What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[viper37]

Why would anyone take the position of National Security Advisor in this administration?

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/19/politics/craig-deare-white-house-trump/

White House confirms adviser reassigned after disagreeing with Trump

Dan Merica-Profile-Image

By Dan Merica, CNN

Updated 0314 GMT (1114 HKT) February 20, 2017

West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — A senior National Security Council adviser was reassigned to his old job at the National Defense University, a White House spokeswoman confirmed Sunday, after he criticized the Trump administration's Latin American policies.

Craig Deare was removed from his role as a senior adviser at the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division Friday and "sent back to his original position," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. Deare had been assigned to the NSC by the Trump administration.



Deare reportedly knocked the Trump administration's handling of Latin American policies during a speech at The Wilson Center Thursday in Washington. He also criticized overall White House dysfunction, Politico reported based on a source.

here, I kinda understand Trump and agree with him.  You can't have someone in your administration's top positions that will disagree publicly with your official policies in its field of practice.  Privately, yes, absolutely.  But publicly, I doubt Obama would have kept a senior advisor who went on to blast ObamaCare in a public speech.

[Admiral Yi]

Does impeachment require a simple majority in the House or 2/3?

[grumbler]

Does impeachment require a simple majority in the House or 2/3?

Simple majority for impeachment.

[CountDeMoney]

Dumbfuckistanis dumbfounded by dearth of devotion for Donald.

Politics
Trump supporters see a successful president — and are frustrated with critics who don't
By Jenna Johnson and David Weigel
The Un-American Washington Post
February 19 at 6:44 PM

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Many of President Trump's most dedicated supporters — the sort who waited for hours in the Florida sun this weekend for his first post-inauguration campaign rally — say their lives changed on election night. Suddenly they felt like their views were actually respected and in the majority.

But less than one month into Trump's term, many of his supporters say they once again feel under attack — perhaps even more so than before.

Those who journeyed to Trump's Saturday evening event on Florida's Space Coast said that since the election, they have unfriended some of their liberal relatives or friends on Facebook. They don't understand why major media outlets don't see the same successful administration they have been cheering on. And they're increasingly frustrated that Democrats — and some Republicans — are too slow to approve some of the president's nominees and too quick to protest his every utterance.

"They're stonewalling everything that he's doing because they're just being babies about it," said Patricia Melani, 56, a Jersey native who now lives here and attended her third Trump rally Saturday. "All the loudmouths? They need to let it go. Let it go. Shut their mouths and let the man do what he's got to do. We all shut our mouths when Obama got in the second time around, okay? So that's what really needs to be done."

She blames the media for circulating "fake" stories about the president — like when she believed he was "very cool, wasn't yelling" at a Thursday news conference, yet a CNN anchor described his behavior as "unhinged."

"There's such hatred for the man," she said. "I just don't get it."

It was a common sentiment at the rally in an airplane hangar here, flanked by Air Force One and attended by about 9,000 people. There were chants of "CNN sucks!" and "Tell the truth!" A pre-rally speaker gleefully announced that the president had given the media "a spanking."

Rally attendees panned coverage of the chaos within his administration, the cost of security for his family and the president's now-halted executive order that briefly banned refugees and residents of seven Muslim-majority countries. Many acknowledged that the president's first month could have been smoother, especially with the rollout of the travel ban, but they said the media has overblown those hiccups — and they're glad to see the president fight back and label the media on Twitter Friday as "the enemy of the American People!"

"It was hilarious to see him give it to the media," said Tony Lopez, 28, a car dealer who drove to the rally from Orlando. "The media's problem is that they keep wanting to make up stories so that he looks bad. It doesn't work. He's talking right through you guys."

Several people said they would have liked to see more coverage of a measure that Trump signed Thursday that rolled back a last-minute Obama regulation that would have restricted coal mines from dumping debris in nearby streams. At the signing, Trump was joined by coal miners in hard hats.

"If he hadn't gotten into office, 70,000 miners would have been put out of work," Patricia Nana, a 42-year-old naturalized citizen from Cameroon. "I saw the ceremony where he signed that bill, giving them their jobs back, and he had miners with their hard hats and everything — you could see how happy they were."

The regulation actually would have cost relatively few mining jobs and would have created nearly as many new jobs on the regulatory side, according to a government report — an example of the frequent distance between Trump's rhetoric, which many of his supporters wholeheartedly believe, and verifiable facts.

Melani, for example, gets most of her news from talk radio — "I listen to Herman Cain on my way into work, I have Sean [Hannity] on my way home," she said — and Fox News.

She and her husband were well-versed on hold-ups with the president's Cabinet nominees and legal arguments for the now-frozen travel ban. But they didn't know much about the resignation of Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday amid accusations that he improperly discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador — and then withheld that information from Vice President Pence and other top officials.

