Trump's Second Presser
Very early this morning (American time), President Donald Trump did something he's only done once before as president: he held a formal solo press conference. It has been almost 500 days since his last one, which he gave during his first month in office. This is rather extraordinary, considering that if any other president had gone such a long time without formally speaking to them there would have been an enormous outcry from the press. It's always been somewhat of a mystery to me why this hasn't happened with Trump, personally. But now Trump has finally given his second solo press conference, so I guess we can expect the next one in another year and a half.
Maybe that's being too snarky. Trump actually did much better in his second presser than he did in his first. Part of the reason for this is that almost the entire press conference dealt with a single subject, which was pretty much as designed. Whenever a U.S. president meets with a foreign power, they normally hold a joint press conference at the end of it, but obviously a dictator like Kim Jong Un cares nothing for the free press, so Trump was left to hold the presser on his own.
This focused the subject matter to the point where the summit was pretty much all anyone asked about. North Korea and their relations with America, South Korea, Japan, and China dominated the event. The only slight detour was when Trump was asked about another foreign policy matter, after the dustup with Justin Trudeau after the G-7 meeting.
This narrow scope meant that Trump did fairly well in remaining focused himself. Obviously, the meeting had just happened and was fresh in his mind. Trump had his talking points and largely stuck to them. Trump was straining to appear a history-making statesman, so he refrained from calling any other world leaders demeaning names (even Trudeau), knowing it would mar his performance. Trump released the statement he and Kim had just signed, he showed the reporters what can only be described as a propaganda video the White House put together to show Kim and his team (about what a wonderful future North Korea could have, without nuclear weapons), and he broke three big pieces of news that weren't even included in the signed agreement. All in all, the presser was largely a success for Trump (the Washington Post has a transcript available, for anyone who wasn't up in the middle of the night watching television).
As fully expected, Trump tried to paint himself as a winner on the meat of the agreements struck with Kim, but it remains to be seen if this is how others will see it. Trump announced two tangential concessions North Korea made, and one rather big one that America will make. The news that the U.S. will suspend (or even end) its regular joint military exercises with South Korea came as a real bombshell (so to speak) that nobody had expected. Trump pretty obviously hadn't talked to anyone at the Pentagon about this stunning announcement, so we'll have to see whether the White House issues some "clarification" of Trump's news, after he arrives back in Washington and has a few words with the military brass.
Trump announced two things he said Kim personally promised him, both of which conveniently came after the agreement was signed and are therefore not actually written down anywhere. The first of these is that North Korea will aid in the return of American soldiers killed during the Korean War and buried in the North. That's a very big deal for the families involved, obviously. It is a symbolic gesture that would create a lot of goodwill for Kim, with very little actual price to pay (either political or monetary). So it was indeed a smart move for him to offer it. Kim's ultimate goal in this regard is a formal end to the Korean War, and this would obviously be part of any such agreement anyway, so he shows good faith by offering it up front.
The second thing Kim apparently offered Trump at the last minute was to destroy a test site for missile engines. Rocket engines are big and very powerful, so testing their thrust isn't an easy job. Even so, if Kim has essentially perfected his rocket engine design, then he has no further use for a test site for the foreseeable future. And such a test site could pretty easily be rebuilt. This is part of Kim's charm offensive which began a few weeks ago, with Kim inviting the world's media in to watch them blow up a few buildings and some underground tunnel entrances. So it's pretty easy to see that Kim planned this one all along, even if Trump did try to take credit for asking for it (which was perhaps the least believable part of Trump's press conference). Trump himself appeared confused about the timing of the site's destruction, fluidly talking about it in past, present, and future tenses (often within the same paragraph). Has it already been destroyed, is it being destroyed, or will it be destroyed in the future? We'll have to wait and see if Kim stages another media event, or just releases word that the site has been destroyed.
Trump's best moment in the presser (to be fair) was when he ran down a list he had made of what the U.S. had gained by this summit and the agreement. First, Trump began by vastly overstating North Korea's commitment to denuclearization. Trump talked about this core issue as a done deal, the details of which would be hammered out very quickly. Kim Jong Un probably feels quite differently about what was actually promised and when it will begin happening. Trump took credit, and probably rightly so, for the concessions North Korea had already made in the buildup to the summit: returning the three American prisoners and halting the testing of both nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Kim has indeed stuck to his unilateral declaration of a testing freeze for many months now.
