President Donald Trump's Final Days...

[Arturo2nd]

I brought up the popular vote again in the context of Trump's mandate to lead and the perceptions of voters. Throw in the Libertarian and Green voters, an overwhelming majority of the voters did not think Trump was the best qualified person to be President. Thus, it is not surprising that 60% of voters continue to believe that Trump is doing a poor job.

I agree that Elizabeth Warren is a candidate of limited appeal. However, if Trump keeps doing what he's doing and the economy does crash, it will be an "Anybody but Trump" election Harvey Weinstein might win.

You know Herbert Hoover wasn't all that bad a president, not that it really mattered in 1932 or now.

Of course, with gerrymandering leaving Republicans in charge of a variety of corrupt state governments, the election might be stolen, again. Then, Mr. Putin will have done us the service of revealing how corrupt and perverted our political institutions have become and we can restart the effort to make our governments democratic. One thing my study of the writing of our constitution has made clear is that our government have always been tools of the rich and powerful and our history is one of attempts by the public to gain control by legal and democratic means.

[charliels531]

Originally Posted by Arturo2nd

I agree that Elizabeth Warren is a candidate of limited appeal.

I agree. Misogynists will never vote for a smart woman. She is, however, the only prospective nominee who is using the strategy from the JFK play book.

One thing my study of the writing of our constitution has made clear is that our government have always been tools of the rich and powerful and our history is one of attempts by the public to gain control by legal and democratic means.

With deepest respect, Art, I wish people would quit whining about the obvious. The U.S. Constitution was written to serve the interests of 100% of the voters of the time. To vote you had to be over 21, white, male, and own real property. The Constitution served those people very well. Why do people think that they are discovering the Holy Grail when they figure that out? Hell, Charlie Beard wrote a best-seller about it in 1913.

So now that we are so much more enlightened than those clowns in Philly in 1788, why don't we have a government that serves the interests of 100% of voters now?

[diamelsx]

Originally Posted by Arturo2nd

I agree that Elizabeth Warren is a candidate of limited appeal. However, if Trump keeps doing what he's doing and the economy does crash, it will be an "Anybody but Trump" election Harvey Weinstein might win.

You know Herbert Hoover wasn't all that bad a president, not that it really mattered in 1932 or now

two things 1 Trump was already the most unpopular presidential candidate ever and relying on that unpopularity was how he ended up in office to begin with.
2 the vast majority of Americans never recovered from the last crash so going through another crash is not going to really make that much of a difference it won't be a case of "anybody but Trump" but more of "well one boss is the same as the next." Further embedding the apathy currently residing in the American people. The Democrats are going to have to get their voters to believe that their lives will get better by putting them in the office and then deliver once they are put there or else we will end up with an even worse candidate than Trump further down the road.

[philll_77]

Never trust a man who cheats at golf...


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/47766273

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by philll_77

Never trust a man who cheats at golf...


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/47766273

Throwing a playing partner's shot that landed on the green into a bunker is truly disgusting. There are acts which demand an immediate execution in the name of justice. That is one of them.

What has been published about the behavior of Trump on the golf course indicates that he is a man with no self respect, thus is incapable of respecting anyone else.

[Devius]

A White House whistleblower has told Congress that dozens of rejected security clearance applications were overturned by the Trump administration.

Tricia Newbold claimed applications that were denied for "serious disqualifying issues" were later reversed with little explanation.

The veteran White House security adviser testified to the Democratic-led House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Democrats have long claimed that White House officials have abused clearances.

Ms Newbold, who works as an adjudications manager in the White House Personnel Security Office, cited "grave" security risks arising from the intervention of her colleagues.

The White House has not commented on the testimony.

Details:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47776964

[Devius]

New York Times: Some Mueller investigators say their report is worse for Trump than Barr says

Some of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have told associates that Attorney General William Barr did not properly convey how damaging their findings were for President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The investigators said Barr, in his memo to Congress, did not adequately portray the results of their nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the Times reports, according to government officials and others familiar with their frustrations. Investigators have concerns that Barr was able to shape the public's initial views of their report with his memo and now, without the report being made public, they are set in that narrative, according to the Times.

