christiefan915 (07-17-2018), Frank Apisa (07-18-2018), Mott the Hoople (07-18-2018), Phantasmal (07-17-2018), Rune (07-18-2018), signalmankenneth (07-17-2018), ThatOwlWoman (07-17-2018)
Can we get together and change our priorities when electing a President?
This is an important job. We shouldn't want someone who "talks just like us!" We shouldn't care about someone being folksy, or eating pork rinds, or who we'd rather have a beer with.
We also need to get off of the idea of needing some sort of mythical "outsider" who doesn't have a clue what Washington is about or what it means to be a politician. Being a politician is a job - it requires skill & some nuance, and if you want to be good at it, some intelligence & experience.
This is what we get for not treating the election of candidates like it's an interview for the most important job there is. This is embarrassing.
christiefan915 (07-17-2018), Frank Apisa (07-18-2018), Mott the Hoople (07-18-2018), Phantasmal (07-17-2018), Rune (07-18-2018), signalmankenneth (07-17-2018), ThatOwlWoman (07-17-2018)
Nordberg (07-20-2018), signalmankenneth (07-17-2018)
Bigdog (07-17-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
With the passage of the GOP tax bill, the Trump administration scored major achievements in its first year, making good on campaign promises to provide significant tax cuts, boost U.S. energy production, and restore respect to the United States.
And along the way, President Trump even outdid his own expectations and slashed at least 11 major legacy items of former President Barack Obama, including cracking down on the open border, slowing recognition of communist Cuba and effectively killing Obamacare by ending the mandate that everyone have health insurance or face a tax.
Below are the facts.
- Passage of the tax reform bill provided $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.
- The GDP rose above 3 percent.
- 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.
- Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.
- A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.
- A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.
- A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.
- Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.
- Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
- Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
- Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement.
- Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
- Eliminated an Obama rule that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.
- Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
- Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
- Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
- Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
- Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.
- The Department of Interior opened 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
- Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy.
- Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama.
- Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan.
- EPA reconsidered the Obama rules on methane emissions.
- Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and announced plan to end "chain migration," which lets one legal immigrant to bring in dozens of family members.
- Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico.
- Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants.
- Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S.
- Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals.
- Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016.
- Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
- Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
- Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars.
- Added 100 new immigration judges.
- Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund new police hires.
- Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.
- Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.
- Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.
- Trump nominated 73 federal judges and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
- Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.
- Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.
- Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.
- Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.
- The president declared a nationwide public health emergency on opioids.
- His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.
- The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.
- Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.
- Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.
- The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.
- On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.
- In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.
- Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.
- Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.
- Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.
- Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.
- Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.
- Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
- Created a VA hotline.
- Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.
- With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.
- Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.
- Worked to increase defense spending.
- Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.
- Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.
- Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
- Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.
- Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.
- Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.
- Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.
- Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.
- NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.
- Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.
- Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.
- Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.
- Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.
- Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.
- Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/year-one-list-81-major-trump-achievements-11-obama-legacy-items-repealed/article/2644159
anatta (07-17-2018), Bigdog (07-17-2018), Stretch (07-17-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
— Joe Biden on Obama.
Socialism is just the modern word for monarchy.
D.C. has become a Guild System with an hierarchy and line of accession much like the Royal Court or priestly classes.
Private citizens are perfectly able of doing a better job without "apprenticing".
anatta (07-17-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
Grugore (07-18-2018)
signalmankenneth (07-17-2018), ThatOwlWoman (07-17-2018)
Obviously, Liberals like you know what's best for everyone. Screw the will of the people, you know better. When are you idiots going to get over the fact that you ran a horrible candidate who ran a horrible campaign? Instead of blaming everyone else for your fuck ups, why don't you get to work on issues, and take back some of the power you've lost over the last decade? Or are you just going to continue to wallow in your woe is me, it's everyone else's fault, little pity party? You people are so fucking pathetic, you don't deserve power.
Every life matters
Grugore (07-18-2018), tinfoil (07-18-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
Phantasmal (07-18-2018), signalmankenneth (07-17-2018), ThatOwlWoman (07-18-2018)
There's no question, country, that we do indeed know better than anyone of your ilk.
But try to know what you're talking about anyway.
Liberals didn't nominate Secretary Clinton because Secretary Clinton was a centrist like her husband Bubba, not a liberal.
In terms of competence, she was highly qualified, but she's not an ideological liberal.
The Democratic Establishment nominated the Secretary.
Liberals voted for Senator Sanders in the Democratic Primaries.
We voted for the Secretary in the general election because one had to be lower than whale shit to vote for Trump.
And then we learned how many Americans are lower than whale shit.
christiefan915 (07-17-2018), ThatOwlWoman (07-18-2018)
christiefan915 (07-17-2018), Phantasmal (07-18-2018)
Hillary won the popular vote by millions, and had the will of the people. Americans voted for Hillary.
Trump does not have the consent of the governed, and only won due to a fluke of the undemocratic and archaic electoral college.
Depending on how old you are, it is possible that you have only seen Republicans win a national popular vote once in your entire voting-age adult life.
tinfoil (07-18-2018)
ThatOwlWoman (07-18-2018)
Last edited by anatta; 07-17-2018 at 08:18 PM.
Kissinger: “demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one.”
________
Cold War 2.0 Russia hysteria is turning people’s brains into guacamole.
We’ve got to find a way to snap out of the propaganda trance
________
Buddha: "trust the person who seeks truth and mistrust the person who claims he has found it "
1.2.3.4.5.6.7. All Good Children Go to Heaven
Bigdog (07-17-2018), Stretch (07-17-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
The establishment party is still freaked out. What do establishment Republicans have to offer?
They are dysfunctional..they are worthless...the Dems even moreso..
So the populists said "enough" and put in somebody who would confront Chinese trade barriers /intellectual property theft, and look to set about fixing the Chinese malign since they joined the WTO.
Is it working? too soon to tell -but fer sure only Trump - no one else would try
Stretch (07-17-2018), Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
Abortion rights dogma can obscure human reason & harden the human heart so much that the same person who feels
empathy for animal suffering can lack compassion for unborn children who experience lethal violence and excruciating
pain in abortion.
Unborn animals are protected in their nesting places, humans are not. To abort something is to end something
which has begun. To abort life is to end it.
Truth Detector (07-18-2018)
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