About Time For Some Disaster Relief
That headline can, of course, be read two ways. One is very serious, since America has experienced multiple natural disasters over the course of the past year which have not yet been adequately addressed by Congress. And the other is, well, ironic. As we all lurch to the end of another "Infrastructure Week" trainwreck, the Republican Senate just provided some relief from the ongoing disaster at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mitch McConnell, taking a page out of Harry Reid's playbook, apparently threatened his whole chamber with the thing they fear more than anything else (save not getting reelected) -- the loss of one of their many, many weeks of vacation. McConnell had sworn he was going to hold a vote on a disaster relief bill before the vacation break, and he actually browbeat his fellow Republicans into doing their jobs. So they sat down with Democrats from both the Senate and the House and hammered out a "clean" disaster relief bill. "Clean," in this instance, means "with no money for Trump's frivolous border wall." Republicans also caved on the other main sticking point that Trump had personally introduced, by agreeing to provide disaster relief money for Puerto Rico. The bill sailed through the Senate today (with all the senators keeping a close eye on flight times out of National Airport, of course), and will be taken up by the House as soon as time permits (this could mean a "voice vote" with nobody in the chamber tomorrow, or if Republicans balk at this tactic, it may mean a vote after vacation time, next month.
Senate Republicans really needed a win, and not just to please McConnell. By passing a bipartisan bill (the vote was 85-8), Senate Republicans showed that Trump's current hissy fit isn't going to stop them from doing deals with Democrats. This became a big worry, as even Republicans started pointing out the fact that, other than confirm conservative judges, they have gotten absolutely nothing at all done this year.
Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently vented his displeasure with the current Senate's record to HuffPost, and he certainly minced no words in doing so: "The Congress, certainly the U.S. Senate, isn't a doing a damn thing.... The House has not tried to pass anything that has a hope in hell in the Senate. And the Senate hasn't done a damn thing except sit on its ice-cold lazy butt." Later, in a speech on the Senate floor, he was a bit more circumspect, but no less scathing, speaking to his fellow Republicans: "What have we done? Other than nominations, which are important, we have done nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada."
He's right. What's more, Republicans in the Senate are likely to continue this streak of incompetence, passing absolutely nothing from their empty agenda right up to the 2020 election. The only important bills they'll likely have to pass are all going to be rather reactionary, rather than proactive. Disasters happen, so money must be appropriated (even if it did take many moons to accomplish). The budget has to be voted on, and the nation's credit limit has to be raised. Those will come with hard deadlines that, if missed, will either shut the government down or send the world's economy into a tailspin, so it's a good bet that they'll pass. But other than the bills Senate Republicans will be forced to pass, their legislative cupboard is going to be awfully bare. And one-third of them will have to run on this blank record next year.
As I wrote yesterday, this leaves Democrats with a gigantic political opening to exploit. It's even all teed up and ready to go. The White House's new talking point provides the perfect opening, as they desperately try to convince everyone that Donald Trump is, as he repeated today (when he was supposed to be talking about bailing out farmers with taxpayer money because of his disastrous trade war with China), a "very stable genius." Trump didn't throw a tantrum, his mouthpieces insist, he was actually quite calm as he ranted at Nancy Pelosi and then stormed out of the room. But the real new White House spin that needs debunking is that "Democrats in Congress are simply not capable of both legislating and investigating at the same time."
This is pure hogwash, and Democrats should be pointing this out. The media certainly isn't up to the task, although I did find one article in Newsweek that accurately pointed out the reality of the situation:
Republican leaders have slammed Democrats for not getting enough done in Congress even though more than 100 bills passed this year by the House of Representatives currently sit in the GOP-controlled Senate awaiting action.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted on Wednesday that "Democrats are in a tailspin, and their 'leadership' is out to lunch. They have achieved practically NOTHING since taking over the House, and their obsession with impeaching this president is paralyzing any progress we could be making as the UNITED States."
Similar remarks were made by Donald Trump and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday morning.
The president wrote on Twitter that "Democrats are getting nothing done in Congress. All of their effort is about a Re-Do of the Mueller Report, which didn't turn out the way they wanted. It is not possible for them to investigate and legislate at the same time."
During an appearance on CNN, Sanders asked "what significant pieces of legislation they have passed that are going to change the course of this country?" She also said that it is "a complete lie" that Democrats think they can investigate Trump and also pass bills.
But Democrats have passed more than 100 pieces of legislation on issues ranging from gun control to health care since gaining majority control in the House in January. Those bills have yet to be taken up by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
That legislation includes the For the People Act, which is a comprehensive package of reforms to expand voting rights, limit partisan gerrymandering and limit the influence of donor money. It also encompasses the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and the Save the Internet Act.
That's quite a contrast, and it is one that every Democrat needs to start pointing out immediately. "We are getting lots of important things done. The House has passed over 100 bills this year, in fact. These bills -- which solve crucial problems America is facing today -- then go to the legislative graveyard of the Senate, where Mitch McConnell can't seem to get anything done at all." Each Democrat interviewed by the media should really have a little notecard list of the top five or ten bills the House has already passed, and they should reel this list off in response to any question about which political party is getting things done and which is not. In fact, the list can be used in an answer to just about any question asked: "Well, before I answer that specifically, allow me to point out the fact that Democrats have already passed bills to reform our elections, secure our election system from foreign attack, improve healthcare and bring down the cost of prescription drugs, protect patients with pre-existing conditions, and support women's rights by standing up for equal pay and against violence against women. Democrats have addressed many other important issues with good legislation -- too many to list here, in fact -- while Republicans are so terrified of getting on the wrong side of Trump that they refuse to even consider any bills at all. Now, back to your original question...."
