohen is a scumbag lying fuck! Why do you think Trump hired him to handle his shady shit? You think he'd hire someone honest for that job?! Is that part of the alibi? "If my shady fixer flips on me, I'll just point out how dishonest he was to lie for me?"

Im sick of this lying bullshit, but I'm even more disgusted with the morons who buy it and repeat it.

[ltrandazzo]

Remember in All The President’s Men when WoodStein fucked up one part of the story due to phrasing and miscommunication? These things happen when trying to find the truth.

[Aladdinsanity]

I fucking hate everything.
https://twitter.com/lulu_says2/status/1086552871674368001 (https://twitter.com/2020fight/status/1086476619877765120https://twitter.com/2020fight/statuhttps://twitter.com/2020fight/status/1086476619877765120s/1086476)

[Bachy]

An appropriate reprimand for those MAGA supporters would be to hamstring them with all of the country’s student-loan debt.

[allegro]

Allll these years, I thought Bill Clinton had been found guilty of perjury. I don’t know why, other than the flurry of too much info etc. and he lost his law license etc. But, he wasn’t. The Senate acquitted him of perjury and obstruction. Which makes me believe it’s also likely with Trump. Because there won’t be enough evidence. Because you need a LOT of evidence.

Sooooo the only real way to get rid of Trump is:

VOTE
HIM
OUT


Meanwhile, Ann Coulter is upset at her Hero. LOL.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/426181-ann-coulter-blasts-trump-shutdown-compromise-we-voted-for-trump-and-got-jeb

[theimage13]

Allll these years, I thought Bill Clinton had been found guilty of perjury. I don’t know why, other than the flurry of too much info etc. and he lost his law license etc. But, he wasn’t. The Senate acquitted him of perjury and obstruction. Which makes me believe it’s also likely with Trump. Because there won’t be enough evidence. Because you need a LOT of evidence.

Sooooo the only real way to get rid of Trump is:

VOTE
HIM
OUT


Meanwhile, Ann Coulter is upset at her Hero. LOL.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/426181-ann-coulter-blasts-trump-shutdown-compromise-we-voted-for-trump-and-got-jeb

Even if it doesn’t get him out of office, I want to see Donald impeached. Just to see how furious it makes him. To put him in the same camp as Clinton. It would eat him alive.

[Jinsai]

so, is that ultimately what impeachment is? A dunce hat?

Lets get a little nuts here... let’s say the president turns out to be a legit patsy willingly selling out his country to hostile foreign powers. What if he then lies under oath about it, gets caught, and then in a rage admits his grand master plan: revenge against the United States for some deep state Q Anon lizard people thing, driving him to shut down the government until the Democrats agree to show him where the time machine is hidden that can take him back to before he ran for president.

Could we we do something then?

[Harry Seaward]

Bad news from my neck of the woods. https://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Murder-charges-expected-against-suspect-in-Northern-NV-murders-504626241.html

I should mention that the murders all took place in 3 separate home invasions. Two women, aged 56 and 74, and a couple aged 80 and 81. People want his head.

[theimage13]

Bad news from my neck of the woods. https://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Murder-charges-expected-against-suspect-in-Northern-NV-murders-504626241.html

I should mention that the murders all took place in 3 separate home invasions. Two women, aged 56 and 74, and a couple aged 80 and 81. People want his head.

I will gladly challenge anyone who posts that as "proof" of the need for a wall with EVERY other current murder charge against an American born citizen and a reminder that maybe guns, and not people, should be illegal.

[Jinsai]

I will gladly challenge anyone who posts that as "proof" of the need for a wall with EVERY other current murder charge against an American born citizen and a reminder that maybe guns, and not people, should be illegal.

It might not necessarily do much good to go tit for tat with this argument, but if you're looking for more... I mean, they will immediately discount this because it's from Univision, but...

https://www.univision.com/univision-news/immigration/the-undocumented-heroes-never-mentioned-by-donald-trump

[theimage13]

It might not necessarily do much good to go tit for tat with this argument

Wait...because you think more murders are committed by undocumented immigrants than by natural born citizens? Or because you think the wallheads are too stupid to understand statistics and logic?

[Jinsai]

Wait...because you think more murders are committed by undocumented immigrants than by natural born citizens? Or because you think the wallheads are too stupid to understand statistics and logic?

I thought it was obviously the latter... statistics and facts don't matter to them unless they feed the bias of that base. This isn't to say that all republicans are impervious to facts and statistics, but the hardcore Trump base is pretty obviously just looking for confirmation of the things they already believe.

[Jinsai]

Trump is crafting some catchy sick rhymes on Twitter now... Watch out Eminem, Trump is tapping you back for that diss track. FML

In other breaking news, Cohen has postponed his testimony due to alleged threats to his family.

EDIT!: Holy shit, so it seems Trump rejected Pelosi's suggestion that he postpone the SOTU address, and just now, Pelosi has vowed to block the address until the government is re-opened. Wow...

[theimage13]

Trump is crafting some catchy sick rhymes on Twitter now... Watch out Eminem, Trump is tapping you back for that diss track. FML

In other breaking news, Cohen has postponed his testimony due to alleged threats to his family.

EDIT!: Holy shit, so it seems Trump rejected Pelosi's suggestion that he postpone the SOTU address, and just now, Pelosi has vowed to block the address until the government is re-opened. Wow...

Favorite online comment about that so far: "Trump forcing his way into a woman's house is the most on-brand thing he could do."

I hate it when I can't decide whether to laugh or cry.

[Jinsai]

my favorite response online so far, to the "BUILD THE WALL AND CRIME WILL FALL" bullshit:

"I do not like this Donald Trump, I do not like this wall you hump
I do not like it on the ground, I do not like that we're shut down
I do not like it on a border, I do not like it, ex-wife hoarder
I would not, could not like your plans. I would not, could not, baby hands"

[binaryhermit]

I hate to do this, but what's the five seconds or so after this video ends? https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088149393851760642/video/1

It just seems to abruptly cut out and given revelations about photoshop use and a recent use by Pence of a WaPo article arguing that the Trump administration created a humanitarian crisis at the border to argue that there's a security crisis, I want to call bullshit.

[theimage13]

I hate to do this, but what's the five seconds or so after this video ends? https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088149393851760642/video/1

It just seems to abruptly cut out and given revelations about photoshop use and a recent use by Pence of a WaPo article arguing that the Trump administration created a humanitarian crisis at the border to argue that there's a security crisis, I want to call bullshit.

Trying to find the full article that the video is from and not having any luck. Would like to see more content / context. Also, let's not forget that ONE border patrol officer saying "you can ask any agent" actually means that he speaks for all of them. And even then, maybe the crisis he's talking about is outdated equipment, a lack of agents, a lack of funding, a lack of resources for asylum seekers...not a lack of a physical barricade. Because no matter what that ONE border patrol officer wants to think about the wall, the fact of the matter is that illegal border crossings are decreasing, and nearly half of undocumented immigration comes from overstayed visas.

A full on east-to-west border wall is overpriced, over-complicated, ineffective bullshit, and anyone who can actually look at the bigger pictures knows it.

[binaryhermit]

not to mention he's trying to say that one border patrol agent speaks for msnbc.

And the way the video's edited makes it seem potentially cut misleadingly.
For what it's worth I believe the video is 31 seconds long, twitter supports videos up to 2m20s long I think.

And even if it didn't he could post a thread with two overlapping videos if he had to, or hosted it elsewhere.


What Trump's doing is worse than saying that the video I'm about to link means that MSNBC thinks that the Rutgers women's basketball team was a bunch of nappy-headed hoes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmF8iIeOVEo

[binaryhermit]

Y'know, at this point, I'm convinced that all Trump voters are stupid or evil.

edit: I had a rather unpleasant debate with a trump supporter on a discord I noped the fuck out of.
He "owned" me because I "ran out of facts"
Except I gave up because he used a Trumpian standard where anything that agreed with Trump was a fact and anything that didn't was "fake news". I wonder if he's still gloating.

