The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns. - Page 2832 - Politics and Economics

Re: Paul Ryan possibly retiring

Kinda makes sense if he's not interested in power anymore. He's already achieving his kegger dream of curb stomping the dirty poors. What's left to do? Babysit the psychos in his caucus?

By passing the tax bill, I'm sure one of the mega donors will happily oblige him with a lucrative and low-stress job.

Yea, I was about to say this. I think you'll see a bunch of them step down in the next year or so. They'll just bleat on about being deeply concerned with Trump and then after the Dems win the 2018 mid terms, they step down and let him be a lame duck. They never gave a **** about the country. It was always about shifting money and power to their bosses.

12-14-2017 , 06:21 PM

#70777

simplicitus

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Quote:

Originally Posted by DVaut1

They could at least approach it agnostically. They don't need to call them trashy. Obviously us internet posters here can fire away.

But what reporters do wrong is take and repeat at face value the whole judges-and-abortion spiel and all the other accompanying pretense. It's unnecessary political cover. The effects are pernicious. The fair, actual story is that white people have en masse joined a highly reactionary political movement and the religious components are extent and surely 'important' to recognize but fundamentally driven by political behaviors and motivations. Too often the story gets told that religious motivations are underlying right-wing reactionary behaviors, but it gets it completely backwards.

It's ultimately servile to perpetuating white supremacy. The preponderance of right-wing bad faith arguments are the result of 50 years of this. We can't have an honest conversation about what's really motivating people because of the political cover granted by the elite consensus on how to talk about this.

I want to get around to reading this book by a philosopher and law prof at the U Chicago. Why Tolerate Religion? by Brian Leiter https://www.amazon.com/Why-Tolerate-.../dp/0691153612

The bolded strikes as an important point.

12-14-2017 , 06:41 PM

#70778

Paul McSwizzle

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5,531

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVaut1

They could at least approach it agnostically. They don't need to call them trashy. Obviously us internet posters here can fire away.

But what reporters do wrong is take and repeat at face value the whole judges-and-abortion spiel and all the other accompanying pretense. It's unnecessary political cover. The effects are pernicious. The fair, actual story is that white people have en masse joined a highly reactionary political movement and the religious components are extent and surely 'important' to recognize but fundamentally driven by political behaviors and motivations. Too often the story gets told that religious motivations are underlying right-wing reactionary behaviors, but it gets it completely backwards.

It's ultimately servile to perpetuating white supremacy. The preponderance of right-wing bad faith arguments are the result of 50 years of this. We can't have an honest conversation about what's really motivating people because of the political cover granted by the elite consensus on how to talk about this.

Great post.

Last edited by Paul McSwizzle; 12-14-2017 at 06:56 PM.

12-14-2017 , 07:03 PM

#70779

simplicitus

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Actually, the most important point is that evangelical/fundamentalist Christianity is a political movement in religious garb. The other important point is that the media/elites/the courts are not allowed to say this.

For example, excessive abortion restrictions should be barred by the Establishment Clause, but you will not find court opinions acknowledging this.

12-14-2017 , 07:57 PM

#70780

m_reed05

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Quote:

Originally Posted by markksman

Nope.

The post story today about trump and Russia was linked above and is extremly good. It is pretty long but worth the read. Has lots of insights on the complicated issues of Russia / Putin / Trump / Rest of Administrstion / Congress / NATO / Germany and more.

Part where McMaster has to physically cblock Miller from having access to Trump before a speech because they are fighting over article 5 being talked about is amazing.

Directly on the Russia stuff though it gets into it in depth, what Trump wants, what Putin wants, what the various administration factions want. Trump loves Putin and dreams so much to be like him so he has to be friends with him.

I don’t think they indicated the administration had any plans to enact the sanctions as required.

Oh yeah and Trump loved the Russian compounds we took away from them so much he thought we should sell them and keep the money because they were valuable. Of course people in administrstion have to fight to the nub to keep Trump and Tillerson from just giving them back despite a lot of alleged evidence they were massively successful spy factories.

Nikki Haley was asked about the implementation of Russia sanctions, or lack thereof, and said something like 'the state department has assured me they've been implemented so I don't know what you're talking about.' Everyone just thinks they can make up their own facts now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Namath12

Is there any hope of unseating Jim Jordan in 2018? That guy is the goddamn nut low

I'm very close to his district. I was actually in it in the past before the gerrymandering changed. There is no chance. It is trumpkin hell scape.