This political case can even be made about the bill which did just pass: "The Senate just passed a disaster relief bill after stalling it for far too long. We're addressing disasters that happened last year with this bill, I would point out. Democrats were ready to vote for a clean funding bill all along, but Republicans had to dance to Trump's tune and fight for things they knew would never be acceptable to us. They fought against sending aid to Puerto Rico, because the president apparently hates Puerto Ricans. They fought for money for Trump's border wall, even though they knew full well the House would never approve it. They wasted month after month after month with such posturing, in the hopes that Trump wouldn't get mad at them on Twitter. After all that Kabuki, they finally came to the table and agreed to what Democrats had been proposing all along. Americans hit hard by natural disasters had to wait an enormous amount of time solely because Senate Republicans were far more concerned with stroking Trump's massive ego than they were with helping their fellow Americans out in their time of desperation." This is a pretty easy case to make, obviously.
Democrats should really have been making this case all along. But now the White House is providing the perfect setup to do so. The Republican talking point that Democrats can't legislate and investigate simultaneously is absolutely false. The facts show otherwise. Democrats, starting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer on down, should point this out -- with specifics -- every chance they get. Don't let Trump bend reality to his false narrative about Democrats not being able to get anything done, because in actual fact it is the Republicans who are guilty of precisely that. Trump is holding America's infrastructure hostage in a futile attempt to stop Congress from doing its job on oversight, and Mitch McConnell is the one who can't seem to get anything done at all in his chamber. Winning this framing war is going to be critical for the 2020 campaign, so Democrats should mount a full-court press to make their case right now. It's not too late to do so, but if Trump succeeds in getting the media to buy into his warped framing of the situation, it'll be a lot tougher for Democrats to make this political case next year.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Yep.
and yet, not a single one of those 100 bills even comes close to addressing the issue of baked goods. pathetic.
Puerto Rico is not really seeking 'disaster relief', regardless of how the rhetoric is structured.
Puerto Ricans allowed the island's infrastructure to collapse over the course of several years by refusing to fund maintenance and upkeep, and by refusing to force their citizens to pay utility rates and taxes sufficient to cover the costs of generating electricity, providing clean water, repaving crumbling roads, etc.
The hurricane didn't cause any of those problems, it just highlighted them, and gave the leaders, and he refuses to a handy excuse to ask the mainland to make up for their years of neglect and corrupt government.
Dumb as he is, Trump recognizes the true nature and causes of PR's problems, and he refuses to let them get away with blaming the hurricane, when their problems are totally of their own making.
Oops - Fourth para. should read "The hurricane didn't cause any of those problems, it just highlighted them and gave the leaders a handy excuse to ask the mainland to make up for their years of neglect and corrupt government."
@crs [3-4],
upon what information are you basing this opinion? i've been to the island and have family there - the primary source reports i've received differ significantly from yours. places that had perfectly reliable utilities prior to the storm are still crippled years later.
do you view other disasters the same way? was the destruction of andrew the fault of florida's corruption and failure to invest? was the damage done by katrina the fault of cajun ineptitude? are there any natural disasters that aren't the fault of the victims?
JL
Everyone should see this report by Rachel Maddow:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/russian-agitation-seen-in-european-politics-as-elections-approach-60228165618
Right wing parties all over the world have been getting support from Russia, which buoyed by successes in Britain (Brexit) and the US (Trump) to notch up its attacks in Europe, generally.
And interestingly, everywhere the message is the same: "The media is the enemy, the Right is your friend. Putin isn't as bad as they tell you."
And suddenly, former beacons of Democracy like the US and Britain are besieged by nationalist movements. That's no accident.
We need to see this threat for what it is: a state-sponsored attack, the likes of which we haven't seen since WWII. Other countries, like China, N. Korea and the Saudis are also jumping in.
So far the Center Left has no response.
Investigations will only get us so far. We need to develop an independent plan to counteract it before it gets too late to do much at all, or face a very different world sooner than we think.
That second paragraph should read:
Right wing parties all over the world have been getting support from Russia, which buoyed by successes in Britain (Brexit) and the US (Trump), have notched up its attacks in Europe, generally.
CRS,
Puerto Rico is not really seeking 'disaster relief', regardless of how the rhetoric is structured.
Puerto Ricans allowed the island's infrastructure to collapse over the course of several years by refusing to fund maintenance and upkeep, and by refusing to force their citizens to pay utility rates and taxes sufficient to cover the costs of generating electricity, providing clean water, repaving crumbling roads, etc.
The hurricane didn't cause any of those problems, it just highlighted them, and gave the leaders, and he refuses to a handy excuse to ask the mainland to make up for their years of neglect and corrupt government.
Dumb as he is, Trump recognizes the true nature and causes of PR's problems, and he refuses to let them get away with blaming the hurricane, when their problems are totally of their own making.
Exactly..
Everyone should see this report by Rachel Maddow:
Yea.. Cuz MadCow is an utterly reliable source..
:eyeroll:
do you view other disasters the same way? was the destruction of andrew the fault of florida's corruption and failure to invest? was the damage done by katrina the fault of cajun ineptitude? are there any natural disasters that aren't the fault of the victims?
Not factually accurate..
FL recovery from Hurricanes is the finest in the nation... Compare FL recovery to PR's non-recovery and to NOLA's tortured recovery..
What's the difference??
FL had (and has) a GOP government who knows how to take care of business and get things done..
PR and NOLA have Democrat-ish and Democrat governments and all they can do is frak things up and blame others for their own mistakes...
Investigations will only get us so far. We need to develop an independent plan to counteract it before it gets too late to do much at all, or face a very different world sooner than we think.
Yunno what's funny??
If, gods forbid, the Democrats ever retain control of government all of this hysterical fear-mongering will disappear..
Putin with be the Dem POTUS's BFF again and the Dem POTUS will promise to be flexible for Putin again..
Yer so transparent in your Party slavery, Blathy... :D
It didn't work in 2016 and won't work in 2020.
Unless the plan is to lose to Trump again in 2020 and then people will really want to vote for Democrats in 2024.
OR..
