Trump's America, March 2017: Using His Inside VOICE

sitting in the dark with glasses of whiskey, muttering

One will be the ambassador to all countries from A-L, the other will be ambassador to all countries beginning M-Z.

Other American diplomats, especially those in geopolitically sensitive posts, find themselves going on old, Obama-era guidance because no new guidance has been issued

the shadow gov is real

i genuinely have no idea what it means to have a non-functioning state dept, for our country or for the world, what the consequences of that look like. it's just so incomprehensible. how does that even (not) work? how does it impact defense and other agencies?

does america really need a state dept i mean when u really get down to it, why are we providing ambassadors to these other countries (that aren't even in the US!) and worst of all, for free? seems like a bad deal tbh

My eyes have opened.
And what once looked normal seems insane.
You can't bury your head in the sand like an ostrich.
It's not about our well-being, our two cars, our TVs and your kitchen.
It's about our kids growing up in a shithole of lies. I'm angry.
My life is fucked because of it.
If you could see it that way, you'd see your life is fucked too.

now turn it into blank verse, Jimbo

Well, first of all you totally CAN bury your head in the sand. It's just probably not very pleasant.

Second, ostriches don't bury their heads in sand; that's a myth.

Third, ostrich meat is excellent!

ACLU otm:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C53MKMaWcAYCfEO.jpg

the more they talk about the Muslim ban before the issue it, the more they're legally shooting themselves in the foot

@jeffbercovici
A woman on NPR just said she loved Donald Trump's speech because it reminded her of "La La Land," which she said she hasn't seen.

was just gonna post that aclu tweet, otm x100

i still think that jeff sessions is the worst part of this cabinet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/02/28/jeff-sessions-dismisses-doj-reports-on-police-abuse-without-bothering-to-read-them/

worst because he knows what he's doing

Here's that NPR story with the La La Land lady:

http://www.wnyc.org/story/president-trump-address-congress-and-nation/

Presidential Pivot? Voters Say Trump Softened in Address to Congress
----

In a prime time address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, President Donald Trump delivered a pseudo-State of the Union.

It was a speech intended to assuage the frayed nerves of Congressional leaders, who have watched a rather turbulent first month in office play out in the Trump Administration. But with millions of Americans watching across the country, it was also a litmus test on popular opinion of the president, who has alienated many Democrats and Independents in his first days of office. Yet, according to polls, Trump has managed to retain the support of the voters who cast their ballots for him in November.

Today, three voters respond to the president: A Republican who voted for Trump, a Democrat who voted for Trump, and a Republican who didn't vote for Trump.

Shirl St. Germain is a former restaurant owner in Marco Island, Florida, Kenneth Lanci is founder of Consolidated Solutions a business in Cleveland and author of "Working for the Greater Good of All ... Really!", and Hal Scoggins is an attorney from Portland, Oregon.

did we talk about this yet?

http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/fake-sweden-expert-on-fox-news-has-criminal-convictions-in-us-no-connection-to-swedish-security/

US authorities arrested an undocumented immigrant Wednesday moments after she spoke out about her fear of being deported at a news conference, her attorney said.

A friend was driving Daniela Vargas, 22, away from the news conference when they were pulled over by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Jackson, Mississippi.

Vargas’ attorney, Abigail Peterson, told BuzzFeed News that Vargas had filed to renew her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, which gives her protection from deportation, on Feb. 10, and so was surprised she was detained.

“I don’t know if this is immigration showing us that DACA applicants are fair game until their DACA is approved,” Peterson said. “This seems to be the message we’re getting from this, which is surprising and not what I would’ve expected.”

ICE did not immediately return a request for comment.

About two weeks ago, ICE agents arrested Vargas’ father and brother at home, Peterson said. She was found hiding in a closet, but let go because she had a pending DACA renewl application.

DACA status allows undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the US to study and work for two years, so long as they commit no crimes.

