US politics general thread

[OrbitalDawn]

How Brett Kavanaugh Worked to Weaponize the War on Terror

He once claimed a new ‘special need’ to stop terror could give the government carte blanche to spy on Americans. He cited no legal authority, just the 9/11 Commission Report.

According to newly public documents, Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, was involved in strategizing about how to present the Bush administration’s treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo. The documents are an important reminder that Kavanaugh served close to a president at a time when our most fundamental values were routinely discarded in the name of national security.

...

The “special need” Kavanaugh identified, however, swept far more broadly than the types of situations envisioned by the Court. According to Kavanaugh, once the government claims that it is acting with the purpose of “preventing terrorist attacks on the United States,” the constitutional requirement of a warrant can fall away. Such an expansion of a limited doctrine would give the government carte blanche to spy on Americans as long as it could be packaged as a way to prevent terrorism. Kavanaugh cited no legal authority for his position

...

Kavanaugh also accepted national security as a get-out-of-jail-free card to shield FBI agents accused of torturing an American citizen in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

At least he's not a purple-haired, liberal college student, though. Then he'd be a real threat to civil liberties and conservatives would be outraged.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Anonymous op-ed by a 'senior Trump official' going for the 'we're averting the apocalypse' angle. Can't wait for all the Cabinet drones to claim they wrote it in like 5 years.

I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration

I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

President business deals.

US trade deficit jumps by the most in 3 years

 

[cerebus]

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/news...ntroduce-bill-to-get-billionaires-off-welfare

Sanders' bill, the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (BEZOS) Act, aims to end corporate welfare by establishing a 100 percent tax on corporations with 500 or more employees equal to the amount of federal benefits received by their low-wage workers. For example, if a worker at Amazon receives $2,000 in food stamps, the corporation would be taxed $2,000 to cover that cost.

the BEZOS Act. Bernie is a class act.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/news...ntroduce-bill-to-get-billionaires-off-welfare

Sanders' bill, the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (BEZOS) Act, aims to end corporate welfare by establishing a 100 percent tax on corporations with 500 or more employees equal to the amount of federal benefits received by their low-wage workers. For example, if a worker at Amazon receives $2,000 in food stamps, the corporation would be taxed $2,000 to cover that cost.

the BEZOS Act. Bernie is a class act.

Might even get Trump's support.

 

[cerebus]

Sorry

 

[cerebus]

Anonymous op-ed by a 'senior Trump official' going for the 'we're averting the apocalypse' angle. Can't wait for all the Cabinet drones to claim they wrote it in like 5 years.

I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration

Meh

https://slate.com/culture/2018/09/i-am-part-of-the-police-department-inside-this-bank-robbery.html

The result is a two-track bank robbery.

Take the lobby: “Machine Gun” McGuire is hollering, “Eat lead, coppers!” and rat-a-tat-tatting his way off the planet in a demented blaze of glory, which means he’s also going to be stepping down from his leadership position in our gang, in which—and we cannot mention this enough—he made all the important decisions. It’s really entertaining to watch!

Astute observers have noted, though, that the rest of “Machine Gun” McGuire’s gang is operating on another track, moving smoothly up the stairs while everyone watches their erstwhile leader do his best Butch Cassidy imitation in the lobby.

 

[rietrot]

Anonymous op-ed by a 'senior Trump official' going for the 'we're averting the apocalypse' angle. Can't wait for all the Cabinet drones to claim they wrote it in like 5 years.

I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration

Now people are bragging to the leftie media about being treasonous. Lol.

 

[The_Assimilator]

It's easy to call out the author of that NYT op-ed as a coward or hypocrite, and say that if they really mean it, they should resign.

But the question then becomes: if yes-man Trump flunkies replace them, and the president hence is no longer held in check... what happens? Best case, he's allowed to f**k up so badly that there's no alternative but to get rid of him... but worst case, World War III.

The most interesting part of that article, actually, was this: "Most [executive branch departments and agencies] are working to insulate their operations from his whims". You have to wonder at what point one of those agencies - say, a three-letter one - decides that the best way to insulate their operations, their nation, and the world from Donald Trump... is to remove him.

 

[Aquila ka Hecate]

It's easy to call out the author of that NYT op-ed as a coward or hypocrite, and say that if they really mean it, they should resign.

But the question then becomes: if yes-man Trump flunkies replace them, and the president hence is no longer held in check... what happens? Best case, he's allowed to f**k up so badly that there's no alternative but to get rid of him... but worst case, World War III.

The most interesting part of that article, actually, was this: "Most [executive branch departments and agencies] are working to insulate their operations from his whims". You have to wonder at what point one of those agencies - say, a three-letter one - decides that the best way to insulate their operations, their nation, and the world from Donald Trump... is to remove him.

