US Politics Thread |OT| SAD TRUMP

[Nintex]

Imagine being this kid.
"Hold for the President please"
"But I'm playing Fortni..."
"BILLY, BILLY IS THAT YOU?"
"I'm not billy but yes I'm the kid from the video"
"Absolutely fantastic. Now we got to have the wall right. You support Trump right? Your mom is she like hot? You can bring her as well don't bring dad it'll be akward just you and me and mom. You can come here we'll have a good time."
"You mean I can visit the White House?"
"Yes it'll be so great. Do you have time tommorow? What can I get you. McDonalds you kids love McDonalds right. Also my favorite."
"Well, the school is closed now so..."
"Oh and so is the government. DEMOCRATS AM I RIGHT?"
"Ok I guess...but I don't know how to get to DC"
"Don't worry, we'll get you with a helicopter. Where do you live like is it nice there. Do you have a helipad? I live in the White House. It's a dump really. So anyway did you vote for me?"
"Let me see if there's a place to land so... but I'm not of voting age yet Mr. Pres.."
"ENJOY. Say hi to your mom now, bye"

[I'm a Puppy!]

I am astounded that Guliani is somehow still a lawyer. It's like "Dude, it's not your job to disclose your client's crimes in public. In fact, it's exactly your job to stop that from happening."

I guess the defense would be that he's really just doing a PR job with the title of lawyer, but he's still awful by those standards.

He's worse as a PR person. I know several PR people and they view their job as convincing those against them to their side. Not burn every bridge you got except for your base.

[agrajag]

I think Rudy might be slightly senile.

[Mandark]

Imagine if you were a lawyer who'd lost a case against Giuliani in the 80's and you see him on cable TV now. How bad would you feel?

[I'm a Puppy!]

I think Rudy might be slightly senile.

I don't think so. I think he's stuck in the same echo chamber that conservatives are in. They think the vocal minority is the general public and so they're like "It doesn't matter." Same thing with Trump. They all think their base is the majority and are growing. Yeah....not so much.

[Boredfrom]

I doubt they think that they are the majority. Seems that they are just desperate and hoping this blows over.

[Nintex]

Rudy has a strange character arc. It seemed like he was just one of the many grifters and has beens that wanted to join with Trump to get some attention again.
He actually broke with Trump after the Access Hollywood Tapes and rejected an offer for a position in the administration.

A blow for Trump because Rudy had ties to the NY FBI which he used during the campaign (like Weiners laptop and Clinton's server). Comey even started investigating this 'leaking and potential corruption' within the bureau.

Suddenly Trump brought him back into the fold unofficially and he started giving advice on a number of different subjects.

At some point for some reason Rudy became Trump's new lawyer and ever since no one really seems to know what the hell he is doing.

[Mandark]

I doubt they think that they are the majority.

It feels like there's been a real shift from conservatives feeling they represented most of America to feeling like an embattled minority, and that's connected with their embrace of restrictive voting laws and panic about immigration.

I remember in the early 2000's there was a lot of chatter about a "permanent Republican majority," how the GOP was hoping to hold on to Congress as long as the Democrats had with the New Deal coalition, etc. And this was after a presidential election where they lost the popular vote. For all the trolling and bluster, Trump supporters don't have anywhere near that level of confidence going forward.

[kingv]

I am astounded that Guliani is somehow still a lawyer. It's like "Dude, it's not your job to disclose your client's crimes in public. In fact, it's exactly your job to stop that from happening."

Would anyone be surprised when it comes out that Rudy hasn't actually been a lawyer in 20 years? Also lmao at his personal life section on wiki.


"In May 2001, Giuliani's attorney revealed that Giuliani was impotent due to prostate cancer treatments and had not had sex with Nathan for the preceding year."


Why the fuck would your lawyer ever need to reveal that kind of thing publicly

I didn’t even know Giuliani was gay.

[Great Rumbler]

I am astounded that Guliani is somehow still a lawyer. It's like "Dude, it's not your job to disclose your client's crimes in public. In fact, it's exactly your job to stop that from happening."

Would anyone be surprised when it comes out that Rudy hasn't actually been a lawyer in 20 years? Also lmao at his personal life section on wiki.


"In May 2001, Giuliani's attorney revealed that Giuliani was impotent due to prostate cancer treatments and had not had sex with Nathan for the preceding year."


Why the fuck would your lawyer ever need to reveal that kind of thing publicly

I didn’t even know Giuliani was gay.

[agrajag]

but Nathan is... a woman?

[james]

Youve all seen Giulianis teeth right?

[agrajag]

Hey Rudy, why don't you throw on a dress and do a horrifying skit with Donald Trump, that'll help you with the gay vote, see.

[Mandark]

[Cryo]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-apos-inaction-leaves-152349891.html

[Great Rumbler]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-apos-inaction-leaves-152349891.html

Which was why Trump offering 3 more years of DACA to the Dems as a "compromise" was so stupid and pointless.

[Mandark]

On top of that, the "compromise offer" had a bunch of permanent restrictions on asylum seekers tacked on.

Even by current political standards, the compound stupidity of the shutdown is pretty impressive.

