The Trump Presidency – 2016

[bronconick]

And the House GOP is going to let election security funding lapse.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

The Dems should be able to put forward a moderate candidate and get 50% of the country as a never Trump vote relatively easily, but good luck doing that and not getting torn to shreds by the liberal wing of the party. I can't wait.

I dislike the rabid liberal wing of the party almost as much as I dislike rabid right-wing folks. Neither one of them can seem to shut the fuck up about things they think I have to do in order to be a good American/person/citizen/human being.

I wish we could just go back to laughing at them like nutters instead of thinking we had to bring them into (or keep them inside of) the tent.

I might just feel this way because I work on a college campus and have to hear these dumbasses cry about their social/political vision every day...and the university frowns when I tell them to get the fuck off my lawn, since it's not really my lawn.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by molson

No Clinton anywhere, people buy that she's disappeared and/or wouldn't be welcomed back.

She's probably chilling to get the lay of the land before deciding. I don't think she has given up all hope. I do agree you are right, she's done.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Drake

I might just feel this way because I work on a college campus and have to hear these dumbasses cry about their social/political vision every day...and the university frowns when I tell them to get the fuck off my lawn, since it's not really my lawn.

I know college professors heavily lean left but your statement made me wonder about college students.

There is a chart that shows the neutral trend decreasing from 51.9 in 2000 to 42.3 in 2016. But its still a fairly large %.

https://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...entury/525135/

Just over two in five of the 137,456 first-year college students across the United States who responded last fall to the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute’s (HERI) annual freshman survey identified as non-partisan. On the other hand, 35.5 percent of students aligned themselves with liberal or far-left ideology, while 22.2 percent considered themselves conservative or far right. Millennial voting behavior in the 2016 election is consistent with this data, as 55 percent of the demographic cast its vote for Hillary Clinton, while 37 percent supported President Donald Trump.
:
Meanwhile, 41.1 percent of women identified as liberal or far left compared to just 28.9 percent of men—the largest such gender chasm since the survey was first administered in 1966.

[Edward64]

Says Rosenstein gave Trump the option of before/after the summit.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...e-russia-probe

Trump’s Botched Putin Summit May Help Protect the Russia Probe
:
According to accounts from people familiar with the decision, Rosenstein offered Trump the choice of having the indictments come out before or after the Putin summit. Trump chose before, in the hope that it would strengthen his hand.

The most immediate effect is that it takes the air out of Republican efforts to quash the Russia probe. Trump’s performance in Helsinki, coupled with the details of the indictment, makes it almost impossible to cast the investigation as a waste of time. After the summit, senior GOP leaders came out strongly in favor of allowing Mueller to finish the job, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, who told reporters that “Russia is trying to undermine democracy itself” and said the probe should continue. Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander, the Senate’s No. 3 Republican, said Trump’s performance “makes it even more important” for the Russia probe to continue.

It also lowers the heat on Rosenstein.
:
Rosenstein and Mueller may also benefit from the delicate confirmation process Trump faces for his new Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. GOP lawmakers are pushing to confirm Kavanaugh before the court’s next term begins in October. Any effort to undermine the Russia probe before then might complicate matters, given that such a move could result in charges of obstruction of justice that may wind up in front of the Supreme Court; that could also help Democrats drum up opposition to Kavanaugh among moderate senators.

So far the Russia mess has mainly been Trump’s problem, but it threatens to become a liability for the entire GOP heading into the midterm elections, especially in light of the details of another Russia-related investigation.

[digamma]

The Mike McFaul question from yesterday is ridiculous. The administration continues to show itself as either woefully unprepared or incredibly malicious, and maybe both.

[cuervo72]

Heck, Trump would probably ask the Russians to "question" Brennan and Clapper and Comey, too.

[cuervo72]

New York State Opens Tax Probe Into Trump Foundation

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Heck, Trump would probably ask the Russians to "question" Brennan and Clapper and Comey, too.

Don't forget Killary!

[JPhillips]

Mueller's list of exhibits for the Manafort trial includes communications with Tad Devine and Kilimnik. Kilimnok is a Russian already indicted and Devine was Bernie's campaign manager. Devine left the firm in 2014 when he joined Bernie's campaign and all the exhibits are from 2010-2014.

[JPhillips]

Trump has asked Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the Fall. Maybe a guest for his big military parade?

[Ryche]

Doesn't seem like GOP incumbents would want that reminder of the past week shortly before the election.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Trump has asked Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the Fall. Maybe a guest for his big military parade?

