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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

It wasn't at the school, it was at a public bathroom at a pier. I'd sure feel good if this guy was my kid's teacher and was packing. :r:
 
Nominating petitions submitted

Been working on the congressional campaign for my spiritual advisor. (Seriously, he's been a U-U minister for 40 years, and last fall decided to DO SOMETHING.)

I coordinated our petition signature effort; we needed up to 2000 of them, and wow is it ever hard to circulate during the winter months.

Here we are dropping them off in Lansing. My face hurt from smiling...
...cool We the People totebag picked up at a Dulles gift shop last week




 
You may want to read up on the proposed Sinclair Media / Tribune merger. This would mean that 70% of local networks would be owned by this conglomerate.

Sinclair is reported to be very pro-tRump and was in the news the last couple weeks for their forced PSA on local networks.
 
05
 
Anyone watch the Comey interview? I followed the CNN updates, but it didn't sound like anything too interesting.
 
gtpeach said:
Anyone watch the Comey interview? I followed the CNN updates, but it didn't sound like anything too interesting.
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I don't really have any interest. Honestly the quotes I read from the book and his general attitude just comes across as petty to me.
 
gtpeach said:
Anyone watch the Comey interview? I followed the CNN updates, but it didn't sound like anything too interesting.
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I did.

I think he made an error with his book and this interview. There's some good messaging in it, but he seasons it with enough pettiness that his message gets drowned out. He would've been much better served to just stay quiet. The interview and book seem to damage his credibility, particularly given the sanctimonious nature of the title. The title basically screams "I'm above this nonsense," and then he immediately takes that low road. I'm honestly a bit surprised that he did this, given the nature of his career up to this point.

Of course, the other part I wonder about is whether the interview & book are actually him baiting Trump to make a mistake. Trump is petty & vain and reacts strongest to those types of attacks.
 
From a Yahoo! article:

Can you imagine what Fox News would be doing right now if it was revealed that, say, Barack Obama’s personal lawyer was also doing work for Maddow? Two things: 1. Tucker Carlson, Hannity, and the three-stooge Fox & Friends would be howling about it nonstop, and 2. My example is almost unimaginable. I mean, has anyone ever had occasion to even know who Obama’s personal lawyer is? Of course not — Obama wasn’t a compulsive tweeter who got himself mired in lawsuits.
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I am trying to just hear Fox News going crazy about it....

Hannity is terrible. His greed has made our political discourse so much worse. Instead of pushing his people to be rational, he has pushed them to fight the "good" fight. To close their eyes and swing. That is everything that is wrong with our country, and why we are at such an ugly time.

Anyone with open eyes can see that Hannity, and his hate spewing ilk, are not good for our country. Ugh.
 
In the honor of Tax Day, let me ask you if you think the Federal Government has spent your money wisely? What about the State Government?

Personally, I think the State has some a crap load better than the Feds...
 
A reality show host / braggart is our President.
An opinion show host on ultra-conservative "news" gives daily advice to our President.

Yep that's where we are today.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.472d7446d8a0


and hinky is completely right as Mrs. P & I were discussing things last night when we heard a story how the Rs are crying how everyone is treating the president - but isn't that exactly how the Rs treated Clinton in the 90s?
 
michaelskis said:
In the honor of Tax Day, let me ask you if you think the Federal Government has spent your money wisely? What about the State Government?

Personally, I think the State has some a crap load better than the Feds...
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I'm in Kansas so it all sucks. Our schools are underfunded to the point we're about to hit the penalty phase of the court mandate to fund the schools. We're raiding from the highway funds and the state hasn't paid their share of the state employee retirement for several years, but we're leading the way on important issues like voter fraud and border immigration.
 
White House to Investigate Pruitt’s $43,000 Secure Phone Booth
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/white-house-investigate-pruitt-43-154310569.html

Generally, I don't side with the crazy people who say that all government spending is bad.... but when those people are in power, and then want to scream about "wasteful" spending, but not call out these types of things, or Ben Carson's stuff, then you lose all credibility.

We need people, not parties, that actually care about doing the right things. Private jets, free condos, expensive tables, secure phone booths? Who thinks this is okay? Why would you think that the government is too big, and the government wastes money, and then be okay with this?

And the swamp get muckier.
 