"See, don't question me on that because I haven't really been watching and listening too much on it," Melani said. "I think he kind of did it just to step away, a trust kind of a thing. And now, of course, they want to pull a big investigation and all of this stuff. And to be honest with you, I really think it's only because of the way the haters are out there. That's what I really think it is."

The division that has consumed the country was on display outside Trump's rally.

On one side of the street: Thousands of his supporters wearing campaign gear and vendors selling anti-Hillary Clinton merchandise and T-shirts showing a map of the 2016 election by county, with most of the country colored Trump-red and the legend: "We the Deplorable."

On the other side of the street: Hundreds of protesters gathered in a "free speech zone" behind orange mesh fencing. Several wore pink knit hats, and some carried signs that focused on Trump's alleged connections to Russia: "Impeach that puppet" and "I can see Russia."

Robert Welsh, a 63-year-old vice mayor from South Miami, carried a speaker blasting the Beatles song "Back in the U.S.S.R" and a sign that portrayed Russian President Vladimir Putin thanking Trump for his service.

Insults hurled back and forth across the street, as did accusations that the other side was fabricating information. Both sides accused the other of being hateful and of being paid to be there, which both sides denied.

On the protest side was Rosemary Menneto — a 53-year-old from Satellite Beach — who said several of her friends skipped the rally for fear there might be violence.

"There's so much anger and hate and foulness," she said, "and he's encouraging it."

On the supporter side was Tammy Mussler — a 48-year-old whose family runs a local mobile home and RV park and who said one of her guests was hesitant to tell others he was coming to the rally.

"He goes: 'Well, I'm nervous because people are so nasty about it that you're afraid to admit that you're doing something,' " Mussler said.

Mussler said the women in her family are especially divided right now. She supports Trump, while they do not. She's opposed to abortion rights, while they support them. They attended the Women's March, while she found it not at all representative of her way of life.

Can this nation ever be united?

"I hope so," Mussler said with a shake of her head. "I don't know. I don't know. It would be nice, and I think if — I don't know, I don't know. I think the only thing that's going to reunite us is maybe the Lord coming back."

[Syt]

[The Larch]

We all shut our mouths when Obama got in the second time around, okay?

Really? Did they? And it only took them 4 years?

[Tamas]

I would like to say a couple of things that have piled up inside me the last few days:


1. The whole thing with listening to Trump supporters and letting their voices heard is... bullshit. I mean sure, let them talk, but do not lay down for them. If they are stupid they are stupid and their idiotic positions on things should be called out for what they are. The only chance to prevent this cancer from spreading is to make sure people understand it is not a different view point, it is just plain stupid/evil.

2. Remember, even as recently as a year ago, on this very forum we lamented how boring politics are, and how bad it is that career politicians have taken over politics. Well, we got that one seriously wrong, didn't we.

[Grey Fox]

Wrong? Not sure. I think Trump simply said "Hold my beer" to our comments.

[garbon]

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/320160-gop-loses-top-senate-contenders

GOP loses top Senate contenders

The 2018 Senate cycle presents Republicans with a host of opportunities, but the party has already lost several top-tier candidates to fill the seats.

GOP Reps. Sean Duffy (Wis.) and Pat Meehan (Pa.) both recently announced that they'll run for reelection instead of mounting Senate runs in blue-leaning states where President Trump pulled off upset victories.

Republicans are losing out on potential challengers in safely GOP states, too. Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks ruled out a run. Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke will likely be confirmed to lead the Interior Department, taking a top competitor out of the mix in that deep red state.

"The House [members] are generally pretty politically savvy people," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, a politics website that handicaps elections. "They know midterms are often—not always—bad for the president's party."

"Trump is off to a historically weak start in terms of his approval. ...You got a lot of members of the House who are in relatively safe seats. Maybe they're making the determination that this might not best year to run for Senate."

While a few star GOP contenders have bowed out, Republicans are shrugging it off. They point to a deep bench of other credible candidates who they believe are just as capable of taking on vulnerable Democrats.

Republicans argue that it's too early to tell whether Trump's performance or midterm election dynamics are impacting House members' decisions against Senate bids. While the first few weeks of his administration have been chaotic, they say voters in states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin may view the president differently than those within the Beltway.

"It's kind of hard to see the 'this caused that,' because what is "happening in the states is a lot different than what's happening in our view," said a national Republican operative.

Democrats will mostly be on defense in 2018, with 10 of their seats up in states Trump carried. But even with a rough map, the party of the incumbent president historically sees losses during the first two years in office.

"The folks that are saying they don't want to run right now, I'm happy they're doing it," said a national Democratic operative focused on Senate races.

