Political Roundtable Part XI

[Induveca]

Don the Con settles the "Trump University" class action suit for $25 million

I thought only losers settle.

Really disgusting what he did there. Another mistake by the dems not to hammer that.

You don't know white collar civil court very well. I've settled civil cases, even when extorted, you have to look at a variety of issues such as risk/reward, impact on productivity, and the ultimate legal costs of proving your "innocence" vs trial.

Just making the pests go away (especially when propped up by a competitor) allows everyone to get back to work/being productive. Being the victor in a civil court case of this type can cost 100-500% more in legal fees, than if you just settle. Considering the plaintiffs were being backed by Trump's political opponents it was a wise move. They'd surely have drug our discovery and motions for the entirety of Trump's 4 year term.

Sitting president testifying against a lawsuit funded by democrats with deep pockets? I also suspect Peter Thiel, after his prolonged gawker drama would advise "make it go away, regardless of guilt".

Not a fan of Trump University but take the Trump hate blinders off and anyone with the funds (personally or other) just elected president would also settle. What President wants to be dragged though 18 months of discovery in a civil trial?

He just neutralized a key weapon his detractors in DC hoped to use against him. Much like Clinton paid off Gennifer Flowers etc etc.

[Induveca]

Times are different. If California, Oregon and Washington decide to secede, I don't see the rest of the nation going to war to stop them, so the legality becomes moot. I suspect there would be some negotiations on land and natural resources. Specifically, the remainder of the nation would insist on keeping at least one Pacific port for commerce and national defense. San Diego would have to stay.

Why. What President in his right mind is going to say - yeah, you can leave. I think you have this one wrong.

The President's personal feelings are irrelevant. It all depends on whether a President would ask his armed forces to attack fellow Americans and whether the army would obey.

As a former Montreal resident? Not happening.

Also as dck posted, secession is less than 25% in pretty much ALL states except Texas. Put that to a real vote, it will be far far less.

[Zonkerbl]

Here's a very good model for what free college might look like in the very near future.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/11/18/how_to_really_make_college_free_132384.html

Bernie Sanders' platform for free college is a better proposition than this one. Taxing wall street speculation to fund the entire system is an ingenious idea. It limits the amount of speculative gambling on Wall Street, and the revenue generated will fund our free college program. It's a win-win. Of course Wall Street/Republicans/Centrist Dems hate the idea because their constituency gets screwed, but I personally don't work on Wall Street so I don't care.

But speculative gambling isn't what's wrong with Wall Street. Wall Street is broken because people are irrational/stupid on the average and the smart bet is to gamble on the average investor's continued stupidity. Eliminating speculation, the primary function of the stock market, would do nothing to address this.

Concerning Poppers article, you don't learn anything relevant to the business world in college except to socialize with people. Taking classes online eliminates the only useful thing you actually get from college.

[Zonkerbl]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

[nate33]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

[JWizmentality]

Don the Con settles the "Trump University" class action suit for $25 million

I thought only losers settle.

Really disgusting what he did there. Another mistake by the dems not to hammer that.

You don't know white collar civil court very well. I've settled civil cases, even when extorted, you have to look at a variety of issues such as risk/reward, impact on productivity, and the ultimate legal costs of proving your "innocence" vs trial.

Just making the pests go away (especially when propped up by a competitor) allows everyone to get back to work/being productive. Being the victor in a civil court case of this type can cost 100-500% more in legal fees, than if you just settle. Considering the plaintiffs were being backed by Trump's political opponents it was a wise move. They'd surely have drug our discovery and motions for the entirety of Trump's 4 year term.

Sitting president testifying against a lawsuit funded by democrats with deep pockets? I also suspect Peter Thiel, after his prolonged gawker drama would advise "make it go away, regardless of guilt".

Not a fan of Trump University but take the Trump hate blinders off and anyone with the funds (personally or other) just elected president would also settle. What President wants to be dragged though 18 months of discovery in a civil trial?

He just neutralized a key weapon his detractors in DC hoped to use against him. Much like Clinton paid off Gennifer Flowers etc etc.