So Trump's list consisted of five things: the commitment to denuclearization, the return of the prisoners, the testing freeze on nukes and missiles, remains from the war being repatriated, and the commitment to destroy a missile engine testing site. That, according to Trump, is what we got in exchange for announcing our own freeze on what Trump called "war games" with South Korea. And for the elevation of Kim Jong Un to an equal on the world's stage, which was the main propaganda value of the summit to Kim. Trump also didn't come right out and promise, but heavily implied that America will hold off on passing new sanctions against North Korea while talks continue, and that Trump won't be bringing up human rights for a very long time during the discussions. Both of those are somewhat more subtle, but both are indeed concessions from the American side.
So, the big question remains: did Trump get a good deal or not? Was what America conceded worth what North Korea conceded? That is a tricky question that mostly depends on knowledge of the future. Which of the things Kim Jong Un promised will happen quickly, and which will drag on endlessly? The missile engine test site will probably be blown up with great fanfare in the not-too-distant future, and if Kim is smart, he'll begin sending some American soldiers' remains home soon, too. The North will probably also continue its freeze on nuclear tests and missile tests. But the big prize will likely remain elusive for a long time to come. Kim agreed to continue talking to America about the ultimate goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, but that's it, really. He isn't going to take any major steps towards this goal other than to schedule months of talks about it. We'll see how serious the North Koreans really are when such talks actually take place. Only then will we know if Trump really got much of anything out of his summit or not.
But to be fair, where we are today is in a better place than we've been ever since Trump became president. This is an improvement over calling each other playground names and bragging about the awesome nature of the "nuclear button." Scheduling rounds of talks is a lot better than talk from Trump about "fire and fury," or talk from Kim about maybe just conducting an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean. We seem to be pulling back from that brink, and that is a good thing indeed for the whole word.
To end where I began, and with much less snark, perhaps the relative success of not just the summit but also of Trump's second solo press conference will convince him to start holding them on a more regular basis. Because I just know there are other questions -- on subjects having nothing to do with foreign policy -- that I'd like to hear Trump answer. So perhaps the media could shower Trump with praise for his press conference ("the highest television ratings ever for 4:00 A.M., Eastern time!"), in the hopes that it won't be another 500 days until the next one.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
I cannot comment on this column without saying a number of things I might regret.
The reviews are in, and Trump gets a solid E-H: "eh".
Experts are saying that there's nothing new in this boilerplate communique which appears to have lifted whole passages from previous communiques. All of these promises have been made before by North Korea in documents much more detailed than this one.
If Trump really traded away joint interactive readiness training with South Korea for a handful of sand, it will (and should) erode his reputation as a 'dealmaker' among his pod people. Everyone else will figure it's just par for this Trump course.
I'm with Balthasar - the signed document is a recommitment by N. Korea to take actions promised a decade and a half ago....when functional nukes and ICBMs were a gleam in the eye. Why are they going to give these assets up now? Kim is securely in power, and while his subjects are poor, there is no famine.. KJU and his family are quite well off.
What has Trump got to offer up? It's beginning to look like South Korea...even if that was mere clumsiness on Trump's lazy assed part. China is going to make its own evaluation, so is Japan and so is Russia, who can spot a wedge issue half a continent away.
Going forward, Trump's bargaining position looks relatively weak. I don't think KJU is going to give up his nukes. He may agree to limit their numbers, and cease testing of warheads and ICBMs. The Koreans would probably go for a nuclear hotline. Formally ending the war...yeah i can see that. Repatriation of remains and prisoners - sure, why not? Removal of underground artillery and chemical weapons pointed at Seoul...not a chance. Reunification of the peninsula....not in my lifetime, or my children's.
This is not a disaster for the US, but it is a setback when viewed against the past 60 years of US policy. Trump got played in the long game, but wins a conciliation prize of some good video footage suitable for Fox & Friends. KJU had Trump figured out months ago. All bluster, no bite.
