US Politics Thread |OT| SAD TRUMP

[Nola]

This seems like the entire conservative wing throwing up their hands and admitting no, they don't have any ideas on how to address healthcare.

There just isn't a solution that stays true to conservative-libertarian beliefs while also making sure people can get health care without being bankrupted.

Even so, it's impressive how badly this has been handled. Specifically, how does the GOP, as reliant on older voters as it is, create something that is so unfavorable to 50-64 year olds and gets the AARP lined up against them? It might still get passed out of desperation to avoid an L, but feels pretty amateurish so far.

I think they only practiced being an obstacle for the past 8 years, and have forgotten how to actually create effective legislature, only block it.

I'm not sure that is a new problem with the Republican party TBH.

This is the same party that under George W. Bush didn't realize that privatizing Social Security isn't magic.

They ran on scare tactics for years that Social Security was on the verge of collapse. Then when they decided to make good on the promise, all of the sudden shit isn't playing out like they convinced themselves it would.

Turns out if you want to divert money from the younger population currently paying into social security that props up incoming retirees, and shift it to your wall-street friends, you might need to find a viable way to make sure older people going into the system are still taken care of. Unless you want the people that tend to vote for you to end up pissed off and willing to throw you out in mid-terms.

[Kara]

Over a packed three-day schedule with a battery of presentations, the U.S. senators, former federal prosecutors, mayors and top Cabinet officials from the Obama administration in attendance talked about faith and religious voters, heard from a radio host about a medium typically reserved for conservatives and considered research suggesting that liberal priorities – like student loan debt – are just not a big deal.

[Nola]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article138743333.html

I read the whole article twice and I still don't understand what these conservative Democrats stand for?

Perhaps that is the problem though? The conservative wing tries to constantly play it safe and low key, like they think any second they will be exposed and driven out. That they are on borrowed time. So they pull self-defeating shit like thinking red state voters will give two flying fucks that they keep a healthcare bill under a trillion dollars because thats what conservative radio is spamming, which then comes at the expense of subsidies to help people afford care. Who just vote you out then because they see their coverages drop and costs go up.

But for fucks sake, we have a president that just proved that at least several core Democratic principles, that the Democrats tried to downplay, in fact work really fucking well with lots of people in these areas. Shouldn't that be cause for celebration? That you now have tentpoles you can be passionate and honest about?

[benjipwns]

More than 4 million people tuned in on Tuesday to watch Ms. Maddow’s report on MSNBC, the biggest audience in her show’s nine years on the air. It was the third-ranked show across all of television at 9 p.m., beating the broadcast networks ABC and Fox.

excluding major events like elections, conventions and debates, her program on Tuesday was the second-highest rated show ever to air on MSNBC, the network said, narrowly missing a Keith Olbermann episode in October 2008.

victory 

[benjipwns]

I read the whole article twice and I still don't understand what these conservative Democrats stand for?

The presentations helped the group arrive at four core values that would unite Democrats of all kinds, according to Begich: security, opportunity, compassion and results.

[Nola]

I read the whole article twice and I still don't understand what these conservative Democrats stand for?

The presentations helped the group arrive at four core values that would unite Democrats of all kinds, according to Begich: security, opportunity, compassion and results.

Still got nothing.

[benjipwns]

Jeb!/McAuliffe 2020

[agrajag]

Imo someone needs to do a timelapse gif thing of Sean Spicer aging during his stint as Trump's press secretary

[benjipwns]

Spicer hasn't seemed any worse than any of the other recent ones back to maybe Tony Snow who had years of polish to work from, it's a shitty job really and they all do the same thing because it's shit but the talking points and topics aren't too unusual from what I've watched which isn't too much. And I don't think it's necessarily about the person and the reporters seem to know that probably because of their off-the-record pre-game conference where they get to know the person more outside of the theatre of the live briefing. Robert Gibbs to me always looked like garbage but then as a CNN (I think) talking head he instantly became smarter just because he wasn't having to cover nine thousand butts at once. Dana Perino is kinda an adorable airhead but she looks way smarter giving her opinion, even if it's bad, on The Five than she ever did trying to cover up Bush garbage from every angle.

I do think there may be something to the media cycle burning them out faster. I thought you could see when Jay Carney was like fuck this how many more days do I have left during certain questions after he announced he was leaving. Joe Lockhardt had that look during Clinton's impeachment and then when he was working for the John Kerry campaign.

i enjoyed this though (~2:55)

[agrajag]

Nah brah. Spicer has a tougher job than the vast majority of prior press secretaries I think. He has to go out there and try to defend random stupid shit that Trump tweets about at 4am. And this man fights tooth and nail over it. 