[Jinsai]

regarding the video on twitter, I'm curious to hunt down the longer video for context, it's gotta be out there... Lemme look.
But... and I'm not someone who will usually play defense for Trump, but it is entirely possible (and expected) that if he wanted to zero in on one portion of the video to make a point, it would make sense to crop it to that point, and that doesn't necessarily mean that it's being edited to remove contextual clarity.

[binaryhermit]

But at the same time he got caught posting photos that were edited in a way that made him look less fat and made his hands look bigger, lol

[allegro]

my favorite response online so far, to the "BUILD THE WALL AND CRIME WILL FALL" bullshit

Here's something we don't see people talking about, much: The Accenture contract with Customs and Border Protection. Trump needs to build a wall not only because he promised it, but because he gave a contract to Accenture to hire more BP and Customs agents but they're LOSING more employees instead of hiring them. So, the wall will serve as one really big expensive Government employee.

https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/11/administration-signed-contract-bring-7500-border-personnel-its-hired-just-15/153036/


A consultant hired by the Trump administration to boost the number of border agents and customs officers has brought on just 15 of the 7,500 called for in its $300 million contract, according to figures provided by the agency.

Customs and Border Protection has so far obligated $43 million on the contract with Accenture, which is worth up to $297 million over five years. The agency invested $23.5 million in Accenture hires and an additional $19.1 million for start-up costs. The company has so far produced just 15 employees who have actually started working for CBP. Another 33 have accepted job offers.

CBP issued the contract to help fulfill President Trump’s mandate that the agency hire 5,000 new Border Patrol agents, which he issued through executive order shortly after taking office. Accenture was tasked with onboarding those 5,000, plus an additional 2,000 customs officers and 500 air and marine officers. Accenture gets paid on a per-hire basis, most of which comes when CBP sends an offer letter to a candidate and the remaining amount when the employee actually starts working.

The $43 million already obligated was slated for Accenture to help CBP bring on 600 employees. CBP is still confident the spending will bear fruit, with a spokesperson saying Accenture has 3,700 additional candidates in the hiring process. The contractor expects a “gradual increase of candidates to successfully exit the process in the coming months,” the spokesperson said.

Asked if CBP is happy with the progress Accenture is making, the spokesperson said the agency is documenting the contractor’s performance, but added Accenture is showing some progress.

“The Accenture contract reached full operating capacity on July 1, 2018,” the spokesperson said. “In the five months since that point, CBP has seen a steady increase in Accenture applicants entering the hiring pipeline, and a small amount are beginning to successfully enter the CBP workforce.”

CBP has long struggled with hiring and retaining employees. In fiscal 2017, Border Patrol hired just 1.36 percent of applicants were given jobs at the agency—a rate that has increased threefold since fiscal 2015. Hiring ticked up in fiscal 2018, but the agency still saw a net loss of 76 agents in the first half of the year. It has sped up the hiring process through a series of reforms to the polygraph process, physical testing and new authorities from the Office of Personnel Management, but it still took 274 days to bring on a new agent in fiscal 2017. More than three out of four applicants still fail their polygraph, and Border Patrol currently employs 7,000 fewer agents than the figure Trump mandated.

CBP still has yet to fill 2,000 customs officer jobs Congress authorized in 2014.

The agency has already adjusted its Accenture contract four times to give CBP more responsibility and lower Accenture’s pay rate, improve a platform used to manage recruiting and other modifications. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, previously raised concerns about the structure of the contract.

An individual supporting CBP on a separate contract said it is "widely known" within CBP's human resources management office that Accenture "has not lived up [to] the expectations of the contract over the last year."

"This really has been a huge waste of money since Accenture received a large up-front amount, regardless of if they hired anyone," the individual said, calling the deal "flawed from the beginning" because it created duplicative work CBP was already doing.

A spokeswoman for Accenture declined to comment, referring all questions to CBP.

Trump has also called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire 10,000 new deportation officers, tripling its current numbers. ICE solicited a similar contract for help in bringing on 26,000 new employees, but subsequently canceled it due to delays in receiving adequate funding. The administration said it would re-solicit the contract in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, but has yet to do so.

[allegro]

Senator Bennet, typically quiet and understated, finally LOST IT today, and it is AWESOME


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LlCn-HZDuY

[GulDukat]

Roger Stone has been arrested:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/25/politics/roger-stone-arrested/

[Jinsai]

Roger Stone arrested.

I've been screaming in my dreams for this to happen.

[ltrandazzo]

Important info - https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/25/politics/roger-stone-arrested/


"After the July 22, 2016, release of stolen (Democratic National Committee) emails by Organization 1, a senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact STONE about any additional releases and what other damaging information Organization 1 had regarding the Clinton Campaign. STONE thereafter told the Trump Campaign about potential future releases of damaging material by Organization 1," prosecutors wrote.The indictment also says: "During the summer of 2016, STONE spoke to senior Trump Campaign officials about Organization 1 and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. STONE was contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by Organization 1."

Also, and bolded below is emphasis mine -


The associate and the high-ranking campaign official are not named in the complaint, though the indictment describes how Stone told a reporter that what Assange had in the unreleased emails was good for the Trump campaign. Stone responded at the time, "I'd tell [the high-ranking Trump Campaign official] but he doesn't call me back." An email matching that wording that was published by The New York Times shows that the official Stone referred to was Steve Bannon.

[ltrandazzo]

Flights into NYC, Philadelphia and Florida have been delayed by the FAA due to staffing shortages. Also, 14,000 unpaid IRS employees called off work today. Today also marks the second paycheck federal employees have missed.

The Super Bowl is next week.

https://splinternews.com/its-happening-1832051400

[theimage13]

Senator Bennet, typically quiet and understated, finally LOST IT today, and it is AWESOME


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LlCn-HZDuY

Anyone else get some major "Louis Tully at the end of Ghostbusters" vibes from this?

[theimage13]

Flights into NYC, Philadelphia and Florida have been delayed by the FAA due to staffing shortages. Also, 14,000 unpaid IRS employees called off work today. Today also marks the second paycheck federal employees have missed.

The Super Bowl is next week.

https://splinternews.com/its-happening-1832051400

I'm flying three times next week alone. Twice involving LGA. So fucking excited for this.... :rolleyes:

[binaryhermit]

It's being reported that there's a deal between Tangerine Hitler and Congress on a 3 week continuing resolution to reopen the government

[theimage13]

Ooooooooh, three fucking weeks.

Look: in the short term, yes, that's good for the 800,000 people who have been completely fucked over by not getting paid on time.

But serious, it's like a bully saying "I'll stop beating you up...until next month".

Three weeks isn't good enough, you utterly contemptuous piece of shit. Open it up and LEAVE it open.

edit: I 100% believe that he's only doing this because of Stone's arrest. What else changed in the last day that would suddenly cause him to drastically change course? This feels entirely like a diversion tactic.

[ltrandazzo]

edit: I 100% believe that he's only doing this because of Stone's arrest. What else changed in the last day that would suddenly cause him to drastically change course? This feels entirely like a diversion tactic.

Six Republican Senators voted with the Democrats yesterday and his proposal only got one Dem to vote on that. He didn't have the votes. He never had the votes. He shut down the government for 35 days and got nothing for it. It might be a diversion, but he looks completely deflated from this. His threats and spin are empty.

[allegro]

That and La Guardia being on a total ground stop today didn’t help. Was only going to get worse.

[Archive_Reports]

Ooooooooh, three fucking weeks.

Look: in the short term, yes, that's good for the 800,000 people who have been completely fucked over by not getting paid on time.

But serious, it's like a bully saying "I'll stop beating you up...until next month".

Three weeks isn't good enough, you utterly contemptuous piece of shit. Open it up and LEAVE it open.

edit: I 100% believe that he's only doing this because of Stone's arrest. What else changed in the last day that would suddenly cause him to drastically change course? This feels entirely like a diversion tactic.

Don't forget the 1M+ government contractors that dealt with it too. Eighty-five of my co-workers have been out of work for 35 days and, unlike federal employees, there's no back pay coming. It sucks that it's only three weeks, but a lot of people needed this.

[theimage13]

This is priceless.

Golden State Warriors Meet Former President Obama Instead of Trump (https://abc7.com/sports/golden-state-warriors-visit-former-president-obama-in-dc/5106607/)

[allegro]

What's been REALLY awful has been this constant "BUILD THE WALL" comments on Twitter against the comments about the workers forced to work without pay or the furloughed workers, or the unemployed contract workers, etc.

