US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[Rockstar]

Congress Puts Aside Partisan Differences For Good Of Military Contractors
2/08/18 1:52pmSEE MORE: Politics




WASHINGTON—Explaining the rationale behind a two-year government budget deal crafted by members of both parties hours ahead of a potential shutdown, congressional leaders told reporters Thursday that they had put aside their partisan differences for the good of the nation’s military contractors. “It’s time that we stop bickering with each other over minor political disputes and start standing up for the brave defense contractors who keep us safe,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), echoing the sentiments of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other congressional leaders as they championed the bipartisan spending increases that would provide billions of much-needed government subsidies to U.S. military companies. “We may not always see eye to eye, but both Democrats and Republicans recognize how important it is to put politics aside when we’re talking about the men and women in our private military sector.” Senate leaders also expressed their satisfaction that the two parties could set aside their partisan disagreements to ensure that the bill did absolutely nothing to push for immigration reform.

[Platapus]

In a lot of areas, the actual work is being done by contractors and not the government.

[Mr Quatro]

No budget has been announced yet on the Mueller investigation ... some say only $2 million has been spent so far, but we do know of other cost to the US tax payer.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-...145311889.html

When it comes to political investigations, partisanship is always a factor, especially when citing cost to taxpayers. When Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton, was investigated in the wake of the 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, Republicans and Democrats spent $6.77 million between 2014 and 2016, according to

More US tax payer money has been spent on Trump's golf trips to Florida than the Russian investigation (I bet).


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...216-story.html

Trump's three Mar-a-Lago trips since the inauguration have likely cost the federal treasury roughly $10 million, based on figures used in an October government report analyzing White House travel, including money for Coast Guard units to patrol the exposed shoreline and other military, security and staffing expenses associated with moving the apparatus of the presidency.

New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials' estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.

[Rockstar]

Congress Confused By $500 Million In Trump’s Budget Allocated For ‘Laser Stuff’

2/13/18 1:34pmSEE MORE: Politics

WASHINGTON—As they examined the recently released White House budget, U.S. senators and representatives expressed confusion Tuesday about the $500 million that President Trump has proposed the government spend on “laser stuff” in fiscal year 2019. “While I agree with many of the president’s recommendations, like his proposed cuts to entitlement programs, I have to admit I’m somewhat baffled by the lines in this budget dedicated to ‘state-of-the-art zap-beams,’ ‘powerful ray shooters,’ and ‘high-tech glowing red dots,’” said Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), voicing concerns shared by members of Congress in both parties who sought further clarification about Trump’s plan to subsidize the development of “blue, green, blue-violet, neon yellow, and other lightning-fast colors of laser beams.” “I’ve long advocated for increased military spending, but as a Marine Corps veteran myself, I’m not convinced ‘extra-large laser cannons’ and ‘bright lights that blast you so hard it really hurts’ are what our armed services really need from us right now.” At press time, both houses of Congress reportedly agreed to the allocations after White House aides explained that any funds appropriated for “laser stuff” would be handed over in a lump sum to the nation’s defense contractors.

[Rockstar]

CNN and MSNBC Helped Russia Sow Discord by Promoting Fake Anti-Trump Rally. Though according to the Mueller investigation done so unwittingly.

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb...sponsored-anti

[August]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

CNN and MSNBC Helped Russia Sow Discord by Promoting Fake Anti-Trump Rally. Though according to the Mueller investigation done so unwittingly.

Unwittingly maybe but as the article notes quite gleefully. The Russians played the drive by media and their Democrat masters like fiddles at an Ozark hoedown.

[Mr Quatro]

Now we know the Russians did it and how they did it using our own news media ...

so what are we going to do about it ... go to war

I don't think so

Would the election have turned out different if they hadn't of interfered?

I for one did not like Mrs Hillary Clinton ... does they make me a friend of Russia, no it does not

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Congress Puts Aside Partisan Differences For Good Of Military Contractors
2/08/18 1:52pmSEE MORE: Politics




WASHINGTON—Explaining the rationale behind a two-year government budget deal crafted by members of both parties hours ahead of a potential shutdown, congressional leaders told reporters Thursday that they had put aside their partisan differences for the good of the nation’s military contractors. “It’s time that we stop bickering with each other over minor political disputes and start standing up for the brave defense contractors who keep us safe,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), echoing the sentiments of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other congressional leaders as they championed the bipartisan spending increases that would provide billions of much-needed government subsidies to U.S. military companies. “We may not always see eye to eye, but both Democrats and Republicans recognize how important it is to put politics aside when we’re talking about the men and women in our private military sector.” Senate leaders also expressed their satisfaction that the two parties could set aside their partisan disagreements to ensure that the bill did absolutely nothing to push for immigration reform.

