Trump’s Weary Defenders Face Fresh Worries

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/trump-obama-wiretap-comey.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&mtrref=t.co&gwh=DAA7958968599D94B15F05E6A8D2AE64&gwt=pay&_r=0

WASHINGTON — President Trump began Monday as he has started so many other presidential mornings — by unleashing a blistering Twitter attack on critics who suggested his 2016 campaign colluded with the Russians.

By the afternoon the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, had systematically demolished his arguments in a remarkable public takedown of a sitting president.

Even a close ally of Mr. Trump, Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California and the House Intelligence Committee chairman, conceded that “a gray cloud” of suspicion now hung over the White House by the end of the day’s hearings.

The testimony of Mr. Comey and that of Adm. Michael S. Rogers, his National Security Agency counterpart, will most likely enervate and distract Mr. Trump’s administration for weeks, if not longer, overshadowing good news, like the impressive debut of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, his Supreme Court nominee, on the first day of his confirmation hearings on Monday.

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But it’s the obsessiveness and ferocity of Mr. Trump’s pushback against the Russian allegations, often untethered from fact or tact, that is making an uncertain situation worse.

[Victoria33]

"...will most likely enervate and distract Mr. Trump’s administration for weeks, if not longer,..."

It won't die because Trump himself won't let it die.  Maybe now he realizes he should stop lying because this is serious stuff, but it will be the first time he has shut up in his lifetime, if he does it.  He had a rally tonight and said nothing about it.  Let's see if the twitter lies/attacks stop.

[Emjay]

"...will most likely enervate and distract Mr. Trump’s administration for weeks, if not longer,..."

It won't die because Trump himself won't let it die.  Maybe now he realizes he should stop lying because this is serious stuff, but it will be the first time he has shut up in his lifetime, if he does it.  He had a rally tonight and said nothing about it.  Let's see if the twitter lies/attacks stop.

Are we making too much of this or will it actually be self-destruction?

[DB]

Are we making too much of this or will it actually be self-destruction?

I don't see how this particular event will be his self-destruction or even close. It might be death by thousand cuts if he can't get his behavior under control. It is a given the opposition will take every opportunity Trump provides to attack him. A major rule of war, don't arm your enemy - he should know better.

[Emjay]

I don't see how this particular event will be his self-destruction or even close. It might be death by thousand cuts if he can't get his behavior under control. It is a given the opposition will take every opportunity Trump provides to attack him. A major rule of war, don't arm your enemy - he should know better.

I know he should but he won't.  But will we eventually get tired of over-reacting and end of the world stuff .... I can live with him tweeting every day if he will get the job done.

[DB]

I know he should but he won't.  But will we eventually get tired of over-reacting and end of the world stuff .... I can live with him tweeting every day if he will get the job done.

It is hard if not impossible to "get the job done" if no one believes you. In a free society leaders can only lead when people trust them.

[Smokin Joe]

It is hard if not impossible to "get the job done" if no one believes you. In a free society leaders can only lead when people trust them.

It affects foreign relations, too. Credibility is important.

[Frank Cannon]

It is hard if not impossible to "get the job done" if no one believes you. In a free society leaders can only lead when people trust them.

No one believed Obama and he went for 8 years. Same with Bush and Slick Willie. Their called politicians for a reason.

[DB]

No one believed Obama and he went for 8 years. Same with Bush and Slick Willie. Their called politicians for a reason.

The party faithful did.

[Smokin Joe]

The party faithful did.

Yeah, he was going to pay their rent and fill their gas tank out of his 'stash'....

[Cripplecreek]

If only someone had warned them. 

[Cripplecreek]

Yeah, he was going to pay their rent and fill their gas tank out of his 'stash'....

[Smokin Joe]

Well, there are those of us who suspected that mentality, but we were repeatedly told how wrong we were... :nometalk:

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I wonder if we will see the ideologies flip parties. The GOP is now the party for white, geriatric "gibsmedat" voters.

[Smokin Joe]

I wonder if we will see the ideologies flip parties. The GOP is now the party for white, geriatric "gibsmedat" voters.

Geriatric "gibsmedats"? When people pay for a car over years, they don't expect to get a broken down bicycle. I have paid into programs for  over 75% of my life, and have years to go before I can consider filing for any benefit. I will have paid for those in advance if I get to collect.
I have a friend out of the service on a medical discharge for injuries received in the service. I figure he earned those benefits.
I didn't get unemployment when my job left (I was self employed and would not have been eligible anyway), I had no college loans, got no medicaid when I had zero income for 18 months, etc. some gibsmedat.

Maybe you're dealing with a younger set?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Geriatric "gibsmedats"? When people pay for a car over years, they don't expect to get a broken down bicycle. I have paid into programs for  over 75% of my life, and have years to go before I can consider filing for any benefit. I will have paid for those in advance if I get to collect.
I have a friend out of the service on a medical discharge for injuries received in the service. I figure he earned those benefits.
I didn't get unemployment when my job left (I was self employed and would not have been eligible anyway), I had no college loans, got no medicaid when I had zero income for 18 months, etc. some gibsmedat.

