Now when people ask me to name one good thing about the Trump admin I can honestly say, the humiliation of John Bolton.

Everything Trump touches, dies - Rick Wilson

Just watch Fox News this week and see who praises him. Lou Dobbs? I believe Bolton got the job by just saying nice things on Fox and Friends.

If your bottom line is not to have your family die in nuclear fire anytime soon, perhaps not.

I for one am glad this is over-we get the ads for this even though we are in SC. Hope McCready wins after what happened in the first election.

The NRSC is running ads saying a vote for Biden is a vote for four more years of Obama.

My question is, does Biden have to pay for this ad?

NOAA's Chief Scientist sent a letter out to employees promising to investigate the politically motivated statement that was sent out to agree with Trump:


I'm sure Wilbur Ross will do the right thing and resign over this.

Why do all of Trump's "best people," after he fires them, become people he rips for being incompetent losers who can't do anything right?

Is he a spectacularly shitty judge of character, in addition to just having poor judgment in general?

Or is this deflection of the qualities he knows to be his own onto other people so he doesn't have to take the blame?

Or is it both? Can we just call it "both"?

He both fills and drains the swamp.

Trump is willing to make concessions to Iran just to get a no pre-conditions meeting with them in an attempt to work out a deal for them to end their nuclear program.

Maybe he shouldn't have voided the deal that did just that?

How many things has he repealed only to go back and reinstate them in some form and try and take full credit for it?

It gets even better:


Here's a 15 billion dollar loan if you'll come back to the deal I tore up.

Best deal-maker in history!

I'm looking forward to Bolton's forthcoming tell-all book.

We are going to ban fruit flavored cigarettes but we are going to continue to allow regular cigarettes to be in the marketplace? I mean they haven't even officially come up with a cause of the illnesses. Just slap a label on the e-cig packaging.

Not gonna happen. He needs the right-wing grift too much to shit on Trump publicly.

E-Cigs have been a thing for many years now, too. The nicotine flavored liquids at least. It wasn't until weed cartridges that this shit started. I'm not going to say 100% of it is black market weed cartridges with zero regulation but I'd put money on it that that is what the vast majority of these teens are harming themselves with.

The article that I read about the weed cartridges said that the cannabis oil that is used in the cartridge ends up settling at the bottom of the lungs, it's not evaporated out, and it basically causes this awful pneumonia after it builds up enough, and because it's oil it's really hard to get out, which has lead to the deaths from it that have been related to it.

They already banned fruit-flavored cigarettes. I miss my Djarum cloves.

From my understanding, these vape illnesses are from thinning agents containing things that are food grade. Problem is... food grade means it is safe to eat. Not vaporize and inhale the fumes. I don't think cannabis oil itself is going to cause this otherwise we'd have heard about this long ago as people have been dabbing forever. Of course I'm not saying inhaling vaporized cannabis oil is safe but from what I've seen, they are narrowing this down to Vitamin E Acetate being in some of these vape cartridges as a thinning agent. And not limited to the black market either.

So the guy Trump once called "My African American" is leaving the Republican party and running as an independent in a House race:


The man Trump once called ‘my African American’ leaves Republican Party | PBS NewsHour

Impeachment investigation hearings to begin next week in House Judiciary. Hearings on corruption, obstruction, and abuse of power that extends far beyond the Mueller Report.

Old people (read: cigarette smokers) vote. Young people (read: fruit-flavored vapers) don't vote.

Yea, that is what I've read. I don't think Vitamin E Acetate is used in any nicotine based liquids. Nicotine based liquids use vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG) as the bulk of their liquids. The rest being nicotine in a VG or PG base then flavorings. Flavorings is really the only wildcard but I think they even use a PG base (not 100% on the flavorings).



Disclaimer. I used a vape device to quit cigs. I still occasionally pull it out with a low nicotine liquid if I ever feel the craving (mostly when drinking), but not often. I admittedly feel strongly about the benefits of Ecigs due to my anecdotal experience. I admit that there is still room for a lot of research and that there is always a chance a bombshell research piece comes out that shows something bad about vaping. Vaping isn't healthy, but I 100% believe it is less harmful then smoking and would encourage people to use ecigs as a path to quitting BOTH, not a replacement. It saddens me that it would basically be over for many smokers because of this recent news, though. I have seen some people deny using THC carts in the hospital, but I have qualms with believing self reporting on people saying they are using or not using THC carts.

I get that there are health risks with e-cigs. I am just trying to figure out why a label is acceptable for one (cigs) and not the other(e-cigs) if both are linked with lung illnesses and deaths. Also, why are fruit flavored cigars cool but fruit flavored cigs/e-cigs are taboo?

If it is not obvious, I am not a smoker.

Why the fuck have people not figured out that sucking things into your lungs that are not , you know, AIR, is un fucking healthy?

