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Post by crimsoncat05 on Aug 15, 2019 21:44:28 GMT
the members are always admonished not to say derogatory comments about other member or 'the president' well, yes, BUT- HE'S the President (a very important person, so there!! <sticks out tongue>) so he can say or do anything he wants with no repurcussions, don't-cha-know?!?
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2019 22:12:32 GMT
This is sickening especially coming from Israel. The Jews know what it feels like to be considered not good enough and discriminated against. I lose respect for anyone who follows what trump demands. Israel should be better than that. They refused entry to a member of the Spanish ruling socialist party recently too. He's also of Palestinian decent although he was born in Lebanon. His parents were Palestinian refugees. He's lived in Spain for over 40 years. He was turned back upon his arrival at the airport there for some conference or other and was told it was for security reasons but they didn't say what.
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Post by dewryce on Aug 15, 2019 22:35:05 GMT
This is sickening especially coming from Israel. The Jews know what it feels like to be considered not good enough and discriminated against. I lose respect for anyone who follows what trump demands. Israel should be better than that. They refused entry to a member of the Spanish ruling socialist party recently too. He's also of Palestinian decent although he was born in Lebanon. His parents were Palestinian refugees. He's lived in Spain for over 40 years. He was turned back upon his arrival at the airport there for some conference or other and was told it was for security reasons but they didn't say what. But was it the political leader from this man’s country that requested he be denied entry into Israel?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2019 22:49:22 GMT
They refused entry to a member of the Spanish ruling socialist party recently too. He's also of Palestinian decent although he was born in Lebanon. His parents were Palestinian refugees. He's lived in Spain for over 40 years. He was turned back upon his arrival at the airport there for some conference or other and was told it was for security reasons but they didn't say what. But was it the political leader from this man’s country that requested he be denied entry into Israel? Your right it wasn't but Israel had said last week that they would be allowed in although they have criticised their policies in the past and they would over rule some law they have, You're right Israel backtracked when Trump stepped in. He's now trying to push his nose into the Hong Kong disagreement. He has no idea why they are protesting. I don't condone the rioting but they do have historical valid point for the protests. Why does he have to be so arrogant and why can't he MHOB and get on with ruling his own country without interfering in others.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Aug 15, 2019 22:56:33 GMT
Why does criticizing Israel=being anti-Semitic? It seems to me that they are not perfect and it is helpful in any situation to see that there is more than one side. Only seeing things from Israel's POV is clearly not working for peace in the region. The decision not to let Muslim members of congress seems to be very discriminatory to me. And the fact that the POTUS is encouraging this is sickening.
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Post by artgirl1 on Aug 15, 2019 23:02:07 GMT
from the Israeli Declaration of Independance signed 14 May 1948:
THE STATE OF ISRAEL ... will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
So trump is ruining the moral fiber of not just the US, but also Israel. But then Netanyahu is a trump clone.
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 2:33:05 GMT
NPR...
”At tonight's rally, President Trump appeared to back away from a possible expansion of background checks, instead pivoting to talk about mental illness.
But most mental health experts dispute the notion of directly linking gun violence and mental health.”
Anyone surprised trump seems to be backing away from background checks?
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 16, 2019 4:16:58 GMT
NPR... ”At tonight's rally, President Trump appeared to back away from a possible expansion of background checks, instead pivoting to talk about mental illness. But most mental health experts dispute the notion of directly linking gun violence and mental health.” Anyone surprised trump seems to be backing away from background checks? Yes, yes he did start his backtrack!! He is going to build mental institutions.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 16, 2019 4:21:22 GMT
Because that has worked SO well in the past. And exactly how will these institutions be paid for, especially if they are successful in kicking the ACA to the curb?
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 16, 2019 4:23:18 GMT
Bernie Sanders just said if Israel doesn't want members of Congress in their country then maybe they don't want our money!
Rubio and others (GOP and Dems) have said that they don't agree with what Tlaib and Omar have said, Israel should not have denied entry them into their country!
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 16, 2019 4:24:52 GMT
Because that has worked SO well in the past. And exactly how will these institutions be paid for, especially if they are successful in kicking the ACA to the curb? Right you are! He does NOT care!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 4:27:27 GMT
The vindictive petty president... 🎶 #MAGA 🎶
From the Washington Post...