There is NO other alternative for these people, they ONLY want a wall. They give dozens of reasons, most of them based on total bullshit, like "5,000 people per year killed by illegal aliens" or "$150 billion per year spent on illegal aliens" etc. complete with bullshit graphics or collages of faces or a link to a study that has been debunked by everyone, including the fucking Cato Institute.

When the "wall" became a "slatted steel" and it became evident that it could be defeated by a Sawz All, the Trump idiots started demanding that it should be ELECTRIFIED.
MANY are demanding that illegals trying to cross be immediately shot, "for security."

Donald Trump, Jr . Tweeted: "You know why you can enjoy a day at the zoo? Because walls work.”

Lowering people south of the border to animals at a zoo.

Today's Trump Rose Garden speech included more of his BDSM porno bullshit about human traffickers (https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427018-trump-goes-on-ad-libbed-riff-on-human-trafficking).

He constantly paints a picture of Latino immigrants seeking asylum or citizenship as being rapists, gangsters, traffickers, kidnappers, child molesters, killers, etc.

You know WHO ELSE set up an EMERGENCY based on FEAR? Except with JEWS?

HITLER.

[sweeterthan]

I’m so relieved most everyone noticed the way he talked about women being bound and tortured and thinks it’s weird. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/17/trumps-stories-taped-up-women-smuggled-into-us-are-divorced-reality-experts-say/

The only reason to talk explicitly like this is to trigger people.

[theimage13]

Wait, so now he's against mistreating women? What a fucking flip-flopper.

[Harry Seaward]

https://i.imgur.com/VliOGFp.png


I almost his admire his Martin Shkreli dedication to the troll.

[onthewall2983]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxy4fGsU0AASpmT.jpg:large

[Jinsai]

Ooooooooh, three fucking weeks.

You don't PLAN to shut down the government in order to barter for an unrelated concession. Very soon, we will begin to unravel just how damaging this shutdown has been on every damaging level. It will seem preposterous in the wake of that tragic revelation.

Many of Trump's super fans who aren't being directly impacted by the shut down in an immediate way still think it doesn't really matter, because they're a bunch of solipsistic idiot dipshits. They're due for a "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow" moment.

Trump thinks he can shut the government down on a whim when he doesn't get his way, and then open it up when the public opinion goes sour? He's a fucking idiot. In his mind (and I hate that I think I 'get him' a little better now), he thinks that this temporary restart serves two purposes: 1. It will fix the looming fallout of negative opinion from his supporters immediately hurt by it. 2. By the time he gets around to trying to do it again, he'll "have a better idea of what it actually entails to do this sort of thing, and he'll be starting again at square one; instead of trying to dig himself out of a hole, he thinks he'll be able to reframe the public opinion of this and wind up being able to blame the democrats this time successfully... he really thinks his only mistake here was gaffing about OWNING it before doing it.

What he doesn't realize is that he has NO fucking idea what he's doing. Remember, he actually thought shutting down the government was going to SAVE money - he thought it was going to put money in coffers that could be allocated to wall funding... he was so fucking ignorant about this that he thought there'd be "shutdown money."

[allegro]

Unpaid furloughed scientist compiles data with free time and wins Twitter:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1088833209687777280.html

[Mantra]

I don't think Trump will want to go through another shutdown. He seems bummed out by this whole experience. His "I wish people would just listen to me" tweet yesterday sounded so pathetic. This whole thing has been demoralizing and terrible for his approval rating. It will be ten times worse for him if he drags us through this pointless slog a second time. I think he's gonna pull the trigger on the emergency thing.

Yesterday was fun!

[Mantra]

Also...

Apparently Roger Stone has Nixon's face tattood onto his back?

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/fashion/daily/2017/03/29/Roger-Stone/Roger-Stone-31.w710.h473.2x.jpg

[allegro]

Also...

Apparently Roger Stone has Nixon's face tattood onto his back?
Yeah, it was in "Get Me Roger Stone."
If you haven't seen that, see it, highly recommended.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31UAp%2BL5o3L._SX425_.jpg
https://www.wokv.com/rf/image_lowres/Wires/w2/AP_Top_News/2019/01/25/Images/cb8582c5d5ca4be38130ce6de5bd82d9.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IPyv4KgTAA

[thelastdisciple]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnmvIDfaa8g

These people are sad as hell, they would happily sacrifice their pay for Trump.

Bunch of suckers.

"Hubububububuut the democrats." Hubububuhow about you folks grow a brain?

[allegro]

Yeah, regarding those "illegal immigrants" and taxes (https://www.vox.com/2018/4/13/17229018/undocumented-immigrants-pay-taxes) ...


The reality is far different. Immigrants who are authorized to work in the United States pay the same taxes as US citizens. And, contrary to the persistent myth, undocumented immigrants do in fact pay taxes too. Millions of undocumented immigrants file tax returns each year, and they are paying taxes for benefits they can’t even use.

The best estimates come from research by the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, DC, think tank, which suggests that about half of undocumented workers in the United States file income tax returns. The most recent IRS data, from 2015, shows that the agency received 4.4 million income tax returns from workers who don’t have Social Security numbers, which includes a large number of undocumented immigrants. That year, they paid $23.6 billion in income taxes.

Those undocumented workers paid taxes for benefits they can’t even use, like Social Security and Medicare. They also aren’t eligible for benefits like the earned income tax credit. But the IRS still expects unauthorized immigrants to file their taxes, and many of them do so.

Filing taxes helps immigrants create a paper trail to show when they entered the country and how long they’ve been contributing tax dollars. Many are hoping it will help them get legal status one day. That has happened in past reform efforts, and one of the first requirements is usually to prove that a person has been paying taxes. That was the case for the undocumented youth granted temporary work permits under President Obama’s deportation relief program, known as DACA.

[allegate]

you know it's been quite a day when the Nixon Foundation wants to put as much distance between itself and you as possible.

https://twitter.com/nixonfoundation/status/1088925226031755264

https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1088902724840837120

[Mantra]

Yeah, it was in "Get Me Roger Stone."
If you haven't seen that, see it, highly recommended.

Oh yeah, I remember you saying that was good. It's on my list!

[allegro]

OMG, this dude takes a highlighter pen to PDFs of the Stone indictment on Twitter and it’s hilarious and illuminating:

https://twitter.com/baratunde/status/1088874477600030721?s=21

[allegro]

I’m so relieved most everyone noticed the way he talked about women being bound and tortured and thinks it’s weird. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/17/trumps-stories-taped-up-women-smuggled-into-us-are-divorced-reality-experts-say/

The only reason to talk explicitly like this is to trigger people.

Ends up it’s likely all from “Sicario; Day of the Soldado”


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ4IsCkbd7s

[Jinsai]

heard that... I still refuse to believe it. It's too insane.

[sweeterthan]

Ends up it’s likely all from “Sicario; Day of the Soldado”


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ4IsCkbd7s
i saw it on maddow last week (maybe earlier this week, its been a long week). i have no idea how the US president would casually take a movie plot and turn it into "facts" but this is where we're at. I'm glad people noticed. anyone want to guess what movies we'll see in the state of the union address?

[ltrandazzo]

i saw it on maddow last week (maybe earlier this week, its been a long week). i have no idea how the US president would casually take a movie plot and turn it into "facts" but this is where we're at. I'm glad people noticed. anyone want to guess what movies we'll see in the state of the union address?

Bring the white coats when he starts talking about infinity stones.

[Jinsai]

next, we're going to hear about how we need to build a wall because the Mexicans are trying to steal our Unobtanium.

[M1ke]

As if bringing Nazi's back wasn't enough, we can now add the cold war to the list of things we have already dealt with that this president has brought back.

Welcome back Cold War!

[ltrandazzo]

In other news, someone shared a yearbook page of Democratic Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam from college that shows that he was either in blackface or a KKK hood. Julian Castro has called on him to resign and I agree with that. It's bad behavior and it's unacceptable.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/01/politics/northam-blackface-photo/index.html

[Jinsai]

yes, though, I'd like us to know whether he's the guy in blackface or the klan hat. General curiosity really. There's also (unlikely acceptable) explanations for this sort of "joke," but I'd still like to hear em. Maybe I just want to hear a grown man admit that what he did when he was young and ignorant was wrong, and then agree to resign.

