Discussion of Concerns for Trump Presidency

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

1 hour ago, Engorgeous George said:

The nonstandard unit of length attributed to Oliver Smoot, and a Harley Davidson?

Hey man I was rushed yesterday. 

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

Looks like every one of Trump’s appointments will sail through. The Republican senators will abandon their duty to advise and consent. “Whatever Trump wants.” 

[HellToupee 1,775]

1 hour ago, Sean Mooney said:

It sounds like Raiders is stalking Tim Pool. Or maybe he is Tim Pool?

Seriously though- it is clear why Raiders likes him so much. Pool is an alt-right weirdo who positions himself as a disillusioned centrist who occasionally nods to left positions because it passes for authenticity. Sounds familiar to someone we know here who has a Drexel Dragons avatar. 

I don’t consider Pool on the right. I’ll catch the 1st segment if he has a decent guest maybe once or twice a week. To me he’s a mashup of a libertarian & Bernie bro. I can see him appealing to both

[HellToupee 1,775]

1 minute ago, The Real timschochet said:

Looks like every one of Trump’s appointments will sail through. The Republican senators will abandon their duty to advise and consent. “Whatever Trump wants.” 

Of course they should. We gave him a mandate 

[Mike Honcho 5,270]

5 minutes ago, The Real timschochet said:

Looks like every one of Trump’s appointments will sail through. The Republican senators will abandon their duty to advise and consent. “Whatever Trump wants.” 

 

Quote

 

Senators want details of Matt Gaetz ethics probe before his confirmation vote for attorney general

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, says he's open to subpoenaing the House Ethics Committee for information about Trump's pick. Others say the confirmation process will bring things to light.

Many Republican senators, including members of the GOP-led Judiciary Committee that will oversee Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, said they'll want to see the details of the House Ethics investigation into Gaetz.

"I think it would be helpful," said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, said he would “absolutely” like to see the findings of the House Ethics Committee investigation, saying, “I don’t know the technicalities, or whether or not we would see that, but I think that would be very relevant.”The House Ethics Committee was scheduled to meet Friday, three sources familiar with the meeting told NBC News, and one of those sources said that releasing the Gaetz report was expected to be among the topics on the agenda. Punchbowl News previously reported Wednesday that the Ethics panel had planned to release a "highly damaging" report about Gaetz on Friday, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe.

 

Gaetz might be too much for even the GOP. 

[HellToupee 1,775]

1 minute ago, Mike Honcho said:

 

Gaetz might be too much for even the GOP. 

Hey babydoll it doesn’t matter what they think. If Donald wants him he’s in

[Mike Honcho 5,270]

1 minute ago, HellToupee said:

Hey babydoll it doesn’t matter what they think. If Donald wants him he’s in

Yeah - it doesn't work like that. 

And don't call me babydoll!  









 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other guys will get jealous. 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,425]

13 minutes ago, The Real timschochet said:

Looks like every one of Trump’s appointments will sail through. The Republican senators will abandon their duty to advise and consent. “Whatever Trump wants.” 

I once heard a potus claim “elections have consequences “ when he was doing what he wanted. Boo hoo. 

[jerryskids 6,793]

1 hour ago, Engorgeous George said:

The nonstandard unit of length attributed to Oliver Smoot, and a Harley Davidson?

Ah, someone who knows about smoots!   The Harvard Bridge was out route to Boston from Cambridge; I walked it hundreds of times.  Knowing that it measured 364.4 smoots (and one ear) helped to keep track of how much longer you had to go, during a Boston winter wind storm.

Whatever fraternity he was in repaints them every year.  I just looked him up -- it's hilarious that 40 years after that stunt, he became the president of ANSI and then ISO.  I've gotta think his name and history had something to do with that.   

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

5 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

 

Gaetz might be too much for even the GOP. 

They’re talking recess appointments. 

Lisa Murkowski may vote publicly against Donald Trump. I’ll be very surprised if any other Republican Senator does during the next four years. That goes doubly for the House. It’s going to be rubber stamp time. 