[Nintex]

WASHINGTON — The Senate will vote Thursday on two separate bills that would bring an immediate end to the partial government shutdown: one backed by President Trump that includes $5.7 billion for his border wall and another that would simply extend funding for shuttered agencies through Feb. 8.

 

[james]

Maybe include a link next time

[james]

Failing NYT:

As Venezuela Crumbles, Opposition Led by Juan Guaidó Sees an Opportunity

Conditions in Venezuela have deteriorated to a point where the opposition — gutted by the jailing and exiling of many of its leaders and discredited after several failed efforts to oust President Nicolás Maduro — is seeing an opportunity. Leading them is a virtually unheard-of 35-year-old, Juan Guaidó.

You could literally write this about the USA.

As United States Crumbles, Opposition Led by Alexandria OCasio-Cortez Sees an Opportunity

Conditions in the United States have deteriorated to a point where the opposition — gutted by the jailing and exiling of many of its leaders and discredited after several failed efforts to oust President Donald Trump — is seeing an opportunity. Leading them is a virtually unheard-of 29-year-old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

[Dickie Dee]

apparently you couldn't?

[I'm a Puppy!]

The whole 3 year DACA thing is laughable. Just talk to a dreamer. They're already like "Why would I give my address and info to the government when I know they could just turn around and use that to find me and deport me in 3 years? No way. I'm not that stupid." I mean for a "master negotiator" this is an exceedingly stupid deal. I can't believe they even want to vote on it.

[Mandark]

Trump's maybe dumb enough to think it's a legit offer. McConnell has to be looking at this as PR leverage. Dems have been able to say that they're passing bills in the House to open the government, that he's not allowing a vote on a bill which already passed the Senate at the end of the lame duck session, etc.

The media has a very strong both-sides tendency to describe these sorts of impasses, so the idea is to make a show of wanting to compromise even if it's bullshit. I don't think it's going to work, but can't blame him for trying.

[Mandark]

Really reminiscent of Boehner dealing with the Tea Party.

There's a minority faction (in this case one guy but he's the president) that's wildly unrealistic about what can be achieved, is willing to attack fellow Republicans, and can credibly threaten to swing some primaries against incumbents. So the rest of the caucus is paralyzed, even though they know the demands are delusional.

[team filler]

Director of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy,  Steven Aftergood filed a Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA request on August 15, 2018, asking for a copy of the list that was given to Congress on all US Defense Intelligence Agency products created under the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program contract. The Defense Intelligence Agency just issued their response, and it’s a doozy.

 

[james]

apparently you couldn't?

I don't link to right wing propaganda

[Nintex]

If you wonder why Trump's DACA compromise is a wet noodle... Kushner came up with it.

Jared, Pence and Mulvaney spend time convincing Trump that a way out of this mess would be a DACA compromise because Trump had convinced himself that the Democrats were in favor of a Steel Wall just not a concrete one.
Bigger though was the plan to allow to apply for asylum from outside the United States and the increased budgets for humanitarian help and migration judges.

There's also been talk that it would be better for Trump to offer a grand bargain by giving the dems something they actually want. Such as trading campaign finance reform for the wall.

In any case the Democrats having to put 'a government that isn't shutdown' as a 'win' in their column just really shows how far the pendulum has swung towards Trump and the GOP.
We can't really blame Trump for thinking that Schumer would fold at the sign of any shutdown. Especially considering what happened with the previous shutdown.

[Mandark]

you're so desperate to believe that trump is winning

[Nintex]

you're so desperate to believe that trump is winning

Basically everything is a shit show and most of the cabinet is 'acting' he has already won. 

[Mandark]

yeah everyone quitting on him is a big victory

[Occam]

Director of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy,  Steven Aftergood filed a Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA request on August 15, 2018, asking for a copy of the list that was given to Congress on all US Defense Intelligence Agency products created under the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program contract. The Defense Intelligence Agency just issued their response, and it’s a doozy.

 

So? While some of it is clearly out of reach (wormholes, and the Drake equation is nonsense), there is nothing wrong with the stuff that's being researched. There are prototypes of invisibility cloaks for soldiers already; I see no reason why for instance invisibility cloaks for fighter jets should not be developed. Depending on how much exactly is being spent, what's ridiculous about it?
NB, RT is a Russian propaganda outlet, and it very much shows.

[Mandark]

Responding to a filler post. Rookie mistake right there.

[team filler]

 

[Occam]

By the way, unless you are Russian, doesn't working for RT basically make you a traitor?
Reminds me of Tokyo Rose and Lord Haw-Haw.

[Mandark]

By the way, unless you are Russian, doesn't working for RT basically make you a traitor?
Reminds me of Tokyo Rose and Lord Haw-Haw.

no no no

[Trojita]

https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1087841570479632384

This kid is trying to outZuck Zuckerberg in acting like a robot.

 

[team filler]

agenda or not.  rt america gives better reporting than MSM

[Occam]

Then again, if the US President himself works for Russia, too, who am I to judge.

[agrajag]

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/01/22/politics/senate-vote-trump-border-wall-shutdown/index.html

is McConnell cracking?

