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President Madman Threatens New Trade War

[ Posted Wednesday, June 5th, 2019 – 16:49 UTC ]

Even Richard Nixon never dreamed that his "madman theory" tactic would become the entire playbook for a United States president on any foreign policy issue, but that's where we now find ourselves, apparently. Nobody -- including even his own closest aides -- has any idea what Donald Trump is about to do next. Will he slap a five percent tariff on Mexico next Monday, or is it all just a big bluff to increase his leverage in trade talks? Nobody knows. White House aides say one thing, and the president then contradicts them within hours. Then they say something different, and Trump contradicts that, too. Sometimes Trump seems incredibly determined to levy a new tax on imported Mexican goods no matter what the outcome, and sometimes he seems like it's all just a giant ruse. Welcome to "madman trade theory," in other words.

Trump professes a love for tariffs, and he's certainly used them with abandon before. But then again, he has also threatened many other tariffs which have never actually materialized. With respect to Mexico, a few months back Trump was threatening to "shut down the border" completely, but then he quickly backed off this threat after seeing an enormous political backlash against the idea. Tellingly, the issue under contention then was the same one he's using now to threaten a new tariff -- Mexico's handling of immigrants heading for the U.S. border. But any analysis of past performance is essentially meaningless when it comes to Trump, since he makes all his decisions on the fly and off the cuff, without even a rudimentary understanding of the possible ripple effects such knee-jerk trade policy has on the economy. So it's really anyone's guess how this spat will play out.

Interestingly, Republicans are pushing back harder on this proposal than they have on anything else Trump has done. White House officials met with GOP senators this week, and things didn't exactly go well. From all reports, pretty much every Republican present told the aides that a new Mexican tariff would be a monumentally stupid idea and signaled that not only would they push back hard against it in Congress, but that they might actually muster a veto-proof majority in doing so. That's a pretty harsh response from your own party, one has to admit.

It's an open question whether this will even happen, and an even bigger question whether a veto-proof majority would support such a move. While they may be able to corral 20 GOP votes in the Senate (which, together with all the Democrats, would mean 67 votes), the chances of doing so in the House are a lot shakier. But if even one house slaps one of Trump's tariffs down with a two-thirds majority, it would be a serious political blow to Trump.

What is still obvious, even after over two years in office, is that Donald Trump doesn't have the slightest understanding of how tariffs are paid. He still thinks that somehow the foreign government affected is the one footing the bill, which isn't even remotely true. One Democrat is signaling that he's about to take Trump on directly over the issue, as Joe Biden's campaign team is sending out messages that Biden's ready to fight Trump over tariffs. Biden has even coined a rather snappy term for this effort, calling all of Trump's tariffs what they really are: a "Trump tax." Using a different "T" word puts the focus on the Americans who will wind up paying for Trump's peripatetic trade policy.

But while both Democrats and Senate Republicans are pushing back hard against the new Trump tax, I personally doubt any of it is going to become necessary. I think Trump will back down before Monday is over. I say this mostly because the White House has intentionally been so vague about what they're demanding Mexico do. Trump says they've got to "fix the problem," but doesn't define what that means at all. His advisors admitted that they intentionally didn't attach any sort of metric to Trump's demands, which means that Trump can declare victory at any time, for any reason. This quite obviously leaves him as the sole arbiter of whether Mexico has "fixed the problem," which is almost certainly designed to allow Trump to back off his threat before it takes effect.

So my guess is that at some point between now and next Monday, Trump will stage some sort of event (or perhaps just let a tweet fly) where he announces that his strategy has now worked beyond his wildest dreams, Mexico has now knuckled under to his threats, and that they will now be doing what he demands. Even if nothing actually changes in Mexico, Trump will declare this a monumental foreign policy victory, and begin campaigning on it as just more of his supposed "winning." He's a winner, Mexico is a loser, therefore we should all re-elect him. This would allow him to claim a political victory (even if it wasn't remotely true, which has never bothered him before) and avoid a gigantic political fight with his own party.

The alternative is to not just anger Senate Republicans, but probably also torpedo the chances that Congress will approve his "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement" (which others have named "NAFTA 1.1" since it changes very little from the original NAFTA agreement). The White House has been pushing Congress hard to ratify the agreement this year, because Trump really wants to brag about it out on the campaign trail. But forcing a giant fight over Mexico tariffs will probably doom Trump's efforts to pass the U.S.M.C.A. So the political price Trump would have to pay for his new tariff is higher than it might initially seem.

Why would he risk all of that when he doesn't have to? Politically, declaring victory before the tariff takes effect would be the same as declaring victory after a few months of the tariff, so Trump doesn't really gain anything by waiting.

Trump's standard operating procedure is to personally create a crisis, yell endlessly about the problem he created, blame everyone else in sight for the problem, and then "solve" the crisis singlehandedly by reversing his original action. That's Trump's political philosophy in a nutshell, and it's likely how the Mexican tariff standoff is going to be resolved. Trump will be bragging about how merely the threat of a tariff caused Mexico to back off and toe the line he drew. Republicans will all gladly play along with this charade, while being visibly relieved that they didn't have to actually overturn a Trump veto to force him to back off. Trump can cast himself as the master negotiator out on the campaign trail, and things will go back to what passes for normal these days at the White House.

Or maybe not. Maybe Trump will decide on the spur of the moment to defy all rationality and go ahead with the tariff anyway, just because he wants to. With Trump, you never really know. Because to make the madman theory truly effective, it has to be impossible to predict what the madman will actually do.

-- Chris Weigant

 

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant

 

104 Comments on “President Madman Threatens New Trade War”

  1. [1] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    When does President Trump pay a price for his aberrant behavior over the course of the last two and a half years?

  2. [2] 
    neilm wrote:

    It'll play to the base. I assume we'll have screens to scroll over with how wonderful the Mexico agreement is, how much Mexico lost and how amazing America is now we have a promise to do something from Mexico (probably make videos of Mexican troops turning people back at their Southern border, replete with Alfonso Bedoya's great grandson, Avocado Bedoya, saying "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" so Trump knows they are real Mexicans).

  3. [3] 
    neilm wrote:

    One interesting observation from the Angry Racist Uncle Visits the United Kingdom and Meets the Queen, is that:

    i/ calling an incredibly popular Duchess "nasty"
    ii/ claiming that he didn't call her "nasty" despite video evidence to the contrary
    iii/ thinking that a wall would be a great idea across Ireland
    iv/ interfering in the Tory leadership race
    v/ helping the Mayor of London win re-election by calling him a "stone cold loser"
    vi/ thinking that Nigel Farage isn't a fellow village idiot, but rather another "great negotiator" (search on youtube for Farage as an MEP - hilarious, but not exactly "How to Win Friends and Influence People" material)

    ... is regarded by the British people as "not as bad as we expected after the last time, at least he didn't try to accost Lizzie this time".