AIB the news about Pruitt's $43,000 Secure Phone Booth

Reminded me of the "Get Smart" Cone of Silence - September 18, 1965 (Wikipedia)

Get%20Smart%20Cone%20of%20Silence.jpg
 
Hink said:
We need people, not parties, that actually care about doing the right things. Private jets, free condos, expensive tables, secure phone booths? Who thinks this is okay? Why would you think that the government is too big, and the government wastes money, and then be okay with this?

And the swamp get muckier.
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:-c


:yoda:Sound Like Me You Do. :yoda:



:D


The really sad thing is nothing is going to change for the better. For a while I thought that it would take some prolific scandal or blatant disregard for the Constitution... but with everything that has happened over the past 100 or so years that has come to light and these people still get elected.

The only hope that I have is the realization that someone who everyone knew was an egocentric sexiest maniac before election day was still able to beat the queen of a political dynasty gives me some hope. They were willing to deal with horrific instead of more of the same. Unfortunately, he too is more of the same and horrific at the same time.
 
michaelskis said:
The really sad thing is nothing is going to change for the better.
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I think Trump is the embodiment of something America thought was gone, but clearly isn't. I think he, and those who support his approach / rhetoric / demeanor, are going the way of the dodo bird. As an eternal optomist I think this is the start of the change our country needs. Youth being engaged, companies being held accountable for our privacy, their profits, and our rights over theirs.

Sure nothing is going to change in the short term, but the fire has been started. I think with the way the Republicans are doubling down on their policies there will only be one party in the future. Then maybe we can push for people, not parties. I feel like Matt Bai just reads Cyburbia and is stealing my content...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/need-stronger-candidates-not-stronger-parties-090041374.html
 
I'm convinced that the CIA killed Kim Jong Un during the clandestine meeting over Easter and replaced him with a surrogate. It's the only answer to what's happening now.
 
Has anyone been following the comments of Randa Jarrar, a professor at Fresno State who called Barbra Bush a raciest right after she died? I think it is an interesting situation being that I agree that it is her first amendment right to make such a statement, but I also think it is the right of the donors to say that as long as she is employed by the University, they will not make any more contributions.

If you were the President of the University, what would you do?
 
michaelskis said:
Has anyone been following the comments of Randa Jarrar, a professor at Fresno State who called Barbra Bush a raciest right after she died? I think it is an interesting situation being that I agree that it is her first amendment right to make such a statement, but I also think it is the right of the donors to say that as long as she is employed by the University, they will not make any more contributions.

If you were the President of the University, what would you do?
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This is tough. I don't think anyone is exempt from criticism. And maybe some of the larger picture points she's making have some validity, although I think the timing is in very poor taste. That said, I don't think it's ever appropriate to express gratitude that someone is dead and wish others are also dead. (I truly do mean this to apply to anyone. Death is not something to celebrate.) That's the part that crosses the line to me. I think professors should have the right to believe what they want to believe and to vocalize it and discuss it in their classes without fear of retribution, but there have to be some boundaries in place, right? Because students also shouldn't be penalized for believing things differently from their professors.

I'm sure it'll come down to legal contractual issues, but I wouldn't be comfortable not addressing it at all if I was the university professor. Full-time professors do represent their institutions, so if she is openly associated with them, then the university does bear some culpability for what she says in public spaces.
 
michaelskis said:
Has anyone been following the comments of Randa Jarrar, a professor at Fresno State who called Barbra Bush a raciest right after she died? I think it is an interesting situation being that I agree that it is her first amendment right to make such a statement, but I also think it is the right of the donors to say that as long as she is employed by the University, they will not make any more contributions.

If you were the President of the University, what would you do?
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There's really nothing he can do. Case law is quite clear. Public actors (like a public school professor) who express views as a private citizen (she used her private twitter account) cannot be punished for their views, no matter how disrespectful or unpopular they might be. The only exception is that if her speech impact the schools ability to provide its services and fulfill its mission which as long as the school is operating would be a pretty tough point to prove. If she were an employee at a private company she more than likely could be terminated if it violated some sort of policy they had.

He might be able to fire her because apparently she also tweeted out the number of a mental health crisis hotline as her own which led to an overload of that system. That might be conduct that violates some other terms of her employment contract.
 
JNA said:
What is up with this Sean Hannity real estate story ?
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He's a Welfare Queen. Just like his idol pResident tRump.

We taxpayers are subsidizing his investments. He knows the system and takes advantage of it. Yet he decries the poorer people that receives welfare benefits to survive.

It's funny how those guys whine about the (supposed) liberal media directing the dialogue when in fact it is quite opposite with Hannity & tRump in bed together.
 
