Octopus Overlords

LawBeefaroni wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:06 pm Steel Slats sounds like a pop-country singer or band.

I saw them open for Johnny Cash when they were still Boxcar Willie and the Steel Slats. Way ahead of their time.

i must be old cause I recall Iron Slats. Think my dad listened to them as Copper Slats.

To further bolster the "Trump is an idiot" argument, he's doing things to create serious cracks in his GOP faithful right before January. A month which will see a new House out to get him and likely some very big things from the Mueller investigation. In short, Trump is pissing off his allies just when he needs them the most - which we all know is not out of character.

For my part, I'm actively cheering on the crazy from the sidelines. I'd love nothing more than for Trump to own a government shutdown, a tanking economy, and a foreign policy disaster right as the Dems start opening investigations and whispering impeachment.

YellowKing wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:15 pm To further bolster the "Trump is an idiot" argument, he's doing things to create serious cracks in his GOP faithful right before January. A month which will see a new House out to get him and likely some very big things from the Mueller investigation. In short, Trump is pissing off his allies just when he needs them the most - which we all know is not out of character.

For my part, I'm actively cheering on the crazy from the sidelines. I'd love nothing more than for Trump to own a government shutdown, a tanking economy, and a foreign policy disaster right as the Dems start opening investigations and whispering impeachment.

The more that goes on the more I can't believe it's still going on. There's zero chance this will accomplish anything other than get a positive headline on Fox News. If the market keeps on tanking and we hit a recession next year, there's no flipping way he gets reelected. Even if he is somehow cleared in the 900 investigations that have nothing to do with him.

YellowKing wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:15 pm For my part, I'm actively cheering on the crazy from the sidelines. I'd love nothing more than for Trump to own a government shutdown, a tanking economy, and a foreign policy disaster right as the Dems start opening investigations and whispering impeachment.

While my brain agrees with you, my wallet (The Case of the Mysterious Vanishing Paycheck!) does not.

"At this moment there is a debate over funding, border security and the wall — also called, so that I give them a little bit of an out — steel slats. We don’t use the word wall, necessarily. But it has to be something special to do the job. Steel slats," he said Thursday.

For f sakes. This is the stable genius at work? This is a solution that a 5 year old would come up with.

Trump is saying something about pulling out of Afghanistan now. If only his daddy had pulled out.

Yes, courtesy of the WSJ:

WASHINGTON—A day after a contested decision to pull American military forces from Syria, officials said Thursday that President Trump has ordered the start of a reduction of American forces in Afghanistan.

More than 7,000 American troops will begin to return home from Afghanistan in the coming weeks, a U.S. official said. The move will come as the first stage of a phased drawdown and the start of a conclusion to the 17-year war that officials say could take at least many months. There now are more than 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Of note:

The disclosure of the Afghan troop reductions comes as U.S. officials had begun to voice greater confidence about negotiations to end to the war with the Taliban. The Trump administration has made negotiating a deal with the Taliban a priority, appointing former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, as the top envoy for talks.

The preemptive move to withdraw troops before a deal is reached to the Taliban risks endangering that process. But it was also possible the Taliban might reciprocate with a goodwill gesture, said a person familiar with the talks.

Top men!

Smoove_B wrote:Yes, courtesy of the WSJ:

WASHINGTON—A day after a contested decision to pull American military forces from Syria, officials said Thursday that President Trump has ordered the start of a reduction of American forces in Afghanistan.

More than 7,000 American troops will begin to return home from Afghanistan in the coming weeks, a U.S. official said. The move will come as the first stage of a phased drawdown and the start of a conclusion to the 17-year war that officials say could take at least many months. There now are more than 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Of note:

The disclosure of the Afghan troop reductions comes as U.S. officials had begun to voice greater confidence about negotiations to end to the war with the Taliban. The Trump administration has made negotiating a deal with the Taliban a priority, appointing former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, as the top envoy for talks.

The preemptive move to withdraw troops before a deal is reached to the Taliban risks endangering that process. But it was also possible the Taliban might reciprocate with a goodwill gesture, said a person familiar with the talks.

Top men!

"A goodwill gesture..." So much fucking winning from this guy oy vey!

