Me think, why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?

New budget has nearly $1 trillion in Medicare cuts.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...=.667c830ed982

And as always, there is a tweet for that.

I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2015

It is bizarre. It is a DOA budget (Dems were never going to agree to it). There was no reason to not just (as previous Presidents have done) make it all sugar and no medicine.

You propose the unpopular things your party wants to do when you are actually crafting the laws that will come into existence. Just floating "we want to cut your Medicare" for no real reason seems so strange that I am wondering what the other shoe that is going to drop is.

Possibly a shot at Medicare-for-all? "Try to give it to all and we will gut it."

On other news, Stacy Abrams suggested today on twitter than she is probably running for President. I find it strange that her and Beto, two people who couldn't win their home state elections, are thinking of running for a national office. "Loser" looks good on the resume?

Stacy Abrams scored the highest percentage this century as a democrat in statewide GA election, and in a year with no presidential election with high turnout. As a black female in GA. Not saying she is a viable candidate on the national level, but to ignore what she actually did is a bit shortsighted (plus, I believe she was the first black female candidate ever for a gubernatorial election).

I'll try to help you out with your seemingly honest second question. Think of a dollar as either spent or saved. If it is spent on something produced in the US, it remains here and is still either spent (again) or saved. If it is spent on something outside of the US it doesn't count toward US savings.

Same things for non-US money spent on US goods. That becomes a dollar in the US that is either spent or ultimately saved.

So under Krugman's paragraph, if we have more spending than saving, that definitionally is the same thing as the trade deficit.

Not sure what to tell you on your first point.

Mulvaney and Pence are true believers and Trump is too damned lazy to participate.

I am not arguing she did nothing. Beto made a Texas senate seat competitive, which was impressive as well. But, almost winning doesn't qualify you for President, IMHO.

But marginally winning in a sure-thing state would ? :confused: How is it even relevant what happened in 1 state ? And if anything the phrase should be “qualify you for becoming president“ at best.

How many more candidates for president do we need? I'm fine with nearly any of the ones running

I'm not sure what you mean by qualify. Both of them are clearly smart enough to be President. It would be dumb to hold it against them that they came from red states. Warren won her first election by 6 points in a heavily blue state. Abrams and Beto had far more impressive performances in their runs.

Pilotman: I hear planes are too complex to fly now. Thoughts?

Out of all the candidates that have declared so far, the only one that's mildly resonated with me is Pete Buttigieg.

He only has Mayor on his resume, but there's something about the guy that makes me feel like when I first heard Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic convention. I actually remember that day well as I was hauling big square hay bales and when that guy with the weird name came on the radio of my tractor something hit me.... I was becoming a Democrat.

Buttigieg at least gives me a reminder of that vibe.

Lmao, you saw my fb post didn't you?

We need an All Things Flight thread. :)

I don't know. I think it goes something like this.


Democrat thinking: "Look how close they lost a state election. Imagine how close they can lose a national election."

I would imagine the thinking is:

This person almost took a red state that has not seen a close election in 25 years, imagine the appeal they may have in a swing state.

I think there's a difference between asking whether someone can win and whether someone would be a good president. I realize most of the country is only going to worry about number one because number two doesn't matter so long as the map is the right color, but maybe I hold out fancy hopes.

Manafort currently in front of the judge in his second sentencing. Can get a max of 10 years here

Ten more years! Ten more years!

about to be handed down, judge does not sound like she will be lenient

Judge is pretty much slamming every point of Manafort's defense. Even his family, who wrote letters to her (manafort did not) asking for leninecy did not get spared. Says that they have the means to sustain their family while he's in jail.

He got 7 years, with the first 30 months running concurrent with the Virginia sentence.

