Sound The TRUMPets! A Thread for Presidential Pondering 2016-2020(?)

[Karl Henning]

Well, he's a "business geeeenius," as we've repeatedly been told – so he knew all about this before, right?

Federal government on track to be out of money sooner than expected because of new tax law

[...] The White House and GOP leaders in Congress have repeatedly punted decisions on how to deal with the debt ceiling. This is in sharp contrast to the approach Republicans took during the Obama administration, when the GOP insisted on deep spending cuts in exchange for any vote to raise the debt ceiling.

[arpeggio]

It is interesting that according to conservatives, the first amendment does not apply to non-conservatives.

[Karl Henning]

The Smear Campaign Against Mueller

[Daverz]

Well, he's a "business geeeenius," as we've repeatedly been told – so he knew all about this before, right?

Federal government on track to be out of money sooner than expected because of new tax law

No problem, Trump will just declare bankruptcy and stiff his contractors and partners.  It's always worked a charm before.

[Karl Henning]

Just so long as he can still be a rich asshole!

[kishnevi]

Looks like the two guys behind him tried to make him come to his senses: Come on, Bernie, even Cory is standing up! 

It was not during the National Anthem, though, but after Trump had mentioned the flag.

Which is why Sanders did the right thing, so to speak.
Trump has made "respect the flag" a prominent part of his authoritarian spiel, with the subtext that opposing him is unAmerican,  and the Left is unAmerican. To my way of thinking, it's the Democrats who applauded that line who should be censured for allowing him to go unchallenged on that point.

[Baron Scarpia]

Which is why Sanders did the right thing, so to speak.
Trump has made "respect the flag" a prominent part of his authoritarian spiel, with the subtext that opposing him is unAmerican,  and the Left is unAmerican. To my way of thinking, it's the Democrats who applauded that line who should be censured for allowing him to go unchallenged on that point.

Quite so, a jingoistic reference to the flag from a President who regularly flouts the dictates of the Constitution and our democratic institutions is pure hypocrisy.

[milk]

Quite so, a jingoistic reference to the flag from a President who regularly flouts the dictates of the Constitution and our democratic institutions is pure hypocrisy.

Not surprising that we started out with a bit of misinformation from Zamyrabyrd. Add it to the list.

[SimonNZ]

Preet Bharara's latest mission is to turn presidential norms into law

"In a USA Today op-ed on Monday, Bharara and former New Jersey Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman announced the launch of a democracy task force at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law. The task force's purpose is to examine norms on items such as financial conflicts, political interference with law enforcement, and the appointment of public officials, and issue recommendations on policies that "can be enacted that mend the gaps in our system and ensure we have a government that functions ably, competently and with the trust of the American people."

Trump has continually tested the ethical and normative limits, whether by refusing to release his tax returns, remaining entwined in his businesses, or reportedly meddling in the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia. Office of Government Ethics head Walter Shaub quit his job over the summer to join an outside ethics group after clashing with Trump multiple times on conflicts of interest.

Trump's presidency has revealed how many traditions of the presidency are just that — traditions, not requirements. They're historical nice-to-haves that assume the president will continue to follow suit. Bharara and Whitman's task force hopes to give them some teeth.

"It's taking the lessons and transgressions noted on the part of this administration and preventing those things from happening again in the future," Bharara told me.

They face an uphill battle. Congress could pass a law tomorrow requiring the president to release his tax returns or truly divest from his businesses. But so far, Republicans on the Hill have been less than eager to constrain the president.

Still, Bharara and Whitman are optimistic. I spoke with Bharara about the task force's goals, his thoughts on the current state of our union, and what he thinks of some of the recent developments at the Justice Department and the FBI. "Everything is on the table so long as it serves the purpose of figuring out which traditions are no longer acceptable on an honor system and need to be enforced," he said."

[arpeggio]

Preet Bharara's latest mission is to turn presidential norms into law

"In a USA Today op-ed on Monday, Bharara and former New Jersey Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman announced the launch of a democracy task force at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law. The task force's purpose is to examine norms on items such as financial conflicts, political interference with law enforcement, and the appointment of public officials, and issue recommendations on policies that "can be enacted that mend the gaps in our system and ensure we have a government that functions ably, competently and with the trust of the American people."

