Our right wing media is at it again, normalizing the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore. NPR this morning called him a "social conservative" instead of what he really his--an extremist homophobic and racist bigot.

TenuredVulture wrote:Our right wing media is at it again, normalizing the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore. NPR this morning called him a "social conservative" instead of what he really his--an extremist homophobic and racist bigot.

I heard that and recoiled. I am not sure what an appropriate title is, but I think we are seeing the end of the 2 parties as they fragment. Moore is a RINO in the sense that his views are so extreme that he does not fit into the GOP. Truthfully it would benefit the parties to toss their nut jobs, but that is the fast lane to coalition government that is marginally successful in most of the rest of the world. Tough nut to crack. That said, Roy Moore has been selected by the people of Alabama to represent their interests as the GOP candidate. I view Alabama a Republican equivalent to Philadelphia and DC Democrat primaries where the election being a formality for Moore before moving to DC to begin his reign of terror.

@realDonaldTrump wrote:Facebook was always anti-Trump.The Networks were always anti-Trump hence,Fake News, @nytimes(apologized) & @WaPo were anti-Trump. Collusion?

President finally admits that Fake News isn't because of well, fake news, but because he's a petty little man that reads slights out of sneeze and cough.

Trump is wrong about the media--the media love Trump, and do everything they can to promote him--just look at this weekend--he's fucking up with N. Korea, and Puerto Rico is facing a humanitarian crisis. So what's the big story? Trump getting mad at some NFL players. They choose the story where Trump's actions most closely align with public sentiment. They do this on a regular basis. Most everyone in the media is in the tank for Trump--he certainly would not be President today without their collusion.

The brilliance of all this is that while from time to time, segments of the media appear critical of Trump (but let's be clear--it's criticism that has no real bite or resonance) and this give Trump the opportunity to whine and carry on about "media bias".

TenuredVulture wrote:Trump is wrong about the media--the media love Trump, and do everything they can to promote him--just look at this weekend--he's fucking up with N. Korea, and Puerto Rico is facing a humanitarian crisis. So what's the big story? Trump getting mad at some NFL players. They choose the story where Trump's actions most closely align with public sentiment. They do this on a regular basis. Most everyone in the media is in the tank for Trump--he certainly would not be President today without their collusion.

The brilliance of all this is that while from time to time, segments of the media appear critical of Trump (but let's be clear--it's criticism that has no real bite or resonance) and this give Trump the opportunity to whine and carry on about "media bias".

I suspect this is how Bannon informs Trump with Cambridge Analytica data. he knows what messaging is going to inflame the base, so they run with that to consolidate the base, distract, etc. once the base is inflamed, the left will respond with an equally enraged tenor, and the media will be forced to cover it.

Doll Is Mine wrote:If you're a moderate Republican in Alabama, I have to wonder, would you rather have Roy Moore in the Senate or a conservative Democrat?

That's what I was thinking. Don't they have Independents down there too?

Let's just rework that quote a tiny bit:

traderdave wrote:"The accomplished people of the RSC. And minorities. If it wasn't racist, I would say the RSC help, but we'll leave that out of the record," Walker said.

WaPo has an article that says NK is trying to hire some GOP think tanks (apparently a common NK practice to seek guidance) to help it understand DJT. Good luck, we don't understand him, except that he might be the most childish leader on the planet based on his actions and priorities. He has made good on the campaign promise to keep the world guessing at what he will do next. Put that one in the 'done' column.

I really started to wonder if I was the only one, but last night/this morning (NPR) I have heard rumblings that others have similar thoughts, and today the Post article confirming the findings of a Pew study: The middle class doesn't want a tax cut. It wants better government.

