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Pseudopartition Screaming Into The Void from The Cretaeceous Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Screaming Into The Void
#173676: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:10:15 AM

More on the Chaffetz Town Hall in Utah Basically, this was the guy who promised he'd hold 'The President' accountable, meaning tax returns, medical records, etc. Presumably this was back when he thought Hillary was going to win. Trump supporters need to stop telling me that the party will impose checks and balances on him.

Also, Chaffetz is apparently complaining that the president is actually exempt from conflict of interest laws. Now, I'm not an expert in the US legal system, but that sounds obviously untrue. Edit: I stand corrected. [down]

Salt Lake City Tribune article

edited 10th Feb '17 5:37:27 AM by Pseudopartition

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#173677: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:25:38 AM

It's true, the president is exempt from conflict of interest laws due to how having control over almost everything makes it hard to avoid any conflicts of interest.

The logic is that the public would never elect someone with serious conflicts of interest to such a high-profile position, so it'll be fine.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
DeMarquis Since: Feb, 2010
#173679: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:08:33 AM

Posting this because I cant help myself, it's so good to read: 3 key Trump mistakes that led to the travel ban court defeat:

"1. The green-card debacle....The White House failure to make clear from the outset that the travel ban did not include U.S. permanent residents, so-called green-card holders, was both a political and legal gaffe of the first order.... Permanent residents have more U.S. constitutional rights than any other category of foreigners. The green-card issue all but guaranteed that opponents of the travel ban would win the early rounds of litigation by persuading judges that these long-term U.S. residents were being unfairly denied entry or detained....

2. The Mc Gahn fix... Once the concern about green-card holders was identified, Trump could have simply signed a half-page tweak to his executive order, making crystal clear that U.S. permanent residents were exempt from the order. But he didn't do that, apparently because he or his aides did not want to admit any flaws in the drafting or vetting process. A formal change to the order would have amounted to a concession of such imperfections.

Instead, Trump and his advisers settled on having his official lawyer — White House Counsel Don Mc Gahn — sign a memorandum purporting to offer "authoritative guidance" that the order did not apply to green-card holders.

Despite the claims by Mc Gahn and Flentje that the counsel's memo was conclusive, the three judges nearly ridiculed that position.

"Nor has the Government established that the White House counsel’s interpretation of the Executive Order is binding on all executive branch officials responsible for enforcing the Executive Order. The White House counsel is not the President, and he is not known to be in the chain of command for any of the Executive Departments," the court wrote.

3. Pushing the legal argument too far... Another major tactical mistake came when the Justice Department decided to argue to the 9th Circuit that the courts have no role to play whatsoever in examining immigration-related decisions the president makes on national security grounds.

The court's opinion makes short work of that argument. "There is no precedent to support this claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy," the judges wrote."

Burn! It's nice to see people in authority standing up for what is right.

Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#173681: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:15:37 AM

[up] Quick to the Court-mobile! *Justice sign spins*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jgE-lrfZ3k

Nananananananananana, COURTMAN!

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#173682: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:18:07 AM

[up][up] And so we go ever closer to being a police state.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#173683: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:20:55 AM

[up] Unless the court and other groups go to the rescue like they are in this presidency.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#173684: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:23:50 AM

Re: mistakes in the Travel Ban article:

I'm glad I saw this. It seems to go along with my own view of the Trump Travel Ban. I don't believe for a second out was anything other than Islamophobic nonsense and its being challenged in the Courts was inevitable. Putting that aside, I'll acknowledge that someone might have still been able to convince me it had practical merit in spite of that. Even if it did, as this article notes, the way the Administration has handled the Travel Ban has been so sloppy and incompetent that there was never really any other likely outcome if the system was working as intended.

Trump's obvious ineptitude has been, from the beginning, my biggest issue with him. Now though, I think I might be grateful for it in the long term. The stupider he is, the easier it'll be for us as a nation to disavow him when he's eventually out of the office.

Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#173685: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:29:54 AM

[up] Indeed.

Also, I'm wondering, when Trump goes out of presidency in the worst way possible and if he was too damaging, then could the next government make the phrase "Make America Great Again" a criminal offense like Germany's "Sieg Hiel?"

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#173686: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:34:57 AM

Well, that phrase might actually be necessary after he's gone. Or perhaps "Put America Back Together Again" would be more appropriate.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#173687: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:36:58 AM

We will have probably experiences a not insignificant fall by then

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#173688: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:37:54 AM

[up][up][up]As far as I understand, the United States's legal system has an extremely open interpretation of what constitutes free speech to the point that you're only in legal trouble if you actually call to hurt a specific person unambiguously and immediately. Banning a phrase would be thrown out of court immediately.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:41:41 AM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#173689: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:44:26 AM

[up][up][up]Impossible due to First Amendment protections.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#173690: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:45:32 AM

First special election of the Trump era. Let's see if democrats can get their shit together...

