Patterico's Pontifications

11/8/2024

Weekend Open Thread

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General — Dana @ 8:21 am



[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

The cost of deporting 11 million undocumented aliens:

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to commence the largest mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in history on Day 1 if he retook the Oval Office.

Now that he’s president-elect, he’s pledging to make good on that promise — at any cost.

“It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not — really, we have no choice,” Trump said Thursday in an interview with NBC News. “When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag.”

With an estimated 11 million undocumented aliens, a mass deportation is estimated to be around $315 billion, according to the American Immigration Council.

This is an unbelievable amount of money. Here is a breakdown of the costs:

The average cost of apprehending, detaining, processing and removing one undocumented immigrant from the United States in 2016 was $10,900, according to figures released by ICE at the time. That year, ICE also said the average cost of transporting one deportee to their home country was $1,978. Since then, the costs have only grown.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations has generally been underfunded and has previously had to reprogram funds to expand detention space, especially during border surges. But there are limits to how much money can be reprogrammed, officials said.

While the logistics of such an undertaking remain unknown, before all else, there is the moral consideration of ejecting 11 million people, many of whom have not committed crimes while living the U.S. We can assume that, of the non-criminals, many have lived, worked, and raised their families here. In other words, many, many of these people have been productive members of society.

P.S. I assume that we are all in agreement that, at the very least, minor children should not be separated from their families.

Additionally, and also very importantly: what are the protections that will be put in place to keep the food supply chain moving? After all, working on farms and in our dairies is the work that Americans don’t want to do and undocumented migrants willingly do. . .for us.

Second news item

Third news item

Morale-building at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office:

On his first day in office four years ago, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón issued a slate of progressive edicts that many prosecutors in his office said handcuffed them in the fight against crime.

When Nathan Hochman takes Gascón’s seat in fewer than 30 days, he has vowed to untie those same prosecutors’ hands, rolling back his predecessor’s policies.

Hochman’s agenda includes a return to seeking the death penalty, an increase in the prosecution of low-level misdemeanors and using sentencing enhancements to seek long prison terms in cases that involve guns or gangs.

After routing Gascón on election night by 23 percentage points, Hochman said in an interview Wednesday that he plans to immediately deliver on his campaign promises to wipe away several of his predecessor’s “blanket, lazy policies” when he’s inaugurated Dec. 2.

Fourth news item

What he said:

“The moment we win, we will rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner unjustly victimized by the Harris regime, and I will sign their pardons on Day 1,” Trump said at a Wisconsin rally in September.

Post-election:

More than 1,500 rioters have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack with some 645 of them sentenced to time in prison and 143 of them ordered into home detention.

Among those defendants are 10 individuals who were convicted by juries of seditious conspiracy — plotting to use force to oppose the authority of the U.S. government — for attempting to block the certification of President Biden’s election victory against Trump.

“Every January 6 defendant is hoping and anxious for some relief from President Trump,” said Carmen Hernandez, a defense attorney who has represented several Jan. 6 defendants, including in the conspiracy cases against members of the right-wing extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

FYI:

Penny Cudd was sentenced to two months of probation after pleading guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. In a teary video posted to X in the early hours of Nov. 6, she celebrated Trump’s win as a victory for all Jan. 6 defendants.

“It means the world to all of us J6ers to know that what we did was not in vain — and all of the pain and suffering and the families torn apart and the lives destroyed was not done in vain,” Cudd said.

“And we’re all really excited that we’re about to get presidential pardons.”

Fifth news item

Tariffs. . .again:

Advisers close to President-elect Donald Trump have been in discussions with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on a broad tax package that is partially paid for by tariffs approved by Congress, according to two people familiar with the conversations who were granted anonymity to describe the internal discussions.

As part of those conversations, staffers and advisers close to the Trump team have also investigated whether House rules need to be changed to use tariffs as offsets for tax cuts, those people say.

The math:

It’s very unlikely that tariffs could help pay for a significant portion of any tax cuts, though — despite Trump’s flirtation with the idea of using tariffs to completely eliminate the income tax. In fiscal year 2020, U.S. Customs collected $74.4 billion in tariffs, accounting for only roughly 2.2 percent of total federal revenue, according to the Congressional Research Service.

According to estimates by the Tax Foundation, the U.S. would need to implement an across-the-board tariff hike of 69.9 percent to completely replace income taxes.

Sixth news

Possible Trump plan for ending the war in Ukraine (apparently it will take more than 24 hours):

The Wall Street Journal reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s team has drafted a proposal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine war on Thursday. Allegedly the plan includes significant conditions: Ukraine should give up its NATO membership aspirations for at least 20 years, the freezing of the current front lines and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine.

The plan is said to exclude the possibility of US troops or UN contingents to monitor and enforce any ceasefire, instead suggesting that Kyiv’s European allies – such as Poland, Germany, Britain, and France – should take on the responsibility.

According to the WSJ source within Trump’s team, the US would continue to provide military training and support including weapons to Ukraine to help deter further Russian advances. However, previous reports from Trump’s advisors have hinted at the possibility that Washington could suspend military aid as a way to encourage Kyiv to enter peace negotiations.

Reminder: JD Vance has not been shy about his calls to halt sending aid to Ukraine. But offering clarity to the incoming administration is Ukraine’s former Defense Minister:

President Biden should use his short time left in offic to provide Ukraine with everything *they* have said they need. Not what Washington says they need, but what those actually in the fray say they need to win this war.

Seventh news item

May the saner minds prevail:

Donald Trump’s team appeared to be quietly distancing itself from Robert F Kennedy Jr in the immediate aftermath of the election amid speculation that the former presidential candidate could be handed control of US public health agencies.

Advisers to the president-elect questioned whether Mr Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic who has also been the subject of a series of bizarre stories involving animals, would make it through a security check for a cabinet position.

It raises questions about what role, if any, Mr Kennedy would be given in the Trump administration, as the Republican’s transition team sets about filling thousands of federal posts for his return to the White House.

MISCELLANEOUS: Briefly, as I process the election results, I am in shock that Donald Trump won. It is jarring that a majority of Americans preferred a massively corrupt individual over the other candidate. The result is the complete normalization of an individual who is anything but normal and who has, without shame, demonstrated this truth in spades over the past 9+ years.

Nonetheless, have a good weekend.

— Dana

369 Responses to “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (f1af2a)

  2. Immigration. A half-baked notion based on a Newt Gingrich proposal from 2012:

    1. All unadmitted persons must register as such, listing family members and their status.
    2. Those who do not register are deported when found, with prejudice.
    3. Local citizen boards (akin to the old draft boards) will review each case.
    4. Those who have built a life here and are self-supporting are offered amnesty.
    5. There may be a cost to amnesty.
    6. Recent arrivals, or long-term arrivals with marginal connections to their community are deported without prejudice.
    7. The local board’s decisions can be reviewed by (???).

    8. Immigration laws are reformed to reserve half of all immigration slots to Central Americans, and preferences for relatives are substantially narrowed.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  3. I would hope that Congress can find common ground on immigration with the threat of “mass deportation” acting as a prod. It will take substantially more effort than last year’s attempt to codify actions that Biden eventually took by EO.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  4. I would really love to hear Dick Gephardt’s analysis of this election.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  5. Trump WILL issue pardons to folks who merely trespassed, or were cited only for misdemeanors. He will NOT issue pardons to those convicted of assaulting police officers or any serious felony. The cases that center on interfering with a proceeding will probably be vacated by the courts before he takes office.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  6. re the comment on whether RFK, Jr.: ” would make it through a security check for a cabinet position.”

    Now that we have a Commander in Chief who might not make it through a security check, concerns about RFK, Jr. are reduced to quibbling.

    John Boddie (dcf99c)

  7. We should not be negotiating with ourselves before we negotiate with Putin. We should open with “full Russian withdrawal and NATO membership.” And yes, give Ukraine what they’ve been asking for. Maybe even Western troops now that Putin has added Nork soldiers.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  8. Now that we have a Commander in Chief who might not make it through a security check

    He’s not the first.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  9. Katherine Rampell has a sensible suggestion:

    How could Donald Trump deliver on his promise to fix the U.S. economy? On Day 1, the president-elect should simply proclaim he’s already fixed it — and go play golf.

    By which I mean: Declare victory but do absolutely nothing else. Execute none of the economic policies he’s promised and appoint no one to carry them out.

    The cover story in the October 19th Economist is titled
    “The Envy of the World”, which refers to America’s economy.

    (No doubt the Loser will continue to cheat those he plays against, but they should be prepared to sacrifice a little for their country, and the world.)

    Jim Miller (dbb1c0)

  10. Will Trump push to end the filibuster? Will Senate Conservatives (actual ones) refuse? If Trump wants to downsize the government by any noticeable amount, the filibuster will have to go. Lots of baby in that bathwater.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  11. Some good news from Washington state:

    Rep. Dan Newhouse (Wash.), one of the original 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, is projected to survive a challenge from a Trump-backed contender, according to Decision Desk HQ.

    Newhouse won another term to represent Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which is situated in the middle of the state and went for Trump by 17 points in 2020. He ran against former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, who also enjoyed endorsements from the House Freedom Caucus and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

    (Incidentally, one of the reasons I like Newhouse is that he has made some efforts to help the Yakama Indians, who have many problems.)

    Jim Miller (dbb1c0)

  12. Trump WILL issue pardons to folks who merely trespassed, or were cited only for misdemeanors. He will NOT issue pardons to those convicted of assaulting police officers or any serious felony.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/8/2024 @ 8:48 am

    We shall see.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  13. First news item:

    Suddenly, the Rule of Law carries a price tag that we need to take into consideration. When did that start?

    As for separating children from parents, this is happening daily and at record numbers. Unaccompanied minors, or minors sent across the border with fictitious relatives, is called gaming the system. Pretending this isn’t happening and looking the other way has guaranteed that this happens even more. See, for example, the past four years.

    An American parent who does this will be separated from their children by law. Why are we carving out an exception for migrants breaking our laws?

    lloyd (d006b9)

  14. The result is the complete normalization of an individual who is anything but normal and who has, without shame, demonstrated this truth in spades over the past 9+ years.

    Normalizing a corrupt individual versus normalizing corrupt policies. Not an ideal choice, but fortunately that was an easy decision for most people.

    lloyd (d006b9)

  15. News is breaking that Jack Smith has asked Judge Chutkan to vacate all future dates and will file a final status report.

    whembly (d325ad)

  16. That seems to clarify unclear reports.

    1. He will stop further proceedings.

    2. He will file a final report.

    3. He’s not going to resiggn immediately,

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  17. @15 The people returned a verdict, and it was a middle finger salute to lawfare. For me, this is the best outcome from Tuesday. I fully expect the lawfare merchants to not learn from it and plow ahead.

    lloyd (9da30a)

  18. From a previous thread:

    I’m unaware of any Supreme Court ruling that says if a law isn’t enforced for X number of years it’s unconstitutional or unenforceable.

    I guess you’d enforce all those adultery laws, too.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/7/2024 @ 4:09 pm
    …………..
    There’s a pattern, from miscegenation to blue laws to sodomy, where resumed enforcement leads to a court case with DOES decide that.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/7/2024 @ 7:36 pm

    Red herrings, your examples involve personal liberties, of which abortion is clearly not. Of the 16 states that criminalize adultery as a felony or misdemeanor, it is doubtful any of them would survive a court challenge under Lawrence v. Texas.

    And further, the Comstock Act (18 U.S.C. 1461) isn’t a dead letter. Both Justices Alito and Thomas referred to it during oral arguments in the recent mifepristone case. And President Trump can use the authority under the Alien Enemy Act of 1798, a law far older than the Comstock Act (1873). While it is questionable that the wartime authorities under the Alien Enemy Act can be used in peacetime, the Supreme Court has said (in Ludecke v. Watkins (1948)) that it was a political question best left to Congress when upholding the Truman Administration’s use of the Act well past the end of World War II. The Court said the Act precludes judicial review of removal orders.

    Given the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court, I do not see them overturning the Comstock Act.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  19. Iran Fooled by the Polls, too

    The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges for individuals involved in a thwarted Iran-backed plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the election.

    Three people were charged in the alleged Iran-backed murder-for-hire plot on Trump’s life. Shakeri, 51, still remains at-large in Iran while Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, were arrested in New York.

    The criminal complaint filed in Manhattan on Friday alleges an unnamed official in the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed a contact in September to put together a plan to surveil and kill Trump, according to the Associated Press.

    The court filing states that the contact, Farjad Shakeri, was unable to create a plan in time before the election. The Iranian official told Shakeri that Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose.

    Note that Kamala wasn’t viewed as a threat.

    lloyd (9da30a)

  20. It is jarring that a majority of Americans preferred a massively corrupt individual over a government that actively harmed them and would continue to do so.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  21. The cover story in the October 19th Economist is titled “The Envy of the World”, which refers to America’s economy.

    As seen by the people who it favored. But strangely — and this is no doubt coincidental — not in those areas that voted for him.

    ‘An Earthquake’ Along the Border: Trump Flipped Hispanic South Texas

    Nowhere in the United States have historically Democratic counties shifted so far and so fast in the direction of former President Donald J. Trump as they have in the Texas communities along the Rio Grande, where Hispanic residents make up an overwhelming majority.

    In recent elections, the region’s mix of sprawling urban centers and rural ranch lands that had been reliable Democratic strongholds for generations were beginning to turn red.

    Then on Tuesday, Mr. Trump brought South Texas and the border region firmly into his column, taking 12 of the 14 counties along the border with Mexico, and making significant inroads even in El Paso, the border’s biggest city. In 2016, Mr. Trump carried only five of the counties.

    The support for Mr. Trump along the Texas border provided the starkest example of what has been a broad national embrace of the Republican candidate among Hispanic and working-class voters. That shift has taken place in rural communities as well as in large cities, like Miami, and in parts of New York and New Jersey.

    But Texas stood out. Eight of the top 10 Democratic counties that most swung toward Mr. Trump on Tuesday were on the Texas border or within a short drive.

    Imagine a part of this country that has got the sh1t end of the stick from both parties for the last 30 years not believing the government statistics, since they do not match their experience.