“Governing by grievance, Trump wields official powers against political enemies”
“By pressuring the Israeli government to bar entry by two members of Congress, President Trump once again used the power and platform of his office to punish his political rivals.
It’s a pattern that has intensified during the first two and a half years of Trump’s presidency, as he has increasingly governed to the tune of his grievances.
The president has grounded a military jet set for use by the Democratic House speaker, yanked a security clearance from a former CIA director critical of him, threatened to withhold disaster aid from states led by Democrats, pushed to reopen a criminal investigation targeting Hillary Clinton and publicly called for federal action to punish technology and media companies he views as biased against him.
Taken as a whole, Trump’s use of political power to pursue personal vendettas is unprecedented in modern history, said Matthew Dallek, a political historian who teaches at George Washington University.
“It’s both a sign of deep insecurity on his part and also just a litany of abuse of power,” he said. “I don’t think anyone really has done it as consistently or as viciously as Trump has. No one has used the power of the bully pulpit in such a public way.”
After Trump publicly and privately campaigned for the Israeli government to block Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) from visiting Israel this weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed himself on Thursday and announced the blockade due to the lawmakers’ support for a movement that calls for boycotting Israeli goods and services to protest Israeli treatment of Palestinians.
“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit,” Trump tweeted before Netanyahu’s announcement. “They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!”
The president’s unusual intervention encouraging a foreign ally to bar American lawmakers from visiting — and his unfounded claim that the two congresswomen hate Jews — underscore the scorched-earth approach he is taking toward his 2020 reelection bid.
“Representatives Omar and Tlaib are the face of the Democrat Party, and they HATE Israel!” Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
As Trump has become more attuned to the powers of the presidency over time, he has shown a greater willingness to wield them against his perceived enemies. A wave of midterm victories last year by Democrats, who gained control of the House, also coincided with Trump’s increasing vindictiveness in office.
In January, during a partial government shutdown that ultimately stretched for five weeks, Trump denied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a military plane she had been planning to use to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative,” Trump in a letter to Pelosi just hours before she was set to take off.
As commander in chief, Trump has the ability to ground military aircraft — a power that has not been used by previous presidents to target members of Congress seeking to visit U.S. troops abroad.
Trump’s letter to Pelosi came one day after she used her new authority as speaker to postpone Trump’s scheduled State of the Union address. She cited the ongoing government shutdown in announcing the delay.
“He’s willing to break any norm and abuse any power to cater to his most hard-right supporters,” said Dallek.
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III documented several instances in which Trump sought to pressure the Department of Justice to pursue a criminal investigation into his 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, for her use of a private email server. In his report, Mueller found that Trump encouraged then-attorney general Jeff Sessions in 2017 to reverse his recusal from any Clinton-related matters to pursue new charges.
The FBI closed its investigation into Clinton’s email practices in 2016 without charges, a decision Trump pledged as a candidate to reverse. Sessions did not reverse his recusal but did assign the U.S. attorney in Utah, John Huber, to examine the Clinton investigation. Trump fired Sessions in November.
Democrats, some of whom have called for Trump’s impeachment, have said his attempts to have Clinton prosecuted represent a clear example of abuse of power.
Trump has also wielded his authority over the federal budget to intervene in spending decisions related to various natural disasters. He has publicly shown disdain toward disaster-stricken states where Democrats outnumber Republicans, and in some cases threatened to withhold disaster funding from them.
As historic wildfires ravaged California earlier this year, Trump lamented the amount of money the federal government was spending to provide relief.
Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen,” Trump tweeted in January. “Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!”
FEMA did not ultimately end its disaster funding for California, but the threat alone sparked outrage among Democrats.
After hurricanes crushed the island of Puerto Rico in 2017, Trump also personally intervened to block aid funding. For weeks, as Congress debated a disaster aid package earlier this year, Trump told his advisers that he did not want any additional funds going to Puerto Rico — a U.S. territory where the government estimates about 3,000 people died after Hurricane Maria.
The mayor of San Juan had been publicly critical of Trump’s response to the hurricane, leading the president to call her out on Twitter.
