The Trump Presidency

[Bloodshot Scott]

Supreme Court picks.

The impact the Supreme Court plays in America is evident to all of us. I hope Trump appoints at least two more.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Some of those motherfuckers are older than the Crypt Keeper. Two...at least two. I'm hoping..

 

[Mayhem]

The impact the Supreme Court plays in America is evident to all of us. I hope Trump appoints at least two more.

You've expressed this view a few times now Scott and I'd like a direct answer to this: What is it that YOU are so personally invested in that you keep bringing up SC judges? And I'm not asking about guvmint in general. You seem focused on the Supreme Court in particular and so that, in particular is what I'm asking.

 

[Mayhem]

Trump told slain soldier's widow that he "knew what he was getting into," Congresswoman says

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-...-what-he-was-getting-into-congresswoman-says/

President Trump told the widow of one of the soldiers killed in Niger that he "knew what he was getting into," said U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Miami), who said she was in the car during the phone call.

Myeshia Johnson was on her way to the airport to greet the remains of her husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, when she received the call from the commander-in-chief, CBS Miami reports.

"David was a young man from our community who gave his life for our country," Wilson told CBS Miami. "He's a hero. I was in the car when President Trump called. He never said the word hero. He said to the wife, 'Well, I guess he knew what he was getting into.' How insensitive can you be?"

A White House official did not dispute Wilson's characterization of the phone call. The White House official told CBS News Mr. Trump's conversations with "the families of American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are private."

After a service member is killed, the Defense Department speaks to the designated next of kin, and transmits the information to the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Defense passes it to the White House Military Office, who also must confirm it. The twice-vetted information then goes to the president and his senior staff.

In this case, the White House Military Office provided the vetted information on Thursday, Oct. 12th. Letters were drafted over the weekend and the calls from Mr. Trump to a designated family member happened on Tuesday.

CBS Miami reports that after it reached out to Wilson a second time, she repeated that the president told Myeshia that her husband knew what he was signing up for when he enlisted, adding "it still hurts." Wilson said Myeshia was livid and "cried forever" after Trump's call.

Johnson was killed Oct. 4th with three other soldiers in Niger. U.S. officials said they believe extremists linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were responsible for the attack.

The U.S. and Niger forces in a joint patrol were leaving a meeting with tribal leaders and were in trucks. They were ambushed by 40-50 militants in vehicles and on motorcycles.

After being asked if he called the families of the slain soldiers, Mr. Trump suggested his predecessors did not call the families of dead soldiers. After backlash from officials from the Obama and Bush administrations, Mr. Trump suggested former President Obama did not call White House chief of staff John Kelly, whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. While a White House official said Tuesday that Mr. Obama did not call Kelly, White House records show that Kelly and his wife attended a closed-door breakfast with Mr. Obama and First Lady for Gold Star families, CBS News' Margaret Brennan reported Tuesday.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

You've expressed this view a few times now Scott and I'd like a direct answer to this: What is it that YOU are so personally invested in that you keep bringing up SC judges? And I'm not asking about guvmint in general. You seem focused on the Supreme Court in particular and so that, in particular is what I'm asking.

The Bill of Rights and a whole bunch of social and cultural shit.

Checks and balances and all that.

Let me ask you, why is it that liberals are the only ones who like to downplay the importance of the Supreme Court? And if it isn't that important, why all the fuss about following protocol and not confirming Garland? If it isn't that important, or important at all, why did liberals throw a conniption about not confirming Garland?

 

[Mayhem]

Let me ask you, why is it that liberals are the only ones who like to downplay the importance of the Supreme Court?

Dude, I'm trying to be civil, but you making shit up out of thin air is getting old. From which deep recesses of your ass do you get comments like that? Do I need to mention that it's always, ALWAYS the Right/FOX/Breitbart crowd losing their shit over "activist judges".

The Bill of Rights and a whole bunch of social and cultural shit.

Checks and balances and all that.

That's it? That's the best you can do? You won't shut up about the SC any other day but you give a watered-down, dickless response like that?
The Bill of Rights and Checks and Balances are right where they've always been. And if anything, your Dear Leader is doing more to undermine these institutions than any other President.

Since I feel forced to repeat, I shall:

Now thanx to both, communism this, socialism that, fascism, constitutionality, Bill of Rights, blah blah blah.....all from people who haven't the foggiest clue what any of the above actually are.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Dude, I'm trying to be civil, but you making shit up out of thin air is getting old. From which deep recesses of your ass do you get comments like that? Do I need to mention that it's always, ALWAYS the Right/FOX/Breitbart crowd losing their shit over "activist judges".

