Donald Trump may not be making America “great” again–unless your version of “great” is white, Christian, intolerant and angry–but he is certainly making the U.S. government the focus of attention, both at home and abroad.
Each day, the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful nation does something to embarrass sentient Americans and appall foreign observers. Sometimes, it is a prominent display of boorishness, of the sort we saw during Angela Merkel’s visit, but usually it is a statement or a tweet that puts Trump’s incredible ignorance on display–the sort of obliviousness that Dana Milbank addressed in a recent Washington Post column.
Seeking and winning the presidency has been a magical voyage of discovery for Donald Trump.
Tuesday night, he divulged a most remarkable finding: Abraham Lincoln was — are you sitting down for this? — a Republican.
“Most people don’t even know he was a Republican,” Trump told a group of Republicans. “Right? Does anyone know? A lot of people don’t know that.”
As Milbank noted, a lot of people actually do know that, considering that the GOP routinely calls itself the “Party of Lincoln.” He went on to catalogue other discoveries that evidently came as a surprise to our President: Health policy is complicated, slavery is bad…
Beyond this Lincoln revelation, Trump has happened upon many other things that people didn’t know. Such as the complexity of health care: “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated,” he said recently. And the existence of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who died in 1895: “Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice.”
Later, touring the new African American history museum in Washington, Trump discovered that slavery was bad. Spying a stone auction block, Trump said, according to Alveda King, a part of his entourage: “Boy, that is just not good. That is not good.” King also told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that upon seeing shackles for children, Trump remarked: “That is really bad. That is really bad.”
I’m relieved to know that our inarticulate President considers slavery “bad.” Evidently, however, his enlightenment about human equality stops there. His misogyny–embarrassingly on display during the Merkel visit–emerged again with his choice of delegates to the U.N. Conference on Women’s Rights. As Common Dreams reports:
Earlier this week, the State Department announced that representatives from infamous anti-LGBTQ hate group the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-FAM) and from the far-right Heritage Foundation will represent the U.S. at a United Nations conference on women’s rights later this month….
One delegate, Lisa Correnti, is an executive vice president at the Center for Family & Human Rights (C-FAM), which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled a hate group since 2014. C-FAM was explicitly formed in the ’90s to push back against the rights of women in U.N. resolutions and policies. One of C-FAM’s core missions is to advance laws that restrict the rights and protections of LGBTQ people; its president recently called contraception and gay rights “devilish gospel.” The organization signed on in favor of Russia’s anti-gay laws, which have led to arrests, prosecution, and physical assaults from government agents for gay Russians.
Adding insult to injury, these delegates “are opposed to the U.N. as a whole and the fundamental rights of women in particular.”
The unanswered question is: did the Administration know its chosen delegates would be seen as an “in your face” rejection of the conference’s entire premise? Or did they just assume that an organization named “Center for Family and Human Rights” would be supportive of women’s rights? In either case, it’s another humiliation for the U.S.
If the Trump Administration were a comedy show, we might find its level of cluelessness amusing. If it was the government of an emerging third-world country with no tradition of democratic rule or experience with international diplomacy, we might shake our heads and dismiss the spectacle as a remnant of pre-modern autocracies. (“Sad!”)
Trump and his terrifyingly unqualified cabinet and staff are in a position to do incredible harm to our country and our fellow citizens, and thus far an equally inept (and in some cases dishonest) Congress has aided and abetted, rather than restrained or opposed this travesty of an administration.
It’s beyond embarrassing.
As I have said in virtually all of my posts, this president was put into office by the most ignorant of the ignorant because he represents their views and verbalizes their paranoia. That being said, I am starting to get the feeling that even the most ignorant of the ignorant are starting to catch on … slowly, but they are at least catching on and that is a good sign because these are people that don’t catch on very fast. 🙂
The answer to your question is simple. The Trump administration would not have chosen anyone from a group called the Center for Family and Human Rights if the title were accurate. The minions in the White House had to know what the group’s purpose is.
Bannon and Pence most likely suggested sending those candidates and were fully aware of what they were doing.
Philip Gift – those “ignorants” in my neck of the woods are actually digging in their heels to support Trump.