If Trump is really Reagan, then we'll have President Mike Pence in 2024... :D
Trump moves to escalate investigation of intel agencies
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday granted Attorney General William Barr new powers to review and potentially release classified information related to the origins of the Russia investigation, a move aimed at accelerating Barr’s inquiry into whether U.S. officials improperly surveilled Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Trump directed the intelligence community to “quickly and fully cooperate” with Barr’s probe. The directive marked an escalation in Trump’s efforts to “investigate the investigators,” as he continues to try to undermine the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe amid mounting Democratic calls for impeachment proceedings.
Press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump is delegating to Barr the “full and complete authority” to declassify documents relating to the probe, which would ease his efforts to review the sensitive intelligence underpinnings of the investigation. Such an action could create fresh tensions within the FBI and other intelligence agencies, which have historically resisted such demands.
https://apnews.com/9e926bfccb5947d5a5f8eb260cb0a7e6
Dumbocrats are running scared!!
Trump/America haters play the PATRIOT CARD in 3....2....1....
This issue is more of the same: lies and more lies.
Don't let Trump bend reality to his false narrative about Democrats not being able to get anything done, because in actual fact it is the Republicans who are guilty of precisely that.
Yep.
This issue is more of the same: lies and more lies.
You mean, like the Russia Collusion lie??
Like ALL the lies ya'all have told about President Trump??
Are THOSE the lies you are referring to??
Don't let Trump bend reality to his false narrative about Democrats not being able to get anything done, because in actual fact it is the Republicans who are guilty of precisely that.
And that lie as well...
Odumbo and the Dumbocrats had 8 years to fix the economy...
They limped it along and couldn't do crap with it.
Hell, the Stock Market exploded to new heights JUST ON THE BASIS OF TRUMP WINNING THE ELECTION!!!
You can't win, Balthy.. The FACTS and REALITY are all against you..
Trump gives AG Barr authority to declassify documents related to 2016 campaign surveillance
President Trump on Thursday night issued a memo giving Attorney General William Barr the authority to declassify any documents related to surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016.
Trump also ordered the intelligence community to cooperate with Barr. The memo read: "The heads of elements of the intelligence community... and the heads of each department or agency that includes an element of the intelligence community shall promptly provide such assistance and information as the Attorney General may request in connection with that review."
"Today, at the request and recommendation of the Attorney General of the United States, President Donald J. Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 Presidential election," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
"The Attorney General has also been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information pertaining to this investigation, in accordance with the long-established standards for handling classified information. Today’s action will help ensure that all Americans learn the truth about the events that occurred, and the actions that were taken, during the last Presidential election and will restore confidence in our public institutions."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-gives-ag-barr-authority-to-declassify-documents-related-to-2016-campaign-surveillance
Dumbocrats are crapping their pants..
All of their crimes are going to be exposed for all to see...
This is going to be a FUN TIME for me.. :D
Colorado Dem accused of providing alcohol to underage aide, comparing her to Monica Lewinsky: reports
The young woman told authorities that she and other interns would consume wine while making calls to potential campaign donors. In her case, the drinking would sometimes lead to sex with Galindo, the Tribune reported, citing the police report.
Another aide to Galindo was also accused of providing alcohol to underage interns, the newspaper reported.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-dem-provided-booze-to-underage-aide-compared-her-to-monica-lewinsky-reports
Democrats... :eyeroll:
Trump impeachment debate 'torturing' Democrats, Matt Gaetz tells Sean Hannity
Democrats are "tortured" by the issue of whether to impeach President Trump, one Republican congressman said Thursday in reaction to news that Trump has given Attorney General William Barr the authority to declassify documents regarding the origins of the Russia investigation.
"It's really strange to hear the speaker of the House question the president's mental state. What I see is the question of impeachment is torturing the Democratic Party," U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida said on Fox News' "Hannity."
"If the president needs an intervention I think Nancy Pelosi and the rest of her caucus need to go on 'Dr. Phil' and talk about their feelings and figure out how to deal with this question."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-gaetz-impeachment-torturing-democratic-party
It's really simple... If President Trump is the threat to this country that Dumbocrats claim he is, then Dumbocrats have a DUTY to impeach...
But Dumbocrats WON'T impeach because they know they have nothing to impeach over and they know that they will get KILLED in the PR war...
So, like the Party slaves they are, Dumbocrats put Party before Country..
Hell, even PAULA agrees with me.. :D
Hispanics still thriving with the economic growth of Trump era
Democrats are desperately trying to downplay the booming economic success under President Trump. This includes arguing that the economy is not benefiting Hispanics, who will be the largest minority voting bloc in presidential election next year for the first time in American history.
Representative Joaquin Castro said last week, “Wall Street doing well does not mean that a vast majority of Latino families are doing well.” Moreover, Representative Donna Shalala said, “Everybody has to be lifted up, and the president is not lifting everybody up. He is forgetting about the working stiffs that need an increase.” She added, “He is not putting out a message that resonates to people in my community because they know they are not better off.” Representative Raul Ruiz claimed that the constituents in his heavily Hispanic district “are getting by” but “not getting ahead.”
As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts.” The fact is that Hispanics are flourishing in the Trump economy. Democrats asserting the contrary is a mere partisan talking point to try to deny Trump the Hispanic support he has earned and which may decide the presidential election outcome next year. Expect Democrats to increase their identity politics attacks in an effort to skew Latinos against Republicans over the next year and a half.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/445185-hispanics-still-thriving-with-the-economic-growth-of-trump-era
Ya'all just HAVE to know that Dumbocrats are in trouble when President Trump does more for minorities than Dumbocrats could EVER hope to...
:D
Democrats have positioned themselves well outside the mainstream on the abortion issue.
In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam expressed support for legislation that would allow babies who survived an abortion to be killed outside the womb.
“If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,” he specifically said.
Resuscitate the infant only 'if that’s what the mother and the family desired’?
