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[B-Dubs]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816452807024840704




What the fuck is wrong with you.

Many things, many things.

He has to owe Putin some form of money... Just based on the NPR story I was listening to today.

I was reading what looked like a fairly well-sourced tweet storm on this yesterday. How it didn't get covered until now...

 

[Boke1879]

There's a few things I'm thinking is going on here.

The most likely case. He was never going to a briefing and is not putting it off and will say it's cancelled on Friday.

OR people around him don't want him going to this meeting simply because Trump has the potential to tweet out top secret information.

 

[royalan]

Stop assuming that every Trump voter is exactly the same. MOST Trump voters are not worth our time, but lets not dismiss Trump voters who fall into 1 or more of these categories:

1) Trump voters who voted for Obama

2) Trump voters who were desperate enough to get their old job back that they would do something stupid like vote for Trump

3) Trump voters who APPROVE of Obama

4) Trump voters who say they only voted for Trump because of how much they hate Hillary

I understand that, and I'm not assuming they're all the same, but they DO have one thing in common: they voted for Trump.

I'd rather Democrats prepare for a worst case scenerio (all the people who went with Trump stay with him) than make a play for people who, for whatever reason, voted Trump.

Find out how to target the people who didn't come out, reach out to the part of the base you expected to come out.

 

[B-Dubs]

There's a few things I'm thinking is going on here.

The most likely case. He was never going to a briefing and is not putting it off and will say it's cancelled on Friday.

OR people around him don't want him going to this meeting simply because Trump has the potential to tweet out top secret information.

If it's one of these two options, it's the bolded one. Remember how we were afraid he would also do just that when it was announced he'd start getting them? I feel like we've lost this fear in the fear that he's not getting these briefings at all.

 

[TestOfTide]

Someone may have mentioned this, but you really can't do UHC without a mandate, which conservative justices can easily argue against.

Except it only kinda worked with the ACA because the argument was that the government was forcing the taxpayer to buy a private product.

To claim that UHC is unconstitutional would require implying that the USPS, SS, Medicare, and any other service the government provides is unconstitutional.

And that's before you get into the fact that just like how repealing the ACA is showing to be a clusterfuck, so would trying to strike down UHC, especially since striking it down through the courts would mean not having any transitional period.

I understand that, and I'm not assuming they're all the same, but they DO have one thing in common: they voted for Trump.

I'd rather Democrats prepare for a worst case scenerio (all the people who went with Trump stay with him) than make a play for people who, for whatever reason, voted Trump.

Find out how to target the people who didn't come out, reach out to the part of the base you expected to come out.

Why not both? Why not have one of the major platform policies be a message that completely flanks the anti-free-trade rhetoric that you see on both the far right and the far left?

 

[Carpe Libertatem]

I understand that, and I'm not assuming they're all the same, but they DO have one thing in common: they voted for Trump.

I'd rather Democrats prepare for a worst case scenerio (all the people who went with Trump stay with him) than make a play for people who, for whatever reason, voted Trump.

Find out how to target the people who didn't come out, reach out to the part of the base you expected to come out.

Well, Democrats don't necessarily have to go after these voters. If they're upset with Trump they're either not going to vote or will vote for whatever opponent is. Both benefit the Democratic Party.

It's a lot easier to campaign when you don't have to govern

 

[numble]

Looks like this is not being talked about. Trump has named Robert Lighthizer as his trade representative.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-trade-idUSKBN14N0YA

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Robert Lighthizer, an official in the Reagan administration and harsh critic of China's trade practices, to be his chief trade negotiator, responsible for better deals aimed at reducing U.S. trade deficits.

Trump, who promised during his presidential campaign to renegotiate international trade deals like NAFTA and punish companies that ship work overseas, said in announcing his choice that Lighthizer would help "fight for good trade deals that put the American worker first."Lighthizer is a former deputy U.S. trade representative under former Republican President Ronald Reagan who helped to stem the tide of imports from Japan in the 1980s with threats of quotas and punitive tariffs.