CW - 2nd pressings are never as good as the first. :)
Forgot to mention this in post 3: Fiery John Bolton is going to a thorn in Trump's negotiation hide. " Preemptive strike......I'm not saying we won't get our hair mussed, just a few million casualties - tops!"
If were to do a remake of Strangelove I would insert a John Bolton like character called Secretary Strapon played by a resurrected Peter Sellers.
played by a resurrected Peter Sellers
With CGI improving by the minute, it won't be too long before a producer can consider that option for real.
Howze about a young Cary Grant as Christopher Steele?
Balthasar-7. Agree. CGI is close to climbing out of the uncanny valley. (Polar Express....creeepy) I believe personalties can be copyrighted now. Sellers could have done a dead on Bolton.
CW: Trump released the statement he and Kim had just signed, he showed the reporters what can only be described as a propaganda video the White House put together to show Kim and his team (about what a wonderful future North Korea could have, without nuclear weapons), and he broke three big pieces of news that weren't even included in the signed agreement.
How about that propaganda video, y'all?! Is there anybody out there paying attention who isn't creeped out by that?
Was that the BLOTUS Administration trying to emulate the BLONK? Was it... perchance... practice? Regardless, it was your tax dollars at work.
Can you imagine the heads exploding if Barack Obama had done any of this? Remember how the GOP and their ilk kept whining incessantly spewing statements like, "Our enemies no longer fear us, and our allies no longer trust us" and remember how they referred to him as Commie Obammie?
Paula is right, though; I better stop right there. :)
https://youtu.be/A838gS8nwas
Very powerful shit!!!
Or, to quote our estememed Former Vice President Biden:
"This is a big fucking deal"
President Trump, Nobel Peace Price Recipient...
Great commentary, CW.. I knew you had it in you to actually give President Trump credit when it is deserved...
As to the hysterical NeverTrumper whiners and crybabies??
They are just pissy because President Trump is going to do something in less than 2 years that Odumbo couldn't even do in 8 years..
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Once again, ya'all have been WRONG about President Trump.. :D
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
I predict this will be the SUMMER OF GLOATING around Weigantia.. But ONLY for your's truly.. :D
In other news..
Mueller is Trying to Hide Evidence from Defendants in Russian Trolls Case
https://lawandcrime.com/opinion/mueller-fearmongers-about-election-interference-to-try-to-hide-evidence-from-defendants-in-russian-trolls-case/
What did I tell ya!?? Mueller is running scared... He is going to have to disclose EVERYTHING he knows to the Russians!!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Mueller has really screwed the pooch.. This motion is going to be denied and Mueller is going to have to eat crow and dismiss the indictment against the Russians... Or Mueller will have to disclose ALL of his data for the ENTIRE case to the Russians.. :D
That will happen within the next 60 days..
You heard it here first...
And, in still other news...
If We’re Lucky, This Innovation Will Nuke Climate Change Scaremongering
The Malthusians are never going to win.
A team of scientists at Harvard University and a company called Carbon Engineering announced this week that they’ve figured out a low-cost, industrial-scale method of pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Needless to say, it sounds like an exciting technology, which would, as The Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer notes, “transform how humanity thinks about the problem of climate change.”
http://thefederalist.com/2018/06/08/scientific-discovery-will-nuke-climate-change-scaremongering/
The Global Warming con artists are now going to be exposed for the liars and fraudsters they are..
You watch.. Those who just want to continue the con will argue against and denigrate this technology...
Michale
11
In other news..
Mueller is Trying to Hide Evidence from Defendants in Russian Trolls Case
What did I tell ya!?? Mueller is running scared... He is going to have to disclose EVERYTHING he knows to the Russians!!!
Said the guy who insisted Mueller had no evidence. Congratulations again, Michale; you are still your own best argument.
Mueller has really screwed the pooch.. This motion is going to be denied and Mueller is going to have to eat crow and dismiss the indictment against the Russians...
Dream on. Having to turn over evidence in a case is standard operational procedure. Mueller is simply asking for an extension of time before he has to turn it over. Reading comprehension is fundamental.
Or Mueller will have to disclose ALL of his data for the ENTIRE case to the Russians.. :D
That will happen within the next 60 days..
