The Trump Presidency 14

[Stacyhs]

I was thinking Bill. I concede he would be fun to play with, but I don’t think I could read him. I’ve actually met him twice and there’s just something about him that sucks you in. I ain’t playing poker with him.

It's called personal magnetism. Something that Trump does not have.

 

[Brainache]

I know a lot of people are saying that impeaching Trump won't work because the Senate will let him off, but is that really what would happen? Don't those Senators also have to face the voters at some point?

I mean if the house presents an air-tight case of "high crimes" etc. is there no chance at all that enough Senate Republicans might decide that their best chance for re-election is to distance themselves from Trump?

 

[Aridas]

I first read it in one of the books about Trump that came out in the last year or so. Fire and Fury, maybe?

It's been floating around since... before the 2016 election, really.

Personally, I honestly don't think it sunk in that it was even a possibility until after the election. He had absolutely nothing prepared for winning. As late as October 20, 2016, he was still pushing the idea of Trump TV for when he lost.

And stuff like that is part of why. Honestly, the whole playing coy about whether he'd accept election results and the RIGGED RIGGED RIGGED moronics gave me that impression, regardless. The stuff like "You know what you're doing is illegal, right?" "No one would care unless we won, so it's all good." from... I think Flynn (maybe?) before the election serves as clear indicators of that. With that said, I think that I've read that the prevailing mood of the Trump campaign people was more that the whole thing would be a win-win. If Trump loses, they ALL would go on to capitalize on that safely. If Trump wins, they get catapulted into governmental positions of power and influence.

Anyways, random bit of news time. To what's likely no one's actual surprise, Trump is 'personally and repeatedly' intervening to get border wall contract awarded to crony. Of particular note here...

This is despite the fact of being told, repeatedly, that the company's design for the border fencing won't work."The system he is proposing does not meet the operational requirements of U.S. Customs and Border Protection," one official said. Fisher had already done work on a barrier project in San Diego, in the prototype competition in 2017, but its work there "came in late and over budget." Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner has also been keen on pushing Fisher, even though Army Corps and DHS official have met with him several times to "explain why Fisher wasn't the best deal." They, including then-DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, have also explained to Trump that the proposal was not cheaper and better because it was cheap and ineffective, but the company could submit another proposal. "Nielsen and Semonite separately explained that the president could not just pick a company." No wonder she's gone now.

The BEST PEOPLE! Seriously, this is pathetic.

With that said, there need to be more people like this guy. Former GOP Rep. Tom Coleman: Trump, Pence are illegitimate. Impeach them.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Not as much as CapelDodger. Did you actually read his post? I quoted it, so if you read mine you have no excuse for not reading his.

It's a straw man to bring up evildoers unrelated to the context of CD's post.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I can think of nothing now but Mitch McConnell with dark eye makeup and black clothes.

That's a step up from only being able to see his double chin.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I know a lot of people are saying that impeaching Trump won't work because the Senate will let him off, but is that really what would happen? Don't those Senators also have to face the voters at some point?

I mean if the house presents an air-tight case of "high crimes" etc. is there no chance at all that enough Senate Republicans might decide that their best chance for re-election is to distance themselves from Trump?

Which is why, instead of the ultimate goal of filing impeachment charges, the Democrats should be working toward exposing the bastard for the criminal he is.

It's not the Senate that needs to be convinced, it's the public.

 

[Aridas]

I know a lot of people are saying that impeaching Trump won't work because the Senate will let him off, but is that really what would happen? Don't those Senators also have to face the voters at some point?

I mean if the house presents an air-tight case of "high crimes" etc. is there no chance at all that enough Senate Republicans might decide that their best chance for re-election is to distance themselves from Trump?

Impeaching Trump is actually something of a seriously odd topic, indicative of how terrible a place we're in, politically and as a country. Trump's a crook. He's very blatantly been a crook for a very long time. He's done numerous crooked and illegal actions that would have caused Republican heads to explode had a Democrat done them... and possibly if a Republican did it even 15 years ago. Yet, Republican politicians are pretty much uniformly either embracing Trump or showing off extreme political cowardice because of the predicament that the party's been shaping for decades as they've been literally preaching falsehood and deception in service to their rich donor's desires. Make no mistake, the "values" that many (not all, thankfully!) have tried to use as a bludgeon are nothing more than tool to them, rather than something that they embrace. One can expect most of them to act like a cult, like they've been doing, if you want to sum it up. This is only a little different from Republican voters, unfortunately.

