The Trump Presidency – 2016

[Atocep]

Trump was fundraising to send lawyers to Florida to prevent Democrats from stealing a Senate and Governor seat from Republicans.

I'm going out a limb and calling that a Presidential first.

[RainMaker]

Oh I guess with his calls to lock up people behind the Clinton Foundation that would include Bill and other executives working for it. So that's a few more names to the list.

[Radii]

When absentee votes are being counted and the republican is ahead, Trump calls the Democrat names and says they are going against democracy by not conceding. When absentee votes are being counted and the democrat is ahead, Trump calls for everyone to allow the process to play out and be calm until all votes are counted. A great man indeed.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

As for the totalitarian part, that's because we have checks and balances. That's because he has never had majority support in this country. The man has praised dictators and discussed how much better it would be if he didn't have to deal with our system. This is not a theory, he's not shy about praising those types of governments and his desire that America be more like it.

Trump is a test of our government to hold up against efforts to break things down and move towards a totalitarian regime. As flawed as our government is in so many ways, it is holding up against this test.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Well GM just announced they are closing 5 plants and cutting 14,000+ jobs (The plants are in Ontario, Detroit, Ohio, Maryland, and Michigan). And right after they announced it, their stock went up 5.6%...

GM has really put the screws to Americans over the years. Remember that we lost $11 billion on the bailout.

They also wouldn't have a need to be "agile" if they didn't spend billions buying back stock to prop up executive bonuses.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

As for the totalitarian part, that's because we have checks and balances.

Those require the other co-equal branches of government to exert them. If Congress rolls over because "he's an asshole fascist, but he's our asshole fascist" and the judges he appoints back legislation that an independent judiciary would reject, the checks and balances get rendered moot. Without a legislative willing to stand up to the executive, or a judiciary willing to tell them both to screw off, it doesn't matter.

That's because he has never had majority support in this country.

Neither did Hitler in Germany. The Nazis had strong plurality support in the early 30s, and it was all downhill from there. They never had a majority. Didn't matter. Between the parliamentary system and the abdication of responsibility by others who thought they could control Hitler, the Nazis still seized control of Germany and millions died.

You don't need majority support to make that happen. You just need the wrong people in the right places and for men and women of conscience to do nothing.

[kingfc22]

The moron retweeted 3 tweets from an ultra right wing site this morning including a meme with his political opponents behind bars.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Atocep

As I said, it's not the first caravan to reach the border. But if you don't want or can't handle your tactics being nitpicked then maybe don't invite the entire world to pay close attention to how you treat people you have a history of treating inhumanely.

After the dust has been settled, the US arrested protesters on our side of the border and Mexico deported about 40 and arrested 200 more and are looking into country of origin. The majority of people "gassed" were protesters in an area where they were throwing rocks. Looking at the videos, it seems like the Mexican federal police force on their side quickly were overwhelmed by the protesters/migrants mixed together. I'd imagine when an small access point sees a couple hundred people running full speed at you, you probably do what you can and non-lethal force was probably the best outcome. Seems like Mexico did most of the dirty work, once they re-established their control of their protesters on their side. It sucks there was collateral damage from the tear gas.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

The moron retweeted 3 tweets from an ultra right wing site this morning including a meme with his political opponents behind bars.

He lacks the basic understanding of history, civics, and government to understand totalitarianism. So it is fascinating to watch him discover it in real time:

Companies not doing what you want? Take them over and force them to do it.

The media isn't saying what you want? Start your own media.

People are saying things about you that you don't like? Put them in jail.

It's almost like watching an AI learn or something.

[jeff061]

Well he hasn't really done anything, because he can't. Saying he wants to do these things is disturbing, the fact he really hasn't been able to is a nod to our system.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by jeff061

Well he hasn't really done anything, because he can't. Saying he wants to do these things is disturbing, the fact he really hasn't been able to is a nod to our system.

But what he has done is significantly fractured the country and how it moves forward. There is no going back, especially now that a large portion of the country have fallen under spell of the "fake news" narrative and are more kin to believe a meme than cold hard facts.