The Mueller investigation into Russian election interference has also led Trump to test the bounds of presidential power.
Last year, Trump moved to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, who had become a leading critic of the president. The White House also released a list of other former officials whose security clearances were under review. All were public critics of Trump, who as president has sole authority to deny security clearances from current and former officials.
Trump, who also has exclusive authority to declassify government records, used his power last year to give Republicans access to secret documents related to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The president also voiced support for ousting Justice Department officials who were involved in the Russia investigation.
Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe filed a lawsuit against the FBI and the Justice Department last week alleging that Trump used his position to force out Justice Department officials not seen as loyal to the president. McCabe was fired shortly before he was set to retire with a full pension.
“It was Trump’s unconstitutional plan and scheme to discredit and remove DOJ and FBI employees who were deemed to be his partisan opponents because they were not politically loyal to him,” the lawsuit alleged.
Trump and his allies have accused Democrats of using their political power to target him in unprecedented ways. He has regularly complained of “presidential harassment” and branded the Mueller investigation as an effort by Democrats and bureaucrats to frustrate his nascent administration.
“Every day, they sue me for something,” Trump said Tuesday during a speech to construction workers at a petrochemicals plant in Pennsylvania. “I got sued on a thing called ‘emoluments.’ Emoluments. You ever hear the word? Nobody ever heard of it before.”
Trump has also targeted companies, including Google, Twitter, Amazon, CNN and Facebook — calling for investigations or signing executive orders that all but explicitly single out the firms. He has threatened to use antitrust laws and other executive authority to go after the companies — which he has accused of political bias. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.
Trump’s intervention in Israel’s decision about whether to let Tlaib and Omar visit — and to take a position against the U.S. lawmakers — was an especially aggressive move, said Dallek.
It comes as Trump has increasingly been accused of racism, with polls showing a majority of Americans view him as a racist.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump called for a ban of all Muslims seeking to enter the United States. His push to ban the only two Muslim women in Congress from traveling to Israel comes just weeks after he suggested Omar, Tlaib and two other progressive minority lawmakers to “go back” to other countries.
Michael McFaul, a U.S. ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration, said the decision could ultimately backfire on Israel.
“Trump will not be president forever,” he said on Twitter. “The people of Israel who care about preserving US-Israeli ties might want to remind their prime minister of that obvious fact.”
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 5:23:48 GMT
Remember the AOC cut-out chokers? Some of them attend Lexington Christian Academy, a private religious school whose mission is to “glorify Christ.” Too bad "glorifying Christ" doesn't include teaching morality or decency or how to treat women. "Lexington Christian Academy released a statement on the incident, "Lexington Christian Academy officials are aware of a photo circulating on social media which includes LCA students attending a recent, non-school event. This matter has been addressed with the students and families involved."" One of the young men apologized. No word from the others. www.lex18.com/ocasio-cortez-slams-image-of-young-men-in-team-mitch-shirts-groping-choking-cutout
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 16, 2019 5:42:53 GMT
Loyalty again............. ** A federal watchdog alleges that top officials in the State Department's Bureau of International Organization Affairs harassed and mistreated staffers, according to an inspector general report published Thursday. The report accused officials of engaging in "disrespectful and hostile treatment" of staffers, and alleges that officials harassed some staffers over suspicions that they were "disloyal" to President Trump.The watchdog found that at least one top career employee was pushed out of her role for inappropriate reasons, while others had their duties stripped from them because of their superiors' political views. The report claims Kevin Moley, assistant secretary of State for the department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, failed to prevent the alleged mistreatment in spite of multiple complaints. The document also cites numerous examples of alleged inappropriate behavior by Mari Stull, who previously was a senior political appointee in the bureau. The two were accused of having "frequently berated employees, raised their voices, and generally engaged in unprofessional behavior toward staff," according to the report. The IG report also found that Moley and Stull treated employees in a "harsh and aggressive manner," engaged in "disrespectful and hostile treatment," and created a "negative and 'vindictive' environment." The report said that about 50 domestic employees have left the IO since Moley took over. Of those who were interviewed by the watchdog, most cited poor leadership as a factor in their decision. The report was based on more than 40 interviews and thousands of emails and other documents. “Nearly every employee interviewed by OIG raised concerns about the leadership of IO and the treatment of staff,” the report stated. “When individuals raised concerns with Ms. Stull about her treatment of employees, she asserted that she was herself the victim of harassment and informed at least one employee that raising such concerns was pointless because the Trump administration ‘has my back,’” the report continued. Moley responded to the investigation that the alleged events described within the report are "mischaracterized," saying that contextual information is missing and also that there are factual inaccuracies. "The behavior attributed to me regarding raising my voice, berating employees and contributing to a hostile work environment does not represent the person I am or have ever been," he said in his response. Foreign Policy reported last year that Stull was vetting employees for loyalty to Trump. ** thehill.com/policy/international/457657-senior-trump-officials-accused-of-harassing-retaliating-career-state-dept
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Post by salem on Aug 16, 2019 12:39:31 GMT
NPR... ”At tonight's rally, President Trump appeared to back away from a possible expansion of background checks, instead pivoting to talk about mental illness. But most mental health experts dispute the notion of directly linking gun violence and mental health.” Anyone surprised trump seems to be backing away from background checks? Yes, yes he did start his backtrack!! He is going to build mental institutions.
