Trump

[Phoebe]

Oh no. Today's headline: El Chapo being extradited to the U.S. ! Don't resign, Comey, he's being brought in to fill your post!

Tahlvin, I lova ya buddy but there are schools all over (including the one she was talking about) that deal with bears and they don't change the gun free policy to do it. The woman is a complete idiot. She is a direct threat to education. This might be worse than the El Chapo/FBI pick because I'm pretty sure that dude knows how to track down a fugitive.

[Stan]

[Zen]

[Stan]

Private citizens can do what they want but I don't think member of congress should have boycotted the inauguration. They should show respect to the position - barring some revelation, he's the legal president. Russian tampering is bad but, unless it extended to voting machines, it doesn't change the legality of the election. Do whatever you like to legally oppose him afterwards but give him his moment. Obama seems to be exiting with class and playing his role in the hand off.

On a practical level, I think Trump over reacts to negativity directed against him. A blanket statement to the effect that they hate Trump will encourage him to push for every GOP initiative out of spite. They should keep it on a factual level, such as "we like this part of Obamacare, would you like to try to save it?" or "We hate this nominee because of their position on X and their history of Y." Personal attacks won't help matters. Yea, that's more respect than the GOP congress afforded Obama much of the time. But you don't have to sink to the lowest level in the room.

[Phoebe]

I agree; this is a situation where I am literally praying that he does the best job he is humanly capable of doing. If other elected officials can help him not sink our big collective ship, that would be awesome. This is not one of those, well, I don't agree with what GWB is doing and I hope he doesn't get re-elected situations. We are in the life raft and we had better be rowing fast. If Trump looks better in the process, fine - just please keep the democracy going as a democracy.

[Mike]

I suspect that much of what Trump is doing right now is about revenge. Imagine the number of times the FCC or the EPA or the AG's office, etc, etc... has stood in his way and been a thorn in his side. Now he has the power to tear down every one of those agencies and leave them in the dirt or rebuild them in his own image. That'll show them you don't mess with Trump.

The man can't take criticism or opposition. He has no sense of humor about himself and holds grudges forever.

Rosie O'Donnell criticized him publicly over a decade ago and he continues to attack her for it to this day, including using part of his time at a presidential debate to go off-topic for a personal attack on Rosie. That's a man who knows how to hold a grudge.

So now he's trolling the nation to make everyone pay for disrespecting him.

[Phoebe]

On the bright side, Melania was absolutely lovely today and the bile in my liver bubbles energetically whenever I hear people who would otherwise call themselves "feminists" trying to trash her for the way she looks or her choice of a husband or for not tearing her ten year old child out of school to move to a new city in the middle of one of the most controversial Presidential transitions in memory. She's fine with me until proven otherwise, and if you think she, a non-native English speaker, wrote her own speech directly plagiarizing Michelle Obama? Come on. She is 2-for-2 on wearing post-grabbing-scandal pussy bows to major televised debates. That alone people, that alone.

[Phoebe]

New administration already full of surprises! Someone in my husband's family just bought a house with an FHA mortgage and was going to have a tiny rate cut thanks to Obama. BUT NO!!! Can't give the little people even slightly easier access to home ownership and equity! The galling thing is they tried to attribute the decision to the mortgage crisis. You know, the one where bankers tanked the global economy and sailed off no harm, no foul while the taxpayer bailed everyone out? And the Republicans fought all of Warren's attempts to reform this deregulated system and prevent it from happening again? Yeah. "He's one of us!" said a bunch of people whose mortgages just got more expensive.

[akiva]

Remember how a lot of people said you can trust Trump because he's not a politician?

During the campaign, Trump promised to do 36 different things on his first day in office. He did two of them.

You can certainly rely on to do what he says.

[FlameBlade]

He shows up at CIA, and ignores the wall of stars representing fallen ones behind him, and invokes crowd size at inauguration.

Also I learned a great word today... Claque. You will want to know this word well.

[Cazmonster]

[Phoebe]

I'm glad I don't need to go to Planned Parenthood for medical care, because if I get pregnant, guess what, it will be happening in a very wrong body part that will inevitably kill me dead unless I have an.... SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH nobody say it if you want federal funding!


Also something about Mexico/Mexicans was signed (??? we don't really need to know, do we? It's not like you can believe whatever the official story is anyway, because ALTERNATIVE FACTS...) and Trump doesn't need to release his Tax Returns. Great. Maybe I don't need to pay taxes? I hope the April 15 protest is even bigger than the Women's March.

[poorpete]

I joked that we'd all have to sign non-dislosure agreement by the end of his administration. I'm not freaking out that I'll be close to right.

[akiva]

At least 2 agencies (EPA and USDA) have issued policies forbidding workers from sharing information with the public. I assume more will follow because Trump wants to control all information.

[poorpete]

Yeah, oh, I said "not freaking out" i meant "now freaking out" AAAAHHHHHHHH

[Phoebe]

Well what "info" did the USDA or EPA ever really give the public, right? Do we really need to know what's in our food or water? Come on. If he muzzles the National Weather Service then we'll talk.

[akiva]

It's a little bit amusing that the President who is demanding an investigation into, among other things, people who are registered to vote in two states, is being advisded by

Only a little bit amusing because of the voter suppression efforts that could arise from the "investigation" of voter fraud.

[Mrs.Darcs]

In the midst of all my fears, worries, panic etc about what is happening to our country, the 12 year old tormented, and bullied girl inside me is darkly pleased every time this hugest (yugest?) of bullies complains about being being mean to him. Getting a taste of his own bitter medicine. Of course, he's also giving a voice to all the bullies of the country (world?) which is another reason to be afraid.

[Eliahad]

Does anyone know any 'neutral' news sites that have articles on the fact that Trump has ordered that US Scientists can't talk to the media/report their findings without going through him or his team?

If this is actually true (and something is leading me to believe that it is, but I can't find more sources so...) how is this /not/ breaking Constitutional Law? Specifically 1st Amendment? How do they get around that? Not all scientific studies can hold state secrets....right?

[Mike]

The government can decide what information it does or does not release. Such an order is perfectly within his bounds and constitutional. The government is full of secret information that it is illegal to release. The problem I (and so many others) have is that he is putting a gag order on information that has no reason to be secret.

If I understand correctly, public outcry was so great that he reversed that part of the order. That's awesome. However lifting the gag order or scientists releasing their work does not change the ban on those departments using social media and doesn't lift the moratorium on new grants.