Yet another example of Trump showing his entire hand and plans to go 'all in', before anyone has even put a single chip on the table.

Bring the troops home? Obviously a desperate diversionary tactic, but I still agree with it. Even a blind squirrel...

The Trump administration has made negotiating a deal with the Taliban a priority

Trump - "Do you guys promise not to murder the acting Government outright after we leave?"

Taliban - "Weeeeee promise teeheeeteeheee"

Trump - Alright then boys we're outta here. COVFEFE!"

Unagi wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 9:40 pm Yet another example of Trump showing his entire hand and plans to go 'all in', before anyone has even put a single chip on the table.

No kidding. What happened to the 'Great deal maker'? This guy sucks at it.

Jaymann wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 9:53 pm Bring the troops home? Obviously a desperate diversionary tactic, but I still agree with it. Even a blind squirrel...

Yeah, OK...I busted Obama's balls for not bringing them home, but the rise of ISIS showed it was the right play. The Taliban have been on the comeback for years there, what happens when we announce to the world we're out? There has to be a plan, infrastructure, and at the risk of sounding like a politician, 'a way forward', or else we just end up with another gigantic mess where everybody hates us. And to announce it the same day Russia tells you to get out? That is just...I'd say unbelievable but that word doesnt even have meaning anymore.

GungHo wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:21 pm Yeah, OK...I busted Obama's balls for not bringing them home, but the rise of ISIS showed it was the right play. The Taliban have been on the comeback for years there, what happens when we announce to the world we're out? There has to be a plan, infrastructure, and at the risk of sounding like a politician, 'a way forward', or else we just end up with another gigantic mess where everybody hates us. And to announce it the same day Russia tells you to get out? That is just...I'd say unbelievable but that word doesnt even have meaning anymore.

Exactly. Some things to think about. The experts repeatedly say that in both Afghanistan and Syria we were finally after some policy wheel spinning in the *right roles* in both conflicts. That is supporting either the national government or a stabilizing ally. So pulling up stakes abdicates a relatively 'safe' position without a plan in a way that burns an ally, destabilizes the area, cedes power to international rivals, and undermines the big picture. This has the makings of absolute disaster for foreign policy. It could be on the order of the blunder that got us into this in the first place (invading Iraq) eventually.

Listening to NPR this morning, they had Pompeo being interviewed by the guy I see as one of their better guys, Steve Inskeep. Pompeo pretty much refused to answer anything and kept insisting that NPR - which has consistently tried to be fair to the administration - was deceiving their listeners by bending the truth and omitting all the great things they've done. It was insanity.

NPR - which has consistently tried to be fair to the administration

I think NPR has given up on "being fair to the administration" and has largely move to being honest and sometime slightly left (though never disingenuous that I"ve seen/heard) in their presentation. I think "being fair" went out the window when funding become a conservative toy. Why bother being "fair" when you've been labeled an enemy and had your purse strings attacked?

Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 2:45 pm

Octavious wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 2:34 pm Normally someone being dumb enough to take the blame for it up front would matter. In this case he will just deny he said it and the idiots will go along. There's zero reason for the dems to crumble on this one so I don't see how the government won't shutdown. All for a stupid wall that would accomplish pretty much nothing.

Yeah, but there's video

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/sta ... 8888825857

Now that the DEMs have the House he has a scape goat for all his bullshit.

Except they don't have the house yet.

Zaxxon wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:20 am Except they don't have the house yet.

Correct.

I am sure Democrats in the House would have voted for a CR that did not have the silly wall funding (aka what the Senate passed), but Trump, Ryan, and McCarthy torpeoded that.

Yup - everyone was set to vote for it and get out of town. Trump got a last minute call from the Freedom Caucus after a night of Fox beating on him and blew it all up.

Well we aren't taking about his investigations so mission accomplished.

Scoop20906 wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:37 am Well we aren't taking about his investigations so mission accomplished.

Brian Kilmeade on Fox and Friends went after Sarah Sanders about Syria pretty hard this morning, so even if WE aren't talking about Trump's other boondoggles, Fox is.

LordMortis wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:03 am

NPR - which has consistently tried to be fair to the administration

I think NPR has given up on "being fair to the administration"

Perhaps being fair to this administration is actually being against this administration.

