Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Dontrike]

Personally it comes down to their personalities and while Bush did some stupid things thanks to the Wyrmtongues behind his shoulder I can actually say that Bush is an actual person. He actually cared about what he was doing, even if it was misguided and many died. The man isn't as dumb as people tend to believe and he's kind of a neat person after being president.

Trump on the other hand is like aliens created a robot with an algorithm based solely off of bad Hollywood action/political movies, surrounded by skin that looks like a melted wax figure of what a good looking "person" should look like. The man has no tact, wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, or leading skills. He's not battling the status quo, he's just tossing shit wherever he can and hopefully people find him amazing for his "values".

I'll hate Bush the president all day, but Bush the person is just a normal guy. Problem with Trump is that I hate him both as the president and as a person, and that's the real issue. If the person sucks then them as a president will only suck that much harder.

[Noxx79]

In case anyone was wondering.

Source: Cohen was provided inside information about House Intel probe

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/15dbec8...-provided.html


CNN)An attorney for President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen was provided secret information about House Intelligence Committee testimony from another committee witness, a sign of the growing discord engulfing the Russia investigation, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. In December, an attorney for David Kramer -- an associate to Sen. John McCain who had met with former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele -- sent a letter to the House Intelligence Committee accusing the committee's Republicans of leaking information about Kramer's December testimony to the attorney of another witness.

Where’s trumps complaint about illegal leakers? I won’t be holding my breath.

[Mormolyce]

I can't really argue against Bush on that. As terrible as his two terms were, they weren't as bad as Trump's first year and how the second year is shaping up so far.

Bush's idiocy looks adorable in retrospect.

I guess we never could've imagined they'd find someone every bit as stupid, but somehow as despicable and repulsive as he is stupid to boot.

I can't imagine what horrific mutant they're going to put up next time.

[Kiri]

I mean, Bush got a huge number of people killed for no reason other than greed, but Trump may end up doing more damage in the long run. Hard to say at this point.

To be fair - there was a big element of chance involved in the getting people killed part. Do you really want to imagine what path Trump could lead us down if he was faced with something similar in scope and effect to 9/11?

[mvaliz]

I mean, Bush got a huge number of people killed for no reason other than greed, but Trump may end up doing more damage in the long run. Hard to say at this point.

Due consider the fact that you're comparing Bush Jr's full 8 year tenure to Dumbass Donnie Dump's 1.5 years.

The mere fact we're already comparing only a few degrees difference in disaster levels at this point should be a sign itself.

[Dontrike]

To be fair - there was a big element of chance involved in the getting people killed part. Do you really want to imagine what path Trump could lead us down if he was faced with something similar in scope and effect to 9/11?

I dare to think of such a thing, not like Trump hasn't tried to bring something like 9/11 to fruition, what with trying to cause nuclear war over fucking Twitter.

[Flarelaine]

Bush was an idiot, but at least he knew he was an idiot and was ok with that.

More importantly, he is a fundamentally good-natured guy. He just allowed too many neocons into positions of power.

[Felya]

More importantly, he is a fundamentally good-natured guy. He just allowed too many neocons into positions of power.

Plus he had no twitter. I think that White Castle movie, pretty much covered what most felt about Bush. A good guy, that is fun to hang out with, but always checking his back for the shadow of Dick Chainey.

[Breccia]

So as Texas, waiting for election results, holds its breath so long it turns blue, we see Ted Cruz going up against his Democratic opponent as if he's actually at risk of losing. FOr example, he released an ad "jingle" attacking his opponent's name directly.

Robert O'Rourke goes by the nickname Beto. Cruz's campaign bought and paid for an advertisement that says "Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin."

See, here's the thing:

*cough*

Ted Cruz's first name is actually Rafael. That's right: his name is Rafael Edward Cruz. Bet you didn't know that?

Once again: the GOP is campaigning on unadulterated hypocrisy. Especially the unadulterated hypocrisy about adultery.

[Dug]

So as Texas, waiting for election results, holds its breath so long it turns blue, we see Ted Cruz going up against his Democratic opponent as if he's actually at risk of losing. FOr example, he released an ad "jingle" attacking his opponent's name directly.

Robert O'Rourke goes by the nickname Beto. Cruz's campaign bought and paid for an advertisement that says "Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin."

See, here's the thing:

*cough*

Ted Cruz's first name is actually Rafael. That's right: his name is Rafael Edward Cruz. Bet you didn't know that?

Once again: the GOP is campaigning on unadulterated hypocrisy. Especially the unadulterated hypocrisy about adultery.

