Democrats in general are different, in that they'll criticize their own President. If Trump was a D, or if the Ds put up a Trump-like buffoon, the outrage would be loud and clear from both sides of the aisle.

Hell, Obama crushed McCain like Trump only dreams of, Dems gained 21 seats in the House and 8 in the Senate to lock up all 3 branches in 2008 and it was still like pulling teeth to get the ACA passed because there were Democrats not toeing the party line.

The best opposition the Republicans have given Trump has been some mild lip service and then voting for what he wants most of the time. Pretending the two parties are the same is absurd.

Fox News spent like two years with nightly Benghazasms about the crooked and ultra liberal IRS. Yet the returns haven't leaked. Weird.

In other news, apparently job numbers aren't fake anymore?

Yeah if a R had be in office prior to a D taking office, Fox news would have said it was because of the office prior. Now though it is all President Trump. Nothing to do with the economy already plugging along prior to him.

Here's the problem with it, and I'll allow that right now it's in the best interest of the Republic for Trump to be impeached and to some degree the media coverage helping that by any factually-correct means necessary is good.

BUT, the type of coverage he's pointing to is a big part of what got us into this mess. If you'll allow me some leeway - most people don't read the NYT or Washington Post, hell any newspaper. Maybe their local Sunday paper, but probably just the front page and sports section.

So, most coverage comes from TV. Everyone left and center agrees Fox News is right-wing. Everyone right and center agrees MSNBC is left-wing. Some on their respective sides are self-aware of this, too. CNN is blasted as left-wing and fake news, but neither is what it really is... It's over-sensationalized and over-dramatized. Everything is BREAKING NEWS!!!! Wolf Blitzer is always fired up, the next hurricane is potentially the BIGGEST and WORST. The talking heads shout each other down constantly. Things are HARROWING and SHOCKING and COMING UP NEXT! SOMETHING HUGE IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS AND SCARY AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!

That's not how the news media idealistically works. When something huge and scary is happening, you tell me right away as rationally as possible. You don't make me sit through a commercial break about gold, Cialis, and Wednesday's special debate. Sure, you have to tease what's next, but there are responsible ways to do this (MSNBC and especially Chris Hayes are very good at making the viewer curious, not scared).

All that said, when CNN reports facts, they're accurate to the best of their ability - in my opinion they are very credible on facts... But, you have to sift through the sensationalizing and shouting matches. Much of America just sees that all as one, big, phony package. Perhaps cause they can't process the nuance, perhaps because they don't care to. Thus, trust in our news media is eroding.

I imagine there is a link between trust in CNN and the NYT or Washington Post, because a lot of people simply see the media as the media... A big cabal bent on shaping the narrative together, but that's not at all what it's like.

So the more anyone in the news media sensationalizes, the more trust erodes, and when trust erodes, it's easy for people to stay in their bubble and pull the lever for a guy like Trump because they don't believe the FACTS that the sensationalized/dramatized media is telling them.

One thing that could change to prevent this in the future is a more responsible, calm TV news media. Obviously that's difficult to achieve in a profit and ratings-driven model, but the more they sensationalize this, they'll lose people on the backend when it turns out to be a loose (but still there) connection that was mostly about stuffing money into pockets and less about blatantly obvious and dangerous treason.

(I think even a loose connection for profit is awful, dangerous, and a threat to our Republic, but I'm analyzing this from the perspective of the moderate/right-leaning, average-intelligence American who doesn't pay as much attention to politics in between elections.)


Does he know he only needs 50 votes, there are over 50 Republicans, and five of them are already jumping ship (four of those in red states)? Or is his goal just to paint this as Democrats' fault when it fails to pass?

