Haven't you learned anything from ABC News? You aren't doing your readers any favors by continuing to push the illusion that Trump's presidency is on the verge of collapse. He's doing a great job and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.
What an interesting comment. In reality,Trump is a loudmouth egomaniac and a bully to boot, who has no idea what the presidency entails, and has not surrounded himself with the "best and the brightest" to assist him. Mr. Trump and his lack of any semblance of self-discipline is the greatest danger this country has faced since the height of the Cold War.
16
The only way to counter-balance this insanity is to be completely sane. If the rich get richer, who among them will understand the balance needed to keep us all functional by assuring those who need help most that there is someone there offering help and assistance. It all comes back, full circle, and ... it will.
6
Regardless of what Mueller finds, the important thing is to register & VOTE for Democrats across the board in 2018, if for no other reason than to limit the damage left behind by this awful & corrupt trump administration. Exorcise the greedy, hypocritical GOP demons. All of them.
19
Americans- Sat. Jan. 20th..... March on the White House and occupy DC. Be there- we can't wait for Mueller or November 2018.
11
Take credit. Shift blame. Great strategy - unless you’re such a liar nobody believes you anymore. The public is against this president - I hope the elected representatives find the strength to stand up to him and remove him and the rest of his power-hungry lackeys from their posts. Our country’s standing in the world drops every second they remain.
16
I am longing for the Obama years. Eight years that is, without ONE scandal... Of course, Republicans said he was destroying America...
17
Today, we also found out that an NRA official was trying to set up a back channel between Trump and Putin. So, now the self-proclaimed "Patriots," who make up Trump's NRA base think it's okay to secretly collude with Russia? I hate conspiracy theory, but that really smacks of something even larger than Trump's band of inept family members.
18
The Republican strategy is to cannibalize the body politic and hope nobody notices the pain right away. Whose foot is that? It's not mine, is it?
Obviously large doses of sedatives will be required, which may have unpredictable side effects. But the expectation is that everybody will be too euphoric to read the fine print.
5
Trump is in real trouble. He will keep telling himself that "nothing happened" and "there was no collusion," "it's a witch hunt," "Comey is a liar," etc. But it's clear that he and his people were playing around during the election campaign, and it will all unravel soon enough. The "Deep Throat"(s) who will inform us on the whole picture of who was actually doing what will likely include Flynn plus a Russian middle man who was relaying info between the Trump campaign and the "Wiki Leakers," i.e., orchestrating the timing of the leaks. Trump will end his presidency as a victim of his playing a "game" that became real when he actually won an election he figured he was going to lose. Unfortunately for Trump, you can't play those kinds of games except in the entertainment world.
I remain ready to believe that the Trump camp itself initiated contacts with Russian sources to better its odds of winning. When, during the campaign, Trump openly encouraged the Russian hacking and release of negative info on Clinton, it's no leap of imagination to conclude that Flynn or others actually engaged in communications that will amount to collusion. Flynn's reference a while back to "taking the fall" (for Trump?), and Trump's own silly statements about how "I am not being investigated" (but "it's possible some of my associates did something"), both point in the same direction. They most likely overstepped the collusion boundary, out of incompetence and/or conscious calculation.
10
Count Vlad has influenced many politicians, but who pulls Count Vlad's strings? The Russian Mob and the Russian Oligarchs, who also did a lot of business with Fred Trump back in the day in The Big Apple, with slum properties and bordellos. Are you unaware of this?
12
I have given up on responding to Trump's daily embarrassments and lack of character.
I have now come to accept, that had I raised a son like Trump, I would consider myself myself an absolute failure as a mother.
How does Ivanka reconcile this with her children?
13
There you go again. ***No president in modern times has faced such a major investigation so early in his term even as he was still seeking to establish his political footing, much less one with as little popular support in polls as Mr. Trump has.***
Yes. No president has been attacked at every step by the swamp-dwellers he ran to exterminate.
Why should we believe your polls now? Do you think anyone who voted for Trump has buyers’ remorse? You are very wrong if you think so. So, your polls of anti-Trump demographics will *surprise* show low support. YAWN.
HRC running the State Department as a profit center for the Clinton Foundation was the reason for her private server. The 30,000 Emails would be a pointillist portrait of her operations.
When the politicians use the law and police to examine and prosecute political rivals it is obscene. That Mueller who was part of the process that ok’ed the sale of Uranium One should be investigating Trump is enraging.
WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED. YOUR TIME TO SHAPE THE NARRATIVE IS PAST.
You are “ALL THE NEWS FAKE TO PIMP”.
A lot of voters wouldn't admit they planned to vote for him, so polls were unreliable. Bottom line, Hillary isn't president, but Trump is.
I know many PA. voters who don't support him now, have Trump Regret, and usually the best Trump jokes.
Facts matter: The man's campaign is being investigated. There's an issue of Russia being involved in the 2016 presidential election. His key staff have been arrested and indicted. His own son-in-law's under the microscope for measures that could imprison him. His daughter wishes she hadn't recommended Mike Flynn.
And Trump owes his victory in the Electoral College to 3 states he won by the smallest number of votes: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
The election was decided by 77,000 votes out of 136 million ballots cast.
Given the impact of the meddling, and voter suppression in GOP states, Hillary Clinton should have won. Emails show his staff were in contact with Russia and their propaganda arm Wikileaks. Their own emails indict them.
18
And meanwhile…
The Trump administration is working diligently to fill an unprecedented number of federal judgeships with the help of the Republican senate majority.
This may be Trump’s greatest success, his most enduring legacy -- and it is well underway.
The lasting impact of his lifetime appointments will affect America and American lives for decades.
So far, according to the AP, Trump's picks are more white and more male than any other president in nearly thirty years.
I don’t want the drumbeat of all things Russia to drown out this concerted effort to reshape our judiciary for the next fifty years.
Thus far, this is the real success story of the Trump administration.
16
An unbalanced Judiciary in a Democracy is a very dangerous thing. Justice should be blind, not influenced by politically or religiously motivated judges. YOU may have YOUR preferences, but so do the MAJORITY of Americans have theirs.
2
Although I am certainly not a trained psychologist (actually, a historian), I can't help but wonder whether or not President Trump isn't unconsciously trying to set himself up to fail at the biggest undertaking of his life--that of the presidency of the United States. His dialogue, diatribes, "Tweets", public behavior, lack of skill in diplomacy (both foreign and domestic); his inability to keep Cabinet members and other staff; his surrounding himself with some seemingly "shady" campaign staff, some of whom have obviously been engaged in dubious tactics for political success--all, collectively, point to someone who seems to set things up so that he can't gain respect; one who unconsciously desires being harmed and discredited; someone who appears to want to lose perpetually at what he seeks personally, and to place himself time-after-time in one "no-win" situation after another. The trouble is, if this is so, his psychological problems seem to have the capacity of not only hurting Mr. Trump, but also of injuring the "National Psyche" as well--bringing America to the point of dysfunction and low-level chaos. Whether this man is troubled psychologically or not, Americans (and the world) deserve a president motivated by an inner purpose that reflects self-awareness and self-respect.
10
I am so very tired of how trump subverts the news- talk about fake news. Flynn was the best, incredible guy, hounded and lied about by the media, and now it’s spiraled down to ‘I fired him because he lied to the FBI and Pence.’ Again, after apologizing for the Hollywood Access tape, he’s now saying, the voice isn’t his...
We have countless examples of his 180 degree turns, enough to sink a ship. All on tape- his words, his voice, his face- not fake news. What amazes me is the core of supporters who still follow him. When did we reach that level where electing a Rep with a history of molesting women supersedes electing a Dem with credentials of prosecuting crime despite what trump claims? What have we become?
How is it possible that the Rep Congress is bending it’s knee to a man who doesn’t know the first thing about governing and has never spent a day not forwarding his own image? What has happened? It seems the only time Congress/US citizens are able to come together is in times of national catastrophes. Very sad (not to be confused with trump sad)...
18
How far does this insanity have to go?
As this 2pm EST, Trump has declared the FBI " in tatters ", and his lawyer claims he wrote another " eye opener" of a tweet...clearly it had Trump's signature anger, caps and exclamation points all over it.
The only thing in "tatters" is our Commander in Chief, and his house of cards is falling fast.
19
Until the Cult of Trump (the Republicans) find a moral compass and miraculously realize why they have been put in office, nothing will happen. They are all spineless petty politicians with delusions of grandeur and no moral compass. VOTE THEM OUT. TEACH THEM THAT YOU HAVE POWER to effect change. I am not a political partisan - just an involved, compassionate, very well-educated American WITH a moral compass and decent critical thinking.
2
Trickle down has been shown not to work other than to trickle more money into the coffers of the oligarchs at the expense of the rest of us. Just count the number of industries that actually create jobs or noticeably increase wages in the next year to year-and-a-half. Bet you'll need less than one hand.
6
I think it begs to be repeated, however apparently partisan it appears, over and over, when you say how little political support he has, that he has never commanded a majority. And as a result he has never gained a mandate. It is not surprising that he lacks any kind of majority political support.
6
It's so odd Trump states "There's been absolutely no collusion, so we're very happy."
It's ridiculous because Flynn's a cooperating witness with Mueller--- and he's been with the campaign since Feb. 2016 as a chief adviser, a main speaker at Republican convention, photographed with Trump, stayed with the campaign transition, appointed national security adviser in Jan. 2017 + photographed with Trump, Kushner + Bannon around a desk as Trump spoke with foreign leaders by phone, Pence in some of those photos, then when the wheels came off the bus, Trump fired Flynn in Feb. 2017.
Every day we hear of new players being called in by investigators-- those in Trump Tower with Junior, those at Sychelles Islands with Erik Prince and
Kushner on establishing secret channel to Russia to avoid US intelligence agency interceptions, Alpha Bank of Russia tied to the Trump Tower server, Mercer/Kushner's Cambria Data Analytics to target US voters, Facebook/Twitter efforts, those documents flown in from Russia on helping out Trump to win. The timing of Wikileaks and campaign staffers' meetings, Trump's on TV saying bad info's coming out on Hillary Clinton 4 hours after the Russians flew met at Trump tower-- it's endless!
Mueller as a special counsel's investigating connections between the Trump campaign and Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election!
Seems like it's lining up as obvious!! You'd be in denial believing otherwise!
13
I know, he's mentally ill and cracking under the pressure. At the same time the NYT is watching him through a one-way mirror carefully noting each quirk in his behavior as if he was Norman in the final scene of "Psycho." At least Norman had the benefit of a good director Alfred Hitchcock, who, unlike the NYT, knew his narrative was just a fiction. In control of the narrative he could add or leave out whatever detail he wished. In real life, however, Norman doesn't seem to be following the script. If Trump is crazy, he's crazy like a fox, and, sorry to say, always one step ahead of those who would commit him to the nuthouse.
3
'always' one step ahead? Perhaps you meant to say 'Trump used to be one step ahead.' Trump some wrongly claim is playing '4 dimensional chess.' Doesn't matter: Trump is up against a 'Go' to Jail' master who is schooling Trump's minions on the consequences of breaking the law. Flynn likely will be singing 'Lock Trump up' live in a future court appearance; which is why Trump is more disturbed than usual of late. Especially since with Trump's self-incrimination, there can be no get out of jail free card for him, ever. Trump 10-20 (year sentence)!!
3
Even Clinton or Nixon would have resigned at this point. But Trump? No way, just more and more lies. I'm pretty sure he's not going to go quietly.
16
That this Tax plan is as much an 'Enemy's List' as a Tax Bill perfectly emulates Trump's governing style with it's cruel consequences paid by the majority of us.
10
Mr. Baker, do yourself a favor, buy a copy of the Washington Post, they are reporting what's going on in the Trump White House accurately and honestly. We need all papers of record to report the truth about what is happening. The success the headline refers to is passing an ugly tax bill that a large majority of Americans are against, this bill will hurt many in the middle class and enrich the already obscenely rich, I see that as a disaster not a success.
12
The Republicans have been selling trickle down economics for decades as they pick the pockets and bank accounts of the middle and lower economic classes. Now there is this phenomenon of trickle up indictments. It will be interesting to see which trickle occurs first the signing of a "tax reform" bill or indictments of the criminals in the White House.
11
I think would be more helpful if NYT stopped referring to what happened in these last few weeks as "tax cuts". It should be called the "Redistribution Of Wealth Plan" and Trump will make oodles of money hidden away from interested eyes.
Trumps' base is not a beneficiary at all. They will soon see their remaining benefits removed from them.
School vouchers removed? Check. Health aid to poor children eliminated? Check. Reduced social security payments? Check. Medicare wiped out? Check. Deduction for college tuition removed? Check. End to environmental protections of the air, water and ground? Check. State and local tax deduction ended? Check. Highway construction slashed? Check. School lunch payments ended? Check. And more and more and more so that the very wealthy can put more money in Bahamanian banks.
This is what you voted for when you voted for Trump. Clinton would have vetoed their horrific plans.
10
Success for Trump on any front is by definition s disaster for the United States.
12
Did Marie-Antoinette: "Let them eat cake."
Donald Trump: "Who? Oh them? The American people? Let them starve! Let them die by denying them access to affordable healthcare! Let the poor be forced to choose between eating or taking the medications they need to survive!"
How on God's good earth is this the American Way?
5
Just sitting here waiting for, "I am not a crook".
5
"There was no collusion. No collusion"
2
The only thing that is clear about this Trump term is that Donald Trump is not only is a pathetic liar, he is the most incompetent and mentally unfit man to ever sit in the Oval Office.
Donald Trump has not only made himself a National Embarrassment, but has dumbed down this country to the world.
When you have someone like Donald Trump who is so insecure that he has to tell anyone who will listen to the Blowhard about how smart he is, it is the first indicator that, it is just a opposite, and he is about as dumb as you get, and someone who is way in over his head.
Every time Donald Trump opens his mouth he pollutes the environment of honesty and civility!
11
Try as they may, the democrats are apoplectic because tax cuts were just shoved down their collective throats. Democrats hate tax cuts because it cedes their power back to the people. Flynn is small potatoes...Martha Stewart stuff. The Trump agenda and momentum are rolling. Obamacare on deck. Stay tuned.
From Scandal? Yes!
To Success! NO!!!
Establish “political footing”? Hah!
Trump and his Enablers/Sycophants are using dictatorial tactics to twist this nation into a wretched wasteland, where GOP Barbarians loot the patrimony
inherited by us ALL. Where a few enslave the many, sucking the lifeblood of our nation’s wealth in order to enrich themselves and their cronies.
We are witnessing the erratic behaviors of a Madman in the White House. Enabled and protected by Sycophants, whose efforts to make him look sane are a Mockery of the Presidency.
8
tRump needs to look over his shoulder to see how fast Bobby-Three-Sticks is gaining on him!
This lout, tRump, will be taken down, soon, by our Mr. Muller, and all the scoundrels that go with the Dementia King. That includes, in my opinion, maladjusted Mike Pence, who cannot trust himself to be alone with any woman other than his wife. How 'warm and fuzzy' does that make America's parents feel??? Rather nauseous, I would think.
What a collection of twisted, corrupt individuals in this white house!
Silly me, it's republicans, AGAIN!! Re-run Watergate. It was cleaner.
6
It may be time for another Civil War. It is probably better to die in the streets, fighting for what is left of America, than be slowly decimated by a cabal of ideological Republican zealots and their degenerate leader.
If we do not want to become an enslaved oligarchy, it may be time to fight back. At least we would die with a shred of dignity. As it is, all that is good about America is being systematically stripped away and we are being left with nothing. Resist. Resist. Resist.
9
Start with voting in 18. Dems, give us something to vote for....
7
How about we vote for NOT becoming an oligarchy?
2
As long as Democrats continue to fixate on "identity politics" and "DACA" more people will be inclined to re-elect Trump in 2020. There's easily +70 million Americans [another +20 million silent supporters] willing to give Trump another chance. The Democrats already demonstrated their inept weakness by caving on the GOP tax plan. They went down without a fight- just like France capitulated to the Nazis.
Remember Bannon's prescient words," “the longer they talk about identity politics, I got ’em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.”
2
If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.” That'll work until the next stock market crash. Or the next time Trump decides he needs fresh troops for a new war. Who will follow President Bone Spurs into the cauldron of the Middle East, or to defend Japan or South Korea. Ready to send your sons, Republicans?