[QuikSand]

POTUS may have successfully bullied the Fed onto doing his bidding. Markets seem to think so. #MAGA

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

But what he has done is significantly fractured the country and how it moves forward. There is no going back, especially now that a large portion of the country have fallen under spell of the "fake news" narrative and are more kin to believe a meme than cold hard facts.

More of a reflection on the downside of a Democracy(giving morons a voice/vote) than Trump's ability to consolidate power. The former was going to happen sooner or later, the existence of the internet makes it an eventuality, not the existence of Trump.

That's not to say that Trump isn't doing awful hurtful things, but our system has so far successfully blunted/killed his worst impulses. I'm not sure our system was ever designed to keep dumb people from believing dumb shit, quite the opposite. You have 2 choices, go the China route and advocate for extreme government censorship or go the America route and accept the unavoidable reality we are in.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by jeff061

More of a reflection on the downside of a Democracy(giving morons a voice/vote) than Trump's ability to consolidate power. The former was going to happen sooner or later, the existence of the internet makes it an eventuality, not the existence of Trump.

That's not to say that Trump isn't doing awful hurtful things, but our system has so far successfully blunted/killed his worst impulses. I'm not sure our system was ever designed to keep dumb people from believing dumb shit, quite the opposite. You have 2 choices, go the China route and advocate for extreme government censorship or go the America route and accept the unavoidable reality we are in.

Yeah, we were always going to get a Trump with the rise of social media and the insane explosion of how connected we all are in the last 10 years. Spoiler alert, it’s not going away after Trump and it’s not getting better.

[thesloppy]

I think you'd have to ignore the constantly shifting, pendulous and reactive nature of American culture and politics to think that Trump represents the new normal and that this is now where we're stuck forever. For sake of reference. 3-4 years ago the 'new normal' was painted as a post-racial, socially progressive America that some conservatives thought we would likely never shift from again.

While I can't imagine any kind of future in which social media disappears it does seem like things have shifted to where almost all the attention/news regarding social media and its associated major brands is negative these days, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it's role (at least in politics) reduced in coming years. Generations also seem to follow a pendulum swing, and future generations rebel/turn against social media, in some form or another (though they're more likely to have moved on to a more advanced, unrecognizable social technology, rather than abandon things altogether...but you never know).

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by corbes

Yeah. So we were saying what about totalitarianism?

Yeah, I think we have to now put Mueller, Rosenstein, Clapper, Holder, and Lynch to the list I made earlier.

[Thomkal]

Apparently Robert Mueller should just let anyone he wants to question about Russia to get interviewed by Ari Melber. Not a big fan of Ari having them on his show, but he certainly gets them to reveal things they might not have before. He had Jerome Corsi on and Corsi admitted lying to Congress, and he was trying to get information about the stolen Clinton/Podesta emails back to the Trump campaign, he and Roger Stone put forward false information about the source of the Podesta tip, and why he's rejecting the Mueller plea:


https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-...jail-138318547


Of course you can't believe anything Corsi just said given his history

[Radii]

In a blockbuster interview, key Mueller witness and Roger Stone associate Jerome Corsi admits to MSNBC’s Ari Melber that he lied to Congress, that he tried to get stolen Clinton emails back to the Trump campaign in 2016, that he “absolutely” intended to help the Trump campaign by doing so, that he told Roger Stone about John Podesta’s emails and that his lawyers are still communicating with Trump’s legal team “as if” there is a joint legal defense.

Well then.

[JPhillips]

Nobody loves the veterans as much...

For weeks, student veterans across the country have raised an alarm about delayed or incorrect GI Bill benefit payments, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has blamed on computer issues.

But on Wednesday, the department told congressional staffers that it would not reimburse those veterans who were paid less than they were owed, two committee aides told NBC News.

The news conflicts with a promise VA officials made to a House committee earlier this month that it would reimburse those veterans who received less than the full amount they were due.

That's also going to fuck colleges that either lose the student or have to accept a reduced tuition.

[NobodyHere]

Wow, almost makes me glad I've already exhausted my GI BIll benefits.