You heard it here first...
It's not really that big a deal to predict that a judge will make a ruling on a motion within "60 days" when all motions generally carry deadlines in which defendants are allowed to answer and then the Court makes a ruling. Happens every day in America. Obviously, you know better than to suggest that having to turn over evidence about other potential defendants is indicative of a win for Defendants.
Anyhoo, thanks for answering my question: "Who's the Comrade now?" If you're cheering for the Russian defendants in a case filed by the United States of America: You're the Comrade!
Meanwhile In Wisconsin
I would wager Governor Scott Walker had yet another bad dream last night about Mellivora capensis… honey badger... who still doesn't care and just takes what it wants and is coming for his governorship.
Democrats have flipped another legislative seat in Wisconsin 1st Senate District... traditionally conservative. Caleb Frostman won 51-49 in this district that voted for Trump by 17 points.
For those keeping count, that's 43.
Michale [12]
Re "New technology for CO2", I'm certain you are well aware, that for Dems/Libs, "Global Warming" isn't now and never was about 'technology', GW is all 100% POLITICAL!!
Re "New technology for CO2", I'm certain you are well aware, that for Dems/Libs, "Global Warming" isn't now and never was about 'technology', GW is all 100% POLITICAL!!
Of course, I am aware.. :D That's been my position here in Weigantia for over a decade.. And the facts CONTINUE to bear it out..
That's why this technology is so fascinating..
It will, literally, take the politics OUT of Humans Cause Global Warming and put the whole issue where it belongs..
If this technology works, the Dems/Libs will not be able to use fear mongering to push an unpopular and unnecessary and downright dangerous agenda...
That's why I am so excited about it.. The Humans Cause Global Warming agenda is already on it's death bed... If this technology pans out, it will be the final nail in the coffin of the Partisan Agenda..
What's not to love?? :D
That means I will have crossed off the second to the last item on my Bucket List.
Humans Cause Global Warming exposed as the political con job it is..
All that remains would be FIRST CONTACT :D
"Global Warming" isn't now and never was about 'technology', GW is all 100% POLITICAL!!
Sure - scientists all around the World since John Tyndall in 1859 have been concocting a huge fraud so they can upset right wing nut cases in America in 2018 and raise their taxes.
That's plausible.
Any more conspiracies you believe in? - Is the Moon flat as well as the Earth (obviously!)? Did the Illuminati and Bush 2 bring down the Twin Towers?
This is the Chris Weigant blog, not the Alex Jones one.
BTW, if you want a funny and interesting book about conspiracy theorists, try "Them: Adventures with Extremists" by Jon Ronson. CRS and Michale are just some of the types of dupes who lap up some amazing nonsense.
As Charles Pierce laid out in "Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free", the idiots have their idiot-in-chief Trump in the White House.
C'mon CRS - we know Michale has been riding the silly horse to nut-case-ville and expect that (no offence buddy), but you can try a bit harder to understand the simple science behind global climate.
Of course, Neil ignores the tens of thousands of REAL scientists who dispute the Humans Cause Global Warming theory...
Neil also ignores the FACT that the Humans Cause Global Warming religion has been dying a slow death from lack of facts...
There is no imminent catastrophe.. Earth doesn't have 5 months to live unless we give all our money to Al Gore and Richard Branson...
Anyone who buys into the fear mongering and bullshit is either a moron, a slave or has an agenda.. Or any combination of the 3...
Sure Michale, are these the same tens of thousands of scientists who believe the moon is made of cheese?
They haven't got to "S" or "W" yet, but you never know ...
http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/05/welcome-to-encyclopedia-of-american.html
Ahhh So you have no facts to counter my facts..
Just hyperbole and ad honiemem.. :D
Par for the course...
Michale and Stucki, did either of you bother to read the article before jumping in to a conservative circle jerk? The technology brings the carbon sequestration down to $94 a ton. Humans add 29 gigatons tons per year to the co2 cycle and we have a carbon build up of somewhere in the range of 600 - 700 gigatons since industrialization. A gigatons is 1 billion tons. Now I know Michale can’t handle the math but maybe Stucki being an “economist” can pull out the slide rule and give us a rough cost of fixing global warming using this technology...
