Yes, but she announces she's leaving literally the day after giving 9 hours of testimony? And the deputy communications director is leaving too?
American Politics thread: No Nazis Allowed
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Yes, but she announces she's leaving literally the day after giving 9 hours of testimony? And the deputy communications director is leaving too?
Ehhhh, I have my issues with Haberman, but I'm inclined to believe her when she says this has been in the offing for a while and centers largely on the Rob Porter stuff. There's a recurring theme that nobody in the White House cares about criminality and mostly just personalizes everything they do. Plus, who honestly gives a shit what House Intel does any more?
Mueller would be very different, and likely factors in, but I'm not expecting more major fireworks to crop up re: her testimony in the coming days.
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Sources are saying that Trump yelled at her ("How could you be so stupid?") for admitting to her "white lies" the day before, and that that mean scolding was a big motivator/final straw. Also that everyone in the White House was actually shocked at her resignation. Given how leaky that ship is, we would've heard the rumors weeks in advance if Hicks was going around musing about it.
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She's a clueless sheltered rich girl from Greenwich who got in way the fuck over her head.
She is probably both sort of detached from the dirt, but also dirty as crap at the same time. -
Maggie was just defense forcing for the administration so she can get another juicy scoop next week.
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Senate Intel remains the one thing in government working approximately as it should: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/politics/senate-intelligence-nunes-leaks.html?smid=pl-share
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Yes, but she announces she's leaving literally the day after giving 9 hours of testimony? And the deputy communications director is leaving too?
Quick, abandon ship!
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What The Fuck Just Happened Today: https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/03/01/day-406/
1/ Putin warned that Russia has developed nuclear weapons that can't be intercepted by missile-defense systems and that they're planning to add nuclear-powered cruise missiles to its arsenal, which would allow them to strike any target on the globe. Putin added that Russia would consider any nuclear attack against itself or any of its allies an attack on Russia, warning that such an incident would lead to immediate retaliation. "No one listened to us," Putin warned. "Listen to us now."
https://apnews.com/de8fb0159f314a849e1c36ff975c4637
2/ Jared Kushner's family real estate business received $509 million dollars in loans shortly after White House meetings. Chief executives from Apollo Global Management and Citigroup had multiple meetings with Kushner at the White House and, following those meetings, Kushner Companies received $184 million in loans from Apollo – triple Apollo's average loan size – and $325 million from Citigroup. Government ethics experts say the meetings and the subsequent loans are virtually unprecedented for such a high-level White House staffer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/business/jared-kushner-apollo-citigroup-loans.html
New York regulator asked Deutsche Bank AG and two other banks to provide information about their relationships with Jared Kushner, his family, and Kushner Companies. All three banks are chartered in New York, placing them under the regulatory eye of the state's Department of Financial Services.
3/ Robert Mueller's team is looking into Trump's attempts to fire Jeff Sessions last July and determine whether those alleged efforts to oust Sessions were part of a larger pattern of attempted obstruction of justice by Trump and the administration. Mueller wants to know if Trump attempted to remove Sessions in order to install a loyal attorney general who would exercise control over the special counsel investigation into possible coordination between Trump associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
4/ The White House is reportedly "furious" over the stories about excessive spending at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Aides have been trying to manage the negative publicity, which includes Ben Carson spending $31,000 to replace a dining room set and demoting an administrative officer for refusing the spend more than the $5,000 legal limit on a chair.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/white-house-ben-carson-table-chair/index.html
Ben Carson wants the order for a $31,000 dining set canceled. "I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered," Carson said in the statement. "I have requested that the order be canceled. We will find another solution for the furniture replacement."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/01/politics/carson-dining-room-canceled/index.html
5/ Trump is in favor of forgoing due process in order to confiscate guns who are deemed to be dangerous. "I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man's case that just took place in Florida … to go to court would have taken a long time," Trump said during bipartisan meeting on community and school safety, interrupting Mike Pence. Trump added: "Take the guns first, go through due process second."
poll/ 58% of Americans say they want to elect a Congress that stands up to Trump – not one that cooperates with him. 60% of those surveyed say they disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president.
poll/ 57% of Americans think Trump is racist, including more than 8 in 10 blacks, three-quarters of Hispanics, and nearly half of whites. 85% of Democrats consider Trump racist versus 21% of Republicans. 57% of Americans think Trump's policies have been bad for Muslims, 56% think Trump's policies have been bad for Hispanics, and 47% think they’ve been bad for African Americans.
https://apnews.com/9961ee5b3c3b42d29aebdee837c17a11
poll/ 74% of Americans said they had a favorable view of Medicaid and 52% said it was working well. 41% believe the main reason for introducing Medicaid work requirements pushed by the Trump administration is to cut government spending. 33% believe the primary motivation is to help lift people out of poverty.