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#173691: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:47:08 AM

Mad King Donald surprised that he can't run a sovereign nation like a business

Being president is harder than Donald Trump thought, according to aides and allies who say that he’s growing increasingly frustrated with the challenges of running the massive federal bureaucracy.

In interviews, nearly two dozen people who’ve spent time with Trump in the three weeks since his inauguration said that his mood has careened between surprise and anger as he’s faced the predictable realities of governing, from congressional delays over his cabinet nominations and legal fights holding up his aggressive initiatives to staff in-fighting and leaks.

The administration’s rocky opening days have been a setback for a president who, as a billionaire businessman, sold himself to voters as being uniquely qualified to fix what ailed the nation. Yet it has become apparent, say those close to the president, most of whom requested anonymity to describe the inner workings of the White House, that the transition from overseeing a family business to running the country has been tough on him.

Trump often asks simple questions about policies, proposals and personnel. And, when discussions get bogged down in details, the president has been known to quickly change the subject — to "seem in control at all times," one senior government official said — or direct questions about details to his chief strategist Steve Bannon, his son-in-law Jared Kushner or House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump has privately expressed disbelief over the ability of judges, bureaucrats or lawmakers to delay — or even stop — him from filling positions and implementing policies.

After Trump grew infuriated by disclosures of his confrontational phone calls with foreign leaders, an investigation was launched into the source of the leaks, according to one White House aide. National Security Council staffers have been instructed to cooperate with inquiries, including requests to inspect their electronic communications, said two sources familiar with the situation. It’s not clear whether the investigation is a formal proceeding, how far along it is or who is conducting it.

The administration is considering limiting the universe of aides with access to the calls or their transcripts, said one administration official, adding that the leaks — and Trump’s anger over them — had created a climate where people are “very careful who they talk to.”

The president and his allies believe career NSC staff assigned from other agencies are out to get them. In turn, some NSC staff believe Trump does not possess the capacity for detail and nuance required to handle the sensitive issues discussed on the calls, and that he has politicized their agency by appointing chief strategist Bannon to the council.

Last week, Trump told an associate he had become weary of in-fighting among — and leaks from — his White House staff “because it reflects on me,” and that he intended to sit down staffers to tell them “to cut this shit out.”

The interviews paint a picture of a powder-keg of a workplace where job duties are unclear, morale among some is low, factionalism is rampant and exhaustion is running high. Two visitors to the White House last week said they were struck by how tired the staff looks.

In Washington circles, talk has turned to whether a staff shake-up is in the works.

One person close to Trump said: "I think he'd like to do it now, but he knows it's too soon."

Spicer, a 45-year-old party operative who rose through the ranks of the Republican National Committee, has told several people that he finds the non-stop demands of the position difficult.

For now, the president is standing by his press secretary. After CNN reported Tuesday that Trump regretted hiring Spicer and was disappointed in him, the president spoke with his press secretary and told him that he was in fine shape. Trump, who has been reluctant to admit any missteps, also has acknowledged to Spicer that it was a mistake to send him to the White House briefing room on the administration’s first full day to berate reporters for coverage of his inauguration crowd size.

For all of Trump’s frustrations about staff drama however, it isn’t clear they’re going away any time soon. Tensions remain between the staffs of chief of staff Reince Priebus and Bannon. Priebus’s advisers blamed Bannon’s team for the botched rollout of the travel ban executive order, saying that they hadn’t done the needed legwork ahead of time.

"Trump surprise/baffled/didn't know" should be it's own trope.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:48:09 AM by NoName999

Boston Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
#173692: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:08:09 AM

Are you suggesting Trump doesn't have the stamina? Doesn't have the stamina to be President?

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#173693: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:09:42 AM

[up]x3 There were some on January. Unless you're talking about national-level elections.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#173694: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:13:36 AM

[up][up][up] Reality Ensues does not even begin to describe it.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#173695: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:27:37 AM

I know we banned quotes, but I feel this is too appropriate: "Winning is easy, governing's harder."

Also, I skipped the last 13 pages because this thread moves too damn fast, did I miss anything?

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#173696: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:31:45 AM

Courts are keeping up stay in the Travel Ban

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#173698: Feb 10th 2017 at 8:11:10 AM

[up]Eh... The GOPwad didn't deny FYROM is a country, he denied that it should be a country, cause there's different ethnicities, so he advocated for it being partitioned between Bulgaria and Kosovo. That's worse actually.

edited 10th Feb '17 8:13:56 AM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#173699: Feb 10th 2017 at 8:38:48 AM

Macadonia is a country with questionable logic for its existence. Though honestly it seems to be one of the few Balken places where multiple ethnicities get along.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#173700: Feb 10th 2017 at 8:49:35 AM

The GOP shouldn't be talking shit about Macedonia. Don't the people who make the online bullshit propaganda that helped win Trump the WH live in Macedonia?

Disgusted, but not surprised

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