He probably figured it was easy to just get rid of NAFTA and only after a ten minute conversation where it was explained to him what NAFTA actually was did he realize it was more complicated than that. I'm sure you all realize that a month from now he's going to be taking credit for saving NAFTA.

Weird how Republicans are so obsessed with voter fraud, but when they have an actual instance they can point to, its one of their own, and they decide to ignore it.

DA declines to charge North Carolina woman who cast vote for Trump in dead mom's name | abc11.com

Stores will sell milk at a loss in order to get people into the store to buy other stuff.

Yep. It's a major loss-leader item, along with eggs and, in recent years, holiday turkeys.

Milk and eggs are loss-leaders? I wouldn't have guessed that. How much of a loss?

Interesting; eggs were trending pretty high for a while.

Also, who is going to the store to buy milk and eggs but not other things? I'm all about the other things.

Milk and eggs are historically two of the more common (eggs less so in the past handful of years) "random trip to refill" items. Bread is right there as well of course though less commonly a loss-leader choice afaik.

That isn't the case in my house but I'm not typical either.

Southerners who are told it may snow in the next 10-12 months.

Call us typical then. Milk, Eggs, and Bread are 1, 1a, and 1b on our "need to go pick some up real quick" items.

:p

Legitimately the easiest story for local TV news every time snow past, present, or future is mentioned. I'm surprised they don't just loop stock footage of empty shelves and stupid interviews for each one.

Even as a dairy farmer, milk is my number one reason to go to the store

I'm guessing by Trump's series of tweets today that a budget isn't going to pass.

It's amazing that the party that controls the presidency, Congress, and Senate is pointing fingers. If you control that much of the government and can't get something to pass it might just be your policy and not the minority party that's the issue.

It'll still be the fault of the Democrats

I mean, milk - ok. Wife ain't gonna like not having her cereal. But we have one in the fridge, a backup in the garage fridge, and that might last us a couple of weeks.

Bread? Nobody makes sandwiches.

Eggs are a matter of what, if anything, we need to make. Ain't nobody got time to make them in the morning. We might bake something every couple of weeks. I think our last dozen lasted us a couple of months.

Granted, we eat out/pick up food a lot. But if I'm cooking dinner, I'm not that likely to need milk, bread, or eggs. Butter, yeah.

SODA six-packs, now those I pick up basically every time I'm in the store.

You mean, you can't just go out back and get some fresh from the tap? That's not how that works? (Ok, so I'm half joking. You can't siphon off some drinkable milk from what you sell?)

"Don't get high off your own supply."

Redux, Obama circa: 2009 lol.

That said, I agree with you, most of what the current admin and Congress is putting out right now is either complete shit or shitty enough to not get support.

Pentagon investigation shows Flynn had connections to RT and the Turkish government. Give him immunity and watch it all crumble.

I can, but my cows have pretty high fat content. Normal whole milk is 3.5% fat. My cows are more like 4.4% fat because I've bred them that way for making cheese and butter.

I actually prefer 1% milk.

Ah, thanks. Learning more (with more questions) with each post. :)

Plus the lack of pasteurization. I know plenty of people think raw milk is awesome, but I'm a big believer in pasteurization.

Trying to get a updated healthcare bill up for vote soon ... but don't see alot of details of the changes in the news sites. Apparently the Freedom Caucus is now supporting the new version but some GOP moderates are now not supporting it.

Smells of desperation. I do think some changes are needed but it'll be fun to watch the scramble and fingerpointing if it fails the vote a second time.

Eh, nevermind ...

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/27/politi....html?adkey=bn

I think the new tax reform plan is going to have trouble passing. Can't imagine a Republican in a state with higher taxes would vote for it since it's eliminating the state income tax deduction.

It's a big fuck you to big blue states, but those states send a lot of GOP reps to congress. The @30 GOP reps from NY, NJ and CA are going to be a tough sell for any tax bill that eliminates that deduction.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN17U0CA


Pussy.

Does Mr. President need some Midol?

There's an easy way to fix that.

From the above Reuters story:

Welp, 100 days in. What do you think?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/29/politi...mage-100-days/

Reality and acceptance has set in that Trump is president.

In no particular order, some thoughts

-- I am glad he is taking a hard-line on North Korea. Diplomacy has failed and short of China doing something about it, it will come to a head with US sooner or later. I prefer sooner. Per Tom Clancy, this is a "clear and present danger" and I'm good with (secretly making an exception and) assassinating the crazy kid by making it look like an accident

-- Stock market. Its up and that's great. I'm not sure Trump gets much credit for this as alot of his pro-economic growth may/is bluster and may not come to pass with his team's poor planning, approach, underestimation of complexity etc. He does get credit for not screwing it up.

