US Politics Thread

[Satchmo]

Mitt Romney has a new biography coming out, written by Mckay Coppins a staff writer for The Atlantic.  The NYT got an advanced copy and wrote an article containing some of Romney's views on a few of his GOP peers.

 

On Ted Cruz:

 

Mr. Romney called Senator Ted Cruz of Texas “scary” and “a demagogue” in his journal, and in an email assessing political candidates in 2016, he said Mr. Cruz was “frightening.”

He was also bluntly critical of Mr. Cruz’s role in Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including his perpetuating Mr. Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud.

Mr. Romney said that he believed Mr. Cruz and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, another objector, were too smart to believe what they were saying.

“They were making a calculation that put politics above the interests of liberal democracy and the Constitution,” Mr. Romney said.

 

On Ron DeSantis:

 

“Mr. Romney wanted to like the governor,” Mr. Coppins writes. The senator said that it was a “no-brainer” to support Mr. DeSantis if it meant keeping Mr. Trump out of the White House.

Yet Mr. Romney appeared to have reservations. He worried that Mr. DeSantis shared “odious qualities” with Mr. Trump, pointing to his penchant for stoking the culture wars and his fight with the Walt Disney Company.

And Mr. Romney appeared to have objections to the Florida governor on a more personal level.

“There’s just no warmth at all,” Mr. Romney said. He added that when Mr. DeSantis posed for photos with Iowa voters, “he looks like he’s got a toothache.”

Even his appraisal of Mr. DeSantis’s positive qualities came with a backhanded sting.  “He’s much smarter than Trump,” Mr. Romney said. But, he added, “there’s a peril to having someone who’s smart and pulling in a direction that’s dangerous.”

 

On Mitch McConnell:

 

Perhaps the freshest revelation in Mr. Romney’s book is his acknowledgment that many of his colleagues in the Senate, including Mr. McConnell, privately shared his poor view of Mr. Trump.

Mr. Coppins writes that Mr. Romney questioned “which version of McConnell was more authentic: the one who did Trump’s bidding in public, or the one who excoriated him in their private conversations.”

Still, Mr. Romney seems to have respect for Mr. McConnell. In January 2021, he said, he believed Mr. McConnell had been “indulgent of Trump’s deranged behavior over the last four years, but he’s not crazy.”

 

On Donald Trump:

 

“He is unquestionably mentally unstable, and he is racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic, vulgar and prone to violence," Mr. Romney wrote. “There is simply no rational argument that could lead me to vote for someone with those characteristics.”

[PistolPete13]

4 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

I suspect Drumpf is more concerned about losing his businesses at this point. Thats something he can't reverse as president if he wins again. It would also make him look extremely weak. 

Agreed. However he will fundraise off all the “persecution” and prop up his businesses by charging his campaign exhoribitant amounts for “services”, convention costs, etc. 

 

It will be interesting to see if he’s even allowed to run. Even if he is, the current speaker nomination shit show isn’t going to inspire voter confidence. Time will tell. 

[the destroyer of worlds]

1 hour ago, nuckin_futz said:

Cheesey’s trial was to begin on Monday. 

 

Jury selection had already started.  He was facing 7 counts.  If I'm one of the small fish, I'd be seeking independent council followed by a call for a plea deal.  

 

 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/kenneth-chesebro-takes-minute-plea-deal-georgia-election/story?id=104169908

 

Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing of false documents and will receive five years' probation and a $5,000 fine, in exchange for agreeing to testify and provide documents and evidence.

The agreement is the first felony plea deal among the 19 defendants in the case. Two other defendants have also taken deals.

 

"How do you plead to count 15, conspiracy to commit filing false documents…?" the prosecutor asked at Chesebro's court appearance in Atlanta Friday.

"Guilty," Chesebro replied.

[the destroyer of worlds]

Like the writing is on the wall.  Gym lost votes every time.  Gym lost to the Democrat every time.  LOLOLOLOL

 

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/20/1207328228/house-to-vote-for-a-3rd-time-on-jim-jordans-nomination-for-speaker

Jordan fails on third ballot as Republican opposition to his speakership grows

 

The final tally was 210 votes for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, 194 for Jordan and 25 for other Republicans.

[Sabrefan1]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

god I hope this judge has the balls to put the clown in jail for a few days. I really don't understand why Americans put up with this guy threatening average citizens. 