    One of the biggest swings came in Starr County, a rural area of 65,000 people dotted with small towns where sections of border wall have been rising, incomes are low and many travel long distances to jobs in the West Texas oil fields. The county flipped Republican on Tuesday, backing Mr. Trump by about 16 percentage points. He lost the county to Hillary Clinton by 60 points in 2016.

    One of the biggest swings came in Starr County, a rural area of 65,000 people dotted with small towns where sections of border wall have been rising, incomes are low and many travel long distances to jobs in the West Texas oil fields. The county flipped Republican on Tuesday, backing Mr. Trump by about 16 percentage points. He lost the county to Hillary Clinton by 60 points in 2016….

    Mr. Trump flipped seven counties south of San Antonio.

    He won by 19 points in Maverick County, where the city of Eagle Pass had become a flashpoint for unauthorized border crossings during the Biden administration, after losing the county by 56 points in 2016 and by about nine points in 2020. He won in urban areas like Cameron County, home to Brownsville, and Webb County, home to Laredo.

    “I’m in awe,” said Adrienne Peña-Garza, a former Democrat turned Republican activist in the border city of McAllen. “A lot of those people who used to attack us now say, ‘Y’all were right.’ The price of eggs, border security,” she said. “Hispanics, they’re at their heart conservative.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  22. your examples involve personal liberties, of which abortion is clearly not.

    It may be arguable that it is not, but it is so unclear that repeated court rulings have said it is. Even Dobbs did not say abortion wasn’t a “personal liberty” only that it was not clearly so and that legislatures ought weigh in.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  23. I don’t think Trump needs Congressional permission to enforce immigration law. I am sure there are safeguards in that law that Trump will wish to circumvent. I imagine, in his view, we round up a bunch of people, load them in a bus, and drop them off on the other side of the border. That doesn’t take billions or much in the way of infrastructure.

    My admittedly failed crystal ball says Trump will concentrate on this issue this time. (In his first term, he ignored it.) The showman in him knows he needs a big bright shiny at the beginning of his term, and rounding up the usual suspects will help.

    Appalled (f24838)

  24. Regarding Trump’s mass-deportation plan, I haven’t seen an actual plan that shows the mechanics of such a thing. Trump has only talked about it as an aspiration, and purposely not put a dollar amount to it. IMO, this effort would only damage our economy and ramp up inflation.

    Peter Zeihan discusses the economic impacts of illegals in our country. Basically, the two million additional illegals in recent years have been beneficial to our economy, given that we still have a labor shortage, with our current unemployment rate of 4.1%. Removing a significant portion of those illegals will be inflationary. Spending hundreds of billions to remove them would be inflationary and skyrocket our already sky-high deficits.

    If there’s a solution, I see enhanced border security to stem the inflow, and comprehensive immigration reform to get the undocumented documented, and now we have majorities in both houses.

    Paul Montagu (1888f5)

  25. > Of the 16 states that criminalize adultery as a felony or misdemeanor, it is doubtful any of them would survive a court challenge under Lawrence v. Texas.

    Why do you assume that Lawrence would not simply be overturned?

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  26. > News is breaking that Jack Smith has asked Judge Chutkan to vacate all future dates and will file a final status report.

    Sure. You can’t prosecute a sitting president — that’s been true under DoJ interpretation of law for at least half a century — and Trump is going to be the sitting president before any case can be finished. There isn’t much point in continuing to go through the motions.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  27. Speaking of unenforced laws:

    A government ethics watchdog agency has formally accused White House domestic policy chief Neera Tanden of repeatedly violating the Hatch Act by soliciting political contributions on social media in the months before the election.

    The U.S. Office of Special Counsel filed a complaint Wednesday alleging that Tanden sought donations to various Democratic candidates on social media — even after she was warned that doing so broke the law.

    It appears to be the first time a White House official has faced such a complaint after Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger warned in May that he would eliminate the custom of sending such accusations to the president to deal with at his discretion.

    “Congress created a rule banning all federal employees from fundraising for political candidates,” Dellinger said in a statement. “The Hatch Act contains no escape hatch for White House officials.”
    ………..
    Penalties for violating the Hatch Act include a suspension, reprimand, or civil penalty of up to $1,000. In egregious cases, federal employees can be demoted, fired or barred from federal employment for up to five years.
    ………..
    Like other political appointees at the White House, Tanden is expected to resign before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in in January. Given her Democratic ties, she appears unlikely to be employed in the federal government anytime soon.
    ………..
    The complaint against Tanden, now a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, comes after Dellinger vowed earlier this year to end the agency’s practice of not pursuing disciplinary action against White House officials who violate the Hatch Act.
    ………..

    Birds do it, bees do it.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  28. > Of the 16 states that criminalize adultery as a felony or misdemeanor, it is doubtful any of them would survive a court challenge under Lawrence v. Texas.

    Why do you assume that Lawrence would not simply be overturned?

    aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/8/2024 @ 10:45 am

    I don’t think there are the votes to overturn the decision; only Alito and Thomas (Thomas being the only surviving dissenter) would probably do so, and as far as I know there are no direct challenges to it. While Thomas said in his dissent the law was “uncommonly silly,” he didn’t find in the Constitution a general right of privacy.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  29. “The Hatch Act contains no escape hatch for White House officials.”

    Except the president and the vice president, who are elected officials. But what precisely it prohibits isn’t clear.

    Sammy FInkelman (e4ef09)

  30. Paul Montagu (1888f5) — 11/8/2024 @ 10:42 am

    If there’s a solution, I see enhanced border security to stem the inflow,

    There’s not going to be enhanced border security.

    What Trump has said he would do is place a25% tariff on goods from Mexico unless Mexico prevents people from approaching the border and requesting asylum (or not) and if that doesn’t work, a 50% tariff and if that doesn’t work a 75% tariff and a 100% tariff and so on. That was a promise. Since Mexico is corrupt and has just politicized its judiciary, there is a definite possibility that will “work” (at the expense of human life) to reduce the numbers.

    and comprehensive immigration reform

    This will never happen. Not only are the Republicans against more legal immigration, this always fails because the first thing they attempt to agree to is a number. Which is always too low.

    to get the undocumented documented,

    That’s what the Republican consensus definitely does not want to do They call that amnesty and oppose it. I would call it a statute of limitations. Which exists even for bank robbers.

    They even want to extend it to the next generation by musing that birthright citizenship should be abolished.

    and now we have majorities in both houses.

    But will retain the filibuster so nothing will happen.

    Until a scandal occurs.

    Trump will declare victory. ICE will stage raids in places they get criticized and a few big places but otherwise they will not do much against any people who do not walk into their offices except possibly free people with long sentences from jails in jurisdictions that will allow them to, reversing a policy decision reached years ago not to do that (some drug dealers were happy to exchange going to the Dominican Republic where they could live in expensive houses, for jail)

    If anyone complains that Trump is not deporting people he (or his appointees) will say the policy is criminals first. If someone complains that they are he will say that’s the law and we have to do it.

    A lot will be left to the discretion of permanent employees, and pretty soon who goes and who stays will be decided by bribery. It will explode into scandal possibly around the 3rd year of his term, but maybe not until later

    Sammy FInkelman (e4ef09)

  31. What Trump has said he would do is place a25% tariff on goods from Mexico…

    Trump and his idiocratic tariffs.

    Paul Montagu (953476)

  32. Paul Montagu (1888f5) — 11/8/2024 @ 10:42 am

    removing a significant portion of those illegals will be inflationary.

    If they paid attention to economic reality, they would so oppose immigration – under any terms.

    Spending hundreds of billions to remove them would be inflationary and skyrocket our already sky-high deficits.

    This is not such a good argument. It’s only $88 billion a year for ten years. But anyway Congress is just not going to multiply the budget for such things by 11.

    Many lawyers will prefer to keep their clients in local jail rather than an immigration jail far away

    Sammy FInkelman (e4ef09)

  33. Paul Montagu (953476) — 11/8/2024 @ 12:11 pm

    Trump and his idiocratic tariffs.

    Trump claims he has the power to increase tariffs without a vote in Congress.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  34. Basically, the two million additional illegals in recent years have been beneficial to our economy,

    And is responsible for the lack of slowdown caused by higher interest rates.

    That works in reality. But the all important question is: How does it work in theory?

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  35. https://equitablegrowth.org/the-general-theory-of-employment-interest-and-money

    The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas….

    The question is: What is the name of the defunct economist that the Republican Party is listening to?

    I think he must have flourished in the 1880s.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  36. Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/8/2024 @ 8:37 am

    6. Recent arrivals, or long-term arrivals with marginal connections to their community are deported without prejudice.

    That would be a liberalization over current law. All deportations from inside the United States are with prejudice

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  37. P.S. I assume that we are all in agreement that, at the very least, minor children should not be separated from their families.

    We may be here, but the whole thing won’t work without that. Otherwise: “Anchor babies.” (which is not currently the law)

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  38. broad tax package that is partially paid for by tariffs

    Howard Lutnick, Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, which was devastated by the Sept 11 attacks wants to abolish the income tax and replace that with tariffs, and he heads the Trump transition..

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  39. The Wall Street Journal reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s team has drafted a proposal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine war on Thursday. Allegedly the plan includes significant conditions: Ukraine should give up its NATO membership aspirations for at least 20 years, the freezing of the current front lines and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine.

    And when and if he finds that is not enough for Putin, what does he do?

    It could be escalate or threaten to.,

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  40. Here’s how we should start out our negotiations with Putin: Demand that he turn himself over to an international court to be tried for war crimes.

    Jim Miller (db7f66)

  41. Here’s how we should start out our negotiations with Putin: Demand that he turn himself over to an international court to be tried for war crimes.

    Jim Miller (db7f66) — 11/8/2024 @ 12:29 pm

    LOL!

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  42. Trump claims he has the power to increase tariffs without a vote in Congress.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/8/2024 @ 12:14 pm

    All recent Presidents have had the power to unilaterally increase (or decrease) tariffs.

    ……..there are multiple legal authorities that Trump could rely on to justify the imposition of increased tariffs, including many that Trump already availed himself of during his presidency. These include Sections 232 and 301, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Section 122 Balance-of-Payments Authority, and Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. While Section 232 requires an investigation by the Department of Commerce and Section 301 requires an investigation and determination by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), these procedural niceties could be accomplished in relatively short order by cabinet officials, particularly since undue delay could put them at risk of getting fired. Regardless, any investigation or public comment period would allow anticipation to build, enhancing Trump’s negotiating leverage, which is likely one of the main points of the exercise.
    ……….
    Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (known as the Trade Expansion Act) grants the president broad power to adjust imports if they are found to be a threat to U.S. national security, including through the imposition of tariffs.

    Trump has used Section 232 to impose 10–25 percent tariffs in the past. After the Department of Commerce determined in 2018 that the quantities and circumstances of steel and aluminum imports “threaten to impair U.S. national security,” then president Trump applied 25 percent tariffs on imports of steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum. ……..
    ……….
    Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 gives the president broad authority to take all appropriate action, including retaliatory tariffs, to obtain the removal of any act, policy, or practice of a foreign government that is unjustified, unreasonable, or discriminatory, and that burdens or restricts U.S. commerce. If the USTR determines that the alleged conduct is unfair or violates U.S. rights under trade agreements, then it can decide what action to take subject to the direction of the president. Section 301 authorizes the USTR to (1) impose duties or other import restrictions, (2) withdraw or suspend trade agreement concessions, or (3) enter into binding agreements with foreign governments to eliminate the conduct in question or provide compensation.
    ……….
    Section 301 tariffs are an additional tool that could permit President Trump to impose a 10–20 percent tariff on all imports to the United States, as well as a 60 percent tariff on imports from China, as long as he finds that the acts of all U.S. trading partners are unfair.
    ………..
    The IEEPA provides broad presidential authority to deal with international economic emergencies, which Trump would almost certainly be prepared to find…….(T)he language is broad: “Any authority granted to the President by section 1702 of this title may be exercised to deal with any unusual and extraordinary threat . . . if the President declares a national emergency with respect to such threat.” IEEPA has been used to target specific countries as well as broader concerns involving export controls, human rights, security, and election interference. It is not a stretch to imagine a President Trump expanding IEEPA to address large U.S. trade deficits.
    ……….
    The president’s balance-of-payments authority in Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the president to impose an additional 15 percent tariff on imports for 150 days “Whenever fundamental international payments problems require special import measures to restrict imports—(1) to deal with large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits, (2) to prevent an imminent and significant depreciation of the dollar in foreign exchange markets.” ………

    Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, for example, allows the president to impose additional tariffs up to 50 percent on any country that discriminates against U.S. products. Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 would also allow the president to block imports completely for any country that increases their discrimination against U.S. products. However, this provision hasn’t been used for over 70 years.
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  43. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/8/2024 @ 12:51 pm

    Don’t hope for relief from the courts:

    ………..
    ………..The courts, including the Supreme Court, traditionally have been reluctant to interfere with the president’s exercise of foreign affairs and tariff powers. For instance, in United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp., the Supreme Court found that the president has certain inherent powers in foreign affairs that do not require an affirmative grant of statutory authority from Congress. In J. W. Hampton, Jr. & Co. v. United States, it found that presidential authority under Section 315 of the Tariff Act was a valid constitutional delegation of authority as long as it sets out “intelligible principle.” Federal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG, Inc. upheld Section 232(b) tariffs on imported oil, after finding that Section 232 sets out an “intelligible principle” to guide presidential decision-making. Lastly, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided in Maple Leaf Fish Co. v. United States that courts have “a very limited role” in reviewing presidential trade actions “of a highly discretionary kind,” such as Section 201, and such actions can only be set aside if they involve “a clear misconstruction of the governing statute, a significant procedural violation, or action outside delegated authority.”

    ………(U)nder the current Supreme Court, these past cases suggest that the courts are likely to take an especially deferential approach to executive branch decisions involving foreign policy, national security, and international economic policymaking, recognizing that it falls outside their normal purview and expertise. ………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  44. There’s a way to stop the use of North Korean troops:

    Send captured prisoners to South Korea without announcing their names.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  45. https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs

    If true tar, feathers and run out on a rail is too good for this corrupt government official.