Now we know why Trump wants the parade: Putin must have demanded to inspect and assess the US weaponry and capacity...

Not even Trump could get away with taking him around military hardware in factories and on bases, so the only way is to parade them through the streets and invite Putin!

Makes perfect sense now!

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Trump has asked Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the Fall. Maybe a guest for his big military parade?

You may have something there. I think the parade is scheduled for Nov 11.

[mckerney]

Trump says stock market gains since election give him opportunity to wage a trade war: 'We’re playing with the bank's money'

Bank's money, people's jobs and farmer's. Oh well, at least we weren't taken advantage of by, um, I guess having more than double the stock market gains we've had since Trump too office.

I'm starting to think Trump night not know what he's talking about in trade.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I'm starting to think Trump night not know what he's talking about in trade.

It's totally understandable, given that the press is so barraged by absurdities and lies in this environment, but it's a completely bizarre notion that our President still clearly doesn't even understand the basic concepts of national debt, budget deficit, trade deficit, and stock market valuation...and essentially nobody cares beyond it being "baked in" to the generic outrage.

In this thread, I think we saw the phrase "enthusiastically ignorant." That seems to be it, right? Don't know, don't wanna know.

[JPhillips]

Oh my.

Michael Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with Donald Trump two months before the presidential election in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model. https://t.co/gxbJK3XS4F

— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) July 20, 2018

[NobodyHere]

So would such a recording fall under attorney-client privilege?

[JPhillips]

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know.

Politically, though, it's quite damning because we were told over and over that the President had no knowledge of any payment.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know.

Politically, though, it's quite damning because we were told over and over that the President had no knowledge of any payment.

Weren't those denials specific to Stormy? I think this is a different woman.

[JPhillips]

Whoops. It's hard to keep track of Trump's mistress hush money payments.

But aren't there denials regarding this woman as well?

[jeff061]

Yeah, believe this one was for significantly more money, 1mil+.

Stormy is a shitty negotiator.

[Kodos]

I think this is the playboy model whose story was bought by the National Enquirer and then buried before the election.

I do believe there were denials of this story as well. Just not the well-known Air Force One interview where he denied things.

[Radii]

I don't think cheating on your wife, or being embarrassed enough/worried enough about it to pay off the person is impeachable, so I mostly don't care about this at all. And Trump has admitted to so very much worse than this that I don't see it impacting anything in 2020, so the trashy details of this I just have no interest in. However, I'm very interested to learn if the handling of any payments/reimbursements were done in such a way that violated Campaign Finance Law, which was something that came up many times in the Stormy Daniels conversations.

[JPhillips]

Rudy says there are other recordings.

[QuikSand]

#NothingMatters

[Thomkal]

Iran has laid groundwork for cyberwar attack on the US:


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...icials-n893081

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Radii

I don't think cheating on your wife, or being embarrassed enough/worried enough about it to pay off the person is impeachable, so I mostly don't care about this at all. And Trump has admitted to so very much worse than this that I don't see it impacting anything in 2020, so the trashy details of this I just have no interest in. However, I'm very interested to learn if the handling of any payments/reimbursements were done in such a way that violated Campaign Finance Law, which was something that came up many times in the Stormy Daniels conversations.

I agree with you. No one cares about him sleeping around, he's gotten that pass by mostly everyone like it or not. The time to bring up the trashy details was before the elections.

With Cohen seemingly in Mueller's sights, that would imply possible campaign finance problem. That would be sweet.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

So would such a recording fall under attorney-client privilege?

New York only requires one side to be aware that something is being recorded


Probably because of the 150 or so years of gangsters in New York City.

[Thomkal]

More than 100 former students at Ohio State have come forward to say they were sexually abused.



https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...m_npd_nn_tw_ma


Jordan's response-a deep-state (and time traveling) choreography from the left attack on him:


Jordan suggests left-wing conspiracy on Ohio State wrestling charges - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH

[QuikSand]

jeepers

[JPhillips]

Burn down B1G athletics.

[kingfc22]

I see Trump is going with the tried and true Deflect option #3 out of the playbook...NFL players and the anthem.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Radii

I don't think cheating on your wife, or being embarrassed enough/worried enough about it to pay off the person is impeachable, so I mostly don't care about this at all. And Trump has admitted to so very much worse than this that I don't see it impacting anything in 2020, so the trashy details of this I just have no interest in. However, I'm very interested to learn if the handling of any payments/reimbursements were done in such a way that violated Campaign Finance Law, which was something that came up many times in the Stormy Daniels conversations.