His 2010 testimony before the US China Economic and Security Review Commission:
http://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/6.9.10Lighthizer.pdf

Unfortunately, the optimistic belief that [trade relations with China] would significantly lower the U.S. trade deficit, create huge numbers of high­paying jobs, and provide American companies with untrammeled access to China's enormous market has not been borne out by subsequent events. Indeed, there are strong reasons to believe that China's WTO accession has had negative consequences for the U.S. economy

[T]he U.S. government should treat currency manipulation as a subsidy for purposes of our CVD law.  In  addition, the United States should officially designate China as a currency manipulator, challenge China's currency manipulation at the International Monetary Fund ("IMF"),142 and  bring a WTO case on the grounds that currency manipulation is a prohibited export subsidy.

In the context of U.S.­China trade – whereby the United States is consistently running trade deficits viewed by virtually all rational observers as catastrophic and unsustainable – it is certainly advisable to consider all options available. To the extent that the United States were to consider more dramatic action to address the problem – such as tariffs or quantitative limitations that would arguably derogate from WTO commitments – the prospect of reciprocal denial of trade benefits by China must of course be assessed. At some point, however – where goods imports from China exceed $300 billion while U.S. exports to China are below $70 billion – one must ask whether potential retaliation from China really would or could even remotely offset the benefits to the United States of more aggressive trade measures.

Years of passivity and drift among U.S. policymakers have allowed the U.S.­-China trade deficit to grow to the point where it is widely recognized as a major threat to our economy. Going forward, U.S. policymakers should take these problems more seriously, and should take a much more aggressive approach in dealing with China.

His US Trade Representative will need Senate confirmation anyway. The GOP isn't going to confirm a protectionist.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Heckman's finding that most pre-K schooling benefits come from reduced crime just screams that most pre-K studies are bad.

I see no mechanism (other than keeping poor families financially afloat and you could do that just from giving poor families more money) that would cause pre-K to cause little improvement in test scores, but a huge reduction in crime.

 

[TestOfTide]

Can China please find some guy in Shenzhen who could be the Liberal version of Julian Assange?

 

[Dominican Power]

Who's watching Schumer on Rachel?

 

[Dominican Power]

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/816271800824983553

BWAHAHAHA!!! Looks like a creeper.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Trump's insistence on lying about and attacking the Deep State seems like it could end badly for him?

Anyway, Trump was at a dinner with a mobster last night and there's that.

 

[CygnusXS]

I'm expecting an unprecedented level of intelligence activity being kept hidden from the President. Which is... good now? God

 

[royalan]

I'm expecting an unprecedented level of intelligence activity being kept hidden from the President. Which is... good now? God

This would make a great season of Homeland.

 

[CygnusXS]

This would make a great season of Homeland.

It basically already was season 5 (or 6?) of 24.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

A senior intelligence official tells NBC News that the intel meeting, which Trump claims was delayed to Fri., was always planned for Friday.

https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/816467407225126912

The CIA announcing various investigations of Republicans in late October of 2018 is gonna be pretttty nice.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

Heckman's finding that most pre-K schooling benefits come from reduced crime just screams that most pre-K studies are bad.

I see no mechanism (other than keeping poor families financially afloat and you could do that just from giving poor families more money) that would cause pre-K to cause little improvement in test scores, but a huge reduction in crime.

Maybe some sort of earlier introduction to teachers as non-familial authority figures, but that screams Freud bullshit. Still, it's all I can come up with.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Maybe some sort of earlier introduction to teachers as non-familial authority figures, but that screams Freud bullshit. Still, it's all I can come up with.

I mean, they say "pre-K education helps improve self control and traits like that for a child's lifetime"

But if that was the case, their test scores in grade school should go up and they don't!

 

[The Chosen One]

He has to owe Putin some form of money... Just based on the NPR story I was listening to today.

 

[FyreWulff]

He has to owe Putin some form of money... Just based on the NPR story I was listening to today.

One of the reasons people should be concerned about the Russians not releasing what they have from the RNC is that Russia can now use what they have in there to blackmail and leverage on Trump and the RNC.

They released all the stuff on the DNC, but now since it's already out there, the DNC/Dems/whoever is no longer leveragable.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I'm watching the West Wing and this episode has bullshit anti-nuclear propaganda in it and somehow imagines that Russia and China would fight a ground war over Kazakhstan.

This is some dumb shit.

edit: Now the president is sending 150k troops to Kazakhstan what the fuck.

 

[B-Dubs]

I'm watching the West Wing and this episode has bullshit anti-nuclear propaganda in it and somehow imagines that Russia and China would fight a ground war over Kazakhstan.

This is some dumb shit.