BREAKING: Paul Manafort has been sentenced to:
- Count 1: 60 months, with 30 months concurrent with EDVA sentence
- Count 2: 13 months, to run consecutive to count 1 and the EDVA sentence

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) March 13, 2019

BREAKING: Paul Manafort has been sentenced to: - Count 1: 60 months, with 30 months concurrent with EDVA sentence - Count 2: 13 months, to run consecutive to count 1 and the EDVA sentence


So not the max 10 years after slamming all his attorney's points. Some of this served concurrent with his other trial, then about a year more, But at lease he's in prison for a while.

People are going crazy she didn't go for the maximum after what she said to him and his lawyers, but she did add time that he will be in jail. He'll be in his 70's when he gets out and hopefully no one will want to touch him with a 10 foot pole after what came out in these trials. So justice was served-if you aren't happy with the results push your congresman/women to change sentencing guidelines for white collar crime.



And there's still a chance for unpardonable state crimes from NY too,

About that.

I tried to tell u @Giants fans Dave was your problem but u laughed and called me bitter! Well welcome to the salt wagon jump on and let’s ride together lol

— DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) March 13, 2019

BREAKING: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance unseals 15 fraud and conspiracy charges against Paul Manafort.

Indictment here: https://t.co/WXMBZgG793

Background here at @CourthouseNews: https://t.co/V82PfWQ5IH pic.twitter.com/H3AyLl3ll3

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) March 13, 2019

Well that was quick :)

Can't edit my post for some reason. The giants tweet is a copy/paste holdover from the NFL thread lol

Leave it. Much more funny to pretend that DeAngelo Williams is trolling Manafort on Twitter.

+1

We literally just elected a failed businessman who's claim to fame was being a reality TV host. I don't think the requirements for President are what they used to be.

In a Presidential election, if a Democrat only lost Texas by 2.6 points or Georgia by 1.4 points, they'd win the electoral college in a landslide.

And not surprisingly, Beto O'Rourke announces he will be running for President.

House passed a non-binding resolution that the Mueller report must be released publically 420-0


House votes 420-0 to demand Robert Mueller's report be public

I'm so old I remember when a president suggesting that the police, military and a biker gang might have to violently attack the political opposition would have been a big problem.

Senate voted 59-41 to block emergency declaration-Trump is sure to veto.

It is completely lost on me how the media is calling this an embarrassing rebuke of Trump. There's no question in my mind that he LOVES getting to show off his power by vetoing something.

I agree he does love it. It won't phase him one bit. I'd say it's more of an embarrassment for Mitch McConnell.

McConnell has backed himself into a corner with no escape. He had to end the shutdown by promising to rally senate around his emergency declaration, but he doesn't want trump to use those Emergency Powers. He's always been able to keep Senate Republicans on the same page, but now he's backing something he doesn't believe in and this Republican Senate is probably more split than we've seen them under McConnell.

Then again, I believe McConnell is arguably the most destructive national politician in 40 years.

Yeah, he'll veto it and then Republicans will vote on the Lee bill to take the power away from future Preisdents. And Democrats will be spineless and go along with it.

How hilarious would it have been if he tweeted BETO instead of VETO!? I mean they are just a letter apart.

I don't think there's anything spineless about it. Unlimited Emergency Power is bad for the country. "We want our turn to shit on the Constitution too" shouldn't be the rally cry for Dems.

He just tweeted "VETO!" which I like to think is like Michael Scott shouting "I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!"

This is probably overthinking it, but I do wonder about the wisdom of Trump putting Senate GOPers in a position to vote against him.

It's almost like getting a shot. You are afraid of it because you think it will hurt, so you avoid it at all costs. Then you get a shot. And it does not hurt that bad, and you are not as afraid next time.

I wonder if the next time Senate GOPers are in a position to vote against Trump on a contentious issue, they will be quite as afraid of the needle.

Meh, if Republican Senators aren't afraid of the needle, then Trump will just threaten to have biker gangs beat the shit out of them the way he just threatened to do that to Democrats.

The Trump tweet (the army supports me, so...) and the White House tweet (the WaPo are liars) are both totally mortifying things to come from our government. And will flow right under the bridge like everything else.

