Second Trump Fed Pick Goes Down In Flames
For the second time in just a few weeks, Republicans in the Senate have denied President Trump's hand-picked choice a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. First it was Herman "Nine Nine Nine" Cain, and now Stephen Moore has also announced his withdrawal from the nomination process. Both are political blows to the president, who seems to want a Fed loyal to him rather than to the American economy as a whole. For a number of Republican senators, however, these particular nominees were simply a bridge too far for them.
Interestingly, though, none of these senators really seem to be putting principle before party, because what was at issue was not whether the Fed should stay as independent as possible from the political process, but rather the odiousness of the character of the two men Trump wanted to nominate. Moore lost support when it was revealed that he had made racist jokes about President Obama and held some rather antediluvian attitudes towards women. In fact, his outlook on women is so mired in the past that the only real proper label for his worldview is a very old one indeed, because he is nothing short of a classic male chauvinist pig.
Moore apparently feels threatened by women. He doesn't want women in sports, or if they are allowed in, only in decidedly secondary roles. He worries about women who make more money than men. His misogyny runs deep and wide, in fact, as many news organizations have been documenting for the past few weeks.
Senator Joni Ernst led the movement to deny Moore a Fed seat, which is kind of unusual for her because she's not generally known as being a Republican willing to stand up to Trump. The process hadn't gotten far enough for many Republicans to publicly state that they wouldn't vote for Moore's confirmation, but apparently behind the scenes they were telling the White House that Moore was dead in the water and that his name should be withdrawn from consideration before any more political damage could be done. Today, Trump must have told him to bow out, since previously Moore had stated that the only reason he would withdraw is if the president explicitly told him to do so.
Because of the early withdrawals, neither man had to sit for a confirmation hearing. So neither man's actual experience or qualifications for the job ever really got a full airing. Deep character flaws in the realm of sexism proved to be more important. Which is somewhat of a shame, because neither man was even remotely qualified to sit on the Fed board, and this would have become painfully apparent if they had had to answer pointed questions about the economy in a confirmation hearing. Trump wants a Fed subservient to his wishes, which really should be the larger political issue and the key criterion which disqualifies his picks.
Moore crashing and burning is still good news for Democrats, though. The more Republican senators willing to stand up to Trump the better, no matter what the issue at hand happens to be. The Senate has rebuked Trump on four separate occasions recently (the Yemen War resolution, rescinding Trump's "national emergency" at the border, and the two Fed nominations). That's more pushback against Trump than we've seen in the entire first two years of his presidency, so it is noteworthy. It's still not exactly a clear trend, but every step down that path is a good one as far as Democrats should be concerned. The closer we get to the 2020 election, the more Senate Republicans may become worried about their re-election chances, and the more willing they may be to put some distance between them and Trump. Which, obviously, is all to the good for Democrats. But I have to repeat a thought I had when I wrote about Cain's nomination going down in flames:
While some Republican senators are now willing to occasionally buck Trump, what they're really lacking is a strong public spokesman. Ever since the death of John McCain, there has been no one go-to Republican to explain why Trump has gone too far. Lindsey Graham is now a total Trump toady, and Mitt Romney is more milquetoast than an effective foil. We'll see, as the election gets closer, whether any such figure emerges.
To Lindsey Graham's credit, he was actually one of the ones also telling the White House that Moore's nomination was in trouble, this time around. But the general statement is still true -- there is no one Republican leading the anti-Trump GOP movement. The two obvious candidates for doing so are senators who don't usually appear much in the media spotlight: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. But this time around, even though the issue was misogyny (or chauvinist piggery, if you prefer), neither of these women were leading the charge.
So the resistance to Trump's worst impulses by Senate Republicans remains a largely ad hoc effort. It depends on the issue when it comes to who will be the first to step up and state that the president has gone too far. But no matter how ad hoc, the mere fact that it has happened four times in the past few months is somewhat heartening. Either Cain or Moore would have been an embarrassment on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. They both would have injected a dangerous amount of politics into what is supposed to be a purely fiduciary position. The Fed is decisively not under Trump's control, and will remain so for now. At least until Trump nominates the next couple of yahoos, that is. The danger is that someone just as much of an ideologue -- but without massive problems with women -- could actually be confirmed by the Senate. But for now, at least, that hasn't happened yet, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
It makes sense. Trump seems to be in a 'get on my side' mode with Congressional Republicans, led by Lindsey Graham. So he jettisons Moore.