Trump has continually tested the ethical and normative limits, whether by refusing to release his tax returns, remaining entwined in his businesses, or reportedly meddling in the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia. Office of Government Ethics head Walter Shaub quit his job over the summer to join an outside ethics group after clashing with Trump multiple times on conflicts of interest.

Trump's presidency has revealed how many traditions of the presidency are just that — traditions, not requirements. They're historical nice-to-haves that assume the president will continue to follow suit. Bharara and Whitman's task force hopes to give them some teeth.

"It's taking the lessons and transgressions noted on the part of this administration and preventing those things from happening again in the future," Bharara told me.

They face an uphill battle. Congress could pass a law tomorrow requiring the president to release his tax returns or truly divest from his businesses. But so far, Republicans on the Hill have been less than eager to constrain the president.

Still, Bharara and Whitman are optimistic. I spoke with Bharara about the task force's goals, his thoughts on the current state of our union, and what he thinks of some of the recent developments at the Justice Department and the FBI. "Everything is on the table so long as it serves the purpose of figuring out which traditions are no longer acceptable on an honor system and need to be enforced," he said."

It is sad that a gentleman from New Zealand has a better grasp of how our country should work than some of our countrymen.

Right on Simon 

[Karl Henning]

Ayyup:

The State of the Union got teleprompter Trump. The GOP retreat got the real Donald Trump.

[Karl Henning]

The president's enablers must believe that it is their unfortunate fate to blindly follow him. But they are misreading the stars, and they are underestimating themselves. No one expects grand Shakespearean gestures from this Republican Party. All that is required is the courage to push back against this president's most dangerous moves. Republicans took an oath to the Constitution and their country. They must be reminded that their most enduring loyalties lie there and not with [White Grievance Boy].

[Karl Henning]

(* munches presidential popcorn *)

[El Presidente Tupé's] decision to release House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes's memo alleging wrongdoing at the Justice Department, combined with his ill-advised intervention with the Justice Department over the issue, represents the most unethical — and potentially illegal — action he has taken since he fired FBI Director James B. Comey. And like the Comey decision, it may now feature prominently in the obstruction of justice investigation dogging [El Tupé's] White House.

[Pat B]

Preet Bharara's latest mission is to turn presidential norms into law

"In a USA Today op-ed on Monday, Bharara and former New Jersey Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman announced the launch of a democracy task force at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law. The task force's purpose is to examine norms on items such as financial conflicts, political interference with law enforcement, and the appointment of public officials, and issue recommendations on policies that "can be enacted that mend the gaps in our system and ensure we have a government that functions ably, competently and with the trust of the American people."

Trump has continually tested the ethical and normative limits, whether by refusing to release his tax returns, remaining entwined in his businesses, or reportedly meddling in the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia. Office of Government Ethics head Walter Shaub quit his job over the summer to join an outside ethics group after clashing with Trump multiple times on conflicts of interest.

Trump's presidency has revealed how many traditions of the presidency are just that — traditions, not requirements. They're historical nice-to-haves that assume the president will continue to follow suit. Bharara and Whitman's task force hopes to give them some teeth.

"It's taking the lessons and transgressions noted on the part of this administration and preventing those things from happening again in the future," Bharara told me.

They face an uphill battle. Congress could pass a law tomorrow requiring the president to release his tax returns or truly divest from his businesses. But so far, Republicans on the Hill have been less than eager to constrain the president.

Still, Bharara and Whitman are optimistic. I spoke with Bharara about the task force's goals, his thoughts on the current state of our union, and what he thinks of some of the recent developments at the Justice Department and the FBI. "Everything is on the table so long as it serves the purpose of figuring out which traditions are no longer acceptable on an honor system and need to be enforced," he said."

A task force headed by Christine Todd Whitman and any Democrat. My advice: don't get your hopes high for anything to come of this.