"They've got deep benches in a lot of these states, so we're prepared for them to put forward credible challengers, and we're getting ready for tough races all over the map," the operative said, adding that all of the vulnerable Democratic incumbents are "experienced, dedicated, hardworking."

In Pennsylvania, Meehan was seen as a top contender, but his spokesman noted the prominent role on the House Ways and Means Committee that he would have to give up to run.

Meehan had a nearly $2 million war-chest to mount a credible run and, while his district is considered only GOP-leaning, he's won reelection with at least 60 percent of the vote since he came to Congress in 2010.

Even though Trump ended up pulling off a razor-thin victory in Pennsylvania, Meehan had called on him to end his campaign after the 2005 audiotape was leaked where Trump bragged about groping and kissing women. Meehan said he would instead cast a vote for Vice President Pence.

GOP strategists in the state say while it was disappointing to see Meehan pass on a Senate bid, but they say other "serious" contenders are eyeing the seat to take on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.

"I think you'll see several serious contenders emerge over the course of the next few weeks," said Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania GOP strategist.

Casey, who is seeking his third term to the upper chamber, is considered a tough competitor to beat by both parties. Still, Republicans believe he has shifted from being a moderate to a "hard left" Democrat over the years.

"I think there is a growing feeling that Bob Casey is vulnerable and that the opportunity to capture that seat is very real," Gerow said. "It will be an uphill battle, but it's one that is increasingly seen as winnable."

State Sen. Rick Saccone has already filed to run for the seat. There are other GOP House members from Pennsylvania who could also run, including Reps. Mike Kelly and Charlie Dent.

In Wisconsin, Duffy passed on a promotion, citing his family. The Wisconsin Republican has eight children, and GOP strategists in the state stress that his decision was based on family reasons rather than political calculations.

Duffy, an early backer of Trump, was seen as a top challenger and some possible candidates were waiting on him to make a decision. But the Wisconsin congressman has recently made some controversial statements while defending Trump's travel ban.

"If he's going to not run, it is helpful for him to step aside early so things coalesce around someone else because there are other talented people who could be good candidates," a Wisconsin Republican operative said. "It's helpful he made that clear early.

Wisconsin strategists say Eric Hovde, a businessman who unsuccessfully ran in the GOP primary for Senate in 2012, is a "clear option" to take on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Other names that have been floated include businessman and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and a few state legislators.

Baldwin is running for her second term and recently scored a spot on Senate Democratic leadership. She served in the House from 1999 to 2013 before she was elected to the upper chamber as the first openly gay senator.

This is her first time on the ballot during a non-presidential year, which makes Republicans argue that she rode the wave of former President Obama's 2012 election. And with Trump eking out a win in the Badger State, they believe Baldwin's politics don't match those of the states' voters.

"Tammy is understood to be so deeply vulnerable," the GOP operative said. "Tammy won with tidal wave turnout thanks to Obama in 2012. She's not going to have that level of turnout in 2018."

In Indiana, Brooks ruled out a run, but other House members have been showing interest in challenging Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. GOP Rep. Luke Messer is "seriously" considering a Senate run and GOP Rep. Todd Rokita also wouldn't rule it out.

And in another deep red state, behind the scenes maneuvering helped Democratic Sen. Jon Tester lose a formidable opponent in Montana. Zinke was being groomed to take on Tester in a state Trump won by more than 20 points. Instead, the president tapped him to helm the Interior Department. 

So far, no other candidates in Montana have emerged.

A number of other House GOP members are still sitting on the sidelines as they consider waging Senate bids including GOP Reps. Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Ann Wagner (Mo.), Evan Jenkins (W.V.) and Barbara Comstock (Va.).

With a little under two years to go and a nascent presidential administration, Kondik said lawmakers may bide their time and assess the political environment in the coming months. He also noted that House members who initially passed could still reverse course over the next two years like then-Rep. Cory Gardner in 2014 and Sen. Marco Rubio running for reelection in 2016.

"I think you could have a situation where there are a number of members on both sides who are trying to take the temperature of the environment over the next many months," Kondik said.

"It's possible for someone who says no now will decide later to do it."

[Zanza]

Dumbfuckistanis dumbfounded by dearth of devotion for Donald.

"Think about how stupid the average person is and then realize that half of them are stupider than that" 

(not sure who said that, but worth repeating occasionally)

[The Larch]

Dumbfuckistanis dumbfounded by dearth of devotion for Donald.

"Think about how stupid the average person is and then realize that half of them are stupider than that" 

(not sure who said that, but worth repeating occasionally)

George Carlin, apparently.

In other news, Pence has been busy in Brussels in a fence-mending mission. The may G7 + NATO meetings will be interesting...

Mike Pence pledges 'strong commitment' to EU on Brussels visit
US vice-president strikes emollient tone as he urges continued cooperation and partnership between America and Europe

The US vice-president, Mike Pence, has attempted to mend fences with European leaders by pledging support for the EU, following hostile comments from Donald Trump and his supporters.

