The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[ThelmaLou]

Startling article in The Atlantic online illustrating how the Trump administration fits the class definition of a mullet haircut, “party (i.e. clusterfuck/distraction) in the front, business in the back.” They’re not saying it’s an intelligent plan (or design, if you will), but it’s working out that way anyhow. Trigger warning: this might make you gag.

Trump Has Quietly Accomplished More Than It Appears
The chaos, legislative fumbling, and legal jeopardy should not obscure the ways that the administration is remaking federal policy in consequential ways.

Imagine, if you will, that there is a shadow government.

The actual government, the administration of Donald Trump, is coming off the worst week of his presidency, although there haven’t been any smooth weeks.
…
Things are going considerably better for the shadow government. With the Trump administration’s chaos sucking up all the attention, it’s been able to move forward on a range of its priorities, which tend to be more focused on regulatory matters anyway. It is remaking the justice system, rewriting environmental rules, overhauling public-lands administration, and greenlighting major infrastructure projects. It is appointing figures who will guarantee the triumph of its ideological vision for decades to come.
…
Trump’s complaints that the press is ignoring his victories in favor of covering controversies ring hollow. You can’t very well go around setting things on fire and then asking why the press keeps covering the fires. But warnings that the Trump administration is doing X to distract from Y seem misguided for a couple of reasons—one being that they ascribe a greater organization that the White House evinces in any other sphere, and another being that the supposedly distracting stories are often just as catastrophic. But the large-scale disasters do keep attention focused away from what smaller agencies are doing, as Ben Carson acknowledged recently.
…
One of the two biggest victories has come on border security, which was one of Trump’s top campaign priorities. Border crossings have already plummeted, suggesting that rhetoric making it clear to immigrants that they are not welcome is effective in its own right.
…
Trump may yet get to appoint several more justices to the high court. And in the meantime, he’s filling up lower courts with lifetime appointees.
…
There there are the quiet, far-reaching changes. Getting back to Pruitt, the environment is one of the places where the Trump administration has had its largest impact. The most prominent move was Trump’s June 1 announcement that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord. But the EPA is moving on other fronts as well. It’s working to dismantle Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, a signature policy aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. In June, following a February executive order from Trump, the EPA began the process of rescinding the 2015 Waters of the United States rule, which aimed at protecting smaller bodies of waters and streams in the same way that larger ones had been. In December, in the closing weeks of his administration, Obama banned drilling in the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic Ocean; the Trump administration promptly set about undoing that ban. (How interested oil companies will be remains to be seen.)

The New York Times found in June that Pruitt’s EPA “has moved to undo, delay or otherwise block more than 30 environmental rules, a regulatory rollback larger in scope than any other over so short a time in the agency’s 47-year history.” And it might have done more if not for constraints imposed by judges.
…

There’s a lot more about the EPA that just makes me want to weep. Then it goes on to the Justice Department. Jeff Sessions will never resign He is in hog heaven.

…
Despite Trump’s recent, very public dissatisfaction with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department has been particularly effective in changing the policy landscape. Sessions, a long-time conservative crusader for tough-on-crime policies, has moved to enforce them. Over the objections of libertarians and civil libertarians, and contrary to a bipartisan move toward criminal-justice reform over the last decade, he strengthened the federal government’s power of civil-asset forfeiture, a practice that allows police to seize cash and goods from people suspected (but not convicted) of crimes, and one that is often abused. Also contrary to recent trends, he has reversed Obama-era policy by encouraging prosecutors to pursue the harshest sentences for low-level drug offenses. Even if Sessions doesn’t last long in his job, those handed long prison terms will still be behind bars.
…

It goes on to address other quiet changes that will scar the landscape (literally and figuratively) for decades.

[Maus_Magill]

@eschereal

hmm, does that continue like

Sir Tristram, violer d’amores, fr’over the short sea, had passencore rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer’s rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County’s gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick: not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all’s fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa’s malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface.

and kind of progress in a circle?

Oh Jaysus - I’m much too sober for Joyce this morning.

[Ann_Hedonia]

@scr4

What puzzles me about Trump is how he keeps saying “we/they only talked about adoptions,” as if it’s no big deal to have undisclosed discussions about international sanctions.

