Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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Unit2Sucks said:

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I hope the democrats take a page out of the republican playbook this time and filibuster until after the election to give themselves an added push to win the senate. On the other hand, perhaps that push will motivate more conservatives who tend to be more outcome oriented voters (eg motivated by things like this).

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The filibuster is gone. McConnell killed it to get Gorsuch on the court.

We're getting a hyper-conservative court.

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Shouldn't have used the term filibuster. They really just need to convince one or two republicans to hold off.

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Long shot, but maybe more possible now that Dems picked up another seat.

Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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Unit2Sucks said:

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I hope the democrats take a page out of the republican playbook this time and filibuster until after the election to give themselves an added push to win the senate. On the other hand, perhaps that push will motivate more conservatives who tend to be more outcome oriented voters (eg motivated by things like this).

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The filibuster is gone. McConnell killed it to get Gorsuch on the court.

We're getting a hyper-conservative court.

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Shouldn't have used the term filibuster. They really just need to convince one or two republicans to hold off.

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Pipe dreams. At least 3 Democratic Senators will vote for the Trump nominee or lose their seats in the November elections. They may lose their seats regardless of what they do because if they vote for the nominee they may lose Democratic support. The timing of this is all a great thing for McConnell who gets another justice and gets to make this an election issue in red state Senate elections. There is nothing Democrats can do to prevent this nominee being seated. Knowing Democratic voters, they'll probably get angry and decide not to vote, cementing their defeat.

What the democrats need to do is take the House in 2018 and the Presidency and the Senate in 2020. The Democratic Senate needs to eliminate the filibuster. Period. The way this country is populated, Democrats can virtually never expect to have 60 Senators - the population distribution is heavily weighted towards giving small, red states extra-constitutional power. We can't give them extra powers not already in the Constitution.

With the filibuster gone, they need to vote to expand the Supreme Court to 11 seats, then nominate Garland and a far left anti-Gorsuch. That will remake the Supreme Court 6-5 in favor of the center-left, assuming everybody stays healthy until 2020. Democrats need to fight to win. They way they've been acting in Washington for the past 30 years is as punching bags.

"President Trump, with his refusal to take advice or yield to experts, is the West Wing. Republicans who control both halves of Congress won't lift a finger against him and fully support his every move.

And now with his chance to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy Trump may have fewer checks on his power than any president in his lifetime. (Trump was born in 1946, the year after FDR died in office, 72 years ago.)
The media, normally the last check on a president with total control of government, has lost the trust of most Republicans and many Democrats, after two years of Trump pummeling." Axios

I would say they also need to amend the constitution to impose term limits for the supreme court. A lifetime appointment is a bit ridiculous. Rick Perry proposed 18 year term limits, which would give every presidential term two appointees (or there abouts).

golden sloth said:

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I would say they also need to amend the constitution to impose term limits for the supreme court. A lifetime appointment is a bit ridiculous. Rick Perry proposed 18 year term limits, which would give every presidential term two appointees (or there abouts).

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I'd support that but Constitutional Amendments are kind of non-starters at the moment

Funny, this is how I have always felt about this country. Grow up poor among the upper middle class, and the hypocrisy was glaring, even at ten years old.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/supreme-court-is-now-trumps-and-so-we-grieve-for-america.html

MAGAing hasn't changed much in 240 years.

More boobery from Dotard Donnie...

Prank caller patched through to Trump on Air Force One

Quote:

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The host of "The Stuttering John" podcast, John Melendez, got President Trump on the phone yesterday by pretending he was New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez. "This is how easy it is to infiltrate the administration," Melendez said in the episode.

Why it matters: This calls into question White House security. White House staff members are freaking out today trying figure out how the podcast host was so easily transferred from the White House switchboard to Air Force One, per a source familiar.

The whole thing is ridiculous. Melendez, the host, had three different interactions with two White House operators and got through two call screens before Jared Kushner called him from Air Force One. According to Melendez, Kushner asked if he wanted to talk to the president then or have them call him back later, which is what he did.