Of course, Bashi didn't read in the article. If he had, he would have seen this:
The cost of averting less than one degree of warming by 2100, according to some, would have cost around $2 trillion every year for a century — which doesn’t include the economic toll it would extract from the world’s economy.
So, while 94% a ton may seem like a lot, it's considerably less than 2 TRILLION per year x 100 years
Further, the goal is not to remove ALL carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.. That would kill every living thing on earth..
Once again, the hysterical Humans Cause Global Warming religious nuts show their true colors..
Here is a good idea to combat excessive CO2, but the religious nuts don't like it because it doesn't inflict enough pain on the poor and middle class..
Typical...
Mueller has just requested - I've seen both 75 and 150 reported - more blank subpeonas.
Cohen has dropped his lawyers, or been dropped. We don't yet KNOW what that means but it gives me a warm feeling for the moment. We'll see.
[14] Kick: Yes, a flip in Wisconsin! Some of the stooges there are coming out of the fog-of-lies that is republican-conservatism and realize they've been played, played, played by a Koch-brother-backed-tool.
We don't yet KNOW what that means but it gives me a warm feeling for the moment.
Oh, I know what it means..
It means you need to change your Depends...
Duh...
Michale-
Carbon sequestration is an important technology. This version of it may be useful but pawning it off as a magic bullet just shows ignorance of the science, willful or political. Take your pick...in reality, it will take at least a few versions of this technology to have much effect.
Carbon sequestration is an important technology. This version of it may be useful but pawning it off as a magic bullet just shows ignorance of the science, willful or political. Take your pick...in reality, it will take at least a few versions of this technology to have much effect.
So, you agree that, once this technology is perfected, it means the end of fear mongering over the imminent catastrophe of the planet...
That's all I am saying.. If you support this technology, you support the planet..
If you oppose the technology, you're nothing but a fear-mongering con artist...
I am glad we can agree... :D
From twitter: Per @KatyTurNBC, Michael Cohen has received word from federal prosecutors that they are preparing paperwork to arrest him.
From twitter: Per @KatyTurNBC, Michael Cohen has received word from federal prosecutors that they are preparing paperwork to arrest him.
From twit'er: Per @KatyTurNBC, Trump is a big fat poopy head and I hate him.
Yep.. That has as much meaning as your spewage..
Get yer Depends changed??? That warm feeling is gonna be a rash soon, if ya don't...
Michale-
Various forms of carbon sequestration has been part of climate science for quite some time. Now if we can just get you caught up on the rest...
Various forms of carbon sequestration has been part of climate science for quite some time. Now if we can just get you caught up on the rest...
You'll never convince me that the world is going to end in xx years unless you have incontrovertible FACT that PROVES it beyond a doubt..
You people have been making hysterical fear mongering prediction after hysterical fear mongering prediction and NONE of them have come to pass..
And now that the con is dying, it's going to be even harder for ya'all to be relevant..
The Death Of The Global Warming Movement
https://www.forbes.com/2010/07/28/climate-change-movement-harry-reid-opinions-columnists-shikha-dalmia.html#cc831f758e34
The con had a good run..
But it's time has passed...
And this is interesting: At #USCCB18, Bishop Edward Weisenburger just suggested implementing “canonical penalties” for Catholics “who are involved in this,” apparently referring to Trump admin’s recent immigration policies.
Excommunicate them all.
You know a really cheap way to sequester carbon? Plant trees?
You know another thing that will both decrease greenhouse gases and improve health? Cut down on meat consumption.
Both are more effective and cheaper than the $94/ton cost - however I'm happy that we are investigating these technologies.
I just want to make one thing clear, I am not worried about global warming. That does not mean I think it isn't happening - it is obvious to anybody without an ax to grind that it is. But the problem is addressable - there are some very good market-based solutions that we can bring to bear.
My biggest concerns are non-linear aspects to the climate and ocean acidification that we do not understand.
Since we only have one planet and there are some simple and effective solutions that will also have positive externalities, I think we just need to be serious. Unfortunately in this country we are not serious about anything - look at the clown 60M people chose as our leader.