    NJRob (d268ca)

  46. The thing we were told wasn’t happening was happening.

    https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1855000944640929795

    I do think Trump should act in a bipartisan manner and make his first act a long-sought Democratic goal: adding 4 SCOTUS justices. Surely he’ll receive bipartisan support, right?!?

    SaveFarris (1d4bd1)

  47. Dear Dana: first, you must know I have nothing but respect for you and your statements for many years.

    You wrote:

    “…It is jarring that a majority of Americans preferred a massively corrupt individual over the other candidate…”

    I myself did not vote for DJT, no. But I have many superconservative relatives, and I work on a super woke campus. My experiences and thus my opinion is different.

    First, social media is beyond weird. I have said many times that the epitaph of Western Culture will be “TL; DR.”

    All of the headlines scream and are extreme. We hear opinions on people we have never met and do not know…written by people we have also never met and do not know. These opinions are designed to fit our knee-jerk reactions, not thoughtfulness.

    I understand all that and I also understand that such an approach is not new. But social media makes the process much faster and in my opinion more extreme.

    For good or for ill, in my opinion, the Left overplayed their hand. Regardless of what the truth might be, it looked as if they were using any and all tricks to get DJT. This resonated like crazy. From the Left’s point of view, DJT is so bad that anything they do to attack him is okay.

    Remember Harry Reid lying about Mitt Romney not paying taxes, getting caught in the lie, and then saying, well, it worked out like I wanted?

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/15/harry-reid-lied-about-mitt-romneys-taxes-hes-still-not-sorry/

    Let me emphasize: it was okay to lie about someone if it gave you the result you wanted. THAT is what many voters have seen for many years. It doesn’t matter if it is how things have always been done.

    This is implanted into many people’s brains. This is the result of total war against DJT.

    Then add to that the bizarre situation with Joe Biden and the coronation of Kamala Harris. Harris’ many missteps. The constant weird drumbeat of bizarre progressive ideas in media. Calling people who disagree evil or stupid.

    Many people were not voting for DJT. They were voting against the media-bureaucrat-administrative-academic axis.

    I honestly think that this would not have happened, if Joe Biden had not run, and a DNC convention took place, and (hard to do, this) a more conciliatory and less extreme Left philosophy was used. Plus several debates.

    Again, just my opinions. But I do not believe that many people voted for DJT. They did, again, vote against the weird folk currently in power.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  48. Basically, the two million additional illegals in recent years have been beneficial to our economy, given that we still have a labor shortage, with our current unemployment rate of 4.1%.

    Beneficial to whom? If you think that people willing to work under the table for low wages is beneficial, I have some construction workers you should talk to.

    I guess if you want a cheap kitchen remodel, it’s a good thing, but if you are a tradesman trying to put food on the family table, it’s less good.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  49. I hope that this is the death knell of the term “Latinx”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  50. > Of the 16 states that criminalize adultery as a felony or misdemeanor, it is doubtful any of them would survive a court challenge under Lawrence v. Texas.

    Lawrence didn’t happen until some moronic DA decided to prosecute under the sodomy law.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  51. That would be a liberalization over current law. All deportations from inside the United States are with prejudice

    Yes, but if you want people to register as illegals (which simplifies the process enormously) you have to offer them something. Coupled with that is that failure to register is a must-deport situation, with no second chances or sob stories.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  52. There’s a way to stop the use of North Korean troops:

    Why should the West do so?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  53. Here’s how we should start out our negotiations with Putin: Demand that he turn himself over to an international court to be tried for war crimes.

    Hmmm. I don’t think you have your heart in these negotiations.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  54. P.S. I assume that we are all in agreement that, at the very least, minor children should not be separated from their families.

    Deport them all, but identify those who are actually US citizens so that they can return when they have agency. This may be as students, or adults, or if sponsored by legally-resident relatives, etc.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  55. If they are citizens, why would they need sponsors?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  56. Yes, but if you want people to register as illegals (which simplifies the process enormously) you have to offer them something.

    Register and you’re flown back unencumbered.

    Dont and get shot as a war casualty.

    Problem solved.

    SaveFarris (1d4bd1)

  57. Basically, the two million additional illegals in recent years have been beneficial to our economy, given that we still have a labor shortage, with our current unemployment rate of 4.1%.

    Creating a skyrocketing housing market that priced any young families out of home ownership.

    No thanks. Anyone who came in illegally over the last 4 years must be deported on principle. That’s not negotiable.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  58. Be interesting to see who complains about the price and availability of their steak when 25% of the meat packing industry workers are deported.

    Nic (120c94)

  59. Basically, the two million additional illegals in recent years have been beneficial to our economy, given that we still have a labor shortage, with our current unemployment rate of 4.1%.

    Not paying day laborers back in the 1st half of the 1800s was great for the economy too! Too bad about that pesky 13th Amendment.

    As for the alleged resulting labor shortage, sounds like a good reason to raise wages to attract more workers!

    SaveFarris (1d4bd1)

  60. Be interesting to see who complains about the price and availability of their steak when 25% of the meat packing industry workers are deported.

    “Cook my steak, brown people!” Isn’t the winning argument you think it is.

    SaveFarris (1d4bd1)

  61. A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.

    A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.

    FEMA admitted it is true.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  62. Be interesting to see who complains about the price and availability of their steak when 25% of the meat packing industry workers are deported.

    Nic (120c94) — 11/8/2024 @ 5:30 pm

    Supporting slave labor or just depressing wages?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  63. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/11/08/geert-wilders-condemns-pogrom-in-the-streets-of-amsterdam-after-israeli-soccer-fans-brutally-attacked/

    Disgusting to see the types of violence that Jews experience on a continual basis. There is a reason Israel needs to exist.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  64. Trump’s mandate:

    1. More states (49 + DC) swung in his direction vs. last election than anyone since 1992.
    2. Best GOP showing w/ age 18-29 in 20 yrs, Black voters in 48 yrs, Hispanics in 52+ yrs.
    3. Coattails: best GOP showing in House popular vote in prez year since 1928. pic.twitter.com/xDEjHVJFAm

    — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) November 8, 2024

    Trump has a mandate.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  65. If they are citizens, why would they need sponsors?

    OK, adoptive parents if that works better for you.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  66. Dont and get shot as a war casualty.

    Problem solved.

    I guess you’d shoot the reporters who filmed that, too. You and Noriega.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  67. Be interesting to see who complains about the price and availability of their steak when 25% of the meat packing industry workers are deported.

    Are you saying that under-the-table illegals are working in the meat packing industry? Why should we of choose lower prices over our fellow Americans’ well-being?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  68. @69 The mess at the border the past four years wasn’t about asylum, wasn’t about our security, and wasn’t about the rule of law. That’s what Nic is saying.

    lloyd (a84e2d)

  69. No thanks. Anyone who came in illegally over the last 4 years must be deported on principle. That’s not negotiable.

    One, “over the last 4 years” isn’t “principle”, it’s politics, because you’re all about those came here under Biden and gave a pass to the 9 million other illegals that came here under Trump and prior administrations.

    Two, “not negotiable” are the words of a right-wing intolerant. Housing prices didn’t just go up in the current administration.

    Three, Trump isn’t just talking about the two million illegals under Biden, he’s talking about all of them, so I refer you back to the inflation and deficit-busting that your guy will cause.

    As they say, elections have consequences, and there will be some major consequences starting next year, and regrettably not the kind that are good for America.

    I guess if you want a cheap kitchen remodel, it’s a good thing, but if you are a tradesman trying to put food on the family table, it’s less good.

    Disingenuous. We didn’t get 3.4% average GDP growth in 2021-2023 because Gomez got some under-the-table cash to put faux granite on your kitchen counters.

    Paul Montagu (953476)

  70. Go away Birddog. You and your ilk are irrelevant. You lost. Your desire for leftism lost. Come back in 4 years demanding more of the same BS.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  71. What’s inflation busting is spending trillions supporting illegal aliens.

    I said those over the last 4 years are for starters. Not the end game.

    Leftists invited the criminal aliens to come her to flood the system and destroy it. They shouldn’t be rewarded for it. Any amnesty is contingent on a law removing anchor baby citizenship and requiring deportation for all future illegal aliens. No more skipping the line.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  72. With an estimated 11 million undocumented aliens, a mass deportation is estimated to be around $315 billion, according to the American Immigration Council.

    That assumes that they’re treated like human beings and the legal process is followed. Donald Trump has spent the last 8 years dehumanizing them. Treating them like animals would reduce the cost and Trump has demonstrated his contempt for the legal process when it gets in his way. History has a way of repeating itself.

    purplehaze (14021d)

  73. GDP growth wasn’t 3.4%. Take away government spending dodo.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  74. I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what the leftists running our government did to open Republicans through FEMA. Why is that?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  75. @SaveFarris@62 Um, you don’t know what the meatpacking industry is, do you?

    @njrob@64 More a comment on people’s ability to forsee the results of actions. For example, tariffs on food imports.

    @kevin@69 There definitely are a very significant number of people here illegally who work in the meat packing industry. It’s kind of famous for it. (see above answer to njrob)

    @lloyd@70 If we want to be serious for a moment, a lot of people here illegally are employed workers with visa overstays and not involved in anything going on at the borders at all.

    Nic (120c94)

  76. The only people angrier about Trump winning the election than the usual suspects are Iran and China.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  77. The thing is, illegal immigration isn’t just a supply issue, as in the supply of illegals crossing the border. It’s a demand issue, because American employers need the personnel to operate their enterprises. We only allow so many into our country in preset quantities per nation, and it’s not enough to address the labor shortage we have. This is a good thing, and it’s to vibrancy and resiliency of our economy, which is performing way better than the EU and China.

    Paul Montagu (953476)

  78. ‘Beneficial to whom? If you think that people willing to work under the table for low wages is beneficial, I have some construction workers you should talk to.”

    You’re angry at the wrong people.

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  79. “I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what the leftists running our government did to open Republicans through FEMA. Why is that?”

    Former President Trump would withhold fire rescue aid from California if Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t back his policies, the GOP presidential nominee said during a news conference on Friday.

    https://www.axios.com/2024/09/13/trump-threatens-california-fire-aid-newsom

    I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what Trump plans to do to Democrats through FEMA. Why is that?

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  80. 11. Jim Miller: what kind of problems are the Yakama having? The entire county is agricultural and the income level seems to have slumped as mexican produce cratered the importance of crops that are grown there. I mean the whole area seems depressed. And maybe drugs

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (b3b25c)

  81. 32: Paul M: didn’t we have tariffs for the first 150 years? were we poor then?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (b3b25c)

  82. Disingenuous. We didn’t get 3.4% average GDP growth in 2021-2023 because Gomez got some under-the-table cash to put faux granite on your kitchen counters.

    That part of this that makes any sense is a non sequitur.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  83. Question: Why did Trump get such solid support from working class and Latino voters?

    https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-return-power-fueled-by-hispanic-working-class-voter-support-2024-11-06/

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  84. it’s not enough to address the labor shortage we have.

    We have a real shortage of legal resident tradesmen willing to work for $10/hr

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  85. Item 1 read arthur miller play incident at vichy it explains why the cost wont matter. Item 2 democrat party cannot win with out the left as hillary tried in 2016. Biden welcomed the left in 2020 and won. Both clinton and harris spent over a billion dollars and kowtowed to the donor class to get it. Trying to appeal to the working class after years of lecturing to them good luck with that as Bernie Sanders just said. The democrat party establishment elites think calling them fly over space and shame on you james carville for pointing out the emperor has no cloths! When he said the price of eggs is to high I am going to vote for trump! Women on the view thats racist and sexist! Item 5 69.9% makes american workers happy. The wealthy and multi-national corporations not so much. Maybe trump will like fang fang. Dana Why do conservatives keep on thinking that what you think is important is the same as what populists think is important when your not alike. I am a non-ignorant southern white trash democrat who understands how they think. The price of food is more important then some highfalution sounding threat to democracy when this is a republic like rome. (both had slavery)

    asset (de655f)

  86. I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what the leftists running our government did to open Republicans through FEMA. Why is that?

    3 weeks ago, we were told …

    All he did was to foment anger and frustration and instill a paranoia in the victims. He could have disseminated correct information from the get-go. He could have encouraged people to seek help. He could have explained where and how FEMA would be helping. But instead of painting the distributors of aid as good guys, he chose to paint a negative and untruthful picture of them.

    (https://patterico.com/2024/10/14/when-misinformation-and-rhetoric-has-adverse-consequence/)

    Turns out he WAS disseminating truthful information and Dana was the one spreading lies about FEMA’s effectiveness.

    This website still has not apologized.

    SaveFarris (baf954)

  87. I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what Trump plans to do to Democrats through FEMA. Why is that?

    Because Trump was talking about withholding funds for failing to follow federal law. Just like the governor of Massachusetts is now claiming she will refuse to assist Trump’s deportation plan.

    https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2024/11/08/massachusetts-governor-maura-healey-state-wont-cooperate-mass-deportations/

    “We’ll use every tool in the toolbox to counter the administration.” So will he.

    SaveFarris (baf954)

  88. I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what Trump plans to do to Democrats through FEMA. Why is that?

    Davethulhu (741a5f) — 11/8/2024 @ 8:22 pm

    Because it’s nonsense. What we cited happened. What Trump said was to stop deliberately creating conditions that cause massive wildfires.

    Be an adult.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  89. #82 Here’s a brief summary, correct as far as I know:

    In February 2018, the Yakama tribal council Yakamas passed a resolution declared a public safety crisis in response to a surge of crime on the reservation, particularly in White Swan. The resolution sought to impose greater penalties on tribal members who commit crimes (including the loss of treaty rights to hunt and fish, as well as banishment from the tribe) and stated that non-members who committed crimes on the reservation could be excluded from the reservation.[25]

    In June 2019, the tribal council said that the reservation was plagued by drug use and violent crime, as well as “disregard for the rule of law and general civil unrest” and responded by imposing a youth curfew, establishing a telephone hotline for reporting crime, and increasing penalties for theft and assault.[26] The announcement came after five people were killed in White Swan on the reservation in a shooting earlier that month.