If he's just going to lie needlessly on his way out the door, then he's just as disgusting as the commander in chief.

[bobbie solo]

He's gotta go for that. He also had a nickname of "Coonman" listed for himself in that yearbook. Not a good look either. This shit happened in 1984, so that is not nearly old enough for him to try and trot out that bullshit excuse either.

His Lt. Governor is a Dem (hopefully less of a centrist/almost Republican than Northam is), so no harm there if he goes. I'll tell you what though....if a special election had to be called or the next in succession was a Republican, I would go against my better judgement and tell him to stay. These right wing assholes play dirty every time, and it's time the left cares more about their own power too. Because you can bet there's no way a Republican governor would resign under these charges (was honestly surprised the underling guy in Florida just resigned for his Katrina blackface costume). Luckily that's not the case here (got lucky with the Franken thing too), so yeah he needs to resign. I imagine he'll try to wait out the weekend, see if it dies down and try and ride it out. If more and more high profile Dems call for him to resign, and something big in the news cycle doesn't come along to bury this, he'll go. Virginia is too important a state to let this prick drag it down.

He's so dumb. You have to know public information like this is gonna get out. He should have found a way to get out in front of this. Bring it up yourself somehow and apologize. Fall on your sword. Instead he hoped against hope no one would find it. As if Northam & his campaign people never heard of "oppo research" before. That former Breitbart guy found this, sat on it, and sprung it just now as this supposedly controversial (not controversial at all if you actually care about women) abortion bill comes up in VA, probably in the hopes that this would somehow help kill it maybe?

What do you all think is worse for him? The blackface or the klan costume? it's honestly a tough call.

[thelastdisciple]

As if bringing Nazi's back wasn't enough, we can now add the cold war to the list of things we have already dealt with that this president has brought back.

Welcome back Cold War!
Some would argue the Cold War never really went away or ended but yeah i never once thought that what was once considered history when i was a child would practically turn out to be current events in my adult life.

Truly fucked up.

[bobbie solo]

Now the VA governor is claiming it's not him in the picture, despite him apologizing for it yesterday. This at the same time he's admitting to darkening his skin for an MJ Halloween costume at some point in the past too. Genius move. This should all work out really well for him.

[allegro]

What do you all think is worse for him? The blackface or the klan costume? it's honestly a tough call.

Here, he refuses to shake a black opponent’s hand:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QqO4u0yrkjA&feature=youtu.be

This college yearbook shit happened a long time ago, but it’s still reprehensible. I can’t imagine ever AGREEING to having that on your yearbook page as a “joke,” even if you weren’t wearing the KKK hood or the blackface? IT’S STILL ON YOUR COLLEGE YEARBOOK PAGE!! It represents YOU! It’s THE most racist shit POSSIBLE.

He must resign, he’s a piece of shit. Take Steve King with him.

[sweeterthan]

Agreed that refusing to shake his opponent hand is extremely telling of who he is. To me the real problem is people still voted him in after that. That’s why he doesn’t feel the need to resign. His voters support him.

[Jinsai]

I think without the photo and admission of donning blackface to impersonate Michael Jackson... without all that, the refusal to shake hands there doesn’t immediately scream racism. In light of the other evidence though...

His denial was so weird too. “That’s not me in the photo, but it totally reminds me of another time I wore blackface...”

and in the middle of this bullshit, he almost takes up a reporter’s challenge to demonstrate his mastery of the fucking moonwalk. His wife had to stop him and remind him this might not be the time and place for that. Who IS this guy?!?!

[binaryhermit]

There's apparently talk of impeaching him.

While I agree he's got to go, impeaching someone for something that happened 30 years before he was in office seems like an abuse of impeachment.

EDITED TO ADD: It's likely also (awful) constitutionally protected speech.

[allegro]

I think impeachment would require something more in the lines of a criminal charge; this is disgraceful and awful, but it’s not illegally unethical.


Edit: A state ethics violation (meaning violating a state statute re ethics) would be something more like bribery, extortion, campaign finance violations, etc.

[binaryhermit]

I would argue it is unethical, but not in a "illegal" way. Legal doesn't necessarily mean ethical and illegal doesn't necessarily mean unethical.

I mean, I find working against gay rights unethical. But it's not illegal necessarily.

[Jinsai]

Impeach him for having the clueless WTF-all to think a conference discussing his racism would be a good forum for him to smile and moonwalk.

That's insane, right? You can impeach for insanity? Right? RIGHT!?!!?!

[allegro]

Impeach him for having the clueless WTF-all to think a conference discussing his racism would be a good forum for him to smile and moonwalk.

That's insane, right? You can impeach for insanity? Right? RIGHT!?!!?!
No, after Mayor Marion Barry, all bets are off.

[binaryhermit]

Now there's an allegation of sexual misconduct against Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, who would become Governor if Northam ceases to be governor for whatever reason


EDITED TO ADD:

Virginia: Making Illinois's history of governors look sane since 2019

[ltrandazzo]

Worth noting that the allegation against Fairfax was thinly sourced and the Washington Post declined to publish the story in 2017 due to inconsistencies and lack of corroboration - https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/04/politics/justin-fairfax-sexual-assault-allegation/index.html

No one has been able to speak with the accuser since then and since this story came out as well.

[binaryhermit]

It's possible that this was a dirty political trick, too. I assume the allegation that the Washington Post didn't run with was during some sort of election campaign?

[ltrandazzo]

It's possible that this was a dirty political trick, too. I assume the allegation that the Washington Post didn't run with was during some sort of election campaign?

Yep - he and Northam were both elected in Fall 2017.

[binaryhermit]

I mean, I know most sexual misconduct accusations are true, but when it's during an election against a candidate and so bad (as in, like, a poorly written book, not bad as in damning against the candidate) a well-respected newspaper passes on reporting on it you have to wonder

EDITED TO ADD:
I mean, in this day and age, with the internet and the Washington Times, among other things, it wasn't likely to make the allegation stay relatively unknown.

And given the fact that a lot of the Republican base seems triggered by successful black people?

EDITED TO ADD AGAIN:

I'm not saying all Republicans are racist, just all racists are Republicans.

[ltrandazzo]

I mean, I know most sexual misconduct accusations are true, but when it's during an election against a candidate and so bad (as in, like, a poorly written book, not bad as in damning against the candidate) a well-respected newspaper passes on reporting on it you have to wonder

Introducing Jamie Phillips, a woman who worked with Project Veritas to discredit the claims against Roy Moore by making up fake ones of her own. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-woman-approached-the-post-with-dramatic--and-false--tale-about-roy-moore-sje-appears-to-be-part-of-undercover-sting-operation/2017/11/27/0c2e335a-cfb6-11e7-9d3a-bcbe2af58c3a_story.html?utm_term=.c16cbe2b6dd0)

This was also Fall 2017.

[binaryhermit]

I'd like to add, I feel horrible suggesting that a claim of misconduct (was it harassment or assault, I forget, I don't feel like looking it up) is fake. But if it's so questionably credible where the Bezos Post</trolling> fails to report on it, and given the tendency of politicians and political operatives to make shit up to make things look better for them or worse for their opponents...

[allegro]

just all racists are Republicans.
As exhibited by Governor Northam, that's not true, either. There are plenty of racist Democrats.


Virginia: Making Illinois's history of governors look sane since 2019
4 of Illinois' last 7 Governors went to prison (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/blagojevich-joins-illinois-govs-bars/story?id=15928257). Gonna take a lot to break that record.

* Rod Blagojevich (Democrat), 14 years: corruption
* George Ryan (Republican), 6.5 years: fraud, racketeering, bribery, extortion and money laundering
* Dan Walker (Democrat), 7 years: bank fraud and corruption
* Otto Kerner (Democrat), 3 years: bribery, conspiracy, tax evasion and perjury

[binaryhermit]

I hope Bruce Rauner, whose twitter handle fits perfectly in the song "Uncle Fucka" if you pronounce the "at" symbol, makes that 5 of 7.

