Trump and Bannon Divorce Gets Ugly! Won't Someone Think of Children?

Roxxsmom said:

I giggled at several points, especially when he got to part about some calling it the most talented field of Republican candidates in history. Who called it that?

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It's Trump's standard "a lot of people are saying" and "a lot of people are asking" trope. What it means in practical terms is "no one one the face of the earth."

What I remember the Republican field being called was the "Clown Car."

Clown car is kind--s6

MaeZe said:

Fortunately, the FBI's operating budget is not day to day.

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That was my point. The idea the upholding of the law would be suspended in a government shutdown is silly and whoever came up with the contrary didn't got that clock right.

-cb

I just read an article summarizing the effects of a government shutdown. Basically, it only shuts down offices and services considered "nonessential". This specifically does not include law enforcement, the judiciary system, national defense and things like veterans hospital services, among other things. It does include all national parks and monuments, the Smithsonian museums, and the Center for Disease Control (this last during the height of a bad flu season).

caw

blacbird said:

I just read an article summarizing the effects of a government shutdown. Basically, it only shuts down offices and services considered "nonessential". This specifically does not include law enforcement, the judiciary system, national defense and things like veterans hospital services, among other things. It does include all national parks and monuments, the Smithsonian museums, and the Center for Disease Control (this last during the height of a bad flu season).

caw

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The Smithsonian museums were closed back in the Gingrich shutdown of the 90s. It sucked, because it just so happened I was attending a Biology conference in DC while that was going on, and we were all pretty disappointed that most of the attractions on the mall we'd looked forward to visiting in off times, and the National zoo too, were closed. There was some funding source that kept the American History museum open, but that was it for the Smithsonian museums. I heard something on the radio that they have changed some things about how the money is partitioned for certain things, so many of the National Park sites and attractions will remain open this time. Something about how they learned the hard way the first time or two this happened.

I also lost a shot at a postdoc, because the funding source that would have paid for me was affected by the shut down, while the funding source for the other person this researcher was considering was not, and he wanted to set the process for getting the funding in motion on not wait for possibly weeks until things were resolved. Maybe he would have chosen the other person anyway. Heck, maybe he'd already made up his mind and blamed the shut down to avoid hurting my feelings. I'll never know. But these things do affect peoples' lives in various ways.

In past shut downs, garbage was actually piling up in neighborhoods in DC also, but again, they've changed some things so that essential services in the capital won't be affected.

https://www.marketplace.org/2018/01/19/world/garbage-wont-pile-during-government-shutdown

blacbird said:

I just read an article summarizing the effects of a government shutdown. Basically, it only shuts down offices and services considered "nonessential". This specifically does not include law enforcement, the judiciary system, national defense and things like veterans hospital services, among other things. It does include all national parks and monuments, the Smithsonian museums, and the Center for Disease Control (this last during the height of a bad flu season).

caw

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Read somewhere it might effect the Nov elections if it went on long enough.....(delay them)

Now isn't THAT a come up for de books...

Davy The First said:

Read somewhere it might effect the Nov elections if it went on long enough.....(delay them)

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Not a chance. There exists no precedence for delaying a Federal election, and no legal mechanism I'm aware of for doing that

The last shutdown lasted two weeks, and ended due to public dismay and disapproval that convinced the majority party that they had flarked up badly. Mepredicts this shutdown won't even last that long, for the same reason.

caw

Well, if you call the White House tonight, this is the message you will hear:

Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today, because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding, including funding for our troops and other national security priorities, hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down. In the meantime, you can leave a comment for the president at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. We look forward to taking your calls as soon as the government reopens.

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Our tax dollars at work.

Lyv said:

Well, if you call the White House tonight, this is the message you will hear:



Our tax dollars at work.

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This is so amazing I fact checked it on Snopes. Yes, it's true.

https://www.snopes.com/white-house-comment-line-trump/

Wow. I don't recall ever hearing that the Clinton White House had a message like that back when the GOP refused to budge and the government shut down, nor did I hear that the Obama White House have such a message back in the 2013 shut down. And the GOP spin on the shut downs they promoted when they were the minority party digging their heels in was the fault of the Dems weren't being bipartisan enough coming up with a budget that could get at least a few GOPers to vote for it.

Talk about being able to dish it out but not take it.

I also think the law needs to be changed so that congress is docked their pay during shut downs. It's ridiculous that they're being paid when they aren't doing any work.

Roxxsmom said:

This is so amazing I fact checked it on Snopes. Yes, it's true.

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That's the link I had in my post! First thing I did when I heard about it was run to Snopes. It's disgusting and ugly and, of course, false. I haven't said this until right now. I wish I hadn't lived to see this.