Sorry but....no sh*t sherlock. I'm not shocked that he settled. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why. I merely quoting his exact words. My friend, you're the one that needs to take off the rose colored glasses. You get so wound up when someone criticizes him. You scream bias, unfairness, disrespect...and proceed to lecture me about white collar civil court when all I did was quote him.

Chill.

[JWizmentality]

Wait...is Trump still salty about Hamilton? Jesus.

[Zonkerbl]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get around to it eventually. That was a fundamental plank in the party platform.

Pence is probably in charge so we won't hear much about it until the mass graves are discovered decades later.

[verbal8]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

Some of the proposed nominees are troubling, but at least it looks like the Muslim Registry seems to be off the table.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reince-priebus-were-not-going-to-have-a-registry-based-on-a-religion-204453076.html

[Zonkerbl]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

Some of the proposed nominees are troubling, but at least it looks like the Muslim Registry seems to be off the table.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reince-priebus-were-not-going-to-have-a-registry-based-on-a-religion-204453076.html

It's a shame, I was looking forward to expanding that idea to the people who represent the most direct terrorist threat, gun owners.

[verbal8]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

Some of the proposed nominees are troubling, but at least it looks like the Muslim Registry seems to be off the table.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reince-priebus-were-not-going-to-have-a-registry-based-on-a-religion-204453076.html

It's a shame, I was looking forward to expanding that idea to the people who represent the most direct terrorist threat, gun owners.

I agree an real attempt at profiling potential terrorists would have to include crazy guys with guns.

I also think any serious attempt to lower illegal immigration would have to focus on increased penalties to companies employing them.

However for some reason I don't see either of them being proposed by Trump or Congress.

[Induveca]

I thought only losers settle.

Really disgusting what he did there. Another mistake by the dems not to hammer that.

You don't know white collar civil court very well. I've settled civil cases, even when extorted, you have to look at a variety of issues such as risk/reward, impact on productivity, and the ultimate legal costs of proving your "innocence" vs trial.

Just making the pests go away (especially when propped up by a competitor) allows everyone to get back to work/being productive. Being the victor in a civil court case of this type can cost 100-500% more in legal fees, than if you just settle. Considering the plaintiffs were being backed by Trump's political opponents it was a wise move. They'd surely have drug our discovery and motions for the entirety of Trump's 4 year term.

Sitting president testifying against a lawsuit funded by democrats with deep pockets? I also suspect Peter Thiel, after his prolonged gawker drama would advise "make it go away, regardless of guilt".

Not a fan of Trump University but take the Trump hate blinders off and anyone with the funds (personally or other) just elected president would also settle. What President wants to be dragged though 18 months of discovery in a civil trial?

He just neutralized a key weapon his detractors in DC hoped to use against him. Much like Clinton paid off Gennifer Flowers etc etc.

Sorry but....no sh*t sherlock. I'm not shocked that he settled. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why. I merely quoting his exact words. My friend, you're the one that needs to take off the rose colored glasses. You get so wound up when someone criticizes him. You scream bias, unfairness, disrespect...and proceed to lecture me about white collar civil court when all I did was quote him.

Chill.

You said he should have been attacked over it during the election. The plaintiffs couldn't assist the media with details as they would open themselves to countersuits and defamation allegations. Possibly leading to dismissal in pre-trial hearings.

Trump couldn't comment during the proceedings, or he'd possibly incriminate himself as well. You just sounded ignorant of why it wasn't used against him to a further degree during the election, so attempted to explain.

It wasn't possible during the election, no facts were determined and any meaningful hearings months to a year away.

I hold no ill will, both candidates were in the midst of legal proceedings unbecoming presidential candidates.

[nate33]

I also think any serious attempt to lower illegal immigration would have to focus on increased penalties to companies employing them.

However for some reason I don't see either of them being proposed by Trump or Congress.

Byron York has an article in the Washington Examiner today discussing much of the illegal immigration legislation that is already in place but simply hasn't been enforced by Obama. Number 1 on the list was the following:

1) End the embargo on worksite enforcement. "Experience has shown that employers respond very quickly and voluntarily implement compliance measures when there is an uptick in enforcement," Vaughan notes, "because they see the potential damage to their operations and public image for being caught and prosecuted."