“The unanswered question is: did the Administration know its chosen delegates would be seen as an “in your face” rejection of the conference’s entire premise?”
Phillip Gift’s comments basically answers Sheila question: “As I have said in virtually all of my posts, this president was put into office by the most ignorant of the ignorant because he represents their views and verbalizes their paranoia.”
Stupidity is the lack of knowledge of facts; ignorance is having all facts but acting against obvious negative outcomes to meet their selfish needs. This Administration is not stupid (well, most of them are not stupid); their decisions and actions are deliberate, knowing full well the damage to America and Americans they are causing…it feeds their egos, keeps them in good favor with Trump and fills to overflowing their personal (offshore) bank accounts. As always; it is FOLLOW THE MONEY.
This “health care” fiasco is putting all of Congress on the line; do they maintain much of the ACA and continue costing all big business a smidgen of their profits to provide required health care for employees? Or; do they pass Trumpcare which will cause millions of American to lose health care coverage, primarily those who cannot afford to pay for it and will not be able to afford to pay for doctors, medical treatments and tests, physical therapy or the continuing soaring costs of Big Pharma. This is an actual life-and-death situation for millions of Americans.
This is a test of the basic humanity of all elected officials in Congress and at local levels of government. Per a Facebook post; Trump said if they do not pass his health care bill, “Obamacare” WILL remain in effect. With its admitted problem areas, admitted even by President Obama, threatening the keep the ACA is hardly a “threat” to thinking lawmakers – however ignorant their actions have been thus far.
Trump is not a polished liar for sure. At least he’s authentic…what we see is what we get. There aren’t a lot of mysteries with this guy.
If a hate group was recruited, it mostly got the nod from our Veep. Mike Pence is very tight with all the anti-alternative life folks. Since they use the Bible for reference, I’d say Mike’s goal is making America a ‘White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Male Nation,’ once again. Sadly, nobody has told Mike that his Bible stories took place in the Middle East, so the long flowing blonde-haired Jesus is false branding.
I’m still waiting for Trump to adhere to his anti-establishment policies he promised. His cabinet and advisors have seemed more interested in hurting the populists who voted for Trump. By not adhering to campaign promises made to angry populists, he’s only setting the stage for someone even more extreme than Trump.
Todd,
“By not adhering to campaign promises made to angry populists, he’s only setting the stage for someone even more extreme than Trump.”
As we sit back and continue to play all of this out ONLY IN OUR MINDS and not take EFFECTIVE ACTION, that’s exactly what we’re going to get, more sooner than later. And I’m sure that’s exactly what Bannon has wanted from the beginning.
We’re just all passengers on a “Ship of Fools.”
Please sm;)e for a picture.
Curb Your Prez
Oh me, oh my, oh why
Won’t someone in the White House try
To curb the tweets? Just at least some
What show the world this guy’s so dumb.
Yes we need a President or this President to change his tactics and especially his delivery. Beyond that he is certainly a what you see is what you get President. Hopefully he will balance the budget and provide leadership in this way. It’s been my main concern no matter who is in the White House
I strongly recommend, to any of you who have not done so before, the reading of the “Ship of Fools” by Katherine Anne Porter.”
From Amazon.com:
“August 1931. An ocean liner bound for Germany sets out from the Mexican port city of Veracruz. The ship’s first-class passengers include an idealistic young American painter and her lover; a Spanish dance troupe with a sideline in larceny; an elderly German couple and their fat, seasick bulldog; and a boisterous band of Cuban medical students [and a Jewish couple].
As the Vera journeys across the Atlantic, the incidents and intrigues of several dozen passengers and crew members come into razor-sharp focus. The result is a richly drawn portrait of the human condition in all its complexity and a mesmerizing snapshot of a WORLD DRIFTING TOWARD DISASTER.
Written over a span of twenty years and based on the diary Katherine Anne Porter kept during a similar ocean voyage, Ship of Fools was the bestselling novel of 1962 and the inspiration for an Academy Award–winning film starring Vivien Leigh. It is a masterpiece of American literature as captivating today as when it was first published more than a half century ago.