JNA said:
What is up with this Sean Hannity real estate story ?
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Planit said:
He's a Welfare Queen. Just like his idol pResident tRump.

We taxpayers are subsidizing his investments. He knows the system and takes advantage of it. Yet he decries the poorer people that receives welfare benefits to survive.

It's funny how those guys whine about the (supposed) liberal media directing the dialogue when in fact it is quite opposite with Hannity & tRump in bed together.
Click to expand...

I can't really tell from the articles out there, but is it that Hannity abused HUD loopholes, or HUD abused the program in favor of Hannity?
 
michaelskis said:
Has anyone been following the comments of Randa Jarrar, a professor at Fresno State who called Barbra Bush a raciest right after she died? I think it is an interesting situation being that I agree that it is her first amendment right to make such a statement, but I also think it is the right of the donors to say that as long as she is employed by the University, they will not make any more contributions.

If you were the President of the University, what would you do?
Click to expand...

MD Planner said:
There's really nothing he can do. Case law is quite clear. Public actors (like a public school professor) who express views as a private citizen (she used her private twitter account) cannot be punished for their views, no matter how disrespectful or unpopular they might be. The only exception is that if her speech impact the schools ability to provide its services and fulfill its mission which as long as the school is operating would be a pretty tough point to prove. If she were an employee at a private company she more than likely could be terminated if it violated some sort of policy they had.

He might be able to fire her because apparently she also tweeted out the number of a mental health crisis hotline as her own which led to an overload of that system. That might be conduct that violates some other terms of her employment contract.
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MD took my opinion. If it were a private school they would have fired her @ss, but since it's a public school she can say stupid stuff in her off time. I'm more disappointed in the news agencies. This is not news. Why would you print this garbage other than to stir up controversy. If you ignored it she would have sounded like the local crazy person, but now you've given her some credibility.

AG74683 said:
I can't really tell from the articles out there, but is it that Hannity abused HUD loopholes, or HUD abused the program in favor of Hannity?
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As far as I know he hasn't done anything wrong. It's just the hypocrisy of screaming about government welfare programs and over spending then taking advantage of them. If he were smart he would have jumped in front of the PR train with a statement about how he is creating affordable housing with the assistance of government programs and how wonderful that is. You know, actually push the program.


Wife and I were talking about the lack of outrage in the country. Yes, some people are, but there should be more. Think about all the things the current pres is doing that we've been mad about in the past:
- Golfing every weekend (we got mad when others took a week out of the year)
- All the scandals (I don't need to list them)
- Lack of family values (see scandals)
- Constant crude comments (we bashed Howard Dean for a slightly over excited yell and Mitt for his binder full of women)
- Possible election rigging (most people are outraged until you prove nothing was done - sorry, no one is innocent until proven guilty in the court of public opinion)
- Constant government waste
- Using government money for perks like travel, $30k tables, etc)
- Of course all the people who have been hauled in for questioning and a few actually accused of crimes (real crimes, not the made up stuff)

All this and more and I still hear people justify everything by saying Hillary would have been worse or it's okay because...
 
These words are not mine, but I found it as an accurate description of what's happened over the last year:

I’d say having a thrice divorced, serial adulterer reality show host with a history of racism, sexual deviance, mocking the disabled, avoiding taxes and filing bankruptcy as President got us here.
 
It seemed to me that Admiral Ronny Jackson was a poor fit to lead USVA, but his treatment this week has been terrible and reflects poorly on the United States Senate.

Where has Ditch McConnell been lately, anyway?
 
Gedunker said:
It seemed to me that Admiral Ronny Jackson was a poor fit to lead USVA, but his treatment this week has been terrible and reflects poorly on the United States Senate.

Where has Ditch McConnell been lately, anyway?
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Part of my problem with Jackson is the drinking on the job. It's not like you or I have a drink. He's military at a military post. There is no drinking on duty.
 
Gedunker said:
It seemed to me that Admiral Ronny Jackson was a poor fit to lead USVA, but his treatment this week has been terrible and reflects poorly on the United States Senate.
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I think it's pretty hard to blame the Senate when he never even really made it into the Senate confirmation process. I think the Senate (particularly Richard Blumenthal from the Veterans Affairs Committee) was actually trying to slow down his nomination process to give Jackson the chance to withdraw his nomination in order to save him the embarrassment of what was sure to be a pretty ugly testimony process. Even if some of the allegations regarding his drinking or handling of controlled substances were found to be unwarranted he would have faced some pretty tough questions regarding his lack of leadership and managerial experience and how he was going to handle the 2nd largest federal agency, 300,000+ employees, and a massive budget.

