The Trump Presidency 13: The (James) Baker's Dozen

[Andy_Ross]

Well, that's what the folks at Defense and in the halls of the Pentagon will have to worry about. If the DoD rolls over for Trump's wet dream, then next season's funding initiatives are going to be prefaced with a lot of discussion about there being so much over-calculated for Defense that they had five billion in spare change lying around that they donated to The Trump Wall and Re-Election Fund.

The current bill for keeping funding going has a proviso on almost every line that the money can't be used for any purposes other than as outlined in the Act. They'll do this next year, too.

Only about 10 billion is for construction and engineering, not a huge amount given all the infrastructure the military has to maintain and new stuff they build.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

New York prosecutors have subpoenaed Trump's inaugural committee

 

[Mumbles]

"Trump's stupidest voters"?

Boy, that would be a tough thing to rate on a scale.

Actually, a good scale would be the number of Ann Coulter's books they bought.

 

[newyorkguy]

...In slightly tangential news to that, Too Close to Trump? FOX News Won’t Run Ad for Oscar-Nominated Anti-Nazi Documentary

More specifically, the rejection apparently came directly on orders from their CEO.

That is very bad news, and this is not a Godwin, this is really happening. Fox explained their decision (from the Times of Israel):

The network declined to run the commercial for the 2017 Oscar-nominated “A Night at the Garden” because it was “full of disgraceful Nazi imagery regardless of the film’s message and did not meet our guidelines,” ad sales president Marianne Gambelli said in a statement...But the team behind the short documentary said the 30-second ad made it clear that it was telling the story of the event at Madison Square Garden as “an anti-Nazi cautionary tale,” director Marshall Curry said in a statement. Link

Of course, the producers also said, "The goal of distributing this film and all of our advertising for it has been to reach as many Americans as we can with a cautionary tale about demagogues who attack the press and scapegoat minorities,” he said, noting that the rally’s 80th anniversary is on Feb. 20." I'll bet Fox execs found that a little too close to Trump and decided on that basis -- the inference was too clear -- to refuse to run it.

Thereby effectively proving the producers' point: it could happen here.

 

[varwoche]

"Trump's stupidest voters"? ...

It's almost as if Coulter thinks that Trump's base is, gasp, deplorable?

 

[phiwum]

I don't think the issue is going to be what constitutes an emergency or the President's right to decide that. Although such things could become elements of legal manuvuers.

What is going to be the core dispute is whether or not the President, having made such a declaration, can go on to use it as a means to access money (which has already been allocated by Congress explicitly for other purposes) for purposes which Congress has already explicitly denied him money for.

This is a fundamental dispute and attack on the intent of the Constitution and the allocation of powers between the several branches of government.

I don't disagree on what is likely to be the focus of the actual suits. (I don't really have any idea what we'll see.) I was responding to posts here, rather than the actual legal plans of potential plaintiffs.

 

[quadraginta]

Actually, a good scale would be the number of Ann Coulter's books they bought.

The ones who have shown a willingness to spend money on books ... let alone actually be able to read them ... have already disqualified thenselves.

 

[quadraginta]

I don't disagree on what is likely to be the focus of the actual suits. (I don't really have any idea what we'll see.) I was responding to posts here, rather than the actual legal plans of potential plaintiffs.

So was I.

 

[newyorkguy]

More on the Coulter-Trump smashup. At a news conference Donnie said:

“I don’t know her,” he said before quickly correcting himself. “I hardly know her. I haven’t spoken to her in way over a year.” He noted, though, that she was an early predictor of his election victory. “So I like her, but she’s off the reservation,” he said. “But anybody that knows her understands that.” Link

Ms. Coulter fired back:

“The only national emergency is that our president is an idiot,” she said on KABC radio in Los Angeles.

Sad!

 

[slyjoe]

More on the Coulter-Trump smashup. At a news conference Donnie said:


Ms. Coulter fired back:


Sad!

What is it with Trump and Native Americans? Off the reservation?

 

[Trebuchet]

New York prosecutors have subpoenaed Trump's inaugural committee

Actually the state AG of New Jersey, according to that article.

 

[Belz...]

More on the Coulter-Trump smashup. At a news conference Donnie said:

I'm not sure "said" is the correct verb here. Seems like he made a number of random noises which ressemble words.

Ms. Coulter fired back:

Sad!

Not conservative enough, I suppose.

 

[jimbob]

I had no idea about that book, so I looked it up on Amazon.

Best part: The people who viewed that particular book also viewed a product called a 'tactical spork'.

Wut?

 

[newyorkguy]

Back in 2016, prior to the election, Ann Coulter wrote a best-selling book called "In Trump We Trust." In the book she explained why she would vote for Donnie and why she was urging others to do the same. In the book:

Coulter explains why conservatives, moderates, and even disgruntled Democrats should set aside their doubts and embrace Trump:

• He's putting America first in our trade deals and alliances, rather than pandering to our allies and enemies.
• He's abandoned the GOP's decades-long commitment to a bellicose foreign policy, at a time when the entire country is sick of unnecessary wars.
• He's ended GOP pandering to Hispanic activists with his hard-line policy on immigration. Working class Americans finally have a champion against open borders and cheap foreign labor.
• He's overturned the media's traditional role in setting the agenda and defining who gets to be considered "presidential."
• He's exposed political consultants as grifters and hacks, most of whom don't know real voters from a hole in the ground.

Link to Amazon book review

But of course the problem with Ann Coulter's book was, Trump hadn't actually done any of those things; he was merely saying he would. Taking a practiced liar at his word was not smart. (See Art of the Deal: "Tell them what they want to hear.") Of course, Ann Coulter is not naive. I think her main motive in writing "In Trump We Trust," was financial. These are some real quality people.

Drain the swamp!

 

[Belz...]

But of course the problem with Ann Coulter's book was, Trump hadn't actually done any of those things; he was merely saying he would.

It's amazing how trusting people are when you tell them what they want to hear.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

In slightly tangential news to that, Too Close to Trump? FOX News Won’t Run Ad for Oscar-Nominated Anti-Nazi Documentary



More specifically, the rejection apparently came directly on orders from their CEO.

https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1096819747314909184

Fox News refused to broadcast this anti-Nazi promo — but it had no problem running one for a conservative film that used Nazi imagery

Four and a half minute video embedded in tweet, including an interview with the director of the documentary in question, and both ads mentioned, as well as comparisons between the documentary footage and things said on-air by Fox News anchors.

 

[quadraginta]

In slightly tangential news to that, Too Close to Trump? FOX News Won’t Run Ad for Oscar-Nominated Anti-Nazi Documentary



More specifically, the rejection apparently came directly on orders from their CEO.

https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1096819747314909184

Fox News refused to broadcast this anti-Nazi promo — but it had no problem running one for a conservative film that used Nazi imagery

Four and a half minute video embedded in tweet, including an interview with the director of the documentary in question, and both ads mentioned, as well as comparisons between the documentary footage and things said on-air by Fox News anchors.

One can hardly blame Faux News for being reluctant to air an advertisement which depicted Fascists and Nazis in a less than flattering manner.

After all, they wouldn't want to alienate their core market group.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Classy place that club of his.

Here is the Omelette bar.

 

[Andy_Ross]

REAL tomato ketchup, Eddie?

 

[a_unique_person]

More on the Coulter-Trump smashup. At a news conference Donnie said:





Ms. Coulter fired back:





Sad!

Not in idiot on the way that the majority of us view it.

She means he is still not as big an idiot as her.