During his campaign, 45 outlined no policy. He walked out onto a stage, said a line, and waited for a reaction. If the reaction was big, the line got repeated. He made promises that were as empty as his head. He has no beliefs, no principles, does not read books he hasn’t “written”, and is amazingly incurious. He is the leader the GOP has been looking for since the 70s.
His followers love him because they want to “shake things up.” They have brought an earthquake of unparalled power down upon our system of government and they love it. It’s just too bad the rest of us have to suffer. I blame those who couldn’t be bothered to vote.
If you want some insight into the mindset of the man who occupies the White House, read the transcript of the Time magazine interview he granted yesterday. I could not get through the entire thing as it was a rambling, incoherent, babble of self-promotion and narcissism, with hardly one complete sentence. I managed to get through most of it, skipping to the end, where he told the interviewed, “I am the President, and you’re not.” Be warned. It is a frightening window into the next four and possible next eight years, if we manage not to incinerate ourselves and the rest of the world in the meantime.
http://time.com/4710456/donald-trump-time-interview-truth-falsehood/
As the hosts of the Pod Save America podcast noted, it’s horrible that world leaders like Merkel and Trudeau will be going back to their cabinets and advisors and confirming that our president is indeed a clown. Donald Trump is doing more to reduce the U.S.’s stature and reputation in the world than even a Siberian Candidate could.
It may just be that Trump’s ignorance and embarrassing behavior are what keeps his party from advancing all of their agenda. His endless insulting comments and tweets keep the country divided and opposition to all things Republican at an all time high level. As leader of his party he cannot even unify the Republicans in the House on his signature issue. His lack of legal and constitutional knowledge has led to the failure of his Muslim ban. And the Russian mess will cloud his regime the rest of his term.
Imagine if the guy was smart, well mannered, dignified, and diplomatic. I say keep the S.O.B. and use his own behavior against him and his right wing party. Better the devil we know and can thwart than the fake sincerity, religious fanatic we cannot. We only have to hold on until 2018.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
~Isaac Asimov
Sheila: “It’s more than embarrassing.” Then what is it? I for one say, “It’s NATIONAL SUICIDE.”
And Trump/Pence/Bannon is taking us all [FOOLS]on the same trip.
Theresa,
“We only have to hold on until 2018.”
That would be like holding on to the TITANIC after it was sinking.
Marv,
Go ahead and abandon the ship.
Me? I’m going to stay abroad and work to repair the leaks, and if it comes to naught I’ll fight to the end and go down with the ship.
JD- here is your speech redone with all the portions not reliably verifiable-redacted. It is now much shorter. http://theslot.jezebel.com/we-redacted-everything-thats-not-a-verifiably-true-stat-1793571837
The Republican “healthcare” bill is in truth a “tax relief” bill for the rich and corporate class which has been hitched to the draconian reduction in benefits and increase in costs in a bill labelled as an improved alternative to Obamacare. There is much sound and fury today after Herr Trump’s ultimatum to his Republican compadres to either pass the bill today or succumb to the horrors of continuing Obamacare, all of which is a mere press event since the bill is DOA in the Senate should it survive today’s vote in the House. Whether Trump’s dictatorial slash and burn tactics will work on the Freedom Caucus in the House remains to be seen, probably some time this afternoon or evening, and while it may sell lots of Buicks and cookware on TV, it is meaningless in policy terms but important from another point of view – the inner political brawl between Trump and the Speaker, who don’t like one another irrespective of handshakes and smiles put out for public consumption.
The good news is that however Republican House members vote on this phony healthcare bill whether aye or nay they are going to face a barrage of criticism from their constituents when they come home for their Easter recess after the vote today and have to explain why they upped insurance companies’ take and tax cuts for the rich and corporate class while increasing the costs and reducing the coverage for the some 750,000 people they represent in their districts. Meanwhile, should the vote fail and Trump’s pathetic leadership on the issue there for all to see, expect him to blame staff, the Speaker, or even Crooked Hillary or Sick Obama, since he is never to blame for anything in his narcissistic world.
Theresa,
“Go ahead and abandon ship.”
