how is this gonna work…?

by russell

I'm trying to get my head around the transition to a Trump presidency.

Apparently he doesn't want to live full time at the White House.  How is that going to work out?  Isn't the POTUS sort of expected to be available 24/7 if needed?  NYC is not that far from DC, but it is also not around the corner.

What is going to happen with the various lawsuits Trump is currently engaged in?  He can't claim executive immunity, because they're already underway.  The RICO suit is, if I'm not mistaken, a criminal charge.  What if he's found guilty?  Can someone take office as POTUS if they have been found guilty of criminal charges?

Is there any precedent for either of these things?

147 thoughts on “how is this gonna work…?”

  1. They are moving REALLY fast to undermine the country. He’s likely to send his brute squad against the judge, the plaintiffs, and the witnesses. Civil suits will vanish in puffs of smoke.

    Reply
  2. They are moving REALLY fast to undermine the country. He’s likely to send his brute squad against the judge, the plaintiffs, and the witnesses. Civil suits will vanish in puffs of smoke.

    Reply
  3. They are moving REALLY fast to undermine the country. He’s likely to send his brute squad against the judge, the plaintiffs, and the witnesses. Civil suits will vanish in puffs of smoke.

    Reply
  4. Apparently he doesn’t want to live full time at the White House. How is that going to work out? Isn’t the POTUS sort of expected to be available 24/7 if needed?
    I’m not sure why that would be a problem. Presidents routinely spend weekends at Camp David. And often have had homes elsewhere that they visited. (I recall the phrase “the Western White House” being used during some Presidential administrations.) It has never seemed to be a serious problem.
    Especially with today’s communications, you can work from almost anywhere. Lots of us telecommute/work from home. Does the President have so much that requires face-to-face interactions that can only happen in Washington? Yes, he needs to do a lot of that; but even that can, to some degree, be done wherever he happens to be.

    Reply
  5. Apparently he doesn’t want to live full time at the White House. How is that going to work out? Isn’t the POTUS sort of expected to be available 24/7 if needed?
    I’m not sure why that would be a problem. Presidents routinely spend weekends at Camp David. And often have had homes elsewhere that they visited. (I recall the phrase “the Western White House” being used during some Presidential administrations.) It has never seemed to be a serious problem.
    Especially with today’s communications, you can work from almost anywhere. Lots of us telecommute/work from home. Does the President have so much that requires face-to-face interactions that can only happen in Washington? Yes, he needs to do a lot of that; but even that can, to some degree, be done wherever he happens to be.

    Reply
  6. Apparently he doesn’t want to live full time at the White House. How is that going to work out? Isn’t the POTUS sort of expected to be available 24/7 if needed?
    I’m not sure why that would be a problem. Presidents routinely spend weekends at Camp David. And often have had homes elsewhere that they visited. (I recall the phrase “the Western White House” being used during some Presidential administrations.) It has never seemed to be a serious problem.
    Especially with today’s communications, you can work from almost anywhere. Lots of us telecommute/work from home. Does the President have so much that requires face-to-face interactions that can only happen in Washington? Yes, he needs to do a lot of that; but even that can, to some degree, be done wherever he happens to be.

    Reply
  7. The Secret Service can “harden” a “ranch” in Crawford TX much more easily than a gilded tower on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
    Judge Sirica managed to do his job in the face of an arrogant and vindictive president and his minions. Judge Curiel may, possibly, live up to the Sirica standard.
    Can He, Trump take office while under criminal indictment? Why the hell not? We don’t seriously expect his “working class” supporters to be put off by a little thing like that, do we?
    –TP

    Reply
  8. The Secret Service can “harden” a “ranch” in Crawford TX much more easily than a gilded tower on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
    Judge Sirica managed to do his job in the face of an arrogant and vindictive president and his minions. Judge Curiel may, possibly, live up to the Sirica standard.
    Can He, Trump take office while under criminal indictment? Why the hell not? We don’t seriously expect his “working class” supporters to be put off by a little thing like that, do we?
    –TP

    Reply
  9. The Secret Service can “harden” a “ranch” in Crawford TX much more easily than a gilded tower on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
    Judge Sirica managed to do his job in the face of an arrogant and vindictive president and his minions. Judge Curiel may, possibly, live up to the Sirica standard.
    Can He, Trump take office while under criminal indictment? Why the hell not? We don’t seriously expect his “working class” supporters to be put off by a little thing like that, do we?
    –TP

    Reply
  10. I’m not sure what worries me more: Trump in office, or Trump being removed from office and Pence taking over.
    Either way I’m pretty sure I’m in trouble.

