Cont: The Trump Presidency: Part 19

[pgwenthold]

*The members of the military radio station in Vietnam are reading response mail after a popular DJ is taken off the air and replaced with a boring uptight military officer.*

"Here's one from a Marine in Da Nang: Captain Hauk sucks the sweat off of a dead man's balls. I have no idea what that means, Sir, but it seems very negative to me."

"Deep in my heart, I know I'm funny."

 

[Segnosaur]

With luck, this could get extremely messy for Trump...

From: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/10/ama...dent-trump-over-jedi-cloud-contract-loss.html
Amazon is seeking to depose President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Defense Secretary James Mattis over a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract awarded to Microsoft....A spokesperson for AWS told CNBC in a statement: “President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his position as President and Commander in Chief to interfere with government functions – including federal procurements – to advance his personal agenda...."

Now, unlike the House (with its impeachment inquiry), Amazon probably has the time and resources to dedicate to pursuing this through the courts. Hopefully, trump will be forced to testify, and then get caught committing perjury.

 

[JoeMorgue]

I have wondered how long it was going to be before Trump had to take on a mega-corporation that wasn't so deep in the government contracts they couldn't risk fighting him and/or wasn't staunchly conservative.

What's going to happen? I have no idea. Amazon isn't going to risk Trump doing something to it's oh so sweet tax breaks but Bezos is a willful dude and him and Trump already hate each other.

 

[Armitage72]

Not to mention a 26% EPA budget cut.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-budget-proposal-4-8-trillion-social-safety-net-epa/

“We have the cleanest air in the world in the United States, and it’s gotten better since I’m president. We have the cleanest water. It’s crystal clean and I always say I want crystal clean water and air. ... We’re setting records environmentally.”

"We have the safest food and medicine in the world. Why do we need to spend so much money on the FDA?"

Trump Tweets

Meeting with U.S. Governors in a short while. All States are doing well. “Thank you Mr. President.”

I thought New York and California were hellholes that had been run into the ground by the Democrats?

 

[plague311]

I have wondered how long it was going to be before Trump had to take on a mega-corporation that wasn't so deep in the government contracts they couldn't risk fighting him and/or wasn't staunchly conservative?

What's going to happen? I have no idea. Amazon isn't going to risk Trump doing something to it's oh so sweet tax breaks but Bezos is a willful dude and him and Trump already hate each other.

Bezo's doesn't seem one to back off, that's for sure. He owns half the ******* internet so it's not like he doesn't have resources, as was mentioned before. I don't think anything is going to happen to Trump. I doubt he'll have to testify about anything, will he? I can't imagine being forced to when he can just ignore it, settle out of court, or drag it on for months until he's either out of office or voted back in. If he gets the boot he can say "I'm not there anymore, take it up with them"

 

[Trebuchet]

With luck, this could get extremely messy for Trump...

From: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/10/ama...dent-trump-over-jedi-cloud-contract-loss.html
Amazon is seeking to depose President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Defense Secretary James Mattis over a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract awarded to Microsoft....A spokesperson for AWS told CNBC in a statement: “President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his position as President and Commander in Chief to interfere with government functions – including federal procurements – to advance his personal agenda...."

Now, unlike the House (with its impeachment inquiry), Amazon probably has the time and resources to dedicate to pursuing this through the courts. Hopefully, trump will be forced to testify, and then get caught committing perjury.

I initially read that with an alternate meaning of "depose", because of course I did.

 

[Segnosaur]

I have wondered how long it was going to be before Trump had to take on a mega-corporation that wasn't so deep in the government contracts they couldn't risk fighting him and/or wasn't staunchly conservative?

What's going to happen? I have no idea. Amazon isn't going to risk Trump doing something to it's oh so sweet tax breaks but Bezos is a willful dude and him and Trump already hate each other.

Which tax breaks would those be?

I know Trump has commented in the past on how Amazon didn't collect sales taxes, but since then they seem to be collecting taxes from almost all states.

And the company may have benefited from the reduction in corporate taxes, but I can't really see Trump having any real ability to reverse those tax cuts in a way that impacts one company only.

 

[dudalb]

So, some upcoming information regarding Trump's proposed budget. So what will it probably have?

As expected:
- Big cuts to non-military spending, including foreign aid, education, the CDC
- Increased spending for the military
- Another $2 billion for the border wall
- No plans to eliminate the deficit for at least a decade.
- Cuts to the 'social safety net', through things like tightened requirements

So much for the promises that the tax cuts would 'pay for themselves', and for Trump's 2016 promise to eliminate the deficit in 8 years. And not so sure how smart it is to cut CDC spending when the Corona virus seems to be causing so many issues.

House Democrats have already stated that the budget won't be going anywhere.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/09/politics/trump-budget-plan-deficit/index.html

https://www.vox.com/2020/2/10/21131316/trump-2021-budget-entitlement-cuts

Proprosing cuts to the CDC with the Coronavirus becoming an issue is not a bright idea. You think he would have changed that before the budget was released.

 

[Segnosaur]

Re: Amazon suing over losing a pentagon contract...

I don't think anything is going to happen to Trump. I doubt he'll have to testify about anything, will he? I can't imagine being forced to when he can just ignore it, settle out of court, or drag it on for months until he's either out of office or voted back in.