-- Economy. I think we are doing well but similar to stock market, don't think he gets much credit for this. But he has not screwed it up

-- Syria. It seems that we are getting more involved and helping out more. I think the war to overthrow Assad is lost, the rebels (and the US) had a moment in time where he was on the ropes but with Russian intervention (IMO because of Obama's weakness), it won't happen unless Russia wants it to happen. Best we can hope for is we get a piece of the pie by supporting our allies and removing the rest of ISIL in Syria

-- Iraq. Don't think he gets alot of credit here. The push back of ISIL and the Mosul offensive was done under Obama. But he hasn't screwed it up by saying or doing something really stupid to the Iraqi government

-- Foreign relations. Lots of disrespecting of our allies and trade partners. I kinda like Tillerson. Whenever I see him on TV, he exudes confidence and seriousness and our allies probably think the same. He doesn't seem to be a guy that would work well with Trump but it seems to be working so far. Overall, there is disruption, Trump has put them off-balance and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I do wish he would be more careful with our better allies

-- Repealing Obamacare. I do think it needs some changing, shoring up etc. but not a repeal/replacement with a tax credit. So I am grateful he has failed miserably so far and this may result in him having to compromise/making a deal with the democrats.

I want more transparency and competition in service/pricing, but not just in the payer level, I want to see it on the provider level. For the Pharma's, there's just something wrong when drugs researched and developed in the US cost more for us here than in other industrialized countries.

-- Infrastructure plan. I really like this idea but no plan or solid progress to move it along that I've seen

-- Reforming immigration. All I've seen is alot of Dreamer angst in the news but I've not seen much progress on the big picture? I am more for letting highly educated immigrants in, fixing the abuse of H-1/L visas etc., and reducing illegal immigration

-- Ivanka and Kushner. Its great that Trump has people he can trust. I'm okay with them visiting places and representing Trump. IMO they represent Trump better than alot of official representatives

-- Tax Reform. Its going to happen sooner rather than later. I hope its this year and retroactive to this year.

and I'll end with ...

-- The Wall. I'm glad the Dems are using Trump's bluster about the Mexicans paying for it as a reason why they will not support funding for it, kinda brings it out into the open. However, I still support it and want to see it built (and it better be "beautiful").

In summary all-in-all, still a work in progress, but its not quite as bad as I expected right after the election. He has started surrounding himself with some good people

Not much has changed so it's kind of hard to judge. Lot of talk and not much action.

North Korea - I like the approach. Tired of North Korea threatening us with destruction. I don't think they are a threat to the mainland at all but why take the chance? A war would be terrible but a harder stance and getting China involved is necessary.

Economy - Not sure whether a President should get much credit/blame for the economy. It did only grow at 0.7% which is not good.

Immigration - Not a fan of the ban he put in place but I was supportive of his talk to deport illegals and shore up the border. Doesn't seem like either is happening though. Deportations are down since Trump took office. I am hoping the H1B reform is more than just talk. That abuse has been hurting American skilled labor for some time.

Infrastructure - I like the idea of an infrastructure plan but not sure I would call what he is proposing that. It's more just a tax break for companies than it is actually building stuff.

Tax Reform - I'm all for it but his plan is terrible. Raises taxes on the middle class, drastically cuts it for the rich, and puts us even further into debt. I'm fine with cuts if it's also met with balancing the budget. This just seems like it'll destroy tax revenues.

100 days. Let him eat cake. I guess.

Trump hands out 2016 electoral map during Reuters interview - Business Insider


That's what we call this, right?

Seems to be their role, yeah.

It's interesting that deportations are down from the Obama administration. With all the talk and discussion of tactics used by the administration to deport people you'd think think the numbers would be up.

I still don't think there's been a reasonable solution proposed for immigration either. A wall does nothing other than spend money, damage the environment, and needlessly take people's land. No one seems to know what better vetting means for legal immigration.

I don't see tax reform happening any time soon. If the current proposal is the framework for what eventually passes Trump will be a one term president.

There is no way in hell what is currently proposed will get through the Senate.

Trump is garbage. He's only interested in issues that benefit the Trump brand and nothing else.

Amazing.

Jackson wasn't alive during the Civil War. Are you sure that is real?

hmmm?

Bradd Jaffy on Twitter: "Here's the audio of Trump: “…but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?�
https://t.co/pdIg0T92zT"

No clue why that would cause you to question the authenticity. He's within a couple decades, which is closer than I'd expect him to get.

Also no one ever asks, why was there a Civil War?

Trump: 'Why was there the Civil War?' | TheHill

I'll agree to believe Trump's assertion that Andrew Jackson was alive for the Civil War if he can get Frederick Douglass to go on TV to back up his claim.

To me, the idea that Trump thinks Jackson was alive during the Civil War is not nearly as bad as his idea that pro-slavery Jackson should've been President during that time or the idiotic assertion that no one asks about why was there a Civil War.