I was under the impression that elections were run by the states, not by the feds.

Roxxsmom said:

This is so amazing I fact checked it on Snopes. Yes, it's true.

https://www.snopes.com/white-house-comment-line-trump/

Wow. I don't recall ever hearing that the Clinton White House had a message like that back when the GOP refused to budge and the government shut down, nor did I hear that the Obama White House have such a message back in the 2013 shut down. And the GOP spin on the shut downs they promoted when they were the minority party digging their heels in was the fault of the Dems weren't being bipartisan enough coming up with a budget that could get at least a few GOPers to vote for it.

Talk about being able to dish it out but not take it.

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Nauseating, yet not unexpected.

Roxxsmom said:

I also think the law needs to be changed so that congress is docked their pay during shut downs. It's ridiculous that they're being paid when they aren't doing any work.

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Oh, I agree with this completely, across the board: red, blue, or neon yellow. Too many of these career politicians, with ongoing paychecks and other contributions, aren't feeling the pain they're inflicting on the voters whom they ostensibly work for.

Many of them are rich.

so instead of a pay deduction, they should get a slap on the face, each day they're out.

for fairness sake, they can choose among 10 constituents.

(So, what football teams is based in Washington?)

blacbird said:

The last shutdown lasted two weeks, and ended due to public dismay and disapproval that convinced the majority party that they had flarked up badly. Mepredicts this shutdown won't even last that long, for the same reason.

caw

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Yeah, I agree with that. Esp if the Face Slap Policy was introduced.

Davy The First said:

Many of them are rich.

so instead of a pay deduction, they should get a slap on the face, each day they're out.

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Why not just take away their health care while they're out?

Davy The First said:

Many of them are rich.

so instead of a pay deduction, they should get a slap on the face, each day they're out.

for fairness sake, they can choose among 10 constituents.

(So, what football teams is based in Washington?)

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Nah, do some good for the country: raffle off the opportunity to slap a congressman. All proceeds to go to foodbanks or something similar (and not government controlled). Or, dunk tanks! A buck a ball, so almost everyone can take part!

James D. Macdonald said:

I was under the impression that elections were run by the states, not by the feds.

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They are run by the states, in terms of establishing polling places, counting ballots, etc., but I believe the First Tuesday election date for Federal office (including Senate and House legislative seats) is mandated. As I said, I know of no instance where one of these election dates has been delayed, nor of any mechanism for doing so. That doesn't hold for special elections, at least in some states, like Alabama, where the recent special Senate election could have been delayed by the governor, but was not.

caw

James D. Macdonald said:

Why not just take away their health care while they're out?

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Good thinking, that man.

frimble3 said:

Nah, do some good for the country: raffle off the opportunity to slap a congressman. All proceeds to go to foodbanks or something similar (and not government controlled). Or, dunk tanks! A buck a ball, so almost everyone can take part!

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blacbird said:

They are run by the states, in terms of establishing polling places, counting ballots, etc., but I believe the First Tuesday election date for Federal office (including Senate and House legislative seats) is mandated. As I said, I know of no instance where one of these election dates has been delayed, nor of any mechanism for doing so. That doesn't hold for special elections, at least in some states, like Alabama, where the recent special Senate election could have been delayed by the governor, but was not.

caw

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Good news. Certainly the gloves are off OFF, with the GOP now. They're dancing with the Devil, and calling it a hoe down.

shakeysix said:

Remember Sarah Palin?. . . She, as much as Romney, lost them the elections.

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Palin wasn't with Romney; she was with McCain. Romney's running mate was Paul Ryan, who also didn't help him much.

caw

I was talking about both elections--notice the s? Romney and his perceived competence that masked his old buddy rich guy arrogance was just another shiny cardboard poster picked to appeal to the non-thinkers. --s6

James D. Macdonald said:

What I remember the Republican field being called was the "Clown Car."

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Here's another 'joke' from that clown car: https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/25/politics/abc-news-fbi-secret-society-text/index.html

FBI agents having a secret code for an off-hours gathering to drink beer?

Shocking, Maple. Just. Shocking.

-cb

Yeah, really. Is it a coincidence that Wolff looks like Mike Myers as Dr. No? I can just see him, pinky to his lips "no, Steve? Really? Jared said that?" --s6

Anyone have any thoughts on Wolff's suggestion OrangeOne is having an affair with someone in the admin? Provided we're all in agreement much of what Wolff says is dubious, he seems to be suggesting Hicks. I've always had a completely unfounded pet theory about Conway. (Or Miller). Happy lunchtime everyone!