  4. [4] 
    neilm wrote:

    So, just let's underscore how much "winning" we have had to put up with, now that we are tired of winning so much:

    Since Trump has come into power there are more apprehensions at the southwestern border, by month, than under Obama.

    So Trump's one thing, "protecting the border" is a huge failure.

    Of course it isn't his fault according to him, it is the Democrats, who have refused to ... actually they offered $20B for a Wall for DACA, even though they knew the wall was useless, but the future income from all the DACA kids would easily pay the $2-3B Trump would actually manage to spend on the wall before he gets kicked out of Washington DC.

    And it isn't his fault that he spent the whole two years when he had all total control failing at healthcare and giving rich people big tax cuts.

    And it isn't his fault that somebody gave the public the idea that Mexico was going to pay for the wall (although he probably thinks his tariffs are going to be paid by Mexico).

    Yeah, it is never "Donnie Two Scoops" fault.

  5. [5] 
    neilm wrote:
  6. [6] 
    chaszzzbrown wrote:
  7. [7] 
    Michale wrote:

    But while both Democrats and Senate Republicans are pushing back hard against the new Trump tax, I personally doubt any of it is going to become necessary. I think Trump will back down before Monday is over.

    You are probably right. Since Mexico has taken concrete steps to reign in illegal immigrants, President Trump might not have to follow thru with the tariff threat...

    Damn, what a genius!!! :D

    When all is said and done, President Trump is getting things done..

    He hasn't destroyed the economy as ya'all have predicted.. They economy is great..

    He hasn't started WWIII as ya'all have predicted, the has brought back American Pride that was so lost under Odumbo..

    In short, he's been a great President and ya'all have been WRONG about him at every turn...

    And when Mexico capitulates, as they have already said they would, I'll be around to point out how wrong ya'all were.. AGAIN... :D

  8. [8] 
    Michale wrote:

    It's good to be king:

    https://thehill.com/policy/international/447186-trump-admin-spends-1-million-on-funeral-home-limo-rentals-for-two-day

    Funny how you didn't complain when Odumbo's main squeeze took family vacations that costs hundreds of millions of dollars..

    Why not??

    Oh, that's right. They have a -D after their name and it was Odumbo after all..

    So, no complaints were warranted.. :^/

  9. [9] 
    Michale wrote:

    When does President Trump pay a price for his aberrant behavior over the course of the last two and a half years?

    When this country actually starts losing...

    Oh sure, in some aspects, it's been one step back, five steps forward... But the US always comes out ahead..

    Nothing succeeds like success... :D

  10. [10] 
    Michale wrote:

    Link for above: https://we're.full.of.shit.com/2019/06/05/us/politics/mexico-tariffs.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

    I can understand why you didn't want to link to be with the main line of bullshit..

    NY GRIME!?? BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Yeah, it is never "Donnie Two Scoops" fault.

    Yea, just like losing the election wasn't Hillary's fault.. :eyeroll:

    Let me lay it out for ya, Neil because you seem to have a problem with accepting reality..

    President Trump is the freely, fairly and legally elected President Of The United States.

    You lost.. Accept that and move one..

    Work towards a better Democrat Party candidate in 2024...

    You'll be a lot happier.. :D

  11. [11] 
    Michale wrote:

    Pelosi tells Dems she wants to see Trump ‘in prison’

    She also clashed with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, who pressed her to begin impeachment proceedings.

    Speaker Nancy Pelosi told senior Democrats that she’d like to see President Donald Trump “in prison” as she clashed with House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler in a meeting on Tuesday night over whether to launch impeachment proceedings.

    Pelosi met with Nadler (D-N.Y.) and several other top Democrats who are aggressively pursuing investigations against the president, according to multiple sources. Nadler and other committee leaders have been embroiled in a behind-the-scenes turf battle for weeks over ownership of the Democrats’ sprawling investigation into Trump.

    Nadler pressed Pelosi to allow his committee to launch an impeachment inquiry against Trump — the second such request he’s made in recent weeks only to be rebuffed by the California Democrat and other senior leaders. Pelosi stood firm, reiterating that she isn’t open to the idea of impeaching Trump at this time.

    “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison,” Pelosi said, according to multiple Democratic sources familiar with the meeting. Instead of impeachment, Pelosi still prefers to see Trump defeated at the ballot box and then prosecuted for his alleged crimes, according to the sources.
    https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/05/pelosi-impeachment-1355435

    President Trump's wisdom in not going ahead with the infrastructure work with Dumbocrats was prescient..

    Democrats don't care about this country or it's people who are suffering..

    They just have to chase their great white whale.... :^/

  12. [12] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hay, Dumbocrats..???

    How are those court cases working out for ya'all?? :D

    Do you have President Trump's relevant tax returns yet?? No??? Figures...

    Do you have AG Burn in front of your House committee yet??? No??? Really!??

    Do you have McGhan in front of your House committee yet??? No??? WOW...

    Do you have Hope Hicks in front of your House committee yet?? No??? Holy cow!!!

    Do you have the court's backing in stopping PRESIDENT Trump's declaration of a national emergency for wall funds?? No?? Daaaammnnnn..

    Well, from where all the patriotic Americans sit, Dumbocrats have just been handed loss after loss after loss after loss.... :D

    Dumbocrats just can't seem to catch a break.. :D

    "Good day, Gentlemen. Great day for America, isn't it?"
    -Agent J, MEN IN BLACK #

    What a great day to be an American!! :D

    Lemme know when we actually start NOT winning :D I'll be around.. :D

  13. [13] 
    Michale wrote:

    President Trump's tariff threat against Mexico is already producing results!! :D

    Mexico blocks new caravan of Central American migrants

    Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Mexico) (AFP) - Authorities blocked a new caravan of Central American migrants Wednesday after they entered Mexico bound for the United States, as the government scrambled to dodge President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs over undocumented immigration.

    Soldiers and police forced hundreds of migrants in the group -- which was mostly from Honduras -- to a halt in the southern town of Metapa de Dominguez, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the Mexican-Guatemalan border.

    The National Migration Institute (INM) said about 420 migrants had been stopped and taken to a detention center by bus.

    But many others may have fled: state police initially estimated the caravan had some 1,200 people.
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/caravan-1-200-migrants-enters-mexico-192344686.html

    WOW, President Trump wins again!!!

    How do ya'all handle the SHAME of losing over and over and over again???

    Maybe it would help ya'all if ya'all simply concede the FACTS...

    President Trump is doing a much better job than ya'all claimed he would..

    Confession is good for the soul.. Ya'all will feel SO much better if you simply concede the FACTS.. :D

  14. [14] 
    Michale wrote:

    Bill de Blasio
    ?
    @BilldeBlasio
    Replying to @BilldeBlasio
    And when it comes to supporting American women on issues like repealing the Hyde Amendment, @JoeBiden is Dr. Jekyll.

