Category: Politics

Posted on

Wire Tap Tweets

In a series of early Saturday morning tweets, President Donald Trump accused former President Obama of wiretapping his Trump Tower phones prior to the November 2016 elections. The problem is, Mr. Trump has offered no evidence to support his accusations.

An even bigger problem is the timing of the tweets. Not the timing regarding the very real possibility Trump’s campaign worked with the Russians to win the election. I mean the actual time Mr. Trump’s tweets were sent.

3:35 AM: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”

3:49 AM: “Is it legal for a sitting President to be “wire tapping” a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!”

3:52 AM: “I’d bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!”

4:02 AM: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process,” Trump wrote. “This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”

The President of the United is wandering around the White House in the middle of the night rage tweeting.  And he has a habit of making crazy middle of the night tweets.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/04/trump-accuses-obama-wiretapping-him-before-election/98734316/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/06/spicer-trump-may-not-accept-wiretap-investigation-results.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page

https://www.yahoo.com/news/this-is-nixonwatergate-trump-accuses-obama-of-wire-tapping-trump-tower-before-election-131755678.html

It appears Mr. Trump pulled this story from Brietbart News, a far-right news organization. In February Mr. Trump referred terror attack in Sweden. The President was referring to an exchange between Fox News dick bag Tucker Carlson and documentary journalist Ami Horowitz. Mr. Horowitz, himself accused of misleading journalistic editing practices, claimed the Swedish government covers up violent crimes committed by Middle Eastern migrants.

Donald Trump is the leader of the free world, which includes a second-to-none intelligence apparatus. So why do his briefings consist of FOX News and Brietbart? If it didn’t show the undisciplined political and emotional bubble Mr. Trump lives in, it would be funny. Instead, it is just scary.

And for the record, a spokesman for Mr. Obama denied the  allegations.

 

Posted on

Trump Voters Want Welfare

The theme of the 2016 Presidential race is a disenfranchised middle class, fed up with politics as usual, finally turned on the party elites. They elected Donald Trump, an unafraid political outsider who would bring his successful business acumen to the White House. And there may be some truth to that.

However, this race was more than a white middle class uprising.  It was a plea for a welfare state.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/24/politics/manchester-ohio-power-plants-closing-trump/index.html?sr=fbCNN022717manchester-ohio-power-plants-closing-trump0130PMVODtopLink&linkId=34922448

http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-interview-trump-supporters-2017-2

http://www.snappytv.com/tc/3552348

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/02/trump-supporters-vastly-overestimate-unemployment-and-they-blame-politicians-for-it/?utm_term=.3537a4f89780

Trump supporters want government to save them. They want a welfare/workfare state where their jobs are guaranteed. They want a government that, despite changes in technology and the world economy, protects their way of life.

Trump voters are big government voters. They pay lip service to the free market bullshit spewed at them by FOX News, because they don’t understand what a viable free market is. They don’t understand how capitalism works.

They want the living wage their parents had. They want the house, car, and two-week vacation that once defined working America. But free trade, combined with weakened unions, means you can no longer pay a living wage for “burger flipper” skills.  And now they feel cheated by a “rigged” system.

And so the white middle class turned to the candidate that offered protection. They turned to big government and a welfare state.

Posted on

Town Hall Stall

When Republicans gained control of Congress in 2010, it was due in no small part to the conservative populist movement now known as the Tea Party. This group adamantly opposed the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, and they were not afraid to show it. Their venting arena of choice – Democratic Town Halls.

Fast-forward to 2017. Republican Town Hall meetings similar to those in 2010 are taking place all over the country. Angry constituents are packing Town Halls to voice displeasure regarding a wide range of topics. However, a single theme runs through all these meetings.

Republican voters don’t want to lose their Obamacare.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/10/republican-townhalls-are-becoming-the-leading-edge-of-the-democratic-resistance/?utm_term=.1eb7f7318d16

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/politics/republican-town-hall-obamacare/index.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/katie-mcfarland-tom-cotton-response

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/tough-questions-private-events-republicans-recess

And for good reason. Despite a terrible roll-out, a 2015 CDC study based on Census data shows that, under the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate fell from 15.7% to 9.2%.

So after years running against the Affordable Care Act, Congressional Republicans are just now discovering their voters like it. I think Republican voters also like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and a host of other “socialistic” programs.