The three top ranking officials in the Justice Department met for dinner on the same day Trump called his Jeff Sessions "disgraceful." Solicitor General Noel Francisco said the dinner was "in no way planned as pushback or an act of solidarity against the president."
More than 30 Trump aides have been downgraded to lower-level "secret" interim security clearances. None have been asked to leave the administration. Their portfolios on top secret matters will be distributed to other staff members.
The U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% on aluminum. Trump is expected to sign a formal order next week.
Melania Trump was granted a green card in 2001 under a program reserved for those with "extraordinary ability" and "sustained national and international acclaim." The EB-1 visa program was created for renowned academic researchers, Olympic athletes, and award-winning entertainers. Melania worked as a Slovenian model, appearing in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
Somebody forged the nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize – twice. While identities of the candidates are kept secret, the committee announced that it had uncovered what appeared to be a forged nomination of Trump for the prize. A forged nomination of Tump for the prize was also submitted last year.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/world/europe/nobel-peace-prize-trump-fake-nomination.html
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I can already hear Republicans blaming Democrats for the recession Trump's trade policies will cause.
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So, it turns out that Christian churches hate the gay marriage, but are totally cool with Ammosexual marriage.
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4/ The White House is reportedly "furious" over the stories about excessive spending at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Aides have been trying to manage the negative publicity, which includes Ben Carson spending $31,000 to replace a dining room set and demoting an administrative officer for refusing the spend more than the $5,000 legal limit on a chair.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
So, it turns out that Christian churches hate the gay marriage, but are totally cool with Ammosexual marriage.
They have their own spin on "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition".
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So, it turns out that Christian churches hate the gay marriage, but are totally cool with Ammosexual marriage.
Tag yourself, I'm the Ammo Crown.
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So, it turns out that Christian churches hate the gay marriage, but are totally cool with Ammosexual marriage.
dozens of unloaded AR-15s into World Peace and Unification Sanctuary
Excuse me, what?
“a kingdom of peace police and peace militia"
Uhm
Some worshippers wore crowns made out of bullets.
Wow.
Wait, hold on, these are guns I only ever saw in videogames, and such, civilians are actually allowed to buy one of these?
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Now watch the "censorship!!!" GamerGaters who make up the base of the Trump cult suddenly embrace a ban on violent videogames.
Why would they do this. No good can come of this. This was settled years ago in the Supreme Court. I can only imagine that that this is a PR stunt, but the goal of is all is tough to imagine.
Anyways, I suppose this is the next sh*tshow to look forward too.
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Excuse me, what?
Uhm
Wow.
Wait, hold on, these are guns I only ever saw in videogames, and such, civilians are actually allowed to buy one of these?
This is a nutjob group even by American crazy Protestant standards. Pretty much a cult, people call them "Moonies".
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I used to joke some rednecks love their guns so much they'd hump them….and sure enough, some do. God damn.
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The stock market didn't take the tariff announcement too well.
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Has anyone posted yet about how Georgia is deciding to shoot itself in the face by getting rid of tax breaks for Delta Airlines? A company that is a huge part of the state economy? Because Delta got rid of some NRA member perks?
Because if Delta leaves for somewhere else, lol forever.
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@Monkey:
Has anyone posted yet about how Georgia is deciding to shoot itself in the face by getting rid of tax breaks for Delta Airlines? A company that is a huge part of the state economy? Because Delta got rid of some NRA member perks?
Because if Delta leaves for somewhere else, lol forever.
I know the Lieutenant Governor got pissy about it. Has anything actually come of it, though?
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I know the Lieutenant Governor got pissy about it. Has anything actually come of it, though?
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We will be celebrating infrastructure week by jacking up the prices of vital construction metals.
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@Cyan:
We will be celebrating infrastructure week by jacking up the prices of vital construction metals.
Wait, I'm confused again. Wasn't Infrastructure week a few weeks ago? Are we having another one?
Also, this news cycle is vicious and dizzying.
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Wait, I'm confused again. Wasn't Infrastructure week a few weeks ago? Are we having another one?
Also, this news cycle is vicious and dizzying.
Infrastructure week never ends.
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Infrastructure week was inside of us all along.
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There is way too much crazy stuff happening at once right now, though almost all of it owns at least (well some of it only in the strategic sense).
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this is incredible television. This is holding government officials accountable in the age of celebrity worship — you can see the two cultures (Instagram celeb vs. politics and governance) colliding like a train wreck in front of us.
Omarosa was only prepared for an entertainment TV style interview where she’s feted and stroked and everything the Seacrest-like host says is meant to be studiously giggled at, while Colbert is dead-eye staring at her asking her if the country is going to survive this administration that she just resigned from.
If you want to see the collapse of our society happening in real time, it’s right here.
You can sort of tell it took all of his strength not to say, “No, stop, we don’t care about YOU; we care about what you KNOW.”