    124
    2:15 PM - Jun 5, 2019

    Yea... Democrats discuss the issues and never stoop to name-calling.. :^/

    "In a pig's eye!"
    -Dr Leonard McCoy, STAR TREK, Amok Time

  15. [15] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hay Balthy,

    How to Make Sense of the Shocking New MLK Documents

    A new trove of FBI records has become yet another political weapon in our hyper-partisan age. That doesn’t mean we should ignore it.

    What do you do when a great hero is alleged to have done something awful?

    Politicians, historians, universities, artists and citizens in general have been grappling with this question for years. Renewed attention to racism and discrimination has prompted the reassessment of historical giants from Andrew Jackson to Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill to Gandhi. Sexual harassment revelations have felled a forest of cultural, political and business bigshots. Tasteless jokes, dubious comments or ill-advised tweets have led to scores of people being fired from prominent positions.

    Now Martin Luther King Jr. is in the spotlight. On Thursday, David J. Garrow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of King—and the author of other acclaimed books on Roe v. Wade and Barack Obama—reported in the conservative British magazine Standpoint on explosive material that he found in recently published FBI documents. The article, based on FBI reports summarizing the bureau’s audio surveillance of King, makes for uncomfortable reading, to say the least.
    https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/06/04/how-to-make-sense-of-the-shocking-new-mlk-documents-227042

    Remind me again what this has to do with the GOP or President Trump??

    Ya'all see my point???

    Anything bad that happens ya'all immediately ramp up your I HATE TRUMP AND GOP state (ya'all's normal state) and start throwing out accusations without a SINGLE thought to facts or accuracy or reality..

    This MLK incident is simply one of many examples...

    So, let's have at it..

    What does this revelation about MLK have to do with President Trump or Republicans??

    ANY connection at all???

    No.. There is none...

    So, here's an idea.. Let's all take a DEEP BREATH and actually THINK about the facts and reality before accusing President Trump and the GOP of anything..

    Isn't that such a grand idea!??

  16. [16] 
    Michale wrote:

    6 Gun Lies (And One Truth) Obama Told In Brazil
    During a conversation with a host on stage during the digital innovation event, Obama took the opportunity to speak negatively about U.S. gun laws.

    https://thefederalist.com/2019/05/31/6-gun-lies-one-truth-obama-told-brazil/

    Once again... If our gun laws are so god-awful as anti-gun nutz claim...

    Why is it necessary to LIE about them?? If the facts are so damning, why lie???

  17. [17] 
    Michale wrote:

    “Trump telling Piers Morgan that semi-automatic guns are for entertainment is grounds for impeachment.”
    -Chelsea Handler

    This is EXACTLY why it's impossible to take you Left Wingers seriously..

    Ya'all are so HYSTERICAL about everything and never have a shred of fact to support the claims..

    "Waaa Waaaa!!! President Trump said something boorish that I don't like!!! THAT'S grounds for impeachment!!!!"

    Yunno, if you people don't reign in your morons, then you have no reason to complain when ya'all are painted with their brush...

  18. [18] 
    Michale wrote:

    William Barr is asking questions the media don't want asked

    “I’m amused,” Attorney General William Barr told CBS News’ Jan Crawford, “by these people who make a living disclosing classified information, including the names of intelligence operatives, wringing their hands about whether I’m going to be responsible in protecting intelligence sources and methods.”

    He went on after further questions, “Well, the media reaction is strange. Normally the media would be interested in letting the sunshine in and finding out what the truth is. And usually the media doesn’t care that much about protecting intelligence sources and methods. But I do and I will.”

    You don’t have to have been “in the business” for Barr’s nearly 50 years to understand what he means. Just flash back 13 years to June 2006 and read the New York Times’ revelations about the Swift bank procedures.
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/william-barr-is-asking-questions-the-media-doesnt-want-asked

    The blatant hypocrisy of the Left Wing and it's propaganda arm, the Main Stream Media..

  19. [19] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Ask Biden what he thinks about the 'Main Stream Media'?

  20. [20] 
    Michale wrote:

    Ask Biden what he thinks about the 'Main Stream Media'?

    How about I ask the Biden expert?? :D

    Hay Liz.. What does Joe Biden think of the Main Stream Media.. :D

  21. [21] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Funny how you didn't complain when Odumbo's main squeeze took family vacations that costs hundreds of millions of dollars..

    Why not??

    First, none of Obama’s vacations cost hundreds of millions of dollars, so why are you OK with Trump spending that much money to take his family to work with him? Second, Trump’s trip to England was NOT a vacation! This was an official trip, which means none of his children should have been in attendance. Lastly, if he were to take one of his children on an official trip, it should only be the one that still lives with him. I haven’t seen any pictures that include Barron in them — doesn’t mean he wasn’t there — but the adult Trumpkins aren’t royalty and had no reason to be there!

    The whole family took a group photo inside Buckingham Palace... about 20 feet in front of a posted sign that instructs visitors that taking photographs is not allowed inside the palace! You can actually see the sign in the background!

  22. [22] 
    Michale wrote:

    Perhaps the worst self-inflicted damage was Mueller’s “not not guilty” statement about Trump. His exact quote: “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” That statement is a frontal assault on the oldest, deepest principles of Western law:

    No one has to prove their innocence; everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that includes the president, Supreme Court nominees, and anyone else;

    and

    Prosecutors should never pronounce guilt before a verdict or assert someone committed crimes or “bad acts” without charging them. Either charge a crime or shut up.

    Mueller missed an excellent opportunity to shut up.
    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/06/05/muellers_sinking_reputation_140493.html

  23. [23] 
    Michale wrote:

    This was an official trip, which means none of his children should have been in attendance.

    Says who???

    You think Odumbo didn't take Maila or whoever on official trips??

    Once again, you demonstrate yer Odumbo blinders..

    The whole family took a group photo inside Buckingham Palace... about 20 feet in front of a posted sign that instructs visitors that taking photographs is not allowed inside the palace! You can actually see the sign in the background!

    And Odumbo demanded Season 6 of GAME OF THRONES to know the outcome of Jon Snow at the end of season 5.. ANd got it..

    SO??????

    You want to impeach Trump because he took an unauthorized family picture!!????

    Seriously!!!!?????

    BBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Take a step back and see how ridiculous you look..

  24. [24] 
    Michale wrote:

    but the adult Trumpkins aren’t royalty and had no reason to be there!

    Except that they are officials within the Trump administration..

    Jeezus, Russ.. Get a grip on reality... Yer gonna vapor lock if you keep getting so hysterical with hate...

  25. [25] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Why is it necessary to LIE about them?? If the facts are so damning, why lie???

