[Terez]

He's pretty immune from "problems" at this moment.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Terez, on 08 February 2020 - 02:41 AM, said:

He's pretty immune from "problems" at this moment.

'"It seems trivial to mention it at this point, but retaliation against a witness is a federal crime," explained former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, who is an MSNBC legal analyst.

"I worked for a DOJ that prosecuted people who retaliated against witnesses," she noted.

Former Southern District of New York (SDNY) federal prosecutor and CNN analyst Jennifer Rodgers agreed it is "witness retaliation."

Prominent Republican attorney George Conway also offered his thoughts.

"What normally happens when a public official retaliates against a witness who testified about the public official's criminal conduct is that the public official goes to prison," Conway posted on the president's favorite social networking platform.

CNN analyst and former prosecutor Elie Honig said it was "witness retaliation" under 18 USC 1513.

"This act is criminal, vindictive, and petty – and nobody in Trump's orbit will do a damn thing about it," Honig predicted.'

https://www.rawstory...WLmHAyySRSjJmzg

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 08 February 2020 - 07:11 AM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Wonder what the statute of limitations is on witness retaliation (hopefully more than 5 years?...).

'Still, it is indeed a strong economy. But if we ask what lies behind that strength, the main answer is an explosion in the federal budget deficit, which exceeded $1 trillion last year. And the story of how that happened has deeply disturbing implications for the future of U.S. politics.

[...] the budget deficit has exploded past $1 trillion under Trump, up from less than $600 billion in Obama's last year. Most of that rise can be attributed to Trump's policies, mainly a tax cut rammed through Congress using exactly the hyperpartisan tactics Obama balked at in 2009.

In a way, the surprising thing about Trump's deficitpalooza is that it hasn't boosted the economy even more, a shortfall that can be attributed to bad design. After all, the corporate tax cuts that were the biggest driver of rising deficits did nothing to increase business investment, which has actually declined over the past year.

And while the Obama stimulus included significant investments in the future, helping in particular to jump-start revolutionary progress in green energy, Trump has never delivered a penny on his promise to rebuild America's infrastructure.

[...] The implications for party strategy are stark: Maximum cynicism is the best policy. Obstruct, disrupt, and hurt the economy as much as you can, deploying whatever hypocritical excuses you think the media will buy, when the other party holds the presidency. Then abandon all concerns for the future and buy votes once you're back in control.

For whatever reason, Democrats haven't been willing or able to behave that cynically. Republicans, however, have. And if Trump is re-elected, that asymmetric cynicism will be the main reason.'

https://www.nytimes....ns-deficit.html

'At $23 Trillion, the U.S. National Debt Already Exceeds the Size of the U.S. Economy

[...] All of this is happening while America is experiencing one of the longest economic expansions in the country's history with unemployment at historic lows, wages rising (especially for those with lower incomes), and an economy that continues growing and expanding despite headwinds.

That's exactly the problem. It is simply unprecedented for the American nation to shoulder such high levels of deficits and debt at a time of relative peace and economic prosperity.

Way back in the 1960s, economist Milton Friedman wryly observed, "We are all Keynesians now." But even John Maynard Keynes wouldn't have countenanced today's deficit spending. According to Keynes, governments should be accumulating surpluses during economic boom times to help counteract business cycle contractions—not expand government spending, regardless of season. The latter is a recipe for fiscal collapse.'

https://www.heritage...-the-us-economy

So long as it doesn't happen until after he's reelected... and if it happens during his term, some people will feel an even greater need for an authoritarian leader, with expanded powers....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 08 February 2020 - 07:56 AM

[Aptorian]

Azath Vitr (D, on 08 February 2020 - 07:11 AM, said:

Terez, on 08 February 2020 - 02:41 AM, said:

He's pretty immune from "problems" at this moment.

'"It seems trivial to mention it at this point, but retaliation against a witness is a federal crime," explained former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, who is an MSNBC legal analyst.

"I worked for a DOJ that prosecuted people who retaliated against witnesses," she noted.

Former Southern District of New York (SDNY) federal prosecutor and CNN analyst Jennifer Rodgers agreed it is "witness retaliation."

Prominent Republican attorney George Conway also offered his thoughts.

"What normally happens when a public official retaliates against a witness who testified about the public official's criminal conduct is that the public official goes to prison," Conway posted on the president's favorite social networking platform.

CNN analyst and former prosecutor Elie Honig said it was "witness retaliation" under 18 USC 1513.

"This act is criminal, vindictive, and petty – and nobody in Trump's orbit will do a damn thing about it," Honig predicted.'

https://www.rawstory...WLmHAyySRSjJmzg

The President committed a crime? Sounds like Congress should start an investigation into whether he should be impeached.

[Malankazooie]

Phony asshole doesn't have a chance, so gotta chase them duckets. She'll be wearing patriotic white as a regular contributing member on Fox News soon enough.

Tulsi Tells Hannity She Supports Trump Axing Vindman and Sondland

[Tsundoku]

So ... Joe Biden and NH huh? Is it pretty much over for him?

[Terez]

According to current polling he is set for a strong win in South Carolina, so no. He'll stick in at least that far. If he underperforms in South Carolina, then it might be over. If he doesn't win South Carolina, it's definitely over.

[Terez]

As I'm sure most of you know, today was pretty eventful in US politics and New Hampshire actually got overshadowed by the Trump administration spectacle.

I think it has been obvious for a long time that Trump wasn't going to make the same "mistakes" that Nixon did. He was never going to resign because he was never going to be ethical enough to figure out that's his only way to avoid jail time. In his mind, he has another option.