Maybe you're dealing with a younger set?

Trump represents a group who want the government to intervene in the market to give them freebies. They also want him to preserve their own version of welfare benefits.

[Smokin Joe]

Trump represents a group who want the government to intervene in the market to give them freebies. They also want him to preserve their own version of welfare benefits.

Kindly explain what group, what freebies?

[Cripplecreek]

Geriatric "gibsmedats"? When people pay for a car over years, they don't expect to get a broken down bicycle. I have paid into programs for  over 75% of my life, and have years to go before I can consider filing for any benefit. I will have paid for those in advance if I get to collect.
I have a friend out of the service on a medical discharge for injuries received in the service. I figure he earned those benefits.
I didn't get unemployment when my job left (I was self employed and would not have been eligible anyway), I had no college loans, got no medicaid when I had zero income for 18 months, etc. some gibsmedat.

Maybe you're dealing with a younger set?

There's a big difference between those who take what they've paid for, the truly needy, and the alt right "nationalists" who just want to make welfare white again.

I want to see things like social security ended but know it can't happen overnight. We've got to figure out how to pay those who paid into for their whole lives while eliminating it at the bottom end where new workers entering the workforce pay into it.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Kindly explain what group, what freebies?

They want gubment protection from competition for one.

How much attention did Trump give to making sure that people's SS and medicare and SSDI, and even Obamacare were not touched? He specifically said that, repeatedly.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

There's a big difference between those who take what they've paid for, the truly needy, and the alt right "nationalists" who just want to make welfare white again.

I want to see things like social security ended but know it can't happen overnight. We've got to figure out how to pay those who paid into for their whole lives while eliminating it at the bottom end where new workers entering the workforce pay into it.

SS and medicare can be solved with a "cash out option". Give people a lump sum when they retire and that's it.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I've been paying for food stamps, SSDI, Medicaid, and God knows what else all my life. Clearly I deserve a few years on the dole. I've paid into the system all my life and never taken a dime out.

[Smokin Joe]

There's a big difference between those who take what they've paid for, the truly needy, and the alt right "nationalists" who just want to make welfare white again.

I want to see things like social security ended but know it can't happen overnight. We've got to figure out how to pay those who paid into for their whole lives while eliminating it at the bottom end where new workers entering the workforce pay into it.

Where I grew up, in the Tidewater of MD, white folks didn't take welfare. They'd be humiliated beyond belief to be on "Relief". When I was out in the Appalachians as a young man, no one out there would take welfare, they provided their own, and looked out for their own, it was a point of pride. When I got to North Dakota, well, welfare, again wasn't for white men who were supposed to work hard or they were just 'bums'. Even unemployment had a stigma, except that when the late 70s oil boom crashed so many were on it.
But 'welfare'? No.

[Smokin Joe]

I've been paying for food stamps, SSDI, Medicaid, and God knows what else all my life. Clearly I deserve a few years on the dole. I've paid into the system all my life and never taken a dime out.

So have most of us. I had five years I paid over $400K in taxes. I could use that money now, and invest it well for my retirement. It's gone. So it goes.
I figure some went to pay for Bighead Fred's meds, a lady I know who got a blood clot in her spine and will never walk again, to pay for some GWOT veteran who is missing parts to get  some new ones, and some other odds and ends.
It shouldn't be any surprise to you that it is what it is. We've been watching this develop our whole lives. If your SS card, like mine, says "not for identification" on it, you have been paying in a while. When I get to the current age for me to retire I will have been paying in for 53 1/2 years. Probably won't be anything left by then. I'm not counting on getting it back, but I'd love to. I could do things with it.

[Restored]

Headline: Trump Supporters Last To Discover That He Is A Bombastic Loudmouth

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

So have most of us. I had five years I paid over $400K in taxes. I could use that money now, and invest it well for my retirement. It's gone. So it goes.
I figure some went to pay for Bighead Fred's meds, a lady I know who got a blood clot in her spine and will never walk again, to pay for some GWOT veteran who is missing parts to get  some new ones, and some other odds and ends.
It shouldn't be any surprise to you that it is what it is. We've been watching this develop our whole lives. If your SS card, like mine, says "not for identification" on it, you have been paying in a while. When I get to the current age for me to retire I will have been paying in for 53 1/2 years. Probably won't be anything left by then. I'm not counting on getting it back, but I'd love to. I could do things with it.

Yes. I don't know the solution. I don't want to see the truly deserving and needy left to die on the street. Replacing all welfare with "universal basic income" is an interesting idea IMO.

I think we can all agree that we need to stop new entitlements at the very least.

And we all know people who are wasting their lives and the government's money collecting SSDI checks and doing nothing.