    Hold up....so Michale is condemning Obama for lying about something, but refuses to hold Trump accountable for ANY of his lies?!?! But how can that be???

    If that were the case, then his attacks on everyone here for being hypocrites and only attacking one party would all just be Michale projecting his own biases on the rest of us!

    SAD!

  26. [26] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hold up....so Michale is condemning Obama for lying about something, but refuses to hold Trump accountable for ANY of his lies?!?! But how can that be???

    Simple... It your definition of "lie"...

    You define "lie" as anything President Trump says that you don't like..

    Therefore, you have absolutely ZERO credibility in pointing out lies..

    Now, do you want to address Odumbo's REAL and ACTUAL lies???

    Or just play in your 'whataboutism' mud hole???

    If that were the case, then his attacks on everyone here for being hypocrites and only attacking one party would all just be Michale projecting his own biases on the rest of us!

    So, the mud hole for you it is.. Gotcha {wink wink}

  27. [27] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Except that they are officials within the Trump administration..

    Really? How about you post Eric Trump’s official title within the government? Tiffany Trump’s? Don, Jr.’s?

  28. [28] 
    Michale wrote:

    Why Did The Obama Administration Ignore Reports Of Russian Election Meddling?

    Friday’s interview is not the only time Barr raised the issue of the Obama administration’s failure to respond to Russian attempts at election interference.
    https://thefederalist.com/2019/06/04/obama-administration-ignore-reports-russian-election-meddling/

    The answer is easy...

    Odumbo thought Hillary was going to win and, therefore, didn't care about Russian meddling in the election...

  29. [29] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Poor Michale... him got called out again!

  30. [30] 
    Michale wrote:

    Poor Michale... him got called out again!

    Yea.. And President Trump colluded with the Russians to win the election.. :D

    ONLY in your deluded little world of make believe...

    Can't address Odumbo's lies so you run and hide behind ad honimem attacks..

    Typical.. :D

  31. [31] 
    Michale wrote:

    Why can't you answer the question, Russ??

    Of our gun laws are so god-awful, why does Odumbo have to LIE about them to make them appear bad???

    It's a question about our gun laws.... Not Odumbo's lies..

    So, why can't you answer???

  32. [32] 
    Michale wrote:

    Poor Michale... him got called out again!

    And yet, YOU are the one that ran away.. :D

  33. [33] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hugs, not macho handshakes: Trump shelves politics at D-Day anniversary

    PARIS/COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (Reuters) - President Donald Trump briefly set aside politics and his testy relationship with France’s Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, heaping praise on U.S. war veterans in a speech to mark the 75th D-Day anniversary and steering clear of issues that might rile Europe.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-dday-anniversary-macron-trump/hugs-not-macho-handshakes-trump-shelves-politics-at-d-day-anniversary-idUSKCN1T71TM

    President Trump... A true statesman....

  34. [34] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    LWYH had a great question there:

    How about you post Eric Trump’s official title within the government? Tiffany Trump’s? Don, Jr.’s?

    Of course, he can't. Trump thought that a trip to meet the queen was a family outing. "Be royal" was the order of the day.

    Of course, it's crude and tasteless, so of course.

  35. [35] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hell freezes over as Jim Acosta, Joe Scarborough praise Trump’s D-Day speech

    President Trump’s speech on Thursday honoring the brave Allied fighters who "stood in the fires of hell" on the 75th anniversary of D-Day drew unexpected acclaim from two of his biggest mainstream media critics: CNN’s Jim Acosta and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough.

    “This is perhaps the most on-message moment of Donald Trump’s presidency today. We were all wondering if he would veer from his remarks, go off of his script but he stayed on script, stayed on message and, I think, rose to the moment,” Acosta said on CNN immediately following the speech.

    JIM ACOSTA'S CNN ROLE FURTHER MUDDLED BY UPCOMING BOOK: 'YOU CAN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIM AND A PAID PUNDIT

    The CNN White House reporter is often combative with Trump and members of his administration but praised Trump’s remark that the men who stormed the beach are among the greatest Americans who have ever lived.

    “That could not be more of a fact check true,” Acosta said. “It was really one of those moments that Donald Trump needed to rise to in order to, I think, walk away from the cemetery, walk away from this hallowed ground and have people back at home saying, ‘You know what, no matter what I think about the current president of the United States, he said the right thing at Normandy. He did the right thing at Normandy.’”
    https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/hell-freezes-over-as-jim-acosta-joe-scarborough-praise-trumps-d-day-speech

    Nice to see some people can actually rise above politics and give credit where credit is due..

    Unfortunately, not many of them are around there here parts....

    :^/

    No, people around these here parts complain about a limo ride or the Trump family taking a photo in a NO PHOTO place or some such other whiney bullshit.. :eyeroll:

    Hyper Hysterical President Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well in Weigantia.. :^/

  36. [36] 
    Michale wrote:

    Of course, he can't. Trump thought that a trip to meet the queen was a family outing. "Be royal" was the order of the day.

    Of course, it's crude and tasteless, so of course.

    And now we hear from one of the biggest sufferers of the Hyper Hysterical President Trump Derangement Syndrome...

    Pissy about Trump children on an official trip, but never said BOO when Michelle Odumbo and the kids and mom spent millions on family vacays....

    Hypocrisy much???

  37. [37] 
    Michale wrote:

    Hay Balthy,

    Still waiting for you to tie the MLK revelations to President Trump or the Republicans..

    Cat got yer facts?? :D

  38. [38] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Millions?

    Sure, I'd love to see where Michelle and the kids and mom spent millions on vacation.

  39. [39] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Still waiting for you to tie the MLK revelations to President Trump or the Republicans..

    Still waiting for proof that they exist.

  40. [40] 
    Michale wrote:

    Still waiting for proof that they exist.

    Oh.. So you deny the facts and reality.. AGAIN.. :D

    So, if they don't exist, how can you tie them to Republicans and President Trump??

  41. [41] 
    Michale wrote:

    Sure, I'd love to see where Michelle and the kids and mom spent millions on vacation.

    Final Obama travel tab: $100 million

    The final tab for former President Obama's eight years of family travel to ski resorts, beaches and European cities has finally come in and the bill is $99,714,527.82.
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/final-obama-travel-tab-100-million

    Don't tell me, let me guess.. You deny these facts too..

    How awesome it must be for you to live in such a delusional world..

  42. [42] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    So that's a "no" to question #2, but what about question #1?

    Whatsa matter, Cat got yer facts?? :D

  43. [43] 
    Michale wrote:

    OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TRAVEL COST $114 MILLION, TRUMP'S SO FAR IS $10 MILLION
    https://www.newsweek.com/obama-administration-travel-costs-114-million-trump-723883

    Cat got yer facts again, Balthy???

    Here... Let me answer for you..