Yea, it went a bit off the rails in spots at the very end.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

I mean, they say "pre-K education helps improve self control and traits like that for a child's lifetime"

But if that was the case, their test scores in grade school should go up and they don't!

Yeah it doesn't line up.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

I really liked West Wing early on but it lost me when the election turned into a fanfic where Gore lost because he wasn't nerdy enough.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Double post but I think this is a big deal

Seung Min Kim
@seungminkim
Whoah. When asked whether he would do his best to keep current Supreme Court vacancy open, Schumer responds: "Absolutely."

5 years of an eight man SCOTUS?

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Double post but I think this is a big deal



5 years of an eight man SCOTUS?

Trump would probably fold and appoint a pro-business but pro-choice, pro-LGBT judge if he's pushed on it and then Schumer will certainly confirm that judge. Abortion is clearly the issue Trump cares least about and is most willing to compromise on.

 

[TestOfTide]

Double post but I think this is a big deal



5 years of an eight man SCOTUS?

Good. If Scalia gets replaced with a Roberts or Kennedy type then that's a win for us considering that still tilts the court slightly more moderate.

 

[RastaMentality]

Double post but I think this is a big deal



5 years of an eight man SCOTUS?

What if they just nuke the filibuster?

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

What if they just nuke the filibuster?

Seems likely unless a few of the less-terrible GOP senators push for just getting someone less-terrible on there. I don't have much expectations though.

 

[Rebel Leader]

https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/816467407225126912

The CIA announcing various investigations of Republicans in late October of 2018 is gonna be pretttty nice.

He's just covering his ass from the new years eve statement

 

[Oblivion]

Double post but I think this is a big deal



5 years of an eight man SCOTUS?

This would be great news if it wasn't for the fact that the filibuster for SC appointments (and maybe everything else) is going to be obliterated on the first day of the new session.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

What if they just nuke the filibuster?

Could they nuke the filibuster, instate a judge, and then reinstate the filibuster?

 

[JesseEwiak]

Could they nuke the filibuster, instate a judge, and then reinstate the filibuster?

I'd like to introduce you to the NC State government.

More seriously, absolutely. With support of 50 Senators plus the VP, you can make whatever rules you want. The filibuster is not in the Constitution. They could easily just nuke the filibuster for SC Justices.

 

[GutsOfThor]

One of the reasons people should be concerned about the Russians not releasing what they have from the RNC is that Russia can now use what they have in there to blackmail and leverage on Trump and the RNC.

They released all the stuff on the DNC, but now since it's already out there, the DNC/Dems/whoever is no longer leveragable.

I thought Russia wasn't able to hack into the RNC?

 

[TestOfTide]

What if they just nuke the filibuster?

But aren't the rules agreed upon when a new Senate forms?

I'm pretty sure that unless the GOP nukes the filibuster......today(?), they will have to wait until January 2019 to try to nuke it again.

I thought Russia wasn't able to hack into the RNC?

On one hand, Reince Preibus claims that the RNC was never hacked.

On the other hand, Lindsey Graham says that the Russians DID hack him at least.

 

[kirblar]

I thought Russia wasn't able to hack into the RNC?

It looks more like they didn't care.

 

[Dan]

He has to owe Putin some form of money... Just based on the NPR story I was listening to today.

Donald Trump Jr, 2008: “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets.” “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”

The "King of Debt" and his family are almost undoubtedly on the hook for a lot of money to Russian oligarchs.

 

[numble]

But aren't the rules agreed upon when a new Senate forms?

I'm pretty sure that unless the GOP nukes the filibuster......today(?), they will have to wait until January 2019 to try to nuke it again.

No? The "nuclear option" for executive branch nominees and judicial nominees was adopted in November 2013: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option#Events_of_November_2013

 

[kirblar]

The current fillibuster is currently staying intact only because enough GOPers dont trust Tump.

It'll fall eventually, and thats fine.

 

[Wilsongt]

So who owns more of the US's debt: Russian or China? Kappa face.

Uh........

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) hates Obamacare so much that he doesn't even want the Supreme Court to cite its own major Obamacare cases in future opinions, according to a bill he introduced Tuesday.

The bill itself list the names of major lawsuits the Affordable Care Act has faced at the Supreme Court and bars them "from citation for the purpose of precedence in all future cases."

