More half-assed governing

[tommyjo]

While the rest of you are worried about such nationally critical items like who jumps out of a car trunk or the latest freak report about diversity...the real task of governing this country continues to get done in the usual half assed job one would expect from such an unqualified leader.

Mr. Trump's budget was released today. As is usual for this guy, there are no details. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-skinny-idUSKBN16N153

The healthcare bill it out...it has been resoundingly panned by almost every medical lobby and professional group...as well as hordes of other constituent groups. Those who voted for Trump are most likely to get skewered by this legislation...

The "travel ban" has been itself banned...again.

The President say he'll release critical info on his wiretapping claim...sometime...maybe...in the future...if he feels like it. And the Pavlovian dogs just nod their heads and wag their tails. Forgetting of course that our illustrious egomaniac promised the same details about the Russian involvement in our election--and produced nothing. He promised to fight the first ban of the travel ban in court...then stuck his tail between his legs and did nothing.

Mr. Trump proves on a daily basis how unqualified he and his team are to do the job of running the country. Every day it seems more and more clear all this buffoon wanted to do was win...he didn't want the job...he just wanted to win to prove he could...

 

[vraiblonde]

Pull my finger

 

[Restitution]

I have noticed that you have been feverishly starting more and more threads since President Trump has taken office. It appears that you are going to the way of the bongboy.

Enjoy that life for the next 8 years

 

[Gilligan]

I have noticed that you have been feverishly starting more and more threads since President Trump has taken office. It appears that you are going to the way of the bongboy.

Enjoy that life for the next 8 years

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Here's the budget for anyone who cares:
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3517657/Trump-2018-Budget.pdf

His budget calls for $1.1 trillion in discretionary spending (about 1/3 of the total budget) in fiscal 2017 and the same in fiscal 2018 with overall federal spending around $4 trillion.

Since 2008, fed. spending outlays have been above 20% of GDP. Our country's deficit and debt continue to grow and the CBO projects at least another 10 years of debt growth and low economic growth rates (they project 1.8% per year through 2027).

Since 9/11, under Bush, spending increased 53% and hasn't looked back. Trump has shown he is not willing to spend any less than Obama, only willing to reduce some federal agencies (Page 50) to in order to supplement his $52 billion increase to our military. "This increase alone exceeds the entire defense budget of most countries." (Page 15)

Unfortunately, no mention of scaling back Medicare or Social Security, both of which will grow over the years.

 

[Hijinx]

Here's the budget for anyone who cares:
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3517657/Trump-2018-Budget.pdf

His budget calls for $1.1 trillion in discretionary spending (about 1/3 of the total budget) in fiscal 2017 and the same in fiscal 2018 with overall federal spending around $4 trillion.

Since 2008, fed. spending outlays have been above 20% of GDP. Our country's deficit and debt continue to grow and the CBO projects at least another 10 years of debt growth and low economic growth rates (they project 1.8% per year through 2027).

Since 9/11, under Bush, spending increased 53% and hasn't looked back. Trump has shown he is not willing to spend any less than Obama, only willing to reduce some federal agencies (Page 50) to in order to supplement his $52 billion increase to our military. "This increase alone exceeds the entire defense budget of most countries." (Page 15)

Unfortunately, no mention of scaling back Medicare or Social Security, both of which will grow over the years.

Some people are soiling themselves over the cuts he has made. If he went after SS and Medicare they would all sh1t themselves.
I love his cutting State and the EPA,

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Some people are soiling themselves over the cuts he has made. If he went after SS and Medicare they would all sh1t themselves.
I love his cutting State and the EPA,

Me too.

I don't like that he didn't touch SS or Medicare, nor do I like that he isn't proposing spending less, just moving it around.

 

[Hijinx]

Me too.

I don't like that he didn't touch SS or Medicare, nor do I like that he isn't proposing spending less, just moving it around.

I wouldn't mind if he cut SS and Medicare if he made the same cuts in Food Stamps and welfare and section 8.

 

[Gilligan]

Me too.

I don't like that he didn't touch SS or Medicare, nor do I like that he isn't proposing spending less, just moving it around.