Democrats, on the other hand, are in a position where impeaching Trump, regardless of how overwhelmingly warranted it may be, comes with the full expectation having most of the Senate Republicans choose party over country and principle, as they've consistently done this whole time... and the Republicans trying to use that as a weapon against them, riling up their base all the more in a loyalist frenzy. Personally, I'd say that they're about as riled up as they can get under the circumstances, but... that's my only partially informed take. Not impeaching Trump, on the other hand, will fairly certainly lead to depressing the vote among the far more easily depressed Democratic voting populations. So... the challenge then becomes whether the Democratic leaders can make an overwhelming enough case to the American people that Trump absolutely needs removed for his wrongdoings and any complicit Republican Trump defenders in the Senate are absolutely unfit for office should they vote to protect him. It's been turned into a political calculation, rather than one of right, wrong, and principles, and I would dare to say that the Republicans very much bear the blame for that.

 

[The Don]

President Trump goes around congress again by declaring a national emergency to enable $billions in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without congressional scrutiny.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48404923

GOP heads would have asploded if the Democrats had done anything like this.

 

[Norman Alexander]

Impeaching Trump is actually something of a seriously odd topic, indicative of how terrible a place we're in, politically and as a country. Trump's a crook. He's very blatantly been a crook for a very long time. He's done numerous crooked and illegal actions that would have caused Republican heads to explode had a Democrat done them... and possibly if a Republican did it even 15 years ago. Yet, Republican politicians are pretty much uniformly either embracing Trump or showing off extreme political cowardice because of the predicament that the party's been shaping for decades as they've been literally preaching falsehood and deception in service to their rich donor's desires. Make no mistake, the "values" that many (not all, thankfully!) have tried to use as a bludgeon are nothing more than tool to them, rather than something that they embrace. One can expect most of them to act like a cult, like they've been doing, if you want to sum it up. This is only a little different from Republican voters, unfortunately.

Democrats, on the other hand, are in a position where impeaching Trump, regardless of how overwhelmingly warranted it may be, comes with the full expectation having most of the Senate Republicans choose party over country and principle, as they've consistently done this whole time... and the Republicans trying to use that as a weapon against them, riling up their base all the more in a loyalist frenzy. Personally, I'd say that they're about as riled up as they can get under the circumstances, but... that's my only partially informed take. Not impeaching Trump, on the other hand, will fairly certainly lead to depressing the vote among the far more easily depressed Democratic voting populations. So... the challenge then becomes whether the Democratic leaders can make an overwhelming enough case to the American people that Trump absolutely needs removed for his wrongdoings and any complicit Republican Trump defenders in the Senate are absolutely unfit for office should they vote to protect him. It's been turned into a political calculation, rather than one of right, wrong, and principles, and I would dare to say that the Republicans very much bear the blame for that.

What needs to be remembered here is that the actual best outcome for the Democrats is for Trump to not finish his term. But there is more than one solution that gets that result besides just impeachment and senate dismissal. Examples I can recall: The "madness" method - the 25th Amendment. The resignation method...Trump resigning of his own accord. And, probably unlikely, the assassination method. There are, no doubt, others.

Trump has been swinging back against the impeachment front. But Pelosi has opened up on his flank with a different approach: Accusing him of mental incompetence sufficient to imply he really is not up to the job even though he thinks he is, and suggesting an "intervention" might be necessary. This has obviously unnerved Trump because he has reacted predictably wildly.

First, he has hit out at Pelosi in typical toddler tantrum mode. She is both an adult and has raised children, so she knows how to deal with these. Trump came off a bad second best trying to out-insult her. Everyone can see who the "adult in the room" is.

Second, he is now trying to point out all his successes, such as they are. He's "building more Wall!" which everyone can see he isn't. And he is claiming the already budgeted (by Obama) refurbishment of other sections as his own.

And finally, he is trying to distract: Getting Barr to investigate Australia and the UK and Ukraine involvement in "spying on him in 2016". Of course, Barr is going to find something even if he has to make up composite documents like cut-up ransom notes. You don't think a lying toadie like him will not?

But now Trump has tootled off to Japan, where the Japanese will be VERY polite and he will not. Then he is supposed to go to the UK. No doubt he will bollox up the official timetable there too. It's summer, it will rain on June 6, he will want to watch TV in his hotel room instead of doing any memorial stuff. He might melt...

 

[Andy_Ross]

President Trump goes around congress again by declaring a national emergency to enable $billions in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without congressional scrutiny.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48404923

GOP heads would have asploded if the Democrats had done anything like this.