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

3 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

Yeah - it doesn't work like that. 

 

It’s about to. 

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

If they do go to recess appointments (not sure they will) it will be fun to watch a bunch of MAGA heads here think that is awesome even though if Biden tried to do that they'd be skyscreaming like crazy. And obviously vice versa

[Mike Honcho 5,270]

8 minutes ago, The Real timschochet said:

They’re talking recess appointments. 

Lisa Murkowski may vote publicly against Donald Trump. I’ll be very surprised if any other Republican Senator does during the next four years. That goes doubly for the House. It’s going to be rubber stamp time. 

I saw that - but wasn't that something Trump and Rick Scott were cooking up, not Thune.  I'm just not sure the the entire senate will roll over like Graham, hoping to get a belly rub from DT. 

I echo a lot of concerns that Devin in the Legal Eagle video I posted outlined - but the optimist in me still thinks not everyone will jump aboard the crazy train. 

[Mike Honcho 5,270]

3 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

If they do go to recess appointments (not sure they will) it will be fun to watch a bunch of MAGA heads here think that is awesome even though if Biden tried to do that they'd be skyscreaming like crazy. And obviously vice versa

"Recess appointments", isn't that what Matt Gaetz calls his dates? 

[jbycho 754]

5 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

If they do go to recess appointments (not sure they will) it will be fun to watch a bunch of MAGA heads here think that is awesome even though if Biden tried to do that they'd be skyscreaming like crazy. And obviously vice versa

I think it will be more fun to watch you whine incessantly on this site. 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,425]

It was cool when Obama did it. It was really cool when Clinton did it. Not so cool when Bush did it. Trump! Fascist! Authoritarian! 

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

1 minute ago, Mike Honcho said:

I saw that - but wasn't that something Trump and Rick Scott were cooking up, not Thune.  I'm just not sure the the entire senate will roll over like Graham, hoping to get a belly rub from DT. 

I echo a lot of concerns that Devin in the Legal Eagle video I posted outlined - but the optimist in me still thinks not everyone will jump aboard the crazy train. 

There are still senators who don't have to worry about opposition in their state. Who are retiring soon. Who don't need to roll over for Trump. There are also a few who have gone against Trump before and will do it again. 

And the other sticking point might be- if you have a red senator in a blue state they've seen what happens when Trump tries to push through a more right candidate- that candidate gets run over. 

[HellToupee 1,775]

7 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

If they do go to recess appointments (not sure they will) it will be fun to watch a bunch of MAGA heads here think that is awesome even though if Biden tried to do that they'd be skyscreaming like crazy. And obviously vice versa

If Obama can do 32 than Donald can do some

[HellToupee 1,775]

1 minute ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

It was cool when Obama did it. It was really cool when Clinton did it. Not so cool when Bush did it. Trump! Fascist! Authoritarian! 

Funny how that works. DJT knows he has a 2 year window to blitzkrieg through everything the country needs. There is going to be a lot of liberal crying. Good times

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

1 minute ago, HellToupee said:

Funny how that works. DJT knows he has a 2 year window to blitzkrieg through everything the country needs. There is going to be a lot of liberal crying. Good times

Hey if you are consistent that it's okay that Trump did it so it is okay if Obama did it. 

Also- how many people did Obama recess appointment to his cabinet? I mean you really want to compare recess appointing someone as "Public Printer" to appointing someone as Director of Health and Human Services?

[TimHauck 2,868]

MarkWayne Mullin:  talks about Gaetz showing videos of his sexual conquests on the House Floor and why “no one defended him” against the allegations

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1709765049051381761
 

Also MarkWayne Mullin: will vote for Gaetz for AG:

https://twitter.com/AnaBredenberg/status/1856824021075001786
 

[BrahmaBulls 763]

1 hour ago, The Real timschochet said:

Looks like every one of Trump’s appointments will sail through. The Republican senators will abandon their duty to advise and consent. “Whatever Trump wants.” 

They all approve.  You're just a baby.

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

14 minutes ago, BrahmaBulls said:

They all approve.  You're just a baby.