“Then two weeks later, she’s picked up randomly after being involved in a public event,” Peterson said. “Does that mean ICE is following people? Do people always have to be looking over their shoulder, losing sleep, and afraid to go outside their homes?”

https://www.buzzfeed.com/adolfoflores/dreamer-arrested-moments-after-speaking-out

they are absolutely following, surveilling, and entrapping people

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/01/politics/john-mccain-lindsey-graham-town-hall/index.html

I love tthat McCunt's complaint about Trump's budget proposal is that the military increases are too small

http://www.mediaite.com/online/report-white-house-lied-to-journalists-about-trump-speech-in-misdirection-play/

CNN reported Wednesday on a senior administration official admitting that the White House intentionally misled reporters ahead of President Donald Trump‘s congressional address in order to get generate positive press coverage as part of a “misdirection play.”

[...]

“Basically they fed [them] things that they thought these anchors would like, that they thought would give them positive press coverage for the next few hours. A senior administration official admitted that it was a misdirection play,” she reported.

Host John King wondered why reporters should even trust the White House going forward. “It does make you wonder; so we’re not supposed to believe what the senior-most official at the lunch says — who then they allowed it to be the president’s name says — we’re not supposed to believe what they say?” he asked. “Maybe we shouldn’t believe what they say.”

i'm glad you're catching on, john king. now get to the bottom of the whole russia thing, please

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/says-who-piecing-together-the-michael-cohen-story

xpost Huh! MAYBE!!!!!!!!

Jesus christ.

I can't believe a pathological liar lied to them! Simply beyond the pale!

And Pareene with the necessary coverage:

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/you-cretins-are-going-to-get-thousands-of-people-killed-1792862225

Here’s what you have to understand about the sort of people who become anchors, nonpartisan pundits, centrist columnists, and cable news political correspondents: They didn’t sign up to be the resistance. They don’t want Donald Trump to fail. They want him to “pivot” and “act presidential.”

Yeah, there are guys (and it is guys, for the most part) out there who spend their whole careers trying to be Dan Rather staring down Nixon or Cronkite turning on Vietnam—or even just Tim Russert making some elected mediocrity stammer with a patented “tough question”—but mostly these guys want to be witnesses to Great Men Making History. They want to Respect The Office Of The Presidency.

Here’s another thing you should understand about these guys: The only thing the elite Washington press corps likes more than a bipartisan commission on debt reduction is a stack of flag-draped coffins.

Sounds about right

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/01/mexico-border-wall-funds-trump-administration

But so far, the DHS has identified only $20m that can be redirected to the multibillion-dollar project, according to a document prepared by the agency and distributed to congressional budget staff last week.

The document said the funds would be enough to cover a handful of contracts for wall prototypes, but not enough to begin construction of an actual barrier.

WALL PROTOTYPES. Some greedy fucks now get to line up and hold their hands out for tenders for fucking WALL PROTOTYPE CONTRACTS. Never mind actually building any of the fucking things.

http://i.imgur.com/OWtltUa.jpg

Robert Costa‏Verified account @costareports 12h12 hours ago

Some sources in WH are frankly surprised at how pundits are warming to the speech. Say Trump has not changed, no big shift in policy coming.

Pundits want to have something to happy talk about, even if they have to invent it. They know everyone hates a Debbie Downer and a Negative Nellie.

Had to post the Andrew Wyeth thing on Facebook--inspired.

https://nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html

I swear that's the fourth article I've seen with the obama-trump-russia-election-hacking slug.

WALL PROTOTYPES. Some greedy fucks now get to line up and hold their hands out for tenders for fucking WALL PROTOTYPE CONTRACTS. Never mind actually building any of the fucking things.

― Stoop Crone (Trayce)

I'm picturing a Spinal Tap Stonehenge type scenario.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/01/white-house-proposes-cutting-epa-staff-by-one-fifth-eliminating-key-programs

The Office of Management and Budget has suggested deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget that would reduce its staff by one-fifth in the first year and eliminate dozens of programs, according to details of a document reviewed by The Washington Post.