You know a really cheap way to sequester carbon? Plant trees?
Fine.. Give up all your property and plant trees on it..
Wha?? Oh.. YOU don't want to be inconvenienced at all..
That's for OTHER people to foot the bill, right??
Typical liberal..
I just want to make one thing clear, I am not worried about global warming.
So, you agree with me that it's NOT going to destroy the planet in x years...
OK, glad we have that..
That does not mean I think it isn't happening - it is obvious to anybody without an ax to grind that it is.
And yet, we're still in a cooling phase... The only way that the con can show warming is by "tweaking" the numbers..
Now, if you want to claim that climate change is happening, then we are in complete agreement..
But to claim that humans can control the climate??
Then I will taunt you a second time...
My biggest concerns are non-linear aspects to the climate and ocean acidification that we do not understand.
Yes.. Once again, we are in agreement. We DO NOT understand.. And the absolute WORST thing you can do is to frak around with something you do not understand..
So much common ground.. :D
neilm Your [33]
Re "It (GW) is obvious . . to anybody that it is."
Please share some of the "obvious" with me, when you've got a minute. I'm a serious hobby gardener guy, been growing my own veggies for most of my 80-plus yrs, and I'm not seeing it, not much in our growing season, in our, annual precip, storm severity, etc.
We have always had the shortest grtowing season here in the heart of the Rockies of the whole country, and I've noticed absolutely nothing in the onset of spring schedule, maybe just a tad at the end. Many years back, it was normal to get our first fall frost (goodby tomatoes!) between 9-1 and 9-10, and these days it's normally more like early Oct., but we've always been a desert, "12 in. avg. annual precip, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, and I see no change whatsoever, in any of that.
So what do you actually see wherever you are (west coast?) (But please don't include your recent dry cycle - your precip cycles have ALWAYS included plenty of dry spells!)
Please share some of the "obvious" with me, when you've got a minute.
They won't..
When you ask them for hard and fast, FACTS, they don't have the time.. :D
I, on the other hand, can tell you that this summer down here in FL is unbelievable cool.. We're now in the middle of Jun and our temp in the mornings are in the high-60s.
It's unbelievable and it's totally awesome!! My comfort zone is in the 50s and I have always been miserable here in the summer..
But I am loving it this year.. :D
Paula
24
Mueller has just requested - I've seen both 75 and 150 reported - more blank subpeonas.
Date change and having to reissue. Fairly common.
Cohen has dropped his lawyers, or been dropped. We don't yet KNOW what that means but it gives me a warm feeling for the moment. We'll see.
Cohen is leaning ATPT toward the pancakes. I believe he'll be a tenor in the MSHC. Stay tuned.
KEY
ATPT - at the present time
MSNC - Mueller Snitch Hunt Choir
EDIT
MSHC - Mueller Snitch Hunt Choir
Paula: We don't yet KNOW what that means but it gives me a warm feeling for the moment.
Michale: Oh, I know what it means..
It means you need to change your Depends...
Nope. It means Benedict Donald needs to change his Depends. Of course, Michale changes his Depends so infrequently because his head being planted firmly his backside works exactly like a spigot. :)
Kick: ATPT - at the present time
MSHC - Mueller Snitch Hunt Choir
Love it!
Paula
28
From twitter: Per @KatyTurNBC, Michael Cohen has received word from federal prosecutors that they are preparing paperwork to arrest him.
To be factual, this one should read something long the lines of: Michael Cohen is "worried" about his imminent arrest. He tells some people that he's worried while telling others that he's not worried.
Meanwhile, there's good news for Paul Manafort: He likely won't be needing to wear his two "bracelets" any longer very soon. That's because there'll be no need to monitor his whereabouts in prison... the bad news for Paulie.
[41] Kick: Yes, Friday may be a big day!
And this is encouraging: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/13/1771700/-All-indicators-bode-well-for-a-big-blue-wave-Enthusiasm-special-elections-and-the-generic-ballot
...Fully 77 percent of Democrats say they are "very enthusiastic” to vote in November, while only 64 percent of Republicans say the same—that's a yawning 13-point gap favoring Democrats.