It was always obvious that he was going to be acquitted in the Senate; there was only a small glimmer of hope there because Trump's behavior is so far outside the norms that even partisan deadlock should have broken by now. All we got was Romney, and he was always the most likely Senator to vote to convict Trump.

It was always obvious that acquittal was going to embolden him to abuse his power even more. That he was going to push Republicans to dig in further with him, or admit that they made a mistake in acquitting him. I can see a few more doing that if he really does get impeached again. Not the 20 required to convict, though.

He fired Vindman, and threw in his brother because everything is a conspiracy. He tried to force Sondland to resign, but Sondland refused and made Trump fire him. Bill Barr who orchestrated the Iran Contra pardons is back on his bullshit, except now he has no fear. Every prosecutor on the Roger Stone case resigned from the case today as Barr mandated a reduced sentencing recommendation (below the federal guidelines) for Roger Stone. He did it even knowing that Trump will pardon Stone, just to assert the DOJ position going forward: no consequences for Trump, no consequences for his friends. Consequences are for rats like Michael Cohen.

Impeaching Trump was still the right thing to do. It's already the right thing to do again. I'm just not sure where it goes from here.

Nixon's DOJ stood up to him, to an extent. Bill Barr never intended to stand up to Trump in any way. They have just been waiting for impatiently for impeachment to play out. Trump even dared the House Democrats to impeach him again.

I wish I had faith in the integrity of our electoral system.

[Kanese S's]

Malankazooie, on 08 February 2020 - 12:34 AM, said:

Damn, Trump living his 'brand' and has gone on a firing spree. Not only did he fire Alexander Vindman and had him escorted out by security, but he also fired Vindman's twin brother.

At least Trump waited two days after being acquitted to begin this house cleaning. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Good thing we don't have Gulag like forced-labor camps* somewhere inside the arctic circle in Alaska, I'm guessing some folks would find themselves 'reassigned' there.

*shhhh, we do, don't tell anyone.

It's amazing to me that this needs to be said, but Donald Trump is not a communist.

[Macros]

What's being a communist got to be with being a borderline despot????

[Macros]

Just so we're on the same page, gulags and the like had fuck all to do with communism. They had everything to do with dictatorships and corruption.

[Cause]

Amazing, did trump really propose freezing federal wage increases sighting an economic crises while boasting the best economy in history? How has he made the American public learn double think in just three years.

[EmperorMagus]

Cause, on 13 February 2020 - 09:39 PM, said:

Amazing, did trump really propose freezing federal wage increases sighting an economic crises while boasting the best economy in history? How has he made the American public learn double think in just three years.

I've said it before and I will say it again. The best/worst/funniest thing about Trump and his ilk is accurately they imitate 1984 without having any idea that book exists.

[Maark Abbott]

Macros, on 12 February 2020 - 08:26 PM, said:

Just so we're on the same page, gulags and the like had fuck all to do with communism. They had everything to do with dictatorships and corruption.

Macros, 'muh communism' is always the answer when people talk about prison/gulags or forced labour camps, the former of which America is operating right now. Guess America truly is communist, hey

[Primateus]

Is it just me, or is the lesson that the republican senators claim Trump has learned, that "he can do whatever he wants without consequences?"

[Aptorian]

No, he would be doing much more heinous things if that was the case. He just knows he can get away with a lot as long as he does it by increments.

[Tsundoku]

Does Bernie really have no chance? Remember the recent UK election choice between an idealogue and a rich twit?

https://www.news.com...db6e6dcc6933866

"Could he win? Sure, why not. Last time we did this, a pathologically dishonest reality TV host who could barely string a coherent sentence together managed to convince 63 million people he was sane enough to have the nuclear codes."
And that was against a more moderate opponent who actually won the popular vote.

Probably better with Warren.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 15 February 2020 - 01:42 AM

[Malankazooie]

Sometimes the universe speaks to you, sends a message.

Chicken wanders into Elizabeth Warren office in Asheville — and lays an egg

[Tsundoku]

Joe Hildebrand telling it like it is regarding the Democrats chances:

https://www.news.com...2b70b5327882532

"I am far too old and ugly to expect political parties or leaders to be morally pure or even come from the communities they claim to represent but they should at least be smart enough to know the people they have to please to win an election.

And on this measure the Democratic Party machine, its new dotcom-millionaire-slash-Hollywood-celebrity-slash-uni-student-socialist base and its desiccated candidates are even worse than a broken down Rolls Royce on the side of the road. They are a broken down Melbourne Cup runner and the big black curtain couldn’t come soon enough.

If Trump’s supporters are truly a basket of deplorables then these guys are a bucket of dipsh*ts.

And the smart people, like Elvis, have just left the building."

Four more years of Trump et al. Ugh. Let's hope he's learned something from the first four apart from "I can do anything at all and not only will they let me get away with it, they'll applaud me for it!"

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 15 February 2020 - 09:54 PM

[Malankazooie]

Oh my, things gonna get spicy tonight. Lil' Mikey Bloomberg steps onto the debate stage for the first time. Will he step up onto a box at his podium so he can speak into the mic? Will he have the other candiates stopped and frisked as they walk onto the debate stage? (probably not, their melanin does not give them a dark enough skin tone to warrant it). If lil' Mikey Bloomberg really wants to make a statement and come off like a boss, he should step up onto that box and slam a Super Big Gulp of Code Red Mountain Dew down on the podium and then take a long, obnoxious slurp out of a garish and defiantly plastic straw and be all like 'bring it on bitches!, I'm gonna drop 3 billys on this shiznit, so why even try!"