Donald Trump is the President Mark IV (Read Mod Warning in OP)

aloyisious

Don's sanctions on China may have turned a dangerous corner as he's now sanctioning it as it's buying weapons from Russia. That seems to me to be a direct interference with China's national defence sovereignty, not something related to trade deficit with US grounds. I'm waiting to hear from people who think Don is the greatest how this serves US strategic interests. I don't see him helping to reduce the US/China trade deficit by sending military weapons sales agents to China offering better deals.

The Mail online has the Trump Admin hitting Vlad's son-in-law and other oligarchs with sanctions. Small print has the US Treasury going after Putin's son-in-law and other Russians with sanctions for malign activities including election-meddling.

China link: https://news.e-servicis.com/politic/election/us-puts-33-russian-intel-military-officials-on-sanctions-blacklist.1M/

Daily Mail link [which has you agree to its TAC to read it] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5586055/US-punishes-Russian-oligarchs-officials-sanctions.html

B0jangles

Thing is, I don't think the leaders of the republican party actually WANT to overturn Roe vs. Wade - For decades they have been using the possibility of making abortion illegal as a carrot to keep their voterbase marching in lockstep.

Once they actually do it, that unity will collapse, plus they face the fallout of huge public marches in a US in which backstreet abortions risk becoming the norm again.

aloyisious

everlast75 wrote: »

negotiations are ongoing re Professor Ford's testimony. It may not now be Monday.

It is quite telling that the Reps are wanting to appear to be reasonable in their approach. There is even talk of them having a female prosecutor talk to Ford, rather than the old white men brigade. If they were not worried about the mid-terms, there would be no talk - it would be their way or the high way.

Needless to say, them refusing even a cursory FBI investigation is ridiculous, but they are still wary of all other optics.

More and more info coming out about Kavanaugh now. It's funny - the "pro-life Christian" folk appear to have no problem with who they support being accused of sexual assault. It is clear that if you get Roe Vs Wade overturned, it doesn't matter what you do. That goes for Trump too.

I've been wondering if the GOP backroom election planners have been thinking about the female vote and the mid-terms and thinking it might not be a good idea for front-bench heads to be irritating the women. It seems an obvious NO-NO but if the front-bench are misogynist in nature, they'll probably poo-poo the notion of their little women being capable of turning them out of office by the ballot.

Quin_Dub

B0jangles wrote: »

Thing is, I don't think the leaders of the republican party actually WANT to overturn Roe vs. Wade - For decades they have been using the possibility of making abortion illegal as a carrot to keep their voterbase marching in lockstep.

Once they actually do it, that unity will collapse, plus they face the fallout of huge public marches in a US in which backstreet abortions risk becoming the norm again.

Totally agree - They've been using Roe v Wade as a carrot to retain the evangelical vote.. They know that actually repealing it would hit them hard..

The majority of people in the US support it and don't want it repealed , even among Republicans a majority want it retained.

An illuminating new poll from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal shows that a majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade—including Republicans. According to the poll, 71 percent of American voters believe Roe v. Wade shouldn't be overturned, the highest level of support in the poll's history.

Breaking down the supporters, the poll shows 88 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of independents, and 52 percent of Republicans support the ruling. On the flip side, 23 percent of Americans think it should be reversed, a percentage that includes 39 percent of Republicans.

From here

Penn

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

everlast75

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

reports were that his assistants were urging him not to comment on the situation until after the hearings. He obviously pried the mobile back off them.

Mind you, the use of the oxford comma makes me think one of them wasn't him.

jooksavage

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

It was only a matter of time before he reverted to form. He can't help himself - he's a pig, it's his nature. That's fine. In 6 weeks time he'll reap the consequences of this.

Christy42

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

That is pretty horrific alright. Completely ignoring what women have to go through to put forward an accusation of this nature.

What this woman has gone through for putting this forward given the death threats.

Never mind that she has effectively agreed to against a committee who will be only interested in destroying her character next week to bring this forward as well.

Captain Obvious

Ted Cruz is about 9 points ahead of Beto Rourke in polls, less in some. The GOP have to be looking at major strategy changes right now.

Jolly Red Giant

B0jangles wrote: »

Thing is, I don't think the leaders of the republican party actually WANT to overturn Roe vs. Wade - For decades they have been using the possibility of making abortion illegal as a carrot to keep their voterbase marching in lockstep.