    Reply
  11. I’m not sure what worries me more: Trump in office, or Trump being removed from office and Pence taking over.
    Either way I’m pretty sure I’m in trouble.

    Reply
  12. I’m not sure what worries me more: Trump in office, or Trump being removed from office and Pence taking over.
    Either way I’m pretty sure I’m in trouble.

    Reply
  13. Looks likely John Bolton will be Secretary of State.
    This, I’m afraid, will mean war.
    I’m very glad my son is above military age.
    Given the tenor of Trump’s appointments so far, I’ll not be surprised to see Pam Geller as Undersecretary for what’s left of the middle east.

    Reply
  14. Looks likely John Bolton will be Secretary of State.
    This, I’m afraid, will mean war.
    I’m very glad my son is above military age.
    Given the tenor of Trump’s appointments so far, I’ll not be surprised to see Pam Geller as Undersecretary for what’s left of the middle east.

    Reply
  15. Looks likely John Bolton will be Secretary of State.
    This, I’m afraid, will mean war.
    I’m very glad my son is above military age.
    Given the tenor of Trump’s appointments so far, I’ll not be surprised to see Pam Geller as Undersecretary for what’s left of the middle east.

    Reply
  16. Any chance you’ll come back?
    I didn’t realize she had left because she thought the national crisis had passed.
    I’d be beyond delighted to hear her voice again. This mess is miles above my pay grade.

    Reply
  17. Any chance you’ll come back?
    I didn’t realize she had left because she thought the national crisis had passed.
    I’d be beyond delighted to hear her voice again. This mess is miles above my pay grade.

    Reply
  18. Any chance you’ll come back?
    I didn’t realize she had left because she thought the national crisis had passed.
    I’d be beyond delighted to hear her voice again. This mess is miles above my pay grade.

    Reply
  19. Fallows re-emerged after the election at the Atlantic, and posted this Yeats poem:
    To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
    Related Poem Content Details
    Now all the truth is out,
    Be secret and take defeat
    From any brazen throat,
    For how can you compete,
    Being honor bred, with one
    Who were it proved he lies
    Were neither shamed in his own
    Nor in his neighbors’ eyes;
    Bred to a harder thing
    Than Triumph, turn away
    And like a laughing string
    Whereon mad fingers play
    Amid a place of stone,
    Be secret and exult,
    Because of all things known
    That is most difficult.

    Reply
  20. Fallows re-emerged after the election at the Atlantic, and posted this Yeats poem:
    To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
    Related Poem Content Details
    Now all the truth is out,
    Be secret and take defeat
    From any brazen throat,
    For how can you compete,
    Being honor bred, with one
    Who were it proved he lies
    Were neither shamed in his own
    Nor in his neighbors’ eyes;
    Bred to a harder thing
    Than Triumph, turn away
    And like a laughing string
    Whereon mad fingers play
    Amid a place of stone,
    Be secret and exult,
    Because of all things known
    That is most difficult.

    Reply
  21. Fallows re-emerged after the election at the Atlantic, and posted this Yeats poem:
    To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
    Related Poem Content Details
    Now all the truth is out,
    Be secret and take defeat
    From any brazen throat,
    For how can you compete,
    Being honor bred, with one
    Who were it proved he lies
    Were neither shamed in his own
    Nor in his neighbors’ eyes;
    Bred to a harder thing
    Than Triumph, turn away
    And like a laughing string
    Whereon mad fingers play
    Amid a place of stone,
    Be secret and exult,
    Because of all things known
    That is most difficult.

    Reply
  22. What’s up with the security clearances for the kids? Do family members of national office holders normally have security clearances?

    Reply
  23. What’s up with the security clearances for the kids? Do family members of national office holders normally have security clearances?

    Reply
  24. What’s up with the security clearances for the kids? Do family members of national office holders normally have security clearances?

    Reply
  25. Oh my god. Seriously? Neither one of those guys is fit to do anything at all.
    Does this mean he is serious about appointing Palin to a Cabinet position?
    Why does he want security clearance for his kids? Is he planning to let them do his job for him?

    Reply
  26. Oh my god. Seriously? Neither one of those guys is fit to do anything at all.
    Does this mean he is serious about appointing Palin to a Cabinet position?
    Why does he want security clearance for his kids? Is he planning to let them do his job for him?

    Reply
  27. Oh my god. Seriously? Neither one of those guys is fit to do anything at all.
    Does this mean he is serious about appointing Palin to a Cabinet position?
    Why does he want security clearance for his kids? Is he planning to let them do his job for him?