    From what I can tell, the problems on the Yakama reservation are similar to those Seraphine Warren protested against two years ago:

    Seraphine Warren stepped foot in Washington on Sunday evening, with the eagle feathers on her prayer staff waving in the breeze, as she completed her nearly 2,400-mile prayer walk from Sweetwater, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation. She undertook the journey in honor of her aunt Ella Mae Begay, a Dineh (Navajo) elder who disappeared 16 months ago, and to raise awareness of the alarming numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous people, especially women.

    Jim Miller (fc969f)

  90. Donald Trump flips Nevada

    Another one.

    lloyd (a84e2d)

  91. 92: Spent some time there when I was younger. Tribal land was often leased to farmers, for example, then worked by labor from south of the border that was permitted in (in those days) to pick crops and then had to leave. But like almost all reservations, there is no tesla there, and the ambitious leave. Guaranteed income plans for tribal members seem to only increase dependency. Great people; not the best system.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (b3b25c)

  92. Paul

    First of all, if Trump used “Gomez” like you did, you’d be amongst the first to cry racism

    Second, where I live everyone knows that illegals with fake documents install the genuine stone and get paid in the mid $20’s and up and are on payroll.
    Most of the guys installing the Italian marble my clients kitchen today (yes they get paid OT) don’t speak English- except for one.

    My guess is that Trump hotels operators don’t use E-verify and have lots of fake documents on file. Of course the same goes for the Governor of Illinois and Hyatt.
    Why do I bring that up?
    Because “mass deportations” are going to be non-existent in certain workplaces. My best advice to Trump would be to start with mass deportation criminals and then pushing immigrants into blue cities and states to blow up their sanctuary sanctimony- get leaders unelected

    steveg (4d28b3)

  93. What I’m finding amazing are all the “How Trump won” MSM stories that include in-depth reporting on constituencies that used to be Democrat strongholds but now aren’t.

    Why did we hear nothing of this before November 6th? Were the MSM intentionally gaslighting everyone to buttress Harris’ campaign?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  94. “What Trump said was to stop deliberately creating conditions that cause massive wildfires.”

    lmao

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  95. What Trump said was to stop deliberately creating conditions that cause massive wildfire

    One of the weirdest new-normal thing these days is power companies turning off power to prevent wildfires. They NEVER EVER did this before, and they weren’t “causing” wildfires the either.

    Something has changed external to the power companies themselves. Are they not allowed to clear brush, or cut trees, or otherwise remove kindling from around their facilities?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  96. Go away Birddog.

    No. It figures that a sore loser is just as much a sore winner.

    Paul Montagu (953476)

  97. GDP growth wasn’t 3.4%. Take away government spending dodo.

    Yeah, it was 3.4% as stated.
    The election’s over, Rob, you won. You can stop making sh-t up now.

    Paul Montagu (953476)

  98. Davethulhu won’t call out what Biden’s FEMA did, but will whatabout about what the Winner might do with disaster aid. Since we’ve heard how the Winner might be a Nazi and fascist and will end democracy, why not just go big with the whatabouts?

    lloyd (b32765)

  99. @njrob@90 The fires Trump was talking about were in national forests.

    Nic (120c94)

  100. Another criminal wins an election.

    Shelley Luther, Dallas salon owner who defied COVID-19 shutdown order, wins election

    Shelley Luther, the former North Texas salon owner who made national headlines after she reopened her salon in defiance of COVID-19 shutdown orders during the pandemic, was elected to the state house.

    Luther defeated Democrat Tiffany Drake Tuesday with nearly 78% of the vote (66,959 votes) in District 62 representing Fannin, Grayson, Franklin and Delta counties.

    Luther first made headlines after she opened her Far North Dallas salon, Salon A La Mode, in defiance of COVID-19 shutdown orders who was briefly jailed for contempt of court and violating a temporary restraining order.

    lloyd (d006b9)

  101. Fires in Southern and Central Coastal CA often originate in USDA and Dept. Interior lands. They tend to work closely with the State of CA and the state often leads opposition to logging, brush cutting.
    State and activist group biologists almost always find find endangered salamanders, frogs, lizards etc and there is some doubt whether the finds are organic. See Tecuya Ridge.
    The feds do not have to acquiesce, but generally speaking do.
    Powerlines started the 200K acres plus Thomas fire and the Camp fire in Paradise CA. Both fires involved fatalities and lawsuits. Power is shut down during wind events now. Wealthy and otherwise “green” people are buying natural gas and diesel generators.
    I want a Project Pluto sized nuclear reactor (Project Pluto was a nuclear powered- nuclear armed cruise missile- Russia is supposed to be working on one today) in my backyard, but assume the permit process will be “nasty, brutish and short”

    steveg (4d28b3)

  102. “One of the weirdest new-normal thing these days is power companies turning off power to prevent wildfires. They NEVER EVER did this before, and they weren’t “causing” wildfires the either.

    Something has changed external to the power companies themselves. Are they not allowed to clear brush, or cut trees, or otherwise remove kindling from around their facilities?”

    The 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California’s Butte County was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history. The fire began on the morning of Thursday, November 8, 2018, when part of a poorly maintained Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) transmission line in the Feather River Canyon failed during strong katabatic winds. Those winds rapidly drove the Camp Fire through the communities of Concow, Magalia, Butte Creek Canyon, and Paradise, largely destroying them. The fire burned for another two weeks, and was contained on Sunday, November 25, after burning 153,336 acres (62,050 ha). The Camp Fire caused 85 fatalities, displaced more than 50,000 people, and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, causing an estimated $16.5 billion in damage. It was the most expensive natural disaster (by insured losses) of 2018.

    PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January 2019, citing expected wildfire liabilities of $30 billion. On December 6, 2019, the utility made a settlement offer of $13.5 billion for the wildfire victims; the offer covered several devastating fires caused by the utility, including the Camp Fire. On June 16, 2020, the utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

    Bolding mine. It’s cheaper for the power companies to cut the power during the storms than to do proper maintenance.

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  103. Yeah, it was 3.4% as stated.

    If you print $3 trillion in new money, you can get a really good GDP bump.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  104. The fires Trump was talking about were in national forests.

    So were some CA towns that burned down.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  105. Bolding mine. It’s cheaper for the power companies to cut the power during the storms than to do proper maintenance.

    It was “poorly maintained” because the normal maintenance is tree-cutting. Again, why was this not a problem in 1970?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  106. “It was “poorly maintained” because the normal maintenance is tree-cutting. Again, why was this not a problem in 1970?”

    No, it was “poorly maintained” because it was poorly maintained.

    Evidence used to convict PG&E of sparking the deadliest wildfire in California history showed the company knew months beforehand that it had a problem with worn-out metal parts, but still used questionable science to attempt to calculate how many more years the parts could be left hanging.

    Seven months before the 2018 Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise, PG&E crews discovered “severe wear” on steel parts holding up a 72-year-old power line in the East Bay Area.

    An internal report from PG&E’s own materials lab neglected the risk of those parts cracking and concluded that they had as many as 28 years of “remaining life,” even though PG&E’s own maintenance policies said they did not. The lab report provides a window into what prosecutors call PG&E’s “run to failure” policy of delaying maintenance on power line parts until they break.

    https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/run-to-failure-what-pge-knew-and-when/103-e4654585-1036-47bb-9078-137893ac242d

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  107. Something has changed external to the power companies themselves. Are they not allowed to clear brush, or cut trees, or otherwise remove kindling from around their facilities?

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/9/2024 @ 9:29 am

    What changed was that the utilities (PG&E, SCE (Edison)) were being held liable for the losses caused by their power lines, which traverse state and federal lands. They don’t own the land necessarily.

    It’s cheaper to cut power than to be held liable for billions of dollars in damage.

    Rip Murdock (73620f)

  108. KevinM

    I think they believed their own BS

    They assumed Hispanics would not vote for a person tough on illegal immigration, who didn’t address them as Latinx

    They did not and still do not understand that white women- no college- voted for Trump, not because they are uneducated, but because of the economic situation and the job market they compete in.
    Those women are not happy with the schools but have no options, they are not happy with men in the sports their daughters play, they don’t like their boys being treated as problematic because they are male.
    They don’t have enough money and Harris wanted to pay 100″s of thousand each for gender transition for inmates like she did in CA
    The “Trump is for you Harris is for they/them” Ad was said to be a winner with Black males, Hispanics, white women no college

    Last, team D and Team nevertrumper invested all too much energy playing into Trumps strengths: counter puncher and underdog taking on “the swamp” giving him 4 years of daily publicity and a daily forum for his claims of witch hunt.
    The voter who rarely followed the news still knew that Trump was in court up and down the East Coast daily.

    People like Nathan Wade and Fani Willis and their “cannot recall(s)” around trips to the WH made it easy to believe this actually was a conspiracy, made it easy to dismiss the whole thing as political- like a continuation of impeachment

    steveg (4d28b3)

  109. I would say a few hundred billion is a bargain to remove the illegal population. How much have we spent on quixotic foreign wars? How much did the Iraq war cost? Maybe our government should spend a little money enforcing the law here.

    Unfortunately, when there is mass lawbreaking there must be mass law enforcement. Nobody made Biden/Harris open the border; they chose to do so.

    mikeybates (e96a2b)

  110. It is poorly maintained in the wildland because of restrictions. PG&E even at $1B, settled for less than it would have cost if they lost in court.
    So their current position is: If we can’t maintain powerline corridors without interference, continued liability, we’ll just shut off the power- problem solved. Think of it like it is a CYA combined with an FU

    steveg (4d28b3)

  111. “It is poorly maintained in the wildland because of restrictions.”

    What restriction prevented them from replacing worn out parts? Be specific.

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  112. First news item:

    Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are drawing up plans to carry out his mass deportation pledge, including discussing how to pay for it and weighing a national emergency declaration that would allow the incoming administration to repurpose military assets to detain and remove migrants.
    ………….
    As a first step, Trump’s advisers are discussing issuing a national emergency declaration at the border on his first day in office, which his team thinks would allow him to move money from the Pentagon to pay for wall construction and to assist with immigrant detention and deportation. But the legality of such a move is unclear. A national emergency, Trump’s advisers think, also would unlock the ability to use military bases for immigrant detention and military planes to help carry out deportations.
    …………
    Officials from Trump’s first administration have also written draft executive orders to resume construction of the border wall and revise President Biden’s existing restrictions on asylum at the southern border to remove the humanitarian exemptions. They are planning to enter aggressive negotiations with Mexico to revive the Remain in Mexico policy, a person working on Trump’s transition said, and are identifying potential safe third countries where asylum seekers could be sent.

    They also want to revoke deportation protections from millions of immigrants who have either been granted a form of humanitarian protection known as temporary protected status—which covers hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Venezuelans—or entered the country on a quasi-legal status called humanitarian parole. That population includes millions who have entered via government appointments at the southern border, as well as tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated after the fall of Kabul and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians allowed into the U.S. following the Russian invasion.

    Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), an anti-illegal-immigration hard-liner, said he thinks the Trump administration should disregard those deportation protections because, in his view, they were issued illegally.
    …………
    Rather than forcibly deporting all migrants, Trump’s advisers hope they can induce some to leave voluntarily, according to people familiar with the matter. ……….

    …………. Under the arcane rules of budget reconciliation, legislation can be approved with a simple majority vote, rather than the 60 votes usually required to advance most bills in the Senate, as long as the changes made are primarily budgetary rather than policy shifts. ………. With majorities in both chambers, they could move the reconciliation measure without support from Democrats.
    …………..
    To avoid adding to the federal deficit, some members of Congress have also floated tacking new fees onto different steps of the immigration process, such as applying for asylum or even appearing in immigration court, that would help pay for deportations. ………
    ………….
    …………. In addition to a huge infusion of cash, mass deportations would require unprecedented coordination among federal, state and local officials.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  113. PG&E is a mess because they decided they could save money by not maintaining their infrastructure sufficiently over a long period of time. Then they started being held accountable for the fires and natural gas explosions caused by the poorly maintained infrastructure. It’s too degraded to fix quickly so they are turning power off and they don’t want to cut into their profits, so they are charging us more. Because they are providing unreliable and extremely expensive power, more and more people are putting in solar panels and now they are upset about that as well because there is less demand and fewer people are paying PG&E or are paying far less money. I don’t think they are sustainable in the long run under the current system.

    Nic (120c94)

  114. @96 Jen Psaki said democrat party should have listened to Bernie Sanders and not Liz Cheney. This turned off the left base appealing to never trumpers who you had instead of minorities and white lower class women and even men! Media did stories on minority men leaving democrat party though more late in campaign. Donor class says no need to change just run Julian Castro to get latinx back! MSM is owned by wealthy who have different interests then working class. My stocks are doing great who cares how much eggs cost if you want donor class money.

    asset (9cf9be)

  115. Comeuppance arrives at Lake Como — or is it France now, George?

    George Clooney taking step back from politics after being made a ‘scapegoat’ for Kamala Harris’ loss

    George Clooney feels he is being used as a ‘scapegoat’ in the furious blame game over who could have cost Kamala Harris the election – and will now take a step back from politics.

    The Hollywood star, 63, threw his support behind Harris after penning a blistering op-ed on why Joe Biden would cost the Democrats the win if he didn’t abandon his campaign, but it still wasn’t enough to prevent an historic victory for Donald Trump.

    Clooney has since been criticized by Democrats for his influence during the election, with some claiming Harris’ loss was his fault.

    The Oscar-winner is ‘disheartened’ by the backlash, with insiders claiming he did not immediately endorse Harris because he felt the Democrats should have ‘taken a step back’ to weigh up their options.

    ‘George feels that the backlash he is getting for Kamala losing is not at all warranted,’ a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘He thinks it is completely unfair to try and make him a scapegoat for her loss.

    lloyd (cbedf9)

  116. Progressive governors like Gavin Newsom and Tim Walz are trying to insulate their states from a federal shift to the right. In short, doubling down on the progressive ideas that were routed last Tuesday. Will this be successful, or are they fighting a preference cascade that will overturn their one-party states?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  117. ‘George feels that the backlash he is getting for Kamala losing is not at all warranted,’ a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘He thinks it is completely unfair to try and make him a scapegoat for her loss.

    He’s right. She lost because her party was headed in a different direction that the voters wanted. No one looked at climbing prices and said “At least we have gender-fluidity.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  118. PG&E is a mess because they decided they could save money by not maintaining their infrastructure sufficiently over a long period of time.

