US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[August]

We’re Doing Grant, Not Patton, But Neither One Had A Goof Like Ryan Screwing Things Up

https://townhall.com/columnists/kurt...gs-up-n2304530

We know the strategy – grind out win after win, big and small, over time until the liberals are broken. It’s the tactics that Ryan has botched; he’s shown no aptitude for the basic blocking and tackling of legislating and consistently falls back on the errors of the past. Here’s how healthcare should have gone. Paully, starting the morning of November 9th, you should have orchestrated an inclusive effort to create a bill based on a consensus that incorporated every stakeholder with the ability to icepick it (the transition team, the Freedom Caucus, the squishes, the think tanks, and most vitally, the Senate). Once you had something everyone agreed on – and 216 sure votes in the House and 51 in the Senate – you all appear with the Prez in front of the cameras to announce it before you actually put out the document, thereby cementing in the narrative about why the people should dig it before the haters can hate it into little pieces. Then you pass it and win. But what did we get? A tactical clusterflunk. Seven years in and Ryan wasn’t ready. He putzed around with no sense of urgency until there was a sense of urgency. Who was expecting this dog’s breakfast to drop when it did? And it just dropped on us out of the blue – one day, suddenly, there’s this whole plan out there. Surprise! I listened to Hugh Hewitt the morning after it was released; he was stunned that he couldn’t get any of the Republican House leadership [sic] on his show to talk to his conservative audience about the biggest piece of legislation in Trump’s first term.

Made me smile.

[Platapus]

I don't think the GOP spent any of the last 7 years actually thinking about a new health care plan. All they did, for seven years, was whine and complain and waste time putting multiple bills that stood no chance of passing.

They had seven years and this was their big plan? Not very well thought out.

[Rockstar]

https://www.420magazine.com/2017/03/...federal-level/

If they cant get it together and find a solution to percieved issues with Obama Care wouldnt it be nice if they could pass Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017.

[Skybird]

http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-hubris-...ole/a-38170364

When an autocrat in what is often described as a banana republic taps family members to run major government tasks such a move is usually critizised as nepotism in the West, and rightly so. By drastically expanding the already murky role his son-in-law Jared Kushner plays in the administration, US President Donald Trump has done exactly the same thing. And therefore it behooves us to also call what it is: nepotism.

To be fair, Kushner, who is regularly described as smart and business-savvy, has by all accounts done well for himself in the same field as his father-in-law, real estate development. And it also needs to be noted that Kushner was not being paid for his previous White House role as senior advisor to the president and is likely to not be compensated for his new position as head of a task force charged with overhauling how the government works.

But it is deeply disconcerting that two of the president's closest family members, his daughter and his son-in-law, are now firmly ensconced in the White House as key presidential advisors with important portfolios. While it has been reported that Kushner would give up his role as head of his own company, he apparently has not done so yet. Instead, as is practice with many in this administration, when it comes to avoiding potential conflicts of interest between their business and political roles, he is trying to navigate the fine line between what is legally permissible and what isn't.

[Rockstar]

If advisors are chosen and employed within the confines of current law. I for one really don't give a rat's butt who he chooses. Who better to trust than family ?

[Buddahaid]

Seems like instead of draining the swamp he's just filling it with his own brand of stench.

[Bilge_Rat]

it is also incorrect that Kushner is in a "conflict of interest".

He hired Jamie Gorelick a democratic super-lawyer and Clinton supporter to advise him on untangling himself from his businesses:

Gorelick said separating Kushner from his real estate company took up most of her time in December and January and that his financial disclosure form will show that he still retains sizable assets.

“I like hard and interesting problems, and I have certainly had them in this representation," she said. “The Kushner Cos. is really a series of dozens and dozens and dozens of individual buildings and their own corporate structure. Extricating him from each one of those was extremely difficult.”

But she said Kushner gave her carte blanche to make it work. “His view was, ‘Do what needs to be done.’ There are a lot of assets left and he will have to recuse himself on quite a few issues.”

Months after getting involved with the people closest to the man she tried to help defeat, Gorelick said Klein's assessment of Kushner has held up. “I don’t have much insight as to what he is doing inside on a daily basis,” she said, “but he does seem like a good person.”

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...lintons-236445

[August]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

it is also incorrect that Kushner is in a "conflict of interest".

That is not the Pravda that was handed down by the media gods. He has to be guilty of something because you know, Trump!

[Skybird]

To me, somebody who systematically tests out to the last millimeter what he could get away with without beeing called foul, is as dubious and suspicious as someone who already has been found intentionally violating the rules.

If you need to use microscopes and dividers to measure whether the dot over the "i" indeed is as round as it should be, and use curve rulers to determine whether the curves in the §-symbol indeed are nicely rounded and fit the legally demanded shape for the §-symbol to indeed qualify it for a §-symbol - then you defend a most likely lost case and should worry about maybe already looking dubious yourself.

Convincing clarity is somethign very different.

What these guys are doing is trying to find ways to break the rules without breaking the rules so obviously that they must fear countermeasures.

[Bilge_Rat]

interesting, Trump does appear to be Teflon among republicans. His support remains sky high and he gets little blame for the ACA repeal issues:






just as interesting is the partisan divide over whether there was Russian interference...



..and whether Trump was wiretapped...



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republic...cbs-news-poll/

no chance of any GOP revolt in Congress with these numbers.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

interesting, Trump does appear to be Teflon among republicans. His support remains sky high and he gets little blame for the ACA repeal issues:






just as interesting is the partisan divide over whether there was Russian interference...



..and whether Trump was wiretapped...



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republic...cbs-news-poll/

no chance of any GOP revolt in Congress with these numbers.

So, you're staying stupid people stay stupid? What a shock.

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

So, you're staying stupid people stay stupid? What a shock.

yup, not much hope for Dimocrats I fear...

[Buddahaid]

More childish name calling I see.

[Platapus]

The word of the day is

Kakistocracy

It is a word that we may be hearing a lot of these days.

[eddie]

Well I hope the Senate investigation of the Russian connection with people in the White House, goes better then what is happening with the House Investigation, Nunes has his head stuck up Trumps arse! I don't know how he can even draw a deep breath way up n there,lol No matter how the investigation comes out, we have to get this over with so the country can move on.