This sort of conversation is just going to be endemic with him. He doesn't read, he doesn't have any interest in learning about history, policy, or government. He's just not that person.

When he talks about these things, he just slides into bullshit mode. Maybe he heard something, somewhere, about Jackson having opinions on the political divides that eventually led up to the Civil War. And he wanted to say something that sounded vaguely insightful. But to a guy like Trump, even that phrase right there "political divides that eventually led up to the Civil War" is beyond his grasp. He's not a 9-word guy, he's a 2-word guy.

Not saying he doesn't deserve the ridicule he's going to get for this. Just saying it's not as simple and fixable as someone who is ignorant of something specific... this isn't Dan Quayle and "potatoe" written on the card handed to him. Trump is a willfully and enthusiastically ignorant person, and that is the root cause for a ton of his flip-flops and gaffes, and will continue for as long as he remains near a microphone.

I just cannot believe his level of ignorance and arrogance. I'm sure if he was alive then, he would have solved things in five minutes and there would have not have been a civil war. The only reason he was talking about Andrew Jackson was for the photo op, PR, and giving a speech in Tennessee.

yes I guess my six years of college where I studied the Civil War extensively were a failure because I never asked why.

You're trying too hard Quick. I agree with you and your analysis is spot on, but the only thing that is going to give this the play it deserves is if it's treated with the incredible disdain that it deserves with unrelenting abuse and vilification of the man in charge. His off the cuff, bullying and general ignorance on things he doesn't really care about or care to know about only reinforce to his supporters that feelings about things are much more important than facts. So you respond to that with more feelings and humiliation, because that's how you deal with that personality. He doesn't give 2 shits about what the facts are if he thinks what he meant is more important, even if he was completely, factually wrong. Which would imply that his feelings were predicated on a false belief, but again, his reality is his truth. Steve Jobs was famous for this line of thinking, and he used it to create things that were life altering and move people to his cause. With Trump, his movement is to tear down. You have to call him names, and keep the tide of humiliation rushing against him. He responds to that. Not that it'll change him, but it'll keep drawing out that idiot that resides inside.

I think Andrew Jackson was alive when that show started

He is the guy that recently said our government system is archaic because it has a system of checks and balances in place. The fact that he can't act as dictator is bad for the country.

As pointed out by Josh Marshall, Trump knows nothing, but thinks he's the smartest person in the room, so when he learns something that everyone else already knew he acts as if he's got some special insight no one else has had. I think it's possible that he really thinks he has something smart to say about Jackson.

fits

So Trump told Bloomberg he'd be open to an increase in the gas tax to pay for an infrastructure package.

If the Dems somehow take both houses of Congress in 2018, I'm going to predict Trump will pass pass far more legislation than in his first two years. I expect he'll largely abandon his current platform and become a Bloomberg style independent. Or he'll get impeached and go to jail. One of those two.

It really is turning into Elmer Gantry. Trump is way more religious than political. The near absolute reliance of emotional appeals on the mythos of America exposes our hypocrisy that rational dialogue and pragmatism are essential qualities we demand in our leaders. In other words, he is exposing human truth:that which gives us the most meaning is mostly abstract.

“He had learned how to assemble Jewish texts, Greek philosophy, and Middle-Western evangelistic anecdotes into a sermon. And he had learned that poverty was blessed, but that bankers make the best deacons.”

“And when Elmer was about to slip out to the kitchen with her to make lemonade, Benham held him by demanding, 'What do you think of John Wesley's doctrine of perfection?'
'Oh, it's absolutely sound and proven,' admitted Elmer, wondering what the devil Mr. Wesley's doctrine of perfection might be.”

Besides, I'm for a free press, for free enterprise... and for whatever the hell the other freedoms are!

True, but there are a lot of purple states with relatively high state income tax rates. Can't see it going over well in an upcoming election. Iowa and Minnesota get close to 9%. North Carolina and Virginia are over 5%. South Carolina gets to 7%. Even Georgia is at 6%.

I mean it'll get it's votes but I have to imagine that'll be a breaking point for a lot of GOP congressman. How does a rep in Georgia explain to his constituents that their tax bill is going up a few hundred bucks next year?

The weird thing about the Jackson comments is he claimed to have read a book on Jackson a couple months ago.

For anyone interested in Jackson, Robert Remini's "The Life of Andrew Jackson" is phenomenal. It's an abridged version of a trilogy he wrote. Jackson is one of the most fascinating individuals in American history.

LOLOL

Trump says he would be honored to meet with Kim Jong-Un.


Spicer walked this back at the press conference.

Yeah. I just think that with the Dem congress, Trump would sign a lot of bills that wouldn't fit with today's version of Trump.

So does this one...

