President Donald Trump

[cardboardbox]

Doesn't matter whose rules they are getting confirmed under. They shouldn't have been nominated. They shouldn't get a single vote in committee. They shouldn't get a single vote from the Senate. Arguing about whose rules are whose just shows how fucked up and partisan the process has become.

I hope bad judges dont get confirmed either. But revo sounded like he didnt realize it was democrats who changed the rules in the first place.

[Redbirds Fan]

So here are a couple of question for you Trump non-supporters:

1. How does a single FBI agent sending an email, calling Trump an idiot, taint the entire Mueller investigation? (Be prepared to discuss why it did not taint the entire State department when Tillerson called Trump a moron. And bear in mind that the offending agent was dismissed from the investigation immediately.)

2. Given our current economy (stock market pushing 27,000, unemployment at 4.1%), how does reducing the corporate tax rate create new jobs? (No platitudes or talking points, please, just some economic analysis.)

3. Has Trump negotiated any new "fair" international trade deals as promised? If not, why not? (Before you blame obstructionist Dems, remember your Con Law classes).

4. Has the FBI become a KGB-style operation as some on the far right have suggested? (Careful, here.)

Trump and the right are really pissing me off with this FBI business. As far left as I can be, I respect the FBI as super hard-working ultra-professional law enforcement. I've worked with them many times, and they are the elite - the best of the best. Politically, they personally skew very conservative, but they never let it stand in the way of their work. They bleed red, white and blue. The field agents make Captain America and Wonder Woman look like Donnie and Marie. They are tough, smart, and dedicated to serving their country and the rule of law. A single one of them is worth a thousand donald trumps to this country in my opinion, and I resent the hell out of the disrespect he has shown the rank and file in order to cover his own traitorous ass.

But, back to the questions. Jay? Box? One of our more reasonable observers, perhaps? Bernie?

[cardboardbox]

cover his own traitorous ass.

how is Trump a traitor?

[Redbirds Fan]

how is Trump a traitor?

Take a shot at my questions and I'll answer yours.

The guy (Peterson, I think), who admitted he had never tried a case or even argued a motion in court (and who didn't know the most basic concepts which govern the relationships between the courts in our federal system) was withdrawn from consideration today. You know, it seems as though somewhere in the vetting process they would ask the guy "Have you ever been a lawyer? Do you know anything about the law? Do you have any qualifications to actually be a judge?" If they don't get a "yes" to at least two out of three, maybe they shouldn't nominate the guy.

If they have completely run out of white guys who have any credentials, they could also consider nominating some women and minorities. I'm just saying.

[cardboardbox]

Take a shot at my questions and I'll answer yours.

yeah, didnt think you'd want to answer that.

[cardboardbox]

As far as your questions, I really havent kept up with much lately except things that interest me. On your list that is only taxes, and yes I do believe that lower corporate taxes will help the economy but I think a lot of it is already baked in. What I dont know is whether the various loopholes were removed. Have they? If not, I might vote no. 20% with loopholes would seem to give some corps zero tax liability.

[Redbirds Fan]

As far as your questions, I really havent kept up with much lately except things that interest me. On your list that is only taxes, and yes I do believe that lower corporate taxes will help the economy but I think a lot of it is already baked in. What I dont know is whether the various loopholes were removed. Have they? If not, I might vote no. 20% with loopholes would seem to give some corps zero tax liability.

That's not an answer. If you don't keep up with 90% of Trump, how can you justify any type of an opinion on him? How can you question the validity of my comments?

To answer mine:

While he has not yet been charged been with treason, I believe he is a traitor. Treason in the Constitutional sense and as defined by federal law is a very specific thing. In every instance I can think of, it applies only in time of war. It involves, among other things, acts of war against the United States or aid and comfort to the enemy.

While there is not yet proof to meet the legal standard of treason, Trump has presided over an organization which has colluded with Russia to circumvent US foreign policy and to violate more than one federal law. His operatives did this with his knowledge and approval. He and they conspired to cover up these actions, and took active measures to do so. He has taken actions contrary to the interests of our country in order to serve his own personal and family interests. He has violated the Constitution by taking money from foreign governments. He has violated the Constitution by suppressing free speech of individuals, groups and the media. And in doing all of this, he has colluded with a foreign leader, has lied repeatedly, has obstructed justice, and has conspired with others to cover it all up. I think this makes him a traitorous asshole.

And this is just for starters. But that is just my opinion.

[gcstomp]

redbird, i give ya an amen on that, as I agree with what you said but you hold back. It just doesnt cover the damage of Trumpism. Every appointment has been to someone who wants to actively dismantle the department they will head, beyond merely unqualified, Trump has been on a mission to vilify the professionals that make govt work, and destroy the establishment. EPA, HUD, State, Dept of Ed literally people with built in contra agendas to depts they head. The gross nepotism of having his daughter and son in law running huge swaths of responsibility is absurdism as well. Most damaging is having a perpetual liar creating an alternate reality where a full 1/3rd of pop believes his stream of idiocy over the news. CNN is not fake news, an error made by media results in swift termination, but in Trump world, he lies literally every day without consequence.

We went from Obama, he who speaks in full sentences, to Trump, who is executive chef of word salad. Obama who was all about putting most qualified person in positions, to Trump who is looking for loyal clowns. Recall the weeks of consideration Obama put in before naming Garland, a person of utmost qualification and moderate leaning. In face of unparalleled obstructionism Obama still was so careful in issuing executive orders, and his moves were all about helping the most needy in society, the lower 50% of working stiffs who need some kind of helping hand to stay afloat. Now we have a leader who goes out of his way to insult, disparage, vilify every world leader, most especially our closest allies, but never says a cross word regarding Putin. All beyond sickening.

