Political Roundtable Part XIII

[sfam]

Hey Nate -- a couple of interesting editorials on p. A19 of today's Journal, & I'd be interested in your thoughts on them.

The first is on the subject of countries w/ highly homogeneous populations, taking Japan as the example.

The second is on the subject of Neil Gorsuch. It's interesting to me that there's been so little discussion here of something as important as a Supreme Court appointee.

This post, btw, is not an invitation to argue: it's an attempt to move the conversation to discussion of issues & away from ever-mounting ad hominem traffic pile-ups.

I could make photos of the 2 pieces & share them if there's no other easy way for you to access them.

Goruch seems eminently qualified and should not be confirmed. I'm frankly pretty upset that the Democrats are even attending the hearing. The Republicans flat out stole a pick. This is not normal and shouldn't treated as such. This is a real breakdown in our process. Democrats shouldn't be a party to it.

[closg00]

Brazen lying like we have never seen before in U.S. Politics (at the presidential level)

Gulf of Tonkin and Johnson?
Watergate, Nixon?
Mexico, Polk?
Cuba, Kennedy?

Agreed, brazen isn't the word, since politics, circumstances, etc. seem to force every president to tell a few tall tales at some point or another. Relentless is the word that comes to my mind, distinguishing the now from the past, almost as if telling the truth about anything at all somehow gives up the advantage.

How about both? This Administration lies brazenly and relentlessly via their surrogates.


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[sfam]

I think it is hideous and despicable to be talking about nominating Gorsuch at all. Follow the Constitution, hypocrites. It's just a wildly horrible crime that the Republicans have inflicted on us. Integrity means nothing now.

The Republicans are the whiny kid on the playground who makes up new rules when the game isn't going his way. They can't win honestly so they have to cheat. It's pathetic.

This. There's no point in pretending to be professional about it. The Republicans shouldn't be treated as if they have integrity on this issue. They don't. They are the equivalent of congressional hoodlums and should be treated as such.

[bealwithit]

A president under FBI investigation being allowed to nominate someone for a stolen Supreme Court seat? A president whose best way to sell the AHCA to House Republicans is to say that they will lose their jobs if they vote no? What a leader.

Boy, I sure do love all this winning. I'm so tired of all this winning. So. Much. Winning.

[gtn130]

remember when Nate said Trump's wiretapping tweets were 4d chess

[dckingsfan]

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Yeah, they didn't address the fact that both parties keep pushing solutions that make it worse. sigh.

[gtn130]

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I wonder if Trump supporters will ever admit they were conned

[bealwithit]

Speaking of being hoodwinked...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-cut-impact-on-voters/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=35604188

The program works for 56-year-old Linda Preast, who signed up for the program two years ago after a stroke left her in a wheelchair. Meals on Wheels delivers to her every weekday. Like most residents in Jones County, she voted for Donald Trump.

“Are you surprised?” Miller asked.

“Yeah,” Preast said. “Because he was told- I was under the influence that he was going to help us.”

“What would you tell him to convince him not to cut this program?” Miller asked.

“What if it was your momma?” Preast said.

After the president’s budget proposal was released, Meals on Wheels reportedly received a surge of donations and offers to volunteer.

[payitforward]

I think it is hideous and despicable to be talking about nominating Gorsuch at all. Follow the Constitution, hypocrites. It's just a wildly horrible crime that the Republicans have inflicted on us. Integrity means nothing now.

The Republicans are the whiny kid on the playground who makes up new rules when the game isn't going his way. They can't win honestly so they have to cheat. It's pathetic.

This. There's no point in pretending to be professional about it. The Republicans shouldn't be treated as if they have integrity on this issue. They don't. They are the equivalent of congressional hoodlums and should be treated as such.

It's true. Yet, at the same time, politics is as they say "the art of the possible." A SC justice will be nominated & appointed. If Gorsuch is likely the best we're going to get, then you're just shooting yourself in your uninjured foot out of spite if you oppose it.

Interesting question: what President chose the largest # of Supreme Court Justices (i.e. other than Washington!)? & what was that number?

[Wizardspride]

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[montestewart]

I think it is hideous and despicable to be talking about nominating Gorsuch at all. Follow the Constitution, hypocrites. It's just a wildly horrible crime that the Republicans have inflicted on us. Integrity means nothing now.

The Republicans are the whiny kid on the playground who makes up new rules when the game isn't going his way. They can't win honestly so they have to cheat. It's pathetic.

This. There's no point in pretending to be professional about it. The Republicans shouldn't be treated as if they have integrity on this issue. They don't. They are the equivalent of congressional hoodlums and should be treated as such.

It's true. Yet, at the same time, politics is as they say "the art of the possible." A SC justice will be nominated & appointed. If Gorsuch is likely the best we're going to get, then you're just shooting yourself in your uninjured foot out of spite if you oppose it.