Let’s make sure what ship we’re talking about. No doubt, you have a lot of courage. However, I’m afraid you’ve been a passenger on the “Ship of Fools” captained by the likes of Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center/ Anti-Defamation League which I have been warning about for almost two years on this blog.
This is not the only ship in the DEMOCRACY FLEET. Thank God.
In the simplest view the job of the Presdent is to maintain two global systems stable. The economic system and the political system.
In engineering stability has a very specific definition. Stable systems when perturbed return to the same rest condition. Unstable systems when perturbed depart their rest condition not to return. A pendulum hanging down is stable a pendulum carefully balanced up is unstable.
Personally I see no chance for the world economy nor the world political system to remain stable at this level of incompetence.
Marv,
I was using YOUR metaphor of the Titanic. As usual, when caught in one of your screw ups, you attempt to obscure the point by changing the subject.
Pete,
Maybe it’s time we launch a new ship called the “Ship of No Fools.”
This is a new and very important book, “The Death of Expertise” by Tom Nichols who has a masterful background. This is a summary from Amazon.com:
“People are now exposed to more information than ever before, provided both by technology and by increasing access to every level of education. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.
As Tom Nichols shows in The Death of Expertise, this rejection of experts has occurred for many reasons, including the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement.
Nichols has deeper concerns than the current rejection of expertise and learning, noting that when ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy-or in the worst case, a combination of both. The Death of Expertise is not only an exploration of a dangerous phenomenon but also a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age.”
Witness this blog.
The Trump Administration is a comedy show. As a matter of fact, it may be five comedy shows. There are at least five late-night shows that feature large doses of words and actions projected by the Fake President Donald Trump. Shows that are anchored by well-known comics who have highly-paid writers whose lives have been made a lot easier by daily doses of Trump.
Trump intentionally or accidentally makes listeners suffer because of a speaking habit he constantly exercises. He makes an absurd statement. And then the very next statement is a repeat of the absurd statement he just made.
There may be a law that keeps a man like this from serving as President of the United States for four years. I hope someone discovers what it is.
“The time has come, the Walrus said;
to talk of many things,
Of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax –
of cabbages – and – kings…” Lewis Carroll
I switched to MSNBC in the middle of a lengthy rant by a Republican governor supporting Trumpcare, in all its absurdity, as the salvation of Trump’s presidency. While trying to uphold the loss of maternity care, preexisting medical conditions, et al, and all of the money which would be saved by denying health care to millions; the newscaster tried to get him to answer her question. “Why will this one issue make or break Trump’s presidency?” I have wondered that myself with all of the absurdities we face on a daily basis; many of the issues are matters of democracy, foreign diplomacy and life and death, but Trump distracts us with his talks of “shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings.”
Speaking of ships – and books – I recommend reading “Voyage Of The Damned” by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts. The documented voyage of 937 Jews who were allowed to leave Germany in 1939 because they were promised sanctuary by Cuba, South American countries and the United States of America. Mid-voyage their sanctuary was denied; the Jews, like the immigrants (primarily Muslim) Trump has tried to ban, they had paid for their visas and most had definite destinations once they landed. Unlike the Muslims Trump has attempted to deny sanctuary; there was no one her to fight for their safety. Many had been in concentration camps; almost all were returned to concentration camps where they died. Their fate sealed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; they, too, many were families with children. If Trump manages to push through his immigrant ban; they, too, will be returned to almost certain death.
Gorsuch is unfit to serve Americans by being seated on SCOTUS; the escalating Russian connections to Trump and his minions with millions of dollars changing hands and now murders – and attempted murder – have entered the picture, his total lack of understanding regarding diplomatic relations with allies and enemies alike is making us a target for nuclear attack. Rachel Maddow released two pages of Trump’s 2005 tax papers; neither contained the needed information regarding his multi-millions of income from foreign countries – with Russia heading the list of suspects.
So; why do we keep hearing that Trumpcare will make or break Trump’s presidency when he adds valid reasons to be removed from the White House on a daily basis…along with his illegally appointed family members? Is the First Lady still considered part of the Trump family? This issue is another embarrassing question we have daily.