 

Regular jail is all but pointless to someone who has a secret service detail.  The Secret Service has already said that they will not allow him to be handcuffed.  And no, taking away his detail isn't the answer.  Congress won't vote for it and if Biden tries to order it, he would likely lose in court and he'd be risking his own detail post-presidency.

[Bob Long]

6 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Regular jail is all but pointless to someone who has a secret service detail.  The Secret Service has already said that they will not allow him to be handcuffed.  And no, taking away his detail isn't the answer.  Congress won't vote for it and if Biden tries to order it, he would likely lose in court and he'd be risking his own detail post-presidency.

 

so stick him in the can with his secret service detail. Its more about showing that he isn't above the law and allowed to threaten someone like a clerk. That has to matter to you, doesn't it?

 

[Sabrefan1]

31 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

On Donald Trump:

 

“He is unquestionably mentally unstable, and he is racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic, vulgar and prone to violence," Mr. Romney wrote. “There is simply no rational argument that could lead me to vote for someone with those characteristics.”

 

and yet...  Can you say self-serving?  God damn, these opportunistic two-faced people disgust me.  Romney is no exception.

 

https://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/dinner-for-3-trump-romney-and-reince-231976

 

Quote

Mitt Romney showered Donald Trump with uncharacteristic praise on Tuesday night, minutes after polishing off a dinner of frog legs, scallops and lamb chops with the president-elect at the tony Jean-Georges restaurant in Trump International Hotel in New York.

"I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump," Romney, who is under consideration to be Trump's secretary of state, told reporters. "We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions I've had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging."

Romney, who savaged Trump as a "con man" during a speech in March, took a markedly different tone following the meal, which was joined by Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff.

 

The former Massachusetts governor praised Trump's victory speech, noting that he'd accomplished something Romney hadn't in two failed presidential bids: "He won."

And he said Trump had promoted "a message of inclusion and bringing people together," just hours after the president-elect threatened to jail or revoke the citizenship of anyone burning American flags.

Ticking through Trump's Cabinet picks (who he lauded as "solid, effective, capable people"), Romney said he was "impressed by what I've seen in the transition effort."

In his March speech, Romney painted a picture of a dark future under a President Trump, with a looming global recession and the end of Ronald Reagan’s vision of America as a “shining city on a hill.”

 

But on Tuesday, Romney had a sharply different take.

“I happen to think that America's best days are ahead of us,” he said. “And what I've seen through these discussions I've had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he's selected as part of his transition, all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future.”

Romney is competing with a number of other contenders to lead Foggy Bottom, including retired general David Petraeus, Senate Foreign Relations chair Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

 

Several sources who have been in direct communication with the president-elect say they believe Giuliani’s prospects had seriously faded. The former mayor has been damaged by scrutiny into his business ties and by the perception that he’d been openly campaigning for the job, something that has angered Trump. Should Giuliani, a loyal Trump backer, not get the secretary of state job, the sources said, he might be offered another, lower-profile job as a consolation prize of sorts.

Many of Trump’s closest advisers, including incoming chief strategist Steve Bannon, have loudly urged him against picking Romney. Some of them have gone so far as to warn the president-elect that tapping the former governor would make him look weak.

During the dinner, Trump’s transition team allowed a pooler in for a glimpse -- Trump flashed a thumb’s up when asked how things were going -- and CNN correspondent Jim Acosta happened to be eating a few tables away. And then duly live-tweeted what he saw, including some notes on body language. (“Trump crossing his arms for a good while now as Romney smiles and speaks.”)

 

Per the pool report, Trump and Priebus had sirloin steaks for entrees. Romney chose lamb chops. The appetizer, per the pool, was young garlic soup with thyme and sautéed frog legs as well as “diver scallops with caramelized cauliflower and a caper raisin emulsion.”

Whatever was discussed, there was agreement on dessert: Everyone had chocolate cake.

 

Here is the full statement Romney made after leaving his dinner with Trump and Priebus:

"I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump. We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions I've had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging. I've enjoyed them very, very much. I was also very impressed by the remarks he made on his victory night. By the way, it's not easy winning. I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in. He won the general election and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way. The last few weeks he's been carrying or a transition effort and I can tell you I've been impressed by what I've seen in the transition effort. The people he's selected as members of his Cabinet are solid, effective, capable people. Some of them I know very well. Nikki Haley and I go way back. She's an outspoken, strong, powerful leader. Tom Price is someone who actually came to my office before he had run for Senate and we spent time talking about healthcare. What an expert and solid thinker in that arena and others. Jeff Sessions is someone who I knew through my campaigns, helped me very early on, he has a distinguished record in the Senate. And, of course many others, Betsy DeVos and a long list of people, very impressive individuals. I happen to think that America's best days are ahead of us. I think you're going to see America continue to lead the world in this century. And what I've seen through these discussions I've had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he's selected as part of his transition, all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future. Thank you."