8
Aaron - You are deluding yourself. Trump received only a little more than 62 million votes in the 2016 election, and his approval just slid to 33%. Oh, and as far as pretending that the Democrats fixate on 'identity politics', Trump's tweeting fake anti-Muslim videos and repeatedly using the "Pocahontas" slur, along with many other white supremacist memes, is the textbook definition of racist identity politics. He just can't help himself, and there's no doubt what his prejudices are. He's not going to finish his term.
4
We have a lunatic in the White House.
And what has the GOP done about it? Nothing.
10
They won't do anything about it as long as he continues to sign anything they put in front of him.
2
This just in: Secretary Clinton has gone from “Crooked Hillary” to “TOTALLY Crooked Hillary”. Big news!
3
The only thing that is clear about this Trump term is that Donald Trump is not only is a pathetic liar, the most incompetent and mentally unfit man to ever sit in the Oval Office.
Donald Trump has not only made himself a National Embarrassment, but has dumbed down this country to the world.
When you have someone like Donald Trump who is so insecure that he has to tell anyone who will listen to the Blowhard about how smart he is, it is the first indicator that is just a opposite, about as dumb as you get, and someone who is way in over his head.
Every time Donald Trump opens his mouth he pollutes the environment of honesty and civility!
3
Donald Trump open your ears and close your mouth.....I think what we have here is a failure to communicate!
3
This tax plan is filet migeon for corporate America ,gristle for middle America and nothing for the forgotten man. Corporate America will vote themselves increased bonuses and tell you that they can't give you a raise yet because the costs of your benefits is so high. America exists to serve corporate interests and that is eroding our democracy. Middle America lost bigly.
7
Shame on you Gail Collins, you should not be re elected for your vote with the cabal.
I think you mean Susan Collins? Gail Collins is a NYT columnist
2
You are right I mean Susan
Shame on Susan Collins!
2
Inevitably liars begin to have real trouble keeping their lies straight...Trumps lawyers are only confusing him at this point...
3
There was absolutely nothing successful about Friday. The POTUS is the leader of a cabal who are still in the WH. Flynn is getting less than he deserves. No surprise on the tax bill. Trump appointed to be Treasury Secretary-- Munchkin, a guy who literally foreclosed on more American homes than anyone in history. He was the right set up guy for tax reform to send all the wrong people to the poor house i.e., the class that is already there.
I can't help but think that some Americans have already forfeited the country i.e. we are DONE! Among them are the super wealthy about which it doesn't matter; they have bunkers and enough money to survive and American holocaust. As for the remaining that hold true to democratic principles and values (the GOP has none and more and more so-called democrats in Washington are right in there with them), we'll fight. The Dems in DC didn't make an impassioned plea or spend time deconstructing the tax bill like they did with the ACA. They & their children will also benefit from it. They did not need to read it.
Truth is, America is just scandalous presently! It's a reality show where the POTUS is emotionally disabled & throws temper tantrums but those presumed to be working around him nod like its okay. Sanders is the best example. For her, everything Trump does glitters like gold.
It's fool's gold. Trump's presidency makes the nation look like we are all fools. The tax plan will ruin what good served the interest of less fortunate Americans.
5
Trump is well on his way to making America Great Again, a prospect that is fatal to democrat hopes of impeaching him after the election. Sorry dems.,,,7 more years to go. Just lay back and enjoy it.
Success for whom? Not the American citizens and families (except the 1%), not for the environment, not for diplomats, not for regulators in every field, not for women, not for gays and transgenders, not for our crumbling infrastructure, not for our esteemed institutions and keepers of maintaining our social fabric, not for the 4th Amendment or the Constitution itself, not for allies, in fact the whole World itself. But it has been great for the Corporations, the 1%, the felons, the racists, the misogynists, the gun toters and NRA, the pseudo nationalists, the liars and felons, the deviants, the indecent, the immoral and last but not the least, the warmongerers. Yes, wretched for everything good!
6
It is astounding how stupid Republicans have become in the face of the all-encompassing greed.
W was only a LITTLE too greedy, his extractive policies bankrupted the country a year earlier than intended - on his own watch - economically; defecating where he sleeps.
Trump's GOP can't even wait for one term to end! Here they are the architect of their own demise.
1. By pushing for tax extraction from middle class for infusion to .1% elites Trump exposes vulnerable House GOP to extreme meanness and UNPOPULARITY of the Senate bill.
2. House and/or Senate flip Democratic next year as result.
3. With real scrutiny comes real subpoenas, hearings, truth.
4. Trump is impeached and removed from office before end of first term.
5. YAY Democracy; DEMOCRATS.
4
Book of re-Genesis, Ch. 2:
1 And so the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day, God noticed a Trump in the bushes.
3 And everything stopped.
1
We really do have a runaway government now. If Trump isn't mentally ill, he may as well be the way he acts and talks, so the result is the same.
The Republicans are willing to rape the masses to satisfy their wealthy sponsors. This is a runaway train. There are no brakes available until the mid terms. The Republicans have to know this. They are going to try to steal as much as they can before the midterms. They know what's coming.
7
The problem for Trump is that he is a proven liar and a boastful one at that.
He lives in a world of make believe. Like a mad juggler throwing ball after ball into the air. He does not trust the American people with the truth because he does not trust people, nor trust truth, or know truth --or who he really is: the persona swallowed the man years ago.
He built an empire on deceit and deception and the chickens are, finally, coming home to roost --or roast as the case may be, with Robert Mueller carefully stirring the coals.
6
anybody who still supports trump is as guilty as he is
10
What is success?
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; [White college educated voters disapprove of Trump by 60%, 80% disapprove of GOP in Congress (Quinnipiac Nov.). 63% of young people disapprove of Trump; majorities were scared/concerned about the Trump presidency; 61% disapprove of Congress (NBC/GenForward Nov. poll).]
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; [Under investigation by FBI, Senate and House committees, with Trump inner circle with two indicted, two pleaded guilty of charges]
to appreciate the beauty; [Yes for Confederate statues; proposed end of NEA, IMLS, NEH, and end protection for many national monuments]
to find the best in others; [almost 600 insults of people, places & things so far by Trump on Twitter (NYT).]
to leave the world a bit better, [end of Paris Accord; many environmental protections; abandoned Puerto Rico; withdrew from various global famine relief and health initiatives; close to war with NK and in the ME.]
… whether by a healthy child, [CHIP expired for 9 million poor children and pregnant women. Families with medical deductions due to serious illnesses no longer able to deduct expenses.]
…. a garden patch [land seized for oil pipelines & Trump Wall, family farm hurt with fewer NAFTA exports]
Or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!”
6
*corrupt
*works with enemies of the U.S.
*has never read the constitution
*narcissistic
*lives extravagantly at taxpayer expense
Seems all the fears republicans held against Obama are actually embodied in Trump.
A sucker is born every minute and Trump seems to have cornered the market.
8
The scandal part seems clear; but the success of passing the tax cut bill, while cheating on the majority of it's people, and doubling the 'silver spoon' of privilege for the 'rich and powerful? No word yet from the Warrens/Gates/Zuckerberg's of this world denouncing this depraved injustice, let alone influencing Trump's misrule, and republican hypocrisy, to do the right thing...after their swearing of upholding the law and serving the people that, trusting them, were elected. Trust, apparently, is not worth the effort nor the expense. The American people are the most credulous and ingenuous bunch, ready to accept ingenious charlatans and hucksters in their midst, and buying their 'snake oil' by the dozen.
2
Is it possible that Mitch McConnell is getting his Christmas wish? Giddy success with his "middle-class tax cut" AND having a lawyer muzzle our President's tweets on the same day? Is this a continuing nightmare or just another bad dream?
Happy Holidays. =-(
2
Does anyone have a sense for when it might be appropriate to start chanting "Lock him up" whenever the President appears?
9
Republicans can cheer their immoral tax bill and betrayal of the American people for now. 2018 will tell a vastly different story.
3
Russia has succeeded in destroying the people of this country. No Russian collusion changed any voting; yes, there were ads. Mueller and his latest hire, (who has numerous NY state grievances against him) will try to nail Trump for nothing as the democrats are so hateful. They lost the election and cannot accept the results. When people vote republicans in again in 2020 because the economy will explode get back to us.
This Administration has not completed a year yet it feels like years. Week after week from the start lies following lies. A web from trumps family to Flynn. 3 years till the 2020 Election Can American people take three more years of this?
4
With his tax plan done, illegal border crossing under control, the market at all time highs and poised to do better (which means that the 401K's of most people reading this newspaper will soar), and unemployment essentially at zero, Trump has found his footing...for now anyway. Could a deal with North Korea cement a second term ?
As for Bill Clinton, with sexual harassment along with his bad past behavior in the headlines, he's probably playing with those old campaign buttons again.
And the headline reads that this tax is a success!? Good heavens, other than the rich and corporations, the public is going to be taken badly, yet again. I wouldn't call this success.
5
@Girish...
Keep repeating the Trump/Repub mantra "There is nothing to see here." And "Clinton, the Dems and the fake news pushing press" are the problem." The rest of us will choose and live with the terrible reality that a wanna be despot and his enablers have made our country weak, hated by its former allies, isolated, cruel to the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society and blatantly transferring even more wealth to those they really serve, the ultra rich. Keep telling yourself the lies you are being fed. We will vote. Mueller will do his job and justice will be served.
6
Why do I have the sinking feeling that it is only a matter of time before our liar in chief, starts to blame Obama for the effects of the tax cuts.
3
The single biggest challenge facing Trump is, in fact, Trump. The external forces, like the Mueller investigation and dismal popularity numbers, were largely of his own making. And as long as the presidency is filled by this president, he will work at grave disadvantage to himself.
His tweets are highly unpopular, with large majorities from both parties calling for an end. His lies are blatant and an insult to thinking peoples. His rages to staff turn them into leakers. His mounting conspiracy theories, such as seeing "loser Hillary" and "loser Democrats" behind every setback, foster yet further paranoia. His vicious critiques of his own cabinet members and party leaders dog their ability to function. His insistence on loyalty above all else leads him to favor sycophants over do-gooders.
Trump constantly steps on his own message, ignores cautions meant to protect him and changes his mind on policy and personnel on an invisible whim. He is a racist, a xenophobe, a misogynist, a narcissist.
The U.S. president dwells in a dark cloud, much as Nixon before him. Their minds and motivations foisted their troubles upon them. The difference is that Nixon was also a successful statesman and canny politician. Trump stumbled onto a deep vein of national discontent. That lead to his election but will end in dissolution.
1
Will a Democratic wave election in 2018 be in time to restore sanity to our Federal and State governments and undo the damage now being done daily?
Please folks - get out and speak your minds. Use civil disobedience if necessary (can they really arrest 100 million of us for not paying allegiance to their "reformed" taxes?). Then VOTE in 2018. We must restore sanity.
6
Hey, now Trump and I have something in common: Our equity investments will increase even more in value. Thanks, Poorly Educated America!
2
One thing that needs to be addressed right now is: EXACTLY WHO is writing Trumps Tweets? Not him, obviously, since one of his lawyers was forced to make a statement HE in fact wrote the "Flynn lied to the FBI" Tweet.
If Trump IS NOT writing ALL his own Tweets, his base must understand they are being conned, and ALL Trumps Tweets are "FAKE."
2
Mueller's team has charged four people once affiliated with the Trump campaign, transition team or administration: Paul Manafort. Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn. But only one of those charged—Flynn--was charge for something he did as a member of the Trump team. Meanwhile Mueller hasn’t charged anyone for collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election, the primary purpose of the investigation.
• The charges against Manafort and Gates have nothing to do with the 2016 election or the Trump campaign.
• Papadopoulos pled guilty to lying to the FBI during a January 2017 interview that took place months after the 2016 election. He wasn’t a member of the Trump campaign at the time, and he has not been charged for anything he did as a member of the Trump campaign.
• Michael Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI during interviews conducted in January 2017, months after the election, while he was a member of the Trump transition team. However, Flynn hasn’t been charged with doing anything unlawful during the 2016 election campaign or as a member of the Trump campaign team.
Flynn also worked for the Obama administration. Manafort also worked for the Gerald Ford, Ronald Regan, and George H. Bush presidential campaigns.
Again, he tries to deflect by pointing to someone else he thinks has done wrong.
I worked in law enforcement for close to 37 years. I frequently heard things like "why aren't you looking at the guy on the other corner--he's been doing -----longer thna I have?" or "don't you have anything better to do with your time than to investigate me?"
Every time I heard that type of comment I knew I was talking to a perp. A keeper. Absolutely certain. Each and every time.
6
The only collusion that lost the election for Clinton was the collusion in the DNC. It was exposed by probably Russian hacks. The only way Trump could be in trouble is if he was involved in the hacking. I just don't see Trump asking the Russians to hack the DNC. They would have to sit down one morning and go through campaign ideas. Someone would have to say" I have an idea. Lets ask the Russians to hack the DNC in hope some plot against Sanders would be found" That just wouldn't happen. I don't see the Russians calling the Trump team and telling them they are going to hack the DNC.Why would they?
The collusion just doesn't seem possible.
Good god, man, Trump is on video tape in public asking Russia to find Cilnton's emails:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clint...
Were you not paying attention, or did you just forget?
With what is called a success, the Republican tax plan, is clearly not what sane people should believe. Just think for a moment all the distractions and statements from the White House are deliberately focusing news media like sheep on rediculous topics.
When the next fiscal crisis hits is where all Americans should be focused. It will be much worse for them, possibly depression like or worse.
The 1% will take our money and run and this so called success will make it simpler to do so.
Good luck Americans it will come and it will get ugly.
2
Please don't use the word "success" to refer to Trump and the GOP's "accomplishments" in their quest to scrap taxes on the rich and "drown the government in the bathtub."
And if we think this tax bill whizzed through the GOP Congress at warp speed without the Democrats even having a chance to read it or experts to assess its impact, just wait and see how fast the far right-wing and big corporate agenda will be rammed through congress now.
The GOP knows time is of the essence here, with Trump and his administration being chased by the investigation of the Russian-Trump connection, one daily Trump mistake and scandal after another, and Trump's irresponsible tweets and insults that are turning our allies into enemies and could even set off a nuclear war with North Korea.
But unlike the Nixon's Watergate scandal, don't expect any cooperation from the GOP now. The moral tone of the GOP was set by Mitch McConnell who refused to allow Obama's nominee to replace Scalia on the Supreme Court to even be considered.
So don't expect the GOP to be anything but obstructionist and to use Trump's destabilizing mania as a diversionary tactic to turn this country into an authoritarian, lawless, corrupt banana republic run by political hacks and buttressed by propaganda, fear, and violence.
And why do 30-40% of the voters that make up Trump's base get to have their way, when 57-59% of Americans disapprove of Trump and his presidency?
3
Greed Over Profits. What happened to our country's humanity?
3
The U.S. Constitution states in plain American English that Presidents can be impeached for committing acts of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, which is simply another way of saying that an impeachable offense is anything that Congress says it is.
All this twaddle about Trump’s tweets and Flynn’s interactions with the Russians is beside the point and dangerous as it will likely lead to endless trials and few convictions with Trump remaining in office.
So what should do now? I would have Mueller and Democrats leave off from the question of “High Crimes” and seriously examine the question of
“Misdemeanors.”
Misdemeanors for the purpose of impeaching Trump are anything Congress makes them out to be. They could include uncontrolled lying to the American people, present or former violations of the Mann Act, insulting Gold Star mothers, draft dodging, unpaid parking tickets, formerly operating a bogus university, tax cheating, acts of disrespect to slain CIA officers, anything at all including wearing a bad hairpiece that brings the Presidency into a condition of disgrace.
It would take Mueller no more than a few days to assemble a list running to more than a thousand pages of such “misdemeanors” by Trump and present it to Congress, with a request to speedily consider Trump for impeachment.
And then we could all sit back and find out what this country's moral fiber is truly made of.
3
How is the passage of a cobbled-together, unprofessional bill that is bad more the vast majority of Americans....a "success"? I'm baffled.
5
Trump knew back in early January (and likely way before) of the Russia "quid quo pro" exchanges. Way back then he disparaged our own intelligence agencies' reports of Russia's meddling with the presidential election. Why would he do such thing unless he thought it would provide "cover" for him and his team . . . Well, the cover(s) are coming off and, I believe, will reveal Team-Trump's naked lust for power . . .
1
We are on the verge of an extremely uncivil war.
4
I'm struggling to understand what fake tax reform has to do with the fake president. Exactly where is his handiwork in this 500 pages of gold rush destruction?
1
Do not call the passage of the Senate's hastily scribbled tax bill a success. It is a disaster .