With the Veto, Trump is on the verge of literally spunking money up the Wall

I predict Chelsea will run one day.

Kudos to her for putting up with that crap. I wouldn't have had that patience and would have certainly pushed back.

Chelsea Clinton is berated by Muslim students who blame her for New Zealand mosques attack | Daily Mail Online

Blech. I hope not. Nothing against her personally so much (and certainly not negatively judging her reaction in this instance), as I just want the Dems to have a serious culture scrub. For once the Dems are in a position of power and also in relative solidarity, while the GOP is pretty fractured to a degree we haven't seen for 40 years.

There are plenty of current Dem front runners that I would totally support in a vacuum, but the vast majority have also spent the last couple of decades deeply entrenched in a political culture based on immediately compromising away the easiest of wins. Even if those folks have great, progressive ideas and present super strong platforms I'm not convinced that anyone even slightly connected to the old guard understands how to operate from a position of power, and I dread watching them trot out that same tired playbook for this new era, frittering away whatever advantages and goodwill they've collected recently.

Don't trust Daily Mail website, Microsoft browser warns users | Media | The Guardian

Good to know.

I generally go to Daily Mail for "entertainment" news. Pretty sure the Chelsea thing happened though.

True, it did happen. But pay attention to the wording and tone of that article, as opposed to the WaPo.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...ep-ilhan-omar/

Oh yeah, and this:


Can't think of any better reasons for highlighting such an exchange.

It is an horrendous publication, completely biased and hostile racially & politically, and completely hypocritical on body image. I don’t understand how anyone can buy the print copy or read it over here.

To be honest, I don't see the "hostile racially". I see plenty of stupid articles about stupid white people, plenty pro-royal (e.g. doesn't she look pretty). To me, its more of a gossipy rag than political/racial.

To be clear, I do read the BBC also but Daily Mail is for fun and whenever it shows up in my google news feed.

No more free reads for this month but can easily believe it. Like I said in a prior post, I don't read it for serious news but it does add the fun/gossipy factor and complements BBC, CNN, FoxNews, GoogleNews, Reuters etc.

(If I remember correctly, its also one of those rags that one can pick up for easy entertainment in the tube)

Interesting. With the electoral college I'm not sure it'd matter if one party dominated states kept the opposing nominee off the ballot, but I think I'm against states putting conditions on federal elections. Washington Senate passes bill that would keep Trump off 2020 ballot unless he releases tax returns | TheHill

Fun thing is, while that's a Constitutional prerogative of the states, the Constitution also gives Congress the ability to override the states.

Buuuuut...super unlikely this Congress would agree to override any state in the current environment.

But couldn't Trump take this thing to court? Couldn't an argument be made that Washington is trying to super cede the Constitution by setting their own presidential requirements?

He could, but they aren't, directly, setting "their own Presidential requirements."

Washington state isn't setting limits on eligibility to hold the office or run for the office, but rather eligibility to appear on the ballot, which probably comes down to the Elections clause - the "Times, Places, and Manner" of determining elections.

His lawyers would probably argue against that by saying that the elections clause is about legislative elections, not the executive; I feel like that would be a stronger argument than "they're trying to impose extra-Constitutional requirements on eligibility for the Presidency."

Yes this will 100% go into the court system, and I very much doubt it will be in effect for the 2020 election - my guess is the lower courts will put it on hold while waiting for higher courts to decide if it's illegal. I doubt it would make it's way to the supreme Court until next summer, and that's getting too late to have uncertainty for the 2020 election process. It also certainly would be sued by right-leaning groups, but I could also see the ACLU or other watchdog groups bringing the suit.

The tax return aspect is kind of interesting. Obviously it's become the norm in the last 40+ years and I'd prefer to see them, but it wasn't done before then and there's nothing requiring it in the Constitution.