    Reply
  28. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team. (4 of the 12 members, I believe.) Which itself seems problematic — especially if they are going to be running the totally not blind Trump trust.
    IMHO Bolton and Giuliani both belong in a home for the mentally confused. Definitely not in the Cabinet. But I entertain the hope that what we are seeing is just Trump standard zigzag, with a final(?) result to be anybody’s guess…except probably not much like anything we thought we heard earlier.

    Reply
  29. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team. (4 of the 12 members, I believe.) Which itself seems problematic — especially if they are going to be running the totally not blind Trump trust.
    IMHO Bolton and Giuliani both belong in a home for the mentally confused. Definitely not in the Cabinet. But I entertain the hope that what we are seeing is just Trump standard zigzag, with a final(?) result to be anybody’s guess…except probably not much like anything we thought we heard earlier.

    Reply
  30. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team. (4 of the 12 members, I believe.) Which itself seems problematic — especially if they are going to be running the totally not blind Trump trust.
    IMHO Bolton and Giuliani both belong in a home for the mentally confused. Definitely not in the Cabinet. But I entertain the hope that what we are seeing is just Trump standard zigzag, with a final(?) result to be anybody’s guess…except probably not much like anything we thought we heard earlier.

    Reply
  31. to be honest, the folks he seems to be considering mostly seem to be W-era retreads. distressing, to me anyway, but at least we know what they are.
    what worries me most is my feeling that either they don’t know what they’re doing, or they aren’t really that interested in governing and just want to get all this Washington DC bullshit over with so DJT can go back to trump tower and get back to being DJT.
    I don’t know if he has any realistic understanding of what the job is.

    Reply
  32. to be honest, the folks he seems to be considering mostly seem to be W-era retreads. distressing, to me anyway, but at least we know what they are.
    what worries me most is my feeling that either they don’t know what they’re doing, or they aren’t really that interested in governing and just want to get all this Washington DC bullshit over with so DJT can go back to trump tower and get back to being DJT.
    I don’t know if he has any realistic understanding of what the job is.

    Reply
  33. to be honest, the folks he seems to be considering mostly seem to be W-era retreads. distressing, to me anyway, but at least we know what they are.
    what worries me most is my feeling that either they don’t know what they’re doing, or they aren’t really that interested in governing and just want to get all this Washington DC bullshit over with so DJT can go back to trump tower and get back to being DJT.
    I don’t know if he has any realistic understanding of what the job is.

    Reply
  34. Trump thinks that being President is mostly about making speeches, waving at people, and barking at underlings to fix things. Our best hope at this point is two competing factions of underlings making life impossible for each other so nothing substantive gets done.

    Reply
  35. Trump thinks that being President is mostly about making speeches, waving at people, and barking at underlings to fix things. Our best hope at this point is two competing factions of underlings making life impossible for each other so nothing substantive gets done.

    Reply
  36. Trump thinks that being President is mostly about making speeches, waving at people, and barking at underlings to fix things. Our best hope at this point is two competing factions of underlings making life impossible for each other so nothing substantive gets done.

    Reply
  37. I’m still so upset about the election that I can’t be on social media much. I made the mistake of trying to catch up on comments here last night, and had a semi-sleepless night.
    I would love to hear those of you who didn’t vote for Hillary explain how (or whether) you’ll push back against things like: making a white nationalist misogynist anti-Semite chief policy advisor; security clearances for the children; undercutting NATO; conflicts-of-interest between the Presidency and Trump’s businesses; increase in hate crimes nationwide.
    Personally, I think Trump+nuclear weapons is so potentially catastrophic that I’d rather have President Pence.

    Reply
  38. I’m still so upset about the election that I can’t be on social media much. I made the mistake of trying to catch up on comments here last night, and had a semi-sleepless night.
    I would love to hear those of you who didn’t vote for Hillary explain how (or whether) you’ll push back against things like: making a white nationalist misogynist anti-Semite chief policy advisor; security clearances for the children; undercutting NATO; conflicts-of-interest between the Presidency and Trump’s businesses; increase in hate crimes nationwide.
    Personally, I think Trump+nuclear weapons is so potentially catastrophic that I’d rather have President Pence.

    Reply
  39. I’m still so upset about the election that I can’t be on social media much. I made the mistake of trying to catch up on comments here last night, and had a semi-sleepless night.
    I would love to hear those of you who didn’t vote for Hillary explain how (or whether) you’ll push back against things like: making a white nationalist misogynist anti-Semite chief policy advisor; security clearances for the children; undercutting NATO; conflicts-of-interest between the Presidency and Trump’s businesses; increase in hate crimes nationwide.
    Personally, I think Trump+nuclear weapons is so potentially catastrophic that I’d rather have President Pence.

