Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
The Daily Combover - January 24, 2017 - The Dam Has Broken
It's Day 5 of Dear Leader's tenure and it looks like the past four days have just been practice.
Fine AI, not practice. Let's call it warm-ups.
As the #DailyCombover was going up yesterday, Dear Leader was working on another massive shutdown. This time he put a gag order on the EPA (similar to the one placed on NPS a few days ago) and suspended their grants. More on this below.
And you may ask yourself, 'how did I get here?' And the answer is by being distracted. Just as the Tennis Ball Machine of Terror was on auto-fire during the campaign season, now Trump has his underlings distracting us with stories of #CrowdSize and #VoterFraud which keep the media off-kilter. Today's false narrative delivered by Baghdad Bob Spicer was about conflicts of interest. Oh the irony. Luckily, the interwebs know all.
Today Trump began his day even earlier than yesterday. At 2AM as he was headed to the salon, he notified us that he was preparing for a 9AM meeting with automobile executives.
On to the appointments. Trump got a clean sweep today of all of his nominees. From sending Nikki Haley to the (soon-to-be-defunct) UN to keeping Comey on for another term, Trump really has had so much winning that my head is spinning.
UPDATES:
1. Trump is threatening to send in the National Guard into Chicago because of the 24 gun murders they had last year. Why not just pass and enforce a gun ban? Now more people will die.
2. Trump just banned visas to individuals from 7 Muslim countries. He'said fulfilling every one of his twisted promises.
Keep up the pressure on your Senators and Congressmen and remember to stay safe out there.
Catch you on the Flip side.
Fine AI, not practice. Let's call it warm-ups.
As the #DailyCombover was going up yesterday, Dear Leader was working on another massive shutdown. This time he put a gag order on the EPA (similar to the one placed on NPS a few days ago) and suspended their grants. More on this below.
And you may ask yourself, 'how did I get here?' And the answer is by being distracted. Just as the Tennis Ball Machine of Terror was on auto-fire during the campaign season, now Trump has his underlings distracting us with stories of #CrowdSize and #VoterFraud which keep the media off-kilter. Today's false narrative delivered by Baghdad Bob Spicer was about conflicts of interest. Oh the irony. Luckily, the interwebs know all.
Today Trump began his day even earlier than yesterday. At 2AM as he was headed to the salon, he notified us that he was preparing for a 9AM meeting with automobile executives.
That meeting couldn't have lasted too long because a little before 11 AM Trump showed us why he gagged the EPA when he signed an order authorizing his first major American Infrastructure project -- pipeline expansion. Well at least he created jobs... for Canada's TransCanada Corp.Will be meeting at 9:00 with top automobile executives concerning jobs in America. I want new plants to be built here for cars sold here!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2017
Now that EPA gag order makes sense, right? But what about the impact on commercial agriculture? Oh yeah, Trump also gagged the USDA and apparently stopped them from making new agricultural and economic reports via ARS and ERS. Your diligent chronicler now has to find a new project for his students. (Side note: Couldn't they have said something other than 'this database is no longer being updated'?)Signing orders to move forward with the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/OErGmbBvYK— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2017
On to the appointments. Trump got a clean sweep today of all of his nominees. From sending Nikki Haley to the (soon-to-be-defunct) UN to keeping Comey on for another term, Trump really has had so much winning that my head is spinning.
UPDATES:
1. Trump is threatening to send in the National Guard into Chicago because of the 24 gun murders they had last year. Why not just pass and enforce a gun ban? Now more people will die.
2. Trump just banned visas to individuals from 7 Muslim countries. He'said fulfilling every one of his twisted promises.
Keep up the pressure on your Senators and Congressmen and remember to stay safe out there.
Catch you on the Flip side.
More Media Failure in the Election
The New Republic puts it very well:
All correct. And there's really very little we can do.
We seriously need an alternate timeline.
Since his inauguration, Trump has ordered not just the global gag rule, but a non-defense federal hiring freeze that will disproportionately harm veterans (whom Trump claimed to champion on the campaign trail). His vague demand that cabinet secretaries begin easing enforcement of Affordable Care Act has yet to impact federal policy, but it has the potential to loose chaos in the Obamacare marketplaces, and begin the law’s unwinding. Trump’s pick for FCC chair, Ajit Pai, wants to take a “weed whacker” to net neutrality.
