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Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove
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LOL. That's a classic Nigerian trick. -
Next time they will be more discreet in how they publicize these schemes, but be assured the pay to play administration will continue. Although maybe I might be mistaken by the discreet part if you look at the cabinet. Everyone who will be on the cabinet were yuge donors to Mr. Gaslight.
Drain the swampComment
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Read with a grain of salt specifically because Fallows over and over throughout the past decade keeps writing these ``the republic is functioning worse than ever and here's specifically why, but I'm positive about the future for reasons much less specific''. But this is a more eloquent version of what I've been saying about nobless oblige in DC, and the death of the ``public servant'' mentality in favor of a gold-rush mentality:
The American republic is based on rules but has always depended for its survival on norms—standards of behavior, conduct toward fellow citizens and especially critics and opponents that is decent beyond what the letter of the law dictates.
On the one hand, Obama's presidency has been a massive attempt to keep norms from plunging. He's decided to be traditionally ``presidential'' no matter what.Cheney breaks the barrier aginast former presidents and VEEPS criticizing the successor's policies, and he does nothing. Leads by example, you might presume. The best he's ever done is to complain about obstructionism, but even that was done in gentler words than what he could have done, which was to take the words out of McConnell's mouth and read it back to the electorate.
Easy to say right idea/wrong time for this gentle high-road approach, given the GOP's determination to race to the bottom, but I think he's a massive failure at it regardless. He took the executive-order powr and ran with it. He also had an opportunity to put proper conflict-of-interest laws in place that apply to The White House. He spent his eight years dealing with the fallout from Cheney's war profiteering, so you'd think he'd be sensitive to the problem.Comment
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How discreet do they even need to be? The GOP-controlled Congress isn?t going to hold him responsible for anything immoral, amoral, or probably outright illegal either; he?s thrown open the doors to the bank vault for them. He might be forced to piecemeal out some of his Plumbers to the DOJ in order to insulate the inner circle from the really dirty stuff, but he?s invulnerable for at least two years. Few of the traditional power governors are applicable.Originally posted by froot loops View Post
Lots of time in which to leverage the presidency to replenish his wealth. People like Hanni probably won?t even care...and if they did, they?d say it was the liberals? fault.Comment
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The author's optimism suggests, at least to me, that local politics and community efforts remain the most effectual layer of government. Further, one has to have significant concerns about the Federal government in view of the point about, for lack of a better phrase - the Founder's desire for altruism in those who govern and the rather clear ebbing of that from from altruism to largesse to twitterverse awfulness.
In my community, the activism and interest in the most mundane issues is fantastic. Local government is required to explain significant expenditures in a meaningful way or they'll lose. The community will give them the funds if the explanation is good, though. However, it's also a relatively split community, politics-wise.
I have also lived a community where local levies were almost impossible to pass. And I have lived in a community where local levies never failed.re Unsurprisingly, both communities were politically homogeneous. That said, they live as they see fit and both communities are relatively happy in that regard.
But, in my experience, I greatly prefer the mixed communities, and I think the ever-increasing political polarization feeds the race to the bottom. #hottakeDan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.Comment
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I think there are things local groups do well, and things they don't. As much as people on the local level hate the stiff people from Washington who come to tell them how to do their jobs, those people promote and enforce standards that enhance public safety, and time and again their importance is proved when things go wrong. You simply aren't going to have an expert in running a water plant at every water plant, or an effective bridge inspector in every jurisdiction with a bridge. Building up the expertise is no small thing. Most of those functions are now staffed by a generalist who can understand the basics, the importance of a process that minimizes risks, and how to consult and use people with greater expertise. That goes for so many local-level activities. The instructions from on high are always annoying, but also important.
Without that, in a future in which local polities would be sink-or-swim, people will over time suffer in places that don't work and move to places that do, which brings pretty significant challenges, especially when the trends reinforce each other. That'll only exacerbate the divide we now see.Comment
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It's not a question of Local or Federal. It's a question of the direction "we" move. Given the current situation, I prefer moving more in the local direction or at least maintaining rough stasis. There are several entities in Washington that I'd be fine with not existing any longer or existing in a much more restrained scope.
However, the ratchet effect is quite real. We continue to move toward "Federal" with, IMO, almost zero chance of retrenchment. So, while some of us may think the real answer is more local and less Federal as appropriate with the parameters of the 21st C, practically, that's not going to happen. So it's not a real solution. The question, then, has to be how to improve the Federal. I come down, very clearly, on process, but that's me.Dan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.Comment
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You are probably correct on the GOP looking the other way, Newt Gingrich said the other day that Trump could use the power of the pardon to clear anybody in on the grift.Originally posted by Wild Hoss View Post
The only thing I would say is this clown has a tin ear for criticism, they back pedaled pretty quickly on this scheme.Comment
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Coincidentally, the National Review has an extremely long article on the CFPB. I found it very interesting and mostly even-handed. The author worked for the CFPB and certainly agrees with its purpose. The operation, however, he takes issue with. And, I have to say, I like Cordray, too.
Dan Patrick: What was your reaction to [Urban Meyer being hired]?
Brady Hoke: You know.....not....good.Comment
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Oh my. He said it on The Diane Reahm show. Transcript is interesting. http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/20...t-as-president. Some intelligent reaction follows.Originally posted by froot loops View PostComment
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Sounds like to you it's a question of local or federal.Originally posted by iam416 View PostComment
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Don't have health insurance, better off waiting to take your kid in with a broken arm
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He's not a doctor, but he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.Comment
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I witnessed my son snap his left forearm, both bones were displaced. I thought he sprained his wrist and I told him to move it, he raised his arm and half of the arm dangled. It was so bad I almost had to go to the hospital due to hysterics.Comment
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