Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[cubby]

On the Stephan Hofeller documents. She didn't just release a couple of word files, she dumped the contents of an entire hard drive. 40GB of data that's been clones and achieved before the Boomers could try to do damage control.

I'm sure those docs will show exactly how horrible we already knew the GOP to be on voter disenfranchisement. We have another GOP member on record saying the goal of the GOP should be to prevent people from voting as much as possible (the link is in this thread somewhere back).

The problem is that this information will only confirm what the thinking population already knew, and the members of the GOP will continue to ignore reality.

We keep seeing information about how divided this country is right now, and it seems very, very bad. I'm sure it seemed bad, as well, back in the '60's-'70's during the Vietnam War. I wonder if it always seems this bad - or if the current times are truly horrible.

- - - Updated - - -

I'd be pretty pissed if my dad was a piece of shit who made a career out of disenfranchising voters, too.

Exactly. The guy's entire job was destroy democracy.

[Ripster42]

To me that says that there are still smart people at the DoD keeping Trump and his idiocy in check.

Weird, to me that says mike esper will resign in the coming days, weeks, or months ahead.

[Breccia]

This is actually the correct answer.

Well, I guess to be more specific, the part that was set on fire was a building and not soil, so, we should still take it personally.

[pathora44]

Late GOP strategist's daughter releases documents disputed in census lawsuit

The daughter of a late GOP strategist has begun releasing documents belonging to her father that were involved in the lawsuit over the White House's push to add a citizenship question to the U.S. census.

Stephanie Hofeller, the daughter of redistricting strategist Thomas Hofeller, started uploading the documents Sunday onto a website entitled The Hofeller Files. These documents have been cited as evidence of Thomas Hofeller’s role in the efforts to include the question and used to question the administration’s motives behind the citizenship question.

Stephanie Hofeller, who was estranged from her father, obtained the computer documents after his death in 2018, NPR reported. After receiving a court order, she provided them to Common Cause, the advocacy group that sued Republican state officials in an effort to change state district maps that her father drew, but not without first copying the documents.

“These are matters that concern the people and their franchise and their access to resources. This is, therefore, the property of the people," Stephanie Hofeller told NPR. "I won't be satisfied that we the people have found everything until we the people have had a look at it in its entirety."

Stephanie Hofeller, who identifies as an anarchist, told NPR that her father’s stated goal was to “create a system wherein the Republican nominee would win." The documents suggest her father completed a study in 2015 that determined adding the citizenship question to the census would benefit Republican and white populations and damage Democrat and Latino populations.

She announced her plans to release the documents that she had in a tweet a month ago.

• Once you give it up (Dad said of discovery) don't expect to get it back. Of course I made fucking copies before I FedEx'd #thehofellerfiles to Arnold Porter. Barring the unexpected (or a petulant malaise) my copies will be uploaded to https://t.co/IlH9zmepNq by Monday... — Stephanie Hofeller (@SHofeller) December 6, 2019

Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina and Thomas Hofeller’s former company Geographic Strategies have attempted to prevent the documents from being published, but some have already come to light through court filings and media reports, according to NPR.

-------------------

Those unexpected wrinkles and shots from out of nowhere...do tend to flip furniture.

(Insert Fry shocked meme)

No the immigrant status question for the census was to discourage Democratic and minority voters who would have known? Seriously good for Stephanie Hofeller being a real American and exposing her dead dad and the GOP of their illegal shit.

[cubby]

Weird, to me that says mike esper will resign in the coming days, weeks, or months ahead.

I've seen it both ways.

Seriously though, agreed - Esper is, in Cheeto's tiny little mind, already gone.

[Blur4stuff]

I know not all republicans would support war crimes, but unfortunately I've met more than a few Trump supporters that would be all too happy to see non-military targets blown to bits. I can't count how many times I've heard them wish that we would just nuke the entire middle east and turn it to glass.