    Reply
  40. Doc,
    I have written here before about my amazement at discovering several of the people I work with (every man jack of them a “working class” engineer earning $100K+ in a medical-device company here in MA) were supporters of He, Trump. Well, today I had reason to talk with a couple of them (on work-related stuff) for the first time since the election.
    I greeted each of them with “Heil Trump!” and the Nazi salute. Not the stiff-arm Nuremberg-rally Nazi salute, but the perfunctory, flip-of-the-hand, around-the-party-HQ Nazi salute. I must say, a sheepish grin is the biggest rise I got out of either of them. They can afford to be nervously smug for the moment, of course.
    Anyway, I know I’m not the kind of voter you specifically asked to hear from, but I promise to keep you posted if I get responses to your questions from any of those people.
    –TP

    Reply
  41. Doc,
    I have written here before about my amazement at discovering several of the people I work with (every man jack of them a “working class” engineer earning $100K+ in a medical-device company here in MA) were supporters of He, Trump. Well, today I had reason to talk with a couple of them (on work-related stuff) for the first time since the election.
    I greeted each of them with “Heil Trump!” and the Nazi salute. Not the stiff-arm Nuremberg-rally Nazi salute, but the perfunctory, flip-of-the-hand, around-the-party-HQ Nazi salute. I must say, a sheepish grin is the biggest rise I got out of either of them. They can afford to be nervously smug for the moment, of course.
    Anyway, I know I’m not the kind of voter you specifically asked to hear from, but I promise to keep you posted if I get responses to your questions from any of those people.
    –TP

    Reply
  42. Doc,
    I have written here before about my amazement at discovering several of the people I work with (every man jack of them a “working class” engineer earning $100K+ in a medical-device company here in MA) were supporters of He, Trump. Well, today I had reason to talk with a couple of them (on work-related stuff) for the first time since the election.
    I greeted each of them with “Heil Trump!” and the Nazi salute. Not the stiff-arm Nuremberg-rally Nazi salute, but the perfunctory, flip-of-the-hand, around-the-party-HQ Nazi salute. I must say, a sheepish grin is the biggest rise I got out of either of them. They can afford to be nervously smug for the moment, of course.
    Anyway, I know I’m not the kind of voter you specifically asked to hear from, but I promise to keep you posted if I get responses to your questions from any of those people.
    –TP

    Reply
  43. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team.
    i was thinking his kids are among the very few people that he really trusts, and that he wants them to help him do the actual job. he wants them as advisors.

    Reply
  44. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team.
    i was thinking his kids are among the very few people that he really trusts, and that he wants them to help him do the actual job. he wants them as advisors.

    Reply
  45. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security clearances for the kids are because they are part of the transition team.
    i was thinking his kids are among the very few people that he really trusts, and that he wants them to help him do the actual job. he wants them as advisors.

    Reply
  46. Beyond bungling the day-to-day functions and enacting bad policy, what happens if there’s a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict, etc.? How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?

    Reply
  47. Beyond bungling the day-to-day functions and enacting bad policy, what happens if there’s a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict, etc.? How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?

    Reply
  48. Beyond bungling the day-to-day functions and enacting bad policy, what happens if there’s a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict, etc.? How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?

    Reply
  49. http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/will-dealmaking-pragmatist-trump-surface-white-house
    I think that there is a fair chance that Trump will turn out to be in many ways a moderate Republican who is willing to support the Democratic initiatives that Republicans obstructed during the Obama years. If so this will have a moderating influence on teh Repubicans. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot. I think whey would also support he plan (and claim credit for ti). I doubt if Trump will go along with Ryan’s ideas about Social Secirty and Medicare.
    Sadly I don;t see Trump being anything like reasonable on environmental issues.
    He’s already made it clear that Putin will dictate his foregn policy.
    I don;t know if he can be talked out of Repubican pro-Wall Street policies or not. I think that the right person explaing to him how anti-populsit those policies are might be able to make some headway.
    I think he will fill appointments up with all kinds of creeps and cretins, most of them grotesquely unqualified just as Bush did but maybe worse.
    So all in all a terribe PResident, who will be reasonable popular because the things he will do right will be higlhy visible and the thing she does wrong will not be so visibe.
    That’s my guess.

    Reply
  50. http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/will-dealmaking-pragmatist-trump-surface-white-house
    I think that there is a fair chance that Trump will turn out to be in many ways a moderate Republican who is willing to support the Democratic initiatives that Republicans obstructed during the Obama years. If so this will have a moderating influence on teh Repubicans. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot. I think whey would also support he plan (and claim credit for ti). I doubt if Trump will go along with Ryan’s ideas about Social Secirty and Medicare.
    Sadly I don;t see Trump being anything like reasonable on environmental issues.
    He’s already made it clear that Putin will dictate his foregn policy.
    I don;t know if he can be talked out of Repubican pro-Wall Street policies or not. I think that the right person explaing to him how anti-populsit those policies are might be able to make some headway.
    I think he will fill appointments up with all kinds of creeps and cretins, most of them grotesquely unqualified just as Bush did but maybe worse.
    So all in all a terribe PResident, who will be reasonable popular because the things he will do right will be higlhy visible and the thing she does wrong will not be so visibe.
    That’s my guess.