I would snap vote SMAUG. I might even put a SMAUG sign in my yard and I never ever do crap like that. I for one am flat out sick of these Dwarvish refugees spreading disease and bringing in terrorism and Dwarvish Law and bearded females. Just look at the state the Iron Hills are in. You want Erebor to wind up like the Iron Hills? You want your grandkids living under Dwarvish Law? I sure as **** don't. But these Dwarves, they'll make this place just like the horrible Iron Hills. Sad. SMAUG would keep the dwarves out til we could figure out what the hell is going on. Then you have those poors down in Lake Town constantly trying to sneak over the border and steal our delving and mining jobs and treasure. They're bringing crime, they're bringing rape, they're bringing floating barrels of wine. None, I assume, are good people. And don't even get me started on those sneaky, untrustworthy Wood Elves. How many jobs have been shipped to Mirkwood in the past 50 years? All of them? Almost all of them for sure. I can't buy a tie or a shirt at Macy's without seeing that goddamn "Made in Mirkwood" label. Horrible trade deals. SMAUG would never have signed such deals but he's sure as hell renegotiate them. He'd make Rhovanion great again. He'd build a tall, strong gate in front of the Lonely Mountain and he'd make those 3rd world beggars in Lake Town pay for it. We need a strong leader who will drain the River Running. SMAUG is that leader. IMHO.

Putin releasing Trump's taxes would be the greatest Alpha troll move of all time.

Namath:

+1

A+

Nerds.

+1

SMAUG

You guys want to talk about Whataboutism? I emailed Little Marco Rubio about a month ago. I don't remember what this particular email was about because I've emailed him probably 10 times. I'm guessing I complained about someone he confirmed in Trump's cabinet. Anyway, he basically whines that Obama did the same thing.

Dear Mr. Williams,

Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts regarding President Donald Trump’s appointments. Understanding your views helps me better represent Florida in the United States Senate, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states the president “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States[.]” Like President Obama and other U.S. presidents, President Trump will carry out this responsibility throughout his time in office. He will fill thousands of positions in the federal government, and some of these nominations will require confirmation by the Senate.

In November 2013, Democrats controlled the Senate, and they chose to change the Senate’s longstanding rules so that they could confirm most of President Obama’s nominees with only 51 votes. Before Democrats changed the rules, 60 votes were required to confirm a presidential nominee. Now, President Trump’s nominees must meet a lower threshold for confirmation, just as President Obama’s nominees have since Democrats changed the rules in November 2013.

I take the Senate’s “advice and consent” duty very seriously, and I will ask serious questions of President Trump’s nominees no matter who they are. I also believe it is important for nominees to demonstrate a servant’s heart and a willingness to put the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people’s best interests before his or her own personal preferences. The American people should have confidence in those who are appointed to govern, and you can rest assured that my staff and I will thoroughly vet each nominee the Senate considers.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve you as your United States Senator. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I consider these issues and continue working to ensure America remains a safe and prosperous nation.

Sincerely,

Marco Rubio
United States Senator

this, lost it at "bringing floating barrels of wine"

This.

The Intercept looks into the aftermath of Trump's Yemen raid, on the ground in Yemen

They hate us for our freedoms

Lol Namath in da house.

So on right wing radio today they are going all in for getting rid of the CIA, and reforming all U.S. intelligence agencies under the guidance of the State Department. Yeah, the State Department currently controlled by Putin's Medal of Friendship winner Rex Tillerson, the one that has basically gone radio silent on the press and that seems to be just about as corrupt as it gets already.

They called the CIA "globalists" a bunch of times and said that Obama needs to be in prison. So it seems like they aren't letting of go of this whole "Obama wiretapped Trump" idea despite the complete 100% lack of evidence. The DOJ still hasn't responded to Comey's request for a denial of the allegations, so we have major parts of the DOJ (DOJ and FBI) currently at odds with each other. This is building up to a huge constitutional crisis, and then you have the Russia issue which the Republicans in Congress are stonewalling on. Our government is in crisis, guys.

This isn't just a fabrication of the far right. Mainstream personalities like Sean Hannity are pushing the idea hard as well:

https://twitter.com/seanhannity/stat...48903218442240

There is nothing, not a single thing, no matter how stupid, outrageous or lacking evidence that the right wing media wouldn't legitimize if their laser-pointer-chasing man-rat tweeted it.

Go ahead. Piss of the CIA. It would make my day.

The journalist who wrote the piece and traveled to the village was on NPR just now. Sad story.

Tragic and incredibly counterproductive unless the goal is perpetual war.

Sadly perpetual war is very good for business.

The idea of being a victim constantly even when you get to power is kind of a fascist thing, but it might be the central theme of Trumpism. It will be interesting if he continues to be the victim of Obama for the remainder of his Presidency, in his own mind and in the right wing media, in some form or another.

he will, it's an authoritarian thing. Putin does it with america. Trump will either be obama/hillary/spies. It's always gonna be somebody.