And touche.

EDITED TO ADD: Bruce Rauner refused to sign a budget because he wanted to Kansas-under-Brownback the state. The only reason one finally happened after like 2 years is the veto-proof majority of cowards in the legislature that wanted one did what they should have done long before they did it and rammed one down his throat despite his veto. I hope that rich motherfucker (tasteless prison rape joke)

[allegro]

I hope Bruce Rauner, whose twitter handle fits perfectly in the song "Uncle Fucka" if you pronounce the "at" symbol, makes that 5 of 7.

And touche.

EDITED TO ADD: Bruce Rauner refused to sign a budget because he wanted to Kansas-under-Brownback the state. The only reason one finally happened after like 2 years is the veto-proof majority of cowards in the legislature that wanted one did what they should have done long before they did it and rammed one down his throat despite his veto. I hope that rich motherfucker (tasteless prison rape joke)

Bruce lost the election, he isn't Governor, anymore. Now we have J.B. Pritzer, the bazillionaire Hyatt heir, as Governor. He has more money than Rauner and was born with it.

Rauner's intentions were good; he was fighting Mike Madigan, the speaker of the Illinois House, who's been in control of the Illinois legislature for 500 years (https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-illinois-madigan/) and has been a key reason why Illinois is in TREMENDOUS debt, and also John Cullerton, Illinois' Senate leader, another Democrat who isn't quite as bad as ol' Mike. Rauner is a moderate Republican, but he was SO gung-ho on trying to fix Illinois' problem of being underwater, nothing got done. The only possible FIX is to legalize recreational pot, so we can bring in a lot more money. DECADES of pension expenses for the state and the City of Chicago has drained the coffers and we are a state with some of the highest property taxes in the country in and around the Chicago area.

[binaryhermit]

I'm not saying his stated intentions are bad.

I think his real intentions were to cut taxes so he could be richer, and if the state of Illinois collapsed, that was the poor people stuck in the state's problem.

And I don't like JB Pritzker either. I was a Daniel Biss guy. But Rauner's either incredibly stupid or (more likely) evil.

[allegro]

I don't think that was Rauner's intentions; rich people don't benefit when the state's credit rating is down the shitter and when the budget is constantly underwater and when the state is constantly in debt and hasn't funded its pension fund in decades. Rauner has been a lifelong Illinois resident, and I believe what happened is simple: Opposition to Rauner in the Illinois Legislation that refused to cave and refused to revise old Union agreements related to pensions, for fear of not winning re-election campaigns as well as the refusal to revise language in the Illinois Constitution related to those pension benefits (note that BISS wanted all of this, as well). Biss would have run into the exact same opposition with his plans to fix the mess if he won. The problem wasn't Rauner. The PROBLEM is fucking MADIGAN, and I despise that sonafabitch. Nobody should be in control for that long. It's cronyism at its very best. He should NOT wield that much power, he's the Democrat version of Mitch McConnell. Madigan is unreasonable, he doesn't give one fuck who pays high property taxes or who moves out of state, he only gives a shit if he stays in that same fucking seat until they carry his ass out in a hearse. Sorry, but I'd GLADLY trade all future pension models for modified a combo of 401K plus a small pension, for stuff like better help for the elderly and the poor, and state universal healthcare, and low income housing, and no-interest loans for state colleges, etc. etc. But, the ONLY fucking thing that Madigan cares about is a destructive status quo for pensions. And keeping his seat until he's dead.

[binaryhermit]

If you say so... sigh.

[allegro]

If you say so... sigh.

Well, you could have asked Daniel Biss (https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180109/biss-illinois-suffocating-under-too-many-pension-systems).

[binaryhermit]

Anyway, weed isn't THE solution. But it'd bring in tax revenue and allow reduced policing and incarceration expenses.

Another part of the solution is criminal justice reform. Some form of legalized prostitution a la Nevada too? Build whorehouses near the interstates in the drive-through counties, lol

[allegro]

Anyway, weed isn't THE solution. But it'd bring in tax revenue and allow reduced policing and incarceration expenses.

Another part of the solution is criminal justice reform. Some form of legalized prostitution a la Nevada too? Build whorehouses near the interstates in the drive-through counties, lol

Recreational pot brings in billions of pretty instant dollars, and there's NO reasonable argument against it when alcohol -- a substance that has ZERO medical or redeeming benefit -- is legal and regulated. But "the ADDICTION!" Nonsense. Sugar is currently one of the country's BIGGEST addictive substances, costing this country BILLIONS in healthcare. People are addicted to sex, gambling, television, games, cigarettes, social media, etc. There are actually LESS negative side effects from marijuana than from alcohol (a fairer comparison than to legalized prostitution).

Policing and incarceration? Chicago actually needs MORE. The Cook County jail is SO full, there are 6 people per cell when there are supposed to be no more than 4. Inmates are waiting sometimes over a YEAR for a "speedy trial" because there aren't enough public defenders in Cook County and the Defendant didn't have enough money to make bail. Meanwhile, the rich gang bangers CAN make bail and get out; the ones who get sentenced get early release due to overcrowding, and the recidivism is INSANELY high because crime is related to POVERTY. It's like a revolving door. There is no money put into any meaningful "rehabilitation." The saying on the street is "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." The City of Chicago puts more money into parks than more cops in the South or West sides. There haven't been beat cops in over 20 years. But that's a CITY issue; not a state issue.

There are other quick solutions: Like Biss (and Rauner, LOL) suggested: Revise the state Constitution for a graduated income tax and the ability to revise pensions, revise the pension systems (not for current pension collectors but for future) related to employee contributions, raise the pension age in a graduated system, there are a TON of ways to revise the budget and the system to raise money, move money, and save money. But that will NEVER happen until Madigan and his team of henchmen micromanagers are voted out and a fresh bunch of intelligent progressives with fresh ideas are voted in.

[binaryhermit]

I meant, like, reduce sentences for stupid shit, repeal stupid laws, commit sentences for non-violent crimes. And pre-trial detention reform. A lot of those in Cook County Jail awaiting trial are there because they can't afford to pay to get out. Increase the availability of personal recognizance bond.

The reason I don't think weed solves everything is I don't think that it brings in enough revenue. But I might be wrong. It'd help, though.


EDITED TO ADD: I'd like to make it clear, I agree, legalize it already. But there are other things that can be done too, and if I'm wrong about the impact of weed and it brings in more than I expect, use the surplus to reduce taxes, build a rainy day fund, increase services, whatever.

[sweeterthan]

The vanity it takes to bring bullied Joshua Trump to the SOTU is gross on so many levels. “Look at this trump kid. He’s so persecuted because he’s a trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. “

Ugh. He’s using a child. I hope the kid survives this coz I can’t imagine this helping his situation. Even worse, the dumb white Christians I know from childhood will probably share all “poor bullied trump kid” memes that will surely follow.

[allegro]

Women Democrats of the House are all wearing white suits tonight at the SOTU address to signify unity and most are wearing “ERA YES” buttons.

Madam Speaker behind Trump tonight, plus that sea of women GLARING IN WHITE ...

It’s a beautiful thing. :)

Edit: It’s funny when Nancy suddenly checks the transcript of the speech sometimes to see if Trump went off the rails, LOL.

[allegate]

The vanity it takes to bring bullied Joshua Trump to the SOTU is gross on so many levels. “Look at this trump kid. He’s so persecuted because he’s a trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. “

Ugh. He’s using a child. I hope the kid survives this coz I can’t imagine this helping his situation. Even worse, the dumb white Christians I know from childhood will probably share all “poor bullied trump kid” memes that will surely follow.
I would imagine Barron Trump is bullied as well but I bet Trump said, "Who's Barron?"

[theimage13]

I only just got into my hotel. Is SOTU even still on? I'm watching the Blackhawks lose to Edmonton...it somehow feels like an appropriate metaphor for the state of North America right now.

I feel the need to update this: it was 2-1 Edmonton when I went to sleep. When I was eating breakfast this morning, the crawler said "Blackhawks score five to pummel Oilers 6-2".

So, USA USA USA, I guess.