That’s infanticide, pure and simple.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/22/democrats-show-their-extremism-abortion/
The Democrat Party = The Infanticide Party
#sad
When it comes to their make-believe ‘investigation’ of President Trump, the Democrats seem to be employing the same strategy being deployed by the Dems in the presidential race: run all the candidates! Investigate everyone Donald Trump ever spoke to!
Both are signs of desperation. And both will achieve the same end with respect to Donald Trump: nada, rien, nichts, zilch, nothing.
Appearances are not always deceiving, you see. The appearance of Democratic fatuousness and panicked desperation that you see across the fruited plain is not deceptive. You see it everywhere, in their public relations firms — The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC — as well as in the sudden chaos in the narrative emanating from the Democratic pols and, above all, in the hysterical accusations being traded among Deep State actors like John Brennan, the two Jameses — Comey and Clapper — Andrew McCabe, and others. As Victor Davis Hanson observed, the ‘higher loyalty’ crowd is now behaving like a bunch of school children caught in some naughtiness: ‘He did it, not me!’ It is sad, really. But one would have to be a more upright soul than I not to take some satisfaction in the spectacle. Which brings to mind another mot of Oscar Wilde: ‘One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing.’
https://spectator.us/hounding-hope-hicks-desperation/
The Democrat's comical pursuit of removing a freely, fairly and legally elected President just HAS to be embarrassing to free-thinking Americans here...
Continuing plunge of CNN, MSNBC ratings reveals that fake news is a bad business strategy
The catastrophic ratings decline for both CNN and MSNBC was no temporary blip following publication of the Mueller report. Both cable news outlets had heavily promoted the hoax of Russian collusion with the Trump administration, teasing the hopes of Trump-haters for impeachment and prosecution for treason. Now, those disappointed viewers have gone away, and continue to stay away.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/05/continuing_plunge_of_cnn_msnbc_ratings_reveals_that_fake_news_is_a_bad_business_strategy_.html#ixzz5opRXdfH6
Face reality.. Anyone and everyone who touted the Russia Collusion delusion has ZERO credibility...
I mean, look at all the FAKE NEWS that has permeated from the Leftist Media??
George Zimmerman: White Racist Killer
Hands Up, Don’t Shoot
Trump Can’t Win
Brett Kavanaugh: Serial Rapist
The KKKids from KKKovington High School
Trump Colluded with Russia
And of course who can forget how Lefties here and in the media sung the praises of Porn Skank Stormy Daniels, Child Rapist Julie Swetnick and Porn Lawyer Michael Avanetti...
I mean, honestly people..
Don't ya'all get TIRED of being wrong all the time???
It was interesting to watch both of those people. Adam Schiff is someone who claimed in the previous two years that he had evidence of treasonous collusion with Russia to steal the 2016 election which obviously is not true because we just finished the Mueller report and Mueller who had all the same capabilities and more than Adam Schiff did not find treasonous collusion.
You have Nancy Pelosi claiming that the obstruction is right in front of us and you can see it with your own eyes. And I think what they are really trying to say is we're very frustrated that Donald Trump is president and we really wish he were not the president and we really have an angry base who would very much like to see him go. That's fine. Impeachment is a political process. If they think they have a political case to make for removing him they should go forth with that. But, really this is a difficult situation for them because they have a base that got whipped up into a frenzy through false reports that they participated in and now they are wondering what happened. They put all their cards on this Mueller probe and came up with nothing and it's very difficult for them to deal with.
-Mollie Hemingway
And, apparently, it's very difficult from the people in here (NEN) to deal with as well.. :D
The Rise of Trump, the Fall of Prejudice? Tracking White Americans' Racial Attitudes 2008-2018 via a Panel Survey
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3378076
So, ANOTHER prediction of ya'all's, that Trump's election would foster and increase racial hatred and hatred against minorities, has been proven completely and utterly bullshit..
Again, I have to ask..
Don't ya'all get tired of being wrong?? :D
Com'on!!! Drop the Party slavery and Party bigotry.. Open your eyes to the FACTS and the REALITY of the here and now..
I promise you, you'll be a LOT happier if ya let go of all that Party-based hate...
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/cartoons/images/2019/05/17/kirk_walters_kirk_walters_for_05172019_5_.gif
Thar's a new sheriff in town... :D
Marc Thiessen: Americans don't want impeachment, but Democrats aren't listening
The American people are sending a pretty clear message to Washington: They are sick and tired of the investigations into President Trump and don't want Democrats in Congress to impeach him. But the Democrats aren't listening.
A Harvard-Harris poll finds that 65 percent of Americans say Congress should not begin impeachment proceedings against Trump. Sixty percent agree with Attorney General William Barr that "the facts and public actions of President Trump did not amount to obstruction of justice, especially since there was no underlying collusion." And 58 percent believe that "Given the Mueller report ... we should turn the page on investigations of President Trump."
To put that in perspective, Trump's job approval averages 42.9 percent. So there are millions of Americans who don't approve of Trump, but also don't approve of the Democrats' endless investigations.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/marc-thiessen-americans-impeachment
The facts are clear...
The majority of Americans DO NOT want these endless investigations of President Trump..
The majority of Americans DO NOT want President Trump impeached..
Move on, Democrats.. If not for the sake of your Party, do it for the sake of your Country..
Nancy has really got under the "extremely stable genius's" skin - she is playing him like a cheap fiddle. Very amusing.
Nancy's daughter said that this Nancy is ninja level at this sort of thing, that she could outmaneuver everybody. Looks like Nancy has another child to humiliate into learning decency.
Very amusing - the best bit was when Trump called her "crazy Nancy" then immediately apologized. She is whipping his "calm" ass up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.
He totally lost it in front of a delegation of farmers and ranchers yesterday, announcing nine times that he was "calm" and didn't throw a tantrum, then made his staff come out one-by-one to insist he was "completely calm". The farmers and ranchers were "bemused" by his behavior.