I think there's no doubt that the ballot qualification issue will end up in court. And, if we've learned nothing else from our SCOTUS, it's that once the question turns to elections and who gets to win them, we can cast aside any prior convictions about states' rights and federalism and due process, or any such scholarly trifles... when you decide matters of who wins elections, it's pure red and blue, baby. They may have to work for it, but Trump should be fine getting onto every ballot.

I happen to think that's the right outcome -- I don't think you want to enable individual states to start creating substantive, rather than procedural, impediments to being on the ballot. Iowa is just nutty enough to pass a law saying you have to take the "ethanol forever" blood oath to qualify... or whatever, as an easy-to-process example. If you make it open season for states to do whatever they like in this regard, I think you have a mess on your hands. So, my non-lawyerly view is this absurd outcome isn't what anyone would have wanted when determining/insisting that the states retain the means to conduct the elections themselves.

So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) “last in his class” (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election. He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage!

100% sound mind

Again, we're in bizarro genie out of the bottle land, but can you imagine seeing "POTUS tweets out bizarre conspiracy theory that slanders recently deceased beloved war hero that had served his own party honorably for 40 years" and think - yup, sounds about right, just another day.

One man's conspiracy is another man's Bible.

The thing about this is I don't think the media is correct in how they were portraying it. I don't think Trump was actually calling for violence from any of the groups he mentioned. I believe it was wishful thinking to an extent. The man wants the adoration of people/groups so much he's hoping that's what happens whenever his time in office ends. It would be confirmation for him that his base truly loves him.

Just as frightening, but still a key difference.

Well he retweeted a pizzagate nut, a Qanon loyalist, and a white supremacist yesterday. That was in between complaining about a re-run of SNL and the cable news lineup on his favorite network.

Things seem to be going well.

Did you hear about the RNC deputy finance chair?

No, not the one accused of rape.

No, not the one who pleaded guilty to fraud.

The one that is accused of laundering cash.

I personally thing it is a dumb requirement. But I think it is dumb when states put limitations on who can run and what is required.

The Washington AG did put out an opinion on the constitutionality of it. He seems to think it would pass the test. But says it could be close.

Constitutionality Of Possible Legislation Requiring That Candidates For President And Vice President Of The United States Disclose Their Federal Tax Returns As A Condition Of Appearing On The Ballot | Washington State

It is dumb, but you know what else is dumb? Not doing stupid shit that other candidates started doing voluntarily to prove that they were on the up and up and that they were good for the job. Simply thumbing your nose at the system and saying, I'm not doing it because I don't have to and you can't make me actually IS total bullshit.

...right up until you actually win. Then it's genius.

Very stable genius.

Our esteemed ruler in KY, Bevin, has followed the trump playbook all along in an effort to get noticed by trumpy. I think he's a little irritated that he hasn't gotten called for a cabinet position yet.

I had not heard of him really before he announced he was running. I saw he got the signatures needed to participate in the debates, so that's a good start. I think things are going to start getting nasty for him if he gets some momentum in the debates. The evangelical Republicans will throw every dirty trick in the book at him to keep a gay man from becoming President. It will be interesting to see how he responds to it.

I am thinking the collective GOP sense of humor (or lack thereof) won't be able to get past the fact that he has BUTT in his name, and I dread the horrible memes.

Eric Williams on Twitter: "… "

A true story about @PeteButtigieg. pic.twitter.com/ojFXa8IguU

— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) March 16, 2019

"We have no idea who Donald Trump's successor will be. But we have already found the man most opposite him."

I just went to PredictIt for the first time in a while to see how the 2020 Dems ranked. And I noticed that I still had an investment in that market.

I clicked on it, and remembered that I bought Tim Kaine for .11 and still have a pending order to sell when it hits .50.

So, in short, I am bad at predicting the future.

KY Gov says he deliberately exposed his children to chicken pox rather than vaccinating them.

My parents did they do me.

