14 hours ago, Wales2004 said:

I can't imagine any competent leader of a nation taking this bloviating ignoramus seriously. MAGA must have some hidden meaning that includes setting America back globally and domestically. They can reshuffle staff all they want because as long as he's in charge they will continue to have the same problems.

 

This:

 

Trump’s extraordinary instinct for television is matched by his appetite for it. He rarely sleeps, The Washington Post reported, and instead “watches enormous amounts of television all through the night.” During the presidential campaign, he told Chuck Todd, the Meet the Press host, that he got military advice by watching “the shows” on cable.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-a-reality-tv-president-goes-to-war/522519/

 

 

It's been a running theme for a while that we are being taken as fools internationally. That's what the press, and the GOP, loved to say when Obama was in the White House. I do think that we were played by China in a lot of ways during the Obama years, but Trump is learning what Obama knew - that China has the full deck, or just about. Or should I say the military people Trump brought in who seem to be cleaning house (for now anyway) know it, even if he doesn't. 

 

So Alabama, as mentioned here or in the status updates, now has a new governor after the Bentley fiasco.

 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/alabama-governor-bentley-scandal-coverup-215010

 

It now has its second female governor, Kay Ivey. The story of the first female governor, George Wallace's wife Lurleen, is actually quite sad.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurleen_Wallace

1 hour ago, marceline said:

I try not to body shame but it's nice to see that my eyes having been deceiving me.

 

JMO, but it's not body shaming when there are links between obesity and illness, particularly heart disease and diabetes.  During the campaign, it was stated that Trump already constituted what any medical professional would declare obese- that has implications for not only his health but ultimately who is the president (although many have already ceded that title to Bannon, another candidate for the cardiac arrest club) at least, who is seen as the head of state.

 

If health were no factor, there would be no publication of presidential candidate's physicals. It's obviously important.

 

Trump has shamed and spewed vitriol on people for their appearance including their weight (he once said he would be glad not to have to see Rosie O'Donnell's 'big fat ugly face'), so I don't care about how he's perceived or whether he would feel ostracized. His administration would gladly let people die for lack of access to proper healthcare.

 

53 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

It's been a running theme for a while that we are being taken as fools internationally. That's what the press, and the GOP, loved to say when Obama was in the White House. I do think that we were played by China in a lot of ways during the Obama years, but Trump is learning what Obama knew - that China has the full deck, or just about. Or should I say the military people Trump brought in who seem to be cleaning house (for now anyway) know it, even if he doesn't. 

 

What country doesn't get played, at some point? Zimbabwe, with no useful currency of its own perhaps?

You play your hand, sometimes you get played, other times, you hold the cards. That's why diplomacy matters.

 

Compromise is a necessity and the U.S. political system has become so warped over decades that compromise has morphed into a dirty word, rather than as a tool to be used expertly. The very nature of democracy is rooted in the fact that no one gets what they want every single time.

Edited April 11, 20178 yr by DramatistDreamer

35 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

 

What country doesn't get played, at some point? Zimbabwe, with no useful currency of its own perhaps?

You play your hand, sometimes you get played, other times, you hold the cards. That's why diplomacy matters.

 

Compromise is a necessity and the U.S. political system has become so warped over decades that compromise has morphed into a dirty word, rather than as a tool to be used expertly. The very nature of democracy is rooted in the fact that no one gets what they want every single time.

 

Maybe played wasn't the right word - I just think China gets a lot of free reign many countries do not in relations to the US, and as much as I think Obama wanted to engage with them and with Asia at large, various factors went against him (I'd imagine racism made that situation worse). 

Someone on social media mentioned that Tillerson is landing into a literal dumpster fire upon arrival in Russia.

Smoke near Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, where Sec. of State Tillerson is due to land, coming from a burning garbage dump, Russian officials say pic.twitter.com/QxkBrXeRRI

— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) April 11, 2017

45 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

Maybe played wasn't the right word - I just think China gets a lot of free reign many countries do not in relations to the US, and as much as I think Obama wanted to engage with them and with Asia at large, various factors went against him (I'd imagine racism made that situation worse). 

 

As racism in the U.S., no doubt, made things worse for his ability to manuveur politically here in the United States.

 

The same way you mention China having a lot of unfettered reign, is the exact same way many people have viewed and spoken of the U.S. for decades. Only, while the U.S. was once viewed as a imperialist power by much of the world, China has been somewhat successful in convincing people to see them as an equal partner that doesn't look down on other countries yet wants to do business as 'equal partners' with the implication that they would be better partners than you-know-who.

 

Honestly, I think a lot of the pushback had as much to do with how the U.S. has been historically viewed by other countries (who over the last several years have felt the need to assert themselves as China clearly does) and Obama as the U.S. head of state, as it does with any racial component. 

Edited April 11, 20178 yr by DramatistDreamer

46 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Maybe played wasn't the right word - I just think China gets a lot of free reign many countries do not in relations to the US, and as much as I think Obama wanted to engage with them and with Asia at large, various factors went against him (I'd imagine racism made that situation worse). 

The debt situation probably made it and will most likely continue to make it quite tricky. This is one reason why I don't understand why Trump continually mouthed off about China when he was campaigning. Now he apparently thinks he can use North Korea as a threat in negotiations. In Trump world he might have the upper-hand but not in the real world and I don't think he's ever going to understand that fact.