    Propaganda.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  119. In addition to a huge infusion of cash, mass deportations would require unprecedented coordination among federal, state and local officials.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (fec955) — 11/9/2024 @ 12:59 pm

    It’s going to be interesting to see how far the Trump administration will go to force state and local governments to participate in their deportation scheme. Under the Supreme Court’s “anti-commandeering” doctrine, Congress cannot mandate state (or presumably local) officials to enforce Federal laws: In Printz v. United States, ( 521 U.S. 898 (1997)) the Court said:

    The Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command the States’ officers . . . to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program. It matters not whether policymaking is involved, and no case-by-case weighing of the burdens or benefits is necessary; such commands are fundamentally incompatible with our constitutional system of dual sovereignty.

    Further:

    (While in Printz) the the Court observed that Congress may attach conditions to federal funds disbursed under its Spending Clause power and thereby avoid anti-commandeering problems. The Court’s decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (NFIB) explored the limits of this power, holding that a federal spending condition unconstitutionally coerced state legislatures to adopt a federal regulatory program.
    …………..
    ………….. Chief Justice Roberts averred that the distinction between permissible conditions and impermissible commandeering collapses when the state has no choice in whether to accept the condition………..
    ………….
    ………….. Reframing an otherwise impermissible act of commandeering as a spending condition may be subject to challenge as unconstitutionally coercive, following the reasoning of Chief Justice Roberts and the four dissenting Justices.
    ……………

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  120. A national emergency declaration would allow federalization of the Guard, at the very least. State and local officials may decline to help, but active resistance is an entirely different matter. Further, the state would be on thin ground criminalizing local authorities’ active assistance.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  121. Progressive governors like Gavin Newsom and Tim Walz are trying to insulate their states from a federal shift to the right. In short, doubling down on the progressive ideas that were routed last Tuesday. Will this be successful, or are they fighting a preference cascade that will overturn their one-party states?

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/9/2024 @ 2:11 pm

    LOL!

    Newsom isn’t defying the California electorate. Steve Garvey wasn’t elected to the US Senate (Schiff 58% Garvey 41%) and Trump didn’t receive California’s electoral votes (Harris 58%, Trump 39%)

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  122. Further, the state would be on thin ground criminalizing local authorities’ active assistance.

    Prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating in immigration raids may not necessarily be “criminalized”, but if it is prohibited by state laws it could be enjoined by the courts.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  123. @kevin@121 Court evidence from the numerous San Bruno cases.

    Nic (120c94)

  124. Nic, as far as the Camp Fire is concerned, the state PUC did not issue a permit to PG&E to replace the aging line until May of 2018 — 6 months before the fire. There are numerous regulatory obstacles that are involved, from environmental rules on road construction, brush clearing and tree cutting along with the financial oversight of capital expenditure that was involved here.

    Public utilities are guaranteed a “fair” return on capital, and regulations in part limit capital expenditure to limit ratepayer costs. To say that lines were not maintained ignores WHY they were not maintained.

    Since utility profits are highly regulated it is unconvincing to say this was why the lines were not maintained. That argument is mostly left-wing anti-corporate propaganda.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  125. California law also prohibits certain practices by law enforcement agencies, including:

    Allowing officers to be supervised by federal agencies or deputized for immigration enforcement
    Using immigration authorities as interpreters for law enforcement matters
    Providing office space exclusively for immigration authorities
    Entering into contracts to house noncitizens for immigration custody

    California also has laws that protect immigrants from certain practices by law enforcement, such as:

    The California Values Act (SB 54) prohibits asking about immigration status, arresting people for immigration violations, and sharing personal information with ICE or Border Patrol.

    The TRUST Act limits ICE hold requests in local jails.

    (source: Google AI)

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  126. Democrats are trying to convince Sotomayor to step down

    The Democratic Party is secretly fighting over whether to try and force out Justice Sonia Sotomayor to avoid the specter of Donald Trump sending the U.S. Supreme Court further to the right.

    Senators are reportedly at odds over whether to put pressure on Sotomayor—the first Latina justice—to step down while Democrats still have the power to usher in her replacement.

    Although she is only 70, Sotomayor suffers from Type 1 diabetes and is the oldest of the three remaining Democratic Party-appointed justices.

    There is no suggestion that she has any intention of walking off into the sunset of her own volition.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  127. Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/9/2024 @ 3:23 pm

    None of which are criminal statutes.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  128. Donald Trump flips Nevada

    Another one.

    lloyd (a84e2d) — 11/9/2024 @ 6:51 am

    Nevada voters also reelected Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen and enshrined the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks in the state constitution.

    Boo hiss.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  129. BTW, the first steps to the Trump immigration plan don’t sound unreasonable to me, assuming those steps are actually part of his plan, or the plan his people handed to him.

    Among the changes: revoking a Biden administration policy directing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement not to pursue immigrants in the country illegally who haven’t committed other crimes, and making changes to the immigration court system to speed up cases. Trump’s allies have said they are planning first to focus on immigrants in the country illegally who have received final orders of deportation from an immigration court, of which there are about 1.3 million, as well as those with other criminal convictions or charges.

    Deporting every single illegal is where the deficit-busting, labor shortages and inflation happen, IMO. Also, the best estimates for the numbers of illegals is something north of 11 million, around half of which are visa overstays, not brown-skinned wetbacks crossing the southern border. So, really, all of them? Including the overstays? As I see it, that’s extreme.

    The markets are anticipating inflation under Trump because, although the Fed just lowered its key rate (and last September), mortgage rates are going the other way.

    Yields have also been rising since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Investors think that Trump’s tax-cut heavy agenda would add to the deficit and increase economic growth and inflation. That would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. Trump has also promised higher tariffs, which could further add to inflation.

    Not to mention that amping up deficits also stimulates an economy to the point of triggering inflation, as we all saw with the spending during the pandemic.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  130. There was a FEMA employee in Lake Placid, Florida who told her survivor assistance team to bypass homes with Trump yard signs, and said employee was sacked. Per the FEMA spokesman, it appears to be a one-off.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  131. FEMA employees told the Daily Wire that Washington has not been punished for the guidance — and was simply shifted to a different Florida county. However, a FEMA spokesperson told The Post that Washington is “no longer working in the state of Florida or in any FEMA operations at this moment” pending the outcome of an investigation.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  132. Rob, the statement that Ms. Washington was sacked was directly from the FEMA administrator, as reported by your FoxNews cable TV channel. Is FoxNews now a “leftist source”?

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  133. @135 What irony. If only there had been a “one-off” take when militias were terrorizing FEMA. That lie made the rounds for the purpose of demonizing MAGA. I’m sure many still believe it. But sure, Ms. Washington is a one-off. Move along, folks.

    lloyd (5675f2)

  134. NJRob, at 76:

    > I notice none of the usual suspects have even acknowledged what the leftists running our government did to open Republicans through FEMA. Why is that?

    For me, because i don’t live here and i have other things to do so i’m not always going to respond quickly to things. I’ve been here for twenty years, surely that pattern has been evident.

    (1) refusing to provide emergency government aid to individuals harmde by natural disaster based on the individuals’ partisan affiliation and yard signs is just *wrong*. the person doing this should be fired and, ideally, not allowed to work for the government again.

    (2) i haven’t seen any evidence that this was anything other than a single bad actor in a position of power. i think the lesson here is “we need better ways to identify those who abuse their power and eject them from positions of power”.

    SaveFarris, at 89:

    > Because Trump was talking about withholding funds for failing to follow federal law.

    Refusing to provide emergency government aid to individuals harmed by natural disaster based on the policies adopted by their state government is just *wrong*. It’s an abuse of power every bit as egregious as the abuse of power by the FEMA person — except it has a much wider scope and loops a much greater number of people into the harm.

    NJRob, at 90:

    > Because it’s nonsense. What we cited happened. What Trump said was to stop deliberately creating conditions that cause massive wildfires.

    If you listen to the video linked in the comment you are responding to, Trump isn’t talking about withholding emergency disaster aid because of Newsom’s creation of conditions that cause wildfire, he was talking about releasing more water from the delta into the aqueduct, which would make the farms in the central valley green — and that’s not where the fires are.

    “We’ll withhold emergency disaster relief aid for your home until your state government changes its tune on an entirely unrelated policy issue” is the refrain of a bully, and it’s an abuse of power.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  135. Why did The Daily Wire break this story? Do you think it’s likely the source brought this to FEMA brass, who then blew it off?

    lloyd (5675f2)

  136. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/outrage-as-iraq-stands-poised-to-lower-the-age-of-consent-for-girls-to-nine/ar-AA1tGvfQ

    If true, why are we dealing with these societies that have values antithetical to our own?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  137. > If true, why are we dealing with these societies that have values antithetical to our own?

    Because they control a large quantity of a substance essential to modern economies. Sure would be nice if we could manage to reduce our economy’s dependence on that substance.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  138. @139 Funny how those who believe electing Trump would be the end of the Republic think it’s wrong when federal workers treat Trump supporters as if it was true.

    lloyd (b32765)

  139. Aphrael,

    So you’re on board with using all our natural resources to weaken these evil regimes?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  140. RIP NASCAR Hall of Famer and 3-time winner of the Daytona 500 Bobby Allison (86).

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  141. Aphrael,

    So you’re on board with using all our natural resources to weaken these evil regimes?

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/9/2024 @ 6:34 pm

    I prefer we use all of our military resources to destroy these evil regimes.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  142. I would say a few hundred billion is a bargain to remove the illegal population. How much have we spent on quixotic foreign wars? How much did the Iraq war cost? Maybe our government should spend a little money enforcing the law here.

    A) It’s been a while since there was a domestic war.
    B) A few hundred billion is only the direct cost, the indirect costs will be an order of magnitude more than the 3rd of a trillion dollars. The non defense discretionary spending is less than $800B, so where do you cut ~$75-100B a year?
    C) The collision of tariffs and subtracting millions of workers will make the last inflation bubble look like a paradise.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  143. “I prefer we use all of our military resources to destroy these evil regimes.”

    The regime in Iraq is the one we put there.

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  144. leverage I don’t like is always an abuse of power

    steveg (4d28b3)

  145. Herr Klink emerges from Der Bunker!

    lloyd (b9f00b)

  146. Kemi Badenoch on fire. Britain’s conservatives have a worthy leader.

    lloyd (b9f00b)

  147. AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins Arizona

    Another one for the Winner.

    lloyd (b9f00b)

  148. @135 Someone under Marn’i Washington filed a complaint with the DHS about her edict to skip houses with Trump signage. But, it took a leak to The Daily Wire for corrective action to be taken. So no, Paul, this is not a one-off. Other heads need to roll.

    lloyd (b9f00b)

  149. Paul, this is not a one-off.

    Are there other Ms. Washingtons giving similar orders? Please show me, lloyd.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  150. AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins Arizona

    That’s a wrap. 312-226

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  151. Gallego defeats Lake in Arizona Senate race

    If a Republican cannot win statewide in Arizona, the party should be ashamed.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  152. Also, the best estimates for the numbers of illegals is something north of 11 million,

    That was 2021-2022. The current estimate is 20 million.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  153. The current estimate is 20 million.

    Cite it. That’s a big jump in two short years.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  154. So, Klink says it’ll cost trillions to deport these people who are here due to the incredible malfeasance of our government. I guess we should give up. Just open our borders and let everyone in, and offer them free money and housing to make their stay easier.

    Or not.

    ICYMI, one of the prime reasons that Trump won all those Hispanic-majority counties and districts was the absolute anger of Hispanic citizens ate the newcomers who were destroying their neighborhoods, undercutting their wages, driving up rents and generally using them as human shields.

    I’d prefer a reasoned and humane sorting out, with people who have civic ties amnestied. BUt if that costs too much, well, don’t let the door hit you, etc.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  155. Just open our borders and let everyone in, and offer them free money and housing to make their stay easier.

    You’re evading, Kevin. I asked you a simple question, which is to cite your claim about this 20 million.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  156. Biden allowed in 4.6 million people — far more than is actually allowed — and unknown numbers of people entered without approval. That he called those admitted “legal” and gave them work permits does not mean that they entered under the law. EOs are not laws.

    Trump intends to remove most of these new chums. He’ll have a lot of support.

    How the Democrats Bungled the Politics of Immigration

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  157. Biden allowed in 4.6 million people — far more than is actually allowed — and unknown numbers of people entered without approval. That he called those admitted “legal” and gave them work permits does not mean that they entered under the law. EOs are not laws.

    Laws allow the executive branch to direct the government.

    You might remember a guy doing that, and promising to do it more. stupid Hitler signed almost as many as Obama in 8 years, and 50% more than Biden.

    If it’s legal when your guy does it, it’s still legal.

    You’re confusing legal with ethical.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  158. Biden allowed in 4.6 million people…

    You see, that’s the problem, Kevin. How can anyone agree on a policy when you can’t even agree on the facts?
    The 4.6 million don’t add to the 11 million estimated illegals, because they were “allowed in”. Once again, you claimed “the current estimate is 20 million”, so cite it.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  159. In AZ, Trump won and Lake lost, and CyberNinjas isn’t around to contest Lake’s loss. Does this mean Trump will reward Lake for her loyalty or toss her aside?

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  160. @158 Latinx split ticket for Gallego. Every day in az 100+ latinx turn 18 if you count dreamers 130+ also california democrats are moving here because of high rent following the republicans who started coming 30 years ago.

    asset (32b102)

  161. Or not.

    Explain with your math. stupid Hitler says cost is unimportant and Miller is in charge and said half a trillion.

    You don’t provide an alternative, hand wave over the impact.

    Own your sh!t.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  162. If I had the money, I’d leave this country and never come back.

    Atomic Amish (f5ded1)

  163. You see, that’s the problem, Kevin. How can anyone agree on a policy when you can’t even agree on the facts?

    Biden refused to report or document the facts, instead using bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo to obfuscate what was going on.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  164. “Latinx”

    Democratic candidates have often been avatars of elitism — Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and second-term Barack Obama. The party embraced a worldview of hyper-political correctness, condescension and cancellation, and it supported diversity statements for job applicants and faculty lounge terminology like “Latinx,” and “BIPOC” (Black, Indigenous, People of Color).