2
Just watched Warren Buffet both praise the entrepreneurial history of our country, yet lament the direction of business and government to enrich further the wealthy at the expense of the poor/middle class. The poor and middle classes ARE the base of success for business. I simply do not understand the end game of treating this base as peons.
3
“What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There’s been absolutely no collusion, so we’re very happy.” Sounds an awful lot like a five-year-old denying that his hand is, indeed, in the cookie jar.
3
The only parts of the US government that are in tatters are the Executive branch, the Senate, the House, the State Department, the Agency for International Development, the Environment Protection Agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
All of these government entities seemed to be in pretty good working order up until the beginning of 2017. What happened at that point to break those parts of the government?
Could it possibly be related to the scandals in the White House? Perhaps it was the departure of so many senior administration officials, whether simply due to retirement, attrition, or philosophical differences on how to implement the new administration's directives?
Or is it the lack of experience in government of this new administration's leadership and their appointees? Maybe they just aren't up to the task of running the government. After all, it's a pretty difficult job, requiring a steady hand, intelligence, ethics and hard working, experienced people.
I guess we'll find out moving forward. Now that the tax cuts are a foregone conclusion, the federal government have to do more, with less money.
Recent studies estimate a quarter of all children living in the US are growing up impoverished. If we don't feed, shelter, clothe, and educate these kids, what will our future hold? Can we still be competitive in a world where our strength has to be a talented and educated workforce?
2
Trump's Tweet that "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI" asserts contemporaneous knowledge by the President that Flynn had committed a crime--unless, of course, Trump could successfully claim ignorance of the law against "Making False Statements".
Would not subsequent silence by the President thus itself constitute misprision of that crime? If so, would not such misprision itself constitute a crime?
Lawyers, what do you think?
1
Folks, where's the money for building our decrepit infrastructure, to employ people? Oh, right, instead of putting unemployed Welders, machinists factory operators to work- we handed very wealthy donors and corporations icing on the cake. The wealthy don't pay their fair share, hence no money in the coffers, hence no money for jobs, hence another bridge falls down. Making America great again!
3
Ultimately, President Donald J. Trump will triumph over this witch hunt to bring down his historic presidency. There has never been a man elected to presidency like Donald J. Trump. Unlike those before him he is not part of the establishment, that is why the establishment wants him out. That's why me and the rest of America wants him in, to rattle the establishment, to shake it up, to pull its chain. What President Trump is doing, and making historic accomplishments toward achieving, is restoring America back to the nation for which the patriots originally fought and died, particularly the end of burdensome taxation, which was the originally cause for independence from the British monarchy. President Trump is removing the barriers to economic progress erected by Obama and, hopefully, by signing the historic tax reform bill ending the totalitarian requirement that Americans purchase government mandated and defined health insurance which they may not need or want. It is the individual's choice. the individual's choice alone, that determines the purchase of health insurance, not a dictatorial edict, punishable by taxation. President Trump is restoring individual choice and responsibility to America; Americans must be responsible for themselves, not government. If they chose not be responsible for themselves then that's their choice. Americans must be allowed to decide how their money is spent or not spent, and by whom. Thank you.
1
Trump boasted about his cleverness in using debt and bankruptcy and became notorious for stiffing his creditors. Perhaps the Republican oligarch plan is to (1) monetize the public debt into tax savings for themselves until no one will buy any more of it, then (2) repudiate the debt, and then (3) during the ensuing economic collapse and chaos, buy our remaining assets for pennies on the dollar. Open questions such as, will your grandchildren like being serfs, and how will China react to getting stiffed, will be someone else's problem.
1
Can you imagine the crushing weight of living under an investigation being conducted by highly skilled prosecutors and forensic accountants with unlimited resources and access? Apparently, Trump can't either.
1
Trump is used to being under pressure while fighting off lawsuits, criminal charges of rape, civil charges of sexual harassment etc.
The media are too quick to accept what Trump describes as his "success:" the Senate tax bill breaks every major financial promise he made during the campaign. And sooner or later his fans will realize this. Trump throws anyone in his way under the bus (not counting the real bus videotaped), then tromps on them by insulting or bullying them. "Anyone" includes reporters, family members, current and former staff of his campaign and the WH, liberal Representatives and conservative Senators. So Tromp frames his own "success" by framing others as "failures," which his brand (and insecure egomania) always rules out for himself. E.g. the tax bill (so far) adds $1 trillion to the debt -- too bad the Constitution forbids bankruptcy of the gov't. But what that founding document clearly forbids has never stopped Trump before.
In the 1950s we had an average GDP growth of 4.25%, while we had a top individual rate of 90%, a corporate rate of 50%, and a capital gains rate of 20%
From 2000 to 2009 we had an average GDP growth rate of 1.8%, and from 2010 to 2016, average growth of 2.1%., with a top individual tax rate of 39%, a corporate rate of 35%, and a capital gains rate of 15%.
We have substantially lowered taxes over six decades, and cut the growth of our economy at the same time. This bill will do the same. Dynamic scoring should take the historical evidence into account, but instead they are doing the opposite, again.
Global Corporate Mass Media should be pointing or this obvious pattern, but they studiously ignore it, because they want to lower their own taxes.
Look up the numbers, do the math, and figure out that Supply Side Economics is a lie.
Or at least, if you are from the Party of Personal Responsibility, and in favor of these cuts, remember the promises and take personal responsibility for the policies you voted for, even if the results are bad.
You all disowned Bush, but you supported everything he did. Take responsibility.
4
The press needs to stop referring to this disastrous republican "tax" plan as a "success." It is not a success for the American people. It is not a success for democracy or the democratic process. There hasn't been a single "success" for the nation from this administration and there are none on the horizon.
6
Richard Nixon had the same peaks and valleys, winning the Electoral College with every state except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, and then there was Watergate. The only difference then was the Republicans in Congress had a conscience and we didn't have the spinmeisters at Fox News. The constitution is in tatters and every new scandal is eclipsed by the next. Where and when will this end?
The only success that the Republicans have gained with the new tax plan it to completely destroy the middle class, make the rich richer and put corporations more in charge of the government as well as adding to the countries deficit. Inflation will be rampant, the housing market will collapse and who knows what other negative impact this atrocious plan will create.
2
The ‘legacy’ of the Trump presidency will be, I believe, another Great Depression and a surging increase in violence in our already violence-filled country.
His delusional rantings will justify the most extremist among us to forcefully act on their fantasies. Those who choose to act will, of course, be well armed.
His economic blunders will further increase the numbers of those who live in poverty, and they will become even more desperate. Desperate people are dangerous - to themselves and others.
When our falsely propped-up economic ‘boom’ does bottom out - an inevitability - our ‘safety net’ (such as it is) will be in tatters.
I hope that, in the future, Americans will use the disastrous Trump reign as justification to eliminate the hideously outdated Electoral College.
I’m holding on to the belief that we will emerge from this bloodied and bowed, but perhaps wiser. That’s all I’ve got left, unfortunately.
2
Like a child lying to his parents, trump's stories continue to evolve. From, "we fired him because he lied to Pence" to "we fired him because he lied to the FBI" with a caveat "his actions...were lawful...[and he had] nothing to hide."
Meaning, that when you find evidence of collusion, it's not, so don't even think about attacking me on it.
He starts with "there was no collusion." but trump's Flynn statements belie the truth that is yet to be revealed. His campaign worked hard to coordinate with Russia and WikiLeaks to discredit his major political candidate for his gain.
The frosting on the cake: the trump family and organization will be found deeply involved in Russian money laundering and Manafort will be the key to that vault.
1
"He who laughs last, laughs best."
The wheels are coming off Trump's wagon as his series of incoherent tweets this morning confirmed. If there is one person they didn't want flipped, it had to be Flynn. He is not only protecting himself, he's protecting his son who seems about as sharp as his potential cellmates, Jared and Donito, Little Donnie.
Stay tuned!
"During a visit to the Middle East, an aide noticed Mr. Clinton trying to keep his mind from wandering off by scribbling on a yellow legal pad, “Focus on your job, focus on your job, focus on your job.”
Aides recently noticed Trump doing the same thing, except his yellow legal pad read,"Focus on the base, focus on the base, focus on the base."
Then he had two scoops of ice cream and took a nap.
22
All of a sudden, trump is not writing his own tweets. Another lie.
29
Yes, let’s go even further from the Truth and sow questions about WHO is signing laws or sending Tweets!
As if the GOP and Trumpian THEFT of Truth has not been taken far enough!
1
Their failure is our failure. Their success is our ruin.
32
Scandal is the imagination and creation of the biased partisan press. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT SCANDAL with regard to Russia. There would have been a micro scandal if Flynn was still serving as a key white house staff or Manafort continued to be the campaign manager of Trump in the final months of the campaign. None of the current members of the Trump cabinet or senior staff are involved in any scandal. Where there is a scandal is a democratic senator refuses to resign for his sexual assault of a woman who was sleeping and a very senior democratic congressman who has allegedly been harassing women staffers. With regard to the so called success of the passage of the Republican Tax Bill in the senate. It is still not a done deal. Budget reconciliation may not be a foregone conclusion. It is now critical, when journalism in America is unethical that the real mega media scandals that are brewing need to be addressed. Last week it was NBC guy Matt Lauer, before that it was CBS guy Charlie Rose and over the weekend it was the suspension of the senior long time investigative reporter Brian Ross of the ABC news for flawed reporting that slipped passed the editorial vetting. All of sudden the top rated giants of news media (aka Fake news) are falling like dominos for their sexual misconduct and not giving we the people the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Ross's suspension was fully justified and should trigger the restoration of ethics in journalism and elimination of bias.
3
I agree that the press should be more balanced overall. But your comment is skewed very far to the right and contains many inaccuracies. It is too early to tell whether there is a scandal or not - it needs to play out. Yes it is an issue if the crimes occurred before the election - they are still crimes (if proven). The media is doing the right thing removing abusers, but overall they are reporting the facts, even if they are skewed to the left and some mistakes are made, unlike outlets such as Breitbart who are reporting a lot of falsehoods. In many cases the mainstream media is just reporting on what Trump says and tweets - there is plenty of un-presidential, provocative and false information in his tweets alone to make for lots of press.
No offense. But you appear to be in deep denial, which given the present state of affairs in this country is really rather enviable -- however, that doesn't change the facts.
1
I'd started to get annoyed at the number of lies, half-truths and warpings here, and then I saw the sentence about how nobody in Trump's admin or staff is "involved in any scandal," and started laughing. Thanks.
I guess that's sort of technically true if you skip the two felony pleas and the felony indictment, forget why Tom Price resigned, ignore the HHS head's interesting ties to pharmacy companies, trip lightly past Steve Mnuchin's penchant for taxpayer-paid vacations, and skate right on past Jeff Sessions' trick memory.
But how you get by Donald Trump's lying about the hundreds of millions he and his family gets put of this tax bill, I have no idea.
1
The main question now for the "Russia investigation", which Mr Trump wanted Comey so badly to stop is : 'What did the president know and when did he know it?' It is amazing how history does repeat itself. Even within the lifetime of this president.
23
Trump insists that he never told Comey to go easy on Flynn. Comey has testified under oath that the president asked him to do so. The solution to this quandary is simple: put Donald Trump under oath and ask him to repeat his claim.
25
Michael Flynn told Donald Trump he lied to the FBI. Donald Trump told Michael Flynn he’d take care of it. Donald Trump invited the FBI director Comey to dinner and asked him to drop the investigation. Comey refused and was fired. My pet parakeet could figure this one out. Obstruction!
1
Every word out of Trump's mouth is a lie. Unfortunately Trump is delusional and doesn't realize that he is lying. He actually believes what he says at any moment even if it contradicts what he said earlier. To put someone like that under oath would be a joke, even if threatened with real punishment.
From scandal to success?
More like from treason to betrayal.
Both actions betray the desires of the majority of Americans and lend considerable proof to the idea that the Republicans are enamored with the authoritarianism of oligarchic Russia. The long-standing enemy of this nation is now the standard bearer of the Republican party.
36
The so called Tax Cut and Jobs Act is not really about taxes and certainly is not tax reform.
This legislation uses the tax code as a means to reward GOP donors for all the dark money that has poured into GOP think tanks and campaign chests since SCOTUS ruled on Citizens United. Much of that money has come from corporate "persons" and so the corporate tax rate is scandalously slashed nearly by half.
Currently the official corporate tax rate is ~38% but no corporation actually pays that after all the loopholes and exemptions and deductions-- in practice the corporate tax rate is already ~20%. If the official corporate tax rate is lowered to 20% and corporations keep nearly all of their loopholes and exemptions and deductions, what will they actually pay? Very, very little.
Corporate "persons" will effectively become fiscal parasites on the American economy. Corporate welfare will now be an ongoing function of the U.S. federal government. That's an unbelievably generous return on all the dark money invested in the GOP.
Corporations operate on a global scale with shareholders from many countries, not just Americans, so Citizens United effectively opened up our political process to international interests. I have read that this tax code legislation will effectively hand $70B to wealthy investors who are not Americans, which is obscene.
This legislation is larceny on a grand, grand scale.
33
Legislation that would repeal the Citizens United case should be a priority goal for Democrats.
After tax reform is done the Republicans will have nothing to hold them together. Let the Republican civil war begin. The only thing they all still agree on is that investigations of Hillary should never end.
15
Hitler was "successful", too.
WE THE PEOPLE who don't measure "success" the way the Robber Barons do had better hit the streets and protest in every other way in the next ten days BEFORE they can put the supposed tax reform bill into effect.
NOW is the time to fight like never before and stop WW3 and the destruction of governments around the world as The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren want.
38
The FBI agent in charge of the Hillary emails investigation was an anti-Trump deep-state hack.
Can someone wake Sessions up?
4
No, there was a perception of bias, which is why the agent was rightfully removed. This agent has a track record of being very fair. Some of his emails appeared, however, to be anti-Trump, which gave a perception, however small, of unfairness. We should be happy that the independent prosecutor did what he did. It is evidence that the investigation is being done fairly. The deep-state comment is nonsense.
Sessions is too busy deleting emails, directing Jim Crow type activities at the DOJ and working on his plea agreement with Mueller to do anything else.
What good would it do to wake up that old racist, he can't ever seem to recall anything that was ever said or done.
There is no success story here. To get a bunch of republican yo-yos to agree on lowering taxes is like giving slop to pigs. These are the same group that allowed the stealing of a Supreme Court Justice. They will allow any behavior regardless of law, or morals to advance their donor driven careers .
121
Until now I didn't think the term "moral" was still in a liberal's dictionary
The GOP's a mess. It's simply stunning. Trump's lawyers say things that indict him as to obstruction of justice. Trump's own intern presidency flounders daily from no impulse control + need to tweet and talk.
As in telling confidants a government shutdown would be good for him personally for poll numbers. (Despite bad for country, bad for GOP controlling every branch, + dangerous at a time when his general says war with NK is getting closer.)
Top that with after $70 billion in US aid, Egypt struck a deal to let Russian military to use its airspace + bases. And Trump's 2 months late in enacting Russian sanctions passed by Congress. Just as Mike Flynn told Russia not to worry about Obama's sanctions last December.
Every day a new collusion exposed. Journalists see a campaign tie of Kushner/Flynn/Trump/Netanyahu/Putin as Trump screamed about Muslims for 2 years now. And GOP senators saying Trump pushed them as with Comey to drop investigations into Russian interference in election. That Sessions appointment as AG meant to prevent an investigation before Mueller got involved. Plus Sessions still an amnesiac on anything Trump or Russia!
And Speaker Paul Ryan chalking up every Trump blunder "as him being new to government."
As politics before country, corporate profits over people, + worship of the
donor class all take firm hand in America.
26
Shame on you, NY Times, for that misleading headline. Stop softening the harsh realities of this administration. "From scandal to success..." Let's see if our commentators can come up with stronger language, i.e. "From criminal acts to robbery at the expense of poor, working class and middle-class Americans.
53
You are asking the Times to be biased. The bill may be robbery, but from the Republican point of view there is success in getting it passed. To Trump's administration this is a huge success.
If you are criminal, robbing a convenience store at gun point and getting away with it is success.
1
And the criminal acts are.........
What is it with the Republican Party that makes it all but mandatory to run a criminal enterprise out of the White House? Nixon had the sprawling Watergate saga; Reagan had Iran-Contra; George W. Bush ran a torture and black site operation that violated national law and international treaties. And now Donald Trump is up to his eyebrows in scandal after scandal, while the Republican Congress rushes to get tax cuts done before the president is frog-marched out of the Oval Office.