[cubby]

I know not all republicans would support war crimes, but unfortunately I've met more than a few Trump supporters that would be all too happy to see non-military targets blown to bits. I can't count how many times I've heard them wish that we would just nuke the entire middle east and turn it to glass.

I understand that some of Trump's personal properties are on the target list for Iran. It would be very interesting to see how they hem and haw their way into justifying retaliation for attacks on essentially private property.

[Dontrike]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1...018084865?s=19

What a farce. I just can never grasp how authoratarian and how much we now have people who speak as Trump as some benevolent leader.

Can't speak much on Carter's handling of the Iran Hostage situation but calling other Presidents weak as Trump has done no wrong.

She somehow went from talking about Trump bombing things to talking about Jimmy Carter and mixed in Numerology, one of the biggest tools in the conspiracy theorists arsenal. That was so much insanity I think my cold just got worse from listening to it.

[Flarelaine]

To me that says that there are still smart people at the DoD keeping Trump and his idiocy in check.

Esper is not beholden to Trump. He was successful on his own. And having come from the corporate world, he knows that going back there once this gig is over will depend on his resume, not his sycophancy.

[Breccia]

In the ongoing bla bla bla NAFTA bla bla bla farmers, one of the oldest dairy companies in the US just declared bankruptcy.

"But not the largest!"

True, not the largest. They already filed. Last time, on BrecciaBallZ:

So, let's talk about American farmers.

Dean Foods, the largest dairy company in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy this week.

(Someone stammeringly calls something "impossible" even though they did basically the same shit last season)

The damage or possible loss of Dean Foods will hurt a lot of American dairy farmers. Apparently, smaller farms basically make exclusive contracts with who gets their stuff, and Dean Foods was huge and had a lot of it. This will leave the farmers whose contracts suddenly expire with an even harder time getting their product to market, in a situation where (again) Trump's tariffs have made it harder to sell.

(Someone screaming as rocks float up)

You'd think selling high-fat milk in schools would help, but, with Trump directly cutting school lunch programs and also SNAP benefits the effect is probably minimal or lost.

And, now, Dean has company.

Borden Dairy Co., one of America's oldest and largest dairy companies, on Monday became the second major milk producer to file for bankruptcy in the last two months.

Tumbling milk consumption combined with the rising price of milk have crippled the dairy industry with debt. Dean Foods, America's largest milk producer, filed for bankruptcy November 12.

Borden said it filed for bankruptcy because it cannot afford its debt load and its pension obligations. It has 3,300 employees, 22% of whom are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

The company said it also has been hurt by broader industry trends, including a 6% drop in overall US milk consumption since 2015. Borden noted that more than 2,700 family dairy farms went out of business last year, and 94,000 have stopped producing milk since 1992. With the wholesale cost of milk rising due to fewer suppliers and retail milk prices weaker due to lower consumption, the margins for milk processors like Borden have suffered, the company said in its filing.

"Despite our numerous achievements during the past 18 months, the company continues to be impacted by the rising cost of raw milk and market challenges facing the dairy industry," said CEO Tony Sarsam in a statement.

He said the company has discussed "a range of potential strategic plans" with its lenders. But it had been unable to reach an agreement with them as to what to do next.

Borden's filing only says it plans stay in business during the bankruptcy process, and does not spell out whether it intends to stay in business longer term or liquidate. But Borden said in a statement it intends to use the bankruptcy process to shed debt and position itself for "long-term success."

The company said it had net sales of $1.2 billion in 2018, but that resulted in a net loss of $14.6 million. From January 2019 through December 7, Borden reported a net loss of $42.4 million, according to its bankruptcy filing.

"But Breccia! Something something automation, something something unions, something something IMPOTUS excuse!"

Irrelevant. Trump made a big deal about helping farmers, most importantly in context, Trump aimed NAFTA 1.0.0.2 to the US dairy industry. And, big surprise, the industry he personally and directly tried to help is now overburdened by debt and collapsing. "They were going to fail anyhow" is not a valid excuse for Trump's words and actions failing to save the industry he said he would save. You can admit he did nothing, or you can admit his actions (trade war) made the situation worse. Pick one.