    This alienated half the country, or more. And the chaos and antisemitism at many college campuses certainly didn’t help.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/09/opinion/democrats-identity-politics.html

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  165. Laws allow the executive branch to direct the government.

    This is how the extreme far left defends massive illegal immigration. Looking at the laws, refusing to enforce them, and then saying they have the power to ignore the law.

    Same folks then tell us the GOP should have agreed to a new law that would legalize tons of illegal immigrants, in exchange for… the same situation where far left democrats simply refuse to honor the laws on the books.

    Explain with your math. stupid Hitler says cost is unimportant and Miller is in charge and said half a trillion.

    It is no surprise that most voters look at this vitriol and fully recognize the activist far left class like Klink, the guys insisting on enforcement of weird pronoun demands, simply hate us. We don’t need a government that is hostile to our country, but that was on the ballot.

    That’s why Kamala ran a campaign based on hiding her views. Her supporters hate us, her first choice is Walz, an extremist and fiscal disaster, and we’re supposed to fall for an Obama style ‘all things to all people if I just don’t tell you anything’ campaign.

    The sooner democrats return to their roots of the 1990s and triangulate in a way that shows they are receptive to the American people, the sooner they get power. Listening to boomers who don’t intend to pay for the consequences of their policies, based entirely on harming America, is not going to work. Demographic manipulation of the voter pool doesn’t work, because the Hispanic voters aren’t different from the rest of us. We want our families to have a government that doesn’t hate our guts.

    Dustin (4b502c)

  166. You see, that’s the problem, Kevin. How can anyone agree on a policy when you can’t even agree on the facts?

    If we are waiting for everyone to agree on “facts”, we will never do anything on any topic. I guess if you cast all opposing views out and demand that only YOUR “facts” should be considered, then you can get “agreement.”

    Or maybe, that’s what elections are about. And their consequences.

    But there’s this, from the WSJ:

    Trump has argued that an aggressive deportation effort is necessary to put the country back on course after an estimated eight million migrants entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden administration. It isn’t known precisely how many people are living in the U.S. illegally. The Homeland Security Department estimated the population to be about 11 million in 2022, though the figure has likely grown since then. Trump has said he would target as many as 20 million people.

    Now, 8 million new illegals are a LOT, and all should be deported. Trump says 20 million, but I know you will never believe a word he says, so we are back to disputing “facts.” Yet the President-elect is going to be making the decisions, so you shouldn’t discard what he says as immaterial.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  167. > the guys insisting on enforcement of weird pronoun demands, simply hate us.

    Oh, nonsense.

    I don’t hate you, Dustin, but I do think that if you were refer to my trans housemates by the gender they were assigned at birth, you would be a jerk, and I wish you wouldn’t do it.

    I really don’t understand how you reach the conclusion that people holding my view of politeness hate you.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  168. Biden refused to report or document the facts, instead using bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo to obfuscate what was going on.

    Kevin, I don’t know why you keep refusing to back up your claims, but you said “the current estimate is 20 million” illegals and all I’m getting is filibustering, not a credible cite for that number.
    The WSJ link is a good recounting, but that’s as far as it goes. “Allowed in” means they entered with our permission, and we can agree that too many were let in to the country. Immigration was always Biden’s area of least competence, and he and his party paid dearly for not listening to Americans’ legitimate concerns.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  169. NJROb, at 144:

    Yes and no.

    I think the long term strategic interest of the US is better served by holding our oil supplies in reserve so that when the rest of the world runs out we still have some. And I think the long term strategic interest of the US also requires us to find ways to reduce our dependence on oil so that when the world as a whole runs out, we aren’t f—ed.

    But as long as (a) we’re not interfering with lands that we have otherwise said ought to be protected from development, and (b) the oil extraction, distribution, and processing infrastructure is set up with reasonable environmental safeguards, i’m not per se opposed to increasing production. But at the same time, i’m skeptical that those environmental protections are good enough; things like https://www.baaqmd.gov/about-air-quality/incidents-and-advisories/chevron-refinery-fire make me have very strong not-in-anyones-back-yard feelings about refineries, at the very least.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  170. > The sooner democrats return to their roots of the 1990s and triangulate in a way that shows they are receptive to the American people, the sooner they get power.

    I’m not convinced the Democratic party is salvageable at this point and would support replacing it with a new party.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  171. >I’d prefer a reasoned and humane sorting out,

    One of the reasons we need process here is to make sure that the people we are deporting are actually illegal immigrants. All human processes make mistakes, there *will* be citizens and legal immigrants accidentally and unintentionally caught up in this in even the best execution of the plan, there *must* be some process where those people can say WTF NOT ME??? and get readmitted to the country and/or avoid deportation in the first place.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  172. >If a Republican cannot win statewide in Arizona, the party should be ashamed.

    Kari Lake was a uniquely bad candidate.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  173. > Why did The Daily Wire break this story? Do you think it’s likely the source brought this to FEMA brass, who then blew it off?

    I have absolutely no idea why this was taken to the daily wire. is it possible the source talked to the fema brass first? yes. is it possible they didn’t? yes. as far as i can tell, strong attachment to either answer as *true* rather than *possible* requires one to assume facts that aren’t in evidence.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  174. Kevin, do you even read your links?
    The 20 million referred to the number Trump wanted to deport, it’s not a confirmation that there are 20 million illegals in the country, a number that he most likely pulled from his ass. The pertinent sentence here is, “It isn’t known precisely how many people are living in the U.S. illegally.”

    I guess if you cast all opposing views out and demand that only YOUR “facts” should be considered…

    No, Kevin, and this is why you’re such a disingenuous asshole. I’m not claiming ownership of facts, I’m asking you to provide some supportable facts and, so far, you’re doing the same thing as last time, when you lied that I was “OK with the Steele Memorandum that Hillary was flogging.” Also, I don’t know what you mean by “cast all opposing views out” except for your own cussedness.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  175. No, Kevin, and this is why you’re such a disingenuous asshole.

    And again you violate the terms of service here. Why do you think you’re special?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  176. Paul,

    1) I noted that it was just Trump saying that, but really you demand links then you dispute the links. This is a troll’s game, and it’s tiring.

    2) What is illegal? Is someone who crosses the border illegally, is caught, but then paroled through presidential whim “illegal”? Many would say yes, and their parole was itself illegal (and can be revoked at any time anyway).

    3) Biden allowed in almost 5 million people, mostly contrary to the written law. To say those are “legal” immigrants is mostly sophistry.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  177. Kari Lake was a uniquely bad candidate.

    Twice.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  178. I’m not convinced the Democratic party is salvageable at this point and would support replacing it with a new party.

    Interesting. Both parties are a bit lost, imho, but the prescriptions I hear from the Democrat side seem to be missing the point.

    There was a time when the Democrats were the party of the working class, and maybe the underclass, solid on civil rights, supportive of abortion and maybe a bit divided on foreign policy and the military. They saw tariffs as a way to protect union jobs from low-cost and slave labor overseas, not to mention pollution-friendly regimes.

    Think “Dick Gephardt.” They weren’t particularly left-wing but were suspicious of (if not hostile to) Wall Street and big business; they were champions of Main Street.

    Somehow they drifted away from this, seeking to lock up identity groups as voting blocs, courting Wall Street donors, and basically forgetting about the majority of their former constituents who didn’t fit into one of their cubbyholes.

    Fast forward to today, where all of the Hispanic-majority counties in Texas voted for Trump. I think that the GOP is digging a hole with Trump, but they are digging slower than the Democrats have been doing….

    I don’t see the Democrats succeeding by going back to Clintonian centrism. A “Me, too!” party isn’t very inspiring. They need to refocus on the working and underclass and stop pandering to microgroups (really, how many trans people are there?) in ways that offend the vast sea of normal people.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  179. I’m not convinced the Democratic party is salvageable at this point and would support replacing it with a new party.

    aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/10/2024 @ 8:37 am

    You mirror my thoughts of the GOP. Trump’s fans are cocky, and the blame shifting and anger when things don’t go smoothly will probably make 2020 look like a walk in the park.

    Similar, and really unfortunate for the concept of democracy and reason, that both political parties are run by their own elites in a way that prevents any natural frustration of the elite agenda.

    Dustin (4b502c)

  180. > Interesting.

    On the day after the 2020 election, I looked at the election results and openly said that I thought the most likely outcome on January 21, 2025 was that Trump would be President with majorities in both houses of Congress.

    If I could see it, then the Democratic Party leadership should have been able to see it.

    So either (a) they didn’t see it, in which case what good are they? or (b) they saw it and failed to do what was needed to prevent it, in which case what good are they?

    I am *furious* at the party establishment.

    >They need to refocus on the working and underclass and stop pandering to microgroups (really, how many trans people are there?) in ways that offend the vast sea of normal people.

    We (the left and the center-left broadly) spent eight years attacking the (absolutely awful) messenger and the people who listened rather than *listening to them and trying to understand why they were angry and attempting to provide solutions to the underlying problems*.

    Tuesday night I wrote up something and posted it to reddit and facebook – https://www.reddit.com/r/learhpa_diary/comments/1gku8r9/election_day/ – where I absolutely railed on the left for *not listening to what the people supporting the trumpist revolutionary movement were saying*.

    This disaster lies squarely in *our* laps. When people are loudly complaining about serious problems, one party is acknowledging the problems and providing inane and ridiculous answers, and the other party is denying the existence of the problems — what would you *expect* to happen?

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  181. > Think “Dick Gephardt.”

    Gephardt lost, of course, and when the party analyzed the situation it was in in the 1980s, it concluded that this kind of populism was *one of the reasons* they kept losing, and that’s how we got Bill Clinton.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  182. This disaster lies squarely in *our* laps. When people are loudly complaining about serious problems, one party is acknowledging the problems and providing inane and ridiculous answers, and the other party is denying the existence of the problems — what would you *expect* to happen?

    Simple answers are always preferred to complex answers — and sometimes even work — and telling the voters that their problems are imaginary is even worse. Focusing on things that are well outside the mainstream while ignoring the price of eggs would seem suicidal.

    It also did not help that the administration got caught lying about their first candidate’s health. What else are they lying about? In an election where their BEST argument is that their opponent is a lying jerk, getting caught lying about something important takes a lot of wind out of the sails.

    What I see though, is a battle in the Democrat Party between the Warren/Bernie/AOC economic progressives (aka socialists) and the social warriors when the real problem is that Trump is stealing their center.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  183. Gephardt lost, of course, and when the party analyzed the situation it was in in the 1980s, it concluded that this kind of populism was *one of the reasons* they kept losing

    And yet, if you look at Trumpism, Mr Gephardt seems redeemed.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  184. As far as what is normal, I offer this from Andrew Sullivan:

    A definition of a “normal gay guy”:

    A man solely attracted to biological men, who doesn’t wish to be a female, who believes in the sex binary, whose politics is rooted in something other than tribal victimology, and who does not identify as “queer”.

    I.e. most of us not bullied into submission by the transqueers.

    I think he’ll get letters.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  185. And yet, if you look at Trumpism, Mr Gephardt seems redeemed.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/10/2024 @ 9:50 am

    Left wing v. right wing populism. 36 years is a long time in politics.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  186. Eventually liberal becomes conservative.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  187. If a Republican cannot win statewide in Arizona, the party should be ashamed.

    Kari Lake was a uniquely bad candidate.

    aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/10/2024 @ 8:40 am

    When the race was called for Gallego, he was ahead by less than 50,000 votes.

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  188. > When the race was called for Gallego, he was ahead by less than 50,000 votes.

    Right. So a normal Republican could have won this easily. Lake, however, was a bad candidate and so didn’t.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  189. aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/10/2024 @ 10:19 am

    Arizona already has one Democratic Senator, so it’s not an anomaly. If she was so bad why was Gallego ahead by 5 or more points rather than 1.5?

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  190. …….why wasn’t Gallego ahead by 5 or more……..

    Rip Murdock (fec955)

  191. Going out on a limb and saying lots of government cell phones involved in the Trump prosecutions are going through “previously scheduled” wipes.
    Nathan Wade seemed to be able to schedule his memory loss.
    When we study the Biden Executive Branch operations, I think we will see less Executive and more branch. Am interested to learn how the branch wielded its power

    steveg (4d28b3)

  192. …….why wasn’t Gallego ahead by 5 or more……..

    For the same reason that Harris wasn’t ahead by 2.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  193. A better GOP candidate would have outpolled Trump rather than trailed him.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  194. > If she was so bad why was Gallego ahead by 5 or more points rather than 1.5?

    Biden won in 2020 but Trump won today.

    There was a fall off in Democratic party support and a rise in Republican support across the board this election.

    But Arizona also passed a state constitutional amendment allowing abortion; is it any surprise that the person who supported the restoration of the repressive mid-19th-century abortion law *lost*, and that she ran substantially behind Trump?

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  195. is it any surprise that the person who supported the restoration of the repressive mid-19th-century abortion law *lost*, and that she ran substantially behind Trump?

    aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/10/2024 @ 10:56 am

    How Lake performed relative to Trump’s performance is irrelevant to her Senate race.

    Rip Murdock (14415d)

  196. > How Lake performed relative to Trump’s performance is irrelevant to her Senate race.

    Not at all.

    In a year where Republicans improved over Democrats across the board, Lake still failed to get across the finish line. Why? Because of things *unique to her candidacy* that made her stand out from the more successful Republicans.

    A Republican who was more moderate on abortion, or who didn’t *attack the memory of John McCain in his home state*, or who didn’t spout nonsense about stolen elections, could have defeated Gallego. Lake couldn’t.

    aphrael (be1cf4)

  197. Nikki Haley’s Trump’s triangulation flops :

    …………..
    “I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, on Saturday night. “I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country.”

    Trump has held particular resentment toward Haley, his former United Nations ambassador, ever since she challenged him in the GOP primary and became his last-standing rival. Haley was harshly critical of Trump during her campaign, calling him “diminished” and “unhinged” while courting voters who wanted to move on from Trump. But Haley eventually announced she would vote for Trump, after he won the GOP nomination in a landslide.
    …………..
    Haley, despite the embrace of Trump, continued to voice some criticisms. In a Fox News interview last month, she noted that a warm-up speaker at a Trump rally likened Harris to a prostitute with “pimp handlers” and said, “That is not the way to win women. That is not the way to win people who are concerned about Trump’s style.”
    ………….
    …………..Contenders for secretary of state include Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, according to people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations. People close to Trump say he is prioritizing loyalty to him.
    ##########

    The only person who thought that Nikki Haley would serve in a second Trump administration was Haley herself.