[Mandark]

Presumably they won't be whipping votes for the clean CR. Feels like it's being set up to fail so McConnell can say he allowed a vote on a clean CR but it couldn't pass, that his side has shown a willingness to negotiate and Dems need to meet them in the middle, etc.

[agrajag]

Presumably they won't be whipping votes for the clean CR. Feels like it's being set up to fail so McConnell can say he allowed a vote on a clean CR but it couldn't pass, that his side has shown a willingness to negotiate and Dems need to meet them in the middle, etc.

I think there is a slight chance that a few repubs will break from the ranks, some of them have to be feeling the pressure now, especially those whose seats are up for reelection next year.

[agrajag]

why didn't he do that to begin with, instead of refusing to put the clean cr on the floor? He already made drew blame on himself for the shutdown that he didn't have to

[Mandark]

Maybe thought it would be bad PR for them to vote down a bill they'd unanimously supported a week before? I dunno, it's all dumb.

[agrajag]

Yikes.

Curious to see who the general public blames more after both bills fail to pass. If they are able to alter the narrative we are in for a bad time.

[kingv]

I feel like the party that doesn’t have the presidency always has an advantage in shutdowns. There’s so many downstream effects that the President will end up getting blamed for.

The Democrats should be perfectly willing to let Trump crash the economy while standing up frothier principles.

That said, he’s looking so hard for a way out, the dems should consider slipping something like Mueller protection into their compromise. But now the DACA thing has no weight whatsoever. Republicans should be praying the Supreme Court doesn’t take that up in the middle of an election year.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1087865000671236096

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1087834805348298752

https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1087832114072932352

The guy in charge of thumbnails should be given a raise. 

Anyway it seems that the Democrats are feeling the heat because some of them don't want to be 'weak' on border security.
While Republicans are feeling the heat because the government is still shutdown.

In general it seems like everyone is just working around Pelosi/Trump who are not budging and flinging shit at one another to come up with a compromise.

[agrajag]

Did you read the article you posted, Nintex?

He is one of Congress's most conservative Democrats and represents Minnesota's 7th Congressional District, an area Trump won by 30 points during the 2016 presidential election.

[Mandark]

you're so desperate to believe that trump is winning

.

[Joe Molotov]

Dems in disarray! Gullible removed from dictionary!

[agrajag]

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1087861413840850944

wtf does that even mean?

[team filler]

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1087861413840850944

wtf does that even mean?

this wouldn't happen if russia were funding them 

[I'm a Puppy!]

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1087861413840850944

wtf does that even mean?

It means there's a transgendering time machine out there somewhere, all we have to do is find it!

[Mandark]

I think it's "Joe Biden wants to be hip and popular like AOC so he transformed himself into her, first by using a time machine to get younger (???) and then becoming female by Doing A Transgender."

[I'm a Puppy!]

I think it's "Joe Biden wants to be hip and popular like AOC so he transformed himself into her, first by using a time machine to get younger () and then becoming female by Doing A Transgender."

No.

[Mandark]

yes

[Tripon]

https://twitter.com/emilymbadger/status/1087708149153452032

[james]

   

The proletariat are finally rising up and amassing in order to take back their country

Brothers, join me as we call in sick and spend the day playing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch Entertainment System. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate has smashed sales records and become the fastest selling exclusive game of all time. Available now only on the Nintendo Switch Entertainment System.

Hundreds of Internal Revenue Service employees have received permission to skip work during the partial government shutdown due to financial hardship, and union leaders said Tuesday they expected absences to surge as part of a coordinated protest that could hamper the government’s ability to process taxpayer refunds on time.

The Trump administration last week ordered at least 30,000 IRS workers back to their offices, where they have been working to process refunds without pay. It was one of the biggest steps the government has taken to mitigate the shutdown’s impact on Americans’ lives.

But IRS employees across the country — some in coordinated protest, others out of financial necessity — won’t be clocking in, according to Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, and several local union officials. The work action is widespread and includes employees from a processing center in Ogden, Utah, to the Brookhaven campus on New York’s Long Island.

The move is the leading edge of pushback from within the IRS, and it signals the potential for civil servants to take actions that could slow or cripple government functions as the shutdown’s political stalemate continues in Washington. U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspectors have begun to call in sick, Transportation Security Administration sickouts at airports have been rising, and federal law enforcement agencies say the shutdown is increasing stress among agents and affecting investigations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/hundreds-of-irs-employees-are-skipping-work-that-could-delay-tax-refunds/2019/01/22/1885e74e-1e7d-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html?utm_term=.df89b5affa00

[team filler]

[Trojita]

https://twitter.com/jeremymbarr/status/1087861413840850944

wtf does that even mean?

It means there's a transgendering time machine out there somewhere, all we have to do is find it!

 

[agrajag]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/22/trump-rudy-giuliani-relationship-1120008

Asked who in the White House is responsible for handling Giuliani’s missteps, a White House aide said, “Handling Rudy’s f--- ups takes more than one man.”

He also dismissed talk that he doesn’t grasp the facts. “I do have a mastery of the facts, which is why I can spin them honestly, argue them several different ways,” Giuliani said.