President Donald Trump

[overkill94]

The ridiculous part is how much our government spends on defense considering we have pretty much zero threats coming in from our neighbors. I realize all those contracts are coming in from American companies but it still seems like a ridiculous waste of money.

[cardboardbox]

spend it much smarter

our government will never spend money smarter and it doesnt do anything smarter. No matter who is in power.

[Mithrandir]

our government will never spend money smarter and it doesnt do anything smarter. No matter who is in power.

Why is this true? Greed and corruption?

[Sour Masher]

Now team trump has banned the CDC from using certain words when communicating about public health. Among the words and phrases that can no longer be said: fetus, transgender, diversity, vulnerable, and the phrases evidenced-based and science-based.

This is very high on my outrage meter. How Orwellian can you get, banning words?! All of those are horrible to ban, but the idea of banning evidence-based and science-based just says it all with this administration. I would love to hear a reasonable defence of this. I can't see how anyone could see this move as in keeping with American ideals.

[revo]

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 $10k doesn't even begin to cover my property taxes & SALT. Thanks Donnie.

[Bernie Brewer]

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 agree with everything you wrote above. I don’t profess a great understanding of the experiences and qualities needed to be a Federal Judge, but as a layman, I have a general understanding. And I can see that at least a couple of these are utterly and stunningly embarrassing nominees. But, CBB makes a valid point, and I also would ask, were you upset when the Dems changed this process to defeat the obstructionist GOP? Even Dems had to know this would come back to haunt them.

[Bernie Brewer]

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.)

It doesn’t and it shouldn’t. But if we find more players doing similar, it could. And, Tillerson was right! The State Department is tainted but it isn’t because of name calling.

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.)

I think it does. Whole this is not economic analysis, it is my professional experience In the Lending business, loan demand is strong. People are buying and investing. On the Business side, our clients are small (Mom ‘n Pop) to mid sized businesses. Some are supply chain providers, while others are direct to consumer providers. Higher profits, whether through profit margin enhancement (which is very difficult) or through lower taxes, likely means more capital investment. I rarely met a small business owner who was satisfied with the size of their company. Entrepreneurs take the risk for the potential return. Most want to grow, but the problem is most don’t know how to grow and do it profitabily. Higher sales doesnt me a higher profits. Many times the cost of higher sales cripples a small business. But, capital investment will require more employees, more equipment and raw materials, and larger facilities. All of which creates more downstream growth and employment. The problem I see is that, While there will be some new mid-level white-collar jobs created, the majority of the jobs created will be lower skill and low pay. Who usually fills those jobs. They can’t get into the country.

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).

Not that I am aware of, which is pretty troubling, considering. But, it’s been a relatively short time so I’d give the benefit of the doubt on this at least for another 12months.

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

Nope.

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?

I’m probably not going to be a lot of help here.

[revo]

For public companies, expect the tax break to lead to many more stock repurchases and M&A activity, which would probably lead to job cuts, not gains.

[Redbirds Fan]

I agree with everything you wrote above. I don’t profess a great understanding of the experiences and qualities needed to be a Federal Judge, but as a layman, I have a general understanding. And I can see that at least a couple of these are utterly and stunningly embarrassing nominees. But, CBB makes a valid point, and I also would ask, were you upset when the Dems changed this process to defeat the obstructionist GOP? Even Dems had to know this would come back to haunt them.

Yes, but completely irrelevant. The rules of the Senate should have no bearing on whether the Administration sends up completely incompetent nominees. But the rules of the Senate should change about as often as the rules of chess.

[Redbirds Fan]

It doesn’t and it shouldn’t. But if we find more players doing similar, it could. And, Tillerson was right! The State Department is tainted but it isn’t because of name calling.