[BishopMVP]

Not the most fleshed out article, but the DNC establishment continues to hurt the party long term imo. A House Dominated by Nancy Pelosi Hurts Young Democrats - The Atlantic

One of the great ironies of the 2018 midterm elections is that the Democratic Party’s emergent stars—Representatives Kyrsten Sinema and Beto O’Rourke—likely would have remained nameless had they tabled their Senate bids in favor of another term in the House.
...
Equally frustrating for the Democrats I spoke to is that this is not at all the case for House Republicans. Unlike Democrats, for example, Republicans term-limit their committee chairmen, making it possible for young and talented members to take over powerful committees early in their tenure. As Murphy, the former representative, pointed out, Paul Ryan is a good case study in the benefits of this policy: Ryan was only 41 when he took over the Budget Committee, a position that allowed him to build a national profile and attract attention from party leaders. Less than five years later, he gaveled in as speaker of the House.

“The Republican rules when it comes to term limits for chairmen is just how we view leadership,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Spokesman Matt Gorman told me. “It encourages younger members to step up so we don’t see the stagnation we’ve seen on the other side.”

There’s also broader institutional support for young members. Like Ryan, 53-year-old House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy—likely to be the GOP’s minority leader in the new term—was identified early on by the NRCC as a potential leader. Then–Majority Leader John Boehner appointed him as a freshman in 2006 to the powerful Steering Committee; two years later, he was named chief deputy minority whip.

Put another way, the likely leaders of the GOP in the 116th Congress—McCarthy and the likely minority whip, Steve Scalise—were freshmen when Pelosi was previously speaker.

“The Dems talk a big game about Millennials, but then send them to the back of the line when they get elected to Congress,” said Fritz Brogan, a chair of Maverick pac, a group that aims to elect young Republicans to Congress.

[JPhillips]

Some big news from today's filing on Cohen:

From the court docs, per CNN: The Trump Tower Moscow negotiations went on through June 2016. The deal was discussed more than 3 times with Trump. Cohen briefed Trump’s family members within the org & took steps in contemplation of Trump’s possible travel to Russia in 2016.

[albionmoonlight]

When the matrix finally crashes, the bots going through the error logs to figure out what happened are going to find some real gems:

Trump supporter Kid Rock escapes federal prosecution for scam Senate campaign

[Thomkal]

Not a good day for Trump its looking like-German authorities have raided Deutsch Bank and arrested two employees there as well as seize records from 2016. They have loaned money to the Trumps when everyone else said no.

[Thomkal]

Om the edge of Cohen's flipping, Fed authorities have raided an Alderman in Chicago's office and put up paper on the windows so know one can see. This Alderman's law firm represented Trump's businesses for 12 years.

[Thomkal]

So interesting that a Republican lobbyist told one of the leaders of the groups that have been resisting Trump, that White House staffers were shocked for find out Mueller/FBI could indict someone for lying to Congress, and never believed Trump has any dealings with Russia until Cohen's plea deal today. As hard as that might be to believe, someone should keep track of all the staffers who now resign/get early retirement.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

So interesting that a Republican lobbyist told one of the leaders of the groups that have been resisting Trump, that White House staffers were shocked for find out Mueller/FBI could indict someone for lying to Congress, and never believed Trump has any dealings with Russia until Cohen's plea deal today. As hard as that might be to believe, someone should keep track of all the staffers who now resign/get early retirement.

I know so many people who believe every thing the guy says and believes this is all a Liberal plot against him. Some of these people are not stupid either.

It boggles my mind.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Om the edge of Cohen's flipping, Fed authorities have raided an Alderman in Chicago's office and put up paper on the windows so know one can see. This Alderman's law firm represented Trump's businesses for 12 years.

In fairness to Trump, I imagine that the feds could have any number of reasons to investigate any given Chicago politician :-)

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

In fairness to Trump, I imagine that the feds could have any number of reasons to investigate any given Chicago politician :-)

yeah it does seem that this guy has quite a long and shady history, but I like my explanation more

[Thomkal]

So Trump has finally started tweeting again after flying to Argentina and what does he tweet about? Book promos from his friends and allies, mostly about him of course

[corbes]

That same month, Trump signed a letter of intent to proceed with the Sater project, Cohen has said. It came on the same day Trump participated in the third Republican debate.