I just do not mind paying taxes to a functional government that is working for the people's interests, I just need the government bureaucracy to get out of its own way so it can be more efficient, and stop talking about how it is going to help me. That is that the elected officials need to do their job rather then spend time fighting about how what that means. The only way that the big three of education, health, and infrastructure, put the US on par with its needs to be globally competitive are through government. Those are enormous tasks that require focus and action, not endless debate about who is right and how to do it while doing nothing. Sure there are other topics, but being productive on those gold standard benchmarks makes some of the other issues not only solvable, but provides new clarity on how ti all fits together (see, I have it all figured out). It starts with being able to afford the basics that make the rest of it work.

Well, hell, Trump/WH has picked up the Tom Price private jet controversy. Suddenly we are on the same side.

Tax reform means tax cuts for rich people (half a trillion from top 1%) and tax increases for poor people.

Health Care Exec Order "probably" coming soon. [find the tweets about ruling by EO] - From the Donald's mouth

Couple of tidbits:

1. Its been mentioned here and there lately, but Trumps problems with the NFL started when he did not have enough free capital to buy the Buffalo Bills apparently. Since his bid was rejected he has been taking a swing at the league every chance he gets, and the anthem opportunity was his ultimate opening.

2. It is reported that Donnie went to bed pissed that his guy lost in 'Bama. Blames Mitch. Woke up determined to get rid of the evidence he support that loser Strange by deleting this tweets (idiot).

I know we save things for the failing NY times but way to bury the fuckin lede, wapo, on the fed report

Breaking news: Since 2013, minorities and Americans without high school diplomas showed greatest gains in wealth, Federal Reserve report shows

In report:
The median net worth of white households was $171,000, nearly 10 times larger than for black households. The median net worth of African-American and Latino families was below $21,000. While minority families have seen the biggest percentage gains in recent years, they were starting from a much lower point.

Median net worth jumped to $67,000 and soared to almost $300,000 for people with college degrees. The wealthiest and best educated families continued to pull away from everyone else.

The share of America's income held by the top 1 percent of households reached 24 percent in 2016, a record high. As the mega wealthy have seen their share of the total pie climb, the bottom 90 percent have lost ground. Last year, the bottom 90 percent took home less than half of America's total income for the first time since the Fed began calculating this statistic in the 1980s. In 1992, the bottom 90 percent captured over 60 percent of the income. It's been a steady decline since.

is there any reason the Jones Act still exists?

pacino wrote:is there any reason the Jones Act still exists?

Are you saying we should not honor America? Her Traditions? Her people? The brave longshoremen, and merchant marines? Marines, I love our troops, you should be fired for hating America. The Jones Act is America.

pacino wrote:is there any reason the Jones Act still exists?

Concentrated benefits vs. diffuse costs is the root of most protectionism. It would be nice if the increased salience of the costs were enough to make it go away though.

Trump's claiming that he has the votes for Graham-Cassidy, just can't vote on it now because the window is closing, so they will need to get to the next window and can take a vote. Again calling for the end to the filibuster with the same old yakity yak about the Dems would do it. Essentially he is saying that he can only get something done if he gets a short cut.

thephan wrote:Trump's claiming that he has the votes for Graham-Cassidy, just can't vote on it now because the window is closing, so they will need to get to the next window and can take a vote. Again calling for the end to the filibuster with the same old yakity yak about the Dems would do it. Essentially he is saying that he can only get something done if he gets a short cut.

not surprising since he got a shortcut to start his life and has been taking them ever since. They control both houses, the POTUS, and the SCOTUS, and they still can't get anything done.

Gotta wait for the write up to get the less complex tax code proposal. Getting rid of the AMT? I wonder what that does to the budget. Getting rid of tax breaks, reducing the brackets to 3, dumping the death tax (to wild applause of people who it would never effect - those small businesses worth that would have had no problems, and even less if they did some planning, but Trump Enterprises will never pay taxes again in his life or the after).

Talked to Kip whose family has had the family farm for 180 and the death tax would endanger it (how does he still have it?).

Well, will need to read the write up later to see how else we are going to increase the national debt with this trickle down.