The enthusiasm gap plus the Democrats flipping 43 state legislative seats along with major wins in Virginia and Alabama last year and Pennsylvania this year all bode well for Democrats no matter what the generic ballot reflected. But we are now starting to see the generic ballot also tick up in a positive direction for Democrats. Taken together, conditions are looking good for a big blue wave to sweep a bevy of Republicans from their seats this November.
From: https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/voters-poised-large-midterm-turnout-opposed-drastic-policy-actions-president-trump-according-new-gw
WASHINGTON (June 13, 2018)—Americans are overwhelmingly engaged in the upcoming 2018 congressional elections, and are poised to split with the president on a number of high-profile policy issues. In the inaugural edition of the George Washington University Politics Poll more than three-quarters (78 percent) of registered voters said they definitely will vote in the November general elections; another 15 percent said they probably will. Only 2 percent said they would definitely not vote. On a generic ballot for U.S. House, voters chose Democrats over Republicans, 45 to 38 percent. Voters also indicated they think their members of Congress care about their political careers and political parties’ agendas more than local communities or “people like you.”
...Fully 77 percent of Democrats say they are "very enthusiastic” to vote in November, while only 64 percent of Republicans say the same—that's a yawning 13-point gap favoring Democrats.
The enthusiasm gap plus the Democrats flipping 43 state legislative seats along with major wins in Virginia and Alabama last year and Pennsylvania this year all bode well for Democrats no matter what the generic ballot reflected. But we are now starting to see the generic ballot also tick up in a positive direction for Democrats. Taken together, conditions are looking good for a big blue wave to sweep a bevy of Republicans from their seats this November.
Yea.. All of that was there in Sep of 2016...
And what happened in Nov???
Democrats got their asses handed to them... :D
So, you keep believing what you believe.. :D It's gonna make my gloating after the mid-terms so much more fun.. :D
Michale [12]
Wouldn’t this article actually support the argument that climate change is real? What purpose does this invention serve if the fix this device provides is for something that is not actually a problem as you claim? The only people who do not believe in climate change are politicians that suck from Big Oil’s teats and people who enjoy being lied to! Heck, even the oil companies admit that there is a problem that must be addressed. They just fear the day that the lawsuits seeking damages caused by their products hit them the way lawsuits of cancer patients hit the tobacco industry.
Paula [24]
Cohen has dropped his lawyers, or been dropped. We don't yet KNOW what that means but it gives me a warm feeling for the moment.
I read that he isn’t paying them as he is required to do, so they have told the court that they will only continue to represent him through the document review of what is “attorney/client” and what wasn’t. They probably do not want their firm associated with him based on the evidence they have seen so far. Kinda like why Giuliani’s law firm forced him out!
Michale
44
Yea.. All of that was there in Sep of 2016...
It takes a special kind of stupid to insist that recent polling and the Democrats "flipping 43 state legislative seats" that happened in 2017-2018 "was there in Sep of 2016."
In fact, none of that was there in November 2016.
And what happened in Nov???
Democrats picked up 6 House seats and 2 Senate seats, and since that time they have picked up another Senate seat.
Democrats got their asses handed to them...
If winning 6 House seats and 2 Senate seats in November 2016 and picking up another Senate seat thereafter in deep Red Alabama is Michale's definition of "having their asses handed to them," then it looks like he likely will be gloating.
Who knew subtraction of integers and 1st grade math was so difficult? :)
So I'm late to the party as usual.
To be snarky about it... I am not in the least surprised that authoritarians of a feather get along together. Not surprising considering that they both present the same profile on the SNR stage and walk alike through the garden...
Now on the serious side the Russia Crowd is missing the real story, while the DJT likes him his authoritarians he has yet to carry the Russian torch, people need to look to China.
Most of the stuff the Donald has done benefits China on the world stage....Just sayin'.
LWYH
Yes, sir.
I believe all this talk about Cohen's imminent flip is premature. He is leaning toward the pancakes at the present time. Flipping would require sitting down with prosecutors and holding discussions, which has not happened to date.
On the "flip side," anyone believing the utter nonsensical ridiculous rumor that is also going around that Trump's pardon of Cohen is imminent and will free Cohen would be well instructed to remember that Trump's pardon would apply only to federal crimes and would also constitute an admission of guilt that would be a "slam dunk" against Cohen... and Trump... for any state crimes they committed.