Now he is on a witch hunt for "spies who spied on him" and is ripping up legal restraints on the A.G. so he can "prove" there was "spying".
Very. Stable. Genius.
Very. Very. Funny. :)
The majority of Americans DO NOT want these endless investigations of President Trump..
Oh yes they do. They want to know if their President is a crook and what is going on with the Putin bend overs.
The 2018 election was a landslide because Americans wanted somebody to investigate Trump and his mob of crooks.
Trump has not completed a single deal. NAFTA is basically the same but with steel tariffs that are causing Ford and other large consumers of steel to lay people off and send jobs overseas where the cost of steel isn't taxed to the hilt.
He ripped up the Paris accord with nothing to replace it.
He ripped up the TPP and now we are cut out of the largest new free market created in the last 25 years.
He is fighting with the #1 market in the World and losing.
He is fighting with the #3 market in the World and not only losing, but accelerating the bankruptcies of American farmers.
He has ripped up a functioning nuclear deal with Iran and has prodded them to restart the centrifuges and unleash their terrorist proxies.
He can't even spend 5 minutes talking about an infrastructure deal without getting in a huff because somebody claimed he was conducting a "cover up".
Yet his minions claim he is playing 4D chess. You can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time, so long as those "people" are the extremely gullible ones.
Amusing analysis of Trump's "trade wars are easy to win" strategy:
Steps in Achieving a Great Victory
1. Place tariffs
2. Get a country to retaliate
3. Negotiate an end of both sets of tariffs
4. Declare victory
Thanks to Mike "Mish" Shedlock.
poet 22 [6]
All I have to go by are (hopefully) impartial evaluations (TIME mag, THE WEEK mag, and TV reports) of the situation in PR, and they comport much closer to my evaluation than to yours.
The island allowed their infrastructure to deteriorate for years, and everybody recognizes it but you.
Nancy has really got under the "extremely stable genius's" skin - she is playing him like a cheap fiddle. Very amusing.
Yea, whatever you have to tell yourself to make it thru your day..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeJJfkxhvvc
Pelosi is so brain-addled, she can't find her way out of a paper sack..
Nancy's daughter said that this Nancy is ninja level at this sort of thing, that she could outmaneuver everybody. Looks like Nancy has another child to humiliate into learning decency.
A ninja who can't speak coherently.. Yea, whatever you have to tell yerself. :D
Now he is on a witch hunt for "spies who spied on him" and is ripping up legal restraints on the A.G. so he can "prove" there was "spying".
There was spying. This is fact...
And unlike ya'all's Russia Collusion delusion, there are FACTS to support the spying claims..
Once again, I have to ask why ya'all are so intent on embarrassing yerselves again..
neilm
You missed the most telling step of all. Following "Place tariffs", should be 'Claim China is remitting $billions into the U.S. treasury to pay the tariffs."
The dumb bastard thinks tariffs are paid by the exporters, when everybody knows they are paid by the importers. He demonstrated his ignorance way back, when he declared on TV that "Trade wars are easy to win". It never occurred to him that his 'weapons' for winning trade wars were available to the other sid also.
The island allowed their infrastructure to deteriorate for years, and everybody recognizes it but you.
PR was in a financial crisis well before the hurricane. Their bonds were getting towards junk status and they were on the brink of asking for a bail out from Congress when the major credit agencies downgraded the bonds in 2014. It is usually an expectation that if you are propping up public spending with low grade bonds, there isn't much in the way of extra money to put into infrastructure maintenance or updating out-of-date equipment.
On the other side of the equation, the Jones Act is a huge import tax on Puerto Rica which is a massive headwind for their economy.
I'm fine with disaster funding going to PR in this bill, but excepting them permanently from the Jones Act (a protectionist law from 1920 for Pete's sake) would do more long term good.
Oh yes they do.
Not according to the polls you revere and swear by..
They want to know if their President is a crook and what is going on with the Putin bend overs.
That question has been answered.. You lost..
He ripped up the Paris accord with nothing to replace it.
Good.. It was useless and nothing but a UN-inspired transfer of wealth..
Smart move, President Trump..
He ripped up the TPP and now we are cut out of the largest new free market created in the last 25 years.
And we are completely free of all the rules and regulations that favor everyone BUT the US..
Again, smart move by President Trump..
Yet his minions claim he is playing 4D chess. You can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time, so long as those "people" are the extremely gullible ones.
Says the guy that bought into the Russia Collusion delusion hook line and sinker..
Again.. I have to ask..
Don't you get tired of LOSING??
CRS [35] - good catch.
Steps in Achieving a Great Victory
1. Place tariffs
2. Claim China is remitting $billions into the U.S. treasury to pay the tariffs
3. Get a country to retaliate
4. Negotiate an end of both sets of tariffs
5. Declare victory
Thanks to Mike "Mish" Shedlock and C.R. Stucki.
The 2018 election was a landslide because Americans wanted somebody to investigate Trump and his mob of crooks.
BBBWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The Dumbocrats gained the LEAST amount of seats in the House than they gained under Odumbo and Clinton..
And the GOP GAINED seats in the Senate..
Landslide??
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Like I said, ya'all live in your own little delusional world..
Says the guy that bought into the Russia Collusion delusion hook line and sinker.
No, I said all along that:
1. No Russian espionage agent would be stupid enough to involve Trump or his dumb family in any conspiracy - and I was proven right.
2. The Russians interfered with the 2016 election - and I was proven right.
3. Trump's real problem is money laundering and that Deutsche Bank were involved - and I'm being proven right.
I also have said all along that the real problem 45 has is the money trail. Russian money laundering activities are all over 45's business dealings. He might not have broken any laws, but given the scope and flexibility of AML (Anti Money Laundering) laws, he has good reason to get concerned when he hears that Mueller is collecting records from Deutsche Bank and Cyprus based entities.