[benjipwns]

I don't know, it's all theatre from my perspective. Spicer was attacking Trump for the RNC a year ago. He just has to talk in circles until the clock runs out and the day's a win.

If SNL hadn't picked up on them, would anyone who doesn't work within walking distance of the Orange Line even be paying attention to these? Even in that case it sounded like Trump was more upset than Spicer.

[benjipwns]

Spicer on Monday was traveling aboard Air Force One from Florida to Washington, D.C., and gamely shrugged off the spoof that was playing in loops on cable news throughout the day.

McCarthy “needs to slow down on the gum chewing; way too many pieces in there,” he joked in an interview with Extra.

More than being lampooned as a press secretary who makes up facts, it was Spicer’s portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president’s eyes, according to sources close to him.

[agrajag]

I dunno, talking in circles for an hour, and aggressively so has to wear on a person eventually. Sometimes I listen to these press conferences and  I'm all like

[benjipwns]

Sometimes I listen to these press conferences

[agrajag]

I have a very long commute to work

[chronovore]

Nah brah. Spicer has a tougher job than the vast majority of prior press secretaries I think. He has to go out there and try to defend random stupid shit that Trump tweets about at 4am. And this man fights tooth and nail over it. 

If I lived in an area with gambling, I'd be betting on Spicey's inevitable heart attack.

[Kara]

Business Income Tax Changes

Taxes income derived from pass-through businesses at a maximum rate of 25 percent.

Allows the cost of capital investment to be fully and immediately deductible.

Allows net operating losses to be carried forward indefinitely, and increased by a factor reflecting inflation and the real return to capital.

Does not allow net operating losses to be carried back.

Restricts the deduction for net operating losses to 90 percent of net taxable income.

Creates a fully territorial tax system, exempting 100 percent of dividends from foreign subsidiaries from U.S. tax.

Enacts a deemed repatriation of currently deferred foreign profits, at a tax rate of 8.75 percent for cash and cash-equivalent profits and 3.5 percent on other profits.

lol

On a tangential note, I'm shocked (just shocked) the goofy consumption tax that's part of this was previously advocated for in a Center for American Progress paper.

[zomgee]

Business Income Tax Changes

Taxes income derived from pass-through businesses at a maximum rate of 25 percent.

Allows the cost of capital investment to be fully and immediately deductible.

Allows net operating losses to be carried forward indefinitely, and increased by a factor reflecting inflation and the real return to capital.

Does not allow net operating losses to be carried back.

Restricts the deduction for net operating losses to 90 percent of net taxable income.

Creates a fully territorial tax system, exempting 100 percent of dividends from foreign subsidiaries from U.S. tax.

Enacts a deemed repatriation of currently deferred foreign profits, at a tax rate of 8.75 percent for cash and cash-equivalent profits and 3.5 percent on other profits.

lol

On a tangential note, I'm shocked (just shocked) the goofy consumption tax that's part of this was previously advocated for in a Center for American Progress paper.

jjjjjeeeeeeesssssssssssssuuuusssss

[Boredfrom]

I don't know, it's all theatre from my perspective. Spicer was attacking Trump for the RNC a year ago. He just has to talk in circles until the clock runs out and the day's a win.

If SNL hadn't picked up on them, would anyone who doesn't work within walking distance of the Orange Line even be paying attention to these? Even in that case it sounded like Trump was more upset than Spicer.

Trump often reviews and critiques his Press Conferences in spicer face, and has been vocal in how Spicer was not his firs choice for the job. Is clear he  feels the pressure of getting yelled by Trump. 

I mean, I don't envy  his position but I don't feel bad for him as he still gets a big fat paycheck to be the Bitch Mouth's of Trump

[VomKriege]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/842724011234791424

Impotent twitter rage of an United States President will never not be funny / terrifying.

[Boredfrom]

North Korea is a shithole that tries to troll US and gets some pass from China. News at 11.

[Joe Molotov]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/842724011234791424

Impotent twitter rage of an United States President will never not be funny / terrifying.

Maods help!

[Mandark]

It's been years so I'm pretty fuzzy on the details, but I remember the Bush 2 administration scrapping the Agreed Framework, spouting off some tough talk, then eventually settling for a re-branded version of the same deal.

They also criticized the nuclear "freeze" so they had to find another word when they went back to that policy IIRC.

Basically I'm saying I hope this is comically empty bluster, rather than a step towards some horrific mistake.