So there's that. :)
I believe all this talk about Cohen's imminent flip is premature. He is leaning toward the pancakes at the present time. Flipping would require sitting down with prosecutors and holding discussions, which has not happened to date.
Of course, there is always the possibility that clandestine meetings have taken place in a manner so secret as to avoid all human detection, but I do not believe that to be the case at the present time.
Cohen is shopping around for new lawyers. I believe his soon-to-be-former lawyers have seen the facts and recommended a deal since a pardon will not help him with the State of New York. If Cohen hires Gates's lawyer or similar such counsel and/or Big Orange has a meltdown and/or a Trumpertantrum on Twitter, that'll be a big clue.
Stay tuned. :)
On another note...
I wonder how long it will take Trump to claim the credit for 4 years of long work to get the FIFA bid...
Kick [49]: Cohen isn't just measuring the likelihood that Trump will pardon him, I think That Trump would absolutely pardon him, and I think that Cohen would agree.
But Trump probably wouldn't be able to pardon Cohen until his own drama has played out, because Mueller could then subpoena Cohen immediately for an interview. The pardon would strip Cohen of 5th Amendment protection (because he couldn't claim legal jeopardy), so he could be compelled to testify. His only possibility of trouble then would come if he tries to lie.
So Trump wouldn't pardon him until the last minute, if at all - if Trump is still in legal jeopardy at the end of his presidency, he might want to keep Cohen quiet by not pardoning him. If Cohen then tries to cut a deal with prosecutors, it could be too late to help his own case, and Trump would likely dismiss Cohen's testimony as the act of a disillusioned and disgruntled criminal.
Which wouldn't work out so well for Cohen, who might end up not seeing his daughter again without guards present for a very long time. Cohen has to also consider that there will probably be charges emerging from the Southern District of New York that Trump can't pardon him for.
On the other hand, Mueller could cut a deal that allows Cohen to essentially skate on all charges in return for his testimony, and not have to rely on Trump's loyalty to him to save the day. It could also be arranged that he not have to spend very much time in jail, by the way, no small matter to a guy with a young wife and family. Mueller has the power to bundle all of the charges, including the US District charges, so he has that advantage over Trump's pardon to dangle.
If Mueller manages to force Manafort into jail Friday, Cohen will start to sweat bullets. Stay tuned.
Balthy
52
But Trump probably wouldn't be able to pardon Cohen until his own drama has played out, because Mueller could then subpoena Cohen immediately for an interview.
Yes, sir... you are preaching to the "choir"... so to speak. :)
When you are no longer POTUS, the power to pardon no longer exists; therefore, Trump's ability to pardon Cohen for federal crimes will be nonexistent when Benedict Donald's "own drama has played out." How long have I been saying on this board that there are indictments under seal?
Of course, Trump has no power to pardon Cohen for state crimes so what difference do you suppose it would make to Cohen whether he spends decades in prison for state crimes while being pardoned for the federal ones? Right you are.
Cohen will sing one way or another; they always do. :)
Balthy
52
Oh, one more thing. Consider the possibility that Benedict Donald would be precluded by a court of law from pardoning his coconspirators. :)
Russ,
Wouldn’t this article actually support the argument that climate change is real?
Has anyone ever said that the climate is NOT changing??
Of course not...
OF COURSE climate change is "real"... Just as much as the planet's orbit is "real" and the seasons are "real"..
The only people who do not believe in climate change are politicians that suck from Big Oil’s teats and people who enjoy being lied to!
That is factually not accurate.. EVERYONE believes that the climate does, in fact, change..
I'll leave ya now.. I am sure you want to rest up, what with being so tired from moving the goal posts and all.. :D
I wonder how long it will take Trump to claim the credit for 4 years of long work to get the FIFA bid...
You mean, after Odumbo blew it?
Not only did Odumbo blow the FIFA in 2018, he lost to...to... RUSSIA!!!!
I bet Donald Trump colluded with the Russians to hand Odumbo that stinging rebuke..
Call Mueller!!!!
You guys really crack me up.. :D