It beggars the imagination to consider such serial criminal activities as independent or unconnected events. Add vote suppression and gerrymandering and cooperation with the Russians to precisely target voting districts in swing states and... the inescapable conclusion is the Republican Party is a large, multi-generational racketeering organization that would make the Godfather jealous.
The evidence for this conclusion is that there are prominent actors common to every Republican administration over the past 40 years.
27
Apparently inescapable to everyone but you.....
Please. The tax bill is no success so stop describing it as such. Trump is nothing but a big fat failure.
34
Folks, he is barking mad. When we will " we" admit that????
Thanks, GOP.
39
If lying to VP Pence and the FBI are all it takes, please Mr. Trump, fire yourself. Your day in court (Senate impeachment) will come. And, no doubt, you will lie.
27
Lying, bullying, and suing, the Trump trinity, is now out in the open, exposed, and on full display.
Since he can't sue the news media he discredits news as fake, and with well coordinated talking points with Hannity the lying echoes to his base.
He made a mistake in saying he fired Flynn for lying to the FBI; even a master liar like Trump just can not keep up with all of his own lies.
28
You forgot Extortion and Theft!
1
Magicians will focus your attention elsewhere to successfully perform their tricks. The set-up is as important as the outcome. Failing to update their acts with new tricks is, usually, a problem.
Not so for Mr. Trump and his loyal band of supporters. They don't have any interest in *how* the magic is pulled off, only that they can watch the show that never ends.
Which is more compelling for our country though? The not-so-new-anymore magic of Trump or the rule of law, and which will prevail? For those who believe in the latter, the other 60-65% of this country, showing up at the polls in 2018 and 2020 is now an imperative.
17
Trump looks like he is well on his way to getting what he wanted most from his new job: a personal tax cut worth tens of millions of dollars, perhaps so he can pay off his "investors". I wouldn't be surprised if once the new tax overhaul's details are finalized and he signs it, that he will either resign or go deeper over the deep end in ways that make his removal from office a certainty. Regardless, America got played by a con man and will be worse off for it for years beyond his time as our President.
22
Trump's "success" was aimed at big businesses and the wealthy. Himself, and those who are cashing in on their investments in politics. Not the people of America.
So he has done his duty. Mission accomplished. The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. And sicker. And hotter. One big question is, is Donald Trump of future use to his wealthy backers or will they too get tired of his dirty, stupid, embarrassing noise, pull their support, and finance politicians who will at least appear to follow the ‘values’ they self-righteously extol?
Then we have Russia. Has Trump manipulated his way out of his debts or are they still waiting? Whatever the case, the strings will be attached forever.
15
Trump claims his tweets are his own, Now his personal lawyer, John Dowd states on Sunday that Dowd wrote the tweets. The White House must think the public are fools. Lawyers never use explanation points when they write & certainly never say "it's a shame".
18
I am a 74-year old man who has watched a lot of water go under the bridge in my time. I tell you younger folks that if you do not get control of these plutocrats and their paid-for in full members of Congress, the country you inherit from my generation will be in absolute, total, and perhaps permanent, eclipse. We are all witnessing the greatest theft of wealth by a tiny minority of powerful Americans and corporations in the nation's history, and it is all being overseen by an unbalanced and cynical president utterly devoid of honor, integrity, and truthfulness.
It is time to man the barricades. It is time to find politicians of goodwill, regardless of party affiliation, who have their country's interests at heart and not their wallets. We are in terribly dangerous waters.
89
Where would we find such hearty, well-adjusted, altruistic individuals?
If we impose term limits, just as Presidents have, on all members of congress, then everyone will get a chance to step up to the plate, serve, and then return to their pre-election lives. It's what the founding fathers intended. Not tenure for the rich and ever-to-be-well-connected blow-hards. Maybe those candidates who will push for such an amendment are the only one's worthy of my next vote. Are you listening???
1
It's the gang that cannot lie straight!
20
LOL, let me get this straight, the story from Our Fake So Called President today, is that he fired Flynn because he lied to Pence and the FBI (there is the talking point for the future when Flynn testifies that OFSCP asked him to do something illegal, hey he is a liar and I fired him for that). But, in the real world, there is that conversation he had with Comey asking him to let Flynn slide. Those two things do not square.
Anyway, it's just another week in Trump World where he spoke rather undiplomatically to the British PM and I am still waiting for him to say something to or about Putin besides please and thank you. Sad.
8
It is very clear who’s the puppet.
4
Mr. Trump's bespoke new suit is of the finest wool, and his tie flows across his manly chest much like a river to the sea, wrote the New York Times reporter. The tailoring is impeccable and of remarkable quality, wrote the New York Times reporter. The tailors are said to have told Mr. Trump that those who cannot see this fine, fine suit of clothes are idiots, that only the best people can appreciate his attire, the New York Times reporter wrote.
1
The scandal story the NYTs is writing of is of far less scale than Watergate or Iran Contra. Its hard to see this scandal doing much to Trump at the end of the day. The tax cut "victory" is just a fat cat feeding frenzy. I'm surprised that Trump's groping and other inappropriate behavior hasn't had more of a political effect on him.
It was truly amazing that Iran Contra didn't set off more of a fuss, but Reagan was so charming....
I'm convinced there's more to this "scandal" than Flynn talking to Russians about sanctions after the election.
Despite what he says now, even Trump didn't think he was going to win the election. It was not what he was planning for.
Those plans involved the Russians, who were trying to undermine what they expected from a Hillary Clinton administration. Trump was very happy to help them do that and his motives likely had something to do with a Trump Tower in Moscow and favors to and from the Russian oligarchs. If we forget that context, it's easy to distort the meaning of what happened.
Flynn seems to have been trying to redirect the conversation because of the election surprise. Was he trying to tell his Russian contacts that a Trump administration would take care of the sanctions? That was a big concern for Putin and Company.
Trying to reset relationships with Russia might be seen as legitimate if it happened in a context of normal international relationships. Obama and Clinton tried something similar early in his first administration. It looks quite different in the context of Russian meddling in the election and in the numerous "probes" of Trump campaign staff.
4
The full extent of the "Russia" scandal has not yet been revealed. And to put things into perspective, Russia's meddling in the American electoral system (among other perhaps even more serious breaking and entering into government security systems) is much more serious than breaking into political files of the opposition. How much Trump was involved remains to be seen.
6
The president is stirring the James Comey pot again, only this time claiming that he fired Comey because Flynn he lied to the FBI. All this was during his one-on-one closed door plea with Comey, knowing that Flynn earlier lied to the FBI, yet he still begged Comey to "let this thing go" because Flynn was "a good guy".
Hello, Mr. President, but being "a good guy" doesn't excuse him from charges of treason or collusion with ANY foreign government. You just told on yourself to Robert Mueller about what you knew and when you knew it.
13
Hare Psychopath Checklist. A person cannot evaluate themselves.
Evaluate Trump
"On each criterion, the subject is ranked on a 3-point scale: (0 = item does not apply, 1 = item applies somewhat, 2 = item definitely applies). The scores are summed to create a rank of zero to 40. Anyone who scores 30 and above is probably a psycho."
These are the 20 criteria:
- Exhibits fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow superficial charm
- Has a grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self
- Has a constant need for stimulation
- Compulsive liar
- Cunning and manipulative
- Lacks remorse or guilt
- Has shallow, short lived emotional responses
- Insensitive and cruel disregard for others, lacking empathy
- Intentional, manipulative, selfish, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete responsibilities
- Poor behavioral controls
- Sexually promiscuous
- Displayed early behavior problems
- Lack realistic long-term goals, no sense how actions carry out into future.
- Poor impulse control, can’t resist temptation
- Irresponsible
- Fails to accept responsibility for own actions
- Have had many short-term marital relationships
- Have a history of juvenile delinquency
-Released from an accused or convict from custody or imprisonment, under conditions which bar him or her from certain activities or associations.
- Takes great pride with getting away with a crime
18
Hey Donald, which tweet you sticking with?
3.31.17, 7:04 am: "Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems of historic proportion".
12.2.17, 9:14 am "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"
5
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty will soon have a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Won’t be able put Humpty together again.
Please hurry.
10
Boy the way Bob Mueller played
Songs Flynn sung sunk Trump's parade
Guys corrupt were finally made
These are some days
3
Treasons Greetings. Believe Me.
14
The "smoking gun" has already been revealed in KT McFarland's email saying Russia threw the election to tRump, but no headlines proclaim it because white guys in the press generally protect other white guys when they are Republicans. There is no other way to interpret McFarland's email than exactly how it is read but the papers basically ignore that line so they can gaze endlessly at their own navels.
6
The "success" referred to by the Times is a massive and unprecedented wage theft that was passed literally under the cover of night, without debate, and without even a final typed draft available for review. Take your pick: the Republicans are a) a mad pack of suicide bombers intent on destroying what's left of civil society (along with themselves) to satisfy some deep-seated, irrational ideological urge; or b) a large group of addicts who are willing to run up an enormous tab (in the form of a $1.5 trillion addition to the national debt) to get one more pat on the head, and millions more in campaign contributions, from their rich sugar daddies cum dealers.
Pieces such as this normalize the kind of crazed behavior (both on the part of Trump and the GOP in general) and reframe it as the normal give and take of politics. It also perpetuates the "horse race" model of journalism that served us so poorly in the last Presidential election. There is absolutely nothing normal about what's occurring right now. Even conservatives, who generally pride themselves on precedent and procedure, should be horrified at the strange journey taken by the wage theft bill on its way to passage. The Times would do better by reporting the ugly facts (which, in fairness, it does) than by attempting to dip its toe into the West Wing swamp. Watch out for the gators!
9
It isn’t a witch hunt. More like an increasingly successful snitch hunt.
5
We are talking here about an extremely intemperate 71 year old groper with at best modest intelligence, no demonstrated grasp of history or government process, a long history of business failure, a track record of cheating and fraud, and a propensity to surround himself with third rate support staff.
If he just keeps his hand off of the nuclear button and keeps himself busy with Twitter, it will likely be his greatest achievement.
10
This presidency is a mess but this has been abetted by Congress. The public has little to no understanding of the tax bil, nor do the members of Congress. They have signed on to a victory at any cost philosophy.
The Flynn fiasco has Trump tweeting in even more unbalanced, perhaps self-incriminating, erratic ways. Sex abuse and harassment is in the glaring spotlight.
Meanwhile, the Korean crisis has dropped off the NYT page 1 and people's horizons. Trump's tweets are further engaging N. Korea. With each insulting tweet we are closer to war. McMaster has stated war may be likely. Generals always see a military solution. Tillerson is a non-presence. Trump will take us to war as a diversion. Where are you in all this, NYT?
Sex abuse coverage is important but Lauer and Weinstein and Levine also make good fodder for salacious journalism. The real story here is the day to day lives of average men and women who may have been victimized, of children who may have been abused.
BUT, sex abuse reckoning, legal and Flynn talk, and shock at the tax bill will be for naught if there is a Korean War which we well may not win because our military, especially the Navy, is not ready because of being bled by constant deployment. Or a nuclear conflagration that destroys us all. Trump is desperate and erratic enough to bring this on. Not anything on page 1, though. Let's have some resources devoted to this and not merely quoting tweets ridiculing N Korea's ruler. You can do it, NYT.
9
There is no collusion. He wrote it many times, in tweets, said it many times. Old Shakespeare said" methinks the lady doth protest too much" Seems like guilty behavior. Sort of like OJ driving his bronco, with helicopters chasing him. Then there is that next famous lie" We are very happy. If he was happy, that there was no collusion, why mention it at all.
5
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Trump could manage to sound like a mature adult? "Totally crooked Hillary?" Yikes! How about "Totally bizarre Donald?"
Right now, America has a Republican Congress that has refused to care for the people who put them in office. The question I want answered is this: How long will it take to undo this horrible tax fraud that has been so shabbily foisted off on us? Can such a thing even occur.
Wishing America Merry Christmas this year will be impossible. Thank you Republicans and your crack pot leader.
8
I refuse to call this a win for the con man or the uncaring GOP. It is a nasty piece of legislation only aimed at giving the wealthy a tax break. All in all, it doesn't serve our people or our country well. America is living through a hellish period of uncertainty and maddening party loyalty with utter disregard for the wants and needs of our people. There will be a reckoning soon and it doesn't bode well for the GOP, the debauched, mentally ill man-child sitting behind the Resolute desk, or any of his appointees. Karmic justice is right around the corner. Let our venerable country purge itself of this evil, hate-filled and laughably inept administration.
5
No amount of rhetorical white-wash will cover what the newest tax legislation is – a boondoggle – and given time, that thin coating of Republican fantasy will come off.
11
Crooked lying Trump, a mentally deranged narcissist, continues to be the exaggerator in chief, bombastic to no end, with grandiose nonsense, the real "fake news" loudmouth personified...and expanded by Fox Noise loudspeakers, fodder for the misinformed, and likely prejudiced, folks enabling his dangerous stance. Trump's image is 'pure wind', a make-believe fantasy destined to explode in our faces when reality hits our feeble reasoning...and our pockets. The facts, based on empiric evidence, always triumph at the end. Our opinions are not to be confused with what is provably factual...as believing in something doesn't necessarily make it true. Trump and his enablers (republicans, mostly) are doing grave harm to the republic. Thus far, destroying the most valuable asset we have ( have had?), the trust in each other, and in democratic institutions, is a 'crime'.
6
The GOP raised taxes on the middle class and poor in order to lower taxes on big corporations and the very rich while their dotard sitting in the white house colluded with Russia and obstructed justice.
The GOP has betrayed our nation.
15
I think that when they wake up, Trump supporters will - if they even understand what has happened, realize they are actually being PUNISHED for voting for Trump. And then what? the second revolution?
Elizabeth Barry
6
God is in his heaven
and we all want what's his.
But power and greed
and corruptible seed
seem to be all that there is
Bob Dylan
2
A day when ABC's highly-experienced investigative reporter Brian Ross announces on national television that General Flynn plead guilty to lying to the FBI in exchange for testimony against then Candidate Trump. The stock market promptly slumped more than 300 points (I wonder if the source was selling the stock market short). Really who was this source??
Should there be any doubt why President Trump despises the MSM and keeps his twitter finger at the ready?
3
I am not sure you can call the Tax Scam a success unless you are referring to how the ultra-wealthy and Russia are quickly dismantling our society.
8
Reality check mean while its back bussness spend spend spend what government doesnt have. Zero accountabilty in government spending trillions on imports for the government use . Futile to spend trillions on imports for government use telling corperations ok to export jobs will buy those products with taxs collected from unemployeed. Add up one product like computors imported from cominist coutrys in last 20 years for governmen tuse ,trillions of tax money spent. Millions jobs eliminated here in usa use to make computors .
The ONLY path forward for this failed administration is back out the front door they came in.
2
Looking at the tax bill cynically, it's a, "Heads I Lose, Tails you Win" proposition for Republicans. A legislative victory based on a bill that 75% of Americans don't like is a Pyrrhic victory at best. It won't play well with voters.
If the bill doesn't make it, it'll be a bad day for Republicans: their donor class is counting on them! They will see closed purses in the mid-term elections.
And for president Trump, of course, it just underscores what a laughingstock he is. A year in office with his party controlling both Houses, and this disastrous 'tax plan' is the best he has to show for it?
Ridiculous!
4
Hey, the guy can always get a job in Russia if things go badly for him in Washington.
He's already working for them; it would just be a change of address.
4
So we know that the transition team for Trump was at the very least undermining the government's diplomatic policy with Russia, and most of them knew it.
And we know that Senate recognizes that the tax plan they have just passed a tax plan that will pay off donors and increase the deficit, allowing them to claim that we need to cut social programs, even as those programs become more necessary, and that the ill effects won't occur until after the election cycle.
My 84 year old mother sees the shadow of Hitler's rise in our current government. The rise of global nationalism, coupled with oligarchic and corporate interests assigning the wealth to themselves, and the likelihood of increased misery for an increased number of people, directly as a result of government action. Can scapegoating and violence be far behind?
I hope she is wrong. But there are fewer and fewer who were alive before the second world war, and who lived the reality. I wouldn't write off their experience or their intuition too rapidly.
8
“If there is a tit-for-tat escalation Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia, which has just thrown U.S.A. election to him,” she wrote
(Mc Farland)
I think you would be hard put to argue that the which in the previous sentence refers to anything other than Russia.
