The 2008 global meltdown may have had quite a bit to do with poorer Americans mortgage-defaulting due to medical costs. It's not so often the heart op where you're suddenly told the anaesthetist was 'off-network' so you're stuck for $100,000 your insurance won't cover, it's more usually if you need regular medication (for a 'pre-existing condition') and the monthly bill can be just crushing. It bugs me as I have family over there and they're fine while they're young and shiny-new and nothing-gone-wrong-yet, but...

and the land of the free

but when we say 'the mother of all parliaments' ...

Outgoing head of the Office of Government Ethics says U.S. is "pretty close to a laughingstock"

At this point Trump being a corrupt swamp-enabler is old news and boring but stuff like this will never stop being funny:

Shaub sounds like a decent guy though. Regarding the new task he's taking on, of recommending new ethics laws, lest people think he's partisan:

Susan Rice delays testifying to the House:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/34...se-delayed-cnn

There are reports she still may meet with the Senate Intelligence committee.

We still know the only crime committed so far was Flynn's leaked name after being unmasked. I look forward to what Susan Rice has to say on the matter.

Scandal plagued obama administration is distracting from the winning happening on repealing Obamacare tonight!

Another independent party combing through bureaucrat records? How many "special prosecutors" do we need to pay for???

"Mr. Shaub recommended giving the ethics office limited power to subpoena records, as well as authority to negotiate prohibitions on presidential conflicts of interest; mandating that presidential candidates release tax returns; and revising financial disclosure rules. But he acknowledged that some of these proposals would be difficult to pass in Congress."

"Other changes would increase the agency’s enforcement abilities and autonomy. Mr. Shaub said he did not believe the office should be allowed to conduct extensive investigations, but advocated granting it limited subpoena authority so it could make sure ethics questions were answered."

As if the special counsel doesn't get politicized enough.

If Congress wants to do something about the behavior of the President, they have all the power they need. Expanding this type of agency would be RIPE for abuse.

"His suggestion that Congress create new conflict of interest standards for the president, and require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns to the Federal Election Commission and have them posted by the Office of Government Ethics, may be more difficult to enact."

Of course he would want this. All I have to say is - too ****ing bad. I wonder if he ever asked the Clinton Foundation to open their books. He probably enjoys breathing a little too much to ask that one. (His term started in 2013, Hillary left State in 2009 - the point remains however).

"“I don’t like the fair-weather friends who are supportive of the ethics program only as a political tool against this present administration,” Mr. Shaub said. “My goal from the start has been to advance the ethics program, not a political goal.”

He would say this. I don't know if I necessarily agree though that we need to find watchers to watch watchers to watch watchers. We elected Obama, we elected Trump. There is a process for undoing that. Hiring lawyers to "show me the person and I'll find you the crime" is an embarrassment to our government.

Dershowitz on the politicalization of "Corruption":

OPINION | Dershowitz: Ruling shows I'm right on Trump and corruption

"The recent reversal of Sheldon Silver’s corruption conviction by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit confirms the point I’ve been making for months about President Trump: his actions, as controversial as they may be, do not fit the definition of “corruption,” as that vague word is used in federal statutes."

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blo...right-on-trump

Shaub is an American Hero

An open legislative process sounds like a step in the right direction.

https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/statu...08026246803456

You have a low bar for heroism.

Republicans: great at winning elections post-2010, horrendous at actually doing anything after they do.

It's been 179 days, and:
- no wall
- no jailed Hillary
- no defeat of ISIS
- no religious freedom
- no healthcare bill
- no movement on abortion and SSM
- no manufacturing or coal mining industry improvement
- rising national debt
- lousy job numbers
- 80% disapproval internationally
- 58% disapproval in the US
- zero respect from other world leaders

Making American Great Again? If this is what the above qualifies as, I'd hate to see when he starts doing badly.

I agree. If it doesn't repeal Obamacare and doesn't lower cost, it should not be passed. These RINOs are **** ups (not Jeff). They had years to prepare to get rid of this stupid legislation.

.

Look at their impotence. Dang.

You support trump you don't get to judge low bars.

I started to reply, but your post is so misguided that refuting you point by point would be a waste of my time.

Still a no then. I mean, you were actually able to copy a tweet off of Twitter. Progress!

Did you have an aneurysm? Does somebody need to go check on you?

ouch

Not sure how you'd refute established facts. I was also generous on the 80% figure, which is probably more like 85 or 90% disapproval in a number of European countries.

I'm just going to give you two, I'm not going to bother with the rest.

1) Wall funding is currently in the house budget.
2) Progress is being made on ISIS, including the recent victory in Mosul - http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/17/politi...ght/index.html
Remind me how that Gitmo closure went again?

You have no facts, just opinions. Worthless ones at that.

As for Europe, they should worry more about what we think of them. Not the other way around. The way Merkel is screwing things up, we might have to rescue Europe from Germany a third time.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...34287350439936

Let's start killing people to get the process moving. Dems will join in then!

Trump's own words, not some liberal media spin, were that the wall would be built "immediately" and be paid for "by Mexico". His base fully bought into this and insisted it was a lock to happen, and you know it. Meanwhile, six months later, they haven't even taken the first step on it, 2/3 of the people in this country hate the idea, Mexico isn't paying, and the $1.5 billion you reference isn't even 10% of what it would cost.

Trump's own words, not some liberal media spin, were that ISIS would be defeated within "30 days" and completely "wiped out". His base fully bought into this and insisted it was a lock to happen, and you know it. Meanwhile, six months later, no such thing has occurred.

Obama isn't in office anymore, so discussing him and GITMO is irrelevant.