Ban them all, end them all, stop killing people and making a profit out of it.

In the Philippines, Duterte banned public smoking. I would be for this.

Speaking of Lou Dobbs, is it possible that history judges Trump's enablers and sycophants even more harshly than the Grifter-in-Chief?

I believe the further we get from Trump's presidency that becomes likely. History is not going to look kindly on Mitch McConnell. How the enablers outside the political system are viewed will be fascinating. Dobbs, Carlson, Hannity, ect.

What's a credible prediction for how the GOP gets away from being the party of Trump and white nationalism? We all think it will happen at some point, but how? If anything the state and local GOP outside of the Northeast is even more Trumped than the national GOP. What event(s) will break that?

The easy answer is if Trump loses in 2020, but even then I'm not sure. The party has moved away from its ideals and has leadership that primarily cares about power at any cost. What happened in North Carolina on Wednesday and what evidence is showing may have happened in the Georgia midterms should be a wake up call to anyone that thinks the GOP is going to just give up power because that's what voters want.

The changing electoral makeup of Texas may actually be what moves the party away from Trump and white nationalism. If the GOP loses ever loses Texas then winning another Presidential election without significant changes to their platform is impossible.

I don't think Trump losing is enough. If that happens, 2024 would be a battle between true Trumpists and reformers with an unclear outcome. Meanwhile the GOP congressional delegation and most state electeds would still be all Trump.

I think you're right that a lose of TX would be a bomb that would force a change on the party, but I'm pretty skeptical that we're close to that day.

When/if Trump loses in 2020, there will be tons of GOPers who will claim they never really supported Trump, and argue there needs to be a return to true Conservative values and policies.

But they'll also be just as many saying they are the true heir of Trumpism.

I'm also not sure that a return to true Conservatism will be anything other than Trumpism.

I'm not really asking if the GOP will win elections again, they will. I'm more interested in whether the party will ever return to something not based on Trumpism and white nationalism. I think most of us assume it will happen, but how?

Better fill up your gas tanks

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/14/busin...ack/index.html

Can we invoke the 25th and make Mike Pounce president?

I'm not really sure what "Trumpism" is or whether anything like that in a cult of personality way is definable for the future. Heck, for all the good he did, Obama was also a cultish type figure who transcended the party instead of being defined by it.

I guess for the GOP the best path to non white nationalist majority is a serious enough external threat that "patriotism" wins out. It's 2019, and they will be majority white for the foreseeable future, so some people will always claim patriotism is racism and all that, but that's the path I can see unless/until a new charismatic person shows up.

I'll give you that Trumpism doesn't have a clear policy vision, but I expect tons of GOP candidates to run on being the heir to Trump. That's where things are different in regards to Obama. Hardly anyone is running as the heir to Obama. I think that's foolish, as Biden, the one guy running unashamedly as a connection to Obama is leading the polls, but it is what it is. I expect the GOP will pretty seamlessly go from everyone having to namecheck Reagan to everyone having to namecheck Trump.

trump party slogan of the future:


"All we do is lay pipe to anyone who tries to get in our way"


His slogan now is pretty much "All I do is win" and truth isn't an issue for them, so they don't need worry about a platform. Just some kind of chest beating mantra they can use whenever.

I bet Bolton was thinking "darn, if only I was still there"

lol

Saudi officials now saying that they don't have enough evidence to say the Iranians are behind the drone attack This after the Trump folks have spent the past 24 hours saying it was the Iranians and we should attack them because of it.

I don't have Twitter, but I imagine cue the re-tweet of Trump saying that Obama was going to involve us in a war to win the election a few years ago.

There is always a tweet.

Saudi Arabia should fight their own wars, which they won't, or pay us an absolute fortune to protect them and their great wealth-$ trillion!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2014

Also when did we start openly taking orders from the Saudis? Can't remember a President ever deferring their military to another country like that.

Enjoy retirement in Russia.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/edward-...ay-2019-09-16/

Donald J. Trump on Twitter: "I call for the Resignation of everybody at The New York Times involved in the Kavanaugh SMEAR story, and while you’re at it, the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is just as phony! They’ve taken the Old Grey Lady and broken her down, destroyed her virtue and ruined her reputation..."

My favorite part of this is that he gets, like, 20 words into it and realizes that he hasn’t said anything about himself and immediately starts talking about how the media treats him so unfairly.

He didn't say hereby so it doesn't count.

1) Compared to some of the older photos I saw today, Russia has been very good to him.

2) VP doesn't seem the type to allow for early retirement.

This Lewandowski fellow is a piece of work. Fits right in with Trump.