On his first visit to Brussels since assuming office, Pence said on Monday the new administration wanted to work in partnership with the EU. "It is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union," he said.

"Whatever our differences, our two continents share the same heritage, the same values and above all the same purpose, to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and to those objectives we will remain committed."

Pence's emollient tone was in sharp contrast to the enthusiasm for Brexit shown by his boss in the White House. Trump welcomed Brexit and has said that more countries will leave the EU, which he recently described as "basically a vehicle for Germany".

The head of the European council, Donald Tusk, welcomed Pence's words, but challenged the Trump administration to put its promises into practice.

Tusk, describing himself as an "incurably pro-American European" who was "fanatically" devoted to transatlantic ties, told reporters he had been frank with Pence, because having heard "many new and surprising opinions" no one could pretend nothing had changed.

But he voiced optimism, after hearing what he described as Pence's support for an international order governed by law, not force, security cooperation and the integrity of the EU. Tusk said: "In reply to these three matters, I heard today from Vice-President Pence three times 'yes'. After such a positive declaration, both Europeans and Americans must simply practise what they preach."

"The reports of the death of the west have been greatly exaggerated. Whoever wants to demolish that order, anticipating a post-west order, must know that in its defence we will remain determined," he added.

An EU source described the encounter between Tusk and Pence as a "cordial and constructive meeting that [had] lasted longer than foreseen".

Pence, a former governor of Indiana, is on the final leg of his first visit to Europe since becoming vice-president in January. On Saturday at the Munich security conference he criticised European countries for not meeting Nato defence spending pledges in a blunt message aimed primarily at Germany, France and Italy.

In Munich, he did not mention the EU, an omission remedied on Monday with a series of meetings in Brussels. As well as meeting Tusk, Pence saw the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and the head of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Following a meeting with the head of Nato, Jens Stoltenberg, Pence stepped up the White House's message that Europe needed to meet its promise of spending 2% of national income on defence. "European defence requires European commitment as much as ours...The president expects real progress by the end of 2017," he said referring to the target.

The vice president also voiced regret about the resignation of the US national security advisor Michael Flynn, who stood down after it emerged he had tried to cover up secret talks on easing sanctions against Russia.

"I was disappointed to learn that the facts that had been conveyed to me by General Flynn were inaccurate," Pence said, adding that Trump's decision to ask for his resignation was proper and had been handled in a timely way.

Large parts of Pence's public speaking notes, laden with references to shared values and heritage across the Atlantic, could have been written by his predecessor, Joe Biden. But he made clear that Trump intended to "search for new ground" with Moscow, while insisting that the US would continue to hold Russia accountable for enforcing the Minsk ceasefire.

His comments are unlikely to dispel the concerns of many EU leaders, who have been alarmed by Trump's cheerleading for Brexit and travel ban on people from seven mainly Muslim countries.

Shortly before taking office, Trump predicted that more countries would follow the British example and choose to leave the European Union. In an interview with the Brexit campaigner and Conservative MP Michael Gove, the US president also described the bloc as "basically a vehicle for Germany", adding "that's why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out".

The man tipped as his preferred choice as ambassador to Brussels, Ted Malloch, has suggested that the EU may need "a little taming" and claimed that the euro will collapse in 18 months. The European parliament has urged European leaders to block his appointment. Malloch is yet to be confirmed as Trump's choice.

Trump is expected to meet several EU leaders at the G7 summit in Italy in late May, followed by a Nato gathering in Brussels.

EU leaders have taken differing approaches to Trump. The French president, François Hollande, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, have criticised Trump's travel ban, but leaders in central Europe, such as Hungary's Viktor Orbán and the ceremonial president of the Czech Republic, Miloš§ Zeman, have voiced approval of the US president. Theresa May has highlighted the importance of the UK's special relationship with the US, as Britain seeks a post-Brexit trade deal.

[viper37]

veterans pensions aren't counted in % of military expenses for most members, while the US take them into account.

I also wonder if the medical expenses are included, while other nations have state-run health care for everyone.

[CountDeMoney]

In other news, Pence has been busy in Brussels in a fence-mending mission.

They're all going to have to get used to that.  While I figured Mattis would be the first to resign, I would think Tillerson would be the first to no longer put up with that bullshit.

[Grey Fox]

In other news, Pence has been busy in Brussels in a fence-mending mission.

They're all going to have to get used to that.  While I figured Mattis would be the first to resign, I would think Tillerson would be the first to no longer put up with that bullshit.

What do you mean?

[Liep]

I watched other clips from Maher's show last night... so that's Milo. 

Weaponized homo bitchiness.

After his pro-pedophilia stance I guess I won't have to learn much more about him.