 

Bannon has done all he can to help throw the media and everyone else off the TrumPutin trail because he's delusional enough to think that Putin is going to assist with his master plan to get rid of Islam.

 

Trump charged into the White House ready for action and created a great deal of chaos. The past couple of days seems like a slow down but here's something he's winning at:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/04/10/us/politics/trump-golf-course-getaways.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

The White House Easter Egg Roll is going to be a disaster.

16 minutes ago, marceline said:

The White House Easter Egg Roll is going to be a disaster.

They can't even do an EE hunt. that just.......my word....

Sean Spicer is also a disaster...a walking one.

Exhibit A or is it J by now?

 

Press Sec. on Hitler/Assad comments: "He was not using the gas on his own people the same way...he brought them into the Holocaust centers." pic.twitter.com/mO9EsWM4QT

— ABC News (@ABC) April 11, 2017

21 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Sean Spicer is also a disaster...a walking one.

Exhibit A or is it J by now?

 

Well I guess the Alt-Righters will be pleased with that comment.

 

Seriously Holocaust Centers? You mean death camps Sean.

Oh I love this reply to SS comment, he got DRAGGED

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kansas-election-thompson-estes_us_58ed1c4ce4b0df7e2045ff89?pkv&

Not surprised that the GOP won the Kansas seat again. Kansas is so fiercely red that I didn't expect it to turn anyways. What I am happy about is that the Democrat almost won that seat by a small margin. Trust & believe that the GOP are quaking in the boots at the moment b/c traditionally red districts in red states are gradually starting to lose ground with people. Also, they know that they might not be so lucky when it comes to the 6th district here in GA. Unlike Kansas, GA is gradually becoming a purple state as time passes. I think that Ossoff is gonna win the seat next week. 

2 hours ago, Nothin'ButAttitude said:

Not surprised that the GOP won the Kansas seat again. Kansas is so fiercely red that I didn't expect it to turn anyways. What I am happy about is that the Democrat almost won that seat by a small margin. Trust & believe that the GOP are quaking in the boots at the moment b/c traditionally red districts in red states are gradually starting to lose ground with people. Also, they know that they might not be so lucky when it comes to the 6th district here in GA. Unlike Kansas, GA is gradually becoming a purple state as time passes. I think that Ossoff is gonna win the seat next week. 

Thompson is a great candidate and frankly as red as part of southern Illinois is I think he could have won easily in the southern most district here.  I frankly think its amazing what he was able to pull off in 3 months. ANd it's all him and his organization. I honestly think in Kansas in particular with the Brownback legacy that is likely going to follow many in the long run.  Thompson not getting any support at the national level from the @DCCC and money from the party probably helped him. His campaign was 100% grassroots and with a better funded organization he most likely will do better in 2018.

 

But I think rather than him winning, its a lesson for some of the closer red districts out there and who and what type of candidate can win. Thompson was modeled as a progressive but he's also pro gun and a good Christian, things that resonate more with folks in those states.Plus ex-military. A lot like Kander in some ways.  I have been following Thompson for his entire 2 1/2 to 3 months and the progress his campaign made in that timeframe is amazing. If the democrats want to win, they need to look at some of what his campaign has done. There is a better shot in GA and this election actually makes me more certain Ossoff is going to win and probably easily for the reason(s) you stated.

6 hours ago, Nothin'ButAttitude said:

Not surprised that the GOP won the Kansas seat again. Kansas is so fiercely red that I didn't expect it to turn anyways. What I am happy about is that the Democrat almost won that seat by a small margin. Trust & believe that the GOP are quaking in the boots at the moment b/c traditionally red districts in red states are gradually starting to lose ground with people. Also, they know that they might not be so lucky when it comes to the 6th district here in GA. Unlike Kansas, GA is gradually becoming a purple state as time passes. I think that Ossoff is gonna win the seat next week. 

 

Kansas being in such disarray because of Brownback may lead to changes in spite of this loss, though. It may go back and forth between sudden (there were some Democratic gains there in the legislature last year) and gradual. 

So now Trump is publicly pretending that he barely knew Steve Bannon when he joined his team. Either they've worked out some kind of deal/plan or Trump thinks he can take cover. He should do the smart thing and go away but he's far from smart and the notion that he thinks he can triumph over the people who put him in place just demonstrates his ignorance.

 

Manafort is now caught in a huge lie regarding the Ukraine https://apnews.com/20cfc75c82eb4a67b94e624e97207e23.

Carter Page https://apnews.com/5bf4c269b9a243a495761130524d2cd4/Report:-US-sought-to-monitor-Trump-adviser-last-summer

Spicer has the day off and maybe that will blow over and maybe not.

Nunes' lie has seemingly been uncovered.

Tillerson is not too swift (and that's an understatement) http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/tillerson-asks-why-americans-should-care-about-ukraine.html

At least Mulvaney is being honest http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/trump-budget-director-wants-high-inequality-not-low-deficit.html

 

And Bill O'Reilly is taking a spring break from which he may not return, if you believe this

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/is-bill-oreilly-going-off-the-air.html