This is 100% a failure of the President and his staff to adequately vett the nominee. There was an Inspector General's report from 2012 that laid out a lot of the same concerns of Jackson and made pretty clear that while he was a top notch doctor he was a poor manager and leader of troops.

This is just another example of how wrong people were who claimed that because Trump was such a great business man :r: he'd be sure to surround himself with the most well qualified and knowledgeable people for his cabinet and top level positions.
 
North and South Korea are now friends? How did this guy go from angry rocketman to bringing about world peace? Do you think he is actually trying to make things better or do you thinking he is playing nice so he can build up his arsenal and go to war?
 
michaelskis said:
North and South Korea are now friends? How did this guy go from angry rocketman to bringing about world peace? Do you think he is actually trying to make things better or do you thinking he is playing nice so he can build up his arsenal and go to war?
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I believe it's two things.

1) China stopped coal imports from NK (due in part to UN sanctions AND a coal deal struck with the US). Coal export to China was nearly a third of North Korea's income. There were multiple attempts by NK to move goods illegally through ships flagged under different countries, but they all got caught and turned back. Oil sanctions also hit hard this time.

2) Geologists believe the last nuke test in September decimated the testing site and caused the entire mountain to collapse, likely destroying most of the testing equipment. This also threatens NK neighbors (RE China) with potential nuclear fallout, something which would definitely make you a bad neighbor.

It looks like NK is literally falling apart now. Their main source of income has been largely cut off, and their only "ace in the hole" to keep sanctions light and financial aid coming in from other countries appears to have been eliminated. With no source of income, they As China tightens up it's own sanctions and trade with NK, Russia has no choice but to follow since they are now one of the only major countries still messing with NK.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
This is 100% a failure of the President and his staff to adequately vett the nominee. There was an Inspector General's report from 2012 that laid out a lot of the same concerns of Jackson and made pretty clear that while he was a top notch doctor he was a poor manager and leader of troops.
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I read a pretty good NPR article interviewing Jake Tapper discussing the Jar-Jar Binks Principle in which he likens Trump to George Lucas. The article quote was, "Too often in this world, people rise to the level that they remove from their orbit anybody that would tell them Jar Jar Binks (from Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace) is a horrible character." That is what Trump's cabinet has largely become.

Jackson makes me think of one of the most common mistakes in our own profession: assuming that an outstanding, smart & talented planner should become a planning director. In the medical field, you don't place your best surgeon in charge of the hospital. When placed in such a situation, such people can react quite negatively and end up creating bad environments.

The thing I'm most skeptical of is the over-prescribing of medication. A good friend worked as a Chief of Staff for a Congressman. He has said that the amount of substance abuse in order to maintain pace and cope with Washington jobs was kind of incredible. I think we underestimate exactly how toxic the political environment is for those that are sitting close to it.
 
Suburb Repairman said:
I think we underestimate exactly how toxic the political environment is for those that are sitting close to it.
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No, I think those of us in high level positions in local government understand all too well.

And I certainly can appreciate that at the Federal level, it's turned up to 11.
 
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If the NRA really believed what they say about the only way to be safe is to have more guns around than they would stand by their guns (pun intended) and either demand that Pence allow guns during his speech or disinvite him. While the Secret Service may have a requirement that there be no weapons present, there is no requirement that the NRA actually invite Pence.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
... there is no requirement that the NRA actually invite Pence.
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That's true. This would be the NRA's convention we're talking about, not Pence's. They could send a stronger message by disinviting him - we'll only allow politicians to speak at our event who walk the walk...
 
dvdneal said:
Secret service made the call, but how can you argue more guns make 'Merica safe if even the VP won't have guns around.
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Same reason that guns are not allowed at the Capital or White House, etc. Reducing the number of guns in that area just makes it safer.... I mean taking that principle and using it on a broader scale would NEVER work.... :not:
 
Hink said:
Same reason that guns are not allowed at the Capital or White House, etc. Reducing the number of guns in that area just makes it safer.... I mean taking that principle and using it on a broader scale would NEVER work.... :not:
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Let's make sure that all the other places have the same level of prevention with metal detectors then too. The only ones who follow the rules are those who are not out to do harm.
 
Statement from local candidate for sheriff:

"That's the only way we're going to beat it (drug problem) - blacks, whites, Mexicans, all working together to get rid of the drug problem".