It's pretty damn weird. O'Rourke is a white dude with a spanish nick name and ole boy Teddy Cuck dropped the Rafael to appear more.. white? I don't really get it but either way its going to work wonderfully with all the self hating Mexicans and White voters in this state.

[Antiganon]

Bush Jr. was a politician with policies I didn't like, who made some mistakes, but his efforts were always aimed at what he (more likely his advisers) thought was best for America. As a person, he conducts himself in a way that begets respect.

Trump is a failed businessman playing politics with policies I don't like, who made many mistakes, possibly colluded with an adversarial foreign power to get elected in the first place, and his efforts are aimed at destroying Obama's legacy, pissing off liberals, and enriching himself, while pretending to be Making America Great Again. As a person, he conducts himself worse than my two year old son when he is overdue for his nap.

Give me Bush Jr. any day of the week.

[Breccia]

This is a topic I've touched on a lot recently.

Exxon CEO struggles to reverse Tillerson's legacy of failed bets

Exxon Mobil Corp’s (XOM.N) $200 million write-down last month on abandoned ventures in Russia - once its next big frontier - points to challenges facing Chief Executive Darren Woods in his second year leading the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer.

Some of the biggest bets taken by his predecessor Rex Tillerson, now the U.S. secretary of state, have resulted in billions of dollars in write-downs amid falling production and a stock price that has long lagged peers.

That leaves Woods facing the prospect of slow growth and billions of dollars in new spending that could weigh on results for years. In 2018, the company plans capital spending of about $24 billion - up about a quarter since 2016 - suggesting return on capital will get worse before it gets better as the firm waits for a payoff from new exploration under Woods.

Rivals including Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and Chevron (CVX.N), by contrast, have capped or cut their spending after finishing expansion projects. Exxon shares are down 18 percent since Woods took over in January 2017. Shell is up 2 percent and Chevron is down about 3 percent during the same period.

Woods is feeling the heat from investors who could have made more if they held shares in Exxon’s rivals, as well as activist investors who want to see the company take renewable energy more seriously. Analysts are pushing for more transparency on operations, and some have called for Woods to sell assets.

Exxon declined to comment. A State Department spokesperson said Tillerson would have no comment on Exxon matters and referred questions to the company.

Exxon is set to host its annual analyst meeting in New York on Wednesday.

Exxon's attempt to profit from having Tillerson in the Trump's administration has backfired spectacularly. Their stock started rising in early November 2016 -- gee I wonder why -- from a value of 83.57 to a maximum of 95.12 the next month. Then, it was all downhill for a while. Bottoming out in August, Exxon reversed the fall for a while...but with their public loss of $200 million because Tillerson couldn't end the sanctions, they are now lower than they've been since 2015.

Oh, and the steel market's about to drive it down further. If it hasn't already.

Next time you put an industry plant inside the administration, make sure it's a competent administration. Exxon is leaking money like the Keystone Pipeline.

"Wait, do you mean the Keystone Pipeline is leaking oil, or money?"

Both.

- - - Updated - - -

John Kelly just fired a bunch of people in the White House for failing their security clearance.

"Who?"

Not said yet, probably no-names. But the move shows the WH is, finally, 13 months later, finally starting to comply with the law. After being publicly shamed, of course.

- - - Updated - - -

Under Trump's "America First and Only America First" policies, the trade gap is now the biggest since 2008.

That's right: under Trump, the trade gap is wider than it was for Obama ever ever.

For someone who claims to hate trade deficits, Trump sure seems to like trade deficits.

"Won't the steel tariffs help?"

First of all, not if they're deemed illegal by the WTO, causing us to get fined. Again.

Second of all, not if they cause retaliation tariffs, which basically all of our allies have said they would.

Third of all, Trump's pretty keen on selling things made in other countries. I doubt he's made regulations or policy that affect his brand.

[Edge-]

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-env...t-class-travel

So Republicans are apparently A-OK with wasting taxpayer money for Pruitt to fly first class. This administration is going to absolutely murder any hope they have of being taken seriously as fiscal conservatives.

[Felya]

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-env...t-class-travel

So Republicans are apparently A-OK with wasting taxpayer money for Pruitt to fly first class. This administration is going to absolutely murder any hope they have of being taken seriously as fiscal conservatives.

The seriousness with which this administration is considered fiscally conservative, will depend on how loudly they will claim to be so.

