The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[John_Bredin]

The twin news that Steve Bannon is the cause of the most egregious portion of the Trump anti-Muslim order – including legal permanent resident aliens from the listed countries, and overriding Homeland Security advice to do it – and will be on the National Security Council :eek: caused me to write my Senators to urge them to have the Senate subpoena Bannon to put him in the “hot seat”:

As a concerned citizen who is the son of immigrants and a firm believer that immigration is the strength of our nation rather than our weakness, I was disappointed and dismayed by President Trump’s order barring entry to the U.S. by persons from certain nations. As everyone is aware, people who had paid good money to travel to the U.S. in good-faith reliance on visas – issued after considerable vetting – were barred from entry upon arriving not because their circumstances had changed but solely due to their nationality.

But the most disturbing aspect of this ongoing fiasco is that it sucked in legal permanent resident aliens who were not entering the U.S. as immigrants, refugees, students, etc. but merely returning to their homes from trips abroad. The news that the Trump administration consciously chose to include lawful residents – that Homeland Security’s advice to exclude them from the order was overruled at Steve Bannon’s behest – should be particularly disturbing to all Americans who feel that those who respect the legal procedures for immigration are in turn legally due respect by our government.

Rather than reprimand Bannon for the upheaval that followed, and despite the heartening condemnation from both sides of the Congressional aisle, the Trump administration has rewarded Bannon with a seat on the vital National Security Council. Since President Trump will not ask Bannon the necessary tough questions about his decision, the Senate should use its investigative power to do so.

I urge you to take whatever steps are needed to have Steve Bannon subpoenaed before a Senate committee to be held accountable for his role in this scandalous decision.

While I would be happy for Bannon just to be subpoenaed and explain WTF he was thinking and what part of “legal permanent resident” does he not understand, my “three wishes to a genie” ideal would be Bannon being forced to sit through the testimony of every victim of this fiasco, the more sympathetic the case the better, and answer after each one “Is that what you intended?”

[JKellyMap]

Thanks for this, John Bredin. Do your recommend a snail-mail letter, or an email?

[Rick_Kitchen]

Spicer said that detaining a five year old without letting his mother in with him was appropriate, because "to assume that just because of someone’s age or gender or whatever that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong.”

[elucidator]

Ninety percent of two-year-olds are terrorists.

[John_Bredin]

@JKellyMap

Thanks for this, John Bredin. Do your recommend a snail-mail letter, or an email?

I emailed, because (a) I’m at work and didn’t want to take too much time away from work ;), and (b) I wanted to strike while the iron is still hot. But I suspect the extra effort to send a letter may make the message resonate better.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@Rick_Kitchen

Spicer said that detaining a five year old without letting his mother in with him was appropriate, because "to assume that just because of someone’s age or gender or whatever that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong.”

Good God, the Trumpistas are just terrified, aren’t they. I’m surprised they don’t piss themselves daily.

Fear. Hatred. These are their defining characteristics.

[Skywatcher]

@Rick_Kitchen

Spicer said that detaining a five year old without letting his mother in with him was appropriate, because "to assume that just because of someone’s age or gender or whatever that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong.”

Maj. Frank Burns has retired from medicine and gone into politics.

[Defensive_Indifference]

@Rick_Kitchen

Spicer said that detaining a five year old without letting his mother in with him was appropriate, because "to assume that just because of someone’s age or gender or whatever that they don’t pose a threat would be misguided and wrong.”

Jesus. My son is that age.

[mhendo]

@Bayard

Jesus. My son is that age.

If you value your safety, you’ll waterboard him when he fails to eat his broccoli.

[Defensive_Indifference]

@mhendo

If you value your safety, you’ll waterboard him when he fails to eat his broccoli.

The thought has crossed my mind. I swear he’s the only five year old in North America who won’t eat pizza. Pizza! Dinner times are a nightmare.

[elucidator]

Does anyone make toddler-handcuffs?

“We’re gonna play a game! Clap your hands! Clap your hands! Put them on top of your head! Leave them there!”

[SteveG1]

@Siam_Sam

I’m hearing on the news now that Rancid Priebus is being empowered to take Trump’s place during meetings of the National Security Council. Guess Trump plans to skip a few of those.

And he’s already installed Nazi Bannon as a permanent member of the council.

[SteveG1]

@Leaper

How does one use an apparatus without its commanders?

Seriously, is there a way?

Rule by decree (executive orders) while completely and deliberately bypassing all protocol and procedure, disregard or uninvite anyone not part of your gang, and defy court orders.

It’s happening NOW. We are witnessing an attempt at a coup.

[Rick_Kitchen]

Sean Spicer is using the mosque shooting in Quebec, which was committed by a white anti-immigrant Trump supporter, as a reason why we need the immigrant ban.

[Leaper]

@SteveG1

Rule by decree (executive orders) while completely and deliberately bypassing all protocol and procedure, disregard or uninvite anyone not part of your gang, and defy court orders.

It’s happening NOW. We are witnessing an attempt at a coup.

Well, that’s what I was wondering: to what extent can a President, say, tell the FBI to raid and arrest someone directly, without getting the director involved, or tell the Army to “restore order” in an American city without the approval of even a single general, etc. I know there’s a lot of power there, but I wasn’t sure to what extent.

[JohnT]

So, Attorney General defying Trump order. Are we in a Constitutional crisis?

[Steve_MB]

@elucidator

Does anyone make toddler-handcuffs?

A bit premature – the Short-Fingered Vulgarian hasn’t yet brought matters to quite that point – but definitely worth a bit of pre-planning thought.

[Kimstu]

@Rick_Kitchen

Sean Spicer is using the mosque shooting in Quebec, which was committed by a white anti-immigrant Trump supporter, as a reason why we need the immigrant ban.

Well, duh: we need to get rid of all the immigrants, so the white anti-immigrant terrorists won’t be able to shoot them! Ha ha, I’ve run rings around you logically! Completely unreasonable, after all, to expect white anti-immigrant Trump supporters to refrain from shooting immigrants when the immigrants are just sitting there. :rolleyes:

[running_coach]

@Rick_Kitchen

Sean Spicer is using the mosque shooting in Quebec, which was committed by a white anti-immigrant Trump supporter, as a reason why we need the immigrant ban.

Trump reasoning: If all those Muslims hadn’t immigrated into Canada, there wouldn’t have been a shooting.

if you hear this vomit out of Spicer’s mouth, you heard it here first.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@Rick_Kitchen

Sean Spicer is using the mosque shooting in Quebec, which was committed by a white anti-immigrant Trump supporter, as a reason why we need the immigrant ban.

Up is down, black is white.

It does not matter with these people. Next, we’ll be hearing how we have to outlaw the Democratic Party of the United States, because of the danger of mole men attacking us from the far side of the moon. There are people on this very board who would nod their heads and eagerly defend this.