    Rip Murdock (14415d)

  198. Another possible headline: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is nit expected to resign.

    Not only does Sonia Sotomayor not want to retire, it’s probably too late to replace her by Noon January 3, 2025.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  199. aphrael (be1cf4) — 11/10/2024 @ 9:38 am

    When people are loudly complaining about serious problems, one party is acknowledging the problems and providing inane and ridiculous answers, and the other party is denying the existence of the problems — what would you *expect* to happen?

    One party was attacking inane and ridiculous and even harmful “solutions” to onn-problems offered (in fact quietly insisted upon) by the other party while inventing other”problems” to which it proposed bad “remedies” (which could be described by them as “common sense solutions”) while the other party was afraid to make any arguments on issues unless it already polled well – which only “democracy” and “abortion” did – and then they told very big lies about what the other party or its candidates supported or would do (because being opposed to what are lies polls better than being against what is real position of the other aarty)

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  200. 20 million illegals in the country, a number that he most likely pulled from his ass.

    Nom someebody else most likely gave it to him – some sort of anti-immigration lobby or government workers union.

    People don’t realize that the bigger the number it is, the more insignificant the numbers are because the effect on society is a given i.e. if it takes 20 million people and not, say, 11 million to create the current “problem” the less serious problem it is.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  201. Well, stupid Hitler isn’t just talking about “illegal” immigrants, he’s also talking about legal immigrants he doesn’t like. Those animals eating cats and dogs, I mean it’s catfish and hotdogs, but the thing about stupid Hitler is he’s immensely stupid.

    November 9, 1923-Jan 6 2021 samey same

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  202. The Bund, incels, KKK, all the best people.

    Hey, bitch, we control your bodies! Guess what, guys win again

    Your body. My choice. Dumb Whore

    Greetings. You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 12AM, November 13th sharp with your belongings. Are executive slaves will come get you in a brown van. Be prepared to be searched down once you have entered the plantation.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  203. In NYC, migrants are being housed in $400 per night hotels and given $1400 a month for groceries. Assuming that’s for a family of four, that comes out to about $40,000 per year per person. So that’s about $500 billion a year.

    John Galt (9ac6b0)

  204. Here are some estimates on illegal immigrants from Pew Research.

    The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States grew to 11.0 million in 2022, according to new Pew Research Center estimates based on the 2022 American Community Survey, the most recent year available. The increase from 10.5 million in 2021 reversed a long-term downward trend from 2007 to 2019. This is the first sustained increase in the unauthorized immigrant population since the period from 2005 to 2007.

    However, the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022 was still below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.

    One surprise: “California (-120,000) is the only state whose unauthorized immigrant population decreased.”

    (FWIW, I consider Pew “very trustworthy” — but they are tackling a difficult problem.)

    Jim Miller (ce918d)

  205. Trump declares Senate majority candidates should allow him to make recess appointments
    ………….
    “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote, adding, “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY!”

    (Recess appointments) would allow the president to appoint people to senior administration positions and bypass Senate confirmation.

    Currently, both chambers of Congress enter “pro forma” sessions, even when the House and the Senate are out of town, as a tactic to block the president from bypassing confirmation votes.
    …………..
    In 2020, during the throes of the Covid pandemic, Trump threatened to unilaterally adjourn Congress so he could make recess appointments, but the threat never materialized.
    ………….
    GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and John Thune of South Dakota, the minority whip, are running to replace (Senator Mitch McConnell as Senate Majority Leader.)
    ………….
    “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible,” Scott wrote.

    Cornyn wrote on X that it is “unacceptable” for Senate Democrats to block Trump appointments.
    ………….
    Thune said members of the Senate must act “quickly and decisively” on Trump appointments.
    ………….
    In the second part of his Truth Social post Sunday, Trump called on Democrats not to confirm any additional judicial nominees before the start of the next congressional session.

    “Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!” Trump wrote, suggesting Republicans should stop Democrats from confirming judges during the lame duck session.
    …………

    Rip Murdock (14415d)

  206. Alternatively, the Senate can waive the filibuster rule for Presidential appointments.

    Rip Murdock (14415d)

  207. Rip Murdock (14415d) — 11/10/2024 @ 3:59 pm

    More:

    One obstacle to Trump’s wishes is that both chambers have to pass a resolution to go into recess, which would give Senate Democrats an opportunity to filibuster the resolution and essentially block its passage.……….
    ………….
    …………. Democrats will control the chamber for the rest of Biden’s presidency and do not need GOP votes to approve judges.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (14415d)

  208. Semantics.

    The reality is illegal immigration is destroying our way of life as is our government destroying the value of the dolar.

    Trump won because the people who think changing the name of something changes its reality lost.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  209. Rip Murdock (14415d) — 11/10/2024 @ 4:01 pm

    Alternatively, the Senate can waive the filibuster rule for Presidential appointments.

    It already doesn’t exist for all nominations, or rather cloture ncn be invoked by a majority vote, That still means nominations can take up time. Votes are actually still held mostly by unanimous consent.

    In this Congress, there was a senator who put a hold on all military promotions. Then finlly a deal was reached.

    https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3917643/senate-confirms-more-than-6000-military-leaders-for-promotions-new-positions

    “Last night, the Senate confirmed more than 6,000 of our highly qualified military nominees in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force,” said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing today.

    Less than a year ago, hundreds of similar nominations were held up in the Senate due to a blanket hold on confirmations implemented in February 2023.

    The Senate still ffunctions a great deall by Senatorial courtesy,

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  210. 211. Does Pew offer a clue as to what reduces the number?

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  211. And again you violate the terms of service here. Why do you think you’re special?

    This coming from the guy who violated the terms of service for lying, for smearing a commenter by dishonestly asserting that I was “OK with the Steele Memorandum that Hillary was flogging”. You’re the last person who should be whining about the posting rules, Kevin. Why do you think you’re so special, that you can make claims with impunity, without providing anything in support? Is it because your assertions are bogus? To me, the answer is yes. Why not just provide a link when asked or be honest for once and say you made it up?

    BTW, DHS had an estimate of 11 million in 2022, well into Biden’s presidency, but the 8 million number in the WSJ was for the entirety of Biden’s term. In that context, 11+8 ≠ 20. Further, 11+8 ≠ 19 because a significant but unquantified amount of that 8 million is incorporated in that 11 million number.

    This link is a fact check of Rubio’s unfounded claim that there are 20 to 30 million illegals in the country, but it was useful because they provided multiple numbers from multiple sources…

    Here are immigration groups’ recent estimates of the number of people illegally in the U.S. They issued their estimates from November 2023 to March 2024:

    • 11.2 million in 2021, up from 11 million in 2019, the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.
    • 10.5 million in 2021, up from 10.2 million in 2019, the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.
    • 10.9 million in 2022, up from 10.3 million in 2021, the Center for Migration Studies of New York.
    • 12.3 million in May 2023, up from 10.2 million in January 2021, the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank favoring low immigration levels. Steven Camarota, the center’s research director, recently provided PolitiFact with a preliminary estimate of 14 million people in the country illegally as of March 2024.
    • 16.8 million in 2023, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group advocating for reduced immigration.

    If I were to pick one, I’d go with Camarota’s 14 million number as of last March, which is bad but isn’t the tremendously worse 20 million. Being off by 6 million persons is relevant when talking about prescriptions.

    On top of the mess Biden created with his MyPillow soft immigration policies, his DHS has no provided no update to their 2022 illegal immigration estimate which, to me, is just as scandalous, because they have a duty report to The People what is going on, and it begs the question about whether they’re withholding this bad news for political reasons.

    1) I noted that it was just Trump saying that, but really you demand links then you dispute the links. This is a troll’s game, and it’s tiring.

    No, Kevin. You said “the current estimate is 20 million”, and still haven’t provided any link in support of your claim. It’s the opposite of trolling to question where and how you came by your declarative statement, which you passed off as fact, not your personal opinion.

    If you want to talk about “sophistry”, yes, your points 2 and 3 are exactly that, given your efforts to redefine “illegal” to suit your political agenda.

    Psst, Rip. I now see why you’ve butted heads with Kevin so much. You question his assertions a little bit and all kinds of defensiveness and bullsh-t come out in response, but never a direct answer.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  212. The reality is illegal immigration is destroying our way of life as is our government destroying the value of the dollar.

    Well, it sounds like you live in an alternative reality, because illegal immigration isn’t destroying my way of life and the value of our dollar is rock solid. How exactly is illegal immigration destroying your way of life?

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  213. This coming from the guy who violated the terms of service for lying, for smearing a commenter by dishonestly asserting that I was “OK with the Steele Memorandum that Hillary was flogging”

    You have repeatedly been shown to have come very close to that. Maybe you didn’t say the exact words, or weren’t as strident as we ALL remember, but you did it.

    This will be the last time I ever engage with you, Paul.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  214. Barring an unexpected apology on your part.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  215. It already doesn’t exist for all nominations, or rather cloture ncn be invoked by a majority vote, That still means nominations can take up time. Votes are actually still held mostly by unanimous consent.

    There is debate after cloture, but it is now limited to a few hours. Originally it was 30 hours, but the Democrats started taking the full 30 hours for each and every nominee and McConnell had enough.

    This means, however, that the Democrats can now hammer judges through like McConnell did,

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  216. because illegal immigration isn’t destroying my way of life
    Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/10/2024 @ 6:07 pm

    From the guy who chooses to live about as far away from the southern border as possible.

    lloyd (8ddcc3)

  217. From the guy who chooses to live about as far away from the southern border as possible.

    Hawaii, Alaska, North Dakota, Maine, Minnesota? Lots of places farther away than Seattle, but major cities have more immigrants than rural communities…because they’re cities, more people=more people.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  218. When I’m not thinking about me, I see that illegal immigration has an effect on wages in the entry level job space. I don’t make entry level wages but I see and work with people that are earning those wages every day. I pay those wages. One of the reasons people think we need to have a $20HR minimum wage in CA is because there is an ongoing deluge of people willing to work “on the books” but under false docs. CA home- light commercial construction has an oversupply of people looking for work, and very few are legal. There have been brief periods of under supply. One period several years back was when the marijuana growers were offering $15-17HR cash. Suddenly there was a period of competition and on the books employers needed to push the wage upwards of $18-19HR.

    Newcomers are highly motivated to get a job quickly- most show up owing friends, relatives for the coyote which can be over $10,000 which they need to begin paying on immediately. Your average high school grad African American has next to zero chance of competing for an entry level non-union construction job in Southern California. The big lie is these are jobs Americans won’t do- when the truth is that the deck is totally stacked against entry. The wage is low, you need to speak and understand Spanish all day, you’ll need to learn your new job in a foreign language. Its how I learned, I was the 16 year old white kid working the orchards with a group of 9 Mexicans and me- the guy who hired me thought I would not last the week (I’m stubborn)

    I benefit from the low wage pressure- it means I can pay a very fair market rate and keep the high achievers- I don’t have to pay as well as I do, but doing so means I can pick who I want. But there is also a cap on how much I can pay, how much I can charge for labor because my competition is passing low wage savings on to the end user as a means to winning competitive bids- I’d like to pay more and charge more, but I can’t- my edge has to be quality, skill and productivity- to the point where I go into negotiations known as best bidder

    steveg (4d28b3)

  219. Sounds like the real problem is employers breaking the law by hiring illegal workers.

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  220. @185 it wasn’t somehow. It was democrats asking for donor class money to fight overwhelming republican money. Demorats I need donor money not representing the working class. Until trump’s populism where could they go.

    asset (c0e784)

  221. Sounds like the real problem is employers breaking the law by hiring illegal workers.

    Who, exactly, is policing this?

    Contractors who are scrupulous also tend to be outbid a lot, so the market favors the illegals.

    In SoCal, cities refuse to police immigration. The Feds haven’t been doing it lately (to the point where they are printing green cards faster than Topps).

    And really, some of those Hispanic workers are here legally (or at least the feds pretend they are), so it’s hard to tell. In South Texas, some of the Hispanics asked why they voted for Trump said that they couldn’t get work at a wage they could feed their family.

    So, again, who is policing this?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  222. File this under Elections Have Consequences, because Trump just picked Mr. Homan to be his border czar, the guy who was an architect to the immoral practice of separating kids from their parents.

    Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement between 2017 and 2018, is considered one of the key architects of the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” family separation policy.

    Under the initiative, immigration officials broke with the longstanding practice of keeping migrant families together and out of detention, instead sending parents to immigration court for removal proceedings and children to the care of a separate agency.

    Immigration offenses are considered civil violations, not criminal ones, and many of the families first presented as asylum-seekers, but they were soon on the fast track out of the country.

    The practice separated at least 5,000 families, many permanently, as parents were sent abroad and the Trump administration initially declined to keep track of where they ended up. As of this May, an estimated 1,400 families remained apart.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  223. And really, some of those Hispanic workers are here legally (or at least the feds pretend they are), so it’s hard to tell.

    You keep saying things like this, what the hell are you saying? Are they legal, it’s binary?

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  224. @ 230:
    Immoral? The govt does this all the time WRT mothers who test positive for drugs in maternity wards.
    Child Protective Services takes kids away from parents routinely.

    (and to a lesser extent children from a divorce)

    Never mind feds have done this under other presidents.
    I am not sure how this man is more or less moral than others.

    Joe (584b3d)

  225. You keep saying things like this, what the hell are you saying? Are they legal, it’s binary?

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/10/2024 @ 10:46 pm

    The far left parrots AOC’s claim that because the democrats deemed it so, millions of illegal aliens are here legally because of asylum.

    The word for this is fraud.

    Klink shows us a really good example of how despite this being an outrageous betrayal of American voters, the left will themselves pretend to be outraged this is even discussed in a normal manner. ‘What the hell are you saying?!? omg they are legal!!!’

    This is that gaslighting thing, boomers.