Future hopes of economic revival aside, I totally agree that both SS and Medicare need to be completely overhauled...to not do that reeks of "California pension syndrome".....budgeting the future based entirely on very optimistic projections.

 

[Larry Gude]

...the real task of governing this country continues to get done in the usual half assed job one would expect from such an unqualified leader. ...

For the sake of conversation, I happen to know you were no fan of Obama because I pay attention to what you write and don't knee jerk each post into a box. I KNOW you were no Obama fan. Now, having said that, the view that you're really ramping it up over Trump, well, I concur with that. I get the general sense of anger because of the lemming worship of the guy but it's no different than the lemming worship of Obama. In fact and to the point, how is Trump worse than Obama, at least on the executive qualifications basis?

Obama, as we know, had ZERO experience running anything and, famously, argued that running his campaign made him qualified to lead the United States of America. We also know he had a very...hands off...view of being the executive once he got there. If we've had a less qualified, if only based on experience and setting aside results, person as our President than Obama I can't think of him. It's not even close. I mean, this guy never did a thing one might reasonably see as qualifying as an executive.

You can disagree with the substance and I'd be with you on a great many issues and one can argue he's struggling with the limitations and the challenges of leading a political organization designed, explicitly, to check and balance executive powers but it's patently obvious and anecdotally true that in every sense of the word, like him or not, Trump is the epitome of executive. Running a meeting, setting an agenda, being a leader, delegating authority and responsibility, seeing projects to fruition, dealing with setbacks, finance, and, yes, legal, this is what the guy has done his whole adult life. He could be dropped off on an island or dumped in any alien world and, in no time, he'd be taking the reins and leading and, again, like or not, he IS an executive. Other than by election, would anyone put Obama in charge of a lemonade stand? We certainly know of his own volition he'd not do ANYTHING that required him to do much more than give a speech and hand a list to Nancy and head for the golf course. There's nothing executive about Obama other than he did win the election.

Obama got the virtual same sort of ban done in no time but to argue he did any more than order it is absurd. Again, like him or not, Trump IS an executive. That he's struggling navigating a system that is doing everything it can to resist an outsider with his own agenda shouldn't be that surprising. The very same system enjoyed the Obama years where he left everything to them. Maybe that makes our machine work smoother but it certainly isn't 'running it' or being an executive.

 

[Larry Gude]

Future hopes of economic revival aside, I totally agree that both SS and Medicare need to be completely overhauled...to not do that reeks of "California pension syndrome".....budgeting the future based entirely on very optimistic projections.

How? They're entitlements.


Trump said at his joint sessions speech 'open up the thing to competition' in regards to health care and I've not heard that word since. Sooner or later folks are gonna have to come to grips with the GOP being a Too Big To Fail enterprise that has ZERO interest in competition.

 

[GURPS]

...... like him or not, Trump is the epitome of executive.

Trump is NOT Running the Executive the way ToJAM wants him to, so therefore he is unqualified


[nice write up otherwise]

 

[stgislander]

For the sake of conversation, I happen to know you were no fan of Obama because I pay attention to what you write and don't knee jerk each post into a box. I KNOW you were no Obama fan. Now, having said that, the view that you're really ramping it up over Trump, well, I concur with that. I get the general sense of anger because of the lemming worship of the guy but it's no different than the lemming worship of Obama. In fact and to the point, how is Trump worse than Obama, at least on the executive qualifications basis?

Obama, as we know, had ZERO experience running anything and, famously, argued that running his campaign made him qualified to lead the United States of America. We also know he had a very...hands off...view of being the executive once he got there. If we've had a less qualified, if only based on experience and setting aside results, person as our President than Obama I can't think of him. It's not even close. I mean, this guy never did a thing one might reasonably see as qualifying as an executive.