But now, both US small diary farms and larger dairy corporations are imploding under the weight of Trump's bigly fat ass waiting for the help they voted for which never arrived. When it comes to milk, Trump is...

(sunglasses)

...a cereal failure.

[Stormspark]

In the ongoing bla bla bla NAFTA bla bla bla farmers, one of the oldest dairy companies in the US just declared bankruptcy.

"But not the largest!"

True, not the largest. They already filed. Last time, on BrecciaBallZ:



And, now, Dean has company.



"But Breccia! Something something automation, something something unions, something something IMPOTUS excuse!"

Irrelevant. Trump made a big deal about helping farmers, most importantly in context, Trump aimed NAFTA 1.0.0.2 to the US dairy industry. And, big surprise, the industry he personally and directly tried to help is now overburdened by debt and collapsing. "They were going to fail anyhow" is not a valid excuse for Trump's words and actions failing to save the industry he said he would save. You can admit he did nothing, or you can admit his actions (trade war) made the situation worse. Pick one.

But now, both US small diary farms and larger dairy corporations are imploding under the weight of Trump's bigly fat ass waiting for the help they voted for which never arrived. When it comes to milk, Trump is...

(sunglasses)

...a cereal failure.

Hugely fat ass. The biglyest ass.

[D Luniz]

So much for the "local milk people"

[Cerilis]

I guess they got...

*puts on sunglasses*

...just milked for their money.

Am I doing this right?

[Paranoid Android]

Representative Paul Gosar shared a fake image from his Twitter account showing President Barack Obama shaking hands with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran. The 2 men have never met in person. https://t.co/eOHjI0Rf3o

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1...147670016?s=19

You know it is always difficult to name who is the biggest piece of crap in the GOP. They always try one-up each other.

So I could have shared the tweet {was up last night) but just linking article. I forgot what this ass did just a few weeks ago. I believe something with AOC?

[omerome]

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1...147670016?s=19

You know it is always difficult to name who is the biggest piece of crap in the GOP. They always try one-up each other.

So I could have shared the tweet {was up last night) but just linking article. I forgot what this ass did just a few weeks ago. I believe something with AOC?

I still love the political ad involving Gosar's siblings where they endorsed his opponent and not him.

[Martymark]

On the upside, I've found the Trump Presidency to be very entertaining, which I guess is what happens when an entertainer gets elected President.

[omerome]

On the upside, I've found the Trump Presidency to be very entertaining, which I guess is what happens when an entertainer gets elected President.

And this is a problem with politics today. It shouldn't be seen as entertainment. But a matter of life and death, because in many cases, it is.

[Belize]

On the upside, I've found the Trump Presidency to be very entertaining, which I guess is what happens when an entertainer gets elected President.

I mean, I guess if braindead reality TV is your thing... I can't say I'm particularly amused by the general idiocy of modern politics though.

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1...147670016?s=19

You know it is always difficult to name who is the biggest piece of crap in the GOP. They always try one-up each other.

So I could have shared the tweet {was up last night) but just linking article. I forgot what this ass did just a few weeks ago. I believe something with AOC?

A Republican official sharing "FAKE NEWS"? How depressingly predictable.

Edit: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paul-...b6b5a713bf380b

And he's doubling down after being repeatedly called out, with the strong, "So what if the picture is doctored, that doesn't matter to my point!" which is the best of arguments.

[cubby]

Esper is not beholden to Trump. He was successful on his own. And having come from the corporate world, he knows that going back there once this gig is over will depend on his resume, not his sycophancy.

That's a good point, and I hope it holds true to Esper not letting Trump do bat-shit crazy stuff. I know that statement is basically unconstitutional, the SecDef answers to the President, not the other way around. But since our current Resident is an insane man-child, we need some adults in the room to keep WWIII from kicking off.