I haven’t complained. Please don’t tell anyone that I objected in any way. I for one fully support our new MAGA overlords. 

[jbycho 754]

4 minutes ago, The Real timschochet said:

I haven’t complained. Please don’t tell anyone that I objected in any way. I for one fully support our new MAGA overlords. 

Define MAGA overlord. 

[HellToupee 1,775]

11 minutes ago, The Real timschochet said:

I haven’t complained. Please don’t tell anyone that I objected in any way. I for one fully support our new MAGA overlords. 

Thank you for your cooperation 

[jerryskids 6,793]

55 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

Hey if you are consistent that it's okay that Trump did it so it is okay if Obama did it. 

Also- how many people did Obama recess appointment to his cabinet? I mean you really want to compare recess appointing someone as "Public Printer" to appointing someone as Director of Health and Human Services?

We used to think that presidents should work with both sides of the aisle.  But then Obama informed us that "elections have consequences" and, given the opportunity, politicians should just ram through every partisan thing they can.

God bless St. Barack the Great Uniter!  

[Engorgeous George 2,331]

2 hours ago, The Real timschochet said:

Hey man I was rushed yesterday. 

No one has more typos than me.  I was just having fun as I always liked the story of Oliver Smoot and,.well Harley to me means Harley Davidson, Harley Quinn, or  Harley Jane Kozak.

[Engorgeous George 2,331]

1 hour ago, jerryskids said:

Ah, someone who knows about smoots!   The Harvard Bridge was out route to Boston from Cambridge; I walked it hundreds of times.  Knowing that it measured 364.4 smoots (and one ear) helped to keep track of how much longer you had to go, during a Boston winter wind storm.

Whatever fraternity he was in repaints them every year.  I just looked him up -- it's hilarious that 40 years after that stunt, he became the president of ANSI and then ISO.  I've gotta think his name and history had something to do with that.   

I had hope that the smoot might replace the fathom, but it has not, at least as of yet.

[Engorgeous George 2,331]

1 hour ago, Mike Honcho said:

"Recess appointments", isn't that what Matt Gaetz calls his dates? 

Outstanding!  

[jerryskids 6,793]

1 hour ago, Mike Honcho said:

"Recess appointments", isn't that what Matt Gaetz calls his dates? 

 

10 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

Outstanding!  

Agreed!  I totally zipped over it the first time, thanks for pointing it out.   

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

32 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

We used to think that presidents should work with both sides of the aisle.  But then Obama informed us that "elections have consequences" and, given the opportunity, politicians should just ram through every partisan thing they can.

God bless St. Barack the Great Uniter!  

I would argue again there are some differences in appointing a public printer versus the Secretary of Defense. 

[jerryskids 6,793]

3 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

I would argue again there are some differences in appointing a public printer versus the Secretary of Defense. 

"Elections have consequences" was Obama's quote to McCain about Obamacare.  Maybe you've heard of that?  It's kinda big.   

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

2 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

"Elections have consequences" was Obama's quote to McCain about Obamacare.  Maybe you've heard of that?  It's kinda big.   

Sure....

still- doesn't mean I agree with pushing things through. 

[jerryskids 6,793]

3 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

Sure....

still- doesn't mean I agree with pushing things through. 

You likened it to a public printer, whatever that is.  I'm merely pointing out that the partisan hacking starting with St. Barack.  I agree that I'd rather see a move back to more bipartisanship, FWIW.

But clearly, several of these appointments were made to chew bubblegum and kick ass, but...

 

[Sean Mooney 1,983]

2 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

You likened it to a public printer, whatever that is.  I'm merely pointing out that the partisan hacking starting with St. Barack.  I agree that I'd rather see a move back to more bipartisanship, FWIW.

But clearly, several of these appointments were made to chew bubblegum and kick ass, but...

 

Because someone was comparing Obama appointments to Trump's appointments and I made the point there is some difference here

[The Real timschochet 6,763]

37 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

No one has more typos than me.  I was just having fun as I always liked the story of Oliver Smoot and,.well Harley top me means Harley Davidson, Harley Quinn, or  Harley Jane Kozak.