12-14-2017 , 08:12 PM

#70781

ScreaminAsian

For President

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12-14-2017 , 08:16 PM

#70782

ScreaminAsian

For President

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12-14-2017 , 08:24 PM

#70783

goofyballer

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Quote:

Originally Posted by m_reed05

I'm very close to his district. I was actually in it in the past before the gerrymandering changed. There is no chance. It is trumpkin hell scape.

Heh, Swing Left is an organization targeting ~70 swing districts to try to flip in 2018 (only need 24 for the House?). After Doug Jones' win on Tuesday they just added 5 more, in MI/VA/NJ.

None of their targeted districts are in Ohio.

12-14-2017 , 08:25 PM

#70784

Matty Lice

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreaminAsian

WTF is this?

12-14-2017 , 08:27 PM

#70785

ScreaminAsian

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trump loves cutting ribbons. he's been doing it for years and it's probably his favorite thing about business

12-14-2017 , 08:48 PM

#70786

synth_floyd

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I don't know why but the airhorn never gets old.

12-14-2017 , 08:57 PM

#70787

ScreaminAsian

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DOJ fuels doubts about integrity of Mueller probe

On Air Force One last Friday, freshman Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said he warned Trump that Mueller’s team was “infected with bias” against the president and the country was at risk of a “coup d’etat” because of the investigation. A Wall Street Journal editorial published last week suggested it was time for Mueller to “step down in favor of someone more credible.”

yeah they're biased towards justice and biased against fascist criminal traitors, lock them up

12-14-2017 , 08:57 PM

#70788

Matty Lice

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No mean the ribbon is like the least ridiculous thing in that picture. Why are there stacks of paper 6' high? Did they bring it out on a pallet or something? Are they blank pages?

12-14-2017 , 09:01 PM

#70789

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matty Lice

No mean the ribbon is like the least ridiculous thing in that picture. Why are there stacks of paper 6' high? Did they bring it out on a pallet or something? Are they blank pages?

of course they're blank. it was a staged photo op with a small pile of papers labelled "1960" and a gigantic pile of papers labelled "today", and a big red ribbon leading up, and trump gets in there and slices the ribbon! bye bye regulations! probably nothing useful in there!

12-14-2017 , 09:03 PM

#70790

Matty Lice

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Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 3,438

LOL he's such a ****ing loon.

Congrats Awval and Rara for being so simple this guy stimulates your amygdala.

Maybe next time confetti and balloons will fall from the ceiling.

12-14-2017 , 09:18 PM

#70791

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

12-14-2017 , 09:22 PM

#70792

OneEyedPoker

grinder

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Nice, Mueller bringing everyone involved down

12-14-2017 , 09:28 PM

#70793

m_reed05

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Jeffrey Toobin just mopped the floor with Dershowitz, wrt the texts by Strok. Dershowitz might as well be a co-host on Hannity at this point.

12-14-2017 , 09:35 PM

#70794

AllTheCheese

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Quote:

Originally Posted by synth_floyd

I don't know why but the airhorn never gets old.

This.

12-14-2017 , 09:36 PM

#70795

uDevil

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They can give Trump a pair of scissors, but they can't make him run.

12-14-2017 , 09:38 PM

#70796

Namath12

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Quote:

Originally Posted by m_reed05

Jeffrey Toobin just mopped the floor with Dershowitz, wrt the texts by Strok. Dershowitz might as well be a co-host on Hannity at this point.

Dammit I missed this

12-14-2017 , 09:42 PM

#70797

JoltinJake

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EMAILS
M
A
I
L
S

12-14-2017 , 10:02 PM

#70798

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoltinJake

EMAILS
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Music promoter dangled possible Putin meeting for Trump during campaign

“Maybe he would welcome a meeting with President Putin,” Goldstone wrote in a July 24, 2015, email to Trump’s longtime personal assistant, Rhona Graff.

12-14-2017 , 10:03 PM

#70799

simplicitus

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Pretty sure Mueller's FBI guys are good with computer forensics. They should definitely be pulling hard drives. I want to see the emails with Mercers.