Not surprised at all that he would say this at a rally in NH. We have so many gun hugging 2A fans here, that if he even suggested they need to have more restrictions placed on their rights, the uproar would be insane. I couldn’t make it last night. Tried, but couldn’t get near the roads to the arena. There were several people attending that were posting pics on our town FB pages. The crap I read from people, residents of my town, makes me want to sell my house tomorrow. It was gross. You can have a President that makes fun of disabilities, spews hatred and racism, lies constantly, is going to sink us financially, but don’t take their guns. They are convinced he’s the greatest thing ever and anything bad is just all lies from the media. Trump is convinced the only reason he didn’t win NH last time is because the Democrats bussed in thousands of voters illegally. He said that again in an interview last night. He wasn’t going to say from where, but he knows... The audience last night was from all over New England, so the frothing at the mouth that he is taking NH because look at the size of that crowd is BS! Not all of them will vote here. Or will they? Remember, he knows about the busses of thousands and he’s convinced that’s the way to win. *Roll eyes* I don’t put anything past him. Moron.
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Post by Crack-a-lackin on Aug 16, 2019 14:28:37 GMT
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 16, 2019 14:35:25 GMT
There is a video within the article worth watching how he ran them down.... not so slowly at all! (CNN)A captain at a Rhode Island detention facility has been placed on administrative leave after he drove a truck toward a line of protesters who were demanding the center cease its cooperation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials and witnesses said Thursday. The incident Wednesday night was captured on video. Five demonstrators were hospitalized, according to the group that organized the protest, Never Again Action, which describes itself as a collection of Jewish people and their allies protesting ICE and the government's treatment of migrants.
Dozens of people had showed up to protest the contract between ICE and the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, the activists' news release said. As of Thursday morning there were 129 ICE detainees housed at the facility, ICE told CNN. The detention facility said Capt. Thomas Woodworth has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of two investigations: an independent investigation being conducted by the Rhode Island State Police and an internal investigation being conducted by the facility. ICE said its personnel were not involved in the incident. ** www.cnn.com/2019/08/16/us/rhode-island-ice-detention-truck-protesters/index.html
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 15:07:53 GMT
Well apparently someone pointed out to dimwit donnie the guy he “fat shamed “ was his supporter..
ABC News
“President Trump called the supporter he shamed for being overweight at last night's rally from aboard Air Force One and left him a voicemail, per WH official”
The idea trump “fat shamed “ someone is proof he is either delusional or he doesn’t look in the mirror.