    Reply
  51. http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/will-dealmaking-pragmatist-trump-surface-white-house
    I think that there is a fair chance that Trump will turn out to be in many ways a moderate Republican who is willing to support the Democratic initiatives that Republicans obstructed during the Obama years. If so this will have a moderating influence on teh Repubicans. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot. I think whey would also support he plan (and claim credit for ti). I doubt if Trump will go along with Ryan’s ideas about Social Secirty and Medicare.
    Sadly I don;t see Trump being anything like reasonable on environmental issues.
    He’s already made it clear that Putin will dictate his foregn policy.
    I don;t know if he can be talked out of Repubican pro-Wall Street policies or not. I think that the right person explaing to him how anti-populsit those policies are might be able to make some headway.
    I think he will fill appointments up with all kinds of creeps and cretins, most of them grotesquely unqualified just as Bush did but maybe worse.
    So all in all a terribe PResident, who will be reasonable popular because the things he will do right will be higlhy visible and the thing she does wrong will not be so visibe.
    That’s my guess.

    Reply
  52. a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict
    major event, hell. Think what the next mass shooting is going to be like. Here’s what Obama did at Newtown, what will Trump do?
    Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break.
    And then the entire scene would repeat—for hours. Over and over and over again, through well over a hundred relatives of the fallen, each one equally broken, wrecked by the loss. After each classroom, we would go back into those fluorescent hallways and walk through the names of the coming families, and then the president would dive back in, like a soldier returning to a tour of duty in a worthy but wearing war. We spent what felt like a lifetime in those classrooms, and every single person received the same tender treatment. The same hugs. The same looks, directly in their eyes. The same sincere offer of support and prayer.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/26/the-presidents-devotional_n_4158485.html

    Reply
  53. a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict
    major event, hell. Think what the next mass shooting is going to be like. Here’s what Obama did at Newtown, what will Trump do?
    Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break.
    And then the entire scene would repeat—for hours. Over and over and over again, through well over a hundred relatives of the fallen, each one equally broken, wrecked by the loss. After each classroom, we would go back into those fluorescent hallways and walk through the names of the coming families, and then the president would dive back in, like a soldier returning to a tour of duty in a worthy but wearing war. We spent what felt like a lifetime in those classrooms, and every single person received the same tender treatment. The same hugs. The same looks, directly in their eyes. The same sincere offer of support and prayer.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/26/the-presidents-devotional_n_4158485.html

    Reply
  54. a major event – terrorism, natural disaster, military conflict
    major event, hell. Think what the next mass shooting is going to be like. Here’s what Obama did at Newtown, what will Trump do?
    Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break.
    And then the entire scene would repeat—for hours. Over and over and over again, through well over a hundred relatives of the fallen, each one equally broken, wrecked by the loss. After each classroom, we would go back into those fluorescent hallways and walk through the names of the coming families, and then the president would dive back in, like a soldier returning to a tour of duty in a worthy but wearing war. We spent what felt like a lifetime in those classrooms, and every single person received the same tender treatment. The same hugs. The same looks, directly in their eyes. The same sincere offer of support and prayer.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/26/the-presidents-devotional_n_4158485.html

    Reply
  55. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot.
    the Dems in Congress are going to have exactly zero plans reach Trump’s desk for the next two years, at least.
    unless both Ryan and McConnell feel that letting Dems pass legislation is in their best interest, that is.

    Reply
  56. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot.
    the Dems in Congress are going to have exactly zero plans reach Trump’s desk for the next two years, at least.
    unless both Ryan and McConnell feel that letting Dems pass legislation is in their best interest, that is.

    Reply
  57. For example, if the Deomcrats in Congress who have been inerested in infrastructure and job creation for yeares go to Trump with a plan, an dhe supports it, that would put the Repubicans in Congress very much on the spot.
    the Dems in Congress are going to have exactly zero plans reach Trump’s desk for the next two years, at least.
    unless both Ryan and McConnell feel that letting Dems pass legislation is in their best interest, that is.

    Reply
  58. How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?
    We’ll find out.
    If it doesn’t turn out well, liberals will be blamed.

    Reply
  59. How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?
    We’ll find out.
    If it doesn’t turn out well, liberals will be blamed.