I'm picturing a Spinal Tap Stonehenge type scenario.

― nickn, Wednesday, March 1, 2017 8:26 PM (twelve minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Whether Donald Trump knows the difference between feet and inches is not my problem."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-spoke-twice-with-russian-ambassador-during-trumps-presidential-campaign-justice-officials-say/2017/03/01/77205eda-feac-11e6-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html?utm_term=.91eb33c64e70

lying to the Senate, nice

holy shit, this string of paragraphs is just incredible:

At his Jan. 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, what he would do if he learned of any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 campaign.

“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” he responded. He added: “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”

Officials said Sessions did not consider the conversations relevant to the lawmakers’ questions and did not remember in detail what he discussed with Kislyak.

“There was absolutely nothing misleading about his answer,” said Sarah Isgur Flores, Sessions’s spokeswoman.

In January, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) asked Sessions for answers to written questions. “Several of the President-elect’s nominees or senior advisers have Russian ties. Have you been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?” Leahy wrote.

Sessions responded with one word: “No.”

Justice officials said Sessions met with Kislyak on Sept. 8 in his capacity as a member of the armed services panel rather than in his role as a Trump campaign surrogate.

“He was asked during the hearing about communications between Russia and the Trump campaign — not about meetings he took as a senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee,” Flores said.

She added that Sessions last year had more than 25 conversations with foreign ambassadors as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, including the British, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Indian, Chinese, Canadian, Australian and German ambassadors, in addition to Kislyak.

...The Washington Post contacted all 26 members of the 2016 Senate Armed Services Committee to see if any lawmakers besides Sessions met with Kislyak in 2016. Of the 19 lawmakers who responded, every senator, including chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), said they did not meet with the Russian ambassador last year. The other lawmakers on the panel did not respond as of Wednesday evening.

Looks like the Russia stuff is picking up heat. I'm going to stop playing amateur pundit cuz I clearly have no clue what I'm talking about. Fingers crossed.

I keep googling "trump" and "heart attack" every few days

I'm losing track of what investigations are where on Russia. so what's the significance (if there is any) of this story: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-congress-idUSKBN169037. is this just the next sequence of something that was already happening, nbd other than it was reported on?

Honestly, I'm not actually watching this--it's on while I eat cereal between a couple of Mad Men episodes. (Felt like I had to make that clear.) But Lindsay Graham just this: "My biggest fear is not losing. It's not speaking up when I know something's wrong." He's on CNN with McCain.

I guess he has been marginally better than his friend the past year.

But Lindsay Graham just this: "My biggest fear is not losing. It's not speaking up when I know something's wrong."

"...and I know something is wrong when all we can manage to get out of this budget is a meanly $54 billion increase for the military. it's time to speak up."

if i was the evil advisor guy i would whisper that into his headset. or say it to him over my own headset a normal volume, at a distance, i mean.

ok this was more clear, from BBC: "The House intelligence panel inquiry will scrutinise contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow, members confirmed.
Until now, Republican senators had been reluctant to agree to Democratic Party demands for the inquiry."

it would almost be better if Trump and staff just defied his lawyer's instructions and deleted everything on record and have the cover-up be what speedily undoes him

This Russia coverup shit is gonna bite them in the ass. Not cuz of what they did, but because of the constant lying about it.

also quite possible Trump is downplaying the issue cos he legitimately doesn't know the magnitude of it or how deep in it some of his operatives were simply cos he's a delegating bumblefuck who doesn't pay attention

He knows he's being blackmailed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/evansville-indiana-synagogue-shot_us_58b6ecbce4b060480e0db5fd

Enough is fucking enough.

This Russia/Ukraine, Trump, Flynn, Sessions, Cohen etc. shit keeps getting weirder and weirder, deeper and deeper.

These hate crimes and harassment, even when Trump's gone I don't expect them to stop. It's like 30% of the country thinks we're living in 1972 or something. (And another 5% or so Germany in the '30s.)