[BasilValentine]

An incoherent voice bubbles up from the Shithole: "It's terrible what's going on in this country, terrible, many people should be ashamed, many people, and more than that." When are the media going to stop droning on about that memo? JEEEZUS! That was the most pathetically stupid stunt Devon Nunes has pulled yet. Carter Page? Who gives a rat's ass about Carter Page? They haven't even announced his indictment and/or conviction yet.   For that it was worth sacrificing the last shred of dignity and credibility of a once important congressional oversight committee? And why do the Democrats think it's worth issuing a rebuttal? There's already enough public information available to show the Nunes memo for the joke it is. Responding to it just makes it look — well, like it's worth rebutting.

Okay, time to start drinking.

Happy Groundhog Day! Or Midwinter's Day if you prefer.

[Baron Scarpia]

An incoherent voice bubbles up from the Shithole: "It's terrible what's going on in this country, terrible, many people should be ashamed, many people, and more than that." When are the media going to stop droning on about that memo? JEEEZUS! That was the most pathetically stupid stunt Devon Nunes has pulled yet. Carter Page? Who gives a rat's ass about Carter Page? They haven't even announced his indictment and/or conviction yet.   For that it was worth sacrificing the last shred of dignity and credibility of a once important congressional oversight committee? And why do the Democrats think it's worth issuing a rebuttal? There's already enough public information available to show the Nunes memo for the joke it is. Responding to it just makes it look — well, like it's worth rebutting.

You're sounding rather incoherent yourself. If Carter Page has not be found to have committed any wrongdoing, that supports, rather than rebuts, the case that the warrant was unjustified and a scheme to get at Trump.

Okay, time to start drinking.

Sounds like you already have.

[BasilValentine]

You're sounding rather incoherent yourself. If Carter Page has not be found to have committed any wrongdoing, that supports, rather than rebuts, the case that the warrant was unjustified and a scheme to get at Trump.

Sounds like you already have.

I've heard a contrary viewpoint from a couple of analysts on NPR. To wit: The fact that the FISA warrant was renewed three times suggests they were getting credible evidence of wrong doing by a foreign agent because this would have been necessary to convince the judges. And the Steele dossier wasn't even extant for the original warrant. Also, I said they haven't yet announced Page's indictment or conviction.  They probably made a deal of some kind with him.

No, haven't started drinking yet. But I just came in from hauling many pounds of wood in sub-zero temperatures, so it is possible my brains have frozen.

Okay, did a little research. Page first got on the FBI radar when he was under recruitment in 2013 by agents of Russian foreign intelligence (SVR), who described him as an enthusiastic idiot. Helpful idiots are common recruitment targets. The spy ring was busted in 2015, by which time Page was already suspected of being a foreign agent. Six months later (March, 2016) he joins the Trump campaign. In July he is in Moscow taking Russian money and delivering a speech condemning U.S. sanctions. Unsurprisingly, this earns Page some attention by U.S. Embassy personnel, who in turn inform U.S. counterintelligence that he seems to be acting as a foreign agent. By the fall of 2016 pre-election, counterintelligence officials were already briefing high ranking members of congress on Page's activities, apparently while the first FISA warrant was active. So, those same members of congress who are now pretending to be outraged by a politically motivated FISA application, had already been informed that Page was a foreign agent, and so knew that a FISA warrant was unequivocally justified — before the election.

So to answer you: The warrant was justified, based on four years of counterintelligence work. Republican members of the house knew such a warrant would be justified because they were informed of its basis at the time of the first FISA warrant. It follows that Nunes and his fellow Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee who are endorsing the memo are performing a disingenuous farce, knowingly mischaracterizing the basis of the FISA warrants.

[milk]

https://www.youtube.com/v/V1QijDrWvBc

[Christabel]

This excellent journal article absolutely nails the issues:

http://www.spiked-online.com/spiked-review/article/the-revolt-against-the-masses/20943

[SimonNZ]

This excellent journal article absolutely nails the issues:

http://www.spiked-online.com/spiked-review/article/the-revolt-against-the-masses/20943

That's a "journal article" is it? (Whoops, there's my elitism showing).

Tell me : which class or classes do you think the "liberals" come from?