[richardp]

I rolled my eyes SO FUCKING HARD when Trump complained that no one ever sings him happy birthday after Congress sang it to the ACTUAL WAR VETERAN. Also lol'd pretty good when he said something like "If I had not been elected President in 2016..." and the whole democratic side of the chamber let out the most audible "UGH OMGGGG" groan which led to Pelosi giggle a bit and wave for them to shh.

[ltrandazzo]

Back to Fairfax - His accuser has formally come forward and retained the same legal counsel that Dr. Blasey Ford had last year. Tom Perez says that she is entitled to due process. (https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/06/perez-fairfax-due-process-1150267)


“We need to always take these allegations seriously,” he said. “I said this whenever this issue has come up. We must accord respect to an accuser and we must accord due process to the accused.”

[ltrandazzo]

Virginia is really fucking up Black History Month.
1093189162566668288

[allegate]

https://twitter.com/silkyjumbo/status/1093201364644179978

https://twitter.com/LukeEpplin/status/1093193136401235968

[ltrandazzo]

Watch this space -
1093892711806107648
1093895758342955011

[ltrandazzo]

Second accuser comes forward on Lt. Governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax and they have also retained legal counsel.

He needs to resign.

1093981682842116098

[allegro]

Watch this space -
1093892711806107648
1093895758342955011

I’ve been following this development for a few weeks, it’s incredible; the H.R. people at Bedminster brought undocumented people who’d provided forged green cards and forged social security cards (guess you can buy them in NYC for $50 bucks) into the office and told these workers that these documents were bad forgeries and they needed to go GET BETTER ONES. The employees did, and that was that.

[elevenism]

Virginia is really fucking up Black History Month.

Thanks for the laff; I needed it. Perhaps I have a dark sense of humor, but the sentence you wrote above the tweet, the way you phrased it, is fucking hilarious to me.

[sick among the pure]

I mean, this isn't specifically Trump so much as another lawmaker, who is a Trump supporter (I mean, MAGA hat and all), and I didn't want it to get ignored if I posted it in the general headlines topic.
I just... I shouldn't be shocked that this was something that happened and this guy is still in office... but I am anyway?
WV Delegate make a "subtitle" comment that he would murder his children if they came out. (http://twitter.com/JakeJarvisWV/status/1094823914973421568)
http://twitter.com/JakeJarvisWV/status/1094823914973421568
(with video because just reading a transcript suuuuure doesn't have the same feel as hearing this guy say it over and over again with a big grin on his face)


what
the fuck
is this timeline

I hate it

[theimage13]

I mean, this isn't specifically Trump so much as another lawmaker, who is a Trump supporter (I mean, MAGA hat and all), and I didn't want it to get ignored if I posted it in the general headlines topic.
I just... I shouldn't be shocked that this was something that happened and this guy is still in office... but I am anyway?
WV Delegate make a "subtitle" comment that he would murder his children if they came out. (http://twitter.com/JakeJarvisWV/status/1094823914973421568)
http://twitter.com/JakeJarvisWV/status/1094823914973421568
(with video because just reading a transcript suuuuure doesn't have the same feel as hearing this guy say it over and over again with a big grin on his face)


what
the fuck
is this timeline

I hate it

But how do we know gays would sink? Every experiment needs a control group, right? Throw him in first to make sure them good Straight Christians float.

[bRoot]

"Any publicity is good publicity, right?"

"STFU Donny! You're out of your element!"

"Go back to Hell's Kitchen, they serve better food than at Trump Tower!"

[ltrandazzo]

This is a good summary of the nonsense surrounding Ilhan Omar in recent days and does what it can to bring everything back to its original point - that the US really needs to re-examine it's current relationship with the Israeli government and their covered up human rights abuses and their determination to walk away from a two-state solution with Palestine - https://splinternews.com/ilhan-omars-fight-isnt-over-1832540295

I personally think the BDS movement isn't the solution, but it does bring attention to the problem and it hopefully leads to a realistic approach with this.

[allegro]

This is a good summary of the nonsense surrounding Ilhan Omar in recent days and does what it can to bring everything back to its original point - that the US really needs to re-examine it's current relationship with the Israeli government and their covered up human rights abuses and their determination to walk away from a two-state solution with Palestine - https://splinternews.com/ilhan-omars-fight-isnt-over-1832540295

I personally think the BDS movement isn't the solution, but it does bring attention to the problem and it hopefully leads to a realistic approach with this.

YES!!! A-fucking-men! The human rights violations by Netanyahu need to be addressed.


It’s not anti-Semitic to support BDS. The interests of Israel, or the right-wing, Trump-allied government running it right now, aren’t the same as the interests of every Jewish American, and to pretend otherwise suggests something that’s at least as nefarious as the most critical reading of Omar’s tweet.

People like Steve Scalise don’t give ONE SINGLE FUCK about Jews. People like Scalise and McCarthy and ESPECIALLY Huckabee only want to protect Israel because they are CHRISTIAN and they want to protect the CHRISTIAN HOLY LAND in accordance with the scriptures.

For example, see this Washington Post article. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/02/12/its-christian-politics-not-aipac-money-that-explains-american-support-for-israel/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.01216fa00443)

This explains the Evangelical angle particularly well, and why they support Israel and Jews even though Jews tend to be Liberal and don't like Evangelicals (https://www.city-journal.org/html/why-don%E2%80%99t-jews-christians-who-them-13068.html).

And while we're at it, THIS is a really interesting article (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hnsgrassegger/george-soros-conspiracy-finkelstein-birnbaum-orban-netanyahu).

[klyrish]

People like Steve Scalise don’t give ONE SINGLE FUCK about Jews. People like Scalise and McCarthy and ESPECIALLY Huckabee only want to protect Israel because they are CHRISTIAN and they want to protect the CHRISTIAN HOLY LAND in accordance with the scriptures.
That's what they say to pander to the idiot masses, but the truth is far simpler: Israel pays them directly (AIPAC) and indirectly ("need" for endless war in the Middle East and I think we all know who REALLY runs this government).
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/why-the-entire-political-media-class-just-tried-to-end-ilhan-omars-career-ef07742a3238

[allegro]

That's what they say to pander to the idiot masses, but the truth is far simpler: Israel pays them directly (AIPAC) and indirectly ("need" for endless war in the Middle East and I think we all know who REALLY runs this government).
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/why-the-entire-political-media-class-just-tried-to-end-ilhan-omars-career-ef07742a3238
Good point, that’s also true.


Greenwald said “It’s stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans.

FUCK ALL LOBBYISTS.

[klyrish]

Good point, that’s also true.

FUCK ALL LOBBYISTS.
If you're not familiar with Caitlin's writing, I highly recommend reading more of her stuff. She calls it EXACTLY like it is and is a breath of fresh air in the toxic wasteland otherwise known as mass media.

[Demogorgon]

The Republican dominated Senate just passed a massive wilderness conservation/national monument bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-backs-major-public-lands-conservation-bill/ar-BBTvE8a?OCID=ansmsnnews11

[theimage13]

The Republican dominated Senate just passed a massive wilderness conservation/national monument bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-backs-major-public-lands-conservation-bill/ar-BBTvE8a?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Congrats, GOP. You extended massively popular and common sense legislation that expired half a year ago after your own stubborn asshole Senators threw a tantrum about wanting their snowflake states to be excluded from it. Have a cookie.

[allegro]

The Republican-dominated Senate just passed a massive wilderness conservation/national monument bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-backs-major-public-lands-conservation-bill/ar-BBTvE8a?OCID=ansmsnnews11

“The Senate approved the bill, 92-8, sending it to the House.”

Fixed that for you. :)


Lawmakers from both parties said the bill's most important provision was to permanently reauthorize the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country.
This truly is awesome.


Congrats, GOP. You extended massively popular and common sense legislation that expired half a year ago after your own stubborn asshole Senators threw a tantrum about wanting their snowflake states to be excluded from it. Have a cookie.
Per the article: "The bill was derailed last year after Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected, saying he wanted to exempt his home state of Utah from a law that allows the president to designate federal lands as a national monument protected from development." What a dick (https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/09/24/bears-ears-grand/).