"It was my first order of business on the morning after ObamaCare passed into law, March 24, 2010, to draft and introduce my full, 100% repeal of ObamaCare," King said in a press release announcing the legislation. "By prohibiting the Supreme Court from citing ObamaCare cases, we will be truly eradicating this unconstitutional policy from all three branches of government so that the repeal will be complete."

The bill claims that "Under Article 3, Section 2" Congress is allowed to "to provide exceptions and regulations for Supreme Court consideration of cases and controversies."

The proposal had the health care law world "chuckling," according to Timothy Jost, a health law specialist at the Washington and Lee University.

"He obviously hasn't read these opinions," Jost said. He pointed to National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius, which Jost said "contained very strong statements about state rights;" King v. Burwell, which "included language in which the court basically limited deference to administrative agencies;" and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which "was all about religious liberty."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/steve-king-obamacare-supreme-court

 

[B-Dubs]

Uh........



http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/steve-king-obamacare-supreme-court

Yea, that's not how that works. That's not how that works at all.

 

[Aaronology]

Were do you guys stand on the DNC race?

I'm with the Vox take.

There doesn't seem to be a substantial difference between Perez and Ellison but choosing Perez will just alienate Bernie voters and confirm the idea that the party doesn't want them. There's no real positive case for Perez besides blocking Bernie supporters

Ellison isn't going to burn down the DNC and he can probably temper the Our Revolution stuff from promoting inter fighting when everything should be about making republicans electoral lives hell.

I like Perez but I think not pissing the Bernie people off is important, lest we run down a corbyn-esque path. Perez has a future in deep blue Maryland, Ellison really doesn't have a path upwards in MN or nationally (he's not getting the gov or senate seat) so I think he fits better here as a step up.

I am slowly reaching the same conclusion.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Yea, that's not how that works. That's not how that works at all.

Don't tell him. They can pass an Obamacare repeal law that includes this dumbass provision and SCOTUS can throw out the whole thing.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Zuckerberg pretending he can be the Dem nominee in 2020 is the saddest shit I've ever seen.

Dude, Harris and Cortez Masto can say "you helped Donald Trump get elected" and the Zuckerberg campaign will be over. What a deluded man.

 

[jack_package_200]

I am slowly reaching the same conclusion.

Eh, I have been pro Ellison for awhile. New direction from DWS's trainwreck. I reckon getting Chuck Schumer's endorsement has to count for something.

The thing Perez mainly has is an endorsement by Obama.

Zuckerberg pretending he can be the Dem nominee in 2020 is the saddest shit I've ever seen.

Dude, Harris and Cortez Masto can say "you helped Donald Trump get elected" and the Zuckerberg campaign will be over. What a deluded man.

When his presidential bid fails, he will try to pit Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill against eachother before making a cave troll from Lord of the Rings.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Zuckerberg pretending he can be the Dem nominee in 2020 is the saddest shit I've ever seen.

Dude, Harris and Cortez Masto can say "you helped Donald Trump get elected" and the Zuckerberg campaign will be over. What a deluded man.

Is this really a thing?

He should just parachute into a Safe D district, dude isn't going anywhere in a national primary.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Harris
Cortez Masto
Booker
Warren
Cuomo
Zuckerberg

This is gonna be no fun at all.

Is this really a thing?

He should just parachute into a Safe D district, dude isn't going anywhere in a national primary.

Guys who announce plans to visit all 50 states sound like they're deluded into thinking they can do well in a national primary.

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...ok-2017-resolution-visit-us-states?CMP=twt_gu

 

[Dan]

Guys who announce plans to visit all 50 states sound like they're deluded into thinking they can do well in a national primary.

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...ok-2017-resolution-visit-us-states?CMP=twt_gu

In early December, unsealed court filings from a class-action lawsuit filed in April revealed that Zuckerberg and two board members had discussed how the CEO might pursue a political career while retaining control of Facebook.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, one of the company’s most prominent investors, texted Zuckerberg in March to say that the “biggest issue” of the corporate proposal was “how to define the gov’t service thing without freaking out shareholders that you are losing commitment”.

Just what we need, another jackass hoping to get into government while controlling a giant corporation.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Harris
Cortez Masto
Booker
Warren
Cuomo
Zuckerberg

This is gonna be no fun at all.

Hope

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Brown's gonna get bodied if he tries.