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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#174701: Feb 16th 2017 at 9:44:27 PM

Smith is working for the wrong station. Wonder how long it will be before he's looking for a new job...

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#174702: Feb 16th 2017 at 9:50:24 PM

Regarding the table thing: Yeah, this is pretty emblematic of the current Republican male. A man who acts like a fucking child when a woman speaks against him for more than a minute, and has the power to carry out that temper tantrum against basically all of us.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#174703: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:28:38 PM

"Pence heads to Europe on reassurance tour" - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-europe-idUSKBN15W0BB

My apologies if this was posted already. I can't help but feel that the very fact we even need a "Reassurance Tour" is what one could call a "red flag"

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#174704: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:35:13 PM

[up] Yeah, especially since — and this bears repeating — it hasn't even been a month yet.

Disgusted, but not surprised
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#174705: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:39:30 PM

I have to wonder if Pence is regretting his decision to stand beside Trump through all this: I realize he currently stands to help a lot of his agenda but if I was him I'd one, be pissed as all hell about Flynn lying, two, wondering if this was not the nail in the coffin of my career simply because of association with a garbage fire.

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#174706: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:41:00 PM

Pence's career was likely dead anyway, given how low his approval ratings had plummeted in Indiana.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#174707: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:41:13 PM

[up][up] I'll bet that if things really do escalate to the point of an impeachment, Pence will be trying very hard to distance himself from Trump.

edited 16th Feb '17 10:41:22 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Mars444 Since: May, 2013
#174708: Feb 16th 2017 at 10:45:30 PM

Mattis is behind the Yemen operation that resulted in 30 civilian deaths and is trying to get Trump to let him stop and seize Iranian ships
While the Yemen raid is on Mattis, former NSC spokesman Tommy Vietor said in this Monday's Pod Save America that the US has been interdicting Iranian weapons shipments to the Houthis for a while now, at least since early 2016. These aren't actually Iranian flagged ships that are being interdicted, since the weapons shipments are supposed to be covert to a deniable proxy force.

It seems that, with the heightened tensions with Iran over the Iran deal being threatened, and the fuckup in Yemen, Mattis believed that interdicting this weapons shipment might inadvertently kick off a shooting war with the Iranians that no (sane, which excludes Flynn and Bannon) person wants.

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#174709: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:10:23 PM

Pence is playing a high stakes game, but I think he stands more to gain than he does to lose. If you ask me, Flynn did him a favour by lying to him, because now he has plausible deniability for all the Russia nonsense- a narrative that's further bolstered by the fact that he split with Trump on Russia during the debates.

And now, he's running damage control for Trump- the fact that that's a job that needs doing is shameful, but it's Trump's shame; Pence can cast himself as the reasonable one, who's trying to keep things under control.

He's also in the fairly unique position of being a very right-wing politician that the left desperately wants to become President.

On the other hand, if he's gonna be touring Europe for the next little while, that means one less voice that can pass for sanity in the White House.

edited 16th Feb '17 11:11:57 PM by Gilphon

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#174710: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:10:24 PM

Nausea Fuel.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#174711: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:15:10 PM

[up][up] I wonder if one of the reasons Pence is going on this tour is because he just wants an excuse to spend time away from the WH for a little while.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#174712: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:29:12 PM

For a president obsessed with image, it's shockingly bad optics too: On the same day Pence leaves to engage in international diplomacy and manage alliances, Trump hits the 2020 campaign trail to bring back big crowds.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#174713: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:45:59 PM

Old News: Ivanka Into Trudeau.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#174714: Feb 16th 2017 at 11:59:56 PM

[up]

So is everybody else.

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#174715: Feb 17th 2017 at 12:11:43 AM

Word. cool

But seriously, is every single day of this administration going to birth a new meme?

edited 17th Feb '17 12:13:40 AM by BearyScary

Do not obey in advance.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#174716: Feb 17th 2017 at 12:22:31 AM

Ever since someone brought it up to me, I can't unsee Justin Trudeau's and Fidel Castro's strong resemblance.

Justin's 6 foot 2, Fidel was 6 foot 3 and Pierre Trudeau was only 5 foot 8.

But the timeline doesn't match for Fidel to be the actual father. It's just a really weird coincidence that Pierre's son looks like his bud, Fidel.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#174717: Feb 17th 2017 at 12:26:29 AM

Trump seems most comfortable at rallies, surrounded by screaming fans. I don't know that he knows how to get out of that mode, and he certainly doesn't know how to get into governing mode.

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#174718: Feb 17th 2017 at 12:58:54 AM

Because he doesn't want to govern. It's an ego trip, and he's realizing that he had no clue what the job actually entailed. If it weren't for the fact that it'd be a massive embarrassment, I'm positive he'd quit if he could.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#174719: Feb 17th 2017 at 1:04:33 AM

[up] Besides the unacceptable damage to his ego, he's probably also staying in the game to increase his fortune. Hence the signing off on fast-tracking ETP's pipelines (he has investments in ETP). And then there was that earlier post in this thread connecting Trump's flip in favor of the One-China policy happening around the same time he won a trademark case in China.

Disgusted, but not surprised
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#174720: Feb 17th 2017 at 1:09:36 AM

Just got to watching that video about human trafficking from Ashton Kutcher, and... wow. I feel really sick. I know about that shit being a thing, but him describe the kind of stuff that goes on in detail? Ugh.

Edit:Should be clear what it's about.

edited 17th Feb '17 1:49:39 AM by AlleyOop

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#174721: Feb 17th 2017 at 1:13:01 AM

[up]?

"You can reply to this Message!"
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#174722: Feb 17th 2017 at 1:14:51 AM

Not for the faint or even medium of heart.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#174723: Feb 17th 2017 at 1:27:04 AM

[up] The subject matter is human trafficking. It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

edited 17th Feb '17 1:27:29 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#174724: Feb 17th 2017 at 2:48:25 AM

I find it a bit tasteless that he's stopping in the middle to promote his software, and tech in general.

Oh, wait, there was a point.

Solid speech!

edited 17th Feb '17 2:57:56 AM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#174725: Feb 17th 2017 at 3:45:21 AM

I skipped the last eight pages. What have I missed?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.

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