Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump and his aides caught unawares that they will have to replace the entire West Wing staff. Trump sounding more and more like's his a bit overwhelmed. Obama promising to spend more time with him.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/leading-contender-for-donald-trump-s-chief-of-staff-is-rnc-chairman-reince-priebus-1479069597

[Dr. Strangelove]

Unless he's flat out lying (and there's plenty of precedent for that) Trump has no plans or desire to roll back gay marriage.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/11/13/donald-trump-same-sex-marriage-is-settled-law.html?via=desktop&source=copyurl

[iam416]

How could he?

[Dr. Strangelove]

How could he?

Court appointments that could potentially do it down the line, but it doesn't sound like he's all that interested in even that.

But I worded the last post badly. Should've been more like "Trump accepts gay marriage as settled"

[iam416]

Ok. Well, it is. I mean, the S Ct. spoke. It's as settled as any "Constitutional right." But, yes, I get your point.

I wonder of the left is going to try to hold Trump to his campaign promises even though they so strongly disagree with them.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I hope he breaks most of them. Except for returning us to the Greatness we so desperately need. Preferably in gilded gold and faux marble.

[froot loops]

Paul Ryan is going to attempt to privatize Medicare in 2017. What could go wrong?

[Whitley]

Ok. Well, it is. I mean, the S Ct. spoke. It's as settled as any "Constitutional right." But, yes, I get your point.

I wonder of the left is going to try to hold Trump to his campaign promises even though they so strongly disagree with them.

Well there is some places where they will agree with Trump. They will agree with him on trade in regards to TPP and possibly NAFTA. I can't see them getting on board with tariffs though. I think if Trump is serious about infrastructure in this country there is a lot of agreement there.

[Da Geezer]

Thanks, hack. I still owe an apology to Talent, but too much sweetness and light in one day makes me queazy.

AA, I thought of you when I talked to my best friend today about what I might have said to another guy that might have hurt the other guy's feelings.

"Geez, you wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you knew how seldom they think of you."

[Da Geezer]

DSL:

Unless he's flat out lying (and there's plenty of precedent for that) Trump has no plans or desire to roll back gay marriage.

I thought that was his worst answer this evening. Trump said something on the order of "Well, gay marriage is settled law...." I'm thinking "well so is Roe v Wade". He had an opportunity to say that what goes on between two consenting adults is none of the government's business. That is actually his position, but using the phrase "settled law" was bad.

[Da Geezer]

Talent:

I wonder if the left is going to try to hold Trump to his campaign promises even though they so strongly disagree with them.

Good line. I'm going to steal it. And a corollary: If you believe in a living constitution, how can anything be "settled"?

[iam416]

I said it was as settled as any "Constitutional right." Constitutional rights can change, but when the 9 wisefolks have issued an edict that right is settled and unlikely to change any time soon.

[froot loops]

Another report on the Trump transition on how unprepared the y were for transition, apparently they demoted Christie as head of the transition team because they are looking at him for AG and they thought transition head was merely a figurehead.

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/trumps-transition-team-is-just-now-learning-what-a-pres-1788949997

[Da Geezer]

I said it was as settled as any "Constitutional right." Constitutional rights can change, but when the 9 wisefolks have issued an edict that right is settled and unlikely to change any time soon.

Agreed. But it is more likely that a 5-4 decision is overturned than a 6-3 decision.

I know that you have read much of Scalia's jurisprudence. In his dissent in the case testing the constitutionality of the independent prosecutor law (8-1), he didn't think it was constitutional because it set up an "office" that exercised both judicial and executive powers. He said something on the order of "let the Justice Department prosecute it if it was a crime, or let the political process (impeachment or elections) rule on it if it cannot be prosecuted. The election "settled" the matter of Hillary's guilt or innocence. I understand that probably no more than 10% of the voters had corruption as their # 1 issue, but the matter is settled nonetheless in terms of "punishment".

[hack]

Best thing I've read: http://www.politico.com/magazine/sto...raphers-214448. Trump's biographers around the table, saying some very surprising and very not surprising things.