His showdown with Congressional Democrats is coming to a slow boil, though. So slowly that paint peels faster.
So to recap the fate of Trump's nominees for the Federal Reserve Board, there'll be no misogynist Moore on, and Cain isn't able.
These creepy miscreants are exactly who Trump believes are "the best and most serious people" and "top-of-the-line professionals," and that sad fact tells you everything you need to know. #Pathetic
Moore crashing and burning is still good news for Democrats, though. The more Republican senators willing to stand up to Trump the better, no matter what the issue at hand happens to be.
Such a claim is a double edged sword..
Once you get to the point that your confident that GOP Senators will buck President Trump when you want them too....
Will you acknowledge that they are still right when they unify in their support of President Trump?? :D
Ya'all seem to LOVE investigations..
In testimony to the Senate Wednesday, AG Barr said he could not explain why Comey’s FBI launched the counter-intelligence investigation, but that he intended to find out. He has assembled a team to do just that. Another investigation is looking into illegal leaks from the FBI and DoJ during the Comey-Lynch years. Finally, Inspector General Michael Horowitz is completing a major inquiry into the surveillance warrants used to spy on Americans during the “Trump-Russia” investigation. Those warrants were issued by the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and relied on evidence presented as “verified and complete” by Lynch’s DoJ and Comey’s FBI.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/05/02/obama-era_spying_is_now_a_political_risk_for_biden_140226.html
Let's see how much ya'all like this one.. :D
Democrats fear Barr, you can smell it
Ed Rogers, The Washington Post
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/opinion/article/Democrats-fear-Barr-you-can-smell-it-13813657.php
Democrats are trembling with fear that the malfeasance and incompetence and criminal activities of the Obama administration will be aired for all to see..
As a 35-year political veteran, looking beyond the Democrats' spite and condemnation of Barr, I can smell fear. And the Democrats are afraid of Barr's independence, his experience and his willingness to pursue the obvious questions of the FBI and the Justice Department's leadership and the Obama administration's political posturing during the 2016 campaign. Barr has the confidence to almost taunt the Democrats. The truth is out there, and Barr is threatening to reveal it.
There will come a reckoning and it will happen just in time for the Nov 2020 election.. :D
Can't wait.. It's gonna be wild! :D
Fear Barr?
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Thanks. Needed that.
Obama throws Hillary under the bus! :D
EXCLUSIVE: 'This stings!' How Obama saw Trump's victory as a 'personal insult,' watched the movie Dr. Strange to distract himself from election results and blamed Hillary for the loss because of her 'scripted, soulless campaign'
The new edition of 'Obama: The Call Of History' by New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker lays bare Obama's fury over the election results
The book was originally released in July 2017 but has been updated with extensive new reporting - and the run through of election day is electrifying
Obama arrogantly thought there was 'no way Americans would turn on him' even though Clinton was far from perfect
He likened himself to Michael Corleone in the Godfather and said he was handing power over to somebody who would destroy his legacy
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6985985/Obama-blamed-Hillary-2016-loss-scripted-soulless-campaign.html
Po' widdle Obama...
He can't handle the fact that the American people (except those in California) completely and utterly REJECTED him and his policies...
Fear Barr?
That's clearly what the facts show..
And then when Barr takes what IG Horowitz releases this month and turns it into criminal investigations that will nail top Democrats to the wall...???
Then we'll see who is laughing :D
**SPOILER**
It will be the same guy who was laughing his ass off when Mueller completely and totally and utterly exonerated President Trump for Russia Collusion.. :D
It's gonna be a fun time around here..
Well, for me anyways.. :D
More evidence of Democrat fear..
FEAR STALKS THE SWAMP
Kimberly Strassel: AG Barr gets attacked because his probe endangers powerful people
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/kimberly-strassel-ag-barr-gets-attacked-because-his-probe-endangers-powerful-people
Democrats are absolutely correct in being afraid..
Once it's out in the open on WHY the bogus witch hunt that was Mueller's probe began and WHO started it...
A LOT of Democrats are going to be in handcuffs... :D
I just hope AG Barr's security detail is the best at their jobs..
Democrats are going to be gunning for Barr... Figuratively AND literally...
By the bi...
Did Pelosi et al ever present any FACTS to support the claim that AG Barr lied??
Any facts at all??
No???