Blackhawk wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:33 pm

LordMortis wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:03 am

NPR - which has consistently tried to be fair to the administration

I think NPR has given up on "being fair to the administration"

Perhaps being fair to this administration is actually being against this administration.

"To be fair...you're terrible."

Paingod wrote:Listening to NPR this morning, they had Pompeo being interviewed by the guy I see as one of their better guys, Steve Inskeep. Pompeo pretty much refused to answer anything and kept insisting that NPR - which has consistently tried to be fair to the administration - was deceiving their listeners by bending the truth and omitting all the great things they've done. It was insanity.

I was listening to that interview this morning and glad there wasn't anyone else in the car as I started yelling at the radio.

It's not about the Wall. It's an excuse to shut down the Justice Department for a few weeks.

Zarathud wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:21 am It's not about the Wall. It's an excuse to shut down the Justice Department for a few weeks.

Fortunately,

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation will continue as planned because it is funded by a permanent indefinite appropriation, rather than an annual appropriation dependent on Congress. Employees with the special counsel’s office are exempt from furlough.

Holman wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:08 pm

Zarathud wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:21 am It's not about the Wall. It's an excuse to shut down the Justice Department for a few weeks.

Fortunately,

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation will continue as planned because it is funded by a permanent indefinite appropriation, rather than an annual appropriation dependent on Congress. Employees with the special counsel’s office are exempt from furlough.

Learn something everyday. Didn't know that. Thanks

Maybe no one told Trump this little fact. But thanks.

Did we discuss that Trump is once again seeking guidance if he can fire the Fed chair?

stessier wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 7:21 pm Did we discuss that Trump is once again seeking guidance if he can fire the Fed chair?

He actually asked for guidance? Are we sure its Trump and not a pod person?

Daehawk wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:03 pm

stessier wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 7:21 pm Did we discuss that Trump is once again seeking guidance if he can fire the Fed chair?

He actually asked for guidance? Are we sure its Trump and not a pod person?

He's actually asking if he can. The law is a bit murky on this one.

GreenGoo wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 9:02 pm

Daehawk wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:03 pm

stessier wrote: Sat Dec 22, 2018 7:21 pm Did we discuss that Trump is once again seeking guidance if he can fire the Fed chair?

He actually asked for guidance? Are we sure its Trump and not a pod person?

He's actually asking if he can. The law is a bit murky on this one.

It says that a Fed chief can be fired "for cause," without defining causes. Also, firing him as chief would not remove him from the board, so the ensuing shitstorm would mostly be to salve Trump's ego. But hey, as long as he's tanking the markets, he might as well go all-in.

I'm beginning to think that Trump doesn't know anybody at all.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/sta ... 9820471296

McGurk worked under Bush as well, so it’s not exactly like he’s partisan. From all reports, he knew more about ISIS than basically anyone.

The fact Trump claims not to know him is simultaneously unsurprising and pathetic.

Skinypupy wrote:McGurk worked under Bush as well, so it’s not exactly like he’s partisan. From all reports, he knew more about ISIS than basically anyone.

The fact Trump claims not to know him is simultaneously unsurprising and pathetic.

Well, he didn't know more about ISIS than Trump obviously. The Donald is thinking on a whole different level.

Ya I cant get down that low.

I thought he only didn't know people who were indicted? Now he doesn't know people who quit on him as well?

Seen elsewhere, in case you weren’t frustrated and/or depressed enough about our current situation:

“Today in the United States- we have no Secretary of Defense, no White House Chief of Staff, no Attorney General and no clear authority at the Department of Justice. Sanctions on Russia have been arbitrarily lifted and our troops have been arbitrarily taken out of Syria. It's the first anniversary of the tax cults for the wealthy and the DOW is at it's lowest point since October 2017. There are 17 separate investigations into the campaign, the transition, the inauguration and the administration. Today the government is shut down. This person has waged a more effective attack on the United States than the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor”

Oh, and Trump isn’t going to let Mattis finish out his time, presumably because Fox News finally got around to telling him what a “fuck you” Mattis’ resignation letter really was. He is being replaced immediately with the Deputy...who also just happens to be a Boeing guy. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTr ... 6462737408