    "But!!! er.... Uh... Well!! That's different!!!"

    Yea, it always is with you hysterical Trump/America haters...

    :eyeroll:

  44. [44] 
    Michale wrote:

    So that's a "no" to question #2, but what about question #1?

    What was question #1????

    I took care of both questions..

    But, as usual, you ignore the facts..

  45. [45] 
    Michale wrote:

    Yer not really good at this, are ya Balthy... :^/

    "Never cross brains with Spock. He will cut you to pieces every time.."
    -Ensign Sulu

  46. [46] 
    Michale wrote:

    And from NEIL's favorite source...

    New Obama vacation costs uncovered; They now exceed $70 million
    https://www.investors.com/politics/columnists/obama-vacation-expenses-already-exceed-70-million-dollars/

    And you people are SERIOUSLY hysterical about a paltry limo ride for a million???

    "The butthurt is strong with this one..."
    -Yoda

  47. [47] 
    Michale wrote:

    You want more FACTS to support Odumbo and his tens of millions of dollars in family vacays????

    No????

    Smart move...

  48. [48] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Included in that article:

    Trump is also coming under for his weekend trips to his golf resorts in Florida and New Jersey. Some critics believe his costs will top Obama's.

    For example, On May 4, Judicial Watch released Air Force One pricing records showing that just two trips to Mar-a-Lago cost $1,281,420.

    Nowhere do I see a bill for Michelle and the kids to meet the Queen...

  49. [49] 
    Michale wrote:

    Trump is also coming under for his weekend trips to his golf resorts in Florida and New Jersey. Some critics believe his costs will top Obama's.

    Yea, some critics believe that Trump colluded with Russians..

    Apparently the critics are MORONS..

    I give you FACTS.. You give me critic's BELIEFS...

    The SAD thing is, you think they are comparable...

    Nowhere do I see a bill for Michelle and the kids to meet the Queen...

    Nice dodge.. I showed you "MILLIONS" in Odumbo vacay spending..

    And, as usual, you can't acknowledge THE FACTS and bring up something totally irrelevant..

    If the Queen has a problem with meeting the Trump family, let her say so..

    You simply come off as a whiney little biatch...

  50. [50] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Trump, though he has only been in office for nine months, is so far on track to come out ahead of the Obama administration's expense record. He, too, has had his fair share of trip splurges.

    You seem to have forgotten your own leader's profligate spending. I suggest you stop now.

  51. [51] 
    Michale wrote:

    You seem to have forgotten your own leader's profligate spending. I suggest you stop now.

    of course you would suggest that.. I am kicking your ass!!! :D

    All you have are projections from Trump/America haters...

    You asked for FACTS regarding Odumbo's millions and millions spent on vacays...

    I give you the FACTS..

    And you whine and cry about Trump..

    You can't even CONCEDE that you were wrong..

    That's why I always win... :D

  52. [52] 
    Michale wrote:

    You seem to have forgotten your own leader's profligate spending.

    And that's what's so frakin' hilarious..

    He is YOUR leader too!!! :D

    Unless you want to renounce your US citizenship..

    In that case, don't let the door hit you in the arse on your way out... :D

  53. [53] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    The military will spend a month along the U.S.-Mexico border painting a mile-long section of border wall to improve its "aesthetic appearance." An unspecific number of service members were instructed to paint barriers in the California border town of Calexico for a total of 30 days. Sen. Dick Durbin called the task a "disgraceful misuse" of taxpayer money. (CBS News)

    Yet another day in paradise.

  54. [54] 
    Michale wrote:

    The military will spend a month along the U.S.-Mexico border painting a mile-long section of border wall to improve its "aesthetic appearance." An unspecific number of service members were instructed to paint barriers in the California border town of Calexico for a total of 30 days. Sen. Dick Durbin called the task a "disgraceful misuse" of taxpayer money. (CBS News)

    Says Dick "Da nang" Durbin.. A known liar who is guilty of stolen valor... His "misuse" of his military career is well documented....

    But thank you for proving how much ya'all hate the US Military... :^/

    How long did you wear the uniform of a US Service member, Balthy??

    Come talk to me when you actually have some military experience under your belt...

  55. [55] 
    Michale wrote:

    "Got any more ball busters...???"
    -Adam Sandler, BILLY MADISON

    :D

  56. [56] 
    Michale wrote:

    Look up the term, NON JUDICIAL PUNISHMENT...

    Before you embarrass yourself any more... :eyeroll:

  57. [57] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    His "misuse" of his military career is well documented..

    Is it? Where?

    And I wore the uniform. Also: painted red rocks yellow, and yellow rocks red.

    But thank you for proving how much ya'all hate the US Military..

    The last bastion of the chickenshit Republicans. I'd say they showed their stripes when they elected President Bonespurs.

  58. [58] 
    Michale wrote:

    Is it? Where?

    Would you concede if I showed you??

    Of course not.. So why bother??

    And I wore the uniform.

    Girl scouts don't count..

    The last bastion of the chickenshit Republicans. I'd say they showed their stripes when they elected President Bonespurs.

    As opposed when ya'all elected President I Didn't Inhale???

    Face reality..

    The Democrat Party's hatred of the US Military is well documented..

  59. [59] 
    Michale wrote:

    Before you embarrass yourself any more... :eyeroll:

    Too late...

  60. [60] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Michale [43]

    You are comparing eight years of Obama’s travels with less than one for Trump...that article was from Nov. 2017.

    [31] Why can't you answer the question, Russ??

    Allow me to respond in a way you will understand:

    But, as usual, my comments are NOT a judgment on the actions of Odumbo OR President Trump..

    My comments are on the fact that ya'all's condemnations are totally and completely one sided...

    When have you ever called Trump out for his lies?

  61. [61] 
    Michale wrote:

    You are comparing eight years of Obama’s travels with less than one for Trump...that article was from Nov. 2017.

    No... I am pointing out the hypocrisy of Trump/America haters complaining about a 1 million dollar limo ride when they didn't say dick about Odumbo and his 114 million dollar vacations...

    When have you ever called Trump out for his lies?

    I don't have to because what YOU call lies are not really lies...

    So, do you want to address Odumbo's actual lies???

    Or just wallow in your lame and impotent whataboutism??

    Lame and impotent?? Figures...

  62. [62] 
    Michale wrote:

    Actually, it's not even about Odumbo's lying..

    It's about the FACT that ya'all claim that US Gun laws are horrendous..

    If that is factually accurate, why do ya'all have to LIE about them???

    No answer???

    Figures...

  63. [63] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Show me quotes from Obama that demonstrate he was lying. You keep bringing it up, not me.

    No... I am pointing out the hypocrisy of Trump/America haters complaining about a 1 million dollar limo ride when they didn't say dick about Odumbo and his 114 million dollar vacations...

