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

[SEC_Chick]

Unsurprisingly, I consider the Gorsuch nomination to be by far the high point of the Trump presidency. From my perspective, he is far superior to whomever Hillary would have selected, but it is also to have a slight reprieve from the craphole that has been the rest of his term.

That said, while Trumpers and NeverTrump conservatives can agree on this, some NeverTrumpers are now being attacked for not being sufficiently enthusiastic about the pick. While a large part of me is relieved he didn't just nominate his sister, I don't think we should necessarily be applying the soft bigotry of low expectations to the Presidency, just because Trump is an idiot.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

Unsurprisingly, I consider the Gorsuch nomination to be by far the high point of the Trump presidency. From my perspective, he is far superior to whomever Hillary would have selected, but it is also to have a slight reprieve from the craphole that has been the rest of his term.

That said, while Trumpers and NeverTrump conservatives can agree on this, some NeverTrumpers are now being attacked for not being sufficiently enthusiastic about the pick. While a large part of me is relieved he didn't just nominate his sister, I don't think we should necessarily be applying the soft bigotry of low expectations to the Presidency, just because Trump is an idiot.

I don't get, on either side, the mandated enthusiasm or antipathy for judicial picks prior to hearings. I have no fucking clue whether he's a sensible guy with a degree from a decent school or whether he's a spineless automaton of the new order, and suspect half of those taking position don't either.

I am still ripped at the Rs for not even giving Garland a hearing and letting the process move forward, I'm not going to make a judgment on him until the hearing. And I'm happy if we delay the hearing a bit to make a point, but, frankly, I'd swap that bit of theater for a few republican votes to block Sessions in particular. But at the hearing, the questions I most want answered is does he have a spine: will he stand up to abuses of power, and also: does he have a sense of the Constitution as a document that protects civil rights.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by SEC_Chick

Unsurprisingly, I consider the Gorsuch nomination to be by far the high point of the Trump presidency. From my perspective, he is far superior to whomever Hillary would have selected, but it is also to have a slight reprieve from the craphole that has been the rest of his term.

As GOP nominees, I have heard only good things about his temperament, including from a friend who knew him personally.

That said, I have been trying not to follow the coverage closely because the whole situation pisses me off so much. I don't have any love for Merrick Garland, but I am incensed by the way Republicans treated his nomination.

That said, while Trumpers and NeverTrump conservatives can agree on this, some NeverTrumpers are now being attacked for not being sufficiently enthusiastic about the pick. While a large part of me is relieved he didn't just nominate his sister, I don't think we should necessarily be applying the soft bigotry of low expectations to the Presidency, just because Trump is an idiot.

Everyone knows that a war between the establishment GOP (esp. Congress) and the Trump forces is coming, and the attacks you describe seem like early skirmishing.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Everyone knows that a war between the establishment GOP (esp. Congress) and the Trump forces is coming, and the attacks you describe seem like early skirmishing.

Nah. What's coming is a total concession by the GOP establishment; they have already conceded 80%, giving up on free trade, for example, was a big one but the position was surrendered without a fight.

The only interesting question is whether or not there are only a few principled people or a significant number who check out of the GOP as that occurs.

[Replaced_Texan]

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump...atening-2017-2

I hope Mexico takes back Texas and New Mexico (and ok, fine, California too) in the upcoming war. I'm not sure I wanna be a USian anymore.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Nah. What's coming is a total concession by the GOP establishment; they have already conceded 80%, giving up on free trade, for example, was a big one but the position was surrendered without a fight.

The only interesting question is whether or not there are only a few principled people or a significant number who check out of the GOP as that occurs.

Bannon is coming for them, whether or not they like it.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

I don't get, on either side, the mandated enthusiasm or antipathy for judicial picks prior to hearings. I have no fucking clue whether he's a sensible guy with a degree from a decent school or whether he's a spineless automaton of the new order, and suspect half of those taking position don't either.