2
This is the perfect storm for trump enabling him to raise a false flag operation aimed at distancing himself from his Russian overlords in the face of increasing public and congressional scrutiny in regards to malfeasance and the 2016 elections. That it's absoluting lethal stuff he's recklessly playing with doesn't concern him one bit. Everything trump does is a stunt with a very calculated eventual outcome. His actions are not 'normal' or benevolent in any way. He's an evil, manipulative man.
6
he's careening wildly and way off the rails with his rushed, guilty, insistent denials of ''no collusion, no collusion". There is nothing veiled about this vain, isolated man's desperation, his cagey, emergent guilt.
The tone is higher (strained vocal chords), the neurosis is heating up (repetition), and Trump is a text book case of a guilty animal, a lying adult, a shameful child hiding-something.
We are just animals, we can nearly smell his fear from here.
This menacing beast can't hack the hot intensity much longer.
Keep a close eye on this one folks, he's likely to bite, bolt, or both.
7
The Republican Congress just torpedoed the middle class and the poor with their 0.1% Welfare Bill.
They will next start attacking Medicare, Medicaid and the common good to pay for their Christmas gifts to the wealthy.
This craven right-wing hijacking of representative government was made possible by decades of dirty right-wing tricks, deception and electoral crimes against 320 million Americans.
Trump's collusion with Russia is the culmination of a long-running criminal Republican political strategy to suppress free and fair elections.
Between gerrymandering, the undemocratic Senate structure, the slave-era-and-Confederacy-inspired Electoral College, massive modern Jim Crow voter suppression, the 0.1% Citizens (United) Corrupted law, voter file purges, and the Grand Old Propaganda TV and hate radio complex gaslighting and duping the masses into Pachyderm Spongiform Encephalopathy, the Republican Party is essentially a finely tuned 0.1% criminal mafia so far removed from the elements of an informed democracy that this latest Russian-Republican coup d'tat is completely in line with the Party First:Country Last 0.1% tyranny that has been Making America Terrible Again ever since Reagan collaborated with the Iranians to magically delay the hostage release date until his inauguration day on Jan 20 1981.
The solution:
Robert Mueller needs to expose the Republican criminal mob boss Donald Trump.
Vote Democratic in 2018, 2020, 2022 and evict the Russian-Republicans from office.
83
Agree. And if eligible, you might want to think about taking Social Security early -- because it's on the same Republican chopping block as Medicaid and Medicare...and VOTE!
3
You have to wonder about the shelf life of the one bad apple/(Tic Tac?) defense.
3
Everything seems to be building up toward an explosive confrontation between Donald Trump, a man who has lied his entire life and gotten away with it, and Robert Mueller, who is going after people for lying to investigators.
So in the end, Trump may be brought down by his lies. Amazing.
9
Donald Trump cannot enjoy a single moment of peace and triumph as long as he continues to be a disruptor president.
The tax plan will be reclaimed by the GOP leadership while the political cadaver of Michael Flynn is left on his doorstep at the White House.
These violent delights have violent ends.
4
I would welcome a disruptor president, who would fight against the crony capitalists that have captured our government..
But Trump is not that. Trump is a global conman and pathological liar who openly attacks our constitution, the separation of powers, the judiciary, and the institutions that make democracy function.
It may be that he is not colluding with Russia. If so, then is he purposely feeding the story, with firing Comey, having subordinates lie about methods, favors and compliments to the Russians to distract from some other crime: collusion with China? Collusion with global billionaires to loot the treasury? A plan to start a war, declare martial law, and cancel elections? All of the above?
Whatever it is, saving our republic from the deep state is not it.
I have said many times that Clinton was more dangerous than Trump, but he is trying to prove me wrong at every opportunity.
Saved our Republic
1
The “success” is also a scandal.
Everything about this administration is a scandal.
9
Now that the billionaire money grab "tax reform" is over, can we impeach him?
Or are we waiting for him to start WWIII?
He will go down in history as the man who destroyed America.
8
The billionaires money grab continues. Every time they want to privatize a government function, like half of our surveillance operations, or the charter school movement, it is part of the money grab. They will cut taxes on themselves, but also increase spending aimed at government contractors so they can siphon cash from our pockets.
7
But, it is the failures we remember--and of whose culpable administration we will dismember.
3
Flynn's "scandal" is the last refuge of an investigation that has gleaned nothing within the scope of its intended purpose. Ostensibly devised and prompted by 1) Comey's firing and 2) Comey's leak, our tax dollars are supposed to be justified with the determination and discovery of cold, hard facts regarding the Russian takeover of our election process via collusion with the Trump campaign. The expense report is due next week--Mueller's pulled an all-nighter to hand in a term paper telling us something we already knew. And the Left have gone out of their minds with the telling of Mueller's sophomoric charge, and the take down of a 33 year military career. Where are the meats? Arby's? What prompted the election fire fight in the first place? A fake dossier bandied about and funded by the opposition party's leadership? Is this America, really? Will the incessant lies told by the funding mother of the dossier continue to garner more speech engagements and ANOTHER book about "what happened"? There's no underlying crime here--he lied about something Mueller already knew, something Trump's people already knew and fired him for, and the media already knew, as they were the rats who found the cheese in the first place. Where are the meats? Down a rathole the media can't find? There are radioactive droppings from D.C. to Moscow suggesting the real collusion the Left seeks took place some years ago. Fresh droppings appeared in proximity to the election at the DNC. Hmmm?
1
The evidence keeps piling up that Trump is a traitor. If he is not working for the Russians, he is doing an excellent imitation of someone who is.
This is a professional investigation, an and it needs to be carefully completed so that the American People know exactly what or president, who works for us, is doing.
6
Trump is the gift that keeps on giving -- to Putin. You'd better learn how to say "да Мастер" if he's allowed to get away with his refusal to impose the Russian sanctions voted on by both parties in Congress with an October 1 deadline, now two months overdue.
2
What we saw yesterday was not the meltdown of the President, but the meltdown of the fake news. Fake reporting by ABC caused stock market to go down by more than 200 points in minutes and resulted in the suspension of its reporter. It was also entertaining to watch Joy Bayhar's over joyous meltdown hearing the fake news. While the president handled the situation reasonably well and continued with his work, though MSM always say that Trump is an emotionally disturbed person, what we saw yesterday was an emotional breakdown of liberal intelligentsia that caused harm to America.
2
Don-Don’s flotilla loses another support ship as the Flynn switches course and heads off for greener pastures and safe harbor.
The Kushner, it’s hull ruptured by repeated groundings on the mischief reefs lists precariously on it’s side.
The Flagship, S.S. Rant’n’Rave looses steam and meanders aimlessly in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s crew, ever fearful of their Commander’s petty tyriads slip off the side and depart as if a plague ship.
The Mueller’s sonar probes the depths in the search for the flotillas cache of contraband.
Another
Mr. Robert’s saga and a garbage scow that isn’t fit for service?
When you create melodrama like Trump you have to keep upping the ante to ensure people stay interested. Well now it appears the melodrama he created is coming home to roost for Trump
4
What is occurring in this nation now is a Terrestrial Embarrassment. It has not quite reached the summit to be a Terrestrial Horror as what is happening with the Mynamar genocide. But considering our current president's expressed disdain for Serge Kovaleski and Mr. Kovaleski's disability it certainly has that possibility if he and his nefarious followers somehow can prevail.
1
The American people are more interested in the emerging truth than in the President seeming to press forward with his monstrous agenda.
7
Lying to the American public about how this “tremendous tax cut” will benefit the working class is not a federal crime.
But Obstruction of Justice, Conspiricay and Treason are federal crimes.
Trump, Trump Jr., Kushner, Pence and Sessions are now in gravely serious legal jeopardy.
The question remains the same. What did the President know and when did he know it?
8
If by "success," you mean the tax cut bill. You are most certainly wrong. It, too, is scandalous. It will impoverish America by increasing taxes for those least able to afford them while showering immediate profits on the wealthiest corporations and individuals. And when the "voodoo" of "trickle-down" fails once again, it will rip asunder the social safety net of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to paid the deficit bill for these ill-gotten gains. This is a Christmas gift that only a Grinch or a Scrooge like Donald Trump and his Republican accomplices would, in their alt-reality, view as a "success." When the Trump presidency ends (hopefully soon), this may dwarf Russia as the biggest "scandal" of all.
6
35 to 40 percent of the VOTING PUBLIC. Please be precise with statistics.
4
This unholy "tax reform" giveaway is many things, but "a success" it is not. Republicans live to give their 1% donors whatever they want at the expense of our treasury, our citizens and our Constitution. This is their most brazen ripoff of the American people yet. It's no surprise that this disgraceful bill will gut Medicare and Social Security while personally enriching Donald Trump by tens of millions of dollars.
GOP=Trump, Trump=GOP. They remain one and the same.
3
I hate to disappoint you people, but I have a feeling that the justice department will use a few people as escape goals, and trump and family will get away with their crimes of selling out this country.
1
You're saying nothing new. Most anyone who has been keeping a close watch on the actions of this president knows he'll go to ANY extreme to get his way, without taking any responsibility for it -- that much has been made clear by his administration selections...starting with Jeff Sessions.
Trump does not own this abomination, which HE considers a personal victory. He had nothing to do with it other than trying to take credit; he WILL take lots of blame, though, for this and many other destructive issues. His Republican minions in Congress are responsible for this dark, sneak attack against the other 65% of Americans.
I cannot, from any point of view, understand how a bunch of Tribal deviates can pass a bill which they don't understand, have not read, and which is littered with thousands of deliberate loopholes for the wealthy crooks at OUR expense. Such action by elected officials is nothing short of TREASON.
1
Trump's big win is a tax bill 70% of Americans don't like. That number rises by the day, as closer inspection reveals the sheer larceny in the bill, and the shameless dishonesty of the claims made about its benefits. His other win is a Supreme Court seat they had to steal from Obama and then change the voting rules to achieve. Only in Trumpreality could these wins resonate. In actual reality, there has never been a political disaster to rival this. He can't pull himself out of the hole he has dug, he can only drag others into it. Trump wreaks damage on everything he touches and morally poisons everyone who comes into his orbit. He is clearly pathological and deranged, but since we have no mechanism to deal with the urgency of the situation, we chatter about his ups and downs and pretend he is not insane and incompetent, while Mueller prepares his multi-count indictment.
2
Every time Mueller peels back another layer of this onion, someone's memory in this administration suddenly improves.
2
If by 'success' you mean creating a bill that will harm the majority of the people in this country then yes, Friday was a HUGE success for the Greedy Old Party. They must be so proud.
3
The headline for this article makes sense only if you agree that there was an actual scandal relating to Mr. Flynn. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your perspective, there is only a manufactured scandal, which in the end never comes to fruition; its there only to give progressives hope.
This is why it seems like Trump went from down and out to flying high in a manner of hours. There was no collusion with Russia, but the Times keeps searching for it, wasting its own time and the readers'. The Times should save itself and start taking an objective stance when it comes to Trump. For example, I'm sure the Time's employees have a 401k. They must be happy. Report on this success.
2
Trump did so little to affect the outcome of this GOP tax plan, it is almost irresponsible to credit him with "success" - he hasn't read it, and he has no idea what's in it, so why on Earth should he be treated as though he has succeeded.
What he HAS said, over and over again, is that it won't help him personally (and we are to "believe" him, without any proof that the words of this compulsive liar are true).
Credit where credit is due, and only where it is due, please.
2
I am with the Vox article from earlier this week: being very bad at the job of president of the United States should be enough to get you fired.
2
Don’t believe that the actions of Trump and the GOP have anything to do with beliefs or philosophies of life, saving money or limited government. What the GOP is doing has to with the complete desire to control the masses and to remove any and all limits on the super wealthy to take all money. It is all about authoritarianism, greed, power, dominance. The idea that if the super-rich or the ultra- powerful had control of everything that they would become benevolent and care for the masses, that is a delusional belief.
Morality, Fairness, Empathy, Cooperation, Reciprocity...animals get it. What is wrong with the Koch/GOP/Trump. How come they can't figure it out?
Go to YouTube: Frans de Waal: Moral behavior in animals
There is still the possibility of the people getting their country back and that is to become active in their country. Vote out the republicans and keep the feet of the Democrats to the fire.
Trump and the GOP colluding with the Russians.
1
Do not describe the bill as a success, since it could be called a failure for the American people and American Society. So it should be Scandal to Failure--completely.
5
High and Lows? No! Low, lower, lowest. When will those in the media learn to characterize the Ryan/McConnell/Trump agenda as the undemocratic debacle that it is? Friday's vote was a failure. Those hand scribbled changes in the corner of the 500 page (never read) bill would be thrown out of most simple divorce proceeding as illegitimate. Further, the interests of people in all dissenting states were completely ignored. There is no "historic precedent". McConnell & Ryan force a narrow agenda on all of us in the manner of all true authoritarians. There is little hope that they will do the right thing with regard to the outcome of the Mueller investigation, either. It is up to the public to vote Republicans out of office despite the influence of big money, Twitter, and the subtle psychological brainwashing by the media.
6
Another day of infamy for at least a couple of reasons. One could hardly apply the word "success" to the tax debacle.
3
With all the scandal that is engulfing the White House, in addition to the President's ignorance, short attention span, impulsivity, ego and Twitter addiction, Trump's governance is akin to driving while texting. God help us.
7
If people were fired for lying in this WH administration Washington would be a ghost town. Trump, the Pathological Liar-In-Chief, would have to fire himself first, (if only). The other ironically laughable statement was made by Tom Griscom who says "The WH has to continue to operate..." When will that ever happen? It hasn't happened to date unless Constant Chaos is the newest government management trend. Keep America and the world on tilt and always looking into a financial hardship and nuclear warfare abyss.
We have a hand-picked Cabinet working for billion and trillion dollar industries, and a GOP working for the benefit of their wealthy donors only. The majority of Americans have slipped through the cracks and American democracy is systematically and systemically being demolished in favor of an elite ruling power controlling America's wealth and vote.
If the GOP wasn't as callous and corrupt as Trump he wouldn't be the faux president in the oval office in the first place, surrounded by his business partners, building up his personal multi billion dollar empire at our expense, and acting as a stooge and puppet for them and Putin.
Bill Clinton may have suffered genuine remorse for his actions but Trump worries about Trump only and certainly not about America and the majority of Americans. Evidently he believes there is no crime unless you are caught at it.
4
Good news. I need a tax cut. I am getting tired of all this winning.
It is truly unbelievable that the GOP and Trump just handed the wealthiest of this country a huge welfare check, paid for by the taxpayers. Meanwhile, the middle class will see little or nothing from this tax bonanza to the rich. So many deductions that middle income families had will be gone under this tax rape bill, with a huge deficit that WE, not the rich will pay. Then as usual, they sneak in more goodies for the banks and Wall Street, the oil industry, corporations, and others at the last minute. This is nothing giving back their rich donors for the bribes they made to them. All this, while we have had our democracy violated by Russia at the invitation of Trump and his cohorts. A nation once the proud leader and beacon for freedom and democracy has now been reduced to a satellite of Russia, who would want nothing more than to see our nation crumble from within. With Trump and this GOP, betrayal is acceptable as long as party loyalty comes first. These folks must be voted out of office in the coming elections as they have proven beyond a doubt, they only serve the rich and powerful, not the middle class, have no loyalty to protecting this country, and serve only to enrich themselves and their family. They see the US Treasury as nothing but a piggy bank and slush fund for their taking. Trump supporters in those states that voted for him, have only themselves to blame for the pain and misery coming their way. Next, they will come after Medicare and SS in 2018.
4
Time will tell if it was actually scandal to con.
Certainly Trump got what he wanted to benefit his family, and coincidentally others in the same gilded private jet, but for the rest success may mean something else entirely.
1
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire will be cheered by billions of people around the globe. Including some of us here who understand how corrupt and evil our leaders have become -- and I am talking about both parties.
Once the courts are corrupt enough they allow money to purchase politicians, this is inevitable.
the tax bill its nothing more than a personal tax cheat for trump, and any other individual cheats needed to get a republican vote, and a tax increase and exclusion to cuts for democratic states.
1
Great. So the NYT, and Trump, are considering success the passing of a tax bill which has a 25% favorable to 52% unfavorable rating.