The thinking here is that the selection of Sessions as AG is likely to mean that many of these laws will finally be enforced.

The Washington Examiner article was derived from a paper issued by the hard line Center for Immigration Studies. Here is what the CIS believes can be done on the subject of workplace enforcement without any additional Congressional legislation:

Worksite Compliance

* Issue an EO requiring that a condition of all federal grant monies given to state or local governments is that they, or the contracting employers or sub-recipients of that grant money, whether as a pass-through or for any other purpose, must use E-Verify for their employees.

* End the existing ICE policy embargo on workplace enforcement actions, including arrest of illegal aliens employed at violating companies.

* Revitalize the use of audits, to be used in strategic coordination with workplace enforcement actions.

* Direct the strategic use of employment data obtained from alien arrestees to inform targeting of workplaces for operations and audits.

* End mitigation of fines prior to hearings before the OCAHO and direct EOIR to establish clear-cut guidelines for OCAHO (similar to sentencing guidelines) to rein in that office's proclivity toward mitigating offenses down to meaninglessness.

* Establish and publicize a nationwide Social Security OIG / IRS CID / ICE HSI task force to root out fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and taxpayer identification numbers by aliens unauthorized to work. Such aliens should be prosecuted for appropriate tax and Social Security violations, and thereafter deported. In the process, any employers identified as having instigated, condoned, or participated in the fraud should be criminally prosecuted, including for harboring/concealing and/or pattern-and-practice violations under employer sanctions laws, and should be subject to civil penalties. (See, e.g., a discussion of the use of "soft power" in immigration enforcement by William Chip, "Mass Deportations vs. Mass Legalization: A False Choice".)

[TGW]

I'm really disappointed you guys aren't talking about your plans to set up concentration camps for Muslims like I expected.

Some of the proposed nominees are troubling, but at least it looks like the Muslim Registry seems to be off the table.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/reince-priebus-were-not-going-to-have-a-registry-based-on-a-religion-204453076.html

LOL of course it's off the table. Not only is it unconstitutional (not that Trump nor White Nationalists care about the constitution) but it's not implementable. Only a complete moron or a complete racist thought this was a good idea in the first place.

[TGW]

Wait...is Trump still salty about Hamilton? Jesus.

I thought what the Hamilton cast did was unprofessional and un-american. Pence wasn't at the show as a politician, he was there as a paying customer. I'm sure liberals would have been pissed if Obama attended a Dallas Mavericks game, and over the intercom at halftime, the announcer started to lecture Obama on how much Texans hate Obamacare. It was petty, stupid, and not the right time or place to vent or rant on politics.

With that being said, Trump is a big baby. Playtime is over. We have more important things to deal with...stop wasting time on social media and worry about your terrible cabinet choices.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

[nate33]

Read on Twitter

I always thought the whole waterboarding thing was overblown. It was false bravado from Trump designed to bolster his toughness. Even his supporters don't really want to see waterboarding, but they want a President who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect American citizens.

I think the scenarios in which waterboarding makes sense are so rare that it's really not worth discussing. It may be necessary in a "ticking time bomb scenario", and if so, I'd prefer it to be on the table as an option. But as I understand it, that type of torture is generally not that reliable in comparison to other longer term coercion techniques, so waterboarding is almost never going to make sense.

[DCZards]

Dub post.

[DCZards]

I thought what the Hamilton cast did was unprofessional and un-american. Pence wasn't at the show as a politician, he was there as a paying customer. I'm sure liberals would have been pissed if Obama attended a Dallas Mavericks game, and over the intercom at halftime, the announcer started to lecture Obama on how much Texans hate Obamacare. It was petty, stupid, and not the right time or place to vent or rant on politics.

With that being said, Trump is a big baby. Playtime is over. We have more important things to deal with...stop wasting time on social media and worry about your terrible cabinet choices.

A group of people deciding to use their unique platform to collectively speak up for those who don't have that platform...I love it! And I particularly like it because it came from artists, who have often been the conscience of this country.

Un-American? No, it's called free speech. If people want to complain about what the Hamilton cast did (or the Mavs making an announcement about Obamacare over the intercom) let them use that same First Amendment right to do just that.