Can we say flip flop......
Trump takes a centrist tack on economic policy, abandoning campaign pledges
Trump takes a centrist tack on economic policy, abandoning campaign pledges
The Trump Card...
- Thread starter muttly
- Start date
Would like Bannon to stay because he's an anti establishment presence in the Whitehouse.
Impressed by OMB Mulvaney, Ambassador Haley, and AG Sessions so far.
With any political leader who has fervent fans, it is common for the fans to blame the people around him or her for the leader's shortcomings or failures. It always remains the case, however, that it is the leader who picks his/her people and it is the leader who chooses to be influenced or not influenced by them. Or it is the leader who ends up blindly out-foxed by his/her subordinates who use the leader for their purposes.
The most Trump-trusted people on staff now are daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. They are trusted because they are family. As people in line to inherit part of the Trump Organization, they will do nothing to upset that apple cart, while doing everything they can to enhance their staff status and protect the chief from all others.
During the campaign, Trump and his supporters loudly proclaimed that Trump picks the best people. While Trump admitted to being an outsider with no political experience, he'd overcome that shortcoming by surrounding himself with the best people, he claimed.
Trump's current staff and cabinet is quite possibly the most inexperienced group to ever fill those roles. They look more like the gang that can't shoot straight than team players in a finely tuned machine. While some have been deemed more effective than others, none of them have emerged as exceptionally good.
In their defense, Trump does not have a well-articulated agenda, only vague campaign promises and claims that are subject to change on Trump's whim, which frequently occurs. The shift now underway from populism to centrism is no more secure than the next shift that will likely come. Without a firm plan, Trump's people have no target. They literally do not know what to do from one day to the next because Trump himself is vague and unclear. When the post-Trump administration tell-all books are written they will have some astounding stories to tell.
Trump frequently says he operates on instinct and he trusts his instincts. That may work for him but it puts the people who work for him in an impossible situation when his instincts bounce from one topic to another with no notice and are often contradictory.
If Trump is being poorly served by his people now, there is nothing to suggest he will pick better people if replacements are made. And even if he does, there is no guarantee he will listen to them. Keep Trump's narcissism in mind. When he chooses and interacts with staff, it is with Trump foremost in mind, not the country.
Trump has for years created rival power centers on his larger team. Narcissists and dictators do that to keep any one group from mounting a coup and to keep all the groups off balance. The staff members only get to stay around as long as they are loyal to the chief. To the chief, each is useful against the others in maintaining the primacy of the leader.
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I can recall a recent POTUS that had goals he wanted to accomplish to "fundamentally change" our country, was willing to deconstruct government to attain them along with ignoring the laws of the land, and f*** the other side if they didn't like it. He lied repeatedly to American citizens and members of Congress alike. However, he had underlings in his administration who were all in lock step with his approach, including Atty General Eric Holder who made history by being the first member of a president's cabinet to be held in contempt of Congress (without consequence). There was also the controversial Green Czar Van Jones - an avowed communist - who had to resign for reasons far more radical and offensive (see link below) than anything Bannon has said or done. That cabinet or staff members like this often resign or are replaced was regarded by the media to be business as usual.
Obama 'Green Jobs' Adviser Van Jones Resigns Amid Controversy
In spite of all this Obama was given a never-ending honeymoon by the mainstream media and won a second term in spite of having one of the worst first-term records of any modern president. During these eight years of malfeasance no one of any significance mentioned the "I" word.
Trump on the other hand, has been continually bashed by the MSM since before he got the nomination. Everything he's done since taking office has been cast in a negative light, yet in spite of this continual vituperation the American voters who elected him are still solidly behind him. This support will grow as the economy improves, our foreign relations with our traditional allies become repaired and our enemies like Syria and ISIS start to realize the US military is once again ready to kill them (see link below: this just happened today). This layman's prediction is he ain't going anywhere except forward and he most certainly won't be impeached so long as the Republicans retain control of the House.
US drops largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan after Green Beret killed
He didn't flip flop on his campaign promise to bomb the fecal matter out of Isis.
He has had a cluster screw or two on a few of his picks but considering no political experience, he really hasn't done that bad based on what I have seen so far. He seems to adapt pretty fast so I think that may be a thing to his advantage. Look how many times he changed his mind on things this week. Under the right circumstances that can actually be a asset. We will know shortly that is for sure.