Once they actually do it, that unity will collapse, plus they face the fallout of huge public marches in a US in which backstreet abortions risk becoming the norm again.

There has been a dramatic row back of abortion rights in many states in the USA controlled by Republicans. In Utah there are two clinics in the entire state that provide abortion services and they can do so under very strict conditions that endanger the lives of women - hospitals are banned from providing abortion services under threat of the withdrawal of vital funding - but the Christian right don't care about the impact of vulnerable (poor) women facing a crisis pregnancy.

Jolly Red Giant

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

So after biting his tongue for a day the Trumper reverts to type and spouts the usual misogynist sh*te he always does.

Rjd2

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

Its crazy as Yesterday there was a piece pretty much praising him for keeping his mouth shut, but as it was not about him then this happens.

He has done Kavanaugh and those on the right online who have been trying fairly to defend him. Dire.

Captain Obvious

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

A despicable attack on victims of sexual assaults.

Penn

And now...

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1043151617137303553

Trump trying to barrel ahead with releasing a load of classified information just so he can trawl through them and find something to use against the FBI has had to be put on hold due to other countries rightfully going "Errr... what? What if the classified info is... classified for a reason... and might affect us...?"

aloyisious

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

The mental image of him drooling over the first tweet sprang to mind in a "I want the details" way. It's a sick way of behaving.

Penn

aloyisious wrote: »

The mental image of him drooling over the first tweet sprang to mind in a "I want the details" way. It's a sick way of behaving.

I just imagine him looking at the tweet before sending it, worrying it might come across as too harsh, changing "parents" to "loving parents" and pressing send.

B0jangles

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

There has been a dramatic row back of abortion rights in many states in the USA controlled by Republicans. In Utah there are two clinics in the entire state that provide abortion services and they can do so under very strict conditions that endanger the lives of women - hospitals are banned from providing abortion services under threat of the withdrawal of vital funding - but the Christian right don't care about the impact of vulnerable (poor) women facing a crisis pregnancy.

Oh, I'm sadly aware of how much women's rights are under attack at the state level by religious zealots - that plays into local politics.

I just think that on a national, strategic level they know their voterbase is progressively shrinking, due to demographic change, and that repealing Roe vs Wade is only popular with the evangelical wing of that already depleted base.

Actually giving them the carrot they've been chasing for the last 40 years would be political suicide - they'd risk losing the moderate rightwingers, and they know they be stimulating anyone with even a passing interest in human rights to get out and march.

everlast75

https://twitter.com/samstein/status/1043143343126073344

This is but one of a number of statements of Reps before Prof Ford has a chance to give evidence.

Why on earth would this exercise be perceived as anything else but a Kangaroo Court? They have made up their mind. She is lying or they don't care if she is not. What they are engaging in here is a PR exercise and nothing more. They are not going to be fair or impartial. Its a charade!

And as for Trump questioning why a 15 year old didn't involve the FBI? Why won't a 72 year old man involve the FBI?

dudara

Penn wrote: »

Trump now doubting that the attack on Ford by Kavanaugh took place as she would have reported it if it was as bad as she claims.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043130170612244481

Trump displaying a spectacular ignorance of why sexual crimes often go unreported. To be entirely honest, this isn’t an uncommon attitude amongst people of privilege, so he’s not alone there. But once again, the incumbent POTUS demeans and debases the esteemed office that he currently occupies.

everlast75

I have no idea why anyone is shocked by Trump's approach to this whole ordeal.

He is the subject of multiple sexual assault claims and has had no problem in demeaning and debasing those who accuse him.

He empathises only with those accused. Look at how he supported Sheriff Arpaio, Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, Porter etc etc.

The reason why he sympathises with them and the likes of Kavanaugh is because he only knows what it is like to be accused. He is completely blind to how victims feel.

pixelburp

Whatever about the truth of Ford's experience, the fact of the matter is that with those simple tweets, the POTUS has effectively regressed the issue of sexual assault, setting back any growing movement to empower victims to come forward. I imagine every woman's shelter, advocate, spokesperson or lawyer must be experiencing a mix of outrage and depression; the most powerful man in the Western World just openly blamed the victim, while using language that'd be creepily familiar to those who have tried to live with an assault in their past. "If it happened, why didn't you report it?" It makes me sick tbh.

People dissemble and waffle about Trump The Man, how we should only focus on his political or economic actions, that "anti Trumpers" are somehow deranged for focusing on what the President says or believes in - yet here are a few tweets that have, in real terms, both legitimised and normalised the the kind of behaviour the abused have to fight.