[Demogorgon]

I mean, i'm just surprised so many conservatives voted for it, and regardless of how Mr. Angsty Pants up there wants to spin it, i'm really pleased it got passed. Any bit of positive action out of todays government is a good thing.

[allegro]

I agree, and I hope that it will pass the House without too many problems; I just hope the Cheeto signs off on it, although I suppose this has enough support that it overrides a veto (it does in the Senate, not sure about the conservatives in the House).

[Demogorgon]

I would think that it has enough support that Trump can easily see the benefits of signing it. I'm sure he'll throw shade about it, like "look what we can do when we work together, har har har, see how bipartisan i can be!" but if it gets signed into law, then i will not give a shit how he sells it to himself.

[Haysey_Draws]

I would think that it has enough support that Trump can easily see the benefits of signing it. I'm sure he'll throw shade about it, like "look what we can do when we work together, har har har, see how bipartisan i can be!" but if it gets signed into law, then i will not give a shit how he sells it to himself.

I'd be amazed if he can spell bipartisan, let alone know what it means!

[theimage13]

I'd be amazed if he can spell bipartisan, let alone know what it means!

"If we bipartisan Russian city, we can build the new Trump Tower."

I'll see myself out.

[ryanmcfly]

Lowkey think if Trump doesn't get his wall built, then he would move to legalize weed to get him some form of victory before the next election.

[klyrish]

I vehemently oppose this two-party "system" because it's really a single party (the Endless War Party) but I've been greatly impressed by a number of new, younger Democratic voices, especially Ilhan Omar. Especially with her blunt, no-bullshit calling out of Elliot Abrams for being the warmongering, genocide-approving, spawn of Satan's shit he is (https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/ilhan-omar-smacks-down-elliott-abrams-in-front-of-everybody-8cc7d88d6569). Hopefully she and AOC remain immune to the Establishment's corruption and more like those two continue to get and remain elected.

[ltrandazzo]

I vehemently oppose this two-party "system" because it's really a single party (the Endless War Party) but I've been greatly impressed by a number of new, younger Democratic voices, especially Ilhan Omar. Especially with her blunt, no-bullshit calling out of Elliot Abrams for being the warmongering, genocide-approving, spawn of Satan's shit he is (https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/ilhan-omar-smacks-down-elliott-abrams-in-front-of-everybody-8cc7d88d6569). Hopefully she and AOC remain immune to the Establishment's corruption and more like those two continue to get and remain elected.

I'm gonna move this over to the Trump thread since it's more current events than 2020.

[klyrish]

I'm gonna move this over to the Trump thread since it's more current events than 2020.
Thanks. I wasn't sure if this thread was about Trump-specific stuff or current events in general.

[ltrandazzo]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if this thread was about Trump-specific stuff or current events in general.

It's like a horrible amalgam of the two.

[ryanmcfly]

Mitch McConnel said that Trump will sign the funding bill but will also likely declare an emergency for the border wall. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[ltrandazzo]

Mitch McConnel said that Trump will sign the funding bill but will also likely declare an emergency for the border wall. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Bring on the legal challenges, but brace for impact. Trump and his ilk will want this to go before the Supreme Court because the numbers favor him. It'll take a while for it to get there, but yeah.

[Jinsai]

This is fucking terrifying.

[theimage13]

Brief summary of the challenges that can be mounted if fuckwad throws a tantrum: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-the-national-emergencies-act-and-can-president-trump-declare-a-national-emergency-for-the-border-wall/

[theimage13]

JFC....Sanders' official announcement about the news came via a tweet, which in itself was a screenshot of the iPhone Notes app. I know this might bring analogies of people harping on Obama for wearing a tan suit...but, when you're going to declare a national emergency (a big fucking deal) over a made up reason (some racist bullshit), at least pretend that you're giving it the consideration and weighted thought that this sort of move deserves.

http://fortune.com/2019/02/14/sarah-sanders-tweet-trump-national-emergency-twitter-iphone-notes-app/

I'm in BC right now. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, reallllllllllllly want to just stay.

[zecho]

If the supreme court allows this, then the next democrat president is gonna use a state of emergency to force either universal healthcare, climate change regulations, or gun control.

[theimage13]

If the supreme court allows this, then the next democrat president is gonna use a state of emergency to force either universal healthcare, climate change regulations, or gun control.

No, they're not. Look at every time Republicans did some schoolyard bullshit to force their way, then look at what the Dems had to work with. They're not inclined to stoop to the same lows. I'm not saying they're perfect, but I'd bet my paycheck that the next Democratic president doesn't declare an emergency for any of those things.

[allegro]

No, they're not. Look at every time Republicans did some schoolyard bullshit to force their way, then look at what the Dems had to work with. They're not inclined to stoop to the same lows. I'm not saying they're perfect, but I'd bet my paycheck that the next Democratic president doesn't declare an emergency for any of those things.

The point is that it sets precedent so they CAN.

Presidents have declared national emergencies since forever.

See this: https://www-m.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/national-emergencies-trump-opioid/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F


George W. Bush declared 13 emergencies and Barack Obama declared 12 -- nearly all of which are still active today. Bill Clinton declared 17 national emergencies, six of which are still active. Ronald Reagan declared six and George H.W. Bush declared four -- but all of those have been revoked by now.

However, a national emergency with MONEY (funding) is a different story.

My bet is the SCOTUS would strike down any Trump national emergency FUNDING because that move has been struck down already, several times.

See Truman for example and that emergency was the Korean War:

https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/dec-16-1950-president-truman-proclaims-state-of-emergency-during-korean-war/

“He cited his 1950 emergency proclamation in the executive order. The case was brought before the Supreme Court, which ruled that the president had no right to rule without consent of Congress, even during an emergency.”

I dunno, though; this could all REALLY backfire for Republicans, for SURE. It violates the funding provisions of the Constitution. If the SCOTUS upholds it, you bet your ass a Democratic President is going to use it. Rightfully so.

[ltrandazzo]

which in itself was a screenshot of the iPhone Notes app.

It was ghetto as hell. She even still had the stylus pointer on the screenshot, too.

[Mantra]

I kinda wonder if Trump just doesn't give a shit about much of anything, and so he's just trying stuff for the sake of trying it. It's like when you're playing Grand Theft Auto and you get bored with the story missions and decide you're gonna start shooting rocket launchers at random helicopters just to watch what happens.

Trump is a bored narcissistic who's nearing the end of a pretty meaningless life, and so I feel like the logic that drives most of his decisions at this point is basically just like, "Let's see what happens when you create eight constitutional crises at once, lollllll"

[theimage13]

"I didn't need to do this."

-Donald J Trump, confirming that he doesn't understand what the word "emergency" means. Hopefully also providing all the evidence that legal challenges will need.

[allegro]

I kinda wonder if Trump just doesn't give a shit about much of anything, and so he's just trying stuff for the sake of trying it. It's like when you're playing Grand Theft Auto and you get bored with the story missions and decide you're gonna start shooting rocket launchers at random helicopters just to watch what happens.

Trump is a bored narcissistic who's nearing the end of a pretty meaningless life, and so I feel like the logic that drives most of his decisions at this point is basically just like, "Let's see what happens when you create eight constitutional crises at once, lollllll"

He's pandering to his main base, he's up against a wall (no pun intended, LOL); he spent nearly every day of two years telling them that he'd build a wall. Then, he got into office and Republicans had a supermajority and NOT ONE INCH of new wall was built, even though Trump received $1.6 billion from Congress, then they never gave him one more penny of money even though he had a REPUBLICAN Congress.

Trump fans on Twitter say "NO, THEY NEED 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE!"

No. See RECONCILIATION (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(United_States_Congress)).

The bottom line is that a Republican Congress just DIDN'T WANT THE FUCKING WALL. If they had, they would have pushed it through JUST LIKE THEY DID WITH THE TAX REFORM BILL (see, again, RECONCILIATION).

Ann Coulter, as much as I despise her as an opportunistic hate-mongering talentless hack, pretty much sums it up in this piece: http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2018-12-19.html


For two years, Trump pretended to believe the president of the United States needs express authorization from Congress to defend the nation's borders and blamed the Republican majority for not "funding" the wall.