That's what I've been thinking for a while now.

 

[cerebus]

It's easy to call out the author of that NYT op-ed as a coward or hypocrite, and say that if they really mean it, they should resign.

I'm not saying he should resign out of principle, just that when you read the article and the policies he espouses - the corporatist tax cuts and deregulation, and more military expansion - it's clear that he's just another conservative grifter who was happy to carry on raiding the honeypots until they allowed a lunatic like Trump to make their corruption all too visible. What, does he want a medal of bravery now because he's become a glorified nanny to a man-child whom he and the entire Republican party promoted into the highest office? They're all complicit, every last one of the scoundrels.

 

[buka001]

Anonymous op-ed by a 'senior Trump official' going for the 'we're averting the apocalypse' angle. Can't wait for all the Cabinet drones to claim they wrote it in like 5 years.

I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration

I am loving all the speculation as to who it is.

A lot of people reckon its Pences' assistant.

 

[greg0205]

Now people are bragging to the leftie media about being treasonous. Lol.

Hand-picked Trump Republicans *not* Democrats or career civil servants...

Thoughts and prayers rietrot. Thoughts and prayers.

 

[Hamish McPanji]

Now people are bragging to the leftie media about being treasonous. Lol.

Yeah, Putin should hang the traitorous bastid!

 

[The_Assimilator]

I'm not saying he should resign out of principle, just that when you read the article and the policies he espouses - the corporatist tax cuts and deregulation, and more military expansion - it's clear that he's just another conservative grifter who was happy to carry on raiding the honeypots until they allowed a lunatic like Trump to make their corruption all too visible. What, does he want a medal of bravery now because he's become a glorified nanny to a man-child whom he and the entire Republican party promoted into the highest office? They're all complicit, every last one of the scoundrels.

Agreed. I'm actually not sure what the motivation behind that article was... if it's to reassure people, well you done f**ked that up by essentially admitting you have to protect the country from Trump... on the other hand, if it was to virtue signal (I thought only lefty libruls could do that???) it did a fine job.

It's incredible that the "greatest nation on earth" is currently one where the sane (public) are protected from the insane (Trump) by the corrupt (people like the author of that article). I always loved this particular quote from the videogame F.E.A.R.:

"It is the way of men to make monsters.
And it is the nature of monsters to destroy their creators."

The GOP made the monster known as Donald Trump, and now that monster is threatening to destroy them entirely.

 

[cerebus]

I could give you 100 pictures of him and Comey hugging and kissing each other,” Trump said in the interview, the full transcript of which was released on Wednesday. “You know, he’s Comey’s best friend.

Trump quote of the year.

 

[buka001]

Agreed. I'm actually not sure what the motivation behind that article was... if it's to reassure people, well you done f**ked that up by essentially admitting you have to protect the country from Trump... on the other hand, if it was to virtue signal (I thought only lefty libruls could do that???) it did a fine job.

It's incredible that the "greatest nation on earth" is currently one where the sane (public) are protected from the insane (Trump) by the corrupt (people like the author of that article). I always loved this particular quote from the videogame F.E.A.R.:

"It is the way of men to make monsters.
And it is the nature of monsters to destroy their creators."

The GOP made the monster known as Donald Trump, and now that monster is threatening to destroy them entirely.

It is almost as if this person is trying to set up a quasi-defense should this all go to impeachment. He/she would then reveal himself when questions get asked if the Line of Succession itself is also fit to lead the USA.

They would pop this one out and say: "Look! We were working behind the scenes and mitigating an utter disaster, so I am good to go boss!!"

 

[The_Assimilator]

It is almost as if this person is trying to set up a quasi-defense should this all go to impeachment. He/she would then reveal himself when questions get asked if the Line of Succession itself is also fit to lead the USA.

They would pop this one out and say: "Look! We were working behind the scenes and mitigating an utter disaster, so I am good to go boss!!"

Yes, GOP swamp-dwellers are nothing if not masters of the ass-cover, and now that the Tower of Trump is starting to crumble they're making sure their bona fides are all in order. Perhaps this article will get one of them off the hook of prosecution; but history will be far less forgiving than the American legal system.

 

[RanzB]

President business deals.

US trade deficit jumps by the most in 3 years

Two years ago a smart and stable genius told me this hurts the economy very badly and a bad sign

Trump: Trade deficits 'hurt the economy very badly'

 

[OrbitalDawn]

This is worth watching to understand how bizarre it is.

Sen. Harris asks Kavanaugh an incredibly straight forward question that he mumbles and stumbles about and refuses to answer.

"Have you discussed Mueller or his investigation with anyone at Kasowitz, Benson & Torres, the law firm founded by Marc Kasowitz, President Trump's personal lawyer?,"