Is it just possible that the Russians kept saying “I’m sure there’s something you can do to help those American families wanting to adopt Russian children… wink wink” and Trump & his team never even got the hint?

Because they are clueless as businesspeople. Freaking clueless.

I can imagine them coming out of a “negotiation” saying … We came in with a contract ready but it was weird- the other guys kept talking about how a six month delivery time wasn’t acceptable - we came in to negotiate a contract, I don’t know why they were babbling about delivery times". So those guys totally wasted our time.

[Crotalus]

@Fiveyearlurker

Apparently there is a “review process” that this is going under right now. No word on why Trump’s pen was “ready” to sign any health care bill without such review. Or for that matter, why a man who seems to love signing ceremonies is so loathe to celebrate this rare show of bipartisanship.

Thanks!

I don’t think there will be a signing ceremony, if he signs it. He would have to say something, and I can’t imagine how he could get around the facts of the bill: it further injures his hero Putin and reduces the moron-in-chief’s power on this issue. If he signs it, I think it will be done privately and announced via press release.

[BobLibDem]

He’ll of course have a signing statement “Gee I’m sorry, Comrade Vladimir! I still love you!”

Not seeing anything yet on the SDMB about Donald and Fox conspiring to promote the false story about a DNC staffer’s murder. Apparently, Fox calls him up to get permission to air the story.

[Muffin]

@Ann_Hedonia

My favorite part of that interview is
“Number One, they should go after the leakers in intelligence. I don’t mean the White House stuff where they’re fighting over who loves me most,OK. It’s just stupid people doing that.”

Whatever intelligence Trump might have had leaked out of his great orange orb many decades ago.

[JackieLikesVariety]

thanks for the link, Thelma Lou, even though it’s depressing as hell.

[ThelmaLou]

@JackieLikesVariety

thanks for the link, Thelma Lou, even though it’s depressing as hell.

The stench of Trump’s pee-stains on the (literal and figurative) landscape will linger for many years after he’s gone. ESPECIALLY on the Supreme Court.

[Superdude]

@Maus_Magill

More likely, the Boy Scouts simply and politely thanks Trump for the speech, and when pressed for how great it was, told him it was nice or interesting or even unusual. That is what polite people do. They don’t say, “Holy crap! You’re a friggin’ nutcase!”

You’ve obviously never met any of my family/friends/coworkers.

[SteveG1]

@Typo_Negative

Trump: Boy Scout head called my speech ‘the greatest’
I have no words.

It’s sick. That’s what it is.

[SteveG1]

@AnalogSignal

Trump thinks the ‘White House is a real dump’: President Trump thinks the 'White House is a real dump,' report says

Way to make America great, asshole.

The best response so far was “then get the fuck out”.

[Randolph]

@ThelmaLou

Startling article in The Atlantic online illustrating how the Trump administration fits the class definition of a mullet haircut, “party (i.e. clusterfuck/distraction) in the front, business in the back.”

Wouldn’t a mullet be business in the front, party in the back?

[digs]

@Maus_Magill

More likely, the Boy Scouts simply and politely thanks Trump for the speech, and when pressed for how great it was, told him it was nice or interesting or even unusual…

That’s obviously not what happened.

In a pre-Trump world, the Scout director would’ve called him up and said thanks, and the President wouldn’t have bragged about that.

But not now. Now, the President says they called him up, and the Boy Scouts have gone out of their way to say “No we didn’t. There was no phone call.”

I know who I’m going to believe. “A scout is: Trustworthy…”

[SteveG1]

@Fiveyearlurker

Is there any way to read into the hires that Mueller has made and NOT see it as having a ton of shit on Trump?

It sounds like he has plenty, but wants MORE so that nobody can do anything to help Trump without going to jail himself/themselves. I think he has started casting the net in a much wider area too.

What is that phrase? “Follow the money trail”?

Haven’t some of us been talking all along about Russian money propping up the pretend biznizman, dirty real estate deals, money laundering, and bribes all along?

Guess we were right.

Don’t forget, New York is still investigating too, and Trump can’t fire them.