I think it does. Whole this is not economic analysis, it is my professional experience In the Lending business, loan demand is strong. People are buying and investing. On the Business side, our clients are small (Mom ‘n Pop) to mid sized businesses. Some are supply chain providers, while others are direct to consumer providers. Higher profits, whether through profit margin enhancement (which is very difficult) or through lower taxes, likely means more capital investment. I rarely met a small business owner who was satisfied with the size of their company. Entrepreneurs take the risk for the potential return. Most want to grow, but the problem is most don’t know how to grow and do it profitabily. Higher sales doesnt me a higher profits. Many times the cost of higher sales cripples a small business. But, capital investment will require more employees, more equipment and raw materials, and larger facilities. All of which creates more downstream growth and employment. The problem I see is that, While there will be some new mid-level white-collar jobs created, the majority of the jobs created will be lower skill and low pay. Who usually fills those jobs. They can’t get into the country.



Not that I am aware of, which is pretty troubling, considering. But, it’s been a relatively short time so I’d give the benefit of the doubt on this at least for another 12months.



Nope.



I’m probably not going to be a lot of help here.

An FBI agent, like everyone else, has a right to opinions, including political opinions.

All of us have political opinions, but we set them aside when we do our jobs. We are professionals. How arrogant it is for these GOP congressmen to suggest this agent is unable to have a personal opinion and still act in a fair and professional manner in his job.

As for the tax cut, experience tells us that corporations will use this extra money to pay dividends or buy back outstanding stock. As far as capex goes, big companies tend to enhance automation when they have extra earnings like they are now anticipating. And, not to put too fine a point on it, we are essentially at full employment now at around 4.1%. Anecdotal evidence may vary, but the economists are telling the politicians that this "jumpstart the economy" stuff is bilge water.

[Teenwolf]

An FBI agent, like everyone else, has a right to opinions, including political opinions.

All of us have political opinions, but we set them aside when we do our jobs. We are professionals. How arrogant it is for these GOP congressmen to suggest this agent is unable to have a personal opinion and still act in a fair and professional manner in his job.

This is becoming a pattern, even when Democrats try to do the right thing by correcting a news story or admitting to sexual misconduct (or in this case, firing a partisan investigator), it's never good enough for the right wingers (who refuse to apologize for their own sometimes heinous actions). The fact that Peter Strzok was FIRED for his partisanship means nothing to the Fox News faithful and Trump supporters in general. They want blood.

[Redbirds Fan]

This is becoming a pattern, even when Democrats try to do the right thing by correcting a news story or admitting to sexual misconduct (or in this case, firing a partisan investigator), it's never good enough for the right wingers (who refuse to apologize for their own sometimes heinous actions). The fact that Peter Strzok was FIRED for his partisanship means nothing to the Fox News faithful and Trump supporters in general. They want blood.

Following up on your thoughts...there was a guy on television this morning who said the American people found Donald Trump "not guilty" of sexual assault in November 2016. The idea of claiming this issue was decided by the election is pathetic to me.

If we must connect the two, however, one thing is clear. The Electoral College may elect the President, but questions of innocence and guilt are left up to the popular vote.

[cardboardbox]

The fact that Peter Strzok was FIRED for his partisanship means nothing to the Fox News faithful and Trump supporters in general. They want blood.

was he fired? As in unemployed now?

[nots]

Following up on your thoughts...there was a guy on television this morning who said the American people found Donald Trump "not guilty" of sexual assault in November 2016. The idea of claiming this issue was decided by the election is pathetic to me.

If we must connect the two, however, one thing is clear. The Electoral College may elect the President, but questions of innocence and guilt are left up to the popular vote.

That guy is your team's newest Senator--Doug Jones

[Hornsby]

Trump and his minions spend the last several months slagging the US intelligence services, and just to show Cheeto who's really in charge in this relationship, Putin smacks him on the nose with a newspaper.

Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for information from the CIA that foiled a terrorist attack being planned in St. Petersburg, the Kremlin said.

The information helped “find and detain a group of terrorists who were planning explosions” at Kazan Cathedral as well as other centrally located and crowded places in Russia’s second-largest city.

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