 

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

so stick him in the can with his secret service detail. Its more about showing that he isn't above the law and allowed to threaten someone like a clerk. That has to matter to you, doesn't it?

 

That's exactly what will happen if he is sentenced to prison.

 

Jail is basically like sticking your dog in a kennel for a few hours.  Doing that to Trump would be pointless.

[Bob Long]

1 minute ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

That's exactly what will happen if he is sentenced to prison.

 

Jail is basically like sticking your dog in a kennel for a few hours.  Doing that to Trump would be pointless.

 

showing that he can't threaten people without consequences is pointless ?

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

showing that he can't threaten people without consequences is pointless ?

 

No, fining him large amounts of money is more effective than sticking him in a kennel with a protective detail that wouldn't even allow the front of the cage to be shut or locked.

[Bob Long]

1 minute ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

No, fining him large amounts of money is more effective than sticking him in a kennel with a protective detail that wouldn't even allow the front of the cage to be shut or locked.

 

I don't see how, when there's a line up of morons willing to give him money to cover this stuff. 

 

Actually putting him in a cage, even a gilded one, sends a message.

 

[Satchmo]

5 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

and yet...  Can you say self-serving?  God damn, these opportunistic two-faced people disgust me.  Romney is no exception.

 

https://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/dinner-for-3-trump-romney-and-reince-231976

 

 

I have no great love for Romney, if for no other reason that he drove to Canada with his dog lashed to the roof of his car,  I just thought it was an interesting article and worth sharing.

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

I don't see how, when there's a line up of morons willing to give him money to cover this stuff. 

 

Actually putting him in a cage, even a gilded one, sends a message.

 

Contrary to popular opinion, Donald Trump has never been cash-rich.  His wealth has always been on paper mostly through his businesses.  Most of his past donations went to refurbishing his private Boeing 757 jet.  Now the funds are going straight to his lawyers.  That means for every dollar he is fined, that is one less dollar he has for his re-election campaign and he knows it.  Becoming president again is the only thing that will keep him out of prison.

 

He needs every dollar that he can cobble together right now.

[the destroyer of worlds]

17 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Regular jail is all but pointless to someone who has a secret service detail.  The Secret Service has already said that they will not allow him to be handcuffed.  And no, taking away his detail isn't the answer.  Congress won't vote for it and if Biden tries to order it, he would likely lose in court and he'd be risking his own detail post-presidency.

 

I think that TRUMP wouldn't refuse his Secret Service detail like Nixon did, so the detail would go with him.  They wouldn't be in the cell, but would likely be outside his cell and at the entrance to to block.  I've seen reports that he currently has 10 - 12 agents on duty at any one time.   TRUMP obviously wouldn't serve in Gen Pop, something the prison system already deals with somewhat with certain inmates.  

 

It's going to be a problem regardless whether he gets prison time, or gets house arrest.  I think for him, the conviction will be the bigger story.  At this point, prison time will just be the cherry on top.

[Boudrias]

9 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

and yet...  Can you say self-serving?  God damn, these opportunistic two-faced people disgust me.  Romney is no exception.

 

https://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/dinner-for-3-trump-romney-and-reince-231976

 

 

How well did Romney know Trump in 2016? He might have been saying positive things about Trump at that time in an effort to bring the GOP back together. IMHO Mitt Romney was the best qualified candidate for POTUS that was never elected. Obama started the decline that the USA must now deal with. We should all be very concerned about whatever outcome lies ahead if Biden and Trump square off. Neither is competent. I question both of their mental capacity. 

 

That said Biden did step up to save Ukraine and is doing the same in Israel. For that reason alone i would vote for Biden if I had a vote. The Dems have to dump Harris and get a VP candidate who will appeal to middle America or risk a Independant candidate that will.  

[Sabrefan1]

7 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

I have no great love for Romney, if for no other reason that he drove to Canada with his dog lashed to the roof of his car,  I just thought it was an interesting article and worth sharing.