Jo Ann,
IMO Despite valid reasons to remove Trump from the White House, the Republican controlled Congress will not do so as long as they think they can use him. And he will not voluntarily leave as long as they kiss his ass confirming his self delusions about himself.
It has recently dawned upon me that truly Trump is on his way at hellbent speed to make the US Number One (Third World country).
I have watched some interviews with Trump’s followers A/K/A Trumpeters. They are doubling down. Every blunder or lie is excused (you should not take what the Trumpet says literally) or attributed to fake news. The Liberal Media is to blame. How funny to see FOX News twisting and turning trying to find some small redeeming quality of the Trumpet.
There was one Trumpter who was interviewed that when confronted with all the Trumpet’s lies, turned on a dime and began accusing Obama of sedition and being a traitor. When asked to prove these statements he took shelter under the “birther” umbrella, and oh yeah Michelle Obama is really a man.
Sasha Baron Cohen should do a parody of the Trump administration based on Borat being elected President.
It appears many of you think that this is all crazy with Trump. Starting an anti-Semitic campaign without any opposition is not crazy at all. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Give Trump/Pence/Bannon all the credit they deserve. I would strong suggest that you don’t keep your admiration to yourself. Just try to remember what happened to Germany in an analogous situation.
It is beyond embarrassing it is profoundly dangerous. I am afraid that drastic steps need be taken to ensure the survival of our society. This idiot has the propensity to destroy thgthge world we live in.
Marv, thanks for the book recommendation. It seems right on to me. These are truly the dark ages with enlightenment replaced by profound ignorance as described by Dunning Kruger. People who know little are likely to believe that what they do know is complete.
Theresa; of course they will keep Trump in office till he is of nor further use to them. Everything they didn’t get done under President Obama will find its way to Trump’s desk and he will sign it into law with his Sharpie and display his oversize signature to the cameras. He is their bitch; do you suppose he is aware of it, or are they knowingly using one another to accomplish all they have planned…unless this Russia mess erupts and disrupts, not only our government, but world peace? Apparently the House Intelligence Committee has cancelled hearings at this point; at the same time Manafort has offered to answer all their questions. It appears something is going on with or between the HIC co-chairs at this time. Nunes apology doesn’t seem to mean much to anyone but Trump who believes he is “somewhat vindicated” by the chaos Nunes caused all levels of government. This HIC hearing confusion is tangled up with Trumpcare vote, no one is mentioning Russia outright and they are falling over one another in the media.
Too late for “long story – short” but…even knowing what they are doing, and so far getting away with it, we need to keep a running tab on these daily embarrassments and illegal activities. It appears no one in the Republican party is a happy camper right now; let’s keep them that way by keeping all of these daily embarrassments before the public eye.
I am hearing from the NYT at 1:05 this afternoon that Ryan has “rushed” over to the White House to tell Trump he doesn’t have the votes for passage of Trumpcare even though Trump has threatened his own House members yesterday with an unlimatum that they either passed this bill today or he would leave them in the lurch with Obamacare. I think he went over not just to tell him that he didn’t have the votes but to beg on bended knee to give the House leadership more time to attract super right wing votes. The problem here is that Trump would have to go back on his word and that an already ridiculously bad bill would get even worse before the Freedom group would sign on. I am with the Tangerine Taskmaster for a change, i.e., vote today and then take off for your Easter recess and a beating from your constituents, however you vote.
again, a great deal of Trumps success is due to Hillary. Offering a very POOR Democratic candidate, (with numerous foreign policy failures and lots of mystery cash in the pocket) on the assumption it was a “sure thing”, was unwise. Rigging the primary against the populist Bernie was arrogant. Bragging about deplorable’ s and eliminating the Appalachian economy was stupid. And making sure an excellent 3rd party candidate (Gary Johnson) was eliminated from the Presidential Debates (where 88 million voters would have been exposed to him for the first time in just the first debate) is truly immoral. As a practical matter, Hillary was the best helper that Trump had. So when you ramp up “evil Trump” websites, don’t forget who helped him get there.
Any bets or figures out there on how long it will take to repair the damage done in a little over 60 days by this “so-called president”?
http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/07/news/economy/obama-coal-jobs/index.html
Let’s be fair about the loss of coal mining jobs and who or what is to blame for them.
