The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

It all goes back to tribalism. No matter how egregious one’s tribe may be, one must defend it against opposing tribes no matter what. Republicans may seek to limit the damage Trump does but they won’t openly oppose him for fear of giving comfort to the Democrats.

Can somebody bring me up to speed? Are we still in a National State of Emergency as Declared by Our Doofus of a President? Has he and have we forgotten all about that?

Should I be stockpiling cases of beans and sacks of rice in the basement? And digging a basement?

I came very close to starting a new “Stupid Autocrat News of the Day” for this news but decided it fits here well enough.

The Trump Campaign sent a letter to “Television Producers” warning about ‘credibility’ of six Trump critics who it says spread false claims about collusion. The six are:

[ol]
[li]Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.[/li][li]Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., the chair of the House Judiciary Committee[/li][li]Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez[/li][li]John Brennan, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency[/li][li]Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee[/li][li]Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who has floated a potential bid for president[/li][/ol]

The two-page letter, which was distributed to producers for all the networks and cable outlets, cited comments that the guests made on air alleging that there was evidence of collusion.

I am sure that this was accepted with all the good grace it warrants…

Yeah, they should just drop the collusion BS and call it what it is. Conspiracy. Don’t forget to sprinkle it with treason.

Many speculated that with Trump’s relief at feeling he dodged a bullet, he’d want to pull out that dog-eared copy of The Fascist Playbook and try out a few of its recommendations.

“Silence dissent” is such a golden oldie!

Of course if media were to exclude guests who make “outrageous and unsupported claims” in earnest, there would be few right-wing voices left on air. We’d have seen the last of Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway, to name but two.

This. I am ALL in on the policy as outlined. Of course, it has to be applied to ALL guests by ALL networks (Fox News can run Married with Children reruns in all the empty airtime they’ll have).

Yep. But, hey, it’s not an actual dictatorship without a “hit list”/“permitted list” of journalists, right? What? We don’t need no stinking constitution!

Yet again, I say, “Cry the Beloved Country”.

My, my, the administration is feeling cocky today.

Now the DOJ has decided to go along with the much questioned Texas District Court decision that the entire ACA is unconstitutional.

In a surprising about face, the DOJ has decided that it does not objectto the ruling and is filing a brief with the 5th Circuit in support.

10-15% unemployment and 50% shaved off the stock market. Maybe a disastrous war, which would probably cause a disastrous economy.

Short of that, congratulations on a second term, president Trump.

Nah. It will be the Democrats’ fault-- Obummer & Crooked Hillary. Not Teflon Don.

This, for sure.

He’s still got time to screw the pooch beyond all recognition. If Justice gets its way with the ACA, all Hell will break loose. I don’t have enough cold ass realpolitik to rejoice over that, people will suffer. People I know, people I love, people I am.

So why do they want to eliminate the ACA? Who benefits by doing so? Who wants to return to the days when those with pre-existing conditions were unable to buy insurance in the individual marketplace (to mention only one benefit of the law)?

Because it was an Obama/Democratic accomplishment. And because the Republican Party consists of sadists and masochists only at this point.

My guess is that there’s a fair number of insurance providers who have little interest in covering chronic illnesses.

Based on this bit from the New York Times coverage of the Trump decision, it sounds like the insurance companies don’t want to see the act repealed. Remember that the law requires that people buy health insurance from private companies, so the ACA is a boon to their business.

“The government’s position ‘puts coverage at risk for more than 100 million Americans,’ said Matt Eyles, the president and chief executive of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry lobbying [group].”

I’m pretty sure that it has to do with someone making money.

Contrariwise I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with making money and everything to do with courting those who think that everything any democrat has ever done should be burned to the ground.

Well, modern Democrats. Those good ol’ boy Democrats pre Civil Rights Act had some solid ideas.

This, and making sure that money does not go to anyone with less or no money.

I guess this answers my question.

House Fails to Override Trump Veto, Preserving National Emergency Order

Thump must be feeling like he has the biggest hands in the world right now.