Like the gag rule, none of this comes as a surprise. Most presidents sign orders that change executive branch policy shortly after they take office. When partisan control of the White House changes, the policy swings can be pretty severe. But they are generally well understood within the political class.
In this election more than in most, these shifts were not relayed to voters. This is nearly as true of more visible policy fights. Trump was able to run a populist campaign, in part, because his and Republicans’ undisguised desire to deregulate Wall Street was subordinate to a focus on Trump’s false promises to battle the global elite and Hillary Clinton’s speeches to financial companies. Trump promised to repeal Obamacare, but the fact that many of his supporters benefit from that law, and are now scared of what he might do, only became major news stories once his power to rescind their health insurance was locked in.
All correct. And there's really very little we can do.
We seriously need an alternate timeline.
Is Hillary Coming Back?
Not to run for something, mind you, but I think someone who just got 66 million votes should have a role to play going forward. According to Politico, she's thinking about her next steps:
There have been no conversations about starting her own political group but Clinton has spoken with leaders of emerging Democratic-leaning organizations about their work, and has discussed possible opportunities to work with Organizing For Action, former President Barack Obama’s initiative. Among the potential political priorities she has mentioned to associates are building pipelines for young party leaders to rise and ensuring that a reconstructed Democratic National Committee functions as an effective hub that works seamlessly with other party campaign wings.
We need her, we need Bill, and we need Obama; heck, we need Kerry and Gore. Our leaders should not leave the scene after a loss. They've all been effective leaders, and they've all gotten 50 million+ votes. I'd love to see them raise money and recruit candidates to run local and state races. We need to counter the money the Kochs and others are putting up. They also could help raise the money we need to build the lasting infrastructure we need to fight on all fronts, all the time.
The Dismantling of the EPA Begins Quietly
Just like the White House, the EPA is starting to leak like a sieve, and we're not hearing anything good:
This isn't very surprising in general, but the speed at which all of this is happening is really disorienting. That's probably the idea.
EPA staff has been instructed to freeze all its grants ― an extensive program that includes funding for research, redevelopment of former industrial sites, air quality monitoring and education, among other things ― and told not to discuss this order with anyone outside the agency, according to a Hill source with knowledge of the situation.
An EPA staffer provided the information to the congressional office anonymously, fearing retaliation.
.
.
.
The Huffington Post also received a message that was reportedly sent to staff Monday that seems to cover the current agency guidance on talking to the press in general, not just about the directive on grants. The memo states that the agency is imposing tight controls on external communication, including press releases, blog posts, social media and content on the agency website.
This isn't very surprising in general, but the speed at which all of this is happening is really disorienting. That's probably the idea.
How the Hell Did We Miss This?
Why isn't this all over the internet?
That's THIS Heather Wilson!
Our Air Force is going to be run by a woman who cries at the sight of nipples! That can't be a problem, right?
BREAKING: Trump to nominate Heather Wilson for Secretary of the Air Force. https://t.co/89IQDGHY7U #nmpol— NM Political Report (@NMreport) January 23, 2017
That's THIS Heather Wilson!
Our Air Force is going to be run by a woman who cries at the sight of nipples! That can't be a problem, right?
Only if You Run
Another addition to the new "Get Involved" area of the right sidebar -- Only if You Run:
Don't know if it's sustainable, but worth a shot.
Only If You Run will support any Democrat that runs for a seat held by a Republican in one of our seven target states: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan. We have two election cycles left before Congressional Districts are redrawn in 2021 and we want to help you win your seat so they are drawn more fairly.
If you are planning to run or are already running, reach out to us and tell us who you are. We will make donations of no less than $5,000 to qualifying candidates. In Virginia and North Carolina we will begin making contributions this summer. For candidates in our other five target states we will begin in January 2018.
We know what a difficult decision it can be to run for political office, and our pledge is that we will make that decision a little bit easier for you. We need to ungerrymander America to ensure a resilient future, and we want to help you do it.
Don't know if it's sustainable, but worth a shot.
Monday, January 23, 2017
The Daily Combover - January 23, 2017
Dear Leader began his 4th day in office at 2:30AM because he had a 9AM meeting with "top executives" and had to be sure he was out of the salon in time.
Dear Leader knows it's America First or the foreign children will take over. And his job is to get that message out. One way to do that is to control the American media. And he'll do that via traditional Republican methods (calling them too liberal, liars, etc.) and also through new methods. He's giving press credentials to crack-pot conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones. And by adding "Skype" seats for other, let's call it, "alt-media."