[chronovore]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/842724011234791424

Impotent twitter rage of an United States President will never not be funny / terrifying.

https://twitter.com/PresVillain/status/841369028576829441

[Stro]

What seems more likely:

Trump doesn't shake hands with Merkel, doesn't look her in the eye because:

1. He genuinely hates all women, thinks Merkel should be making him dinner instead of running the country, also he brags about sexual assaulting women all the time

2. He talked MAD shit about her during his campaign and is embarrassed to face her now


If you're on GAF, the answers is obviously 1, he's also acting like an ISIS member, Hitler didn't like women, his fanbase will love it!

[Rufus]

The real answer is that he's playing it up for his base because she's "invited" all the refugees.

[Trent Dole]

Twitter are super doom and glooming about NK and somebody even brought up selective service concerns. But here everyone just kind of rolls their eyes at all this dumbfuckery.

[Stro]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=232298427&postcount=655

"Don't conflate hispanics with Mexicans. I can easily see with how he won Florida, Cubans and other hispanic groups voted for him, voted republican. I would imagine quite a few Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and other hispanic americans voted. Hell I read all the time how some 'of the good ones' who are mexican-american voted for Trump. He even had a Muslims for Trump thing. Some people are just crazy. Also, lol at that one guy saying a lot of black people voted for Trump. This is an L only white men and women will take. Especially the majority of white women who voted for Trump over the first potential female US President."

Now, I would never claim to be an arithmathtician, but the election breakdown by race in that thread shows 58% of whites and about 26% of all minorities voted for Trump. Yet Trump lost the general election. Maybe I'm distinguished mentally-challenged, but those numbers don't seem to add up to me. It also shows that significant numbers from every group voted for Trump except black people. So an L that only white men and women take seems like it should be an L everyone but black men and women should take.

[chronovore]

Twitter are super doom and glooming about NK and somebody even brought up selective service concerns. But here everyone just kind of rolls their eyes at all this dumbfuckery.

As much as I loathe my own democrats for inaction and have a hate-on for republicans who have 180ş turned around and are now backing The Donald, it is pretty clear that they would stand united against careless actions which would involve mobilizing China. Invading North Korea without REALLY pissing off China is all but impossible. China doesn't so much care about NK, but they do not want a US military presence on an adjacent border.

[Madrun Badrun]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39310801

[FStop7]

North Korea is a shithole that tries to troll US and gets some pass from China. News at 11.

Using VX in the middle of an airport is taking it to a new level. 

[Kara]

When the DPRK kicks America's ass again, will we be able to switch to Red Star OS? Windows has frankly been mailing it in since 7 and I have mild aspirations to be productive when I use a computer so Mac OS is clearly a non-starter.

[Trent Dole]

Twitter are super doom and glooming about NK and somebody even brought up selective service concerns. But here everyone just kind of rolls their eyes at all this dumbfuckery.

As much as I loathe my own democrats for inaction and have a hate-on for republicans who have 180ş turned around and are now backing The Donald, it is pretty clear that they would stand united against careless actions which would involve mobilizing China. Invading North Korea without REALLY pissing off China is all but impossible. China doesn't so much care about NK, but they do not want a US military presence on an adjacent border.

'What about China?' was one of my first thoughts, but this admin is so stupid that they might go in anyway. Bannon has claimed he sees war with China as inevitable in the next 5-10 years.

[Boredfrom]

I bet Bannon has no idea of what most of his supposedly professed beliefs entails or even how making them happen outside of telling Trump BS.

[zomgee]

When the DPRK kicks America's ass again, will we be able to switch to Red Star OS? Windows has frankly been mailing it in since 7 and I have mild aspirations to be productive when I use a computer so Mac OS is clearly a non-starter.

removed sudo

[Joe Molotov]

When sudo is outlawed, only outlaws will be able to run programs using the "outlaw" account privileges.

[Trent Dole]

[VomKriege]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/843088518339612673

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/843090516283723776

[Phoenix Dark]

https://twitter.com/American_Bridge/status/842773013456191490

[FStop7]

That bitch is the type to drink half a red cup of Milwaukee's Best at a house party and puke for hours.

[Joe Molotov]

Remember when Joe Biden sonned Paul Ryan and we thought his career was done? This guy just keeps oozing his way back. 

[Boredfrom]

"fuck you, pay me!" is now officially US foreign policy

Eh, that has been their policy for countries in Latin America.

[chronovore]

'What about China?' was one of my first thoughts, but this admin is so stupid that they might go in anyway. Bannon has claimed he sees war with China as inevitable in the next 5-10 years.

I bet Bannon has no idea of what most of his supposedly professed beliefs entails or even how making them happen outside of telling Trump BS.

The man is everyone's unwanted, opinionated, alcoholic right-wing uncle with whom people avoid conversation at Thanksgiving dinner. I had hoped that Trump would keep Bannon on a tighter leash after the fallout from being unaware that he'd signed Bannon onto the NSC.

