I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

... But seriously, I'd pick Bolton for Undersecretary over Roger Ailes.

... they exceeded my expectations and could have been far worse. Like Secretary Palin or Hannity.

I mean, sure, he could have picked empty personalities with no experience, and aside from Carson seems to have avoided that. But that's such a low bar.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

OTOH, I find it hilarious how severely Dems, led by Obama, mocked Romney when he said that Russia was the biggest international threat, but now the Russians have rigged the election against the great Hillary of the Reset Button!! I am enjoying the reaction almost as much as I am to the Democrats rediscovering the Constitution and separation of powers and the importance of the filibuster in Presidential appointments.

In analogous circumstances with the party affiliations reversed, lefties would get offended at the hypocrisy shown by the other side. Which is pathetic in its own way. Conservatives don't dwell on the hypocrisy, but take great pleasure when lefties are bothered by something. The schadenfreude is also pathetic. I think it's more pathetic, actually, but then I'm a lefty.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

In analogous circumstances with the party affiliations reversed, lefties would get offended at the hypocrisy shown by the other side. Which is pathetic in its own way. Conservatives don't dwell on the hypocrisy, but take great pleasure when lefties are bothered by something. The schadenfreude is also pathetic. I think it's more pathetic, actually, but then I'm a lefty.

I think her post is a fucking joke. Republicans took it to unprecedented levels with filibusters and obstruction to keep Democrats from governing. Why the fuck they think Democrats shouldn't block absolutely everything they want (especially appointments--if it were up to me, they wouldn't get to appoint anyone until everyone Obama put up is approved) is beyond me.

TM

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Adder

The Trump administration is almost certainly going to try to go to war with Iran, largely on the same pretext as Iraq - they're bad and that's all that matters. Heck, we know they've tried to get WMD!

Right now the GOP seems unlikely to really try to stop them, even though it will cost millions of lives, trillions of dollars and has zero chance of a good result (i.e., a remotely stable alternate government in the foreseeable future).

On what basis do you reach this conclusion? Because uber-hawk Rex Tillerson - the man everyone is concerned would value oil suppliers' interests over US interests - is going to run out and start a war which would screw up oil rights and supply lines in the middle east? Or that he won't be able to contain Bolton?

We're going to attempt to resume sanctions on Iran. Will that work? Will it backfire? Who knows. Will tensions increase? Hell yes. But we're not going to initiate a war with Iran. That's tin foil hat talk.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

I think her post is a fucking joke. Republicans took it to unprecedented levels with filibusters and obstruction to keep Democrats from governing. Why the fuck they think Democrats shouldn't block absolutely everything they want (especially appointments--if it were up to me, they wouldn't get to appoint anyone until everyone Obama put up is approved) is beyond me.

TM

If the Dems don't repay GOP obstructionism with their own, they don't deserve to ever have any kind of power. I expect and welcome them doing so because, if that's how checks and balances are going to work in our nihilist political climate, then the necessary obstructionist checks should and need to be applied by both parties.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

OTOH, I find it hilarious how severely Dems, led by Obama, mocked Romney when he said that Russia was the biggest international threat, but now the Russians have rigged the election against the great Hillary of the Reset Button!!

Ah, you do realize don't you that Obama signed the Russia sanctions bill? I know, reality sucks when in gets in the way of your biases.

As to the Constitution, you should really discover it too someday. We know your party's leader never will.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

On what basis do you reach this conclusion? Because uber-hawk Rex Tillerson - the man everyone is concerned would value oil suppliers' interests over US interests - is going to run out and start a war which would screw up oil rights and supply lines in the middle east? Or that he won't be able to contain Bolton?

We're going to attempt to resume sanctions on Iran. Will that work? Will it backfire? Who knows. Will tensions increase? Hell yes. But we're not going to initiate a war with Iran. That's tin foil hat talk.

Wait and see, but Flynn is a nutjob who seems to want it, Mattis seems to have an interest in it and Bolton will certainly not oppose. ETA: And Trump wants to tear up the deal.

[SEC_Chick]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Ah, you do realize don't you that Obama signed the Russia sanctions bill? I know, reality sucks when in gets in the way of your biases.

As to the Constitution, you should really discover it too someday. We know your party's leader never will.

Mocking somebody's idea and then stealing it and taking credit when it turns out to be right. Not exactly a bias unless you point out where Obama acknowledged Romney was right on that issue.

The GOP did try to work with Obama, but at the first meeting when they tried to make a suggestion, they were told that elections had consequences. And remember the budget deal that was reportedly busted by Obama moving the goal posts after an agreement had been reached? After that, of course there will be obstructionism. I would be the last to argue that McConnell and Boehner didn't suck. Ryan sucks less, but keep in mind that many of those Red State representatives were doing exactly what they were elected to do my their constituents. What will your reaction be to hearing that we have to pass the replacement for Obamacare for you to find out what is in it? Or with the gamesmanship regarding the Wheeler and the FCC?