    Reply
  60. How does a Trump administration respond competently to something like that?
    We’ll find out.
    If it doesn’t turn out well, liberals will be blamed.

    Reply
  61. wonkie:
    I wish I could agree with you, but I think you’re being optimistic to the point of delusion.
    In the first place, getting Trump to being “reasonably popular” involves overlooking stuff like more people voted for Hillary.
    In the second place … why are you talking about Trump’s possible policies, and not about stuff like the white nationalist advising him or the uptick in hate crimes? Do you think they aren’t “visible”?
    You are normalizing Trump. This is not normal. Look at the “Stalinesque purge” of Christie’s people going on today — Christie having been demoted, in all probability, because Jared Kushner hates him.
    This is not a normal US Presidency. This is shaping up to be an autocracy.
    If you disagree, lay out your evidence.

    Reply
  62. wonkie:
    I wish I could agree with you, but I think you’re being optimistic to the point of delusion.
    In the first place, getting Trump to being “reasonably popular” involves overlooking stuff like more people voted for Hillary.
    In the second place … why are you talking about Trump’s possible policies, and not about stuff like the white nationalist advising him or the uptick in hate crimes? Do you think they aren’t “visible”?
    You are normalizing Trump. This is not normal. Look at the “Stalinesque purge” of Christie’s people going on today — Christie having been demoted, in all probability, because Jared Kushner hates him.
    This is not a normal US Presidency. This is shaping up to be an autocracy.
    If you disagree, lay out your evidence.

    Reply
  63. wonkie:
    I wish I could agree with you, but I think you’re being optimistic to the point of delusion.
    In the first place, getting Trump to being “reasonably popular” involves overlooking stuff like more people voted for Hillary.
    In the second place … why are you talking about Trump’s possible policies, and not about stuff like the white nationalist advising him or the uptick in hate crimes? Do you think they aren’t “visible”?
    You are normalizing Trump. This is not normal. Look at the “Stalinesque purge” of Christie’s people going on today — Christie having been demoted, in all probability, because Jared Kushner hates him.
    This is not a normal US Presidency. This is shaping up to be an autocracy.
    If you disagree, lay out your evidence.

    Reply
  64. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.

    Rogers called it an “honor” to advise the Trump transition team and wrote that he was handing off his duties to Trump’s family and transition staff

    That’s why the kids need security clearances. They’re going to participate in national security policy and direction.
    While, I suppose, running Trump Inc. Because there are no possible conflicts of interest there.

    Reply
  65. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.

    Rogers called it an “honor” to advise the Trump transition team and wrote that he was handing off his duties to Trump’s family and transition staff

    That’s why the kids need security clearances. They’re going to participate in national security policy and direction.
    While, I suppose, running Trump Inc. Because there are no possible conflicts of interest there.

    Reply
  66. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.

    Rogers called it an “honor” to advise the Trump transition team and wrote that he was handing off his duties to Trump’s family and transition staff

    That’s why the kids need security clearances. They’re going to participate in national security policy and direction.
    While, I suppose, running Trump Inc. Because there are no possible conflicts of interest there.

    Reply
  67. From the Doc’s link, concerning Christie’s ouster:

    But he has long been in a precarious position with Trump, due in part, multiple sources say, to a longstanding grudge sparked when Christie prosecuted Kushner’s father in 2004.

    These people are the freaking Borgias.

    Reply
  68. From the Doc’s link, concerning Christie’s ouster:

    But he has long been in a precarious position with Trump, due in part, multiple sources say, to a longstanding grudge sparked when Christie prosecuted Kushner’s father in 2004.

    These people are the freaking Borgias.

    Reply
  69. From the Doc’s link, concerning Christie’s ouster:

    But he has long been in a precarious position with Trump, due in part, multiple sources say, to a longstanding grudge sparked when Christie prosecuted Kushner’s father in 2004.

    These people are the freaking Borgias.

    Reply
  70. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.
    Yes, because he coordinated a report on Benghazi that did not indict HRC.

    Reply
  71. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.
    Yes, because he coordinated a report on Benghazi that did not indict HRC.

    Reply
  72. Transition team adviser for national security Mike Rogers is out.
    Yes, because he coordinated a report on Benghazi that did not indict HRC.

    Reply
  73. Borgia is being generous. Some of them had a clue of what they were doing.
    This from the Guardian:
    Some Republicans who previously ostracised Trump are returning to the fold but not always with success. Eliot Cohen, a senior state department official under George W Bush, launched a stinging attack on the transition effort. He tweeted:
    “After exchange [with] Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They’re angry, arrogant, screaming ‘you LOST!’ Will be ugly.”