You can disagree with the substance and I'd be with you on a great many issues and one can argue he's struggling with the limitations and the challenges of leading a political organization designed, explicitly, to check and balance executive powers but it's patently obvious and anecdotally true that in every sense of the word, like him or not, Trump is the epitome of executive. Running a meeting, setting an agenda, being a leader, delegating authority and responsibility, seeing projects to fruition, dealing with setbacks, finance, and, yes, legal, this is what the guy has done his whole adult life. He could be dropped off on an island or dumped in any alien world and, in no time, he'd be taking the reins and leading and, again, like or not, he IS an executive. Other than by election, would anyone put Obama in charge of a lemonade stand? We certainly know of his own volition he'd not do ANYTHING that required him to do much more than give a speech and hand a list to Nancy and head for the golf course. There's nothing executive about Obama other than he did win the election.

Obama got the virtual same sort of ban done in no time but to argue he did any more than order it is absurd. Again, like him or not, Trump IS an executive. That he's struggling navigating a system that is doing everything it can to resist an outsider with his own agenda shouldn't be that surprising. The very same system enjoyed the Obama years where he left everything to them. Maybe that makes our machine work smoother but it certainly isn't 'running it' or being an executive.

 

[SamSpade]

Since when is a presidential budget proposal EVER anything but a wish list that is typically voted DOWN?
The last one I can recall that Obama proposed got ONE vote.

It typically IS just an outline of stuff most of which will be refused.

 

[SamSpade]

Obama got the virtual same sort of ban done in no time but to argue he did any more than order it is absurd. Again, like him or not, Trump IS an executive. That he's struggling navigating a system that is doing everything it can to resist an outsider with his own agenda shouldn't be that surprising. The very same system enjoyed the Obama years where he left everything to them. Maybe that makes our machine work smoother but it certainly isn't 'running it' or being an executive.

Whether anyone hates or loves Trump - or doesn't care - it's obvious enough to me that anyone in that office that does what needs to be done in Washington IS going to be hated, fought and vilified.
Even Jesus said "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers did to the false prophets". When people don't like you, it might not be because you're doing the right thing, but you can bet if you ARE, that's exactly what you will get.

 

[vraiblonde]

For the sake of conversation, I happen to know you were no fan of Obama because I pay attention to what you write and don't knee jerk each post into a box. I KNOW you were no Obama fan.

I'm not sure why you say that. I remember many posts where TJ defended Obama on some stupidity that he committed. I recall very few - as in two or three - times she said something negative about him, and those were immediately followed with a "yabbut". As in, "...yabbut such and such Republican is MUCH worse."

In fact, TJ has spent the vast majority of her time on this forum criticizing Republican politicians, and attacking posters who criticize Obama.

 

[GURPS]

In fact, TJ has spent the vast majority of her time on this forum attacking posters who criticize Obama.

 

[Hijinx]

Well here is a weird idea.


I have seen a few things about Trumps Presidency that I don't like.
For one thing his trips to Mar-a-Lago.

But I have been on the opposite side of the Democrats in my posts most every time.

If they got off the man's back and let him do his thing he would either screw up so badly even those who voted for him would go against him , or he could do some good.
But all of their bitching just places me in a position to defend him more.

They are creating opposition with their horse dung. Leave the man alone, Let's see what happens.

 

[SamSpade]

If they got off the man's back and let him do his thing he would either screw up so badly even those who voted for him would go against him , or he could do some good.
But all of their bitching just places me in a position to defend him more..

And I think that's the mistake they're making - they presume that if they just keep at him, people on his side will give up defending him.
Because - you know - they want to be LIKED by liberals. There's that egotism working.

The problem is similar to calling *everything* racist. When you're spectacularly crazy about *everything* someone does as being racist - it comes to mean nothing.
It's crying wolf. When you pule and whine and cry about everything no matter how trivial, you complete erase anything you say of having any value.
Nobody wants to hear your opinion anymore, because they know what it will be.

 

[Larry Gude]

But I have been on the opposite side of the Democrats in my posts most every time.

If they got off the man's back and let him do his thing he would either screw up so badly even those who voted for him would go against him , or he could do some good.
But all of their bitching just places me in a position to defend him more.

They are creating opposition with their horse dung. Leave the man alone, Let's see what happens.

At some point, it's gonna become plain; his real opposition is the GOP.