[Redbirds Fan]

The Senate is complicit in a lot of those appointments, though.

It was Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, who dropped the hammer on that guy I was talking about, whose name is Matthew Peterson. Peterson is a smart guy, with lots of experience in administrative law. But if you are going to be a "court judge", you need to have a certain skill set and certain experience, and if it is to be a lifetime appointment you need to have shown some ability to perform the job. For example, the only person I have known very well who became a federal judge was a helluva lawyer and state court judge before he was nominated. His reputation as a jurist was beyond reproach, and he had 100% support from the lawyers who practiced before him. He became an outstanding federal judge.

I was greatly impressed by Kennedy. He graduated the same law school as the guy he was grilling. He is a trump fan, but it was like he said "enough of this shit". The administration is moving way too fast trying to get as many judges as possible confirmed before trump gets run out of office.

[Sour Masher]

This is probably not the time and place for this as I don't want to derail the dead on Trump critiques from RF and gcstomp, but I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised that the tax bill has morphed from maybe the worst tax bill in history to no longer badly hurting almost everyone I know. Despite the many concerns I still have with it, it is still better than it was to start.

First, one of my biggest concerns was the grad tuition tax liability, as I know many grad students for whom that change would have forced them out of grad school. It would have greatly increased the opportunity divide between wealthy and poor for higher education, and crippled us long term, taking careers away from gifted young people. Keeping those waivers tax free is a big relief to everyone in higher ed, and a big win for our country long term.

Second, the concession to allow state tax be combined with property tax as a write off up to 10k is a lot better for me and everyone I know in my current state of NY.

Third, the increase in both eligibility and amount of the child tax credit was a helpful and necessary offset to the loss of excemptions and disincentive to itemize things like daycare costs. It, along with the state tax change, probably changes the math so this bill actually helps my family instead of hurts it, at least in the short term.

Fourth, keeping the ability to deduct extraordinary medical expenses is a big win for a lot of people who really needed that. Susan Collins should be applauded for fighting for that.

I'm happy that the hold outs were able to get these things and all the big corporate repubs had to give up, pretty much, was one little percentage point of the corporate tax rate. It makes me think of all the other things still being screwed up and left out of the bill, and how just bringing the corporate rate down to 25% instead of 20% would allow for a lot more changes for the better. And it would still be a huge corporate tax cuts that repubs could claim as a victory to their big money corporate backers. I wish we had anyone left to make that case, but it looks like the concessions made so far will be enough to pass it. As flawed as it will be, at least it is a lot better than it started.

[cardboardbox]

Second, the concession to allow state tax be combined with property tax as a write off up to 10k is a lot better for me and everyone I know in my current state of NY.

Would you not fit under the new, higher standard deduction? I really hate that I have to subsidize your stupidly high state/local taxes. I guess I have stupidly high property taxes but I was ready to give up the deduction if you gave up yours also.

[Sour Masher]

Would you not fit under the new, higher standard deduction? I really hate that I have to subsidize your stupidly high state/local taxes. I guess I have stupidly high property taxes but I was ready to give up the deduction if you gave up yours also.

The new higher standard deduction wasn't really helping me as I pay for two kids to go to daycare. That alone runs us over 20k a year, at least until my infant and toddler get old enough to go to school. The new higher child tax credit really will help us, though. We haven't ever qualified for any of it before, since for one kid, it phased out almost exactly at what we made a year.

As far as getting mad at subsidizing state taxes or property taxes, the 10k cap means a lot of folks in NY and other high tax states will still be paying a lot more than they were, so take some solace in that. Also, we are both spending a heck of a lot more subsidizing all the corporate tax breaks folks a lot richer than us get.

[Redbirds Fan]

Where are all of our deficit hawks?

Even with the fantasy dynamic scoring, this plan will add at least a trillion. No problems with that? Or do we wait a couple of years and then start cutting entitlements to pay for this turkey?

I guess so long as the market is rising, all is well.

[Sour Masher]

Where are all of our deficit hawks?

Even with the fantasy dynamic scoring, this plan will add at least a trillion. No problems with that? Or do we wait a couple of years and then start cutting entitlements to pay for this turkey?

I can't find it now, but isn't that the admitted plan? I recall reading a prominent republican admit just that--they hope to run the debt so high with this plan that eventually the country will have to agree to cut entitlements, and the hope that will happen when democrats are in charge, so they take the blame.

Hell, Ryan said last week that welfare, medicaid, and medicare will be on the chopping block in 2018, despite Trump's promises not to touch the latter two. If you cut taxes this much, and this is a big cut, especially for the wealthy and for big corporations, you have to cut spending. If it were up to me, we wouldn't cut the corporate rates so much, we wouldn't lower the highest tax bracket at all, and we'd cut our defense budget in half and spend it much smarter, and use all that money to expand on programs that really help people who need it most.

You can't have the disparity of economic growth in this country continue to grow disproportionately, with the richest getting much richer while the working class tread water without consequences forever. Sooner or later, people will realize they are being lied to and tread upon by a tiny percentage of people.

There is so much good we can do that we don't, it is absurd. I think if aliens came to visit us, they'd think us mad seeing us toss away millions of tons of food while millions starve, that we have the resources to treat so much illness that we do not, that we limit the education opportunities of so many based on income, that we let and cause each other so much death, poison our air and water for short term profits for a tiny few, etc. So much misery, as some live in mansions filled with luxury and opulence, with more wealth than they could reasonably spend in a thousand lifetimes, while others bed on cold, dirty streets with not enough money to buy a cup of coffee.

[Hornsby]

We need to stop calling them entitlements, they are for the most part earned benefits. I've paid into Medicare and Social Security for over 40 years...I figure that I've earned that meager return.