What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Syt]

https://www.theatlantic.com/liveblogs/2017/01/senate-confirmation-hearings-week-2/513287/13862/?utm_source=atlfb

Mnuchin Wavers on Questions Involving Trump's Foreign Debt

Several hours into his confirmation hearing, treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin appeared willing to work with Republicans and Democrats in Congress on nearly every one of their concerns. Lowering the corporate tax rate: absolutely. Tax breaks for middle-income Americans: definitely. Punishing countries that manipulate their currencies: yes. Making sure the IRS is well funded: of course.

His eagerness to please wavered only a few times, such as the moment Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, began to question him about President-elect Donald Trump's business interests abroad, and more particularly, the unknown amount of debt he has with foreign lenders.

"Isn't it true that a lot of [Trump's] debt is held by foreign interests?" McCaskill asked.

"I don't know, I have read it in the papers," he answered.

"Do you think you should know that, as someone who runs the Committee on Foreign Investments, if we are talking about the commander-in-chief? As secretary of the treasury, should you know what percentage of his debt—I'm told by people familiar with his business that it is a huge percentage of his debt—that is held by foreign interests?" McCaskill asked.

"As I said—if I am confirmed—I assure you, I will make sure the requirements of the constitution are upheld," he said. "I think you have a valid point about foreign debt and understanding foreign things. If I'm confirmed, I will research that and get back to you."

But McCaskill wanted more from him.

"What I want is to get a commitment from you today that you will report to this committee what percentage of the debt against the Trump enterprise is held by foreign interests. That is your job as the secretary of treasury. I want your commitment that you will report to this committee as soon as you are able to get that information from the new president."

Mnuchin wouldn't give her that.

"I am not making the commitment today to report to the committee on anything. What I am willing to do is—to the extent I am confirmed—I am willing to speak to the [committee] chairman and make sure that whatever the committee thinks it needs, I will discuss with the president."

"In your job as treasury secretary, when determining national security interests based on foreign investment, the American people need to know how much debt is owed by the Trump business to foreign entities, and if that could have a direct impact on our national security," McCaskill said.

"I think you have asked some interesting questions on which I will follow-up," Mnuchin replied, before moving to the next line of questioning.

[Admiral Yi]

Overplaying hands doesn't advance the cause of the anti-Trump resistance Clare.

[Zanza]

On the chopping block, according to The Hill, would be the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; the Department of Justice's Legal Services Corporation and Violence Against Women Grants; funding for the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Electricity, and Office of Fossil Energy, among others.

That stuff may be a few billion over ten years, but it doesn't even make a dent to save 10 trillion dollar over ten years. They must cut social or defence spending to get anywhere close to trillions..

[derspiess]

For some reason I didn't get one, but the schools in our district emailed letters like this this week.



I'm kind of okay with it as long as it's something they always allow (I don't know whether that's the case or not).  On the other hand, I can't imagine wanting to shield my kid from watching a historical event like an inauguration, regardless of whom is being sworn in.  Could be Hillary or Bernie for all I care-- I'd still want my kid to watch it.

For the hell of it I asked Tommy if he wanted to watch it if given the option.  His answer was an emphatic yes, because "it would waste school time."  That's my boy

[citizen k]

It says Congressional Democrats but it could be Languish. 

[Jacob]

It says Congressional Democrats but it could be Languish. 

Wrong thread... this is supposed to go in the Facebook Follies one

[Admiral Yi]

Good one Siege.

[Barrister]

It says Congressional Democrats but it could be Languish. 

I don't think that's remotely true of Languish.  Yes there's been some gnashing of teeth, but no one is demanding a "safe space" about the inauguration.

[Jacob]

In any case, it sounds like the TRUMP presidency will involve more Red Square/ Pyong Yang style parades of military hardware. Apparently the Trump team would have like that for the inauguration but had to settle for a 20 plane flyover.

Part of being a great president is showing off America's military strength, according to President-elect Donald Trump.

The military "may come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue," Trump told the Washington Post in an interview published Wednesday. "That military may be flying over New York City and Washington, D.C., for parades. I mean, we're going to be showing our military."

Trump spoke about his vision of military parades in vague terms, suggesting it was something he might oversee in the future. But according to several sources involved in his inaugural preparations, Trump has endeavored to ensure that his first day as commander-in-chief is marked by an unusual display of heavy military equipment.

During the preparation for Friday's transfer-of-power, a member of Trump's transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told The Huffington Post. "They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade," the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-military-equipment-inauguration_us_58811f4ae4b096b4a23091f7

[citizen k]

Wrong thread... this is supposed to go in the Facebook Follies one

From newspapers not Facebook. 

[Ideologue]

I'm not the biggest fan of college leftists, but it's astonishing how right-wing crybabies (most of whom are, you know, actual adults) get a pass for being crybabies about their issues.

[grumbler]

It says Congressional Democrats but it could be Languish. 

Looks like something Trump would draw, if he actually drank and had downed six martinis beforehand.

[Jacob]

Wrong thread... this is supposed to go in the Facebook Follies one

From newspapers not Facebook. 

Who cares - it's still dumbass

[derspiess]

I liked it.

[dps]

“What I want is to get a commitment from you today that you will report to this committee what percentage of the debt against the Trump enterprise is held by foreign interests. That is your job as the secretary of treasury. I want your commitment that you will report to this committee as soon as you are able to get that information from the new president.”

I don't really think that's the job of the Secretary of the Treasury.