The details: When the White House operator calls back, he says: "Hello is this Sen. Menendez?" and then "Hello is this Air Force One?"

• President Trump picked up the phone congratulating who he thought was Sen. Menendez and telling him he "went through a very tough situation."
• He also talked about immigration. "Bob, let me just tell you I want to be able to take care of the situation every bit as much as anybody else at the top level. I'd rather do the larger solution rather than the smaller solution."
• He said the North Dakota Senate race is "a tough race."
• Regarding his SCOTUS nominee, he said they'll be done making a decision in 12 to 14 days.

The White House didn't respond to requests for comment.

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If you click through and read this thread, you'll find it very life-affirming.

And there's this...

More than 1,000 economists warn Trump his trade views echo 1930s errors

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President's 'economic protectionism' harkens back to errors that fueled Great Depression, say experts including 14 Nobel winners

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I'd really like to hear from conservatives on this, and what they think Trump is doing, or trying to achieve...because it's not apparent to me.

Seems like this is a recipe for disaster given how global markets are set-up. Why would anyone start two (2) trade wars with the U.S.'s largest trade partners, China and Canada?

Another Bear said:

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And there's this...

More than 1,000 economists warn Trump his trade views echo 1930s errors

Quote:

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President's 'economic protectionism' harkens back to errors that fueled Great Depression, say experts including 14 Nobel winners

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I'd really like to hear from conservatives on this, and what they think Trump is doing, or trying to achieve...because it's not apparent to me.

Seems like this is a recipe for disaster given how global markets are set-up. Why would anyone start two (2) trade wars with the U.S.'s largest trade partners, China and Canada?

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Does Russia benefit? Seriously. That seems to be the answer to a lot of Trump's moves [especially weakening the European Alliance, and putting pressure on Japan by pulling back militarily in the area to pander to North Korea]

mikecohen said:

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Another Bear said:

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And there's this...

More than 1,000 economists warn Trump his trade views echo 1930s errors

Quote:

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President's 'economic protectionism' harkens back to errors that fueled Great Depression, say experts including 14 Nobel winners

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I'd really like to hear from conservatives on this, and what they think Trump is doing, or trying to achieve...because it's not apparent to me.

Seems like this is a recipe for disaster given how global markets are set-up. Why would anyone start two (2) trade wars with the U.S.'s largest trade partners, China and Canada?

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Does Russia benefit? Seriously. That seems to be the answer to a lot of Trump's moves [especially weakening the European Alliance, and putting pressure on Japan by pulling back militarily in the area to pander to North Korea]

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Russia does benefit from global depression and from a weaken NATO and a weakened western democxracies, i.e., Russia's enemy. Trump dissed NATO and wants to pull out of the WTO.

I know it sounds like tinfoil hat time but given all the other crap out there, it seems pretty real to me.

What gets me is how the GOP have rolled over on this and are basically sucking Putin off. How incredibly short sighted and treasonous.

https://apnews.com/b5d909fc9e8642709d95a31a83c00b5c

What it might be like if people in the tRump Administration suddenly were overcome with self awareness:

B.A. Bearacus said:

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Everyone, please pray for Alan Dershowitz tonight.

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1%'er problems are the worst.

NYCGOBEARS said:

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B.A. Bearacus said:

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Everyone, please pray for Alan Dershowitz tonight.

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1%'er problems are the worst.

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That's what happens when one loses one's moral compass. There are things about populism (i.e., it's democratic character, bursting through the pretense, exposing real democractic issues that have been hidden due to various taboos) that can and should be "defended" and asserted; but not the way Trump and various other monsters in history have used it, and not the particularly prissy way that Dershowitz does it.

Anarchistbear said:

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First they came for our organic coconut water and we did nothing ..

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Well, to be fair they also took chia seeds, so I was willing to look the other way.