Source: http://www.chrisweigant.com/2017/12/29/my-2017-mclaughlin-awards-part-2/#comment-113069
PR was in a financial crisis well before the hurricane.
Exactly..
On the other side of the equation, the Jones Act is a huge import tax on Puerto Rica which is a massive headwind for their economy.
Not if they actually ran their economy right...
No, I said all along that:
And you also said just the opposite.
I recall one comment where you said some author had "proven" the case for Russia collusion..
In other words, you hedged yer bet and spoke out both sides of your ass so you could crow how prescient you were...
he has good reason to get concerned when he hears that Mueller is collecting records from Deutsche Bank and Cyprus based entities.
And yet President Trump didn't have a THING to worry about..
You were wrong.. AGAIN...
:D
[11] Michale
"Not factually accurate.."
We KNOW YOU AREN'T Michale, quit stating the obvious!
"FL recovery from Hurricanes is the finest in the nation... Compare FL recovery to PR's non-recovery and to NOLA's tortured recovery.."
Bullshit. I double dare you to come to the panhandle and see for yourself!
"FL had (and has) a GOP government who knows how to take care of business and get things done.."
REALLY??? Talk to the STILL angry people stretching from Panama City to Marianna who STILL have not received recovery help from the hurricane YET.
"PR and NOLA have Democrat-ish and Democrat governments and all they can do is frak things up and blame others for their own mistakes..."
Sounds like you are talking about Republicans to me!
“did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”
-Mueller Report
For years, ya'all lied and accused President Trump of something it's been PROVEN he did not do...
We KNOW YOU AREN'T Michale, quit stating the obvious!
Doubling down on the 3rd grade rebuttals..
You claim to have some sort of fancy degree??
Wouldn't know by your comments here.. :D
Bullshit. I double dare you to come to the panhandle and see for yourself!
Yea, the Democrat areas of FL are shitholes.. But overall, it's a great state..
Sounds like you are talking about Republicans to me!
Of course.. It would to ANY Party slave...
Bullshit. I double dare you to come to the panhandle and see for yourself!
'Sides.. If Dumbocrats had WORKED with President Trump instead of attacking him without facts, your Democrat areas would have HAD their funding..
But Noooooo You think it's a smarter strategy to bite the hand yer begging money from..
"Good call!!!"
Jim Carrey, LIAR LIAR
Trump is running really scared at the moment and Nancy is making him look like a buffoon in front of his own people and family (an "intervention" har har).
It is a shame for America that the President is a clown, but since I have on blame for him being in office, at least I get to laugh at him and help to vote him off the island at the first chance.
As he gets closer to the end of his four year circus act, we should expect the finale to be even more outrageous than anything we have seen before - making a fool of himself is all Trump has, so he will go all out for the curtain call.
I only hope nobody get's harmed, apart from what is left of the Trumpistas self respect of course :)
neilm
I'm curious what relation 'money laundering' could have to Trump?
As I understand the concept, somebody (presumably crook type) figures out a way to make money by illegal means (pedaling drugs, accepting bribes, etc.). He then cycles the money thru foreign banks, shell corporations, or some such, who then transfer the money back to the crook thru legal channels, causing it to appear to be 'clean'money, right?
But my understanding of Trump is that he rarely to never has actually MADE any money, legal or otherwise, so where would money have ever come from that needed to BE 'laundered'?
He has talked countless people, investors and banks into loaning him huge amounts of $ in (futile) hopes of making a profit, but that kind of $ doesn't NEED to be 'laundered because it never was illegal in the first place, right?
What am I missing?
So.... Since ya'all are SOOOOOO good at predictions..
What's yer predictions for the investigations into Odumbo and the Dumbocrats spying..
Don't tell me, let me guess..
"The investigations will come to nothing because EVERYONE knows that the Dumbocrats are as pure as the driven snow..."
Gods, I got ya'all pegged...
Now, let's get to some REAL predictions from REAL people, not Party caricatures.....
JL.... CRS.... What's ya'all's predictions for the DOJ investigations, the Horowitz Investigation and all the other investigations of Obama's and the Democrat's actions...
Anyone wanna go on the record? :D
Trump is running really scared at the moment and Nancy is making him look like a buffoon in front of his own people and family (an "intervention" har har).
Like I said.. Your own delusional little world.. :D
As he gets closer to the end of his four year circus act, we should expect the finale to be even more outrageous than anything we have seen before - making a fool of himself is all Trump has, so he will go all out for the curtain call.
“did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”
-Mueller Report
Yea.. Cuz yer predictions are sooo credible.. :D
heh
I only hope nobody get's harmed, apart from what is left of the Trumpistas self respect of course :)
If that's a concern you should be advocating impeachment right now..
How come yer not??
Because you know it would go very very bad for the Dumbocrats...
What am I missing?
They fact that they will accuse Trump of ANYTHING... Even if it contradicts all the other stuff they accuse Trump of...
It's called delusion..
It's clear that Pelosi and the Dumbocrats' goal is to remove a freely, fairly and legally elected President Of The United States..
Given this fact, do ya'all REALLY find it strange that President Trump refuses to co-operate??
And, remember what I said before..
Russia Collusion is the **ONLY** legitimate reason to remove President Trump..
Since President Trump has been totally, completely and unequivocally exonerated on that, there is absolutely NO CAUSE for removal..
Democrats continue down this path towards a coup at their own peril.. President Trump enjoys 98% approval amongst Law Enforcement and the Military..
Democrats try a coup, they will be in for a world of hurt..
Hi CRS:
There are a couple of deals that Trump was involved in that are decidedly "interesting" from an AML perspective.
First is Trump Soho - the dirty fingers and cast of characters involved (including Felix Sater and Tevfik Arif who ran the Bayrock Group) are a whole litany of material ripe for investigation.