The other way? By making sure your party is absolutely unified behind you. Anyone expecting Graham, McCain, and/or Rubio to buck their party is delusional. Republicans will always put Party First. And that's the other half of the America First slogan.
And finally, unwilling to tell the truth even when everyone knows he's lying, Trump sent Conway and Spicer out to double down on the latest "alt-facts" about his tax returns, crowd sizes, and business ties.
Meanwhile, here's what Dear Leader accomplished today:
1. He backed out of the TPP trade deal. Jason and I have done some research on TPP and found it to have very marginal economic effects. Some businesses will benefit, others will be hurt. Some workers will benefit, others will be hurt. Some countries will benefit, others will be hurt. But all seem to be very minor movements up or down. TPP received a lot more attention than it probably should have, but now it's off the table. So at the very least, that's one completed issue. Net economic effect of backing away: basically nil for us, but it puts China in position now to become an even larger economic player. As Obama said, TPP was going to occur with or without us. By being at the table we at least preserved a bit of our hegemony in the Pacific.
2. An executive order implementing a complete hiring freeze by the Federal Government. A really interesting move considering the following:
That spike in 2010 was US Census workers which will come back again in 2020. But as you can see, aside from that, Federal employment fell by 356,000 workers over the course of Obama's tenure in office. Aside from that, Dear Leader still has thousands of positions to fill by appointment or by staffing. How exactly is that going to happen?
3. He dismissed the validity of the Emoluments Clause lawsuit as being "totally without merit"
Remember that too much social media can rot your brain. Catch you on the flip side.
Look at that dedication. 6 hours later he was out of the salon and ready to go so he tweeted some anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda and started his day.Busy week planned with a heavy focus on jobs and national security. Top executives coming in at 9:00 A.M. to talk manufacturing in America.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2017
TOGETHER we can save American JOBS, American LIVES, and American FUTURES. #AmericaFirst🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/EWgWWs6noT— President Trump (@POTUS) January 23, 2017
Dear Leader knows it's America First or the foreign children will take over. And his job is to get that message out. One way to do that is to control the American media. And he'll do that via traditional Republican methods (calling them too liberal, liars, etc.) and also through new methods. He's giving press credentials to crack-pot conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones. And by adding "Skype" seats for other, let's call it, "alt-media."
The other way? By making sure your party is absolutely unified behind you. Anyone expecting Graham, McCain, and/or Rubio to buck their party is delusional. Republicans will always put Party First. And that's the other half of the America First slogan.
And finally, unwilling to tell the truth even when everyone knows he's lying, Trump sent Conway and Spicer out to double down on the latest "alt-facts" about his tax returns, crowd sizes, and business ties.
Meanwhile, here's what Dear Leader accomplished today:
1. He backed out of the TPP trade deal. Jason and I have done some research on TPP and found it to have very marginal economic effects. Some businesses will benefit, others will be hurt. Some workers will benefit, others will be hurt. Some countries will benefit, others will be hurt. But all seem to be very minor movements up or down. TPP received a lot more attention than it probably should have, but now it's off the table. So at the very least, that's one completed issue. Net economic effect of backing away: basically nil for us, but it puts China in position now to become an even larger economic player. As Obama said, TPP was going to occur with or without us. By being at the table we at least preserved a bit of our hegemony in the Pacific.
2. An executive order implementing a complete hiring freeze by the Federal Government. A really interesting move considering the following:
That spike in 2010 was US Census workers which will come back again in 2020. But as you can see, aside from that, Federal employment fell by 356,000 workers over the course of Obama's tenure in office. Aside from that, Dear Leader still has thousands of positions to fill by appointment or by staffing. How exactly is that going to happen?
3. He dismissed the validity of the Emoluments Clause lawsuit as being "totally without merit"
4. A dismissal of foreign aid benefits to countries that have legal abortions.President Donald Trump said Monday morning that a lawsuit alleging he violated the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution is "totally without merit.""No," he said, responding to a reporter's question during a pool spray as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office. "Without merit. Totally without merit."The liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a lawsuit Monday accusing Trump of violating the Emoluments Clause, which bars presidents from receiving payments from foreign governments, including businesses owned by governments.
Remember that too much social media can rot your brain. Catch you on the flip side.
Social media postings sometimes provide an important window into a person’s #mentalhealth. Know what to look for. https://t.co/B0tPAHwjVK pic.twitter.com/AbXrw2QhQd— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) January 23, 2017
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