US Politics: the Lying Liars Who Lie edtion

[Which Tyler]

1 minute ago, A True Kaniggit said:

You know, if you wait until the last minute to do something, you finish in one minute.

those last 5 words.... story of my (ahem) adult life

[DireWolfSpirit]

To borrow a phrase from Comey, I'll just say, "Lordey I hope he's stupid enough to fire Mueller!"

Donald just keep digging your own hole bud.

[Red Tiger]

12 hours ago, Nasty LongRider said:

https://quigley.house.gov/sites/quigley.house.gov/files/COVFEFE Act.pdf

 

Jaysus christ!

[OldGimletEye]

I have to say I like the idea that in return for the Democrats supporting increasing the debt limit, they demand that the debt limit games go away for good (and of course they should accept no qualifiers put on by Republicans).
 

https://newrepublic.com/article/143144/debt-limit-nightmares-coming-true

Quote

A more accurate way to say this is that staving off catastrophe will likely require Democrats to rescue Republicans from their own extremism by providing Republican leaders a lot of votes. Democrats will thus be tempted to demand concessions from congressional Republicans in exchange for those votes. In general, indulging those temptations is a disastrous idea—but it is also possible to imagine Democrats using the GOP’s bind, and general disarray, to end debt limit brinkmanship forever.

 

Quote

Outside of that context, things look much different. During the Obama years, Republicans transformed the debt limit “from a cheap partisan talking point into a sharp-edged spear used to extract policy concessions,” as Vox’s Matt Yglesias wrote on Tuesday. The legacy of that extreme tactical change has been to leave the Republican Party divided over whether the debt limit should be raised without hostage-taking—even under Republican rule.

 

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In the grand sweep of history, it would be morally perverse for Democrats to allow the United States to default on its debt—vote against a clean increase in the limit—because they were worried Republicans might cut taxes in the future.

 

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What Democrats can fairly demand is a single rule for presidents of both parties. It can’t be the case that debt limit demands are an extortion tool Republicans alone get to wield when they’re out of power, and Democrats shouldn’t be expected to submit to that double standard. Giving Trump enough borrowing authority to get through his presidency without incident does nothing to stop Republicans from reprising their 2011 strategy against the next Democratic president. If Republicans need Democratic help to raise the debt limit, Democrats could fairly seek a multi-decade suspension of the debt limit—or preferably its outright abolition—in exchange for their votes.

Yeah, I think ideally they demand the debt ceiling games go away permanently.  If not that, then the minimum acceptable outcome is simply a clean bill with nothing tacked on.

Which ever position they decide upon, there should be no negotiation. You do not negotiate with Republicans. You do not compromise with Republicans. You treat every situation with Republicans as if it were 1938 and we are in Munich. You assume any act of appeasement towards Republicans will viewed as an act of weakness by Republicans. When Republicans threaten brinkmanship, you counter with unyielding resolve. In short, you take no shit from Republicans.
 

Today In: Of course they don't give fuck. It's all upside for them.

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/06/republicans-are-working-hard-to-allow-another-financial-crisis/

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And yet, a mere decade after the Great Crash, Republicans want to repeal pretty much everything we did to prevent 2003 performance from turning into 2007 performance and then 2009 performance. Why? After all, in the long run the Great Crash probably hurt Donald Trump’s working-class supporters more than anyone else.

Unemployment caused by financial crises means more people on SNAP to complain about. And then, you get to make statements like:
 

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Just like Jesus said, ‘The poor will always be with us,’” Marshall told Stat News, quoting the Bible.

 

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if a man will not work, he shall not eat,

In short, it’s an opportunity for Republicans to act like jack asses. No wonder they don’t care or are excited by the prospect.

[all swedes are racist]

*nodding sagely* cool, cool

[Mexal]

Trump's personal lawyer, Kasowitz, brags he got Preet Bharara fired. We knew this but it's still nice to add a new story to the mix right before Sessions is going to testify. Republicans give no fucks but would like to see the Dems ask about it.

Quote

Marc Kasowitz, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer in the Russia investigation, has boasted to friends and colleagues that he played a central role in the firing of Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to four people familiar with the conversations.

Kasowitz told Trump, “This guy is going to get you,” according to a person familiar with Kasowitz’s account.

Those who know Kasowitz say he is sometimes prone to exaggerating when regaling them with his exploits. But if true, his assertion adds to the mystery surrounding the motive and timing of Bharara’s firing.

New presidents typically ask U.S. attorneys to resign and have the power to fire them. But Trump asked Bharara to stay in his job when they met in November at Trump Tower, as Bharara announced after the meeting.

In early March, Trump reversed himself. He asked all the remaining U.S. attorneys to resign, including Bharara. Bharara, a telegenic prosecutor with a history of taking on powerful politicians, refused and was fired March 11.

As ProPublica previously reported, at the time of Bharara’s firing the Southern District was conducting an investigation into Trump’s secretary of the health and human services, Tom Price.

