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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
The head of the DC National Guard is to be removed from command at literally the exact moment Trump is sworn into office.
Even he doesn't know why.
That's...weird. And somehow sinister.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."Seriously. I'm trying to think of a non-sinister motivation for that, for timing that immediate, and...I can't really come up with anything.
I'm seeing people wonder if it's because he has something planned for the protestors. And he knows the current head of the DC National Guard won't go along with it.
Jesus Christ, I really wish this sounded implausible.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."Wow. The House just had its briefing with Comey.
And it sounds like the House Dems are livid.
"Some of the things that were revealed in this classified briefing - my confidence has been shook."
Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, delivered a similar condemnation.
"I'm extremely concerned - extremely," he said.
"I'll just - I'm very angry," echoed Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
[...]
"I want to [have faith in Comey]," said a visibly annoyed Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). "I have concerns. Stay tuned."
Yet there's also a powerful sense among the Democrats that, while their faith in Comey has plummeted, they'd rather have him atop the FBI than roll and dice to see who Trump would tap as a replacement.
"Do I have confidence in him? Not really. But I think he's probably going to be better than the guy they'd put in," said one Democrat, who spoke only anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic. "It's like a rock and a hard place, but I think that's pretty much where a lot of people are."
Walz, for one, is not in that place.
"I'm disappointed, outraged - many of us are right now," Walz said. "I'll wait to pass full judgment, but the exchange that just happened in the final 15 minutes gives me no reason to have confidence."
The question burning in my mind right now is - did they actually find out about something completely new? Or did they just get confirmation of something that the rest of us have suspected/known for months?
edited 13th Jan '17 9:33:42 AM by RBluefish
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."![]()
I don't know what's in that report that made Democrats so angry, but that fills me with fear. I'd be full of more fear if we start getting Republicans saying stuff like that.
Which is why, if the Republicans in Congress started saying "We're Mad and Angry at the last 15 minutes of this Briefing", I'd be full of more fear. The Republicans think everything is fine and dandy. What if the Report made them get mad?!
edited 13th Jan '17 9:29:47 AM by DingoWalley1
Oh, sorry. Fixed the link, and reposted here
for good measure.
Well, you can only spin facts around so much. If enough of the damage that Trump's government does is visible and tangible to the average american some of them will start to smell something funny going on. If the media's telling you everything's great while and you everyone else you know is in the toilet you're going to get bitter and resentful. The people at Carrier are eventually gonna realize they've been duped if they haven't already.
I agree that productive discourse should be respectful, but I also think that it's important to be intellectually honest about people and the implications of what they say and do, even if those things are unpleasant. A lot of the subtext (and actual text) of the trump campaign has...pretty unfortunate implications. Simply ignoring that isn't correct either because it allows those elements to go unchallenged, and if certain people object to that no matter how politely and respectfully it's explained (as often is the case), then there's nothing you can really do because not saying anything is worse.
Also, depending on the person, a respectful debate might not be possible anyways. A lot of Trump supporters on the internet are pretty unpleasant, disrespectful people and it's hard to have a civilized conversation with someone who calls you a "cuck" when you imply that America might have race problems, or someone who thinks america is full of "n*gger lovers".
I have no issues having a polite conversation with a trump supporter or whoever without insulting them, provided the person is being polite and respectful in kind, but on the internet whether you'll get that or not is a dice roll.
edited 13th Jan '17 9:43:44 AM by Draghinazzo
As far as the confirmation hearings go, comparatively Mattis and Tillerson seem to be the Only Sane Men of the Trump cabinet. They're certainly grounded compared to Michael "MY PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS!" Flynn and Ben "the pyramids were used for grain storage" Carson.
edited 13th Jan '17 9:47:26 AM by CaptainCapsase
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Tillerson is troubling to me: He's one of the most Liberal Cabinet Picks Trump has (supporting Common Core and Immigration Reform), but also either ignoring or downplaying Putin's atrocities in Russia and through out the world. I honestly don't know if I can support the guy, and I honestly think he's going to be one of the few picks to not get their job (perhaps even the only one).
edited 13th Jan '17 9:49:04 AM by DingoWalley1
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The climate change stance comes with the Republican party. As far as Putin goes, if I were being appointed top diplomat in an administration seeking a new detente with Russia (best interpretation of the Trump administration), I would be careful with my words to avoid poisoning the well. What he described regarding Russia is basically a fairly standard realist approach, which given the success of realist foreign policy in lowering tensions with the Soviet Union in the past, is worth a shot.
Don't get me wrong, he's far, far from ideal, particularly because of the Hawkishness towards China, but the current tensions with Russia are probably the single most dangerous flashpoint in the world.
He's been recommended by Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, and Dick Cheney. The chances of him not getting through are slim to none based on that patronage alone.
edited 13th Jan '17 9:54:15 AM by CaptainCapsase
If I were going to be Secretary of State for what is supposedly a moral country, I would condemn someone who murders thousands of journalists and political dissidents. Why on Earth are we giving Trump's administration the benefit of the doubt?
And saying that climate change denial just comes with the GOP is like saying that severe internal bleeding just comes with the car crash. It doesn't mean we should even think about accepting it.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."Ideally, that would involve getting a doctor who's going to treat the injuries, not look at them and go "no, this is normal."
I'm going to stop torturing this metaphor before I violate the Geneva Convention, Point is, Tillerson is an Exxon executive, has refused to condemn Putin's monstrous crimes (he has an Order of Friendship from Moscow, for God's sake), and is posed to do catastrophic harm to the planet. He cannot be Secretary of State.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
I would focus political capital on stopping Sessions above any other Trump appointee, and as far as refusing to condemn human rights violations goes, well that's par and parcel with the kind of Realpolitik his sponsor Kissinger advocated for;
“The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy. And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.”
edited 13th Jan '17 10:00:30 AM by CaptainCapsase
What really strikes me as just a bit odd is the way Tillerson criticized China's South Sea island bullshit by comparing it to Russia invading Crimea.
Far as the "Mad Dog" goes...I'm just glad Trump was put off by Bolton's 'stache. Bolton + Mattis + Flynn = near certain war with Iran. With just Mattis and Flynn there's still a chance we won't rip up the Nuclear Deal.
edited 13th Jan '17 10:03:56 AM by M84
Disgusted, but not surprised

"Trump scorns probe into FBI pre-election handling of Clinton emails" - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-clinton-idUSKBN14X1FZ
Of course he does
edited 13th Jan '17 8:35:18 AM by sgamer82