Both Cohen and Sater said the project could be used not only to help Trump’s bottom line but also his electoral efforts.

“Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it,” Sater to Cohen in a 2015 email obtained by the New York Times and confirmed by The Post. “I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.”

In the messages, Sater claimed he had lined up financing with VTB Bank, under U.S. sanctions at the time for allegedly undermining democracy in Ukraine. In another email, Sater told Cohen they could host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Moscow and suggested showing Russian contacts video clips of Trump praising Russia on the campaign trail.

“I will get Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected,” Sater wrote. “Americas most difficult adversary agreeing that Donald is a good guy to negotiate.”

"We Will Be In Moscow": The Story of Trump's 30-year Quest to Expand His Brand to Russia

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.a60be96fdff6

[corbes]

No, this isn’t the collusion plea. The plea is not about hacked emails or the social-media conspiracy of the Internet Research Agency. As of this writing, Trump has not tweeted “NO COLLUSION!” since the charges were announced.

But the tweet, when it inevitably comes, will ring a bit hollow, because the new charges are not not a collusion plea either. In effect, Cohen admitted in court on Thursday that even as Russian operatives were hacking Democratic emails and getting ready to dump emails through Wikileaks, even as Trump was publicly praising Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, even as the Trump Tower meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. took place in the summer of 2016, the Trump Organization—with Trump and his family very much in the know—was negotiating to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. The Trump Organization was negotiating—or, at least, trying to negotiate—this deal with the Kremlin itself. And Cohen has admitted that he lied to Congress about this history to protect Trump politically.

Before we dive into the weeds, let’s pause a moment over this. Because in important respects, the legalities—or illegalities—at issue here are secondary points. The primary point is that this is all utterly unacceptable. That a large swath of the public, and the legislative branch, has chosen to accept it does not make it more reasonable that a man seeking to be president of the United States would at the same time publicly cozy up to a foreign dictator and negotiate with his regime over a potential business opportunity—and then cover it all up. The story is likely to get worse.

How to Read Michael Cohen's Latest Plea and Its Revelations About the Trump Organization - Lawfare

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Om the edge of Cohen's flipping, Fed authorities have raided an Alderman in Chicago's office and put up paper on the windows so know one can see. This Alderman's law firm represented Trump's businesses for 12 years.

I don't think this is related to Trump. Burke has been a corrupt politician for awhile mixing his tax appeal business with politics. Trump is just one of many clients he had to get sweetheart property tax deals.

This is most likely over Burke's management of the city's workers compensation fund. Something he has shielded from independent oversight for decades.

Alderman Ed Burke investigation appears rooted in 2012 Finance Committee probe | abc7chicago.com

[RainMaker]

If this is true, it's a crime.

The Trump Organization Planned To Give Vladimir Putin The $50 Million Penthouse In Trump Tower Moscow

Also can't believe people who are committing crimes are using SMS. How have these idiots not heard of Signal?

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't think this is related to Trump. Burke has been a corrupt politician for awhile mixing his tax appeal business with politics. Trump is just one of many clients he had to get sweetheart property tax deals.

This is most likely over Burke's management of the city's workers compensation fund. Something he has shielded from independent oversight for decades.

Alderman Ed Burke investigation appears rooted in 2012 Finance Committee probe | abc7chicago.com

Oh sure burst my bubble Just seemed to be a nice concidence on the timing of all three stories today (the German bank being raided by the authorities being the third)

[cuervo72]

Thomas Farr Judicial Nomination Sunk by Sen. Tim Scott : NPR

WTG, Tim Scott.

[Radii]

Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure | The White House

I was running my business while I was campaigning. There was a good chance that I wouldn’t have won, in which case I would have gotten back into the business. And why should I lose lots of opportunities?

This is fine.


and from rainmaker's article a few posts above:

“My idea was to give a $50 million penthouse to Putin and charge $250 million more for the rest of the units. All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin.” A second source confirmed the plan.

no collusion you guys.

[Butter]

I really hope this Mueller endgame hits before Christmas, because it would make Christmas with the in-laws VASTLY more enjoyable.

[JPhillips]

Yeah, the Russians have known Trump is lying for two years and could have used that to bring down his presidency at any time.