    No, what you posted in 43 was:

    OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TRAVEL COST $114 MILLION, TRUMP'S SO FAR IS $10 MILLION

    But this is the biggest indication that you are only interested in trolling:

    When have you ever called Trump out for his lies?

    I don't have to because what YOU call lies are not really lies...

    You still claim that the Mueller report exonerated Trump of collusion, when the report clearly states it did not investigate for a charge that is not defined by law.

    You show no respect to anyone here while constantly attacking everyone here. You say something that is not true, we call you out on your dishonesty, then you repeat the lie again to demonstrate that you don’t give a funk about truth.

    It’s pointless to try to have a honest conversation with someone who insists on his reality being the only legitimate one that he will speak from. Why bother?

    What bums me out is that you are clearly a very intelligent guy — yet you choose to defend Trump with arguments that are so blatantly ridiculous that if you are intelligent, you cannot actually believe them to be correct.

  64. [64] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    I hear thatiIn a monumental display of economic naivete-cum-ignorance noteworthy even by his standards, our Reality TV Host president has evidently decided that he can solve the invasion of Central American economic refugees by raising the price of my beloved avocados to American consumers.

    But hey, having wrecked the American farm economy, I guess it seems only logical to him to try and wreck the Mexican farm economy!

  65. [65] 
    Michale wrote:

    Show me quotes from Obama that demonstrate he was lying. You keep bringing it up, not me.

    All you had to do was ask..

    Or you could just read the article.. :^/

    ODUMBO LIE #1 "Anybody Can Buy a Firearm"

    ODUMBO LIE #2 "Any Firearm Can Be Purchased"

    ODUMBO LIE #3 "A Firearm Can Be Purchased at Any Time"

    ODUMBO LIE #4 "Firearms Can Be Purchased with Few Regulations"

    ODUMBO LIE #5 "Firearms Can Be Purchased Over the Internet"

    ODUMBO LIE #6 "Anyone Can Purchase a Machine Gun"

    Now you'll bend over backwards trying to say that these aren't really lies..

    Which simply proves my point regarding how you define "lie"...

    No, what you posted in 43 was:

    OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TRAVEL COST $114 MILLION, TRUMP'S SO FAR IS $10 MILLION

    But this is the biggest indication that you are only interested in trolling:

    That was in response to Balthy's request for FACTS and had nothing to do with trolling or Odumbo's lies..

    You really need to get your arguments straight..

    You still claim that the Mueller report exonerated Trump of collusion, when the report clearly states it did not investigate for a charge that is not defined by law.

    Once again, nothing to do with Odumbo or his lies.. But the Mueller report clearly exonerated President Trump for Russia Collusion..

    The fact that you can't concede this simply proves you are living in a delusional world of your own making..

    It’s pointless to try to have a honest conversation with someone who insists on his reality being the only legitimate one that he will speak from. Why bother?

    I know it's pointless.. But I have some hopes of some day breaking thru your delusions and having you see the facts and reality.

    Who knows.. You conceding Odumbo's gun lies might be a first step.. :D

    Hope springs eternal..

  66. [66] 
    Michale wrote:

    @CRS

    I hear thatiIn a monumental display of economic naivete-cum-ignorance noteworthy even by his standards, our Reality TV Host president has evidently decided that he can solve the invasion of Central American economic refugees by raising the price of my beloved avocados to American consumers.

    And yet... It's working! :D

    Mexico is taking firm steps to stop illegal immigrants at THEIR southern border before they make it to OUR southern border??

    Will Mexico stay firm and have their actions bear....er.. avocados??

    Who knows..

    But it's clear that President Trump's actions ARE forcing Mexico to take action...

    So, com'on.. Credit where credit is due...

    :D

  67. [67] 
    Michale wrote:

    Sad to see...

    BIDEN BUCKLES, FLIPS ON HYDE AMENDMENT UNDER PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS
    https://dailycaller.com/2019/06/06/biden-flips-hyde-amendment-pressure/

    Biden might just be able to flip flop enough to win the Dem nomination..

    Of course, that means he has to give up everything that makes him Joe Biden...

    Which further means, with every flip flop, he loses his chance to actually beat President Trump..

  68. [68] 
    Michale wrote:

    The first (of many) to fall..

    Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic darling in 2018, struggling on national stage

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman who nearly won a U.S. Senate seat last year in the reliably conservative state, is struggling in his White House bid and has lost support from young voters and minorities, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos national poll.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll/beto-orourke-a-democratic-darling-in-2018-struggling-on-national-stage-idUSKCN1T72A6

    The fickle-ness of the Democrat Party...

  69. [69] 
    Michale wrote:

    Nothing succeeds like success...

    Mexico deploys military to curb migration, reportedly offers major concessions as Trump tariffs loom

    With just days to go until the Trump administration is set to impose punishing tariffs on Mexico unless the country halts the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants across the southern border, numerous signs that Mexico would capitulate emerged Thursday -- but it remained unclear Friday morning whether their efforts would satisfy the White House.

    Reports in the evening indicated that Mexico's negotiators with Washington have offered to immediately deploy 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Guatemala. Additionally, Mexico has reportedly agreed to a major overhaul of reasonable asylum protocols, which would require asylum applicants to seek permanent refuge in the first country they arrive in after fleeing their home countries.
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mexico-deploys-military-to-block-hundreds-of-migrants-as-country-seeks-to-avoid-trump-tariffs

    So, let's talk about "President Madman" and his, how was it put?.... "monumentally stupid idea" would never amount to anything??

    But, once again, I DO have to point out that President Trump was wrong..

    I, for one, am NOT getting tired of winning.. :D

  70. [70] 
    Michale wrote:

    Since ya'all hysterically condemned Trump for campaign finance violations over Horseface....

    Ilhan Omar violated campaign finance rules, investigation finds, as more questions about tax filings arise
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omar-violated-campaign-finance-rules-investigation-finds-as-questions-about-tax-status-arise

    .... I am sure you'll take this opportunity to condemn Ilan Omar just as voraciously, for her campaign finance crimes...

    Right??? :eyeroll:

  71. [71] 
    Michale wrote:

    Additionally, conservative commentators pointed out that the Board's report revealed Omar and her current husband, Ahmed Hirsi, filed joint tax returns in 2014 and 2015, when Omar was reportedly married to another man. Omar engaged in a civil marriage with Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009, and the couple separated in 2011 without formally petitioning for divorce until 2017.

    Prior to her marriage with Elmi, Omar had reportedly wed Hirsi in the Muslim "faith tradition," but the couple separated shortly afterwards. Omar did not officially marry Hirsi until 2018, after reconciling with him and splitting with Elmi.

    Tax experts say the IRS only permits joint filings if a couple is in a state that legally recognizes the couple as married.

    "Time to get federal IRS officials involved?" asked conservative blogger Michelle Malkin. "What say you all?"