    I think those hoping for pragmatism are wrong. Trump is an effing manchild.
    Pragmatism requires some sort of self control.

    Reply
  74. Borgia is being generous. Some of them had a clue of what they were doing.
    This from the Guardian:
    Some Republicans who previously ostracised Trump are returning to the fold but not always with success. Eliot Cohen, a senior state department official under George W Bush, launched a stinging attack on the transition effort. He tweeted:
    “After exchange [with] Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They’re angry, arrogant, screaming ‘you LOST!’ Will be ugly.”

    I think those hoping for pragmatism are wrong. Trump is an effing manchild.
    Pragmatism requires some sort of self control.

    Reply
  75. Borgia is being generous. Some of them had a clue of what they were doing.
    This from the Guardian:
    Some Republicans who previously ostracised Trump are returning to the fold but not always with success. Eliot Cohen, a senior state department official under George W Bush, launched a stinging attack on the transition effort. He tweeted:
    “After exchange [with] Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They’re angry, arrogant, screaming ‘you LOST!’ Will be ugly.”

    I think those hoping for pragmatism are wrong. Trump is an effing manchild.
    Pragmatism requires some sort of self control.

    Reply
  76. An early prediction.
    Hoist by their own petard. Unfortunately we all get to go along for the ride.
    I honestly don’t know who, at a national level, has a plan for improving the lot of, for lack of a better word, rank and file Americans. I think making that happen would require changes that we just don’t have the public vocabulary for. They aren’t in our realm of discourse.
    But I’m pretty sure Trump is gonna give them nothing. They may be worse off.
    SSDD

    Reply
  77. An early prediction.
    Hoist by their own petard. Unfortunately we all get to go along for the ride.
    I honestly don’t know who, at a national level, has a plan for improving the lot of, for lack of a better word, rank and file Americans. I think making that happen would require changes that we just don’t have the public vocabulary for. They aren’t in our realm of discourse.
    But I’m pretty sure Trump is gonna give them nothing. They may be worse off.
    SSDD

    Reply
  78. An early prediction.
    Hoist by their own petard. Unfortunately we all get to go along for the ride.
    I honestly don’t know who, at a national level, has a plan for improving the lot of, for lack of a better word, rank and file Americans. I think making that happen would require changes that we just don’t have the public vocabulary for. They aren’t in our realm of discourse.
    But I’m pretty sure Trump is gonna give them nothing. They may be worse off.
    SSDD

    Reply
  79. To expand on the theme of russell’s link, I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    It seems like there should be some not completely zombified Republicans who would see it as such and who would work with Democrats to block it, but what do I know?

    Reply
  80. To expand on the theme of russell’s link, I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    It seems like there should be some not completely zombified Republicans who would see it as such and who would work with Democrats to block it, but what do I know?

    Reply
  81. To expand on the theme of russell’s link, I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    It seems like there should be some not completely zombified Republicans who would see it as such and who would work with Democrats to block it, but what do I know?

    Reply
  82. I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    If and when it happens, I think it will be political suicide. Because people are going to be seriously in touch with their interests when something actually happens to impact them.
    But in Ryan’s personal case, I think he is so caught up in his ideological view of how the world works that he can’t see how anything could possibly go wrong with his voucher instead of Medicare system. No doubt, if he gets what he wants, he will be astonished at the reaction. Although he will probably find some way to blame it on the Democrats (or RINOs) rather than on his own shaky grasp of reality.

    Reply
  83. I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    If and when it happens, I think it will be political suicide. Because people are going to be seriously in touch with their interests when something actually happens to impact them.
    But in Ryan’s personal case, I think he is so caught up in his ideological view of how the world works that he can’t see how anything could possibly go wrong with his voucher instead of Medicare system. No doubt, if he gets what he wants, he will be astonished at the reaction. Although he will probably find some way to blame it on the Democrats (or RINOs) rather than on his own shaky grasp of reality.

    Reply
  84. I have to wonder about Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide, or are people really that out of touch with their own interests?
    If and when it happens, I think it will be political suicide. Because people are going to be seriously in touch with their interests when something actually happens to impact them.
    But in Ryan’s personal case, I think he is so caught up in his ideological view of how the world works that he can’t see how anything could possibly go wrong with his voucher instead of Medicare system. No doubt, if he gets what he wants, he will be astonished at the reaction. Although he will probably find some way to blame it on the Democrats (or RINOs) rather than on his own shaky grasp of reality.

    Reply
  85. Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide
    That’s why it has to be done first thing, and to be branded as part of repealing the ACA.
    That gives the Rs voters almost two years in which to forget, and gives the R pols two years to blame it on Obama. They hated to destroy Medicare, but Obama poisoned and broke it so it had to be destroyed.
    And if recent history is any guide, it will work. Again.