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Congress Confused By $500 Million In Trump’s Budget Allocated For ‘Laser Stuff’

2/13/18 1:34pmSEE MORE: Politics

WASHINGTON—As they examined the recently released White House budget, U.S. senators and representatives expressed confusion Tuesday about the $500 million that President Trump has proposed the government spend on “laser stuff” in fiscal year 2019. “While I agree with many of the president’s recommendations, like his proposed cuts to entitlement programs, I have to admit I’m somewhat baffled by the lines in this budget dedicated to ‘state-of-the-art zap-beams,’ ‘powerful ray shooters,’ and ‘high-tech glowing red dots,’” said Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), voicing concerns shared by members of Congress in both parties who sought further clarification about Trump’s plan to subsidize the development of “blue, green, blue-violet, neon yellow, and other lightning-fast colors of laser beams.” “I’ve long advocated for increased military spending, but as a Marine Corps veteran myself, I’m not convinced ‘extra-large laser cannons’ and ‘bright lights that blast you so hard it really hurts’ are what our armed services really need from us right now.” At press time, both houses of Congress reportedly agreed to the allocations after White House aides explained that any funds appropriated for “laser stuff” would be handed over in a lump sum to the nation’s defense contractors.

Just thought I'd offer a clarification for those not familiar with the source of the above (conveniently avoided posting the source?); the quotes are form a US news satire site, The Onion. Here are the links:

Congress Puts Aside Partisan Differences For Good Of Military Contractors --

https://politics.theonion.com/congre...-mi-1822844000

Congress Confused By $500 Million In Trump’s Budget Allocated For ‘Laser Stuff’ --

https://politics.theonion.com/congre...all-1822969581


This is actual fake news...

Now for a bit of real news:


In Mueller probe, son-in-law of Russian businessman pleads guilty to false statements --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...=.5c547db6f89d


With the reported turnabout by Gates to accept a plea deal and cooperate with the Special Counsel, this leaves Manafort all alone, at least for now, as an outstanding defendant; wonder how long before Manafort decides to save his own butt and turn states, also...


@Dowly: "Combover Caligula"; got a good laugh out of that one...











<O>

[vienna]

A couple of interesting items...


Firstly:

Trump supporters, conservatives rage over Russian bot purge, #TwitterLockOut --

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...out/359291002/

This article raises a couple of interesting questions:

1) The rage seems to be about the Trump supporters and conservatives on Twitter losing followers due to the purge, in seemingly very large numbers: what does that say about the actual impact of those Twitter accounts when they are strongly crippled by the loss of the bots?...

2) Where is the rage against the very actual and very evident extent of Russian attempts to influence American thought? Wouldn't a real, loyal American be far more outraged about the Russian activities rather than Twitter taking pro-active action to stop the bots? Is there anything more un-American than to ignore efforts by a foreign power to insinuate itself in our democracy?...


Secondly:

White House Chief-Of-Staff Gen. John Kelly has finally started to crackdown of Trump administration staffers and advisers who have yet to secure full security clearances for their positions; one of the most glaring has been Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who, in any other situation would not even be remotely eligible for a top-level clearance (neither are the Trump offspring, but that is another subject):


Kushner Resists Losing Access as Kelly Tackles Security Clearance Issues --

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/u...learance-.html

The following op-ed pieces lay out the situation about the need to strictly manage clearances and who receives such:

Jared Kushner encapsulates what’s wrong with the Trump administration --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...=.39b9b79fe13a

Jared Kushner is showing us exactly why anti-nepotism laws exist --

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.ac69029b538c


Responsible administration of US security is vital and it appears the Trump administration has very little respect or regard for the efforts by others to keep our nation secure...












<O>

[August]

"Principled Realism" I like what I see here.

A Realist National Security Strategy

The National Security Strategy is refreshingly blunt on some regional issues that have been soft-pedaled in the past.



Zalmay Khalilzad
February 19, 2018



THE HALLMARK of the Donald Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS), which was released in December, is the idea of “principled realism.” This marks a decided shift from the policies of Trump’s two immediate predecessors. President Bush, with his expansive freedom agenda, set a high priority on the use of U.S. power to promote liberty and democracy. President Obama, less committed to the idea of American exceptionalism and more doubtful of the value of the American role in the world, sought to disengage and “lead from behind.” The Trump NSS, by contrast, represents a return to realism.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/...strategy-24555

[Catfish]

^
As usual, the comments are the best


"I knew that there must be a deep, long and serious philosophy behind the President's tweets, threats and proposals about trade policy with China and other Asian partners, phases of hostility and friendship with Russia, moving or not moving the embassy to Jerusalem while insulting anyone who objects, egging 'em on and holding 'em back in Syria and Iraq, ending that horrible deal with Iran, and so forth. It was too deep and long and serious for me, though."

[August]

Originally Posted by Catfish

^
As usual, the comments are the best


"I knew that there must be a deep, long and serious philosophy behind the President's tweets, threats and proposals about trade policy with China and other Asian partners, phases of hostility and friendship with Russia, moving or not moving the embassy to Jerusalem while insulting anyone who objects, egging 'em on and holding 'em back in Syria and Iraq, ending that horrible deal with Iran, and so forth. It was too deep and long and serious for me, though."

Obviously an evil Russian PutinBot trying to sow dissension and hatred.

[Catfish]

^ well it is an interesting article, got to admit that.

[August]

Originally Posted by Catfish

^ well it is an interesting article, got to admit that.

Well we all know the problems and dilemmas inherent with the "America will fix everything" approach and we also know that reckless disengagement can create a power vacuums that are filled by entities neither of us want to see running things.

So I remain hopeful that this new strategy will work better. Be true to our principles but also recognize the limits of our power.

[vienna]

Yep, the people who created the policy for Trump did a good job, although I doubt he, himself, has actually fully read it and, if he did, he would fully understand it...









<O>