Obama’s regulations were part of the clean air act passed by NIXON. Cheap natural gas has replaced many of the coal burning plants.
Obama had employment help for Appalachia and HRC had a 30 billion dollar plan to help. Drumpf got elected by swearing to bring the coal jobs back and they ain’t coming back. ps Drumpf’s budget eliminates Obama’s help for the coal miners as well as takes away their insurance.
Trump is losing trust among his base according to a number of polls. Here is Quinnipac’s which includes a lot of detail.
https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2442.
Drumpf sez he wants to move on to tax reform but he needs savings from Obamacare repeal to pay for his tax cuts for the wealthy.
He said “We learned a lot about loyalty with this health care vote.”
WE know he did NOT mean the loyalty of elected officials to the American people – he meant he learned he can’t trust Republicans. We could have told him that and saved a lot of trouble…and tax dollars.
I am pleased to see the failure of Ryan and Trump in forcing a so-called healthcare bill down the throats of the rest of us, but beware. What has not been talked about is that Obamacare provides for considerable discretion of the HHS secretary in fashioning rules and regulations to carry out the intent of the act, and the current secretary is a sworn enemy of Obamacare and may be complicit in fashioning such rules and regs as an ideologue to assure the early implosion of Obamacare in order to vindicate Trump’s vision of its impending failure.
Obamacare is the law of the land and the secretary and those of all political stripes should be working to mend some of its admitted shortcomings rather than trying to destroy it, but ideologues do not seem to understand such duties, so keep your eyes open on what the secretary proposes over the coming months and years.
Any massive piece of social legislation dropped into uncharted water needs years of tinkering and correction before settling in to some kind of political equilibrium. Social Security, for instance, required years of tinkering and amendment as the rubber met the road requiring such smoothing out. The same can be said of Obamacare since, like Social Security, it was dropped into an environment where there had been no previous successful legislative forays. I think we should positively tinker with Obamacare guided by what is in the best interests of the people paying the premiums until that day when we join the rest of the civilized world with adoption of single payer. We need to stop paying hundreds of billions of dollars in insurance company and HMO profits and salaries and bonuses to their executives and shareholders and use those dollars for real healthcare. Adoption of single payer accomplishes that goal and the billions thus saved can go to cheaper premiums, extended coverage etc. But till then. . . . . .
I have found some strange – questionable – reactions to Paul Ryan pulling Trump’s health care bill before the vote. Some anti-Trump people are making statements about him not keeping his campaign promises with yet another failure to his ego but a a win for the country. They were NOT promises to benefit this country and were NOT promises we wanted him to keep.
I have seen gloating when we should be expressing deep relief and gratitude to the thinking, honorable Republicans who joined Democrats to save health care which would have been lost for millions. Of course the ACA needs work; President Obama has always been aware of the areas in need of change but Republicans refused to work with him or Democrats to make needed changes. Only when they were in full control of Congress and the presidency, when they could provide more tax cuts to the wealthy while denying health care to millions of Americans did they take action. I am not one to antagonize the current administration for what some consider a loss to their party; totally missing the fact that this is a life-saving action by elected officials who were threatened and coerced by the president but stood up to him to do the right thing for the country. I for one want to thank all who stood their ground and voted NO.
TrumpCare had nothing to do with healthcare and everything to do with overturning Obama’s signature legislation; however to accomplish that goal, it would have taken something more than the pitiful effort put forth by the republicans. One of the TV talking heads made the point that the republicans in congress and Trump are protest votes, not votes for governance. And we got what they voted for.
Ryan says that moving from the opposition party to the governing party is difficult and the republicans have growing pains. Far from growing pains, they have no ideas and no policies that don’t benefit their handlers.
I ran across this definition of bribe today at work: “Any valuable thing given or promised, or any preferment, advantage, privilege, or emolument, given or promised corruptly and against the law, as an inducement to any person acting in an official or public capacity to violate or forbear from his duty, or to improperly influence his behavior In the performance of such duty.”
If not for Citizens United, that would accurately describe our political system.