Those interviewed by the Times declined to fully explain why the Mueller investigators believe their findings were more damaging to Trump than Barr disclosed. Mueller's team is comprised of 19 lawyers, about 40 FBI agents and other personnel, and the Times notes it is unclear how prevalent the frustration is among the team.

It is also unclear how extensively Mueller and his team spoke to senior Department of Justice officials about how their findings of the investigation would become public, the Times notes.

Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/03/p...ump/index.html


Congress asks for Trump's unseen secret -- his tax returns

The request by House Democrats for six years of Donald Trump's tax returns opens a serious new political, legal, constitutional and personal front in the party's battle to use its new majority to check a defiant President.

It is a bid to solve one of the most tantalizing and enduring mysteries of Trump's 2016 campaign and his presidency -- what is it in the President's unseen financial and business life that he doesn't want Americans to see?

The historic move, made official by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal on Wednesday, is all but certain to unleash a legal battle narrowing in on Trump's most guarded secrets that could drag on for months or even years while shaping the terrain of the 2020 election.

The confrontation, will in its broadest sense, establish the extent to which Congress has the power to examine the executive and enforce a long-observed norm -- that party nominees and Presidents release their returns to the public.

Trump broke that tradition in 2016 and has refused to release any tax records since, always claiming that his financial arrangements are under a government audit and that he would put himself at a disadvantage by being transparent.

Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/04/p...ret/index.html


Trump says he's 'not concerned' with security breach at Mar-a-Lago as FBI investigates

President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed a recent alleged breach of his Mar-a-Lago property, saying he was "not concerned" about the incident.

"No, I'm not concerned at all," Trump said when asked about potential Chinese espionage at his Florida club.

Trump described an alleged breach of his club by a woman with Chinese passports and a flashdrive containing malware as a "fluke situation."

"I think it's just a fluke situation and I think the person sitting at the front desk did a very good job," Trump said, saying he's been briefed on the incident. He added that the receptionist "was able to see things that other people were not, but no, I think it's just a fluke."

Trump's comments come as the FBI has begun investigating the recent Mar-a-Lago security breach incident for the possibility that it was an espionage effort, a US official told CNN. The investigation comes at the same time that a top House Democrat asked for a briefing on the security at Trump's Florida retreat.

The official said the FBI is doing what it has to do in these circumstances, when there is a foreign national involved and there is a possibility of counterintelligence or cyber security issues.

The investigation is still being led by the US Secret Service.

Trump praised the work of the Secret Service, saying he "could not be happier" with their handling of the incident.

Federal prosecutors have unveiled charges against Yujing Zhang, a woman whom they accused of entering the President's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida illegally in late March. The Justice Department said Zhang was carrying two Chinese passports, and prosecutors have charged her with making a false statement to a federal officer and entering restricted property.

The criminal complaint said after Zhang was detained, Secret Service agents found she had multiple electronic devices and a preliminary investigation found malware on a thumb drive.

Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/03/p...ida/index.html

[ball7]

Originally Posted by philll_77

Never trust a man who cheats at golf...


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/47766273

Goldfinger!!

[charliels531]

[Devius]

Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on the US Federal Reserve by calling for the central bank to cut interest rates.

The US President claimed that the Fed has "really slowed us down" in terms of economic growth, adding that "there's no inflation".

Mr Trump made the comments as data showed a sharp rebound in new jobs growth during March.

US firms added 196,000 jobs last month, compared to 33,000 in February.

Mr Trump said: "I think they should drop rates and get rid of quantitative tightening. You would see a rocket ship."

The Fed has raised interest rates four times since Jerome Powell took over as chairman in February last year.

Mr Powell was appointed by Mr Trump but the president has frequently criticised the Fed chairman for increasing rates.

Details:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47822492