Posted on

Slow the Roll

It has been a slow start to Mr. Trump’s first 100 days. So slow, that Congressional Republicans are starting to worry. New administrations have a very narrow window to accomplish “big” agenda ideas, and the first 100 days set the tone. Despite a blizzard of Executive Orders, Republicans have little to show for their first month.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-16/republicans-fret-over-slow-pace-of-congress-early-in-trump-term

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2017/0123/President-Trump-s-slow-start-Is-that-a-problem

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/317668-trump-agenda-off-to-slow-start-in-congress

Mr. Trump has very serious obstacles to his agenda.

First, he doesn’t have a political mandate. Despite his constant bragging about winning the Electoral College, those state wins were razor thin. He also lost the popular vote by almost three million. These reasons, combined with the lowest poll numbers of any president this early in his term, put Mr. Trump in a very precarious position.

Second, Mr. Trump keeps picking stupid fights. He can’t let the slightest perceived insult go. He is petty and vindictive. If he isn’t picking fights with the intelligence community or the judiciary branch, he is whining about Nordstrom’s decision to drop his daughter’s clothing line. This nonsense costs Mr. Trump a non-renewable resource – political capital.

Third, Democrats aren’t motivated to work with him. Progressive Democrats, feeling pressure from their base, have little incentive to work with Mr. Trump. In areas like environmental policy and abortion rights, there is no common ground. They have already been successful in delaying Cabinet nominees.

The truth is Mr. Trump campaigned as a Washington outsider, but he is really a Wall Street Republican. He isn’t a social conservative, which scares family value Republicans. talks a good game, and there is virtually nothing he and Progressives have in common.

The best plan for Democrats is to let Mr. Trump implode and drag Republicans with him in 2020.

Posted on

Puzder’s Problems

Puzder’s Problems

The White House is being urged by Senate Republicans to pull Andrew Puzder nomination for Labor Secretary. Mr. Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc (Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito) needs a minimum of 50 votes for confirmation. And that is dependent on Vice President Mike Pence casting a vote to break the tie.

Mr. Puzder faces serious opposition from Senate Democrats over his opposition to minimum-wage increases, the widespread labor-law violations, and employing an undocumented housekeeper. He also has answered to domestic abuse allegations dating back to the 1980s. Mr, Puzder’s ex-wife has since retracted those claims, but the damage is done.

http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2017-02-15/puzders-nomination-as-labor-secretary-in-serious-trouble

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/puzders-nomination-labor-secretary-serious-200043956.html

http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/03/carls-jr-robot-workforce.html

http://jezebel.com/5990397/put-it-in-my-mouth-a-history-of-disgusting-carls-jr-ads

I seriously can’t believe this guy is an option. The choice for Labor Secretary is a guy who advocates turning his restaurants into automated kiosk. These restaurants currently employ 20,000 people. He is also responsible for the gross “Put it in my Mouth” campaign, which basically equated eating hamburgers to sucking dick. And on a personal level, using a swimsuit clad Paris Hilton washing a Bentley to pimp fast food — have a little self respect.

In a Presidential cabinet defined by greed, misogyny, and spite, this guy is a cut above the rest. The troubling thought is if there is a bigger prick out there for the job, Mr. Trump will find him.

 

Posted on

The QVC White House

On talk show train wreck Fox & Friends, Kellyanne Conway decided to shill for her boss’s daughter.  Mrs. Conway said, “It’s a wonderful line. I own some of it. I fully — I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online.” They only problem is her boss is the President of the United States.

It may come as a shock to some, but the Office of Government Ethics prohibits using public office for private gain. This prohibition extends not only to those who hold office, but also their friends and relatives. It appears Presidential Advisor Kellyanne Conway violated this prohibition by going on television and encouraging Americans to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff”.

Ivanka is President Donald Trump’s oldest daughter. The “stuff” in question is her fashion apparel line. This line includes clothing, shoes, handbags, and other assorted accessories. And Mrs. Conway endorsement appears to be a response to the Nordstrom’s decision to drop Trump’s fashion line.

And Mrs. Conway wasn’t the only unclear with the “not using public office for private gain” concept.

“My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly,” the President tweeted from his private account. “She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!”