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Peak chaos weeks were Comey firing and Charlottesville. This is shaping up to be #3.
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@Monkey:
Has anyone posted yet about how Georgia is deciding to shoot itself in the face by getting rid of tax breaks for Delta Airlines? A company that is a huge part of the state economy? Because Delta got rid of some NRA member perks?
Because if Delta leaves for somewhere else, lol forever.
Cuomo gave them an invite to move here…....seems legit.
Oh and someone tell Orrin Hatch that if the people who support the ACA are dumbasses what does that make his republican constituents who helped him stay in power for the last few decades?
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Oh and someone tell Orrin Hatch that if the people who support the ACA are dumbasses what does that make his republican constituents who helped him stay in power for the last few decades?
Well, they kept him in power so "dumbasses".
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Well, they kept him in power so "dumbasses".
It wouldn't have been as fun had I spelled out the obvious.
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FFS, NYT is out with another Andy McCabe story, which has very little serious ramification but won't be represented that way. Guess the same FBI agents who planted the "No evidence of Trump-Russia connections" have been directed to provide another "look over there" for Trump.
[edit: even better, it's Matt Apuzzo, of "criminal referral for Hillary" fame.]
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You can tell it's a terrible week for Trump when the NY Times bravely throws itself onto that bad news grenade.
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You can tell it's a terrible week for Trump when the NY Times bravely throws itself onto that bad news grenade.
The article itself is amazing. It reads as "hi, we're about to get played, this is how we're getting played, and we know this is really a nothing story that will be misrepresented, but we're going to let ourselves get played anyways because they're feeding us a story other people don't have yet."
Same damned bullshit as the FBI text messages.
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You can tell it's a terrible week for Trump when the NY Times bravely throws itself onto that bad news grenade.
New York Times needs something to do given what's going on behind the scenes.
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Reminder that Bret Stephens, Ross Douthat, David Brooks, and Maureen Dowd are still on the NYT payroll.
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Being a journalist in 2018 means being savvy enough to know that republican objections are made in bad faith but fair enough to cover them anyway.
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Being a journalist in 2018 means being savvy enough to know that republican objections are made in bad faith but fair enough to cover them anyway.
About as succinct a summary of the situation as I've seen.
In other news, our idiot president has logged on to the twitter and demonstrated he has no clue what a trade war is or does.
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About as succinct a summary of the situation as I've seen.
In other news, our idiot president has logged on to the twitter and demonstrated he has no clue what a trade war is or does.
Or that he knows how to spell "dying".
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It doesn't seem like he's defending the comment from that tweet. He's chuckling at a stupid statement.
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Chuckling over an extremely offensive statement and then saying Hatch is usually the nicest guy is straight-up defense forcing. It's pretty much the standard GOP playbook whenever Trump says something stupid.
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So our president is having a lengthy twitter feud with Alec Baldwin .
Meanwhile, he is silent about Florida appearing on Putin's nuclear map.
Lovely.
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Here's one paragraph in WaPo's "Daily 202" that caught my eye:
The president went ahead with the unexpected announcement even after Gary Cohn, his top economic adviser, reportedly threatened to resign. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Trump that the stock market gains he loves to boast about would reverse themselves. Defense Secretary James Mattis, who he’s normally inclined to defer to, warned that this would hurt U.S. relationships with allies.
This is really making me wonder if we're going to see more resignations soon. It really feels like Trump's driving more and more people away from him. I'm partly expecting him to tweet why Stephen Miller sucks.
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Here's one paragraph in WaPo's "Daily 202" that caught my eye:
This is really making me wonder if we're going to see more resignations soon. It really feels like Trump's driving more and more people away from him. I'm partly expecting him to tweet why Stephen Miller sucks.
It's not that surprising. Would you want to work for a narcissistic, idiotic asshole with possible dementia for the full four years?
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A Trump confidant dumped millions in Steel related stocks last week.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-ichan-steel-imports-cf7deb8beaf0/
Also, Seth Abrasom (so take with a pinch of conspiracy theorist salt) has a lot to say about Erik Prince, Deripaska, and the fact Manafort owes them money.
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If I were scripting the movie for 2020, Trump would end up scoring some crap like Wisconsin again early on election night. And the same cold terrors and nightmares begin to descend upon the sane people of the world. Putin laughs in his office as he watches the returns.
And then all of a sudden… the Texas results come in... and they come in blue.
like this basically
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@Monkey:
If I were scripting the movie for 2020, Trump would end up scoring some crap like Wisconsin again early on election night. And the same cold terrors and nightmares begin to descend upon the sane people of the world. Putin laughs in his office as he watches the returns.
And then all of a sudden… the Texas results come in... and they come in blue.
like this basically
Was expecting Gandalf on the third day from the East lol
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan all go red but a Texas flip turns the tide and the media's Rust Belt obsession begins its death knolls. #liberaldreams