The second is a $100M sale of a scantily improved property Trump bought for $41M four years earlier. The Russian, Dmitry Rybolovlev, is of interest for a range of reasons. This sale came just as Trump was in the middle of yet another bankruptcy and no regular lenders would work with him.
You also really want to look into the cosy relationship Trump had with DB - that is a whole story in its own right.
Planet Money had a good podcast into the DB/Trump activities they put out this week:
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/22/725893104/episode-914-trump-and-deutsche-a-long-affair
Michale
Sorry, I don't even know what the "Horowitz" thing is.
Sorry, I don't even know what the "Horowitz" thing is.
Michael Horowitz is the Inspector General of the DOJ.. He is investigating the infamous dossier and it's use as justification in FISA warrants..
It's a pretty neat racket that Obama and the Dumbocrats had..
Hillary commissioned the dossier from a foreigner..(Collusion!!???) The guy, a scumbag named Steele used his Russia contacts (MORE COLLUSION!!!) to obtain stuff on Trump that was outlandish and total bullshit.. Hillary gave that report to Odumbo and his minions in the FBI... The FBI leaked the report to Buzzfeed (or Daily Beast.. One of those rags) and to WaPoop.. These useful fools promptly reported on the bullshit as if it were facts and then the FBI took the dossier AND the news reports that "confirmed" the dossier to the FISA courts to obtain warrants to spy on the Trump campaign..
You see, they figured that once they had the warrants, the would find out all sorts of stuff on Trump.. Stuff so horrendous that no one would care it all started fraudulently and illegally...
This was their "insurance policy" to prevent Trump from being elected and, if that failed, to illegally remove Trump from office..
This is what Horowitz is investigating and his report should be released any day now..
Couple that report with the Mueller Report and Dumbocrats are going to be grounded into dust.. :D
And THAT will tide everyone over until the DOJ Special Prosecutor (Dunhill??) starts indicting Democrats left and right.. :D
It's going to be a fun rest of 2019... :D
Sorry, I don't even know what the "Horowitz" thing is.
Don't get sucked into the right wing conspiracy machine CRS :)
It'll be Q-Anon, Rocket Pizza and all those other whacky claims.
Hillary commissioned the dossier from a foreigner.
No she didn't - it was the Republican "Washington Free Beacon" looking for dirt on Trump that started the Steele investigation.
Michale only gets the right wing version of any story - you have to look for independent sources for the whole truth (and sometimes to identify the lies he either deliberately or, most likely, unwittingly, spouts) if you are going to discuss these things with him.
Remember, Michale fell for Trump's con and still believes in him, despite Trump being caught lying over 10,000 times since Jan 2017.
Planet Money had a good podcast into the DB/Trump activities they put out this week:
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/22/725893104/episode-914-trump-and-deutsche-a-long-affair
NPR... 'nuff said..
You also really want to look into the cosy relationship Trump had with DB - that is a whole story in its own right.
Yea.. Just like Hillary's relationship with the Russians and their uranium is a "whole story, right??
:eyeroll:
Yea.. Just like Hillary's relationship with the Russians and their uranium is a "whole story, right??
The whole story is that there is no story.
You have to distinguish between reality and nonsense Michale. There are whole organizations dedicated to making that task harder for us, but there are some key principals you can adhere to if you want to have integrity in your approach to these issues.
Blacklisting NPR, the Washington Post, etc. is throwing out well researched journalism. Doing so and subscribing to a well documented biased source is just reading what makes you happy.
We've been through this several times. Your motivations are more concerned with you "winning" and the left "losing" than adhering to integrity, because winning and losing silly flame wars is more important to you. You know that is why you continually spam a left wing blogger's comment section with cut and paste stuff nobody reads.
Every baseless claim you make about me being "party before everything" is really just a reflection of your worldview.
Every time you invent some position I am meant to have held (e.g. I thought the Russians and Trump actively conspired to commit illegal acts) are required by you to win some point in your head, because you know that since early 2017 I've been saying that the Russians are too smart to trust Trump with anything they wanted kept clandestine.
That doesn't mean that the Russians didn't engage in clandestine activities, it is clear from the Mueller Report and many, many other sources that they did. However you can't admit that because, like Trump, you think it would mean that Trump only won because of Russian interference - something I think is a distinct possibility, given the small numbers he won by in some key states.
The whole story is that there is no story.
Thank you for proving my point..
If it's a Democrat involved in shady shit, it's "no story"...
:eyeroll:
You have to distinguish between reality and nonsense Michale.
Oh I do.. Your bullshit is nonsense.. Like the Russia Collusion delusion.. FACTS prove it was nonsense..
Reality PROVE it was nonsense..
So, whatever ya'all spew?? That's nonsense..
See!?? It's easy to distinguish.. :D
neilm
Re: ". . . there are some key 'principals' you can adhere to . . ."
Reminds me of the grade-schooler who said he didn't actually dislike school, it was just the principal of the thing!
House Judiciary Chairman Nadler Falls Ill at Mayor de Blasio Event in Manhattan
When Mayor de Blasio asks Nadler if he is OK, Nadler can be heard responding with a faint "no" before putting his hand over his face
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Nadler-Congressman-Appears-to-Almost-Pass-Out-at-de-Blasio-Presser--510382851.html
See!? Nadler's own bullshit even makes NADLER pass out...
Nadler wasn't sounding well on the Rachel show last night. I hope that he's Okay.
Nadler wasn't sounding well on the Rachel show last night. I hope that he's Okay.
Hay.. You spew enough lies and bullshit, it catches up to ya... Karma slaps ya down..
TX Repub Congressman STOPS the relief bill in the House coz it doesn't have $ for the stupid wall.
House was set to move it through quickly - now have to come back after Holiday Recess and go through additional steps.
So they sat down with Democrats from both the Senate and the House and hammered out a "clean" disaster relief bill. "Clean," in this instance, means "with no money for Trump's frivolous border wall."