When the DPRK kicks America's ass again, will we be able to switch to Red Star OS? Windows has frankly been mailing it in since 7 and I have mild aspirations to be productive when I use a computer so Mac OS is clearly a non-starter.

SHOTS FIRED

[chronovore]

"fuck you, pay me!" is now officially US foreign policy

Particularly ironic that this is Trump's hill to die on, when he's notorious for shirking payment despite in-place contracts.

[chronovore]

OK, third consecutive post (BAD FORM, sorry) but this is it before I go to work:
https://storify.com/JenHayden/former-u-s-ambassador-to-nato-forced-to-educate-do

Jesus Fucking H. Christ, Trump is the least competent President the USA has ever had. At what point do we admit that Designated Survivor is now escapist wish-fulfillment?

[benjipwns]

OK, third consecutive post (BAD FORM, sorry)

[benjipwns]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-deep-state-20170319-story.html

Here's what Trump supporters mean when they talk about the 'deep state'

For starters, what does the term mean?

The Oxford dictionary defines a “deep state” like this: “A body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.”

What have Trump’s allies said about a deep state?

Quite a lot, actually.

Breitbart News, which Trump senior advisor Stephen K. Bannon once oversaw, has published several pieces in recent weeks alleging that a deep state exists in America.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump supporter throughout last year’s presidential campaign, told the Associated Press recently that a deep state definitely exists.

“There’s a permanent state of massive bureaucracies that do whatever they want and set up deliberate leaks to attack the president,” he said. “This is what the deep state does: They create a lie, spread a lie, fail to check the lie and then deny they were behind the lie.”

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a friend of Trump, opened a show recently by claiming there are “deep-state Obama holdovers embedded like barnacles in the federal bureaucracy … hell-bent on destroying President Trump.”

So, is there actually a deep state in America?

Probably not.

“What the current administration believes to be the American deep state seems to be little more than the time-honored practice of leaking information to journalists in Washington,” Cook said.

There may be more leaks now “because there are a lot of civil servants who apparently disagree with this administration,” he said. “There is no evidence of a cabal intent on overthrowing the administration.”

Trump’s recent setbacks are not an orchestrated attempt to overthrow him, but a natural part of government’s checks and balances, experts say.

Have past administrations talked about a deep state?

Not in the same way as the Trump administration, but some have offered hints.

In his farewell address in 1961, President Eisenhower famously warned about the “unwarranted influence” of the “military-industrial complex,” a term that he never clearly defined but that conspiracy theorists latched onto.

Deep-state conspiracies emerged about the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, but they have been largely debunked.

And some allies to President Nixon — who resigned in August 1974 because of the Watergate scandal — alluded to the deep state as the root of his downfall. Nixon, like Trump, had a fractious relationship with the press, calling it “the enemy.”

so they mean the same thing as everyone else who has ever used the term? i feel so much more informed, thank you, kurtis lee

[chronovore]

OK, third consecutive post (BAD FORM, sorry)

https://twitter.com/American_Bridge/status/842773013456191490

Paul Ryan's version of exploited/college party porn is very different from ours.

[zomgee]

He called his mom Keg?

Weird.

[Kara]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-deep-state-20170319-story.html

so they mean the same thing as everyone else who has ever used the term? i feel so much more informed, thank you, kurtis lee

All these timeless Turkish memes pollinating the fetid corpse commonly known as American political discourse must be making Gulen sweat. Not even embracing charter schools will save him.

[zomgee]

Where to begin.

[brawndolicious]

That Comey briefing was entertaining to say the least.

[Nola]

Where to begin.

[Phoenix Dark]

tick tick tick...

[Great Rumbler]

A GOP congressman was earlier trying to push the view that "unnamed US intelligence sources" used by NYT and WaPo to connect Trump to Russia might actually have been Russian agents.

[Nola]

The only way this day could get more entertaining is if Trump capstones this off with some sort of meltdown tonight at his rally in Kentucky.


....Though I think Trump knows his power to some extent, so I wouldn't be surprised if he throws out some left-field shit to get the coverage to pivot away from today's repudiation.

[Joe Molotov]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/ivanka-trump-white-house-236273

Melania in NYC, Ivanka in the White House? Light the Mupepe signal. 

[etiolate]

Ivanka gonna get the Hilary job of impacting policy without a real title or accountability.

[I'm a Puppy!]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/ivanka-trump-white-house-236273

Melania in NYC, Ivanka in the White House? Light the Mupepe signal. 

God wouldn't it be great if it came out that Trump was having a proven incestual relationship with her and then the republicans would call for his immediate impeachment.

Oh who am I kidding. He could be caught fucking a horse and they wouldn't do anything

[Dickie Dee]