And this is probably just the tip of what they know about Trump.

[Thomkal]

Manafort's probation report scheduled for March 5 after both sides are in agreement that they want the judge to rule on whether or not Manafort breached his plea deal.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by corbes

It's a national-security nightmare.

And Trump keeps an unsecured private cell phone on him at all times that almost certainly has been bugged by every hostile country out there.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

And Trump keeps an unsecured private cell phone on him at all times that almost certainly has been bugged by every hostile country out there.

They aren't hearing anything he wouldn't tell them if asked.

/kinda sorta joking

[Thomkal]

Another congressional election has been retracted by the A.P. This time in North Carolina. Republican had won, Dem had conceded, not asking for a recount. only 900 or so votes between them, and the NC Board of Elections won't confirm it over possible voter fraud:


https://apnews.com/16671b61ebc24e51a...source=Twitter

[jct32]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Nobody loves the veterans as much...



That's also going to fuck colleges that either lose the student or have to accept a reduced tuition.

I have gotten several emails about this. I think this mostly deals with people who try to game the system by living somewhere more expensive than where their school is located. My zipcode for my house and school are the same so I have had zero issues on my front.

[JPhillips]

The government backed down today and said they will be paying the full amount owed.

[jct32]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The government backed down today and said they will be paying the full amount owed.

Good to hear.

I've been lucky and had no pay issues with the VA. Might help that I go to a smaller school and they have less veterans to deal with and dedicated staff for us.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Another congressional election has been retracted by the A.P. This time in North Carolina. Republican had won, Dem had conceded, not asking for a recount. only 900 or so votes between them, and the NC Board of Elections won't confirm it over possible voter fraud:


https://apnews.com/16671b61ebc24e51a...source=Twitter

It's a little weird - it seems like there has definitely been voter fraud happening in that small county which is tacked on to this super gerrymandered district, but there's not enough voters there to affect the outcome (margin was 900+ votes, there's less than 700 absentee ballots in total), which is why McCready hasn't called for a recount or anything. It's more that the board has been calling for the state to prosecute this guy for years and felt they had to do something drastic to get more attention. Then because it's North Carolina that board is also getting dissolved and replaced by a new, more partisan one, so nobody is really sure when the results can be certified now. (To the credit of board members, they voted 9-0 not to certify, because the 2016 numbers make it pretty obvious Dowless is running a voter fraud scheme, and he's still being allowed to in 2018.)

In this year’s primary, Harris won 437 absentee votes in Bladen to 17 for GOP incumbent Rep. Robert Pittenger. This month Harris won 420 absentee votes to McCready’s 258.

In the 2016 congressional primary, Dowless worked for Todd Johnson. Johnson got 221 absentee votes to 4 for Harris and 1 for Pittenger. In the district as a whole, Johnson finished third.

[Thomkal]

Democrats 1st bill when they take control of the House:


https://apnews.com/21c560f890e74964a...ign=SocialFlow


Wishful thinking that it will go any further given the Senate and President, but A for effort I guess?

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

It's a little weird - it seems like there has definitely been voter fraud happening in that small county which is tacked on to this super gerrymandered district, but there's not enough voters there to affect the outcome (margin was 900+ votes, there's less than 700 absentee ballots in total), which is why McCready hasn't called for a recount or anything. It's more that the board has been calling for the state to prosecute this guy for years and felt they had to do something drastic to get more attention. Then because it's North Carolina that board is also getting dissolved and replaced by a new, more partisan one, so nobody is really sure when the results can be certified now. (To the credit of board members, they voted 9-0 not to certify, because the 2016 numbers make it pretty obvious Dowless is running a voter fraud scheme, and he's still being allowed to in 2018.)

Yeah it seems like he did this in the primary too. Not sure why it wasn't picked up back then.

[RainMaker]

Also...

#NC09 GOP candidate @MarkHarrisNC9’s campaign appears to have sent people door to door in rural Robeson & Bladen Counties to steal absentee ballots from elderly black voters and complete them for Harris. There were 1300+ such ballots in those counties in a race Harris won by 905. pic.twitter.com/ufJ5vP3TZ2

— Jeff Yang (@originalspin) December 1, 2018