Mass Deportation and Immigration Catch-All | CIA using drones to spy on Mexican drug cartels

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ZenMode said:
I was actually thinking maybe under Bill Clinton. I think he was the last president to balance the budget.
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Hiring more IRS agents brought in even more tax revenue. Paid for itself and then some.
Investment in green energy.
Weapons to Ukraine.
Investment in infrastructure.
It’s not that hard to think of them. We could win a lot more if we wanted to.

But back to my original point - Trump is throwing away taxpayer money without any arguable benefit.
Other ventures may have its detractors, but almost all have some ostensible benefit to someone. Not this one.
 
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Whatever you think about the policies, the Trump Administration is effectively feeding COPS style reality TV red meat to their base, who, for now, can’t get enough.

It took the GOP until the Summer of 2009 to figure out an approach to oppose Obama after his landslide victory, with the emergence of the Tea Party that eventually consumed the party (with MAGA). Obama was criticized by the GOP for being omnipresent those first 6 months as the Administration was in crisis mode over the Great Recession, but it took some time for them to nurture that resentment into a political response.

Right now, Dems seemed paralyzed in the face of the lightening speed and quantity of performative executive orders, tweets and actual massive policy changes (in blatant violation of law in many cases already — firing IGs and ignoring the TikTok ban, for example) — unable to mount a counter narrative to anything because there is so much flooding the zone, much less actually implement any resistance.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration understands that their immediate wiggle room is the pace of most litigation will be agonizingly slow as the GOP controlled Congress has made clear they will do nothing to respond to illegal actions taken by this Administration. Only their most egregious EO (purporting to override birthright citizenship by Executive Order) has been stayed by courts so far.

And note how many of the most extreme actions are being taken by temporary agency heads and implemented by temporary appointees. They seem to be targeting as much destruction as possible in the first 130 days and take their chances on the pace of litigation ever catching up.
 
nycfan said:
Whatever you think about the policies, the Trump Administration is effectively feeding COPS style reality TV red meat to their base, who, for now, can’t get enough.

It took the GOP until the Summer of 2009 to figure out an approach to oppose Obama after his landslide victory, with the emergence of the Tea Party that eventually consumed the party (with MAGA). Obama was criticized by the GOP for being omnipresent those first 6 months as the Administration was in crisis mode over the Great Recession, but it took some time for them to nurture that resentment into a political response.

Right now, Dems seemed paralyzed in the face of the lightening speed and quantity of performative executive orders, tweets and actual massive policy changes (in blatant violation of law in many cases already — firing IGs and ignoring the TikTok ban, for example) — unable to mount a counter narrative to anything because there is so much flooding the zone, much less actually implement any resistance.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration understands that their immediate wiggle room is the pace of most litigation will be agonizingly slow as the GOP controlled Congress has made clear they will do nothing to respond to illegal actions taken by this Administration. Only their most egregious EO (purporting to override birthright citizenship by Executive Order) has been stayed by courts so far.

And note how many of the most extreme actions are being taken by temporary agency heads and implemented by temporary appointees. They seem to be targeting as much destruction as possible in the first 130 days and take their chances on the pace of litigation ever catching up.
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Plenty of reasons to criticize the Dems right now, but I think the Lay Low strategy is intentional, and it's not necessarily a bad one. There's no way to compete with what's coming out of the White House right now, both in volume and in prurience. Rather than toss words into the void, I think Dems are trying to let this first massive wave of Trump initiatives roll out, identify the ones that are least popular and most harmful to ordinary Americans, and then pound the shit out of him once people start feeling the pain (which shouldn't take long with some of these actions). If Dems are still quiet in April, I'll be concerned. But for right now, I'm willing to let Trump hog the limelight.
 
OGtruthhurts said:
yep with don the con is for show. give it a few weeks and he will be back on the golf course daily.
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Except this show has genuine real-life consequences and will hasten the destruction of our democracy. Tune in to the next episode of As The World Burns, or Nero on The Back Nine.
 
lawtig02 said:
Plenty of reasons to criticize the Dems right now, but I think the Lay Low strategy is intentional, and it's not necessarily a bad one. There's no way to compete with what's coming out of the White House right now, both in volume and in prurience. Rather than toss words into the void, I think Dems are trying to let this first massive wave of Trump initiatives roll out, identify the ones that are least popular and most harmful to ordinary Americans, and then pound the shit out of him once people start feeling the pain (which shouldn't take long with some of these actions). If Dems are still quiet in April, I'll be concerned. But for right now, I'm willing to let Trump hog the limelight.
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As I noted, it took the GOP time to find their footing in opposition to Obama. And Dems are aware that the widespread protest resistance to Trump in 2017 probably wouldn’t be the most effective response yet.

But if the paralysis lasts too long it will further demoralize supporters who oppose the Trump agenda or just his illegal and other questionable methods. But that is the goal.

 
EyeballKid said:
Except this show has genuine real-life consequences and will hasten the destruction of our democracy. Tune in to the next episode of As The World Burns, or Nero on The Back Nine
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drama much? im 1000 times more concerned with the constant doom and gloom from both the red and blues, revenge politics and the constant division both sides are desperately searching for instead of working together.
 
OGtruthhurts said:
drama much? im 1000 times more concerned with the constant doom and gloom from both the red and blues, revenge politics and the constant division both sides are desperately searching for instead of working together.
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Republicans decided way back in Newt Gingrich’s time that their policy was “no compromise.” Parties work with each other by compromising and when one party declares they will not compromise it is a stalemate.

You can’t work with people who have no interest in working with you. Of course you know this but it doesn’t fit your narrative of nihilism.
 
lawtig02 said:
Plenty of reasons to criticize the Dems right now, but I think the Lay Low strategy is intentional, and it's not necessarily a bad one. There's no way to compete with what's coming out of the White House right now, both in volume and in prurience. Rather than toss words into the void, I think Dems are trying to let this first massive wave of Trump initiatives roll out, identify the ones that are least popular and most harmful to ordinary Americans, and then pound the shit out of him once people start feeling the pain (which shouldn't take long with some of these actions). If Dems are still quiet in April, I'll be concerned. But for right now, I'm willing to let Trump hog the limelight.
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Letting Trump punch himself out is a sound strategy, until you realize rightwing media setup the fight, are refereeing the fight, are scoring the fight, are working Trump's corner and legacy media is in the other corner looking like Glass Joe getting ready to get knocked out in round one. I mean, how many times since 2016 should Trump have punched himself out?

For Trump to punch himself out, it's going to take a crowd that can see through all the bs. And if his entrance into the the 2024 election ring didn't do it, then I don't know what will (maybe crashing the economy).

Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’​



Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.”

In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven rounds before coming in and “launching bombs.”

“What we have to learn is, Democrats: Just let him punch himself out,” Carville said in the interview with MSNBC’s Katie Phang.

Carville argued it’s difficult to let Trump hurt himself politically as he continues to highlight “distractions” such as acquiring Greenland.

“But you just got to keep bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving,” he said. “And then, in due course, you’re going to be able to come in.”

Carville said Trump’s biggest problem is going to be following through on something he campaigned on: lowering the costs facing Americans.

“Of course, eggs are $4 and something a dozen,” Carville said. “And he keeps distracting us and we keep getting distracted.”

“But we’ll come back, and we’ll all straddle this target and get it in writing before long, I think,” he conclude

Trump touted his economic agenda and the price of gas and eggs on the campaign trail. He now must follow through on those promises, Carville said
 
milom98 said:
Letting Trump punch himself out is a sound strategy, until you realize rightwing media setup the fight, are refereeing the fight, are scoring the fight, are working Trump's corner and legacy media is in the other corner looking like Glass Joe getting ready to get knocked out in round one. I mean, how many times since 2016 should Trump have punched himself out?

For Trump to punch himself out, it's going to take a crowd that can see through all the bs. And if his entrance into the the 2024 election ring didn't do it, then I don't know what will (maybe crashing the economy).

Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’​



Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.”

In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven rounds before coming in and “launching bombs.”

“What we have to learn is, Democrats: Just let him punch himself out,” Carville said in the interview with MSNBC’s Katie Phang.

Carville argued it’s difficult to let Trump hurt himself politically as he continues to highlight “distractions” such as acquiring Greenland.

“But you just got to keep bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving,” he said. “And then, in due course, you’re going to be able to come in.”

Carville said Trump’s biggest problem is going to be following through on something he campaigned on: lowering the costs facing Americans.

“Of course, eggs are $4 and something a dozen,” Carville said. “And he keeps distracting us and we keep getting distracted.”

“But we’ll come back, and we’ll all straddle this target and get it in writing before long, I think,” he conclude

Trump touted his economic agenda and the price of gas and eggs on the campaign trail. He now must follow through on those promises, Carville said
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I feel somewhat skeptical about advice from Carville these days.
 
milom98 said:
Letting Trump punch himself out is a sound strategy, until you realize rightwing media setup the fight, are refereeing the fight, are scoring the fight, are working Trump's corner and legacy media is in the other corner looking like Glass Joe getting ready to get knocked out in round one. I mean, how many times since 2016 should Trump have punched himself out?

For Trump to punch himself out, it's going to take a crowd that can see through all the bs. And if his entrance into the the 2024 election ring didn't do it, then I don't know what will (maybe crashing the economy).

Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’​



Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.”

In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven rounds before coming in and “launching bombs.”

“What we have to learn is, Democrats: Just let him punch himself out,” Carville said in the interview with MSNBC’s Katie Phang.

Carville argued it’s difficult to let Trump hurt himself politically as he continues to highlight “distractions” such as acquiring Greenland.

“But you just got to keep bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving,” he said. “And then, in due course, you’re going to be able to come in.”

Carville said Trump’s biggest problem is going to be following through on something he campaigned on: lowering the costs facing Americans.

“Of course, eggs are $4 and something a dozen,” Carville said. “And he keeps distracting us and we keep getting distracted.”

“But we’ll come back, and we’ll all straddle this target and get it in writing before long, I think,” he conclude

Trump touted his economic agenda and the price of gas and eggs on the campaign trail. He now must follow through on those promises, Carville said
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I usually like the Ragin’ Cajun. If the Democrats had a peak Muhammad Ali ready to start launching bombs, I’d have hope for an Ali v. Foreman result.

The Democrats look to have a bunch of Chuck Wepners and Jerry Quarrys ready to fight Ali.

Also, it’s not Trump orchestrating this political and media blitz. The Conservative leadership remembers how inept Trump was in 2017-21.

Project 2025 exists for a reason; and, right-wing True Believers are leading this effort.
 
Wheels81 said:
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The man told CBS News Miami that he wanted Mr. Trump to let his wife stay in the U.S., as their 11th anniversary is on Friday.

When asked if she was in the process of getting her U.S. citizenship, the man told CBS News Miami that she was right in the middle of it. The man's wife, who's Venezuelan and has lived in the U.S. for a few years, had a court date set up and "everything was good" until that moment.

Not Adding Up Season 1 GIF by Freeform
 
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