In a few weeks, he'll start blaming the Democratic House.

This is where Coulter and the Trump base are total fucking idiots: Only CONGRESS can authorize spending. So, yes, the President must receive the express authorization from Congress to get $$$.


It is now crystal clear that one of two things is true: Either Trump never intended to build the wall and was scamming voters all along, or he has no idea how to get it done and zero interest in finding out.

He sacrifices every opportunity to make the wall happen.
Ann, both are true. (And if you didn't have all of these invented emergencies to use for selling crappy books, you'd be unemployed and living in a van down by the river.)

But HERE is where Ann works her crystal ball:


The Washington Post loves to find the one crazy, trailer park lady who supports Trump because she's had religious ecstasies about him, but most people who voted for him did so with a boatload of qualms.

The basic factory setting on the perception of Trump is: gigantic douchebag. This is a man who manufactured fake Time magazine covers featuring himself with the headline, "Donald Trump: The 'Apprentice' is a television smash!" so that he could put framed copies of it on the walls of his clubs.

His business is convincing people with lowbrow taste to give him their money.

He's a vulgar publicity hound who used to call reporters in a fake voice and pretend to be his own PR agent, "John Miller" or "John Barron," so he could brag that actresses wanted to date him.

On one "Apprentice" episode, the reward for the winning team was: to see Trump's apartment. Not to eat there or spend the night. They got to see it. "As a little treat," he said, "you're gonna see the nicest apartment in New York City." He added: "I show this apartment to very few people. Presidents, kings ..."

It's not as if a majority of his voters weren't clear-eyed about what kind of man he is. If anything, Trump's vulgar narcissism made his vow to build a wall more believable. Respectable politicians had made similar promises over the years -- and they always betrayed the voters. Maybe it took a sociopath to ignore elite opinion and keep his word.

On the basis of his self-interest alone, he must know that if he doesn't build the wall, he has zero chance of being re-elected and a 100 percent chance of being utterly humiliated.

But when Trump is alone with Ivanka, they seem to agree that the wall has nothing to do with it. The people just love him for who he is! In a country of 320 million people, I'm sure there are some, but I have yet to meet a person who said, Yeah, I don't really care about immigration or trade, I just love his personality!

What else were we going to do? He was the only one talking sense. Unfortunately, that's all he does: talk. He's not interested in doing anything that would require the tiniest bit of effort.

In the end, we'll probably find out "wall" was Trump's "safe word" with Stormy Daniels. It's just something he blurts out whenever he's in trouble.

He's in trouble now. As absurd as the Russia nonsense is, the details about Trump's sleazy associates, the porn star, the Playboy playmate and his seedy business practices leave his supporters feeling queasy, even if he hasn't committed any crimes.

Instead of joining a fight that will make his most ardent supporters cringe no matter how it comes out, why not choose a battleground where he's guaranteed a win? If Trump used the military to build the wall -- actually build it, not keep telling us he's going to build it -- the Democrats will go mad.

They'll hold impeachment hearings, file a million lawsuits, produce weeping children reading from phony scripts written by immigrant rights groups -- and Trump will win. The public will support Trump overwhelmingly, and the left will be forced to keep reminding voters why they hate Democrats.

Instead, what he's doing now absolutely guarantees that the next president will be a Democrat and, given today's Democratic Party, that president will be Kamala Harris.

[Mantra]

^Yeah, I remember the first time you linked to that Ann Coulter piece. I think I came back and re-read it like six times over the next few days, lol, cause it really is a pretty mind-blowing article. It's so weird how she's actually kind of strangely insightful in certain sections of her critique, and also it's just fucking hilarious watching an ideological freak like her trying to deal with Trump's hollowness.

But the part where I think she's ludicrously wrong is actually the first part of your quoted segment, where she says that most people only supported him with a "boatload of qualms." I feel like that part is pretty insane. I don't know if she's deliberately trying to misrepresent the situation, or if she's genuinely clueless about the MAGA cult, or what. Because the reality is that, at least for now, Trump is still a populist with a cult of personality among right-wingers, and it's most definitely not just a few crazy ladies here and there in trailer parks (I love how Ann's smug classism shines through here, even towards the very people who share her psychotic ideology). Die hard Trump supporters are a very real thing, and there are very large numbers of them. The only people you could maybe argue were reluctant supporters of him were the sort of old-school "moderate" republicans who didn't care for Trump's style but couldn't bring themselves to support Hillary or throw away their vote on Johnson (i.e: Kasich-style Republicans, etc). Those were the main people you could say had a "boatload of qualms" about supporting Trump, but those people mostly weren't the hardcore wall advocates, so they're not even the kind of people Ann claims to be speaking for here. These maniacs screaming "build a wall" at his rallies were totally enraptured by the spectacle of Trump. There's just no way she can try to deny the existence of the MAGA cult.

The other thing that really struck me about that article is just how disdainful she is of both him and a lot of his supporters. Like that part about how his whole thing is built around fooling people with low-brow taste. I just don't understand why Trump would care about appeasing someone who views him like that, especially when you consider that the only thing he sincerely wants is to be worshiped and admired. He should have just called her bluff on this pointless wall showdown. Whatever moderate amount of influence Ann Coulter has among the right, it's insignificant compared to Trump's following. At the end of the day, Ann Coulter has nothing. Trump, on the other hand, has an enormous cult of obsessed fans who will defend him to the very end. In their minds, Trump always comes first. Her influence can't compete with that, and if push comes to shove, his followers will turn against her before they'll turn against him. So he could have ignored her and easily dealt with the fallout. So much for his 4D chess bullshit.

[allegro]

^ After that article, Coulter’s Twitter feed was filled with Trump fans defending Trump and telling her off for not trusting Trump. I didn’t notice ANY people displaying any qualms about her characterization of him OR his fan base, oddly enough.

Cut to shortly after this, when Trump was expected to sign the C.R. and extend the budget into 2019 without a wall. His fans were on Coulter’s Twitter feed saying there’s NO WAY they’d vote for him in 2020.

THAT gets attention. Not what Coulter says, but the shit she stirs up.

Next thing Trump did was shut down the Government.

It’s like he was hoping nobody would notice, then he could win in 2020 promising the wall again and put it off another 4 years then just go “bye!”

Ann Coulter today:

“The only national emergency is that our president is an idiot.”

[Jinsai]

I feel incredibly uncomfortable (and suspicious) when I find myself agreeing at all with Coulter.

[allegro]

Here's a paid ad from Kamala Harris that's appearing in Twitter. But look at the COMMENTS, wtf.

https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1096154611726061570

[richardp]

Y'all just gotta get the fuck off Twitter. Nothing good comes out of it, you just make yourselves mad reading all these Troll tweets.

[Jinsai]

Here's a paid ad from Kamala Harris that's appearing in Twitter. But look at the COMMENTS, wtf.

There's no way this just happened in a vacuum. I wonder if there's a link to "tell Kamala what we think" on some site that I won't go near, like Drudge Report.

[allegro]

There's no way this just happened in a vacuum. I wonder if there's a link to "tell Kamala what we think" on some site that I won't go near, like Drudge Report.

It’s an ad that randomly appears in your feed, and it looks like the only ones commenting IN AN AD right now are the Trump idiots. Because they’re that stupid.

Note, however, that the lefties have been trolling Trump’s Twitter feed RELENTLESSLY, NON-STOP for a long time. That Jacob Wohl asshole still comments, but then a hundred leftie people post that photo of him in his Sunglass Hut uniform at the mall. LOL.

Sometimes, Lou Dobbs does these Twitter polls like, “Do you think the President is doing a great job right now?” and links get passed around on the left - “LET’S FLIP THIS POLL!” - totally fucking with Lou Dobbs, I’ve participated in a bunch of those; a guy who linked several was blocked by Lou Dobbs, LOL, but then others started linking them.

Viewing Trump Twitter really gives you insight as to how tragically stupid these people are. They’re convinced that Soros is paying all of us on the left to be on Twitter (gee, that’d be great, actually), and that Twitter is run by the Deep State and is oppressing them, etc. The BLOCK feature is particularly useful these days because the Russian Troll propaganda accounts are out in droves. I use the REPORT feature and it works.