Well, the supreme court ruled that Nixon had to turn over evidence during Watergate. If the courts follow precedents (which admittedly they may not do anymore) then there wouldn't be much he could do to prevent it.

And settling out of court could be damaging, since he'd be paying with taxpayer money.

And dragging it out may not work as well as it did with Mueller and/or the Impeachment inquiry because, well, Amazon probably has the resources to follow through with no time limit.

If he gets the boot he can say "I'm not there anymore, take it up with them"

That might be even worse for him, since he would no longer have Barr and the DoJ working to protect him.

Not sure what punishment he might receive though.... if the courts do find Trump personally interfered in awarding a government contract over petty personal reasons, would he be liable for being sued personally? Or would it be Amazon going after the government?

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

“A lot of people feel defeated...Trump always wins. It seems like nothing can stop him.” Danny Villazon @nytimes @DanaPerino @FoxNews But isn’t that what you want from your President?

Wall Street Journal Editorial: “She (Crazy Nancy) aimed at Trump and hit Uncle Joe.”

 

[plague311]

Trump Tweets

“A lot of people feel defeated...Trump always wins. It seems like nothing can stop him.” Danny Villazon @nytimes @DanaPerino @FoxNews But isn’t that what you want from your President?

Probably about the best tweet he's ever had because nothing about it is wrong. He's been able to shrug off pretty much everything thrown at him. As has been mentioned, his numbers are the as they were at the beginning, and whenever he's accused of something nothing much comes from it. He was impeached but what did that do? Not much.

Say what you will, he knows what he can get away with and that's pretty much anything.

 

[bruto]

I haven't been keeping up here so pardon me if its already been mentioned but I see President Trump has come out as a vociferous supporter of Laura Loomer for congress in Florida. For those not familiar with the infamous Laura Loomer she is a rabid, mouth-foaming anti-Muslim right winger, who has advocated never allowing any Muslim ever to come to the United States, and castigated Uber and Lyft for allowing Muslim drivers, opined that no Muslim should be allowed to seek public office, marched at Charlottesville, aligned with white nationalists, said to support and recite their notorious "14 word mantra,"

We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.

, and on and on. In other words, to anyone but our demented president and the Republican party which appears ready to support her candidacy, a dangerously fanatical lunatic.

How ****** up the world is becoming.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Proprosing cuts to the CDC with the Coronavirus becoming an issue is not a bright idea. You think he would have changed that before the budget was released.

This is Trump if you put all his bright ideas together you wouldn't light a bathroom.

 

[Resume]

I haven't been keeping up here so pardon me if its already been mentioned but I see President Trump has come out as a vociferous supporter of Laura Loomer for congress in Florida. For those not familiar with the infamous Laura Loomer she is a rabid, mouth-foaming anti-Muslim right winger, who has advocated never allowing any Muslim ever to come to the United States, and castigated Uber and Lyft for allowing Muslim drivers, opined that no Muslim should be allowed to seek public office, marched at Charlottesville, aligned with white nationalists, said to support and recite their notorious "14 word mantra,"

We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.

, and on and on. In other words, to anyone but our demented president and the Republican party which appears ready to support her candidacy, a dangerously fanatical lunatic.

How ****** up the world is becoming.

Laura Loomer . . . **** me.

I remember back in the good ole days when Loomer would fatuously boast about Trump having her 6. I guess those days are gone, and they ain't comin' back, to your home town.

It's sickening how ****** up this world becoming.

ETA: I don't want to hear anyone telling me they don't think Trump is racist if he is truly supporting this . . . person's candidacy. She is shameful.

 

[Minoosh]

I remember back in the good ole days when Loomer would fatuously boast about Trump having her 6. I guess those days are gone, and they ain't comin' back, to your home town.

I'm not sure what you're saying here. Doesn't he still have her back?

(To the extent that Trump ever has anyone's back.)

 

[Andy_Ross]

“We will always protect your Medicare and we will always protect your Social Security. Always.”

 

[Resume]

I'm not sure what you're saying here. Doesn't he still have her back?

(To the extent that Trump ever has anyone's back.)

She used to brag that Trump supported her candidacy and I (and others) found it hard to believe that he'd ever heard of this looney nobody.

But apparently not, as he's retweeted her and suggested donations to her campaign are in order. I guess it worked as she seems to have raised more money than her opponent, incumbent Lois Frankel. Let's also remember she's running in Trump's newfound Palm Beach district.

Loomer is a conspiracy nut, a bigot, and possibly a congressperson in 2020.

 

[Resume]

“We will always protect your Medicare and we will always protect your Social Security. Always.”

Friggin socialist.

 

[Trebuchet]

I'm not sure what you're saying here. Doesn't he still have her back?

(To the extent that Trump ever has anyone's back.)

I was thinking more in terms of her ass.

 

[Ladewig]

Proprosing cuts to the CDC with the Coronavirus becoming an issue is not a bright idea. You think he would have changed that before the budget was released.

Your logic includes two unstated assumptions: President Trump cares about the health of average Americans and President Trump is bright enough to change his mind after being presented with new critical information.

Also, why would his supporters care about cuts to the CDC?