Shocking... :eyeroll:
Kimmel knocks Dems for mocking Barr with chicken, says stunts like these will lead to Trump win
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/kimmel-knocks-dems-for-mocking-barr-with-chicken-trumps-gonna-win-again
Yep... Democrats are doing everything to insure that President Trump wins re-election in a landslide...
Democrats are their own worst enemies...
Don Harris (2) and Kick (3)
Hilarious!
Michaele (interminable)
Yup, scoll wheel still works. Whew....
Michaele (interminable)
Yup, scoll wheel still works. Whew....
I get it..
Gods forbid you should actually be exposed to ideas that are different than yours..
Must suck to be a Party slave and have all your thinking done FOR you..
I could never live like that. Whew...
President Trump...
UNEMPLOYMENT 49-YEAR LOW
U.S. creates 263,000 jobs in April, unemployment falls to 3.6%
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-creates-263000-jobs-in-april-unemployment-falls-to-36-2019-05-03
MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
:D
Funny how ya'all predicted gloom and doom and the economy tanking....
Once again, letting Party slavery speak for ya'all instead of actually looking at the FACTS....
Even CNN is making nice with President Trump
GREAT AGAIN: CNN praises Trump economy — ‘Frankly, it is huge’, Unemployment at ‘generational lows’
The economy is so good, even CNN has to report on it.
In the last two days, the network has run at least two segments praising the Trump economy and acknowledging that Americans are crediting the President with the strong performance.
I guess CNN is trying to stave off their ratings hemorrhaging.. :D
@lharvey,
Michaele (interminable)
Yup, scoll wheel still works. Whew....
Yunno, if you want to ignore me, that's fine. As I said, I get it. Not many people can handle the facts that upset their carefully crafted delusions..
But to announce it, to basically stick yer fingers in your ears and whine hysterically, "I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU!!! I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU!! NYAAAAA NYAAAAA NYAAA...".....
Well, that's just the stuff you find on 3rd grade playgrounds...
Sadly, considering the Democrats of late and their childish immaturity.... It's what I have come to expect...
:eyeroll:
Aha...
lharvey16
2016 must be the year you were born...
THAT explains it... :D
"Don't cross brains with Spock. He'll cut you to pieces every time..."
-Ensign Sulu
Hispanic Unemployment Falls to Lowest Level Ever
https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2019/05/03/hispanic-unemployment-falls-to-lowest-level-ever/
Making America GREAT Again!! :D
So, let's compare FACTS vs Fiction...
Democrats claim Trump hates women..
Women have the lowest unemployment since the 1950s.. 50% of the new jobs created went to women... FACT
Democrats claim Trump hates hispanics..
Hispanic unemployment is the lowest it's EVER been.. FACT
Democrats claim Trump hates black people...
Black unemployment is the LOWEST it's EVER been...
Apparently, Democrats are full of shit.. :D
ENVY OF THE WORLD
UNEMPLOYMENT 49-YEAR LOW
WAGE HITS $27.77/HOUR
STOCK MARKET ENDLESS RALLY
TRUMP APPROVAL 50%
https://drudgereport.com/
I'll say the same thing I said when I pulled down a Straight Flush last night in poker..
"Read 'em and weep, people!!"
:D
There is even record low Unemployment figures for HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS!!!!
Lowest unemployment in 19 years for workers without bachelor's degrees in April
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/record-low-unemployment-for-workers-without-bachelors-degrees-in-april
I am guessing all this great news for the country has ya'all dejected and demoralized. Hence the deafening silence here in Weigantia...
But take heart.. There IS a ray of sunshine for ya'all..
President Trump was completely and unequivocally WRONG about one thing..
Patriotic Americans ARE NOT getting tired of winning!! :D
So, there is that...
Balthasar
7
Fear Barr?
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Thanks. Needed that.
I know, right!?
Did you see his comment at [9] where he is now posting the QAnon bullshit? I can't stop laughing. :)
i for one have a healthy fear of barr. mainly of the sounds emanating from his bagpipes.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/06/william-barrs-secret-passion-the-bagpipes
JL
Re; "A racist joke about Obama", (I'm presuming that was the "Kicking a black man out of public housing" thing.)
I understand we live in a world of Political Correctness/Hypersensitivity, but what exactly made that a "racist" joke? Would it have been OK to refer to him as 'a white man'? Do black folks resent being referred to as black?