I am still ripped at the Rs for not even giving Garland a hearing and letting the process move forward, I'm not going to make a judgment on him until the hearing. And I'm happy if we delay the hearing a bit to make a point, but, frankly, I'd swap that bit of theater for a few republican votes to block Sessions in particular. But at the hearing, the questions I most want answered is does he have a spine: will he stand up to abuses of power, and also: does he have a sense of the Constitution as a document that protects civil rights.

I most agree with this, but I'd have to think about any deal that would block Sessions: http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/nei...urt-1791875408

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by Adder

I most agree with this, but I'd have to think about any deal that would block Sessions: http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/nei...urt-1791875408

Sessions is less than a decade. This dude is 49 years old.

[SEC_Chick]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump...atening-2017-2

I hope Mexico takes back Texas and New Mexico (and ok, fine, California too) in the upcoming war. I'm not sure I wanna be a USian anymore.

I don't want to be a part of Mexico, but I could do with a Republic of Texas. As a former New Mexican, I suppose one advantage to joining Mexico is that hopefully Houstonians could learn to pronounce San Jacinto.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

I most agree with this, but I'd have to think about any deal that would block Sessions: http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/nei...urt-1791875408

The theater I'd swap for the votes against sessions is holding back the vote and blocking hearings.

I'd base the vote on the hearings. If he can convince Dems, or at least some dems, he is not a stooge or extremist and will respect the constitution, and a reasonable reading of it, then Dems should vote for him.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Bannon is coming for them, whether or not they like it.

This time next year, either we will have beaten back some of this craziness and Bannon will be out of the White House or the entire Republican leadership will be goose-stepping to Bannon's beat. In the later case we are likely at war.

So Sebby, remember how you said you thought Hillary was more likely to get us into war than Trump? How do you feel now with explicit threats yesterday against Mexico and Iran and the buffoonery involving Australia? I note that, oddly, he always seems to threaten countries that don't have Trump properties.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

This time next year, either we will have beaten back some of this craziness and Bannon will be out of the White House or the entire Republican leadership will be goose-stepping to Bannon's beat. In the later case we are likely at war.

So Sebby, remember how you said you thought Hillary was more likely to get us into war than Trump? How do you feel now with explicit threats yesterday against Mexico and Iran and the buffoonery involving Australia? I note that, oddly, he always seems to threaten countries that don't have Trump properties.

Re Mexico and Australia, that's bluster. Re Iran, I'm troubled.

Re immigration ban, and Falwell's kid being appointed to fed higher ed task force, I'm upset.

But, he was hired to disrupt -- to reset the winners and losers. I guess he's more a man of his word than I'd assumed. Because at this rate, he's scrambling the whole chess board.

But I'm not flipping out about anything. Sole emotional reaction has been irritation and sadness about the stupidity of the immigration order.

It's hard to ascertain which is more interesting: Trump, or his most vehenent critics melting down in the oped pages. It's live, accelerating entropy on the right and left. The establishment cracking up is a wildly fascinating process.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

Sessions is less than a decade. This dude is 49 years old.

Right. Apparently he's also the founder of Facists Forever at school. Okay.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

The theater I'd swap for the votes against sessions is holding back the vote and blocking hearings.

I'd base the vote on the hearings. If he can convince Dems, or at least some dems, he is not a stooge or extremist and will respect the constitution, and a reasonable reading of it, then Dems should vote for him.

I'm sick of Dems voting for his nominees. Is there a reason to? They'll get confirmed anyway.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

I'm sick of Dems voting for his nominees. Is there a reason to? They'll get confirmed anyway.

If you represent California or Massachusetts, no, no reason, politically, at all.

If you represent Montana and get elected not because you are a Democrat but in spite of being a Democrat, yes, there are good reasons to vote for them.

Of course, there's also the idea that it would be good to consider nominees after fair and reasonable hearings where they were asked and actually answered hard questions, but that idea is of course a joke in our system today and we aren't going to get back to it for a longgggg time.