So let me get this straight, the sensibilities of D@ucheowitz' high society friends weren't offended by him being on the Dream Team that secured the acquital of a barbaric double murderer?

If the pedophile stuff with Dershowitz gets out...that shunning in the Vineyard will look like the welcome wagon.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/04/helsinki-putin-trump-america-first-russian-president?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Breaking: Pruitt resigns over one year too late.

You knew his days were numbered when Laura Ingraham called him "the swamp."

Scott officially qualifies for the rare status of: A D@uchebag's D@ouchebag

Pruitt's laundry list of scandals:

He reportedly ordered raises for two aides, despite the White House rejecting his request. He later said he was unaware of the raises.
He spent $3 million of taxpayer funds on an extensive security detail, which was three times bigger than his predecessor's.
Biometric locks were installed on his office doors for $5,700, Politico reports.
He came under fire for renting a bedroom near Capitol Hill from a lobbyist for $50 a night. He told the Washington Examiner: "I'm dumbfounded that that's controversial."
The agency installed a $43,000 private phone booth in his office.
He has spent over $105,000 on first-class flights, per Politico, citing "threats to his safety."
He had a tendency to want to use flashing lights and sirens on his motorcade to cut through D.C. traffic including at least one trip to a popular French restaurant, Le Diplomate.
A former Comcast lobbyist helped the agency set up a trip to Morocco in December, which cost $100,000, despite original claims that it would cost $40,000.
Pruitt accepted seats at a University of Kentucky basketball game for him and his son from a billionaire coal executive.
His staff spent over $1,500 on fountain pens, CNN reported, and more than $1,600 on journals.
His director of scheduling and advance, Millan Hupp, says Pruitt asked her to perform personal tasks, which included a request for a Trump hotel mattress.
He told his allies in the conservative movement that Hupp lied in her testimony and could not be trusted implying that "she should not be hired at their institutions," reports the Daily Beast.
He tried to use his position to get his wife a job as a Chick-fil-A franchisee, per the Washington Post.
Pruitt requested that his 24/7 security detail help him find "a favorite moisturizing lotion" offered at Ritz-Carlton hotels, and retrieve his dry cleaning without him, the Washington Post reported.
He sent employees during the work day to "pick up his favorite snacks and treats," per the Daily Beast, including particular finger foods, Greek yogurt, and more.
He enlisted the help of a top aide to find his wife a job by reaching out to Republican donors, the Washington Post reported. The Post later reported that the aide was told to find a job which offered a salary topping $200,000.
He put the former treasurer of his political action committee, Elizabeth Beacham White, in charge of the EPA's Office of the Executive Secretariat, which oversees FOIA requests, Politico reported. Axios

Pruitt's laundry list of scandals that matter to Evangelicals:

Wow Pruitt buckled. I thought he had enough sleaze, corporate shttbaggery in him to last a lifetime and out run Dotard.

Oh well...I guess Pruitt's offer to replace Sessions so he could fire Mueller is out. That was the only reason to keep him around and now it's gone.

Pruitt's home state will continue to be increasingly rocked by ever more fracking related earthquakes. It's the real God's way of sending a message.

London Mayor Says 'Trump Baby' Blimp Can Fly In Protest Of President Trump's Visit

Very much looking forward to what the Brits do to protest Dotard. The people with perhaps the most absurd sense of humor and rapier wit should have a field day.

p.s. Anyone else see the big knockers Israel tourist ads on the side?

Here's a clip of Trump disparaging George H's "Thousand Points of Light" slogan. In it Trump claims to have absolutely no idea what it means. From a man with no empathy or understanding of volunteerism or civic duty, I can see his lack of comprehension here.

A legitimately wealthy billionaire hedge fund guy I know here says that Trump is a guy living off a credit card with a very large limit and there's no way he can ever pay it off. He scoffs at the notion that he is either a businessman or wealthy.

Bush the Elder: "Thousand Points of Light."

tRump: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe."