US Politics Mega-thread - Page 4680

On August 09 2016 09:40 Nevuk wrote:
Trump is at it again

On August 09 2016 10:38 CannonsNCarriers wrote:


How come it never comes up that Woods and Doherty were CIA defense contractors? They were working under CIA director Patreaus to secure the CIA compound. Woods and Doherty were the cavalry. They were part of the 6 man quick reaction force that saved the day at the direction of their commanding CIA officer. They weren't answering to Clinton in the slightest. Why aren't they suing Patreaus?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Benghazi_attack

On August 09 2016 11:02 Plansix wrote:
Better question, who is covering the legal fees?

I am also deeply concerned that Mr. Trump’s lack of self-restraint and his barrage of ill-informed comments would make an already perilous world even more so. It is reckless for a presidential candidate to publicly raise doubts about honoring treaty commitments with our allies. Mr. Trump’s tendency to lash out when challenged further escalates the possibility of disputes spinning dangerously out of control.

[Ghazala Khan: Trump criticized my silence. He knows nothing about true sacrifice.]

I had hoped that we would see a “new” Donald Trump as a general-election candidate — one who would focus on jobs and the economy, tone down his rhetoric, develop more thoughtful policies and, yes, apologize for ill-tempered rants. But the unpleasant reality that I have had to accept is that there will be no “new” Donald Trump, just the same candidate who will slash and burn and trample anything and anyone he perceives as being in his way or an easy scapegoat. Regrettably, his essential character appears to be fixed, and he seems incapable of change or growth.

At the same time, I realize that Mr. Trump’s success reflects profound discontent in this country, particularly among those who feel left behind by an unbalanced economy and who wonder whether their children will have a better life than their parents. As we have seen with the dissatisfaction with both major- party nominees — neither of whom I support — these passions are real and the public will demand action.

Some will say that as a Republican I have an obligation to support my party’s nominee. I have thought long and hard about that, for being a Republican is part of what defines me as a person. I revere the history of my party, most particularly the value it has always placed on the worth and dignity of the individual, and I will continue to work across the country for Republican candidates. It is because of Mr. Trump’s inability and unwillingness to honor that legacy that I am unable to support his candidacy.

It’s an understatement to say that the Obama administration has been dedicated to fighting climate change — with its biggest achievements including introducing the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan and negotiating the Paris climate agreement. This is surely the most that any U.S. president has done to try to change the course of energy heating the planet.

But it’s much less widely known that at the same time, Obama could also be dubbed the “energy efficiency president”– the U.S. leader who has done more than any other to help us use less energy, and pay less for it, as we go about our daily lives. Which, of course, also helps fight climate change.

The story does not command nearly as much attention as the Paris talks or the Clean Power Plan, but the facts are tough to dispute: Obama’s Energy Department has finalized more new standards for energy efficient appliances and products than any past administration, a new report finds.

The Energy Department has also been touting its major progress in this area, but the new report, by two outside expert groups monitoring this space, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, validates the claim.

“If you compare that to what prior administrations have completed, it’s far and away the most any president has been able to achieve through the administrative process,” says Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the report’s lead author.

The net consequence of the work has been to push improvements to 45 separate types of energy-consuming products so far — ranging from refrigerators to light bulbs.

On August 09 2016 11:21 zf wrote:
He probably doesn't care. He's a Tea Party activist, from his bio.

Edit: To clarify, he probably doesn't care about recovering. He might well believe in the arguments.

On August 09 2016 11:22 Nevuk wrote:
GOP senator Susan Collins won't vote for Trump and wrote a full column about it :
Excerpt:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gop-senator-why-i-cannot-support-trump/2016/08/08/821095be-5d7e-11e6-9d2f-b1a3564181a1_story.html?postshare=4291470705075579&tid=ss_tw

WASHINGTON ― Immediately after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) walked offstage at the GOP convention in Cleveland last month without endorsing Donald Trump, the Texas conservative and former presidential primary rival appeared to have made a grave miscalculation.

The latter part of his speech, in which the senator pointedly urged delegates to “vote your conscience,” was completely drowned out by angry boos and chants in Quicken Loans Arena. Trump, the party’s nominee who had seen an advance copy of the speech, made a surprise appearance in the stands, stepping on Cruz’s big moment and whipping supporters into an even bigger frenzy.

Pundits and politicians quickly pronounced that Cruz’s gambit had failed and that he had done serious damage to his political career. A CNN poll released after the speech showed his favorability rating within his own party cut nearly in half. Even his longtime billionaire benefactors, Robert Mercer and daughter Rebekah Mercer, said they were “profoundly disappointed” with his decision not to support the GOP nominee.

But after a week of Trump repeatedly setting himself on fire (declining even to wait for the previous fire to go out), politicians who endorsed Trump, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), have found themselves feeling the heat, while Cruz’s decision is starting to look like the better long-term bet. The panic within the party spread so much last week that several high-profile Trump supporters reportedly began contemplating staging an “intervention” with the candidate.

And Cruz, in rare fashion, has let the fire rage without adding his own gasoline. “He’s doing a remarkable job staying quiet and letting people come to that conclusion on their own,” said Amanda Carpenter, a longtime adviser to Cruz.

While those close to Cruz were confident the decision not to endorse would be the right one in the end, the quickness with which it’s panning out has been a bit of a surprise. “Trump blew his own convention. While predictable, it still boggles the mind it happened,” Carpenter said. “Trump is like a tornado. You know it’s going to be devastating when it rips through your house but the aftermath is still shocking.”

On August 09 2016 23:10 Dan HH wrote:
Hahah, Philippine congressman is trying to get Trump banned in the country

https://twitter.com/dzbb/status/762561707566739456

http://time.com/4444403/philippines-donald-trump-ban-terrorist-joey-salceda/