2
1. Flynn lies to FBI. That's a felony.
2. Trump tries to get Flynn investigation dropped. That's Obstruction of Justice: an impeachable offense.
3. Republican Congress will not consider impeaching Trump under any circumstance.
4. The first step in Making America Great Again must be to send Washington a Congress that values patriotism over party.
5. The 2018 election is less than a year away.
5
I don't believe for a minute anyone in Congress would so much as raise their voice in protest if Trump fires Mueller. "Bipartisan firestorm"? What Congress have you been watching? Trump could shoot Mueller and McConnel would say it was an accident. Forty percent of Americans would believe him.
4
Worse than the mythological thinking behind this tax ruse (zero historical precedent that de-taxation of corporations / the rich = rocket-fueled growth) is purposeful creation of a trillion dollar debt. The debt will justify (once Republicans conveniently regain their sense of fiscal mooring) the cutting of entitlements, social security, welfare, etc. The word "unfair" -- a mantra Trump says A LOT -- ever-nestled in the back of their entitled minds, are the "leeches" who "live off" the system, i.e. anyone not as superior, as good as they believe themselves to be.
3
"Success"?
This tax bill is hardly anything to celebrate!
The nation is a darn sight better off from the huge chasm left by Bush eight years ago when the economy was in freefall, leaving in its wake a record deficit of $1.3 trillion (an unprecedented unsustainable 10% of the economy) after more than doubling the national debt, and racking up trillions more in unbudgeted costs for two wars. While stablizing the economy and containing the US war footing, the Obama administration grappled fiscally with that massive deficit reducing it to a more managable $500 billion (now 2% of the economy). Now in one fell swoop so-called president trump rather than building on a sound fiscal construct is recklessly throwing caution and
prudence to the wind. This is sheer lunacy.
3
Hitler was "successful", too.
The press/media have been saying The Con Don needed a "win". Why does the International Mafia Top 1% Global Financial Elite Robber Baron/Radical religion Good Old Boys' Cabal who are trying to take over the world need a "win"?
Their "win" is the loss of OUR lives - WE THE PEOPLE. The 99% of us who lose when they "win".
An article today in World News says tens of thousands of protesters in Israel are marching against Netanyahu who is an Internatonal Mafia Cabal member. He and his brethren want WW3.
WE THE PEOPLE are the only ones who can stop them. It is time for an
American 20 million person march/protest within the next ten days to stop the tax bill that will destroy OUR lives. They want to merge the U.S. traitorous senate/house bills by December 22. WE must stop them.
I would love to be able to organize such an event but do not have the skills. Two women started the Women's March against The Con Don/Washington the day after the sham International Mafia inauguration on January 21, 2017. Please - someone step up to organize this right now. The United States of America as we know it hangs in the balance.
https://www.siasat.com/news/tens-thousands-march-israel-pm-netanyahu-127...
5
Donald is obviously super-nervous about his, let's say, coordination with Russia during the campaign. Note his continued insistence that there was "no collusion," i.e., carefully focusing on the word "collusion" as if that will get him off the hook. No, he can't hide. The facts are about to come out. Will his party then have the guts to intervene and demand his resignation? Yes, now that they will have their "tax cut" completed. I for one will gladly welcome President Pence just to get rid of Trump.
The fact that there is provision for drilling rights in a wildlife refuge contained in a 'tax' bill tells you all you need to know about this president, this administration and this Republican party.
4
Senator Manchin (D-WV) may have a problem with Trump granting pardons to everyone in the White House, but the real question is whether Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell will. I doubt they will. The word would be would if I thought they were improbable.
Ryan and McConnell have the perfect setup with Trump as President. They can issue the occasional, "tut-tut," about his unhinged tweets and continue the dismantlement of the New Deal Ryan intends. Trump will sign anything they put in front of him. Trump would sign a bill granting Putin American citizenship. Trump would also sign a bill declaring war on Russia. McConnell and Ryan have a tabula rasa on which to draw. I hope it's an Etch-a-Sketch and we can erase it all when sanity returns to the White House, but I'm not holding my breath.
Would Paul Ryan start impeachment proceedings if Trump gave Flynn a pardon? I think not. Mannafort? Kushner? Junior? Similarly, I think Ryan will let those pardons pass with minor, inconsequential comment. His incentives are to maintain power, particularly power over a wounded and weakened White House. Who needs a third branch of government when the legislature can run things, thank you very much.
Ryan and McConnell are blessed with an incurious President whose focus is on ratings and rantings, not policy. Why rock that particular boat?
4
The legislation that the Senate approved will hurt New York residents and many Americans. It's not a success - it's a commitment on the part of Republicans in Congress to hurt people who are not wealthy. NY residents will suffer and many people will be forced out of their homes (because they won't get the real estate tax deductions). The American people are being led by a corrupt administration and by a selfish, mean spirited Congress.
PAUL FEINER Greenburgh, NY
5
Liberals are ignoring the effects of Trump cutting regulations for businesses over the last 9 months as well as the anticipation by businesses of a major tax overhaul (can you say Dow 24,000, finally 3% GDP growth in consecutive quarters, lowest unemployment in 17 years?). I get it, you all hate Trump, I’m not a fan either. But at some point you all are going to have to get your arms around the fact that this Russian thing isn’t going to go anywhere, and as long as the economy continues to improve (hey the stock market affects everybody-think teacher unions and retirees who have pensions), people will ultimately vote with their pocketbooks. And except for the blue coastal states who will probably have their taxes go up, the rest of the country will vote for a continuation of what’s happening in their wallets.
2
This could be the plank evolving in the Trump reelection platform if 2018 really does have election meddling by foreign powers that is worse, and maybe not Russian by then. In such a case, by 2019 it would be clearer if the election of 2018 was rigged, redeeming the Trump administration as a victim, that voters will consider. Low poll numbers don’t matter for now.
At what point do we see this as Ryan and McConnell being part of the conspiracy? Are they now legally culpable in the crimes of this administration by clearly benefiting from the obstruction and lying? Perhaps Ryan should start being interviewed by mueller and team.
1
And for all of you crying about the individual mandate repeal included in the tax bill, read this about the ACA:
Obama’s eight years in office will be remembered as a failure and a great lost opportunity, not least of which because his one big thing, the Affordable Care Act, was such a dog’s breakfast of a bill that it immediately began to unravel. Parts of it conflicted with other laws and with the Constitution. Its underlying economic architecture is a mess, which resulted in substantially higher health-insurance costs for many Americans and fewer choices for many more. Its mandate that individuals buy insurance — necessary to the function of insurance markets under the preexisting-conditions rule imposed by the ACA — was toothless.
The right hated Obama as much as the left hates Trump. The difference is the Trump economy will see explosive growth (can anyone say Dow 25,000?). If not, well then the GOP will get hammered. But if the growth happens (like it already is), this is what Schumer and Co are really afraid of.
2
I know it has to be done but, do you really need to take into account how other Presidents have taken care of business under a cloud of investigations when we all know that this president has no other historic precedent? Past Presidents were (reality based) adults with compelling arguments, competent counselors and cohorts in Congress with concerns for their constituents and country that transcended petty conflicts. Our, current president is a child with ADHD who, Instead of studying things he needs to know in order to be an effective leader, wants to pick fights with his grade school enemies on social media and is uninterested in what the adults can teach him. Trying to put Trump into some historical context misses the point entirely. He is, not only unprecedented, unpresidential and unfit but also incompetent, insane, indictable and, let's hope, impeached before he sullies America's history forever.
2
As I see it, it's a total net loss for the country. We have an administration who colluded with a hostile foreign government to derail the campaign of the lead presidential candidate and then encouraged and may have succeeded in handing a massive tax cut to the offshoring mega wealthy while sticking the eventual bill on the working middle and poor classes's children and grandchildren.
In other words lame day for American all around. What's new?
1
We have been warned:
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
Thomas Jefferson
"The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, and more selfish than bureaucracy. It denounces as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the Bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe. Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money powers of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of a few, and the Republic is destroyed."
Abraham Lincoln
3
"Trump Looks Ahead, and Over His Shoulder"
The "over the shoulder" part reminded this reader of a comment made more than three years ago in response to a washingtonpost.com op-ed on the import for young blacks of "racial identification"(RI).
It was argued that RI also impacts the lives of older, well-established adult members of groups deemed in need of affirmative action:
Testimonial evidence consistent with that argument was cited, as provided by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sotomayor:
“I am a product of affirmative action. I am the perfect affirmative action baby. I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in the south Bronx. My test scores were not comparable to my colleagues at Princeton and Yale. Not so far off so that I wasn't able to succeed at those institutions. . . .
“I have spent my years since Princeton, while at law school and in my various professional jobs, not feeling completely a part of the worlds I inhabit. I am always looking over my shoulder wondering if I measure up.” http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2396
However, it seems unlikely that the "wondering if I measure up" part is apt for Potus Donald Trump.
@lftash
re "Please vote in 2018 and 2020 and save our Republic"
The most powerful person in the world is clearly unprepared, uneducated, and undisciplined. America and the world are in for four or more years of exceptionally dangerous unpredictability, instability, agony and remorse.
Over half of all eligible voters (some 100 million) didn't bother to vote. And this is the consequence. Voter apathy is tragic and dangerous.
2
This "Trump Wealth Transfer Tax Cut" will spend a lot of time in the US Courts.
There are so many parts of this so call Tax Cut Bill that are illegal and it goes against the US Constitution in so many ways.
In what universe is it a "success" to have pillaged the American middle class in order to enrich those already who already are besotted with wealth previously pillaged from the middle and working classes?
1
I consider this whole Russiagate affair fake news. Even if Trump personally told the Russian ambassador that he would like Russia not to implement retaliatory sanctions as that would make things more difficult for him that would be perfectly acceptable. And if some US laws might seem to forbid that we should quote Harry Potter: "ridicoloso!". This is just common sense.
I suspect that those Clintonite Congressmen who make so much noise about Russiagate do that to hide how little noise they make about Trump's legislative agenda. In they end they are just as much subservient to their 1% donors as the Republicans.
Nothing will alter the trajectory of Special Council Mueller and his teams investigation into Russian interference. All the propaganda by Trump, his council and other officials will not stop it. I always keep in mind who appointed Mueller, it was the Republican Administration. No Democrats had a hand in it. In fact by default Trump appointed Mueller by appointing Rod Rosenstein Deputy Attorney General.
This investigation will not stop and more indictments will be forthcoming. These novices in this Administration thought they had a free hand, could say and do anything with immunity. Doesn't work that way, and they will suffer the consequences.
A tax cut that is to be paid for by future generations is taxation without representation.
1
As this tax bill rolls out or should I say over people are already talking about voting out the republicans... all of them. With that the republicans along with the russian trolls they are just beginning to attack the voting system again. This time it is imperative that people opposing trump/The russians/The gop all in concert vote together against them. While there are good reasons to vote independent or green for these parties represent noble causes and some good philosophies but philosophy needs to be set aside for the overall good of the nation. But still, hold the feet of the democrats to the fire to support more (compromise) of the goals of the independent and green parties. But to rid ourselves of the trump/the russians and the gop, we, the people of this nation that actually care for the whole of this nation must come together. Save this nation from the "Greatness": eminence considerably above the normal or average... to which those presently supporting trump are more in the category of grandiose. Instead, together lets make this nation a "Good": to be a desired or approved of Nation.
1
Please move soon, Mr. Mueller.
We clearly attribute too much to the Trump campaign if we think that it was capable of carrying off – in secret - a full scale collusion with Russia to defeat Hillary Clinton. Right or wrong, I’ve yet to see the ads that were supposedly placed by the Russians and, therefore, don’t know to what extent they were different from “legitimate” anti-Clinton ads that were running.
There were definite contacts with ranking Russian officials such as those undertaken by Mike Flynn and Donald Trump Jr. but some of these occurred after the election - and, yes, it has long been known that Paul Manafort took money from Putin’s supporters in the Ukraine. He is now being nailed for tax fraud. Even Putin has admitted that a couple of his citizens may have got carried away during the campaign.
Those caught have been charged or at least admitted their guilt. But where is it all going? We have known of these instances for, in some cases, over a year now. I hope the findings at least generate a slap on the wrist for Mr. Trump, because, right now, the 800 pound elephant has yet to appear in the room.
Budget, has anyone seen a "budget"?
Not necessarily a no-brainer. Don't forget to add the $8,100 in personal exemptions you used to get along with that $12,000 standard deduction. So you are really going from $20,100 in deductions to $24,000. At a 20% tax bracket you are going to save a whopping $780 a year. That's only $65 a month! And I am willing to bet your rent will be going up more than $65 a month after your landlord's taxes go through the roof. Oh, and by the way, you just added 1.5T to the deficit in exchange for your measly $780 for ten years.
The $1.5 trillion in new debt divided by 325 million people comes to $4,600 in debt for each citizen of the United States ($18,400) for a family of four).
Do you really expect to get a $4,600 benefit out of this tax bill for every member of your family?
Of course not. 80% of the benefits go to the super rich. They are putting each of us further in debt to pay for tax cuts for the super-rich, which they will use to create and pop asset bubbles, disrupting the economy.
3
It's amusing to see so many 'whistling past the graveyard' assertions that Mueller's investigation is nearly over, or ought to be.
Robert Mueller is a very experienced lawman. I suspect he will be the first to know when he is done, and will inform the rest of us when that time comes.
1
There is such dense cloud shading Trump's great success with the Tax reform that "looking over his shoulder" took over the celebration. Trump does not need to be nervous to commit mistakes but I think he is nervous. Why else would the president tweet that he fired Flynn because he lied to Pence and the FBI? Did Trump alert the FBI back then? Did Trump fire Flynn because he lied or because he got caught?
With that kind of tweets, Muller will be resting his case soon. I mean, soon after Trump detaches himself from all others who will get caught in the Russian affair, including Kushner.
Perhaps what one terms as "success" the other perceives as failure. The fact of the matter is that as Trump presses forward to push his agenda upon us he instead alienates more and more of us Americans. More precisely, he threatens through his bizarre and deteriorating state of mind (to wit, the recently published letter from our psychiatrists) our health and welfare at every tun. To make matters worse he is abetted in his criminal, yes criminal, destructiveness by his GOP Congress.
He is not the one suffering from metaphorical whip lash. But I am, you are. As we try to look ahead to figure out how we can improve our lives and those of our kids, elderly, and the struggling, we are rammed into on a daily basis. But the truth will unfold. The emperor indeed will shed his clothes. There is no escaping the justice and truth coming to our theater soon.
1
“Mr. Trump is hardly a model of political discipline,”
The Apprentice actually is totally undisciplined and I predict he will be part and parcel of his impending downfall from the Presidency. He cannot keep his yapper under control and that will aid and abet his being put away. Exciting prospects indeed.
2
It is hard enough for a president whose support level is less than 40% to get much done, so in the middle of this investigation, it will be nearly impossible for Trump. Nevertheless, in a relatively short period of time he has managed to do great damage to government agencies and institutions; irrational and increasingly volatile, he will become more dangerous and out of control as the inquiry threatens his presidency.
2
The tax bill will bring about an economic breakdown, after first cementing the power of the far-right, which has been the goal all along since Howard Jarvis and Ronald Reagan.
But why wait? Democrats, please don't fund any continuation of the government. Bring on the inevitable economic crash-and-burn, now, before any more federal judges can be appointed, before the billionaires can do anything more, bring all down. Don't continue government funding. Wait them out until November.
1
Tick-tock, tick-tock, will America succumb as the "government of the people, by the people, for the people" finally perishes from this earth? The Republican tax increase is just another factor in widening the gulf between the have and have-nots. Societies don't last like that. If you look at the numbers, 1% vs. 99% there are more of us than them. When are we going to wake up and take back our country. Middle class stagnation for 40 plus years, the 1% now hold more wealth, according to this paper, than the lower 90%. I don't think there needs to be income equity. I still believe in working for what you get but I think the taxes, breaks and opportunities should flow more evenly to all the people, not just congressional financial supporters.
1
The subject should be about "The Federal Budget" a budget being where most people thinking of budgets, they think of a typical household budget – given a certain amount of money, how much should be allocated to various expenses? This system usually works fine for individuals, but in the business world there needs to be a lot more involved. Determining how much to spend on various expenses is only half the battle. The other half is for a company to be able to effectively judge its spending financial performance. Regardless of the type of business, the ability to gauge performance using budgets is a matter of life and death in the business world. The uber rich via the GOP are using the American tax system to optimize THEIR corporate spending financial performance. The American tax payers are being made to carry "all" of the corporate debt. The people of this country don't mean anything of human value to these people. It's not personal...it's business. The Federal Budget should be "The People's Budget"... " A government for the people by the people". People need to boycott all industries taking "The People's" money.