    Reply
  86. Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide
    That’s why it has to be done first thing, and to be branded as part of repealing the ACA.
    That gives the Rs voters almost two years in which to forget, and gives the R pols two years to blame it on Obama. They hated to destroy Medicare, but Obama poisoned and broke it so it had to be destroyed.
    And if recent history is any guide, it will work. Again.

    Reply
  87. Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare. Shouldn’t that be political suicide
    That’s why it has to be done first thing, and to be branded as part of repealing the ACA.
    That gives the Rs voters almost two years in which to forget, and gives the R pols two years to blame it on Obama. They hated to destroy Medicare, but Obama poisoned and broke it so it had to be destroyed.
    And if recent history is any guide, it will work. Again.

    Reply
  88. Which make me wonder further, do these guys really think this is somehow going to lead to greater widespread prosperity, or do they just not give a shit?

    Reply
  89. Which make me wonder further, do these guys really think this is somehow going to lead to greater widespread prosperity, or do they just not give a shit?

    Reply
  90. Which make me wonder further, do these guys really think this is somehow going to lead to greater widespread prosperity, or do they just not give a shit?

    Reply
  91. Let’s recall what Kushner’s father did:
    And, of course, to add to the horror, the federal witnesses he had attempted to retaliate against were his sister and brother-in-law, who were cooperating with that same investigation. Kushner paid a prostitute $10,000 to lure his brother-in-law to a motel room at the Red Bull Inn in Bridgewater to have sex with him. A hidden camera recorded the activity, and Kushner sent the lurid tape to his sister, making sure the tape arrived on the day of a family party.
    source: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/9874/

    Reply
  92. Let’s recall what Kushner’s father did:
    And, of course, to add to the horror, the federal witnesses he had attempted to retaliate against were his sister and brother-in-law, who were cooperating with that same investigation. Kushner paid a prostitute $10,000 to lure his brother-in-law to a motel room at the Red Bull Inn in Bridgewater to have sex with him. A hidden camera recorded the activity, and Kushner sent the lurid tape to his sister, making sure the tape arrived on the day of a family party.
    source: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/9874/

    Reply
  93. Let’s recall what Kushner’s father did:
    And, of course, to add to the horror, the federal witnesses he had attempted to retaliate against were his sister and brother-in-law, who were cooperating with that same investigation. Kushner paid a prostitute $10,000 to lure his brother-in-law to a motel room at the Red Bull Inn in Bridgewater to have sex with him. A hidden camera recorded the activity, and Kushner sent the lurid tape to his sister, making sure the tape arrived on the day of a family party.
    source: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/9874/

    Reply
  94. Also, agreed that “Borgias” is overgenerous. More like a low-rent Godfather–Trump has Fredo’s insight, Sonny’s restraint, and Michael’s moral compass. Except that he was propelled to power by overt white supremacists and premillenial dispensationalist Christians who want to get the Apocalypse ball rolling by starting an all-out war against every Muslim on the planet.
    If we could limit the damage to having Trump’s boundlessly avaricious family openly looting the public fisc–see, e.g., http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/16/13641538/trump-plane-secret-service–we should fall on our knees in thanks. And of course no matter how lucky we get, we may be doomed or at least vastly worse of with respect to climate change.

    Reply
  95. Also, agreed that “Borgias” is overgenerous. More like a low-rent Godfather–Trump has Fredo’s insight, Sonny’s restraint, and Michael’s moral compass. Except that he was propelled to power by overt white supremacists and premillenial dispensationalist Christians who want to get the Apocalypse ball rolling by starting an all-out war against every Muslim on the planet.
    If we could limit the damage to having Trump’s boundlessly avaricious family openly looting the public fisc–see, e.g., http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/16/13641538/trump-plane-secret-service–we should fall on our knees in thanks. And of course no matter how lucky we get, we may be doomed or at least vastly worse of with respect to climate change.

    Reply
  96. Also, agreed that “Borgias” is overgenerous. More like a low-rent Godfather–Trump has Fredo’s insight, Sonny’s restraint, and Michael’s moral compass. Except that he was propelled to power by overt white supremacists and premillenial dispensationalist Christians who want to get the Apocalypse ball rolling by starting an all-out war against every Muslim on the planet.
    If we could limit the damage to having Trump’s boundlessly avaricious family openly looting the public fisc–see, e.g., http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/16/13641538/trump-plane-secret-service–we should fall on our knees in thanks. And of course no matter how lucky we get, we may be doomed or at least vastly worse of with respect to climate change.

    Reply

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