Agreed. I was just pointing out that there are lots of things in the government that I have to pay for (through taxes) that I don't support paying for.
Uh, Trump appoints a PE guy to review intelligence agencies? Oh, he's a billionaire; that explains it. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/...elligence-agencies-stephen-feinberg.html?_r=0
The Rambler in Chief is also the Whiner in Chief: http://www.torontosun.com/2017/02/1...nce--its-story-after-story-after-story-is-bad President Donald Trump's anti-media rant – specifically targeting CNN at times – will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable moments of his presidency. Sitting just steps away from him, he looked them in the face and called them liars. He told them "nobody" believes them. He called CNN not only "fake news," but "very fake news." After opening his Thursday news conference with an announcement that Alexander Acosta, the dean of the Florida International University law school, is his new nominee for labour secretary, Trump launched into a vigorous defence of his presidency, declaring that: “We have made incredible progress. I don’t think there’s ever been a president elected who in this short period of time has done what we’ve done.” More quotes from Trump’s news conference: “Look, I want to see an honest press. ... But if you were straight, I would be your biggest booster. I would be your biggest fan in the world, including bad stories about me. But if you go — as an example, you’re CNN, I mean it’s story after story after story is bad. I won. I won. And the other thing, chaos because zero chaos. We are running — this is a fine-tuned machine and (chief of staff) Reince (Priebus) happens to be doing a good job, but half of his job is putting out lies by the press.” “Much of the media in Washington, D.C., along with New York, Los Angeles in particular, speaks not for the people, but for the special interests and for those profiting off a very, very obviously broken system. The press has become so dishonest that if we don’t talk about, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people. Tremendous disservice. We have to talk to find out what’s going on, because the press honestly is out of control. The level of dishonesty is out of control.” “As you know, our administration inherited many problems across government and across the economy. To be honest, I inherited a mess. It’s a mess. At home and abroad, a mess. Jobs are pouring out of the country; you see what’s going on with all of the companies leaving our country, going to Mexico and other places, low pay, low wages, mass instability overseas, no matter where you look. The Middle East is a disaster. North Korea — we’ll take care of it folks; we’re going to take care of it all. I just want to let you know, I inherited a mess.” “If Russia and the United States actually got together and got along — and don’t forget, we’re a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. There’s no up-side. We’re a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. I have been briefed. And I can tell you one thing about a briefing that we’re allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it, nuclear holocaust would be like no other.” “(Former National Security Adviser) Mike Flynn is a fine person, and I asked for his resignation. He respectfully gave it. He is a man who there was a certain amount of information given to Vice-President Pence, who is with us today. And I was not happy with the way that information was given. He didn’t have to do that, because what he did wasn’t wrong — what he did in terms of the information he saw. What was wrong was the way that other people, including yourselves in this room, were given that information, because that was classified information that was given illegally. That’s the real problem.” “I fired him because of what he said to Mike Pence. Very simple. Mike was doing his job. He was calling countries and his counterparts. So, it certainly would have been OK with me if he did it. I would have directed him to do it if I thought he wasn’t doing it. I didn’t direct him, but I would have directed him because that’s his job.” ____________ James Joyce's Ulysses has nothing on Trump's stream-of-consciousness ramblings. As for the whining part: According to Mr. Trump, in his own words, "I do whine because I want to win, and I'm not happy about not winning, and I am a whiner, and I keep whining and whining until I win." (ref. August 11, 2015 interview with CNNs's New Day host Chris Cuomo). Also, in Rich Lowrey's column in the National Review, Mr. Trump was described as "the most fabulous whiner in all of American politics." On the same date 8/11/15, Colin Campbell wrote, "Real-estate developer Donald Trump embraced the idea that he's a 'whiner.'" http://www.nationalwhinersday.com/most-famous-whiners.html
Harward says no to Trump's national security adviser job, citing 'shit sandwich' https://boingboing.net/2017/02/16/shitsandwich.html Ret. Vice Adm. Bob Harward, a former U.S. Navy Seal, rejected President Donald Trump's offer to become new national security adviser. Trump is reportedly trying to win him back. The “well-liked navy veteran who is close to James Mattis, US defence secretary” was to replace Mike Flynn after Flynn resigned in a cloud of suspicion, over alleged contact with Russian agents. A friend of Harward's has been quoted in the press as saying Harward was reluctant to take the job because the White House seems unstable. Harward called the offer a "shit sandwich," his friend said.
It is amazing how often the media creates a quote from a "friend" without identifying the individual and usually a few days later the quote turns out to be bullshiat. This is an example of why most people no longer trust the media.
Then I guess we'll know for sure in a few days. Stay tuned. In the meantime, savor the fact that Harwood turned down the job. "Shit sandwich" details to follow.
I still have trouble seeing how the Trump administration survives a full term. Judging by his Thursday press conference, President Trump’s mental state is like a train that long ago left freewheeling and iconoclastic, has raced through indulgent, chaotic and unnerving, and is now careening past unhinged, unmoored and unglued. This is no longer a country in which everybody experiences the same reality. Everything about Trump that appalls 65 percent of America strengthens him with the other 35 percent, and he can ride that group for a while. Even after these horrible four weeks, Republicans on Capitol Hill are not close to abandoning their man. The likelihood is this: We’re going to have an administration that has morally and politically collapsed, without actually going away. What does that look like? First, it means an administration that is passive, full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing. To get anything done, a president depends on the vast machinery of the U.S. government. But Trump doesn’t mesh with that machinery. He is personality-based while it is rule-based. Furthermore, he’s declared war on it. And when you declare war on the establishment, it declares war on you. The Civil Service has a thousand ways to ignore or sit on any presidential order. The court system has given itself carte blanche to overturn any Trump initiative, even on the flimsiest legal grounds. The intelligence community has only just begun to undermine this president. President Trump can push all the pretty buttons on the command deck of the Starship Enterprise, but don’t expect anything to actually happen, because they are not attached. snip The first conclusion is obvious. This administration is more like a medieval monarchy than a modern nation-state. It’s more “The Madness of King George” than “The Missiles of October.” The key currency is not power, it’s flattery. The corollary is that Trump is ripe to be played. Give the boy a lollipop and he won’t notice if you steal his lunch. The Japanese gave Trump a new jobs announcement he could take to the Midwest, and in return they got presidential attention and coddling that other governments would have died for. If you want to roll the Trump administration, you’ve got to get in line. The Israelis got a possible one-state solution. The Chinese got Trump to flip-flop on the “One China” policy. The Europeans got him to do a 180 on undoing the Iran nuclear deal. Vladimir Putin was born for a moment such as this. He is always pushing the envelope. After gifting Team Trump with a little campaign help, the Russian state media has suddenly turned on Trump and Russian planes are buzzing U.S. ships. The bear is going to grab what it can. We’re about to enter a moment in which U.S. economic and military might is strong but U.S. political might is weak. Imagine the Roman Empire governed by Monaco. That’s scary. The only saving thought is this: The human imagination is vast, but it is not nearly vast enough to encompass the infinitely multitudinous ways Donald Trump can find to get himself disgraced. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/...-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
Really. If any other foreign leader got an offer from the Japanese wherein the leader of Japan promised to bring six hundred thousand jobs to their country, they'd all have given Presidential attention and coddling. Trump is a businessman, and that's how business gets done. What an asinine article.