Lady Gaga has destroyed Harley Quinn for me. I didn’t see the movie, the preview was bad enough. 

[IGotWorms 4,058]

19 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Reading that thread, I'm getting an uneasy feeling that there are folks on the far right who are beginning to behave like the wokies on the far left, trying to strongarm minority opinions through.

I would hope that the (secret) voting to elect Thune to Senate Majority Leader would send a message to these folks that the majority of people don't want to go scorched earth here.  I guess we'll see. 

 

The people voted for scorched earth, did they not? I don’t think Trump kept his plans or vision hidden or anything 

[IGotWorms 4,058]

19 hours ago, jerryskids said:

I often pimp The Free Press here, and I will again:  Bari Weiss has a fascinating interview with Peter Thiel (conservative gay silicon valley bazillionaire, pushed Trump through in 2016, largely stayed out of it this year).

https://www.thefp.com/p/peter-thiel-honestly-trump-jd-vance

It's almost 2 hours long and worth the time, but I want to highlight the discussion of tariffs for @The Real timschochet and others, which starts around the 55 minute mark.  He makes a few interesting points:

- The theory of free trade popularized centuries ago presumed that the big-picture cost of manufacturing (including say, labor) was equal between the parties, and that the parties would reach a trade equilibrium.  The fact that we have such a trade deficit with China shows that this theory is not working in this relationship.

- There is a mistaken belief that trade between us and China is a two-way, net zero sum game.  That is, if we raise the price of an iPhone made in China, that price gets passed directly to American consumers.  But that's not how a global economy works in the long term.  Instead, Apple moves its manufacturing to, say, Vietnam (his example).  Yes, Vietnam is a POS country, but they pose no thread to us, whereas China has plans of global dominance and provides something of an existential threat.  So, in this model, if the tariffs are imposed, China suffers greatly, Vietnam (and others) benefit greatly, and the US maybe sees a marginal negative, certainly in the short term.

- Although Thiel didn't use this word, he talked about how it might be brinkmanship.  Given the above, there is incentive for China to come to the table and meet somewhere in the middle.

 

Vietnam is not a “POS country” jer. You should get out a little more  

[jerryskids 6,793]

1 minute ago, IGotWorms said:

The people voted for scorched earth, did they not? I don’t think Trump kept his plans or vision hidden or anything 

Yeah... my point though was that I didn't like the tone of that TimPool post or the comments within it.  The whole "if anyone votes against you i"m going to dox (my words) you" reeks of leftoid fanatacism and i don"t want to be a part of it

[IGotWorms 4,058]

17 hours ago, The Real timschochet said:

Thanks @jerryskids when I have time I will watch the whole interview. But two problems with your summary immediately come to mind: 

1. In the entire history of tariffs so far as I know, they have never been used successfully as a means to get other nations to lower their tariffs. In fact is always the opposite: once it starts it forces other nations to increase theirs as both retaliation and a means to try and make up the lost income. See both Smoot/Harley and the British Empire around 1900. 

2. I’ve listened quite a bit to Donald Trump on this subject. I’m almost 100% convinced this is not brinksmanship. He’s been in favor of tariffs since the early 1980s when he wanted them placed on Japan. For him this is a core principle (or as close as he has ever had one of those). Tariffs are not a means to an end; they are the end. He honestly believes that they will create great prosperity and wealth for this country. 

It could be brinksmanship but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Any fool can do that. You think it never occurred to Biden or anyone else that they had potential leverage to use with China?  It’s implicit in everything we do vis a vis them. And vice versa.

The issue is if you engage in brinksmanship with your leverage, you better focking win. Otherwise your leverage is now gone  

I don’t think DJT is remotely smart enough to pull it all off. But some guy ghost wrote a dumb book for him decades ago, so everyone thinks otherwise despite the bankruptcies, Trump University, casino failures etc etc etc.

Oh well. It is what it is. We’re going to find out. I am not optimistic but it’s best for everyone if I’m proven wrong