Israeli elections today and right now nobody knows who won or lost. They are trying to form coalitions that would give them enough seats to win. Netanyahu may lose which would be pretty shocking

Based on the BBC report, it sounds like Trump acted like every Mafia boss in every Mafia film I’ve seen when one of their guys is in court

Corey Lewandowski: Ex-Trump aide stonewalls impeachment hearing - BBC News

Assuming Trump loses, it depends on how much he loses by. If its pretty clear cut then I can see current GOP returning to "true" conservative values & policies. If its just by a slim margin, I can see Trumpism continue.

Regardless, I can see Trumpism stay relevant in some red states for the forseeable future, too much of what he says resonates with them (right or wrong).

The WaPo is adding details to the whistleblower story that's been percolating for the past few days. Here's what we have so far,

a member of the intelligence community filed a whistleblower complaint in August.

the Inspector General certified the complaint.

the Director of National Intelligence refused to release the complaint as mandated by law.

the DNI said a higher authority told him not to release the complaint.

tonight we learn that the complaint is based on a specific promise Trump made to a foreign leader. Neither the promise nor the leader is currently known.

And Putin is the only leader Trump is known to have spoke to on the phone in the 5 weeks prior to the complaint per Business Insider.

Meanwhile in Canada:


Photo Shows Justin Trudeau in Brownface at ‘Arabian Nights’ Party | Time

Dying lol

WATCH: Trump Asks General to Discuss 'Wired' Border Wall, General Replies 'Sir, There Could Be Some Merit in Not Discussing That' WATCH: Trump Asks General to Discuss 'Wired' Border Wall, General Replies 'Sir, There Could Be Some Merit in Not Discussing That'

He is the proverbial 3 year old you hand a glass of milk to and ask him not to spill and in 3 seconds your cat is wearing it.

and he took a shit on the living room rug

Guys like that general at least give me hope there are still adults in the room protecting him from himself.

I really hope we find out some day how many bat shit insane orders he tried to give that were just ignored or deflected.

That whole campaign rally with the Hispanic or your Country interaction was straight up cringe. The part about how he thought the guy looked more white(waspy) than him was especially cringe.

Oh, I have no doubt that once he is gone, we will have literally hundreds of former GOP Congressional and Executive branch insiders jumping up to tell us stories of all the crazy.

Now, when it could do good for the country we get crickets. But when they are all trying to convince us that *This new GOP guy* is totally normal and you can believe me and trust him because hey we all agree that Trump was a crazy outlier and we all knew it the whole time so its really not fair to bring up Trump anymore.

You will be able to fill an Amazon warehouse with "Thinkpieces written after Trump is out of office by people who benefited from Trump and who now very soberly say that we all need to, as a country, move on and stop bringing up Trump."

It won't be as bad as living through Trump. But it will be almost as bad as living through Trump.

It appears that the whistleblower came forward after a call with Ukraine's President. It's been known for some time that Rudy Guillani has been in Ukraine trying to get dirt on Joe's Biden son. The promise Trump made to him might be to release military/intel aid that they have been holding on too.



Again this is what the Washington Post and other media sources have been talking about. Until/if the whistleblower is allowed to come forward, we might not know for sure

It’d be hilarious if it was a double knockout of Trump -and- Biden but I’m sure it’s just “fake news”

The Senate GOP doesn't seem to care, and that means Pelosi won't do anything about it. Now it's normal for GOP presidents to contract with foreign governments to help defeat Democratic opponents. He got away with it last time, so of course he's going to do it again.

The Giuliani melt-down on Cuomo last night was 10/10.

As close as we'll ever get to a real-life, "You're goddamn right I ordered the code-red."

So the spin seems to be "Of course we asked Ukraine to give us dirt on Biden. But that's not because Biden is an enemy of the GOP. It is because Biden is an enemy of America. Don't you want the President to try and go after America's enemies?"

I expect not a single member of the GOP, barring Amash if he's still officially GOP, will speak out against this. It's now going to be normal for GOP presidents to trade foreign aid for dirt on political opponents.

It's the natural extension of McConnell saying that his goal was to make Obama a one-term president and the GOP going all-in with that strategy. When one of the two parties openly says that it would rather wreck the country then let the other party be in charge of it, and we don't treat that for the horrific sentiment that it is, then we get the government we deserve.

So I think the ClimateStrike Protest crowds were just slightly bigger than a MAGA rally-but I'm sure someone from the Trump campaign will "borrow" one or two for their crowd shots...

slightly?

I wonder what the carbon footprint of these protests were.

Alaska becomes the fifth state to eliminate the GOP presidential primary for 2020.

We now question a person's patriotism by simply asking where they're from.

Serious question: Does Trump actually want to be impeached?

Hell, part of him probably thinks it'll benefit him electorally by increasing turnout (because the Senate is never going to vote to convict).

That's kind of my thinking. He has been told that he will "win" impeachment in the Senate, so why not do it and get the win?