President Trump later re-tweeted the message from the official presidential account, @POTUS. I’ll concede tweeting on your private account is one thing, but using the official presidential account takes it to another level.

http://khon2.com/2017/02/14/ethics-office-white-house-should-investigate-adviser-for-endorsing-ivanka-trumps-product-line/amp/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-attacks-nordstrom-for-dropping-ivanka-trumps-clothing-line_us_589b4c41e4b09bd304bf2c7b

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/10/politics/kellyanne-conway-tweets-potus-supports-me/index.html

I don’t shop at Nordstrom. And if I did, I wouldn’t buy purses, shoes, or whatever Ivanka Trump pimps. So for me, this entire topic is stupid. And yet, I’m writing about it because people in high places can’t differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable. If you hold public office, you shouldn’t use that office to make money. It is basic government 101 and basic common sense.

Yet this administration can’s seem to differentiate between televised political events and a QVC commercial.

Posted on

Cheney Weighs In

The early 2000s were a whirlwind of crazy. It was a simpler time. A Millennial youth’s childhood was defined by Kim Possible cartoons, low rise jeans, the Lord of the Rings films, Britney Spears auto-tuned songs, and vice president Dick Cheney. OK, most Millennials won’t remember Dick Cheney. But for those who do, he was the Bud Abbott to George Bush’s Lou – a cross between Darth Vader and the uncle who takes extra long showers on family day at the YMCA. In short, he was (and remains) an evil creepy fuck.

Dick Cheney has been buried balls deep in Republican politics since serving as a Congressional intern in 1969. As a Congressman he voted against the creation of the Department of Education, funding Head Start, and making Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday. He has unconditionally supported the fossil fuel industry, justified enhanced interrogation, was a CEO for Halliburton, and served as director of the Council on Foreign Relations. He may also be responsible for leaking CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to punish her husband, who had come out against the Iraq War. All in all, the guy is a complete and total cocksucker.

Which brings us to the “world is flat, water is dry” situation we find ourselves in today. In an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Dick Cheney publicly spoke against President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. No shit. The torture guy said the ban “goes against everything we stand for and believe in.” Let that sink in. Dick Cheney never gave a rusty fuck what anybody thought and left office in 2009 with a 63% disapproval rating. Seriously, Lord Voldemort would have a higher approval rating. And this is the guy who is rightly defending America’s promised values.

Shit. Maybe water really is dry.

Posted on

Here We Are

To be honest, I had very low expectations for the Trump Administration. I have never met Mr. Trump or watched his television show. I never ate Trump steaks. I never sipped Trump Water. I never drowned my sorrows with Trump Vodka. I scored average on my ACTs, so I didn’t attend Trump University. Still, my expectations were pathetically low.

Despite my complete lack of knowledge about Mr. Trump and his brand, I still thought he was a fucker. I don’t know why. Maybe it was his too perfect hair. Maybe his bombastic attitude. It could be the inherent class envy the poor feels for the rich. Whatever the reason, Mr. Trump always popped high on the fucker scale.

So watching Trump’s three ring shit show pass itself off as a presidential campaign has been particularly annoying. To be fair, there was the scab picking painful satisfaction of watching Mr. Trump crush establishment pricks like Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. But that was tempered with the frustration of seeing John Kasich try to establish himself as the adult in the room. But honestly, I believed Mr. Trump to be the least repulsive Republican choice.

Then came what passed for a National Presidential Campaign, Mr. Trump spent an inordinate amount of time defending his pussy grabbing youth indiscretions. Nothing of substance was discussed. People bitched about building a wall to keep job stealing Syrians out of Maine or some shit, and there was plenty of Alt Right free trade bashing NAZI punks yelling Trump, Trump, TRUMP!.

Still, there was balance. When Mrs. Clinton wasn’t explaining her emails or Benghazi, she promised a post sexist, post racist, fuck your glass ceiling you’ve come a long way baby rainbow coalition New World Order. A world where color and gender didn’t matter. Hipsters could finally sip fair trade coffee with like minded trust funders of color. And everyone could make room for more coffee by pissing in gender neutral restrooms.

Then the election came. And just like that, the dream of transgender drinking fountains gave way to Breitbart in the White House. The streets were still damp with liberal tears when Wall Street insiders began visiting Trump Towers. Even Mitt “Theon Greyjoy” Romney got in on the action. And so here we are.

I may try that Trump Vodka after all.