Trump: Why Should I Apologize for Tying Ted Cruz’s Dad to Lee Harvey Oswald?

[r9etb]

"antics"   

Well, yes -- antics.  The problem I have with those guys is that they seem to spend most of their time on the sidelines bragging about their principles, rather than getting involved in the unpleasant sausage-making of practical politics.

[Sanguine]

Well, yes -- antics.  The problem I have with those guys is that they seem to spend most of their time on the sidelines bragging about their principles, rather than getting involved in the unpleasant sausage-making of practical politics.

Well, I think you're dead wrong.  Unfortunately, there's just not many of them.  And as we know honest politicians are as rare as hens' teeth.

[r9etb]

Well, I think you're dead wrong.  Unfortunately, there's just not many of them.  And as we know honest politicians are as rare as hens' teeth.

Think as you will: but those guys are politically ineffective for a reason, and it's not because it's somebody else's fault.  Practical politics is, for better or worse, fundamentally a system of deal-making and compromise.

A politician who is not guided by principle is the lowest sort of vermin; but a politician one who will not deign to deal due to his principles is going to spend his term in office on the outside looking in, where his principles will have no influence at all.

[Sanguine]

Think as you will: but those guys are politically ineffective for a reason, and it's not because it's somebody else's fault.  Practical politics is, for better or worse, fundamentally a system of deal-making and compromise.

A politician who is not guided by principle is the lowest sort of vermin; but a politician one who will not deign to deal due to his principles is going to spend his term in office on the outside looking in, where his principles will have no influence at all.

Now wait a minute, @r9etb, how many of them are there?

[EC]

Well, I think you're dead wrong.  Unfortunately, there's just not many of them.  And as we know honest politicians are as rare as hens' teeth.

I'm agreeing with r9etb.

Look at what happened with Boner. Sure, the freedom caucus got rid of him - then stood around with their thumbs up their asses because they had no idea who to replace him with.

They're idiots who go off half cocked.

Every. Single. Time.

[Cripplecreek]

Well, yes -- antics.  The problem I have with those guys is that they seem to spend most of their time on the sidelines bragging about their principles, rather than getting involved in the unpleasant sausage-making of practical politics.

Thank God those moderates never have to make any deals with those icky conservatives.

[musiclady]

Thank God those moderates never have to make any deals with those icky conservatives.

 

[r9etb]

Now wait a minute, @r9etb, how many of them are there?

Well, there are only 30 of them -- so in terms of numbers they're just a handful of the House, and few of them are in any sort of leadership position.  They're pretty strongly characterized by their opposition to the leadership of their own party.  At best this group represents a bloc of swing votes, and only as such do they have much influence in the first place. 

If they want to have broader influence, they have to become involved in a meaningful way in the practical side the political process -- which for them means participating in the sorts of compromises that implies.

This now-defunct health care was a good example: as far as I can tell, they simply came out in opposition at the end of the process, and were not part of the original formulation of it.

[Sanguine]

I'm agreeing with r9etb.

Look at what happened with Boner. Sure, the freedom caucus got rid of him - then stood around with their thumbs up their asses because they had no idea who to replace him with.

They're idiots who go off half cocked.

Every. Single. Time.

CNN agrees with you: Why (almost) everyone hates the House Freedom Caucus http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/politics/what-is-the-freedom-caucus/

There's what - 36 members, which is 8% of the membership.  I guess they are mighty mighty.

[r9etb]

Thank God those moderates never have to make any deals with those icky conservatives.

It's been my observation that the icky conservatives in question -- and certainly their supporters -- seem to think that it's a betrayal of principle to make deals with the moderates.  And the moderates, already predisposed to disregard the icky conservatives, are not more likely to make deals with them when they behave as they do.

The difference is that the icky conservatives in question are wedded to principle at the expense of recognizing the complexity of real issues; whereas the moderates are so cognizant of the complexities that they usually forget that principles matter, too.

The optimal situation would be one where principles and complexities can be considered together, but the personalities on both sides seem unwilling to go there.

[EC]

CNN occasionally shows glimpses of sense. 

[Sanguine]

CNN occasionally shows glimpses of sense. 

 

[Cripplecreek]

CNN agrees with you: Why (almost) everyone hates the House Freedom Caucus http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/politics/what-is-the-freedom-caucus/

There's what - 36 members, which is 8% of the membership.  I guess they are mighty mighty.

I see Louie Gohmert is saying that there were far more no votes among those who aren't on the freedom caucus.

Seems to me that those who can't contain their hatred for the conservatives of the freedom caucus are exposing something about themselves.

[Silver Pines]

Let me guess. This is another "nothingburger" that we have to ignore, as it's just Trump being Trump.

Or is someone going to sprain their brain trying to explain what Trump meant here? Spicer could use all the help he can get.

@EC

Yeah, I'm done with that.  As I said earlier today, I'm over the whole "give him credit for the good he does" thing.  I'm convinced that anything good which comes out of this administration will be an accident, and it will happen in spite of Trump.  I have absolutely zero use for him.

[LMAO]

We may be seeing a one term presidency

[Sanguine]

We may be seeing a one term presidency

If he doesn't learn real fast we might.  The bad news is that Republicans in Congress looks like amateurs and that doesn't bode well for the next election.

[catfish1957]

Some day when they make the movie of this fool, they will have the problem of redundant  plot line ....stealing from..... "Being There" and "Forrest Gump"

[anubias]

 

[EasyAce]

Some day when they make the movie of this fool, they will have the problem of redundant  plot line ....stealing from..... "Being There" and "Forrest Gump"

They already made a movie about this fool. It was called Jaws.

[Cripplecreek]

If he doesn't learn real fast we might.  The bad news is that Republicans in Congress looks like amateurs and that doesn't bode well for the next election.

All this talk about how we can correct everybody else to save Trump is a fool's errand. Trump is his own worst enemy and nothing can fix that. Congress is another separate problem.

[GrouchoTex]

Not just the R's, though.  The Dem/Media complex played a crucial role as well: the oppositional media coverage on the plan was just brutal -- well-organized and widely disseminated, with the usual poll-driven negative feedback loop.  And then, of course, the R's themselves going for that sure-fire loser, the "all or nothing" legislation.

The post-mortem will show death by rushing, trying to do too much, and "my way or the highway" antics by the "Freedom Caucus," who can't be bothered to account for political realities.

I disagree, the "my way or the highway" antics were used by Trump, not the Freedom Caucus.

(1) He said it had to be done by Friday or they were moving on to Tax reform.
(2) He said he would "primary" anyone who voted against it.

The bill was watered-down Obamacare, and being against it was the right thing to do, no matter who proposed it or supported it.
Free market is the only way to make this work, like everything else.
Remove the government from it, entirely.

[Cripplecreek]

I disagree, the "my way or the highway" antics were used by Trump, not the Freedom Caucus.

Yup. I didn't hear a single threat out of the freedom caucus.

Kinda sad to see conservatives replacing reality with one they like better.

[musiclady]

I disagree, the "my way or the highway" antics were used by Trump, not the Freedom Caucus.

(1) He said it had to be done by Friday or they were moving on to Tax reform.
(2) He said he would "primary" anyone who voted against it.

The bill was watered-down Obamacare, and being against it was the right thing to do, no matter who proposed it or supported it.
Free market is the only way to make this work, like everything else.
Remove the government from it, entirely.