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 17:55:16 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 21:32:46 GMT
linkLawrence O’Donnell... ”Republican economic theory insists this is impossible because of CA’s higher taxes, higher minimum wages, environmental regulation etc.” LA Times... ”California’s job market powered ahead in July amid the longest expansion since the 1960s, and unemployment remained at a record low” From the article... ”California’s job market powered ahead in July amid the longest expansion since the 1960s, and unemployment remained at a record low. Since the post-recession turnaround in February 2010, the state has added 3.3 million jobs, accounting for more than 15% of the nation’s employment gains, state officials reported. Last month’s tally of 19,600 new jobs was less than June’s revised 41,300 number. But monthly payroll data are volatile. More significantly, California has added an average of 29,200 jobs a month over this 113-month expansion. Year-over-year, the state’s employment growth outpaced the nation’s, 1.8% to 1.5%. California unemployment stood at 4.1% in July, tied with the record low of July 2018, and down a notch from the 4.2% level in June. U.S. joblessness stood at 3.7% in July. However, forecasters were cautious in their interpretation of the trends. “On balance, California’s economy remained healthy in July,” said economist Lynn Reaser of San Diego’s Point Loma Nazarene University. “But it remains vulnerable to uncertainties regarding trade, global growth, interest rates, and stock markets.” One concern: a contraction of the state’s labor force by 35,000 in July, the fifth consecutive monthly drop in the number of people working and looking for work.”
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 22:40:21 GMT
Kyle Griffin...
”The city of West Hollywood approved a proposal to remove Trump's star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week, citing recent costly vandalism and recent demonstrations around the star.”
We are never going to hear the end of trump gripping about this...
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 23:00:13 GMT
trump...
”I donate 100% of my President’s salary, $400,000, back to our Country, and feel very good about it!”
Ah that’s chump change compared what he is siphoning from the America Taxpayer never mind what his businesses are making off the presidency.
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2019 23:06:07 GMT
Such a petty vindictive little man. And you have to wonder about the folks who support him and plan on voting for him. If they overlook this behavior, you gotta wonder how they are bringing up their kids.
trump...
“Rep. Tlaib wrote a letter to Israeli officials desperately wanting to visit her grandmother. Permission was quickly granted, whereupon Tlaib obnoxiously turned the approval down, a complete setup. The only real winner here is Tlaib’s grandmother. She doesn’t have to see her now!”
“Like it or not, Tlaib and Omar are fast becoming the face of the Democrat Party. Cortez (AOC) is fuming, not happy about this!”
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huskergal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,207
Jun 25, 2014 20:22:13 GMT
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Post by huskergal on Aug 17, 2019 0:37:50 GMT
How is he still the President?
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Post by Merge on Aug 17, 2019 0:45:25 GMT
How is he still the President? We're sitting here watching the last episode of a Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam, and they're going over the unraveling of the Nixon administration. And I'm just sitting here aghast, reminded again that Nixon was impeached and resigned for what seems like relatively little compared to what this administration has done.
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Post by artgirl1 on Aug 17, 2019 1:55:24 GMT
”I donate 100% of my President’s salary, $400,000, back to our Country, and feel very good about it!” The annual presidential salary is $400,000. Each quarterly paycheck is $100,000, minus taxes and deductions, the final check is roughly $77,000. Each donation he makes of his salary is commendable, however, his independent wealth places him in the tax bracket that still allows for massive donations, including those for charity. The enables him to offset the tax deductions from his presidential salary against any tax liability and take the $77,000 donation as a deduction. Other presidents also donated their salaries, including John F, Kennedy and Herbert Hoover, who were both independently wealthy. But compare this: According to Forbes, President Obama donated some $1.1 million (an amount representing 34% of the $3.2 million aggregate salary he received over eight years in office) to charitable causes during his term in office. In addition, he donated the full 1.4 million he received for winning the Nobel Peace prize. In addition, he made significant donations after major national tragedies (Sandy Hook, Boston Bombing, etc) to causes to support those victims. In all, Obama donated what amounts to 78% of his earnings from the Presidency. Obama's net worth was considerable lower than trumps when he took office. And he didn't brag about it every day. So
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 17, 2019 2:08:42 GMT
We are never going to hear the end of trump gripping about this... They are not punishing him, they are protecting his wonderful star!
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Post by dewryce on Aug 17, 2019 5:45:37 GMT
How is he still the President? Because the GOP is happy to ignore their constitutional oversight duties for tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy and to place conservative judges on the bench, even when unqualified, because they have no souls.
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2019 6:12:19 GMT
trump...
“Biggest crowd EVER, according to Arena people. Thousands outside trying to get in. Place was packed! Radical Left Dems & their Partner, LameStream Media, saying Arena empty. Check out pictures. Fake News. The Enemy of the People!”