I think he knows the senate has given him complete immunity and therefore can do anything he wants w/o legal consequence.

I do want to read the transcripts but, with his track record, we probably can conclude he asked/hinted Ukraine to investigate. 2020 can't get here soon enough.

Why would you think it would be the actual transcript? After the shit they pulled with the Mueller report they wouldn't think twice about doctoring the transcript.

And TBH it wouldn't matter. He could come right out and claim he is trying to torpedo Biden and his followers and fellow republicans would claim he was doing the right thing.

And now we seem to be where we all expected. The GOP has rallied around the I don't know/So what axis and the Dems are too cowardly to do anything other than tweet concern.

How is Mike Pence feeling right now?

Curious what the context is for this. So much going on hard to keep up.

Would the GOP run Mike Pence for President in 2020 or open the primaries back up?

Just that it looks like impeachment hearings will actually happen over Ukraine.

There's no way the GOP convicts. Public opinion polls (at least the last ones I saw) are thoroughly against impeachment. It'll be a win for Trump and may well get this jackass re-elected.


And it's still absolutely, unequivocally the right thing to do.

House Speaker Pelosi to announce formal impeachment inquiry of Trump

Well how about that.

One other thought: there's nothing in this whole mess that points more to the utter and complete spinelessness of GOP elected representatives than the fact that Mike Pence is waiting in the wings. Pence gives them everything they want policy-wise, without the idiotic sideshow, without the tariffs, without, and without the risk of the President deciding Chuck and Nancy are being nice to him and therefore he should do gun control or something else that the left wants and the right doesn't. In a world where they cared about the policies and principles that they claim to support more than their own political hides, they'd JUMP at the first chance to replace Trump with Pence.

Pence has everything they could want policy-wise but he doesn't have the cult-leader-esque charisma of Trump that rallies the base.

aha.

I thought maybe Pence had a daughter with Asbergers or something

I like it. Win or lose (and it won't be approved by the Senate), I'm all for going through the process.

Ouch, forgot about the stock market ... but its worth it.

Dow falls after Trump criticizes China in UN speech, impeachment worries rise - MarketWatch

I'm in agreement, but the damage Trump has done will be his legacy. Say he is re-elected, isn't that the worse case scenario for Trump?

I mean, if the economy tanks in his second term, and more and more states turn blue (not saying the Senate will change hands), doesn't this kill the republican party...?

especially if these tariffs not only harm the majority of his voters but compounded with a depression, basically destroy the US economy for years to come?

Most of the middle class will be gutted, there will be no improvement to healthcare, there won't be a wall or any resolution to migrants, there will be more spree/mass killings, schools are basically being gutted so the next few generations will be completely behind, the current crop will be hopelessly in debt and probably homeless...

I want him to win because it doesn't get the Republicans off the hook, continue down this path and we go into a war...and I think the Grand Old Party will be over.

If a democrat wins, they get left will all of this, and they will fail. Fox News will propagandize and worse, Trump could come back.

If they do decide to impeach, Trump will resign and Pence will pardon him, and he'll be free to rally to his base and make money off their stupidity.

Either way, I'm insulated.

The Senate just passed a motion (non binding) by unanimous consent calling on Trump to release the whistleblower complaint.

Hmmmm...and here's another interesting tidbit:


McConnell: 'I was not given an explanation' for Ukraine aid delay | TheHill



If the most shrewd politician of this decade has made a calculated decision to distance himself from Trump...

Maybe the Republicans are finally sick of Trump walking all over them too?

Which means the Turtle knows something and he's giving himself plausible deniability. I have little doubt he'd sacrifice Trump to save his own shell.

Best-case plausible scenario is that Trump loses support from enough of the important republicans who feel they have a better chance at retaining the white house with Pence, and then figure out a way for Trump to resign and save face. But then they all still paint Trump as a victim of politics, with Pence kind of implicitly defending his honor and retaining Trump's base.

Edit: I think they'd still cancel the primaries in that scenario, after announcing that "Republicans are all behind Pence", which is apparently all they have to do to skip the primaries. I don't think this whole scenario is likely, maybe 10%, but it's more likely that being removed from office unwillingly.

I can’t imagine McConnell and the other GOPers who will be on the ballot next fall are going to allow Pence to be the top of the ticket. I would put his electoral college o/u at 50. The Republican base is 100% hatred and fury now; I can’t think of anyone less able to channel that then Pence.

Trump is so egregious that he's done the unthinkable: caused me to agree with every word Nancy Pelosi said in a substantive speech.

The Speaker of the House announces a formal impeachment inquiry into the 45th President of the United States pic.twitter.com/K6Y92S9yA0

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) September 24, 2019

He's now bunkered down in the NY Trump Tower and is on a twitter tear