I don't think the personal life stuff is important. The issue would be more that the party that never shut up about "family values" supports this. Just pointing out that they never cared about that stuff and are massive hypocrites (what's new?).

My biggest takeaway is that Cohen has to be the worlds worst fucking lawyer in the world. Why the fuck would you record this stuff?

[JPhillips]

DNI Coates gives away what dignity he had left.

“My admittedly awkward response was in no way meant to be disrespectful or criticize the actions of the President.”

[bronconick]

CNBC‏Verified account @CNBC









Trump says stock market gains since election give him opportunity to wage a trade war: 'We’re playing with the bank's money'


Now I see why he couldn't run a casino, or sell steaks in America. He's an imbecile.

[Ben E Lou]

I mentioned earlier in this thread about a real problem with either no theology being taught at all in churches, or a watered-down version being given out by preachers who just want to tickle ears. Here’s an horrific example.

Reference: God, Trump and the meaning of morality - The Washington Post


If you’re part of a theological tradition that wrongly interpreted Scriptures when it came to slavery, Jim Crow, interracial marriage, and the Civil Rights movement, you might want to consider the possibility that it’s also wrong about refugees, immigrants, and Trump.

[bronconick]

I assume they skip the part where the Holy Family were refugees in Egypt to avoid Herod.

[JPhillips]

Ben: I had never heard the 15,000 mile-wide heaven bit. I'm familiar with the numerology around the end times, but do you know where the precise dimensions for heaven come from?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Ben: I had never heard the 15,000 mile-wide heaven bit. I'm familiar with the numerology around the end times, but do you know where the precise dimensions for heaven come from?

If you take Revelation 21&22 100% literally, and then somehow twist it to claim the city mentioned there is the only aspect of heaven (at least one giant leap, imho, and probably two,) you'd have a city that's 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 miles high, and 1,500 miles long. If that's what she's referring to, then she's off tenfold. *shurg*

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

If you take Revelation 21&22 100% literally, and then somehow twist it to claim the city mentioned there is the only aspect of heaven (at least one giant leap, imho, and probably two,) you'd have a city that's 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 miles high, and 1,500 miles long. If that's what she's referring to, then she's off tenfold. *shurg*

Bad theology and bad math. That's a hard life, there.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

If you take Revelation 21&22 100% literally, and then somehow twist it to claim the city mentioned there is the only aspect of heaven (at least one giant leap, imho, and probably two,) you'd have a city that's 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 miles high, and 1,500 miles long. If that's what she's referring to, then she's off tenfold. *shurg*

Thanks. My tradition doesn't generally look at the Bible literally, and I hadn't heard that one before.

[Ben E Lou]

Meanwhile, Trump has flip-flopped in Russian interference yet again. Now he’s back to saying it didn’t happen. *shurg*

[JPhillips]

WBUR has an interesting story on the militarization of sports.

http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/0...store-francona

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

WBUR has an interesting story on the militarization of sports.

http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/0...store-francona

Good read. I've noticed something interesting in our national basketball league - most of the big budget teams over the past 2-3 years have been making conscious efforts to copy the game-day experience of the NBA, and this has included national anthems before the game, which was basically reserved for the Finals previously. I personally think it's a bit ridiculous and so does the rest of the crowd for the most part - not a lot of singing along.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Good read. I've noticed something interesting in our national basketball league - most of the big budget teams over the past 2-3 years have been making conscious efforts to copy the game-day experience of the NBA, and this has included national anthems before the game, which was basically reserved for the Finals previously. I personally think it's a bit ridiculous and so does the rest of the crowd for the most part - not a lot of singing along.

Well, of course. After all, how many of them know the words to the American anthem?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Well, of course. After all, how many of them know the words to the American anthem?

"Oh say can you see, by the .... *mumble* *mumble* *mumble*

^^^ Every Aussie attempt to sing Star Spangled Banner.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

"Oh say can you see, by the .... *mumble* *mumble* *mumble*

^^^ Every Aussie attempt to sing Star Spangled Banner.

Hey, just remember, you don't need actually know the SSB to be the president.

[Thomkal]

So Trump on the warpath this morning with Iran for some reason:


Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump









To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!

[QuikSand]

He also tweeted deep criticism of the Washington Post's coverage of his Korean "diplomacy."

Then, in a 100% unrelated move, a half hour later tweeted his thoughts about antitrust actions against Amazon.

Totally normal.