He must have seen tweets like this...
”The tickets were *FREE* !!!!! He still couldn’t fill the seats. #TrumpEmptySeats”
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Deleted
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Sept 16, 2024 9:33:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2019 13:30:01 GMT
Another stunning example of trump 🎶 #MAGA 🎶
From ABC News...
“Senior Trump officials, including 'Vino Vixen,' harassed, abused, retaliated against career State Dept. employees: IG report”
From the article..
“Career State Department employees in one of the agency's critical bureaus faced harassment, mistreatment and retaliation by its top Trump appointees, according to a new inspector general report.
The report on the Bureau of International Organization Affairs centers around two senior officials, Mari Stull, a food and beverage lobbyist turned wine blogger under the name "Vino Vixen," and the bureau's head, Assistant Secretary of State Kevin Moley.
According to the report, Stull harassed career employees who she thought were "disloyal" to President Donald Trump and, together with Moley, they removed some from their responsibilities and even one senior official from her post. Approximately 50, including senior officials, left on their own because of their management style.
In addition to the retaliation, the IG report found that Moley and Stull treated employees in a "harsh and aggressive manner," engaged in "disrespectful and hostile treatment," and created a "negative and 'vindictive' environment." Stull and Moley "frequently berated employees, raised their voices, and generally engaged in unprofessional behavior toward staff."
The report, rich in detail, is based on the 40-plus interviews that the IG office conducted. Stull initially asked the IG to investigate her own claims of fraud, waste and abuse in the office, but later declined to be interviewed. She left the State Department in January 2019, so she no longer has to comply or faces any penalty.
Moley is still serving as assistant secretary and denied several of the accusations, telling the IG office, "The behavior attributed to me regarding raising my voice, berating employees and contributing to a hostile work environment does not represent the person I am or have ever been."
The State Department told the IG that he has received counseling from department leadership "on appropriate leadership and management of the bureau. Further discipline will be considered."
It also accepted other recommendations, including developing a "corrective action plan to address the leadership and management deficiencies" within 60 days.
This report leaves no doubt that Trump Administration political appointees have mismanaged the Department and violated the public trust, and the American people deserve swift action to hold those officials accountable," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, chair of the House Oversight Committee.
The International Organization Affairs, or IO, bureau is a lesser known one within the State Department, but its critical function is to be the primary interlocutor with the United Nations and other important international bodies, covering human rights, nuclear issues, climate change, global health and more.
One of the more salacious details that has been reported in the news -- that Stull kept a loyalty list -- was not included in the report, but it seems in principle she kept one. Employees say in the report that she called them or others in the office "traitors," "Obama holdovers" or "disloyal."
While working at a different agency, Stull sought an IO employee's help with a personal matter. On the advice of the State Department's legal team, he declined. But once at IO, Stull harassed both the employee and his manager for not helping, according to the report. That included bad-mouthing them to senior leaders, assigning a junior employee to "monitor" their phone calls, attempting to take away job responsibilities and barring the employee from traveling to important events like the U.N. General Assembly.
Another employee said working with Stull meant "six to eight hostile interactions per day," per the report. In one instance, she called an employee's report on other nations' U.N. contributions "garbage" and threw it at another employee. In another, she and Moley berated a junior employee until she cried.
When the bureau's principle deputy assistant secretary, a career Foreign Service officer, raised concerns with Moley about Stull and his management, she was eventually removed by Moley -- which the IG report says was a retaliatory move that broke department policy.
Beyond this senior official, Moley dismissed concerns from other employees about Stull and his management, according to the report; Moley said no one ever raised any issues with him. Even when senior officials above Moley's rank raised concerns with him, he "did not undertake any meaningful efforts to address these concerns." In fact, some of the actions described in the report happened after an intervention in June 2018.
When concerns were raised with Stull, she said she was the real victim and told at least one employee that "raising such concerns was pointless because the Trump administration 'has my back.'"
There is a second IG report on similar personnel issues that has yet to be released. That one deals with senior members of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's staff who allegedly retaliated against employees in the secretary's office, including one for being of Iranian descent. One of those staffers, Brian Hook, remains a top adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
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