Dumb and Dumber - We Landed on the Moon! - YouTube

Did Trump get anything he wanted in the new budget? Obamacare still funded, planned parenthood funded, increases to science and research funding, increase in education funding, and no wall.

1% cut for the EPA, more money for defense and border security. Think that's it.

Didn't he ask for a 30%+ cut to the epa though?

Rep. Mo Brooks R-AL


That isn't a winning political message.

Alabama, so well known for its residents and their deep commitment to "doing the things to keep their bodies healthy."



The Most and Least Obese States in America—Ranked! | Eat This Not That

Liberal propaganda, I know, I know.

I didn't feel like scrolling through 9,000 pictures, do they actually link to the study anywhere? Sorry if I don't believe what looks like a money making blog with linked headlines like "The Best and Worst McDonald's Breakfasts - Ranked!" It also talks about completely debunked crap like cleanses and literally everything that is linked has an exclamation point after it.

Adult Obesity in the United States: The State of Obesity

There are dozens of these and Alabama pretty consistently ranks in the top five. It's neither here nor there, but this isn't exactly a stretch or an alternative fact, bruh.

At least he admitted today that he doesn't stand behind anything he says:

" I don’t stand by anything. I just– you can take it the way you want."

‘I don’t stand by anything’: Trump withers under heat from CBS News’s John Dickerson - The Washington Post

I'm not disagreeing with the rankings, just the use of a blog full of list posts where several of them are about dietary ideas that have been completely disproven.

It's a website that sells dieting "opportunities" from various franchises.

Right or wrong, it probably isn't going to be the best source for much of anything on a regular basis.

May as well have been the Food Babe or Avocado Wolfe.

I'd be curious to see the overall cost of an obese person vs healthy person long term. I remember a study I believe in Sweden that showed smokers actually cost taxpayers less money. Basically if you die at 60 you aren't collecting 20-30 years of social security and using Medicare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bikgLIK9OlU

Start at 3:20 and behold the joy of Trump pretending to work.

Your browsing and clicking preferences are noted. Thanks.

Apparently it's handjobs for everyone in the GOP tonight. They say they've got the votes for Trumpcare and will vote tomorrow, before the CBO can score it.

Its like when I clean the house. Yes, I did a horrible job... and maybe the vacuum no longer works... and maybe I broke a few lamps while dusting... but I cleaned the house. I did something, so my wife should be happy, not mad that we have to buy a new vacuum, new light fixtures, and she has to re-clean the house.

Oh, but I didn't clean my side of the bedroom. It may be dirty, but it still looks cleaner than the rest of the house does now.

40 minutes alloted for discussion before voting on 1/6th of the US economy.

Sounds about right.

I thought we didn't want to ram bills down people's throats. I don't get why they think they have to do this so quickly and with a slim party line majority. Seems like they're doing the same thing Dems did with Obamacare. Hopefully it dies in the Senate.

Looks like it's coming up for a vote shortly.

It's going to pass. You know a bill is good when it's being pushed through before it's scored and the people voting for it are making themselves exempt.

Wow, they won by a few votes and are now singing, nah nah nah, goodbye. These are the party in charge of your government.

It passed 217-213. 20 Republicans voted against it.

Well according to Harvard's look into the bill if your household makes less than $75k you likely won't be able to afford Healthcare soon.

As they should have.

Obamacare Lite is nothing to celebrate.

To be fair, a lot of the Republicans who voted no were the moderates you like to hate who think it cut too much ;).

Last list I saw (shortly before the vote) had the GOP no's coming largely from my side of the campground. Actual results may vary I guess.

It's a woefully insufficient bad bill that should never have seen the light of day.

Just another in the steadily growing line of missteps from a guy who seems to be living down to some of the more reasonable concerns a number of supporters had. Best of a bad lot of choices, may not amount to much.

Combination maybe. A good portion of the 20 GOP 'no' votes came from NY, NJ, PA. Only ONE member of the Freedom Caucus (Rep Biggs from Arizona) voted no.

Millions of poor people will lose coverage, surely that's a start?

In other words, those most concerned about getting beaten.

So I wonder with pre-existing conditions, if I'm diagnosed as a diabetic, but have normal A1C values due to diet and need no medication and am told by my doctor to stop coming in for regular diabetic checkups and instead just for a physical once a year, will my insurance still be able to gouge the fuck out of my premium?


OR, do my premiums come down AND I get subsidies (oh sorry, tax credits. Subsidies are evil) and I benefit as someone who uses exchange insurance but makes too much for subsidies on Obamacare by more than double, but who would get a ridiculous tax credit under this new thing.


The bill that comes out of the senate, if anything ever does, won't look anything like this so it doesn't really matter yet. But I can't wait to find out.

Well, Ros-Lehtinen already said she's not running in 2018, so she might be in "gives zero fucks" mode

Ummmm...you might want to check your sources there...