That's it? That's the best you can do? You won't shut up about the SC any other day but you give a watered-down, dickless response like that?
The Bill of Rights and Checks and Balances are right where they've always been. And if anything, your Dear Leader is doing more to undermine these institutions than any other President.

Since I feel forced to repeat, I shall:

You keep calling Trump my "Dear Leader" as if you think I'm some kind of fanboy, you ignorant fucker.


Yeah, I like that all the right people hate him, that definitely puts a smile on my face, but I'm not a fanboy of his. Get your head out of your ass.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

We are losing our shit over activist judges because they're a REAL PROBLEM, you deliberately obtuse smarmy fucking piece of shit.

 

[Jagger69]

I'm fairly in agreement with where the Political Compass put him:

He isn't defined so much by right or left so much as extreme authoritarianism and whatever economic whim, rightwing or leftwing, will enrich him in the moment (which to be fair, is inherently rightwing). The dude wants to be a dictator. I doubt he'd quibble much over whether it's a fascist or communist dictatorship.


To what end?

This. Trump, despite the bombastic rhetoric, has no moral compass (at least not one that I can identify). He worships at the altar of his own self-gratification, self-glorification and the acquisition of wealth and power. In many ways, he is not at all dissimilar to his pal Putin since neither of them ascribe to a particular political agenda other than ego, wealth and power.

Trump appeals to the basest of desires of the average American in the most general and rudimentary forms ("Really great health care"). Truth is, Trump doesn't give a flying fuck what kind of health care the average American has as long as it's HIS health care and not Obama's. Ditto with everything else along the line that he has either dismantled or attempted to dismantle since he became president. The constitution, congress and the media present only a pesky nuisance to him as he would surely love to simply rule by decree rather than be forced to follow the tedious decorum of the democratic process. Why else would he be seen smiling gleefully for the camera every time he pens his name to one of his beloved executive orders?

I still find it incredible that the American electorate fell for the line of bullshit this tinman was slinging when he was elected last November. My God, how weak and indelibly flawed an opponent was Hillary Clinton?? :dunno: :eek:

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Trump told slain soldier's widow that he "knew what he was getting into," Congresswoman says

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-...-what-he-was-getting-into-congresswoman-says/

https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...widow-he-knew-what-he-signed-up-for/23247330/

 

[Rattrap]

No. I am speaking strictly in colloquial terms, not scientific ones. In today's America the words "left" and "right" are tossed about with little regard to their true implications and that's what I am guilty of doing here. Honestly, I didn't think it necessary to qualify any of this on a forum of this type.

I don't think your average Joe sits and thinks a whole lot about political philosophy to be honest. All he knows is he ain't happy with what's going on and the guy on TV is talking sense and he likes it. It might be Trump or Sanders and, despite the obvious differences in philosophy (in all candor, I think Trump's only philosophy is to self-aggrandizement and money but that's another thread), the distinction is irrelevant to him.

I don't know I'd call political theory a science. Do a Google image search of "political compass" and you'll find hundreds of variants (including triangles). I think it's important to have some frame of reference for a productive discussion, as a 1D spectrum is shit. And yeah, Joe Schmoe on the street isn't thinking about this at all. Joe Schmoe isn't spending time in a political forum either.

Joe Schmoe may not know anything about the political compass or what right and left really represent, and he may or may not like gays or brown people or guns and may or may not get fired up over these topics, and he may not know that rightwing economics are responsible for his dire economic conditions, but he does know at some level both parties are to blame (which fits, seeing as both parties ascribe to neoliberalism).

Well, he was rejected as a nominee is what I meant. The contrast between democrat and republican thereby being that Bernie was not accepted to be the standard-bearer for the dems whereas Trump was for the GOP. Hey, I voted for Sanders in the Texas dem primary so I am by no means trying to marginalize him. I wish he HAD been the nominee....perhaps he would have won. How different would things be now had that taken place??? :dunno: :dunno:

This is purely an arbitrary and subjective distinction on my part more than anything. I feel like O'Malley was rejected - Sanders just lost.

The impact the Supreme Court plays in America is evident to all of us. I hope Trump appoints at least two more.

The Bill of Rights and a whole bunch of social and cultural shit.

Checks and balances and all that.