 

I forgot about that.  He lost my vote the day I read that.  It showed an attitude of flippancy to something that trusted him.  That dog didn't have a choice, but I did. 

 

That was the last election I voted for a party candidate for president.  I was so disappointed in Obama that by the time 2016 rolled around, I had already vowed that I would always vote 3rd party.

[Sabrefan1]

4 minutes ago, the destroyer of worlds said:

I think that TRUMP wouldn't refuse his Secret Service detail like Nixon did, so the detail would go with him.  They wouldn't be in the cell, but would likely be outside his cell and at the entrance to to block.  I've seen reports that he currently has 10 - 12 agents on duty at any one time.   TRUMP obviously wouldn't serve in Gen Pop, something the prison system already deals with somewhat with certain inmates.  

 

It's going to be a problem regardless whether he gets prison time, or gets house arrest.  I think for him, the conviction will be the bigger story.  At this point, prison time will just be the cherry on top.

 

It's all a moot point if he's elected, but if he is ever sentenced to prison, it would be stupid of the Department of Corrections to keep him in a physical prison.  The Secret Service won't allow any doors to be shut on him nor would they let a guard detain him in any way.

 

My guess is the same as yours, monitored house arrest is the most likely outcome.  It would basically be a posh prison.  He'd be surrounded by guards on a protected property and would wear a GPS monitor that ensured that he stayed there.

[Bob Long]

17 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Contrary to popular opinion, Donald Trump has never been cash-rich.  His wealth has always been on paper mostly through his businesses.  Most of his past donations went to refurbishing his private Boeing 757 jet.  Now the funds are going straight to his lawyers.  That means for every dollar he is fined, that is one less dollar he has for his re-election campaign and he knows it.  Becoming president again is the only thing that will keep him out of prison.

 

He needs every dollar that he can cobble together right now.

 

dunno... to me threatening people should matter more. 

[Sabrefan1]

6 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

How well did Romney know Trump in 2016? He might have been saying positive things about Trump at that time in an effort to bring the GOP back together. IMHO Mitt Romney was the best qualified candidate for POTUS that was never elected. Obama started the decline that the USA must now deal with. We should all be very concerned about whatever outcome lies ahead if Biden and Trump square off. Neither is competent. I question both of their mental capacity. 

 

That said Biden did step up to save Ukraine and is doing the same in Israel. For that reason alone i would vote for Biden if I had a vote. The Dems have to dump Harris and get a VP candidate who will appeal to middle America or risk a Independant candidate that will.  

 

People think that Trump came out of nowhere.  He's been a staple in politics for decades.  He just only became a serious contender nationwide when he ran for president. 

 

Trump has always been Trump.  He has always lied and schemed.  It was all ok and he was always shielded from serious consequences up until he switched his party affiliation.  That's when the Democrats suddenly had a problem with him.  Like Smeagol, he dared to take their "precious" (power).

[King Heffy]

Just send Trump to Guantanamo Bay like the other terrorists.  Take the kid gloves off and tell the secret service that they can face obstruction charges if they try to intervene.

[nuckin_futz]

These guys put the ‘fun’ in dysfunction.

[King Heffy]

1 minute ago, nuckin_futz said:

These guys put the ‘fun’ in dysfunction.

The only place Jordan is popular is at a meeting of sex offenders.

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

dunno... to me threatening people should matter more. 

 

You're looking at it with emotion.  I'm looking at it pragmatically.  I don't hate Trump or Biden, but I wouldn't even so much as trust either of them to watch a pet of mine if I had one.  They're both too self-servingly selfish.

[Bob Long]

1 minute ago, nuckin_futz said:

These guys put the ‘fun’ in dysfunction.

 

but didn't this wiener start the whole thing 

 

I'm not sure what the democrats have to gain in all this, probably nothing. Unless a handful of moderate republicans are so sick of all this crap they side with the democrats on some key votes. But then thats political suicide in the US. 

 

 

 

[Bob Long]

2 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

You're looking at it with emotion.  I'm looking at it pragmatically.  I don't hate Trump or Biden, but I wouldn't even so much as trust either of them to watch a pet of mine if I had one.  They're both too self-servingly selfish.

 

I guess lets revisit this if some poor bugger gets shot because Trump makes a tweet. And its not emotional to point out the guy is a threat to some peoples physical safety, that seems to be a real thing. 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Bob Long