[SteveG1]

@digs

So “Golf” (Golf Magazine) just publicly outed trump as a cheater?

That might be the last straw with my Tightie Rightie relatives, who are upright (and uptight) golfers.

Fake news. So unfair. Sad.

[SteveG1]

@Rick_Kitchen

Only six Senators have ever voted against a President’s nominee for FBI Director. Five of them did so today. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden.

The previous no was Rand Paul against James Comey.

Guess what. This new director has ties to Russia too, through his law firm. When and where does all this shit end???

FBI Director nominee removed reference to case involving Russian government...

FBI Director nominee removed reference to case involving Russian government from law firm bio

President Trump’s FBI pick Christopher Wray scrubbed Russia-related case from...

President Trump’s FBI pick Christopher Wray scrubbed Russia-related case from his law firm bio

Wray Deleted Work on Russian Case From Law Profile

Trump FBI Pick Chris Wray Worked on Russia Case but Deleted it From His Company Bio

[SteveG1]

@Ann_Hedonia

My favorite part of that interview is
“Number One, they should go after the leakers in intelligence. I don’t mean the White House stuff where they’re fighting over who loves me most,OK. It’s just stupid people doing that.”

So, Trump sees all the palace intrigue as people fighting over who loves him most?.. And did he just call everyone in his entourage stupid? Maybe the WJS missed a comma and he said, it’s just stupid, people doing that?

If “they” really wanted to go after the leakers of intel, actual real intel, they should start with Trump. Everything he knows, he tells Daddy Putin. Go after him first.

[scr4]

@Happy_Lendervedder

… this interview with the Wall St. Journal? Holy shit.

Full transcript.

Thanks for that. It as this part that truly befuddled me:

BAKER: So can – what’s – I mean, you’ve outlined the principles of tax reform. Can you tell us what you – you know, what you want to achieve fundamentally in tax reform?

TRUMP: Sure. I want to –

BAKER: What are the – what are the main goals?

TRUMP: I want to achieve growth. We’re the highest-taxed nation in the world, essentially, you know, of the size. But we’re the highest-taxed nation in the world. We have — nobody knows what the number is. I mean, it used to be, when we talked during the debate, $2.5 trillion, right, when the most elegant person — right? I call him Mr. Elegant. I mean, that was a great debate. We did such a great job. But at that time I was talking $2.5 trillion. I guess it’s $5 trillion now. Whatever it is, it’s a lot more. So we have anywhere from 4 [trillion] to 5 or even more trillions of dollars sitting offshore.

We want to get that back, No. One, at a very reasonable cost. And that cost is going to be 10 percent. And right now, it’s so high that, No. One: You would never do it on a business basis. But, No. Two: Bureaucratically it’s impossible. Did you know that? I have friends that try and get their money back. They say they have to go through years of writing out forms and this and that to bring money back into the country. We’re going to make that one — like a half-a-page document. It’s going to be very easy to bring your money back in. And it’s going to be taxed at 10 percent, which is a rate that’s — it’s within reason. And so that’s one of the things we want to do. That’ll be an easy one. That’s one that — you know, it’s — when you talk about a country that’s broken or a system that’s broken, there’s something — the $5 trillion, let’s call it — that the Democrats and the Republicans agree should come back in. It’s been out there for years. Nobody ever did anything about it. I mean, Obama …

What is he even talking about? We are the highest taxed nation?? Not by a long shot. And the aim of his tax reform is to, what, make it easier for Americans to bring back money they have sitting in offshore accounts? Is that what he’s saying?

[SteveG1]

@scr4

Thanks for that. It as this part that truly befuddled me:

What is he even talking about? We are the highest taxed nation?? Not by a long shot. And the aim of his tax reform is to, what, make it easier for Americans to bring back money they have sitting in offshore accounts? Is that what he’s saying?

He wants huge tax breaks for the rich guys - read that as for himself - because really he only cares about himself. But the other parasites are happy to go along for the ride.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

He wants the ability to bring back money that had been sent offshore to avoid taxes… but he does not want to pay taxes on this money, because that would somehow be “unfair”.

How much of his money coming back has been laundered through Russian sources, I wonder?