Whenever he wants something that Congress won't approve he is just going to declare it an emergency'. Who didn't see that coming?
Dictatorship by the side entrance.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

The real trade war began 30 years ago, and we lost. This is a bright new Age, the Age of Enlightenment. We don’t lose anymore!

Can’t believe that Rolling Thunder would be given a hard time with permits in Washington, D.C. They are great Patriots who I have gotten to know and see in action. They love our Country and love our Flag. If I can help, I will!

 

[Aridas]

Whenever he wants something that Congress won't approve he is just going to declare it an emergency'. Who didn't see that coming?
Dictatorship by the side entrance.

In good news on that general front, looks like a Federal Judge has at least partially blocked Trump National Emergency appropriation. In particular, he's not allowed to appropriate DoD funds.

 

[TellyKNeasuss]

I know a lot of people are saying that impeaching Trump won't work because the Senate will let him off, but is that really what would happen? Don't those Senators also have to face the voters at some point?

I mean if the house presents an air-tight case of "high crimes" etc. is there no chance at all that enough Senate Republicans might decide that their best chance for re-election is to distance themselves from Trump?

Those senators have to face the voters at some point, but so what? Many voters only care that their government leaders implement policies that they think will help them and really don't care if those leaders are crooks. Politicians who were forced from office have generally been caught embezzling money or taking bribes, which would be harmful to their constituents. I don't see what sort of new "air-tight case" the House could present. It's pretty obvious that Trump committed several acts of witness tampering, and that hasn't motivated a whole lot of Republicans to turn against him.

 

[TellyKNeasuss]

Trump Tweets

The real trade war began 30 years ago, and we lost. This is a bright new Age, the Age of Enlightenment. We don’t lose anymore!

Can’t believe that Rolling Thunder would be given a hard time with permits in Washington, D.C. They are great Patriots who I have gotten to know and see in action. They love our Country and love our Flag. If I can help, I will!

This is one of Trump's funnier tweets. Rolling Thunder's biggest issues have been with the DoD and he's had a year to help.

 

[Segnosaur]

This is one of Trump's funnier tweets. Rolling Thunder's biggest issues have been with the DoD and he's had a year to help.

I thought the funniest part is that Rolling Thunder is associated with prisioners of war, and Trump only likes soldiers who weren't captured.

Sent from my LG-K121 using Tapatalk

 

[Minoosh]

I know a lot of people are saying that impeaching Trump won't work because the Senate will let him off, but is that really what would happen? Don't those Senators also have to face the voters at some point?

I mean if the house presents an air-tight case of "high crimes" etc. is there no chance at all that enough Senate Republicans might decide that their best chance for re-election is to distance themselves from Trump?

That might happen without impeachment. In fact impeachment might motivate them to double down. Yes, 33 (I think) senators face re-election next year and some Republicans will be vulnerable. I can think of one in my state.

Besides, I'm not sure Dems are going to get an airtight case. It would be a lot of time and treasure spent for a result that might not sway the Senate in the slightest.

President Trump goes around congress again by declaring a national emergency to enable $billions in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without congressional scrutiny.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48404923

GOP heads would have asploded if the Democrats had done anything like this.

I think quite a few GOP senators will be bothered by this end run. I doubt they'll make any noise about it though.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Dems won't get a much better and objective case than what Mueller has already provided - which is twice as much as needed for Impeachment.
The Trumpsters will not be swayed by a dead boby in the oval office with Trump holding the bloody knife.

 

[Ladewig]

It's called personal magnetism. Something that Trump does not have.

Trump has personal magnetism.

It is just that the poles are reversed. President Clinton’s magnetism attracts people; President Trump’s magnetism repels people.

 

[Ladewig]

Dems won't get a much better and objective case than what Mueller has already provided - which is twice as much as needed for Impeachment.
The Trumpsters will not be swayed by a dead boby in the oval office with Trump holding the bloody knife.

Indeed.
The only truely unforgivable sin left in the Republican Party is homosexuality.

“Larry Craig? Nope, never heard of him. Are you sure he was a senator?”

 

[Delphic Oracle]

You pretend as if Hitler didn't terrorize the Jewish people in Germany from day one. I grant you that the final solution didn't take form for ten more years. But the NAZIs began to systematically take away basic civil rights from Germany's Jewish citizens starting in 1933 when Hitler took power. By 1936 half the Jewish population had left the country. In 1936, Germany passed laws against Jewish people holding professional jobs. They were purged from the teaching profession and academia altogether. By 1938 Germany started to confiscate property.

Yeah, I can't understand how everything was apparently just fine and then suddenly...death camps.

No.

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