Professor Moriarty

everlast75 wrote: »

I have no idea why anyone is shocked by Trump's approach to this whole ordeal.

He is the subject of multiple sexual assault claims and has had no problem in demeaning and debasing those who accuse him.

He empathises only with those accused. Look at how he supported Sheriff Arpaio, Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, Porter etc etc.

The reason why he sympathises with them and the likes of Kavanaugh is because he only knows what it is like to be accused. He is completely blind to how victims feel.

A defining feature of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a lack of empathy.

Christy42

everlast75 wrote: »

I have no idea why anyone is shocked by Trump's approach to this whole ordeal.

He is the subject of multiple sexual assault claims and has had no problem in demeaning and debasing those who accuse him.

He empathises only with those accused. Look at how he supported Sheriff Arpaio, Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, Porter etc etc.

The reason why he sympathises with them and the likes of Kavanaugh is because he only knows what it is like to be accused. He is completely blind to how victims feel.

I think there is just a new reaction everytime he manages to do it again. I mean I would not expect better but it is still sad to see it anew.

McConnell also just having announced this will be a kangaroo court does not help anything either. Everyone should be going in there with an open mind with regards to who is or isn't lying. Of course maybe he is and just doesn't care about sticking a sexual abuser to one of the highest offices in the land.

demfad

dudara wrote: »

Trump displaying a spectacular ignorance of why sexual crimes often go unreported. To be entirely honest, this isn’t an uncommon attitude amongst people of privilege, so he’s not alone there. But once again, the incumbent POTUS demeans and debases the esteemed office that he currently occupies.

As Trump has been accused of dozens of sexual assaults (including raping a minor with Jeff Epstein) he should know well why they go unreported.

mcmoustache

Penn wrote: »

And now...

https://twitter.com/AP/status/1043151617137303553

Trump trying to barrel ahead with releasing a load of classified information just so he can trawl through them and find something to use against the FBI has had to be put on hold due to other countries rightfully going "Errr... what? What if the classified info is... classified for a reason... and might affect us...?"

The Brits and the Aussies probably have a stake in this since they share intelligence. They wouldn't be too pleased to if Trump compromised them for the sake of politics.

StringerBell

Mitch McConnell disgusts me.

aloyisious

Most of the statements on Judge Kavanaugh's location over the past few days is that he's in the White House being prepped for the hearing. It's a given that he'll be Don's man on the USSC and that explains why he is not sequestered away elsewhere from anyone involved in the process being given a run-through by his own counsel on what the senate committee will ask him.

The only question now is how many of the GOP members of the senate committee have been in contact with, or visited, the judge or his minders in the White House since the debate on how to get the Prof before it to be questioned by the same GOP members.

Gbear

pixelburp wrote: »

Whatever about the truth of Ford's experience, the fact of the matter is that with those simple tweets, the POTUS has effectively regressed the issue of sexual assault, setting back any growing movement to empower victims to come forward. I imagine every woman's shelter, advocate, spokesperson or lawyer must be experiencing a mix of outrage and depression; the most powerful man in the Western World just openly blamed the victim, while using language that'd be creepily familiar to those who have tried to live with an assault in their past. "If it happened, why didn't you report it?" It makes me sick tbh.

People dissemble and waffle about Trump The Man, how we should only focus on his political or economic actions, that "anti Trumpers" are somehow deranged for focusing on what the President says or believes in - yet here are a few tweets that have, in real terms, both legitimised and normalised the the kind of behaviour the abused have to fight.

Again, as with climate change denialism, this is from the same playbook as his supporters. They have no problem with this. The core are cut from the same cloth.

Textbook Red Pill, "women are decitful harlots" stuff.

UsedToWait

NYT:
Rosenstein secretly recorded Trump and discussed invoking the 25th amendment.

So, if he sacks Sessions, he needs to sack Rosenstein too.

(Edit: suggested secretly recording is the assertion)



edit: Rosenstein says the report is 'innacurate'
Well, he would say that, wouldn't he..

aloyisious

Captain Obvious wrote: »

Ted Cruz is about 9 points ahead of Beto Rourke in polls, less in some. The GOP have to be looking at major strategy changes right now.

They are having a live debate in Dallas at 6PM there. It is 13.15 Hrs [1.15 PM] there now so I reckon that it'll be at around midnight here.