 

[BloodRider]

9 hours ago, TheKitttenGuard said:

I saw a couple articles on this throughout the night:

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337509-trump-considering-firing-special-counsel-mueller

How will this be in any way be considered a good idea? This article has Ruddy saying no but we have Hannity tonight urging it and I know Gingrich is pushing along these lines.

I know they are upset that Comey release of his memos was the tipping point for the Consul but surprise they do not understand it happened like that due to how mammothly incompentently it was done and in such a manner humiliate Comey.  To do it again and think it will be a better quite amazing.

He's sending up trial balloons to see if he can get away with it.  It also has the benefit of casting shade on Mueller.  Never mind what everyone said last week.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

15 hours ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

I would bet the mortgage he has his own recording system. It just fits his MO.

Well he does have a history of recording private conversations, but they were always over the phone. He would of had to be wearing a wire if he actually recorded his conversations with Comey. But I guess that wouldn't be too unusual for a guy who routinely dealt with the mob. 

[Mexal]

13 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Well he does have a history of recording private conversations, but they were always over the phone. He would of had to be wearing a wire if he actually recorded his conversations with Comey. But I guess that wouldn't be too unusual for a guy who routinely dealt with the mob. 

He also has a history of claiming to record private conversations as a means of threatening but not actually doing it.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

24 minutes ago, Mexal said:

He also has a history of claiming to record private conversations as a means of threatening but not actually doing it.

I thought it was reported that most executives in NYC didn't like talking to Trump on the phone because he had a history of recording their conversations. 

[Mexal]

Just now, Tywin et al. said:

I thought it was reported that most executives in NYC didn't like talking to Trump on the phone because he had a history of recording their conversations. 

Oh you're correct. I'm just saying he has threatened multiple reporters with tapes that never existed. I think he does both and relies on his past history of recording to threaten.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Fair point Mex. Also, I still don't think Trump understands how Congress works:

 

[Mexal]

Trump also doesn't understand how insurance works. The reason this is happening is because of him. The heads of Insurance companies are siting his inability to guarantee payments of subsidies as reason for them pulling out of markets or jacking up premiums. The polls are laying the blame at his feet. He can blame Democrats all he wants but reality is the voters and companies are blaming him. Healthcare is going to be his downfall, as it is with most Congresses.

[TheKitttenGuard]

2 hours ago, BloodRider said:

He's sending up trial balloons to see if he can get away with it.  It also has the benefit of casting shade on Mueller.  Never mind what everyone said last week.

They can cast shade on Mueller without it.

There is greater difficulty in looking to the past with Trump. Trump may of been convinced to do a a trial balloon does not mean he will do it anyway because he is being told it is not a good idea.

[Mexal]

Oh fun. Senate now closing themselves off right at the moment they're drafting a secret healthcare bill and holding very important hearings. These fucking guys man. It's clear they don't work for the American people. I really hope they vote them all out (i know they won't).

At least Chris Murphy is out there. I'm sure other Dems will be the same.  But Republicans want every reason to not talk to reporters and get on the record. According to the new rules, any interviews must be cleared by the Senate Rules Committee.

 

[Fez]

That's quite a nice first amendment you've got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

As disturbing as this is, it won't actually affect anything. Senators will just have to walk a little further away to speak with reporters. Back in 2010 I was an intern in the Minnesota State Senate and a staffer on a State Senator's campaign, and if we wanted to talk about the campaign while at the capitol we just had to take a little walk, or better yet, go grab a slice of pizza from the best pizzeria in the world.

[lokisnow]

5 hours ago, OldGimletEye said:

 

Yeah, I think ideally they demand the debt ceiling games go away permanently.  If not that, then the minimum acceptable outcome is simply a clean bill with nothing tacked on.

 

I like the paragraph that came after this. but this is hopelessly naive. If republicans demand a clean bill and democrats acquiesce, republicans pass Trump's tax cut and one month later the new debt ceiling is breached by the catastrophic new deficits and republicans come back and demand another clean bill.

or, in your scenario, there is no more debt ceiling, republicans get that reward for nothing, and immediately pass their catastrophic country destroying tax cuts to no consequences.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Well he does have a history of recording private conversations, but they were always over the phone. He would of had to be wearing a wire if he actually recorded his conversations with Comey. But I guess that wouldn't be too unusual for a guy who routinely dealt with the mob. 

This plus I think you have to factor in his paranoia/distrust of the Deep State of which I'm sure he considers the Secret Service a part of. There's no way he'd leave a recording system in their charge.

[OldGimletEye]

2 minutes ago, lokisnow said:

I like the paragraph that came after this. but this is hopelessly naive. If republicans demand a clean bill and democrats acquiesce, republicans pass Trump's tax cut and one month later the new debt ceiling is breached by the catastrophic new deficits and republicans come back and demand another clean bill.

or, in your scenario, there is no more debt ceiling, republicans get that reward for nothing, and immediately pass their catastrophic country destroying tax cuts to no consequences.

I simply do not think the debt ceiling should be used as a tool for legislation. I think it is damaging to liberal causes in the long run. The best result here would be for Democrats to demand that debt ceiling games be eliminated for good. The minimum acceptable result is that there is clean bill with nothing attached by Republicans.