Interesting question: what President chose the largest # of Supreme Court Justices (i.e. other than Washington!)? & what was that number?

Without looking it up, I'm guessing it was FDR. I know at one point he wanted to increase the court size to 15, so he sure wanted to appoint some justices.

[popper]

Speaking of being hoodwinked...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-cut-impact-on-voters/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=35604188

The program works for 56-year-old Linda Preast, who signed up for the program two years ago after a stroke left her in a wheelchair. Meals on Wheels delivers to her every weekday. Like most residents in Jones County, she voted for Donald Trump.

“Are you surprised?” Miller asked.

“Yeah,” Preast said. “Because he was told- I was under the influence that he was going to help us.”

“What would you tell him to convince him not to cut this program?” Miller asked.

“What if it was your momma?” Preast said.

After the president’s budget proposal was released, Meals on Wheels reportedly received a surge of donations and offers to volunteer.

From your link:

‘Meals on Wheels’ is not a federal program, and as such, it is neither mentioned nor funded in the federal budget.

[bealwithit]

Speaking of being hoodwinked...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-cut-impact-on-voters/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=35604188

The program works for 56-year-old Linda Preast, who signed up for the program two years ago after a stroke left her in a wheelchair. Meals on Wheels delivers to her every weekday. Like most residents in Jones County, she voted for Donald Trump.

“Are you surprised?” Miller asked.

“Yeah,” Preast said. “Because he was told- I was under the influence that he was going to help us.”

“What would you tell him to convince him not to cut this program?” Miller asked.

“What if it was your momma?” Preast said.

After the president’s budget proposal was released, Meals on Wheels reportedly received a surge of donations and offers to volunteer.

From your link:

‘Meals on Wheels’ is not a federal program, and as such, it is neither mentioned nor funded in the federal budget.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-financial-aid-public-media-funding-on-chopping-block-in-trump-budget/Overall,

Meals on Wheels gets just about a third of its funding from the federal government, and only part of it is from CDBGs. Most of it comes from the Health and Human Services Department. HHS has also been targeted for cuts by the White House budget blueprint.

[DCZards]

Speaking of being hoodwinked...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-cut-impact-on-voters/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=35604188

The program works for 56-year-old Linda Preast, who signed up for the program two years ago after a stroke left her in a wheelchair. Meals on Wheels delivers to her every weekday. Like most residents in Jones County, she voted for Donald Trump.

“Are you surprised?” Miller asked.

“Yeah,” Preast said. “Because he was told- I was under the influence that he was going to help us.”

“What would you tell him to convince him not to cut this program?” Miller asked.

“What if it was your momma?” Preast said.

After the president’s budget proposal was released, Meals on Wheels reportedly received a surge of donations and offers to volunteer.

From your link:

‘Meals on Wheels’ is not a federal program, and as such, it is neither mentioned nor funded in the federal budget.

Tho it's not mentioned by name, Meals on Wheels funding is contained in one of the block grants sent to the states by the Feds.

[sfam]

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[montestewart]

Speaking of being hoodwinked...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/meals-on-wheels-trump-budget-cut-impact-on-voters/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=35604188

From your link:

‘Meals on Wheels’ is not a federal program, and as such, it is neither mentioned nor funded in the federal budget.

Tho it's not mentioned by name, Meals on Wheels funding is contained in one of the block grants sent to the states by the Feds.

Agreed, cutting those block grants will force states to make hard choices, and Meals on Wheels programs can and likely will suffer as a result.

[sfam]

A president under FBI investigation being allowed to nominate someone for a stolen Supreme Court seat? A president whose best way to sell the AHCA to House Republicans is to say that they will lose their jobs if they vote no? What a leader.

Boy, I sure do love all this winning. I'm so tired of all this winning. So. Much. Winning.

There really has been a lot of winning. Crazy amounts. I'm sure Trump is tired of it as well. That's why he charges the tax payer credit card it each to go home and play golf - he's so tired of winning.

[montestewart]

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On the other hand, most dishonest people are not under FBI investigation either, which means there a lot of dishonest people in the Trump administration who are escaping FBI scrutiny.

[sfam]

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I wonder if Trump supporters will ever admit they were conned

We could double Meals on Wheels' yearly budget if Trump stopped flying to Fla each week, and even more if he shut down his second protected home in NYC. Trump attacked Obama relentlessly for golfing, but he's gonna surpass Obama's 8 years in his first!

[sfam]

Read on Twitter

On the other hand, most dishonest people are not under FBI investigation either, which means there a lot of dishonest people in the Trump administration who are escaping FBI scrutiny.

Talk about words coming back to bite you! Yeah, sorta fits Trump's White House to a tee in a way it never did Hillary.

If only Comey treated the announcements the same...