1
Nice to see a president who has the capacity to deal with so many issues at once. He always has vision and constancy of purpose, in spite of being aggressively challenged by so many. I commend his diligence and hard work. I consider him a role model.
@rich williams- you consider trump a ROLE MODEL??? I sincerely hope that you don't have children. Could you hold the bar possibly any lower?
No matter what happens, we've got our Supreme Court Justice and will succeed with getting a great tax plan. No matter what happens, will be voting in 18 and 20, but not for whom you want.
You’ve got something else, too.
Markets will go down when tax cut is passed and signed. It may be good for profits, but markets usually go down on widely-anticipated good news.
Tax bill will cheer up wealthy GOP donors, but hurt with working people. Especially when the inevitable cuts to medicare and social security follow.
5
I think a Democratic Caucus, or other interested party on the private sector’s behalf, needs to consider any way that they can take the part of the GOP tax plan to the Supreme Court for taxing the private sector ‘more’ in order for their lone-party ‘to give’ huge refunds to the largest of corporations ‘through’ the American Public’s Federal Revenue funds, amounting to the hundreds of billions. Is not this tax money that the GOP hopes to collect that they ‘never’ plan to spend through the government? How can that be legal? Is it a weird form of money-laundering our Federal Revenue at the public’s expense?
1
HonorB14U- I was wondering this myself. Graduate students tuition waivers are being labeled and taxed as income but not sports related tuition waivers. What is different between the two? Is one difference that many sports tuition waivers go to students from his red state base? Could the graduate students sue under the 14th amendment equal protection under the law clause? I'm not sure if this could be applied in this situation since I'm not a lawyer but it is an issue when this only counts as "income" for certain students and not all. What is the ACLU's position on this?
We are back to: follow the money. Consider this (admittedly broad) generalization: the Democrats would likely have borrowed money to fund infrastructure and to leave more money with the majority of (poorer) Americans, the Republicans will borrow money to leave more money with profitable corporations and the minority of (richer) Americans. Democrats believe that money at the base stimulates the economy because it flows there and so provides opportunity in the free market, Republicans believe that money at the peak will trickle down.
We have the Obama stimulus which reversed the effects of the Bush tax cuts; those who cannot remember the past are dooming us all to relive it.
4
Wall Street got what it came for in 2017. Now that it has its Christmas present, there will be little incentive for the market to continue it's unabashed support of Trump and will be under less pressure to maintain the current inflated market valuation.
The timing of the tax bill could not have been worse for retailers this holiday season by injecting such uncertainty into the holiday shopping season. Those of the 99% that are paying attention should be tightening our belts.
5
Here's one way we can fight the GOP plan to gut the safety net: We can call Social Security and Medicare by their correct names. They are Earned Benefits. Not "entitlements."
Entitlement has a pejorative ring to it.
Entitlement implies something unearned that should or could be forfeited.
We earned our Social Security and Medicare and paid for them from our paychecks over our working lives. Earned Benefits.
The front page of the New York Times today, December 3, 2017 used the word entitlement several times. I'd like to see this change.
6
We like President Trump and his new policy to deal with aggressors in middle east. On the domestic front President Trump offers a new vision and we believe this is mainly because he is not a lawyer. All branches of U.S. government are run and dominated by lawyers and it is refreshing to see a non lawyer leader like Trump who is trying his best to turn all the non productive lawyers in government into productive citizens and that will surely be an uphill task for him. The U.S. government has powerful military but is financially bankrupt and President Trump and his conservative policies can help to keep the U.S. afloat financially for some years to come.
1
"For White House, a Dizzying Day From Scandal to Success"
That's it - just one, single, solitary day. That the WH and the Republicans go into wild triumphant whoops to celebrate a single victory, which isn't even a victory yet, is a measure of how little trump and co. are in fact "winning", legislatively at least. (Though, under the media radar, they are stealthily fulfilling their dream of undermining the very structure of our government). If this tax giveaway does make it over the finish line, by November 2018 trump and the GOP will choke on their "success", and McConnell's smirk will be wiped off his face.
7
1. Take over the Supreme Court
2. Take over who immigrates into the USA
3. Deport unfavourable minorities
3. Take over the health of the people
4. Take over the finances of the people
Sound familiar?
14
Mussolini?
I don't know about the rest of the readers, but I believe nothing when the government issues reports about the economy, unemployment, inflation, etc. So many people (mostly middle-aged women) have been unemployed for so long that they're no longer even numbers. Inflation? What difference does it make if it's "low" or "under control?" when it has nothing whatsoever to do with the cost of living? Taxes? What about state and local taxes, excise taxes, property taxes, and other taxes? Everything keeps going up except for our income. For the past 17 years, the U.S. government sounded like the old Soviet government. The five year plan. It's good. The ten year plan. It's good. The economy. It's good. Too big to fail? Hello! They did! But everything is good, good, good.
8
So what is your point, metro? Everything is fake news? I can sure as heck tell you inflation makes a difference; just go back to the 1970s when it was really out of control and a person was paying 12% mortgage interest rate for a home loan and tell me inflation had nothing to do with the cost of living. And yes, the numbers on unemployment seem to be open for debate.
But don’t you feel like celebrating today, what with the new GOP tax plan, scribbled together in handwritten notes in the wee morning hours that is going to trickle zillions of dollars back to you from the richest of the rich as their tax rates head toward zero? I know I’m popping open the bubbly (well, Sprite) and celebrating as I now know that all of those vile unionized teachers have lost their tax break for buying school supplies for their pupils and that the GOP now has set their sights on cutting Medicare and Social Security benefits for old people... happy days are here again!!!
The Obama Administration routinely put on incorrect figures that were corrected the following month but in fine print.
I didn't say that everything is fake news. The definitions of inflation have changed over the years. I was around in the 1970s and remember that, but there were COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustments) each year for most workers instead of stagnating wage gaps. Put in this context, the official rate of inflation has nothing to do with the cost of living.
1
Why does the New York Times follow the Republican’s Party line and label this a “tax cut” bill?
It very clearly will INCREASE, not cut, taxes for many who live in New York State ( and elsewhere), some immediately, some soon after the next election, while triggering cuts in Medicare.
While I understand why the Times feels it can’t call this bill what it is, “The Payoff to Wealthy Republican Donors Act” surely “Tax cut” is further from the truth.
(spell checker suggested taco cut Act.)
225
Agreed and have said over and over that anyone referring to this as a tax cut without qualifiers, "for some", "temporary" is at least lying by omission.
1
Couldn't agree more. Would only add that even the title of the piece is off since it couldn't be farther from the truth that this be labelled "a success" when it hurts so many ordinary people in the aid of the donor class. They stink. I wouldn't mind if the Democrats don't cooperate at all in the government shutdown arguments saying that since this tax bill is "so great" let it keep the government open. The stock market needs a haircut anyway. It's way to high and needs to correct.
1
I guess you must not be rich, because the Democrats are stating this is a tax cut for the wealthy.
1
The twin tales- Flynn pleading guilty, and the robber baron style tax heist- depicting the lows and highs mix of the Trump presidency clearly hint at the growing chinks in the Trump armour which might turn this historical aberration like exceptional presidency much compromised and vulnerable from many quarters.
41
"It's the economy, stupid."
This is how the Republicans tried to destroy the Obama presidency and this is how Trump is trying to stay afloat.
So long as the economy is ok and the stock market remains aloft, the Republicans will not turn on Trump. This actually could also the difference between Nixon and Clinton. The aftermath of the Vietnam War might have weakened Nixon, but the oil embargo after his Operation Nickel Grass did as much damage to him. Clinton had given America two terms of prosperity, Gingrich's bomb throwing in Congress told the tale of who is in charge when the government shut down. Sure, the Ken Starr was a payback; but in the end, there were enough sane people in Congress then not to kill the golden goose. They were happy to set up a "bring dignity back to the White House" Bush.
Time will tell if this trickle down more-for-me-none-for-you tax cut plan might not herald in the mother of all bubbles, the haves-versus-the-haves-not, for the next step to appease the deficit hawks is to attack the twin entitlements. In the mean time, Trump's populist rhetoric will keep him in good grace with his base.
To be fair, history is not entirely macro based. Trump learned from Roy Cohn that notoriety is an asset and not a liability. Still, thanks to President Obama, with a steady economy and a 4% unemployment even against the obstructionist Republican congress, he has a pretty good floor to stand on
37
Everyone’s rate is lowered. Why do you have a problem with that? Obama had NOTHING to do with the current unemployment rate. What Obama did do was send millions more to food stamps.
Well, let that base pay their bills, fund their own medical care etc etc with #45's (hollow) rhetoric. I for one am pitchfork angry. Are you?
The alleged "tax reform" is a total sham for the 99% of us. 99% of us are foreclosed from 99% of its benefits, and will pay for them with our taxes..
Furthermore, we will be immediately and hereafter subsidizing lyin' Trump, yes lying' Trump with his golf courses and jets, and his ilk. And the GOP senators who were passing out favors for their oil barons and hedge fund buddy pass throughs, etc., until the very last hours before the vote, they even had to write it in by hand.
Plus, when the mandatory payments for the budget deficit payments kick in they have already passed the chained CPI for Social Security and will reduce it further, plus our Medicare, Medicaid and Trump care to subsidize the millionaires' and billionaires cuts' and the $1.4 trillion deficit increase.
The best we can do, is demand that if they want to keep this government running, they better put back into the budget, honest and real tax relief for us, which doesn't end, just like the millionaires and billionaires, and wrest back some of the benefits and taxes they just stole from us.
And if they won't THEY, and not WE will be responsible for shutting down the government, like Ted Cruz did a a few years ago, which cost us $24 billion back then.
68
According to Donald Trump, “I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI,” Mr. Trump wrote. “He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!”"
This tweet tweet seems curious because it smacks of hindsight: did Trump really know that Flynn had been interviewed by, and lied to by, the FBI at the time he fired him?
The president's staff must despair over how much Trump's tweets become part of the case building around him. For a man who survived in real estate, let alone won the presidency, I'm amazed how long he's skated above the law given how much he seems to self-incriminate with these early morning tweets.
He's fixated on "collusion" every week brings fresh evidence of the very charge he seeks to self-exonerate him from.
Why would anyone believe anything this man says in the first place? "There is no collusion" may become today's historical equivalent of "I am not a crook."
Mr. Trump seems to want to have his cake and eat it too. It's pretty clear even at this point in the investigation that things were going on between the campaign and the Russians.
If he's obsessed he'll end up implicated in some form of conspiracy with Russia to influence this election, he should have thought hard about doing it in the first place.
Mr. Trump is a hands-on man. Methinks he doth protest too much.
146
Editing errors: (1)"Flynn had been interviewed by, and lied to the FBI" ; 2) "He's fixated on "collusion" WHILE every week brings fresh evidence of the very charges he seeks exoneration from."
13
Back when I was a teacher, I used to comment to some of my students who would spend significant time "assuring" me THEY hadn't done anything (a pattern which reminds me of Mr. Trump, who every day acts more like a small child than an adult), I would reply that in all my years I had found one thing one thing to be true "He who doth protest too much is guilty."
2
These are good points. On one hand Mr. Trump states that he knew nothing about Flynn’s activities while Mr. Flynn served in the White House, and then now Mr. Trump said he had to fire Mr. Flynn because he lied to the FBI. Trump is saying he KNEW Mr. Flynn lied to the FBI even before that was determined by the Mueller investigation. It seems reasonable to assume that either Mr. Trump told him to lie, or that a member of Trump’s inner circle told Flynn to lie and then informed Mr. Trump. How else would Trump have known?
3
Success for whom? These cuts are going to be decimating except for the richest amongst us.
And why was Bill Clinton suddenly in the middle of this article? Clinton and Reagan were mentioned but examples from Clinton being distracted were used without expanding on how Reagan handled a crisis. The Clinton's are no longer relevant and neither is Reagan. This is Trump's presidency and if he only has 35% popularity, that is hardly "success."
167
The only math Trump knows is the one that adds to his networth, as well as his "friends". Let's see who comes and saves him.
We're about to see what will appear to be a major shift towards politeness and manners in the current administration's cabinet: Starting soon, every time a cabinet member or White House advisor passes Trump, they'll say, 'Pardon me'.
248
Please vote in 2018 and 2020 and save our Republic.
.
421
Vote; yes by all means vote for those who will overturn this foul regime. AND run for office. AND if you can't run for office, support those who will in every way possible.
4
It doesn't matter whether Flynn is found guilty of anything - or whether he acknowledges wrongdoing of any kind. It's ALL a waste of $$$. Whatever happens Trump will pardon Flynn AND if the investigation gets to Trump he will pardon himself.
10
Mueller has that covered. There are multiple state charges that can be brought that have stiffer penalties than the charge for which he pled guilty. State charges cannot be pardoned. Mueller has Flynn sewn up.
2
True cannot pardon if there are charges in a state, like in NY, on federal charges. Flynn cannot be pardoned by Trump.
1
Sorry Danny darling, but Mueller is way ahead of that. There are also state charges he has against all the people charged so far, Trump can only make pardons for federal crimes. Even Trump is likely to have committed state crimes and, even if he tries to pardon himself, such a pardon also only extends to federal crimes.
By the way, Flynn is already found guilty, that was his plea. Flynn is now a felon, not alleged, but actually a felon. Yes, the former senior US intelligence officer committed a felony while serving the President of the US. Is that not meaningful to you?
In any case, money laundering is a crime in the state of New York, which would only be too happy to prosecute Trump or other parties given sufficient evidence.
And it's hardly a waste of money to follow up on strong suspicions of serious crimes by the President and his team, quite the contrary, especially if he has sold us out to the Russians.
2
Sadly, "this get[ting] still worse" is inevitable. Trump has repeatedly proven himself incapable of anything resembling "getting better".
45
So much about myth of Mr clinton being a famous multi tasker.
Difference here is that Mr Clinton knew that the Starr was focusing on a personal, seamy, twardy scandal that will destroy image he had built despite the campaign.
And because the Congress had created that position, he had no way of firing Mr Starr.
Here the situation is different. If Mr Mueller is to veer into personal issues, I dare say and hope that he fires Mr Mueller. He can start it by first firing an unwilling assistant attorney general and findimg a new Robert Bork.
All the indictments show nothing so far about the oft cited Russian meddling in the campaign run by the POTUS.
These indictments could have easily been issued by a US attorney for the District of New York, like Mr Bharara - the ever dogged prosecutor.
It's time to wrap this up and move on.
5
@ Neil M
Neither you nor I absolutely KNOW that there is no evidence regarding a Russia connection/meddling. None of us is privy to the full record at this point, except Mr. Mueller and his staff, and the professionals within our government's many security agencies who have unanimously declared that there WAS meddling in our election by Russia.
To say it's time to "wrap this up and move on" is to say that facts should be left unearthed, because the truth doesn't matter. That's a very dangerous proposition.
As far as Mueller veering into "personal issues" it is a perfectly legitimate area in which to look, if there is reason to believe those "personal issues" are in any way antithetical to the safety and well-being of our own nation.
If the President's "personal issues" are not a problem, then there should be nothing to see when they are looked into...and the process of verifying they are benign should only serve to strengthen the President's standing (which helps an entire nation to breathe easier, and that helps him too).
Just because an investigation hasn't yet shown PUBLICLY what you believe to be substantial proof of a connection between the Trump campaign and a foreign actor, doesn't mean there isn't evidence.
There has never been an incoming administration with such widespread and personal ties to a single foreign nation, especially one historically at odds with the U.S. - you don't have to believe it, but your disbelief doesn't change the facts.
3
Personal issues such as Trump ties to Russia are pertinent and part of Mueller's oversight. We already have proof of Russian meddling. Now we obtain proof of Trump campaign enabling Russia to interfere in the election. Dont like the facts?
3
Multiple attempts to contact Russian government people. Attempt to create a back channel to Russia, which was nixed by the old spymaster Kislyak. He knew a recklessly dangerous step when he saw one even if Jared and the boys didn't. Their clumsy attempts at foreign "relations" are laughable. Donald J Chaos & Co. were lying about these attempts and are lying still. "It's time to wrap this up and move on." Thanks so much for standing by your man instead of the American people.