I thought at the time it was shortsighted to fail to approve qualified appointees like judges, but it was also shortsighted to make unjustified recess appointments and muck with the appointment filibuster rule, and while I would hope that the GOP would change it back, I understand why they wouldn't. The GOP are total hypocrites too. If they thought a foreign power influenced an election for a D win, they'd speak of nothing else.

At this point the system is pretty much screwed forever. Unfortunately the only thing that would possibly get both parties to work together would be a Pearl Harbor or 9/11 event.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

As to the Constitution, you should really discover it too someday.

I would like to discover the Constitution someday, too. In my visions, I imagine myself discovering it in a treasure chest, nestled in an enormous pile of gold coins and jewelry, buried in a beach at the spot marked on a faded scroll of a map with an elaborate X, and guarded by four rainbow unicorns wearing red baseball caps. Here's the Skull Snaps with "I'm Your Pimp" for the Daily Dose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4paYFz-h4

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

We're going to attempt to resume sanctions on Iran. Will that work? Will it backfire? Who knows. Will tensions increase? Hell yes. But we're not going to initiate a war with Iran. That's tin foil hat talk.

Here's my prediction (I hope it proves wrong).

When Trump starts losing some domestic battles or embarrassing himself in one way or another, he'll get increasingly bellicose on foreign policy. His favorite targets are going to be Iran and China. They will respond to his escalation with escalation, expecting it to lead to rational discussions before anything crazy happens, but will instead get crazy. And Iran is an easier target for a bully than China.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

The GOP did try to work with Obama, but at the first meeting when they tried to make a suggestion, they were told that elections had consequences.

That is totally, completely, and laughably false. The GOP absolutely did not try to work with Obama -- they made a concerted effort to do the absolute opposite. Defend it if you like as smart politics, and if you assume conservative ends you can make a case, but don't pretend it wasn't true.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

Mocking somebody's idea and then stealing it and taking credit when it turns out to be right. Not exactly a bias unless you point out where Obama acknowledged Romney was right on that issue.

The GOP did try to work with Obama, but at the first meeting when they tried to make a suggestion, they were told that elections had consequences. And remember the budget deal that was reportedly busted by Obama moving the goal posts after an agreement had been reached? After that, of course there will be obstructionism. I would be the last to argue that McConnell and Boehner didn't suck. Ryan sucks less, but keep in mind that many of those Red State representatives were doing exactly what they were elected to do my their constituents. What will your reaction be to hearing that we have to pass the replacement for Obamacare for you to find out what is in it? Or with the gamesmanship regarding the Wheeler and the FCC?

I thought at the time it was shortsighted to fail to approve qualified appointees like judges, but it was also shortsighted to make unjustified recess appointments and muck with the appointment filibuster rule, and while I would hope that the GOP would change it back, I understand why they wouldn't. The GOP are total hypocrites too. If they thought a foreign power influenced an election for a D win, they'd speak of nothing else.

At this point the system is pretty much screwed forever. Unfortunately the only thing that would possibly get both parties to work together would be a Pearl Harbor or 9/11 event.

Meh. You spout a lot of hot air. I can't figure out sometimes whether you're shoveling the bullshit or just buried in it.

We've had 8 years of thoughtful careful leadership. That's what Dems offer. It's not all Russia is evil, Iran is evil, it's this is how we find a way to balance our interests and get the best results for the country internationally.

The country has rejected thoughtful leadership. So now we're going to throw some flamethrowers your way. Enjoy. Because your party is full of shitbag racists, senseless ideologues, and greedy, conniving con-men.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Adder

The Trump administration is almost certainly going to try to go to war with Iran, largely on the same pretext as Iraq - they're bad and that's all that matters. Heck, we know they've tried to get WMD!

So far, Trump foreign policy appears to assume the best of the Russians (who are white) and the worst of the Iranians (not white), Moslems in general (rarely white), and the Chinese (not white). Correlation is not causation, and make of that what you will.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

That is totally, completely, and laughably false. The GOP absolutely did not try to work with Obama -- they made a concerted effort to do the absolute opposite. Defend it if you like as smart politics, and if you assume conservative ends you can make a case, but don't pretend it wasn't true.

Of course its false, but she's stuck in Fox World and can't find her way out. She thinks what Roger Ailes wants her to think.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

If the Dems don't repay GOP obstructionism with their own, they don't deserve to ever have any kind of power.

If you want a government that can do something to solve our problems, then it's a problem if an-eye-for-an-eye leaves everyone blind. If that's a feature and not a bug, Bob's your uncle.