President Donald Trump

[Sour Masher]

Yes, of course it could happen if the Democrats take over. But I don't think the Democrats actually mind him in office to be honest. He's GREAT for Democratic fundraising, and has a harder time building a consensus on issues (even tax reform which passed was not an easy sell). Pence might have an easier time building a consensus amongst the Republicans as a more polished politician, even if he's further to the right than Trump.

That is a good point, one that I think is probably true, and only further disenchants me with politics and politicians. It does make sense that Trump as a political adversary is probably better for Dems in many ways than Pence. Still, if they do gain Congress, they will face tremendous pressure from their base to push for impeachment.

[nullnor]

if Trump keeps saying he doesn't like things about the Iran nuclear deal, why isn't anyone asking him 'what specific things he doesn't like about it'? cause you know he doesn't know anything about it. ..if you asked Sanders she'd say, you have to ask the president. or we haven't had a discussion about it.

[nullnor]

[Hornsby]

Your ability to see a light at the end of this sewage pipe is somewhat inspiring, but for right now, I'll paraphrase your Warren Ellis sig quote--this shitty present continues to offend me.

Man, I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Could NOT have been more wrong about the empty vessels that comprise the GOP these days. After a few days of pretending that they just didn't hear the shithole comment clearly, some are now clearly lying about Trump not saying it. If they clearly didn't hear him say it, they would have said so right away. But instead, pressure from the WH and the party now makes people in the room reverse course, and other pols to simply try to spin it.

They're currently building a special level of Hell to house these craven hypocrites...

[Sour Masher]

Man, I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Could NOT have been more wrong about the empty vessels that comprise the GOP these days. After a few days of pretending that they just didn't hear the shithole comment clearly, some are now clearly lying about Trump not saying it. If they clearly didn't hear him say it, they would have said so right away. But instead, pressure from the WH and the party now makes people in the room reverse course, and other pols to simply try to spin it.

They're currently building a special level of Hell to house these craven hypocrites...

I'd be willing to wager that they are able to sleep at night because of the very careful way they are defending him. Absolutely no one in the room, including Trump, has suggested he did not express that sentiment. All they are saying is that he did not say that exact phrase, word for word. I'm frustrated by the media not insisting on asking to those in the room what exact phrasing they do remember, because they would hedge and weasel. Maybe he listed Africa before Haiti. Maybe he said shitholes plural, or whatever. They all got together and decided a comma was out of place in the wording being reported, and hung their hats on that to defend him in a careful way that allows them some wiggle room if it turns out they were recorded or something. Maybe there was a word out of place, but does that really matter?

Of course not, and their defense of it is the most politician of defenses, and only confirms for me just how craven and sycophantic they all are. I hope a reckoning is coming in the grand old party, maybe even a splintering into two parties, with those any integrity breaking off, but I don't hold out a lot of hope.

[Redbirds Fan]

I'd be willing to wager that they are able to sleep at night because of the very careful way they are defending him. Absolutely no one in the room, including Trump, has suggested he did not express that sentiment. All they are saying is that he did not say that exact phrase, word for word. I'm frustrated by the media not insisting on asking to those in the room what exact phrasing they do remember, because they would hedge and weasel. Maybe he listed Africa before Haiti. Maybe he said shitholes plural, or whatever. They all got together and decided a comma was out of place in the wording being reported, and hung their hats on that to defend him in a careful way that allows them some wiggle room if it turns out they were recorded or something. Maybe there was a word out of place, but does that really matter?

Of course not, and their defense of it is the most politician of defenses, and only confirms for me just how craven and sycophantic they all are. I hope a reckoning is coming in the grand old party, maybe even a splintering into two parties, with those any integrity breaking off, but I don't hold out a lot of hope.

Tom Cotton had a potentially big future in the GOP, which is now in jeopardy. He will always be dogged by the 'shithole' question. Why would he cover for this president now?

[revo]

Sen. Flake is expected to make a blistering anti-Trump speech on Wednesday, and former SecDef Hagel (a Republican) said Trump is an “embarrassment.”

[Hornsby]

Sen. Flake is expected to make a blistering anti-Trump speech on Wednesday, and former SecDef Hagel (a Republican) said Trump is an “embarrassment.”

His "blistering speech" would have had a lot more effect if he would have had the guts to vote against the Tax bill. Instead he chooses to toss insults from a safe distance, while not jeopardizing any potential GOP money in the future.

And now Joe Arpaio is running for his seat...don't think that he can't win.

[In the Corn]

Tom Cotton had a potentially big future in the GOP, which is now in jeopardy. He will always be dogged by the 'shithole' question. Why would he cover for this president now?

Yes! Exactly. Completely disappointed in Cotton.

[swampdragon]

as if you would need to guess
what did Trump do on MLK day 2018?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.c0b09b38f71e

[DMT]

His "blistering speech" would have had a lot more effect if he would have had the guts to vote against the Tax bill. Instead he chooses to toss insults from a safe distance, while not jeopardizing any potential GOP money in the future.

And now Joe Arpaio is running for his seat...don't think that he can't win.

Arpaio couldn't win Maricopa county, he's not going to win statewide.

[Hornsby]

Arpaio couldn't win Maricopa county, he's not going to win statewide.

You'd know better than I do, living in the area, but I never underestimate these assholes.

On a different issue, Lindsey Graham politely calls Cotton and Purdue liars.

COLUMBIA — After taking the weekend to reflect on a combative White House meeting in which President Donald Trump reportedly referred to African countries as "shithole countries," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he is even more determined to reach an immigration deal with hardliners in his own party.

In his most extensive comments yet about Thursday's explosive Oval Office meeting, the Seneca Republican again declined to confirm whether Trump specifically used the term "shithole" to describe the countries.

But, in what appeared to be a direct jab at Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue, Graham said, "My memory hasn't evolved. I know what was said and I know what I said." Sen. Tim Scott, R-North Charleston, said Friday that Graham told him media reports of what Trump said were “basically accurate."


After initially saying they could not recall what the president said, Perdue of Georgia and Cotton of Arkansas said Sunday that Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who said he heard the "shithole countries" comment, was misrepresenting Trump's remarks. They also contradicted Graham, who has not denied reports about Trump's comment.

https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/graham-my-memory-hasn-t-evolved-on-meeting-where-others/article_8c2fe722-fa06-11e7-8443-97610df90839.html

[Hornsby]

Senator Cory Booker slams DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen after she claims not to recall Trump using the word "shithole"...

[revo]

From the “you gotta be shitting me department”: The two GOP senators who stood up for Trump claiming they did not hear him say “shithole countries” actually heard him say “shithouse countries.” But they put the country on edge, and put their reps, and maybe their careers, on the line to defend him over that tiny miniscule minutiae.

[Sour Masher]

From the “you gotta be shitting me department”: The two GOP senators who stood up for Trump claiming they did not hear him say “shithole countries” actually heard him say “shithouse countries.” But they put the country on edge, and put their reps, and maybe their careers, on the line to defend him over that tiny miniscule minutiae.

As I predicted, they were seeing if they could get away with defending him on some small variation of phrasing they thought would be plausible to constituents to accept so they would not be seen as outright liars if the truth got out. Craven sycophants insulting people's intelligence by sidestepping the actual issue of whether Trump expressed the sentiment. As if shithouse vs shithole changes the meaning and sentiments of his remarks. Pathetic.