3
The investigation of the Trump Administration must be continued because we are a nation of laws. However we should avoid worldwide calamity by compartmentalizing our relations with Russia so as to diffuse the chance of hostilities between the two nations. First, in a show of friendship any planned manned mission to mars should include both Americans and Russians. Second, sanctions should be lifted because though they seem to have worked they have forced Russia to make risky and dangerous moves out of financial desperation. Finally, Ukraine should be a neutral zone between East and West and there should be nuclear weapons freeze.
6
The investigation needs to be completed, it has taken way too long and found nothing about its purpose. The rest is not possible, nor advisable.
12
Those, like vulcanalex, who think this has “gone on too long” and is a witch hunt because what the investigation is turning up is, (for what one would think were obvious reasons), not yet public knowledge, have either no understanding of how investigations of this nature proceed, or no memory of how long Watergate took.
In that case, it was two years from the appointment of Archibald Cox as Special Prosecutor to Nixon’s Resignation on the eve of his impeachment. And that was with bi-partisan support and cooperation for the investigation and punishment.
This isn’t a shoplifting trial, people. It’s going to take a little time. Again, one would think, for obvious reasons.
2
It took much more time to force Nixon out of office. Patience.
2
Mr. Baker, are you reduced to taking dictation from Ms. Sanders? Whether the "current economic surge" is maintained will have nothing whatsoever to do with tax cuts, just as it has not up to now. And If "the American people wanted to see a president that was engaged and able to move his agenda," they should have voted for one: Mr. Trump is innocent of any substantive involvement in his alleged "legislative achievements".
In no rational universe can this monstrous tax thing be considered a "success".
105
You apparently don't understand business. The stock market, small business, and emotions want tax reform, if they don't get it the economy will slow as the positive emotions turn negative.
7
The "economy" is not the stock market.
194
The immediate surge in the stock market is related to hopes of lowered taxes -- but the build in the market going back to the days after the lowest lows in 2008 has nothing to do with Trump&co. Reform of the tax code would mean careful analysis of where we want to go; how the changes would affect all current programs.
It should also involve consideration of some other changes that would assist small businesses - including 2 more obvious for instances: 1) a way to make retirement savings programs available for those employed in small businesses without significant cost to those businesses; 2) a sane universal health care insurance program. In addition, putting Medicare and Social Security ought to be on any true "reform" agenda -
out front - to make the connections between government tax collection and all programs clear.
This process was dishonest and desperate; I am really much more concerned about domestic policies than with Russian collusion. However, the lying and misrepresentation of the behind the scenes Trumpco- Russki chatter has brought out the venal side of Trumpco beautifully: they were into the dirt and the MONEY; no one was working towards ensuring peace in Europe, or justice in the Ukraine. A back channel may have helped us during the Cuban crisis -- this isn't the Cuban crisis. This is about thieves working together.
13
My grandson loves Nick Jr's, "Peter Rabbit", an animated series based on Beatrix Potter's character. In most episodes, Peter, his friend, Lily, and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny are chased by predators in the forest (Mr. Tod, the fox, Tommy Brock, the badger, and Old Owl), managing to elude them by ducking down tunnels and tricking their pursuers into crashing into trees, etc. Peter is brave and fierce, but Benjamin is timid and scared, and keeps repeating, "Rabbits are brave, rabbits are brave." I imagine Trump repeating this phrase to himself as the walls close in on him: "Trumps are brave..." Hope it serves him well as the end comes ever nearer.
36
Conflating Trump and Peter Rabbit? How low, I think you could have illustrated your point with something cheaper. Try Captain Crunch or some other ad company's insulting character.
2
This tax overhaul is why Congress gives a pass to Mr. Trump on everything from collusion with Russia to sexual harassment to blatant incompetence. Everything else has been a sidebar.
The Founding Fathers envisioned three equal branches of government but Republicans have decided sharing the spoils is for losers. In anticipation of potential turnover in the next election - as people actually get to read the bill - they're rushing to appoint conservative judges after stonewalling during Mr. Obama's term.
Mr. Trump is a necessary evil to signing this into bill but then he should watch his back. His impeachment now would derail the plan but once law he's irrelevant.
So while the Democrats are rallying to get rid of Mr. Trump they're forgetting that the better plan is winning the next election cycle. Mr. Pence is more dangerous than Mr. Trump; he's a lap dog for the Machiavellian congress. He won't tweet diversions, he'll be in lock step with Congress to make changes that will make Mr. Trump's erratic choices seem tame.
Be careful what you wish for. On both sides.
242
Unless Pence, too, is indictable. He is not an innocent player, as the WH would lead you to believe. He is up to his neck in the same conspiracy as jared, et al.
176
And then next in line in the succession order if a president and then a VP are removed, we get the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan as president, a guy who couldn't get elected our VP when he ran with Romney. I don't see much light at the end of this particular tunnel, I'm afraid.
2
While I suspect that Pence was complicit - he headed that transition team, after all - were we faced with Trump’s removal and Pence taking over, I suspect he will be wounded from the start. He won’t have much of a bully pulpit to work with, were he to become President as a result of a Trump impeachment.
1
The " success " will be reached, in culling the herd. Most of that herd does not yet realize they'll be culled. Or, they will blame Obama and Clinton.
Thanks, GOP. Starving children and making Grannies die miserably, to enrich the already rich. What a Country.
154
Yes that "herd" is federal government employees that will be thinned. They will lose their jobs, not die.
3
It will not be just grannies. It will be our aging veterans who lie. In beds in nursing homes, not knowing what day it is; us men, too, who depend on Social Security and Medicare to sustain us in frugal retirement
4
As you disparage the federal employees, keep in mind what they do on a daily basis in your behalf.
5
I haven't seen, heard, nor read the words "no collusion" reported. Where is the disconnect? Oh, it must be the Fake news" disconnect?
2
No need for a time machine. Seventeen intelligence agencies of the US government gave a report to President Obama in the fall before the election. Russian meddling was disclosed, President Obama asked that a joint statement be released so that it would not look like a partisan attempt to influence results. The majority leader of the Senate refused, and in fact stated that he would accuse the White House of partisanship if a statement was released. Mitch Mc Connell once again proved that he has no loyalty to America, just to his party. There are none so blind as those who will not see. History will not be kind to those who abetted the theft of democracy in the 2016 presidential election.
5
Early days yet.
1
Trump's whole life has been a manic depressive whirl of advantages & success followed by self-sabotage & failure. Born to rich parents -- obnoxious violent boy is sent to military school. Married to faithful woman who supports him who's a good mother to his children -- drags her through the mud in the NYC tabloids. Builds casino with help from investors -- bankrupts it. Rinse & repeat the bankruptcy part 5 times. Becomes reality t.v. star - - stupidly mouths off on "Access Hollywood" bus. Becomes Republican nominee for president -- has to pay millions to settle fraud lawsuit. Multi-millionaire presidential candidate -- credibly accused of sexual assault by a dozen women. 'Miraculously' becomes President of the United States -- drags presidency into a sewer with childish tantrums, neo-Nazi video tweets, praise for alt-right thugs. Attends G7 summit as leader of the free world -- shoves Prime Minister of Montenegro.
Every single thing that goes right for Trump is diminished or ruined by his own stupid, thuggish behavior. He's self-destructive, trusts no one, cares for no one, is loyal to no one. Born with every advantage, he rises to unimaginable heights -- not by achievement or intellect but through lies, cheating & subterfuge. Likely to be the 1st President of the U.S. marched from the White House in disgrace by military police.
A stupid man who actually made little effort to become better at anything. He can never get out of his own way.
583
And why I have so little hope for the future of this country is that everything you say should be blatantly clear to everyone. But because of people being either so ignorant or indifferent to these facts, Trump is where he is and we are being hammered by the worse cabinet and single piece of legislation I have ever witnessed in 66 years of living. This, I fear, is how it ends for us.
2
Congratulations on writing the movie treatment for tRump: America's Greatest Mistake.
1
Not a bad summing up of the guy.
2
Now that the Republicans have their tax cuts might this not free them up to take a long hard look at Trump, develop a backbone and and loudly say 'enough'? Should they not place the country ahead of party? Do they not see that Trump is a danger to democracy and it will be hard to get it back even when Trump is no longer in power?
50
No time for infrastructure and repeal and replace. With economic growth and jobs welfare can be reformed. Not to mention improving the government by cutting it a lot. Wait until there are several more real Republican senators after the next election.
2
Daily one wonders what are the republicans thinking? Perhaps they are not thinking. Many probably know that Trump is a disaster but will not admit it publicly.
Just what will it take to get them to speak out. Even if impeachment goes up before Congress will republicans still keep their heads in the sand. As we say in Maui Hawaiians believe in pono--doing the right thing. What we need is just that and a lot of aloha too.
1
the absolute first thing Congress should do is stop sending "donor" state federal tax dollars to all the "taker" states like Tennessee.
3
"The tax cuts presumably will keep the current economic surge going in the short term as markets hit records"
"Presumably." It is presuming a lot in an economy that has nearly full employment. Or an economy in which the middle cohorts of the Baby Boom are downsizing even before they retire. Or where Millennials in their 20s and 30s are still getting their footing.
It is presuming a lot in a recovery that is getting long in the tooth. It is presuming this growth will not only continue from where it started 8 years ago but improve over the next 10 years. 18 years continued growth with no downturn is an awfully tall order to presume when making law.
What is really terrifying is the frenzy that is accompanying the labor pains of this tax bill. Whether it is born or not, its creators are drunk on expectations and presumptions. That sense of unreality is usually a sign that we are near the top of a growth period. Time to fold 'em.
58
I’m pretty sure the GOP’s magical economic strategy is firmly grounded in the age-old wisdom that “what goes up...just keeps going up forever and ever.”
27
I think we can look at what Trump says and immediately see the truth is the exact opposite. "... his actions were lawful...there is nothing to hide!" this means that Trump thinks the actions were not lawful and there is everything to hide. He is convinced that if he says the opposite of the truth enough times, enough people will believe the opposite of the truth is what is the "truth". Saying there "was no collusion thirty times means that there was a lot of collusion. Just follow this simple rule of thumb.
150
The problem is Trump has already won the War on Truth. Thirty five to forty percent of Americans will believe whatever he says. Ninety eight percent of Republicans believe him despite evidence to the contrary. All they care about is he's not a liberal Democrat. Alabama may still send a Senator to DC with these qualifications.
1
On the tenth day of Christmas, the White House gave to me:
Ten arctic drill sites,
Nine lawyers leaking
Eight Mexicans fleeing
Seven Nazis nodding
Six tweets appalling
Five daily lies . . .
Four dirty pervs,
three Russian hacks,
Two guilty pleas
And a tax bill made in secrecy
364
Love it, Cheryl. Gonna add this song to my holiday rotation. Wish I didn't have to but these are new dark times so the music must reflect that.
I declare this comment a Clearwater Pick!
6
Outstanding. Think a professional Christmas choir should be hired to record it on You Tube - think it would go viral (one can only hope). Rush on, Mr Mueller, rush on.
6
Marvelous.
4
Yes, getting 51 votes was a success. But the Bill in itself is not a success. It showed again that the Trump administration is nothing more than government of the wealthy, by the wealthy and for the wealthy.
294
The president only set out criteria, congress wrote those bills.
1
It's not the administration; it's the republican congress.
19
Wrong. The president asked for it and will sign it. You can't weasel out that easily. The bill will bear his name and his shame.
4
We are seeing the increasing likelihood that Russia has something on Trump that forces him to do things in their interests and not ours.
We are also seeing how beholden Republicans are to their big doners, who insist that this favorable tax bill be passed no matter what. It’s in their interest, not ours.
So what’s the difference between these 2outside groups? Republican doners fat cats want their own way at our expense. Russian fat cats want their own way at our expense.
The little people are about to be made a whole lot smaller regardless of which fat cats win the power battle.
71
Suzen- "We are also seeing how beholden Republicans are to their big doners, who insist that this favorable tax bill be passed no matter what. It’s in their interest, not ours."
We need to start referring to what these people truly are. They're not big donors, they're big owners. It is apparent and even admitted that the GOP is owned by their donors. Many have baldy admitted it. Words matter and truth should be paramount. OWNERS, not donors. LIES, not mis-spoke or alternative facts or whatever other twisted Orwellian phrase they use in their efforts to not call a lie what it is; a LIE. The newspapers and we must speak truth. These repugnant entities need to be shown for what they are; boldly and baldly. Corporate and the wealthy owned prostitutes!
2
Colonel Kurtz: "I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor.
That's my dream; That's my nightmare, crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor...and surviving"
17
I vote for worse. Trump's clown car of loyal incompetents are no match for Mueller. He has spent his life as a swindling 2 bit crook cheating contractors, day labors , unions( not the concrete mob type, after all they are friends) small city officals, building inspectors etc. He was the Schmalzty King of Queens, but is out of his league with white shoe top notch law firms. Look at the fools he has chosen for legal counsel. They all belong on the GONG SHOW or Hollywood Squares. His "people" will turn and desert him as the power of Federal Criminal Indictments weight heavily on them. Pass the popcorn, it's going to be a fun Christmas !
156
Mueller had to send back to the FBI a top investigator on his staff for allegedly exchanging derogatory texts about Trump with his girlfriend, a Justice Department lawyer who mysteriously left Mueller's staff a couple of weeks earlier. I guess I should mention that this is an extra-marital affair and that the FBI Agent involved was a very senior FBI Supervisor/Manager in the Hillary Clinton email investigation, er, matter.
The swamp runs deep..
And Mueller removed the two individuals ASAP. These individuals and their mistakes don’t absolve Trump and his gang from crimes they have committed. Nice try at deflection but it no longer works. Lock him up!
1
But president chump grabbing women's sexual organs is perfectly fine with your right? Your consistency with moral standards is consistent with republican importance to the deficit. Congratulations.
1
Mr. Trump needs to immediately be admitted to Walter/Reed/ Bethesda Naval's joint campus for complete physical, cognitive and mental evaluations in order to prevent World War III.
151
Just who will be participating in WWIII??? North Korea????
1
If the US and the DPRK were ever to go to war, would China stand idly by? Or Russia, which still has ties to the regime? I doubt seriously it would remain a bilateral conflict.
2
Mr Trump never served a day of military service due to "bone spurs". To admit him to any of our military hospitals denegrates the service of all our service members.
Let Dr. Harold Bornstein treat him in a back room at Mar a Lago.
5
This no-nothing person has made it possible for people around him to push to reality an agenda that will make the rich, richer and the poor, poorer, while in essence removing the safety net for those millions of citizens who already suffer and whose numbers will continue to expand, now at an even more rapid pace. My grandchildren (and yours!) will be saddled by a debt that can't be paid down. Our public education system, once the pride of this nation (and the underpinning of its economic growth), is being dismantled. There are now penalties in place for those who dare seek higher education. Promises to those who were working off their debt have been shattered. People who found refuge here, and who have contributed to our collective well-being, are being defamed and threatened with deportation to dangerous places they know nothing about. Our wilderness areas, supposed to belong to us all, will be irreparably harmed. And to what end? I would like a Republican, any Republican, to try and persuade me that any of this is for our greater good. If there were any moral center to any of these people, they would pack their briefcases and head for home, leaving this person in the dark, actually. They would turn their backs on what they think is power (and the money accompanying it) and leave this poor excuse for a human being alone, left to fend for himself in all respects. Let him wither away in his gilded world. Just take the codes away from him before you do.
192
Spot on - PLUS we're probably;y going to have a war with Iran and/or N Korea to distract from this abomination.In almost any other country, Trump would be overthrown by a decent military, hauled off and shot, I have seen many dictators and would-be dictators, and Trump is up there close to the top.
I'm hoping that what is in the tax bill will become public, even at FOX, and that the general public, regardless of party, will be outraged at what they find so a conference bill can't make it through deadlock! I don't yet know, of course, what is in the bill, but I have read of provisions about abortion, fetal rights, religious rights, etc. that have no place in such legislation if they are indeed in it.
I also hope the press really does its job and reports any of these dreadful provisions loud and clear. Perhaps I am a Pollyanna....
67
One member of Congress said he had 25 minutes to read the 400 plus page bill before the vote was held, and parts were handwritten.
72
Yes you are, these bills have a lot of great things according to me, I am not going ever to oppose them. I bet there are many just like me.
Bur certainly nowhere near a majority.
14
The tax legislation is not a success. It is a scandal.
380
Unfortunately it appears that they will win this battle but fortunately it will be the thing that causes a massive shift to the left and ultimately them losing the war!
3
This will be McConnell's legacy.
2
Supposedly responsible journalist just can't see past the ping pong game. While the Titanic takes on water they are Handicapping the iceberg.
2