    "A sitting congresswoman may have filed EIGHT YEARS of fraudulent, felonious, tax returns," added writer David Steinberg, who authored a Twitter thread flagging the issue.

    Wow.. This woman is totally screwed!!!

    Eight years of FRAUDULENT tax filings..

    Maybe ya'all should worry more about Oman's tax returns and less about President Trump's, eh?? :^/

  72. [72] 
    Michale wrote:

    And President Trump's approval has shot up... :D

    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

    Making America Great Again

    :D

  73. [73] 
    Michale wrote:

    But buck up, my fellow Weigantians...

    The Democrats are delusional about impeaching President Donald Trump | Mulshine
    https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/06/the-democrats-are-delusional-about-impeaching-president-donald-trump-mulshine.html

    Ya'all aren't the only ones who are delusional...

    It seems to be a Democrat requirement..

  74. [74] 
    Michale wrote:

    And, in the Credit-Where-Credit-Is-Due-But-No-One-Here-Will-Ever-Do-So Department..

    Trump’s Great D-Day Speech
    Column: The president makes the case for national spirit, sovereignty, and strength

    President Trump gave one of the best speeches of his presidency while many Americans were brushing their teeth. His remarks at the seventy-fifth commemoration of D-Day at the Normandy American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, were gracious, moving, poetic, and delivered in a time zone six hours ahead of the East Coast.
    https://freebeacon.com/columns/trumps-great-d-day-speech/

    Hell, even Trump nemesis, Jim Acosta said it was an awesome speech...

  75. [75] 
    Michale wrote:

    Gillibrand Gets ‘Pants on Fire’ Rating for Claim Trump Didn’t Ban Bump Stocks
    https://freebeacon.com/politics/gillibrand-gets-pants-on-fire-rating-for-claim-trump-didnt-ban-bump-stocks/

    Personally, this bump-stock ban was useless and will likely not save any lives..

    Matter of fact, it's a GOOD thing the Vegas scumbag had used a bump-stock.. If he hadn't, the death toll would have easily been triple what it was...

    But the ban did serve a political purpose even though it's effect in reality is nil...

  76. [76] 
    Michale wrote:

    CNN's Don Lemon Reveals He Was Called "F***ot" Recently While Filming Show
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cnns-don-lemon-says-he-was-called-fot-shooting-show-1216386

    While not condoning the attacks against Lemon (if they indeed happened) if Lemon doesn't like the toxicity of the current political environment, why doesn't he do his part to lessen it??

    But his bullshit and his lies contribute to the toxicity as much as the scumbag Trump supporters do...

    "Ya don't START none, there wouldn't BE none.."
    -Will Smith, MEN IN BLACK

  77. [77] 
    Michale wrote:

    Huge Payrolls Miss: Only 75,000 Jobs Added In May As Wage Growth Slows
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-07/huge-payrolls-miss-only-75000-jobs-added-may-hourly-earnings-growth-slows

    Well, I guess the news can't be ALL good ALL the time.. :D

    Hysterical Trump/America haters to blame President Trump in 3... 2.... 1.... :eyeroll:

  78. [78] 
    Michale wrote:

    Remember how ya'all condemned Trump and Trump supporters for the "LOCK HER UP" chant???

    Liberal MSNBC hosts rip Pelosi’s call to jail Trump: ‘Stuff we used to see in Pakistan’

    Liberal MSNBC hosts Ari Melber and Chris Matthews both condemned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent call to lock up President Trump on Thursday -- comparing it to a rallying cry that Trump supporters have long used against Hillary Clinton.

    Pelosi told senior Democrats that she would like to see Trump “in prison,” according to Politico. While MSNBC is typically in lockstep with Pelosi, Melber and Matthews didn’t agree with her reported comment.

    Melber asked if the counter argument would become, “Is this the Democrats' version of 'lock her up?'” The MSNBC host then said “there was a judicial, legal, process,” which “did not result in an indictment, whether you like it or not,” obviously referring to the Mueller report.
    https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/liberal-msnbc-hosts-pelosi-jail-trump

    And yet, ya'all are strangely silent when the Democrats put forth THEIR version..

    Showing once again, how it is ALL about the -D/-R.....

  79. [79] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    I, for one, am very much rooting for Mr. Trump's economy.

    I have a fair amount of, ah, skin in the game, as they say.

    I also think Speaker Pelosi made an unforced error with her wish to see Trump in prison. No one is perfect and it's important to remember that patience is a virtue and much is needed in this road to impeachment if that is where the country should go ...

  80. [80] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Michale, you really must always call out the exceptions to your rules when making all of those blanket assertions.

  81. [81] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    And, stooping way, way down to Trump's level is never a good ideal for Democrats and I hope Pelosi has learned an important lesson.

  82. [82] 
    Michale wrote:

    I, for one, am very much rooting for Mr. Trump's economy.

    Good for you.. You are probably 1 of 4 here who are... :D

    But ya always did have a fair head on yer shoulders..

    I also think Speaker Pelosi made an unforced error with her wish to see Trump in prison. No one is perfect and it's important to remember that patience is a virtue and much is needed in this road to impeachment if that is where the country should go ...

    Agreed...

    If Democrats think they have cause to impeach, then they have a DUTY to impeach..

    But they are playing politics with it, putting Party before country..

    And they should be called out for it..

  83. [83] 
    Michale wrote:

    Michale, you really must always call out the exceptions to your rules when making all of those blanket assertions.

    I do try to.. But my reasoning is, those who are not covered by those blanket assertions KNOW they are not so they shouldn't be offended..

    And, stooping way, way down to Trump's level is never a good ideal for Democrats

    A point I make all the time.. :D

    and I hope Pelosi has learned an important lesson.

    I doubt it.. Because her base eats it up.. Just like Trump's base eats up "LOCK HER UP"

    As I have always said.. Two sides of the same coin..

    Democrats like to think they are better than Trump supporters.. But they are really not..

  84. [84] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    I do try to.. But my reasoning is, those who are not covered by those blanket assertions KNOW they are not so they shouldn't be offended..

    Yes, but I worry about what any newcomers who may not have posted yet think, you know.

    Democrats like to think they are better than Trump supporters.. But they are really not..

    Well, their policies are often better.

  85. [85] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    But they are playing politics with it, putting Party before country..And they should be called out for it..

    I agree with that.

    Oh, the whole thing is a political mess and God knows how it will all turn out. I just hope that when the dust settles, President Biden will be capable of cleaning the Augean Stables-like mess.

  86. [86] 
    Michale wrote:

    Oh, the whole thing is a political mess and God knows how it will all turn out. I just hope that when the dust settles, President Biden will be capable of cleaning the Augean Stables-like mess.

    Love your optimism.. :D

    What do you think about Biden's turnaround on the Hyde Amendment??