Oh dear. :r:
 
Did Giuliani just out pResident tRump?

It seems that all this $130,000 story is true now & tRump confirmed it too...after a couple years of denying it. Although he has confirmed the payment (& subsequent repayment to Cohen), he stilled denied the affair. His excuse was that celebrities and wealthy people do this all the time just to shut people up.

I guess this should be my new post-planning career. Just make up something about a celebrity or wealthy person and ask for money to not say it. Wait, isn't that called extortion or blackmail? Don't you think a person like tRump would fight tooth & nail on something like extortion & blackmail?
 
Planit said:
Did Giuliani just out pResident tRump?

It seems that all this $130,000 story is true now & tRump confirmed it too...after a couple years of denying it. Although he has confirmed the payment (& subsequent repayment to Cohen), he stilled denied the affair. His excuse was that celebrities and wealthy people do this all the time just to shut people up.

I guess this should be my new post-planning career. Just make up something about a celebrity or wealthy person and ask for money to not say it. Wait, isn't that called extortion or blackmail? Don't you think a person like tRump would fight tooth & nail on something like extortion & blackmail?
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I had the exact same thoughts this morning when I heard this news on my short drive to work.

So, he's either weak to give into extortion/blackmail or he's blatantly lying for the last several months...or both.

See Stormy's attorney statements on Colbert's show from last night - where there's smoke, etc., etc....
 
If Trump is innocent, then he needs to stop acting guilty. Literally everything he is doing screams "I did a bad bad thing and should probably be in jail." Is it fraud? Is it treason? Is it extortion? Is it obstruction? We have a President that we are actually having to think about not whether a crime was committed, but which crimes.

Giuliani probably had enough of a conversation with Cohen to know that the payback was going to come out, so he is now attempting to get ahead of it in hopes that plastering it with a little lie can hide illegal campaign-related issues.
 
Suburb Repairman said:
If Trump is innocent, then he needs to stop acting guilty. Literally everything he is doing screams "I did a bad bad thing and should probably be in jail." Is it fraud? Is it treason? Is it extortion? Is it obstruction? We have a President that we are actually having to think about not whether a crime was committed, but which crimes.

Giuliani probably had enough of a conversation with Cohen to know that the payback was going to come out, so he is now attempting to get ahead of it in hopes that plastering it with a little lie can hide illegal campaign-related issues.
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The thing to understand here where Trump's most ardent supporters are concerned is that they don't care if Trump had an affair. They also don't care that he's having to engage in various gymnastics to spin/rephrase/retract/redirect. Of course he's corrupt and has no morals - that's why we voted for him! That he boffed a porn star while his wife was pregnant in their eyes is cause to make the folks who rely on Fox & Friends or the National Enquirer as their primary news source jealous - why oh why couldn't it be me having problems like that to worry about?

Crystal ball time:
- The Dems will take the house in November by at least a dozen seats
- The Dems will NOT take the Senate
- The House will vote to impeach Trump in 2019 probably for this FEC crime and not whatever nefarious dealings the Mueller investigation reveals that Trump's campaign has had with Russia.
- The Senate, however, will not convict, and like Andrew Johnson it'll come down to one or two votes (straight along party lines)
- here's where it gets really bad...the Dems will pick the worst choice (probably way left of center) they possibly can as their Presidential candidate in 2020 and Trump will win reelection despite the impeachment.
- the next four years' shit show will focus on abuse of Presidential veto powers.

Historians will record that the Trump administration was marred by corruption and that he was one of our weakest Presidents. He was largely unsuccessful in passing his agenda when his own party controlled all three branches of government and he accomplished even less after his first two years in office when that was no longer the case.
 
I'm a little surprised Mike Pence hasn't attempted to kick the chair out from under Trump yet. From a policy perspective I consider Pence worse because he knows how to work the system, but he has to sense an opportunity to curb stomp Trump and come out like a rose even in the eyes of more progressive people that would otherwise attack him.
 
I agree that Pence would likely be a far more formidable force than Trump where legislative agendas are concerned. Pence wouldn't be wasting political capital on visibly symbolic silliness like ineffective multi-billion dollar border walls, nor would he be wasting time posturing in an attempt to pursue protectionist economic policies that were all the rage.....a century ago. No, in some ways I'm grateful Trump spends as much useless energy as he does flailing and thrashing around at various entities impotently. If Pence were in charge, we'd see more permanent changes happening on a fast track.
 
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