It stands for Mostly Orange And Black
(or Bloated, depending on your politics)
Yup, at 16 million per bomb and 16 ISIS fighters killed, coupled with 50+ million dollar missles which cost more than the damage done we have shown the world that we can bomb the Krap out rocks. What's 100 million $$ for a spike in the polls! I know, let's go to Florida for another 3 million dollar weekend. And, let's invite the swamp draining guys from Wall Street and Big Oil so we can save the middle class. Oops, pardon the sarcasm 
Sent from my hand-held Etch-A- Sketch
Sent from my hand-held Etch-A- Sketch
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Hey, hey, now! If it saves the life of just one child... then it's all worth it.
A month ago, British Intelligence: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President-elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."
Now: British and other European intelligence agencies intercepted communications between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials and other Russian individuals during the campaign and passed on those communications to their US counterparts, US congressional and law enforcement and US and European intelligence sources tell CNN.
A month ago, Susan Rice: "I know nothing about this."
Now: Oh, yeah, but that was just routine.
A month ago: Trump is a Putin puppet.
Now: Maybe not so much.
I'm just sayin'...
Now: British and other European intelligence agencies intercepted communications between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials and other Russian individuals during the campaign and passed on those communications to their US counterparts, US congressional and law enforcement and US and European intelligence sources tell CNN.
A month ago, Susan Rice: "I know nothing about this."
Now: Oh, yeah, but that was just routine.
A month ago: Trump is a Putin puppet.
Now: Maybe not so much.
I'm just sayin'...
That is the immediate. Will take time to know if it was a prudent decision. We seen what inaction got us with Obama, so have to see what happens.Yup, at 16 million per bomb and 16 ISIS fighters killed, coupled with 50+ million dollar missles which cost more than the damage done we have shown the world that we can bomb the Krap out rocks. What's 100 million $$ for a spike in the polls! I know, let's go to Florida for another 3 million dollar weekend. And, let's invite the swamp draining guys from Wall Street and Big Oil so we can save the middle class. Oops, pardon the sarcasm
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Just my penny in the pond.
At least three entities have determined that investigations are warranted; the FBI, the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. It would be nice if these investigations were allowed to proceed without interference, with a healthy respect for the facts, and with the presumption of innocence bring granted to all concerned.
Sadly, not much of that seems to be happening. People are making themselves crazy defending opinions and speculating without end. Personally, I'm content to let the investigations proceed. When the facts are in and the reports are published, I'll put energy into forming an opinion.
Trump could speed things along by opening the books and cooperating but that does not seem to be his way.
Sadly, not much of that seems to be happening. People are making themselves crazy defending opinions and speculating without end. Personally, I'm content to let the investigations proceed. When the facts are in and the reports are published, I'll put energy into forming an opinion.
Trump could speed things along by opening the books and cooperating but that does not seem to be his way.
The burden of proof lies where it lies.
I, too am content to let the investigations play out. 90% of congressional investigations are politically motivated, anyway, and most turn out to be 90% BS. And since we know that the same percentage of stuff we read in the media is also BS, there's little reason to draw conclusions, much less freak out over any of it, until the facts are known.
In other news...
People (mainly the Left and The Press, but a few reluctant never-Trump Republicans, as well) are freaking out about Trump's flip-flops. "Conned, betrayed, sold out," they say. They even say he campaigned on isolationism, which is not even a little bit true. Yet here's the thing... Nobody who voted for Trump thought for a second that he was an ideologue cemented to concrete convictions on policy, except for things like immigration, trade, jobs. He slammed NATO, which pleased many of the alt-right crackpots, but lookey, lookey, we're suddenly getting all kinds of cooperation out of NATO, including more money. He threatened China with naming them as a currency manipulator, pulled back and suddenly China is taking a harder stance on North Korea. It's a long list, actually, all of it having in common the notion of "getting things done." Trump's unrelenting preference for the transactional over the dogmatic is precisely why he was elected. For example, the people who elected Trump expects him to secure the borders and put an end to illegal immigration. Whether he accomplishes that with an actual Wall or not is only most-important to the Left and The Press, the rest of us couldn't care less.