  87. [87] 
    Michale wrote:

    Huge Payrolls Miss: Only 75,000 Jobs Added In May As Wage Growth Slows
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-07/huge-payrolls-miss-only-75000-jobs-added-may-hourly-earnings-growth-slows

    Well, I guess the news can't be ALL good ALL the time.. :D

    Hysterical Trump/America haters to blame President Trump in 3... 2.... 1.... :eyeroll:

    Interesting note..

    If Obama is responsible for the awesome economy that started as soon as President Trump was elected...

    Does that mean Obama is to blame for the crappy numbers this time??? :D

  88. [88] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Good question, Michale!

    First off, as I understand it (and I don't recall hearing about the Hyde amendment until now), it has been part of numerous budgets and spending bills over the many years since it was first passed and Democrats in Congress have voted for it many times - maybe even some of those running for the Democratic nomination today (I'd like to find out).

    Secondly, I can understand why Democrats voted for it in the first place, decades ago. I mean, how can the government fund abortion in any case when so many people (about half?) feel so strongly that abortions are wrong on religious and other grounds?

    On the other hand, the Supreme Court and highest law of the land says that women have a right to abortion, with certain restrictions, of course. So how could the government not fund abortions because that would necessarily and disproportionately block access for poor and otherwise disadvantaged groups of people.

    However, the Hyde amendment was revised to make federal funds available in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is in danger.

    And, we have to take into account the assault underway by Republicans, largely, to effectively ban abortions at the state level, pending court approval. But, some (many?) of these laws abide by the Hyde amendment by allowing for abortions in cases of rape, incest and health of the mother.

    Doesn't planned parenthood use funds it raises (not from the government) to help women who are in need but can't afford it? And, aren't there other organizations who help as well?

    As for Biden's turnaround, I take him at his word that he became convinced by his critics and even his own campaign that he needed to reconsider his support for it to be consistent with his stance on other issues like healthcare and accessibility. I don't see this move as being done for political expedience, in other words.

    I would have been fine if he had stuck to his guns, as well.

    What do you think?

  89. [89] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Michale,

    Trump is doing himself no favours when it comes to the economy.

    He needs to get off his tariff horse!

  90. [90] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Also, Biden is a huge supporter of Roe v Wade which is something that is getting lost in all of this.

    He would choose supreme court nominees who believe in a right to privacy.

    I think he is concerned, as many Americans are, about all of the new abortion laws being voted for in many states and about the notion that Roe is in some danger of being overturned.

  91. [91] 
    Michale wrote:

    Gay couple beaten up for refusing to kiss for men's entertainment
    'It's not something isolated, it's common. We were seen as entertainment, that's what makes me so angry.'

    -Twitter

    It's not "common"... It's isolated....

    As abhorrent as this is (and it really is, make no mistake about it..) it's even MORE abhorrent to FAKE attacks like this, ala Jussie Smollett...

  92. [92] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    A final point … Biden needs to explain his views on all of these issues, ad Bidenitum, if you know what I mean!

  93. [93] 
    Michale wrote:

    Trump is doing himself no favours when it comes to the economy.

    He needs to get off his tariff horse!

    And yet, the tariffs seem to be having the desired effect.. Mexico is bending over backwards to accommodate President Trump...

    And the Chinese are scared shitless because they know that THEY need the US more than the US needs them...

    Also, Biden is a huge supporter of Roe v Wade which is something that is getting lost in all of this.

    He would choose supreme court nominees who believe in a right to privacy.

    I think he is concerned, as many Americans are, about all of the new abortion laws being voted for in many states and about the notion that Roe is in some danger of being overturned.

    And yet, he supported the Hyde Amendment until the Ultra Left Wing told him not to.. Then he caved..

    Not a good look for a POTUS-In-Training...

  94. [94] 
    Michale wrote:

    And yet, he supported the Hyde Amendment until the Ultra Left Wing told him not to..

    "Ned Ryerson.. I dated your sister, Mary Pat, until you told me not to.."

    https://media.giphy.com/media/DViGV8rfVjw6Q/giphy.gif

    :D

  95. [95] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Biden is just not the kind of politician, Michale, who acts based on political expediency.

    I'm not clicking on that link.

  96. [96] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    And the Chinese are scared shitless because they know that THEY need the US more than the US needs them…

    Are you sure about that?

  97. [97] 
    Michale wrote:

    Biden is just not the kind of politician, Michale, who acts based on political expediency.

    You know that.. I know that..

    But give the fact of his flip flop, he sure is ACTING like that kind of politician..

    I'm not clicking on that link.

    It's just a funny animated .GIF from GROUNDHOG DAY :D

    Are you sure about that?

    Am I sure that China needs the USA more than the USA needs China?? Yes..

    Am I sure they are scared shitless of President Trump? If they're not, then they're morons..

  98. [98] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    But give the fact of his flip flop, he sure is ACTING like that kind of politician..

    That's why he some explaining to do, in 'ad Bidenitum' fashion.

  99. [99] 
    Michale wrote:

    That's why he some explaining to do, in 'ad Bidenitum' fashion.

    I look forward to hearing it...

  100. [100] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    You'll need a few hours … :)

  101. [101] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    nope. but they could all certainly benefit from some pie.

  102. [102] 
    Elizabeth Miller wrote:

    Indeed.

  103. [103] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    As abhorrent as this is (and it really is, make no mistake about it..) it's even MORE abhorrent to FAKE attacks like this, ala Jussie Smollett...

    So someone lying and claiming they were raped by someone they cannot identify is worse than someone actually being raped? WOW! Spoken like someone who cannot fathom that others actually have it tougher than they do! Yes, having some falsely accuse you of doing something you did not do is horrible. It’s painful. But if you think for one second it is worse than being subjected to the physical, mental, emotional, and some might even include spiritual horrors associated with what victims of rape experience... if you think it is even MORE abhorrent, then there really is no point in going on with this conversation.

  104. [104] 
    Michale wrote:

    So someone lying and claiming they were raped by someone they cannot identify is worse than someone actually being raped?

    Who said anything about being raped??

    Jeeze, dood.. Did you hit your head or something???

    Yes, having some falsely accuse you of doing something you did not do is horrible.

    It's MORE than just YOU who is affected, moron!

    Can you get past your own ego for 2 seconds!!

    False accusations of racism or bigotry or "rape" ??? call into question REAL acts of racism or bigotry or "rape"...

    Every false accusation makes it that much harder for people who suffer from REAL attacks to get justice..

    And THAT is worse...

    If you could get past your own hysterical bigotry and hatred, you would see that! Dumb ass...

    if you think it is even MORE abhorrent, then there really is no point in going on with this conversation.

    Yea, you keep saying that...

    And yet, you STILL keep coming back for more... :eyeroll:

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