Railing against the "swamp," Roy objected to speeding the measure through a nearly-empty chamber, complained it wasn't paid for and challenged a decision not to include President Trump's $4.5 billion request for dealing with the migrant crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lone-gop-rep-blocks-disaster-aid-bill-in-surprise-move
"Just a fly in the ointment, Hans.. A monkey with a wrench.."
-John McClane, DIE HARD
Once again, if Dumbocrats would work WITH President Trump instead of trying to kill his Presidency with lies and bullshit...
These things wouldn't happen..
TX Repub Congressman STOPS the relief bill in the House coz it doesn't have $ for the stupid wall.
Yep...
Dumbocrats frak things up again...
Give the money for the damn wall...
Nadler wasn't sounding well on the Rachel show last night. I hope that he's Okay.
If there is a god, Nadler has a scorching case of herpes... :D
What was it you said, Russ?? Democrats can talk about issues without personal attacks???
Sanders rips Biden for swanky fundraisers, accuses him of courting elite
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sanders-biden-fundraisers
And so the Democrat v Democrat, Blue v Blue mud-slinging begins.. :D
Pelosi has Alzheimers and speaks gibberish..
Nadler passes out and soils himself..
Karma is NOT being kind to Democrats, eh? :D
Michale [71]
What name calling was mentioned in the article? Do you even read these articles or do you just read the headlines in your rush to post such crap? Sanders camp said that Biden was holding big money fundraisers... WOW! That was an awful attack!!
This just further illustrates how not being allowed to disagree with grand leader destroys your ability to think rationally.
What name calling was mentioned in the article? Do you even read these articles or do you just read the headlines in your rush to post such crap? Sanders camp said that Biden was holding big money fundraisers... WOW! That was an awful attack!!
yes it was... Sanders accused Biden of being beholden to big money interests..
A textbook personal attack..
Seriously, Russ...
Do you HONESTLY believe that Dumbocrats aren't going to sling mud in the Primary??
I mean, I know yer dense, but.. jeezus...
Thank gods that we've got you to chronicle it all.
Michale fell hook, line, and sinker for the fake Nancy video.
To be expected, he fell hook, line, and sinker for a fake President.
It is also funny to see the gullible right get all excited over a fake Nancy video, yet they don't know about, or have forgotten, the "oranges" episode from their "stable genius" :)
Another amusing observation:
Trump, who boasted about how he'd run into a school unarmed to confront an active shooter, only managed to last three minutes with Nancy before running away and complaining she wasn't being fair to him.
http://fortune.com/2018/02/26/trump-stoneman-shooter/
I'd take this:
That's great, Paula. I've gotta see that.
Michale fell hook, line, and sinker for the fake Nancy video.
Yeah, I noticed that!
Balthy,
Thank gods that we've got you to chronicle it all.
Just as ya'all chronicle every imagined misstep of President Trump..
A man ya'all SWORE would never be President.. :D
Michale fell hook, line, and sinker for the fake Nancy video.
Except that it wasn't a fake Nancy video.. It WAS Pelosi..
Further, the video I posted has NOTHING to do with the video that President Trump posted..
Once again, yer fact-less.. As in not a single fact you have to be found...
"Just go the fuck away. Just go away and leave us alone. Don’t tweet, don’t talk, don’t appear on TV. Go away. Get out of here and we won't put you in jail. In fact, we got you your own island, and it's great. And everybody chipped in—Canada, Mexico, the EU—everybody chipped in and it's great. You're gonna love it, Donald. It's beautiful. You can do whatever you want there—have Diet Coke and McDonald's, and fuck other men's wives. And we're gonna pay robots to tell you how awesome you are 24 hours a day. And everything's gold! Gold chairs and gold towels and golden showers, you're gonna love it! Just go. Get the fuck away from us. Take your shitty fucking criminal family with you and get the fuck out. Leave us alone, and let America become a decent place again."
Ya'all COULD have accomplished that at the ballot box..
But that wasn't good enough for ya'all.. Ya'all had to lie and bullshit and try to engineer a coup...
And, ya'all FAILED...
Which is a good thing... I hate to think of all the death and destruction if ya'all succeeded...
it's always the tendency to exaggerate the positives or negatives of the current president when compared to a more remote past. plus, many of the policies a president pursues don't really see their full impact until at least ten years after the fact. therefore i've learned to be more cautious about making comparisons. hell, maybe against all odds it will end up working to our country's benefit.
still, i'm hopeful that things aren't as bad as they currently appear. based on my read of the mueller report redacted, it seems like the president tried and failed to collude with russia, tried and failed to obstruct justice to prevent anyone thinking he'd colluded with russia (even though he hadn't!), and was accidentally saved from betraying the country by underlings who generally refused to follow his cockamamie orders, for their own selfish reasons.
donald may not be a great president, but he certainly has been a great president for comedians.
JL
it's always the tendency to exaggerate the positives or negatives of the current president when compared to a more remote past.
Granted..
hell, maybe against all odds it will end up working to our country's benefit.
It certainly has in the short term...
it seems like the president tried and failed to collude with russia,
Could you quote the part of the Mueller report that leads you to this conclusion??
Because, based on my own reading, it appears that there were minions under the President, far down the food chain, who might have showed some desire to get dirt on Hillary via Russian sources..
That is not at all illegal, doesn't really amount to "collusion" and all of it was done without the direction or knowledge of then-Candidate Trump..
donald may not be a great president, but he certainly has been a great president for comedians.
As was Obama if more Right Wing candidates existed..
I mean, seriously.. Those dumbo-ears alone would be a comic's dream if said comic wasn't joined at the hip to the Demcorat Propaganda machine..
The full measure of Saint Ronald Reagan's greatness wasn't measured til long after he left office.
President Trump will likely follow the same pattern..
Don't get sucked into the right wing conspiracy machine CRS :)
Do you have any FACTS to dispute my claims in comment #56??
No?? Of course you don't.. You never do..
That's why I always win.. :D