It was common before a vaccine became readily available in the 90s.

Even doctors recommended it, because getting chicken pox as an adult is very dangerous. And actually getting chicken pox was the only way to immunize yourself from it until 1995.

I don't know how old Bevin's kids are, but he's only 52.

Mine didn't do it, but I've heard of more than a few folks who have. I don't think that's particularly unusual, even for folks who are pro-vaccine.



Side note: I was exposed to chicken pox from my 4ish-year-old nephew when I was a high school sophomore, and a dozen or so kids at my high school ended up getting it from the cascade of me having it. It was awful. A junior wound up in the hospital from it. Scary stuff. Those of us who were infected but still up for it had to take the AP US History exam in a quarantine room away from the rest of the class.

Yep - people had chicken pox parties in some places.

Bevin also went on to say the vaccination should be optional. It's pretty clear he thinks this is sound advice right now.

I had chicken pox on my birthday as a little kid. Apparently I bemoaned my fate in the bath, wailing, "Why does this always happen to me?"

Also had it as a teen, did not enjoy.

Not looking forward to an eventual prospect of shingles, either.

Ben Simmons gave the Egg Boy a shout out on his sneakers yesterday. Lol

There was no Chicken Pox vaccine when I was a kid. You got it, and that was that. My kids have been vaccinated, and you know what? They didn't get Chicken Pox and didn't have to deal with the misery it entails. Bevin is a tool.

Pat Robertson 'antichrist' response in 3...2....1...

I somehow got chickenpox 3 times when I was younger. I didn't even know there was a chickenpox vaccine though. I assume it's one of the standard vax shots my daughter has had to get according to the government-defined vax schedule we have here.

Having chickenpox 3 times sounds like some story an evil TV family would invent to cover for whatever weird shit they were actually doing to you.

I barely remember it, which means my parents gave it to me about the age of 6 or else I acquired it otherwhise at that time. That's over a decade before the vaccine, so no blame, nobody. I don't think it was that traumatic though. We had enough scares/child deaths in our family - oldest was aborted(and I didn't find out till I was in my 20s, one of the very few things that ever pissed me off about my fine parents), I almost died less than six months in due to asthma turning me orange - I literally tried to Make West Michigan Orange Again - and my younger brother had spinal meningitis at the age of 3 and was fortunate to live through that. Cost him most of his hearing, but it's one of those things we've gotten a lot better at. In the late 80s, getting that when you were young was hit or miss in terms of whether you are done for this life.

Basically looking back on it all now, I'm glad I didn't realize how much trauma my parents were going through, having been too young to remember most of it.

:D

First time was worst, I think I was 2ish and mum tells the story often. Second time it was more mild but still bad, I think I was 7 or 8. 3rd time was ultra mild and I was in my early 20s - I didn't get this one checked out, but it hit our office where I was working at the time and my close friend got it. I had a few small little spots.

I have had shingles. I don't recommend it.

Makes my two times look silly.

Trump: Time to recognise Golan Heights as Israeli territory - BBC News

That's not a potential step towards WW3 or anything.

Are China or Russia going to go to nuclear war with us over that? Are Iran or Saudi Arabia or the average Arab/Muslim in the Middle east going to hate us more?

Instead of saying “hi” Trump now greets people with, “no collusion, no collusion.” pic.twitter.com/Pj70oF0DgG

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2019

If Jared Kushner had been born middle class, he’d be your ex-roommate who got fired from Chipotle that one time for spilling refried beans on the manager. Instead he was born rich, so he’s dictating MidEast policy via WhatsApp.

So how many people who say they “reluctantly” voted for Trump because they were concerned about Clinton’s email server will change their vote in 2020 based on what we are learning about how Trump’s people handle secure info? I’m guessing zero.

Wisconsin Judge Rules Against Republicans And Restores Gov. Evers' Powers : NPR

90% of those folks will continue to chant 'LOCK HER UP!' without any clue of the context.