[Edge-]

Sounds like Betsy Devos took a trip to Stoneman Douglas Highschool today. It didn't go well.

https://www.thecut.com/2018/03/stone...vos-visit.html

She lied about members of the student press touring the school with her (they met her briefly and that's it). She barely spent any time there. She held a less than 10 minute press conference where she answered roughly 5 questions before having her aide pull her aside. She pet a dog! And she pissed off the kids there who were not at all happy.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...sit/403901002/

And then Dwayne fucking Wade showed up to meet with the kids and talk with them. While the excitement is obviously impacted due to his celebrity status, it seems like he actually sat down for a discussion with some of the kids and wanted to make his trip there more meaningful than just a photo op like Trump and Devos.

[Breccia]

Trump Spoke to Witnesses About Matters They Discussed With Special Counsel

Covered in another thread, but still highly noteworthy breaking news.

Generally speaking, I've found that people who tell the truth, don't need to keep their story straight.

- - - Updated - - -

Sounds like Betsy Devos took a trip to Stoneman Douglas Highschool today.

Remember, kids, DeVos was for arming teachers before the school shootings even happened on her watch. She was worried about being attacked by motherfucking bears.

[MAGAmobile]

So... remember when some kids decided to sue the Trump administration for its negligence in dealing with climate change? The Trump Administration tried to get it dismissed... and got their plea denied instead. Winning. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-env...limate-lawsuit

A federal appeals court Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of kids who want to force the government to do more to fight climate change.

The San Francisco-based Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that it would be premature to dismiss the case based on how burdensome the Trump administration believes the process of searching for documents and questioning people will be, a process called discovery.

“The defendants’ argument fails because the district court has not issued a single discovery order, nor have the plaintiffs filed a single motion seeking to compel discovery. Rather, the parties have employed the usual meet-and-confer process of resolving discovery disputes,” the three-judge panel wrote in their Wednesday decision.

“The defendants rely on informal communications as to the scope of discovery — in particular, the plaintiffs’ litigation hold and demand letter — but the plaintiffs have clarified that these communications were not discovery requests.”

Filed in 2015 in Oregon federal court by 21 youths and an environmental group against numerous federal agencies, the lawsuit argues that since the federal government knows reasonably well about the consequences of climate change, it has a constitutional duty to take stronger actions to protect the children's futures.

Federal attorneys have argued that the lawsuit’s basis is too speculative and broad, and that the courts shouldn’t let it move forward.

The Oregon court has rejected bids by the government to dismiss the case or to restrict the discovery process, leading the Trump administration to appeal to the 9th Circuit for a “writ of mandamus,” a rare action in which the court could potentially order the lower court to dismiss the case.

“Absent any discovery order, the mandamus petition is premature insofar as it is premised on a fear of burdensome discovery,” the appeals court judges said.

Such pleas are subject to a five-part test, including an examination of other avenues available and whether a party would be injured beyond correction, all of which the court said the government failed to demonstrate.

The lower court in Oregon can now continue considering the case and any discovery requests.

Alex Kozinski was one of the judges who originally heard the 9th Circuit argument in December. He retired shortly afterward over allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, but Judge Michelle Friedland took over his spot in the climate case.

Highlighted the important bit.

[Thekri]

Remember, kids, DeVos was for arming teachers before the school shootings even happened on her watch. She was worried about being attacked by motherfucking bears.

Well, to be fair, she has so far prevented mass bear attacks on schools. So the system is working. Shame about the humans doing it though.

[Breccia]

( if you go by 538 polling)

Speaking of:

Four Reasons That Gary Cohn’s White House Resignation Is Different

I'll jump to the reasons:

1) Trump seems to be serious about tariffs

Unlike, say, gun control. Apparently the choke chain the NRA has him on isn't made of steel.

2) Trump is breaking with GOP orthodoxy in a big way

Not the first, but the biggest.

3) Trump has dumped one of the “adults in the room”

Voices of opposition against the insanity are growing fewer and fewer.

4) People with good jobs are leaving the White House, suggesting deep staff dissatisfaction

As a rule, someone who leaves a high-level well-paying job with killer perks, with no prospects ahead, are pretty eager to get out.

- - - Updated - - -

As posted before, Kushner is visiting Mexico.

He didn't bring the ambassador to Mexico.

Christopher Sabatini, a lecturer on international relations at Columbia University, told the Times that Kushner’s meeting was “not the way foreign policy normally is, or should be, conducted.”

“The sending of the president’s son-in-law — someone with no experience in Mexican-U.S. relations — is another example of the de-professionalization and personalization of diplomacy that will hurt U.S. interests and leverage in the region,” he told the Times.

[PACOX]

Today's Summary:

Trump thinks (or wants you to think) people are lining up to fill his vacant positions.

Trump is still trying to obstruct justice, the thing that helped spawned the special council in the first place.

Trump is not only trying to beat Nixon's record, he is attempting to beat Clinton's as well!