“We’ve learned absolutely nothing about Donald Trump since he was inaugurated that wasn’t patently obvious for the last year and a half. Nothing new about his temperament, his knowledge base, his personality or his management style. Nothing.” - Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster.
That pretty much sums it up. The Left can't pigeon-hole him, so they can't figure him out. Yet he's blatantly obvious.
To wit, "I'm going to bomb the s**t out of ISIS." He demands from his generals plans to defeat ISIS. He tells the generals his goals, how he wants it done, and then lets them loose to go and do it. He's not trying to micromanage daily tactics and strategies from the White House, the way Obama did things, they way presidents have done things since Vietnam. We haven't won squat doing things that way. He wants to win.
Then we have the Idiot in Chief, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) who is challenging Trump on "his decision" to drop America's largest non-nuclear bomb during an operation in Afghanistan, questioning whether he has a strategy in the region.
"As is the case with every part of Trump's foreign policy, we are all trying to understand: what is the strategy? If we can't figure out what it means, it's sort of hard to make that a message," Warren told reporters Thursday night after a townhall event with constituents in Massachusetts.
Apparently, there's some part of "I'm going to bomb the s**t out of ISIS," that's tripping her up. Maybe she's taking him too literally and thinks he meant some kind of suppositories or something, perhaps hand-delivered with a nice bouquet of flowers. I dunno.
Most of this stuff is right out of his "Art of the deal" playbook. Some are so shocked. lmao
As for Afghanistan, Warren indeed wants Congress to have meeting on strategy but since Obama failed after eight years, he is going to say "I'm not telling you" what we are going to do. Actually doing it already in Syria. Hilarious to watch actually.
As for Afghanistan, Warren indeed wants Congress to have meeting on strategy but since Obama failed after eight years, he is going to say "I'm not telling you" what we are going to do. Actually doing it already in Syria. Hilarious to watch actually.
The War Powers Act (Resolution, technically) nor the AUMF have been tested in court, and I don't think either side wants a SCOTUS ruling on either one, because it could go either way. Congress is the only one with the authority to declare war, but then again declaring war and commencing war are two different things. The AUMF gives the president unambiguous power to use force to fight terrorism, and that can be extended to North Korea. Heck, the Left calls anyone who merely disagrees with them a terrorist. <snort>
The constitution specifically states that Congress is authorized "to provide and maintain a Navy" (Article 1 Section 8). The idea of "maintenance" of a Navy implies that Naval Forces would be a permanent fixture of national defense. The constitution also mentions two types of land forces, the Militia, which Congress can call forth and support, and the Army, which over time has become a regular, standing Army.
The availability of a standing Army, and the President of the United States being authorized as "Commander in Chief", implies his ability as a military commander to employ forces necessary to fulfill his oath to defend the constitution.
The question is, will the SCOTUS see it that way? Neither the president nor Congress really and truly wants to find out. Not without a relatively certain 6-3 or 7-2 Court.
The constitution specifically states that Congress is authorized "to provide and maintain a Navy" (Article 1 Section 8). The idea of "maintenance" of a Navy implies that Naval Forces would be a permanent fixture of national defense. The constitution also mentions two types of land forces, the Militia, which Congress can call forth and support, and the Army, which over time has become a regular, standing Army.
The availability of a standing Army, and the President of the United States being authorized as "Commander in Chief", implies his ability as a military commander to employ forces necessary to fulfill his oath to defend the constitution.
The question is, will the SCOTUS see it that way? Neither the president nor Congress really and truly wants to find out. Not without a relatively certain 6-3 or 7-2 Court.
I don't know why you'd say Obama failed....He got Bin Laden...set up the deck of cards...the CIA and navy seals have covertly killed more El Quada and Isis under his watch ..he wasn't all pussy cat..Obama was a very quiet killer...although his overall policies sucked..Most of this stuff is right out of his "Art of the deal" playbook. Some are so shocked. lmao
As for Afghanistan, Warren indeed wants Congress to have meeting on strategy but since Obama failed after eight years, he is going to say "I'm not telling you" what we are going to do. Actually doing it already in Syria. Hilarious to watch actually.
so far I'll give Trump about a 50% mark...with a big markdown on the Trumpcare....the feds need to get out of the healthcare business completely...its a loser...do a major reset back to the way it was....and fund states thru their own medicaid programs and they administer the program as it should be...