This wasn't really an answer. Can you, say, give examples of previous cases that you felt the previous court got wrong? Or got right on the narrow 5:4? I can certainly give examples where the previous court (with the conservative majority) unequivacally shat on our constitutional rights (Florence v. Burlington is the most obvious one I caught - what do you think of that?).

Please, be specific.

Let me ask you, why is it that liberals are the only ones who like to downplay the importance of the Supreme Court? And if it isn't that important, why all the fuss about following protocol and not confirming Garland? If it isn't that important, or important at all, why did liberals throw a conniption about not confirming Garland?

I literally have not heard this from any 'liberal' I know.

I still find it incredible that the American electorate fell for the line of bullshit this tinman was slinging when he was elected last November. My God, how weak and indelibly flawed an opponent was Hillary Clinton?? :dunno: :eek:

An analogy: Reports from Puerto Rico say people are drinking water from Superfund sites. They probably are well aware of its toxicity, but desperate times call for desperate measures - and neoliberalism has left many people really desperate.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...widow-he-knew-what-he-signed-up-for/23247330/

Given Trump's unprecedented (even for a politician) history of lying, he basically loses any he-said-she-said by default. That said, I don't really care about any individual "outrage moment" from our president. It was and is abundantly clear that he's a piece of shit human being, and whether he is telling the truth in this particular case or not doesn't move the needle in any signifcant way.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

This wasn't really an answer. Can you, say, give examples of previous cases that you felt the previous court got wrong? Or got right on the narrow 5:4? I can certainly give examples where the previous court (with the conservative majority) unequivacally shat on our constitutional rights (Florence v. Burlington is the most obvious one I caught - what do you think of that?). .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/supreme-court-lets-health-law-largely-stand.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_v._University_of_Texas_(2013)

 

[Supafly]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/us/supreme-court-lets-health-law-largely-stand.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_v._University_of_Texas_(2013)

Smells like you don't know shit and could not elaborate, so you made a quick google search and copy/pasted some shit you found.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Smells like you don't know shit and could not elaborate, so you made a quick google search and copy/pasted some shit you found.

Yeah. I don't know shit. Yep, you're right, that's it. With all due respect, mind your own fucked up country.

 

[xfire]

mind your own fucked up country.

Using that phrase initiates you into the Domain of the Dumb.

 

[Jagger69]

I don't know I'd call political theory a science.

Well, it sure was when I went to college! :1orglaugh

Do a Google image search of "political compass" and you'll find hundreds of variants (including triangles). I think it's important to have some frame of reference for a productive discussion, as a 1D spectrum is shit. And yeah, Joe Schmoe on the street isn't thinking about this at all. Joe Schmoe isn't spending time in a political forum either.

Yes, I've seen a number of them through the years. I think the terms "left" or "right" can mean different things to different degrees to different individuals in different regions of the country. It's a case where perception truly can represent reality whether it coincides with the points on the axes or not. I get a serious dose of this phenomenon living in Texas on a regular basis.

This is purely an arbitrary and subjective distinction on my part more than anything. I feel like O'Malley was rejected - Sanders just lost.

OK. Regardless, by whatever cause or reason, the fact that Sanders was not chosen as the democratic nominee is indisputable and that was really my original point.

 

[Mayhem]

You keep calling Trump my "Dear Leader" as if you think I'm some kind of fanboy, you ignorant fucker.


Yeah, I like that all the right people hate him, that definitely puts a smile on my face, but I'm not a fanboy of his. Get your head out of your ass.

You brought up "divisiveness" a day or two ago. This post, right here is every response to every comment you ever make about divisiveness and who is responsible for it. :nono:

And as you know, I use the term "Dear Leader" because it fits like a glove. Whether I'm talking to you or anyone else, this unhinged megalomaniac is from the exact same mold that N. Korean leaders slither out of. You seem to take it personally. Good thing you pointed out your not a fanboy.

 

[Mayhem]

 

[cornytone]

I get the impression that this Niger business, is some sort of Partsianship tit for tat for Bengahzi. As if politicans can't resist but calculate building narratives of incompetence by their opponenets over an unfortunate military engagement, in time for elections, when they are out of power. Disgusting. I disagreed when Republicans politizied the Bengazhi raids. Just as I disagree with what Democrats are doing now. And this was not the first instance. I remember in the early weeks of the Trump Administration, there was botched raid in Yemen. Bystanders were killed and a US Seal was killed. Pundits were all over it.

 

[xfire]

I get the impression that this Niger business, is some sort of Partsianship tit for tat for Bengahzi..

Try again after there's been eight congressional investigations.