    I am amazed Trump was a viable candidate, until I remember what he ran against. If you hate America, which is what Klink is actually expressing if you unpeel one layer, you realize what the populist movement was about. In fact, it’s not hard at all for moderate politicians to adapt to reality. Step one definitely is a reform to immigration policies.

    First, we have to end birthright citizenship and deport asylum fraud illegals first, then other illegals. We have to ensure Americans get a living wage, not through Bernie Sanders ideology, but simply restoring the free market, unimpeded by illegal immigration. That would also dramatically improve the quality of life in our country.

    If Trump is serious, which frankly is an open question, he can’t repeat the BS of 2017 and 2018.

    Dustin (4b502c)

  226. @230 “the immoral practice of separating kids from their parents.”

    Paul, why are you in favor of carving out exceptions for migrants breaking our laws?

    Any American parent who breaks the law or puts their kids in danger or sends them across international borders with a pretend relative would be separated from their kids.

    lloyd (91f09a)

  227. the immoral practice of separating kids from their parents.

    “No one is above the law”. That means parents too.

    SaveFarris (7fbc6f)

  228. Any American parent who breaks the law or puts their kids in danger or sends them across international borders with a pretend relative would be separated from their kids.

    I’m sure there are people who oppose jail for criminal parents, too. I have no doubt it comes up in the “no cash bail” discussion.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  229. First, we have to end birthright citizenship

    I would be opposed to this, and it is probably unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment was written at a time when the former Confederacy planned to deprive former slaves and their offspring of citizenship rights as they had not been born citizens or born TO citizens.

    Eventually they managed to get around that for a time when the courts stopped enforcing the 14th Amendment (see Cruikshank), but Jim Crow was not about saying they weren’t citizens, only that states could do whatever they wanted to some citizens.

    I don’t really see the problem with birthright citizenship. What I see a problem with is treating the citizen children of illegals as anchors. Deport the parents and allow them to take their kids, but the children will always have the right of re-entry if they can arrange it later.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  230. I’ve said that I was going to be unhappy no matter who won. I was right. Two items:

    1. Trump wants the Senate to rubber-stamp all his nominees, or better yet go into recess so he doesn’t need their vote at all. I guess it’s legal, but it’s as noxious as the NPVC or court-packing.

    2. Elise Stefanik for UN Ambassador. The victory of bloody-mindedness.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  231. Semi-rhetorical question:

    I understand why the Democrats didn’t talk about how and why their message was missing the voters that ended up flipping to Trump, but why did the media suddenly see it all after the election, and not before?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  232. On Veteran’s Day, I remember Bill Mauldin:

    Born in Mountain Park, New Mexico, on October 29, 1921, William Henry Mauldin grew up on a ranch near Phoenix. In his early teens he decided he wanted to be a cartoonist and upon graduation attended the Academy of Fine Art in Chicago. After joining the army in 1940, he produced cartoons for the 45th Division News. Three years later, he took part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy, where he received the Purple Heart, and by 1944 he was a full-time cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the armed services newspaper. Through his cartoons he became the spokesman for the downtrodden combat soldiers in their wrinkled and torn uniforms, unshaven and weary of war. His characters were the taciturn but eloquent witnesss of the conflict who “defied army rituals and regulations.” They knew they had to fight the war, but they refused to shine their shoes.

    I have two of his books, Up Front and Bill Mauldin’s Army.

    This, from the first, may surprise some: “I didn’t really believe in atrocity stories until I had been in France awhile.” pp. 204-205

    But that change, late in the war was not unusual. There was a similar shift in British opinion.

    Jim Miller (a0c878)

  233. #218 Sammy – Pew doesn’t say why illegals are, net, leaving California. At a guess, I’d say they are leaving for the same reasons that others are, high crime, high cost of living, and so forth.

    Here’s a Politico article on why people have been leaving California.

    Jim Miller (a0c878)

  234. First, we have to end birthright citizenship

    I would be opposed to this, and it is probably unconstitutional.

    We’d have to amend the constitution. Constitutional amendments are not unconstitutional.

    I’m more interested in your moral reasoning here. If you illegally immigrate to our country, because one political party is incentivizing it at tremendous expense to Americans, and the reason for this scheme is that children born here will vote for that one political party, why not simply solve the problem by ending the practice?

    The USA should be more like other countries, both in border enforcement, and in citizenship. If I sneak into the most desirable European country a day before my kid is born, should they become citizens of that country, or should they be Americans? The answer is pretty clear to me.

    “What I see a problem with is treating the citizen children of illegals as anchors. […]the children will always have the right of re-entry if they can arrange it later.”

    Bear in mind this isn’t free. This is costing the people here now, and they are voting accordingly. The world has changed dramatically from 100 years ago.

    Immigration to the USA is highly desirable, and the USA needs legal immigration. The only way that this works is if we make it work. We can be more choosey. Anyone coming in illegally, “anchor baby” or not, should never be allowed to be a citizen. Ever, period, simple as that. They should never be eligible for any benefit from the US government other than rehabilitation in prison. That should be a constitutional amendment. There is a clear beneficiary to this policy: legal immigrants.

    Tall walls and wide gates. We should make legal immigration to the USA much easier and straightforward, with the provision that illegally entering the country is a permanent bar. I’ll be told this is unfair. That’s right, it’s unfair.

    Dustin (4b502c)

  235. Psst, Rip. I now see why you’ve butted heads with Kevin so much. You question his assertions a little bit and all kinds of defensiveness and bullsh-t come out in response, but never a direct answer.

    Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/10/2024 @ 5:53 pm

    👍

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  236. In SoCal, cities refuse to police immigration.

    Not their problem; enforcing federal immigration laws aren’t their responsibility. See here.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  237. Birthright citizenship is common in the Americas, rare, elsewhere.

    Jim Miller (a0c878)

  238. The USA should be more like other countries, both in border enforcement, and in citizenship. If I sneak into the most desirable European country a day before my kid is born, should they become citizens of that country, or should they be Americans? The answer is pretty clear to me.

    The moral case goes back to the freedmen. Without citizenship, freed slaves would have had no civil rights, and the 14th amendment was intended to stop states from asserting they were not citizens. That they managed to do otherwise (with the willing connivance of later politicians) does not change that.

    The only exception made involved children of foreign diplomats. If we start adding exceptions, well, it’s easy to extend a list once started (see LGBTQ+). The current rule is simple, clear, and mostly provable. It works.

    The problem you observe is not “citizenship” but “anchor babies.” The child being a citizen is not a huge burden in and of itself. We let people fly into this country for a week, birth a child, and we give the kid a passport as the family flies home. The child of an illegal immigrant is at least the child of an IMMIGRANT, as opposed to the tourist’s safety-valve birth.

    If we find we mush deport the parent(s) there is nothing in the Constitution that says we must allow the child to stay. We just cannot deprive it of citizenship. It can remain a citizen in Guatemala and return later when it has the agency to do so.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  239. Birthright citizenship is common in the Americas, rare, elsewhere.

    Elsewhere they have other rules that we do not have, such as citizenship-by-descent. You cannot get US citizenship by claiming long after birth that your grandfather was an American. In much of Europe that kind of retroactive citizenship is possible.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  240. Not their problem; enforcing federal immigration laws aren’t their responsibility

    I didn’t say it was. But they COULD report illegal workers to ICE. They could treat EMPLOYMENT of illegals as a civil infraction, with a fine or otehr penalty (e.g. exclusion from state contracts).

    They don’t and so there is no current local (or federal) enforcement of work rules.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  241. Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 9:40 am

    Oh, bullsh1t.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  242. “So, again, who is policing this?”

    A better question is “Why is nobody policing this?”

    Davethulhu (741a5f)

  243. Elsewhere they have other rules that we do not have, such as citizenship-by-descent. You cannot get US citizenship by claiming long after birth that your grandfather was an American. In much of Europe that kind of retroactive citizenship is possible.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/11/2024 @ 10:04 am

    That’s an interesting point.

    And perhaps there’s room for that kind of concession. I had only thought of one-step parent citizenship-by-descent, as well as normal legal immigration and naturalization.

    The moral case goes back to the freedmen. Without citizenship, freed slaves would have had no civil righ

    Exactly, Kevin. It was horrific to consider denying freed slaves citizenship for the country they slaved away building.

    And that is not a moral argument for birthright citizenship today, as far as I can tell.

    You seem to think I’m concerned with anchor babies keeping mom and dad in the USA. That’s not really my point. It’s the baby starting as an american that is the real reason democrats are allowing so much unlawful immigration. There’s no good reason to do that, and so much reason to end the practice. It’s the literal opposite of a freed slave. Instead, people come here and get citizenship at tremendous expensive to the working class of Americans who wages are reduced, housing more expensive, communities deteriorated.

    Just cut out the incentive.

    Trump obviously can’t deport his way out of this problem. But suppose the welfare apparatus went away, social security went away entirely (as it should… boomers didn’t really pay for it), and anyone born in the USA to nonAmericans is no longer considered an American, retroactively for 10 years.

    I’m sure that sounds extreme. Perhaps it is. The harm to the country is also extreme.

    Dustin (4b502c)

  244. Trump wants the Senate to rubber-stamp all his nominees……

    It is unlikely that the new Senate would reject any of his nominees anyway, as it very rare for the Senate to reject outright a nominee to a cabinet position. It has happened only nine times in the history of the United States, and only three times in the 20th century. The last time in 1989 when Senator John Tower was rejected on a vote of 47-53.

    I have no problem with the Senate (or the House) being a rubber stamp for President Trump’s agenda. He won (overwhelmingly) on his platform of immigration deportations, tariffs, tax breaks, pardons, etc. and his voters deserve to see them implemented.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  245. Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 9:40 am

    Oh, bullsh1t.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/11/2024 @ 10:08 am

    Kevin M, keeping it classy.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  246. #252

    This is not about rushing nominees into power. It’s about avoiding hearings and the necessity to get background checks. That may work for a couple of years.

    That said, the tradition of thwarting the constitutional power to make recess appointments dates to 2014. Like the fries about the Court’s overturning Chevron, this feels like a reflexive complaint about Mr Orange rather than a genuine alarm about how we do Democracy in the USA.

    Appalled (f24838)

  247. @49 Simon Jester (c8876d) — 11/8/2024 @ 3:57 pm
    All this Simon!

    whembly (477db6)

  248. @169

    If I had the money, I’d leave this country and never come back.

    Atomic Amish (f5ded1) — 11/10/2024 @ 6:28 am

    Well…











    …bye!!

    whembly (477db6)

  249. Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 10:26 am

    It is unlikely that the new Senate would reject any of his nominees anyway, as it very rare for the Senate to reject outright a nominee to a cabinet position. It has happened only nine times in the history of the United States, and only three times in the 20th century. The last time in 1989 when Senator John Tower was rejected on a vote of 47-53.

    Many nominees were withdrawn before a confirmation vote, the same way many chess games end by resignation and not checkmate,

    Bill Clinton’s two first nominees for Attorney General were withdrawn in 1993 (as i think he had planned) so when it came to thee third, Janet Reno, she didn’t get too much scrutiny. And Bill Clinton had claimed he wanted to pick a woman, so it looked to people like he hadn’t planned to name her all along.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  250. This is not about rushing nominees into power. It’s about avoiding hearings and the necessity to get background checks. That may work for a couple of years.

    It’s also about preventing the Democrats from filibustering nominees, no matter how qualified they are.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  251. @214

    Alternatively, the Senate can waive the filibuster rule for Presidential appointments.

    Rip Murdock (14415d) — 11/10/2024 @ 4:01 pm

    I’d rather this than any recess appointments.

    IN this day and age, there should be no reason to allow recess appointments. It’s an artifact of a time when Congress needed days/weeks to establish a quorum and the Executive branch needed to be more nimble than that.

    whembly (477db6)

  252. Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/11/2024 @ 10:00 am

    If we find we mush deport the parent(s) there is nothing in the Constitution that says we must allow the child to stay.

    You can’t expel citizens. That may be by treaty or just because there is nothing to authorize it in the first place.

    .”What would tend to have the children go with their parents is the desire of the parents to be with their children or fear of involuntary adoption, after foster care.

    If the situation in the home country is really bad, like in Afghanistan (especially for girls) or Ukraine (war) parents would be more likely to leave their citizen children behind, after arranging for someoneto take care of them,

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  253. @227

    Sounds like the real problem is employers breaking the law by hiring illegal workers.

    Davethulhu (741a5f) — 11/10/2024 @ 8:54 pm

    Yup.

    E-Verify should be mandated honestly.

    whembly (477db6)

  254. The problem with recess appointments is that a recess resolution requires consent of both the House and Senate. So if the Democrats take the House, or they filibuster the resolution in the Senate, no recess appointments would be allowed.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  255. E-Verify should be mandated honestly.

    whembly (477db6) — 11/11/2024 @ 11:16 am

    Along with several high profile workplace raids (including family roundups), followed by prosecutions of corporate officers.

    Drive the point home.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  256. Many nominees were withdrawn before a confirmation vote…….

    Doesn’t count as a killed nomination.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  257. This is not about rushing nominees into power. It’s about avoiding hearings and the necessity to get background checks.

    So what? President Trump (and his voters) deserve the nominees he wants.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  258. You keep saying things like this, what the hell are you saying? Are they legal, it’s binary?

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/10/2024 @ 10:46 pm

    The far left parrots AOC’s claim that because the democrats deemed it so, millions of illegal aliens are here legally because of asylum.

    The word for this is fraud.

    Klink shows us a really good example of how despite this being an outrageous betrayal of American voters, the left will themselves pretend to be outraged this is even discussed in a normal manner. ‘What the hell are you saying?!? omg they are legal!!!’

    This is that gaslighting thing, boomers.

    I am amazed Trump was a viable candidate, until I remember what he ran against. If you hate America, which is what Klink is actually expressing if you unpeel one layer, you realize what the populist movement was about. In fact, it’s not hard at all for moderate politicians to adapt to reality. Step one definitely is a reform to immigration policies.

    First, we have to end birthright citizenship and deport asylum fraud illegals first, then other illegals. We have to ensure Americans get a living wage, not through Bernie Sanders ideology, but simply restoring the free market, unimpeded by illegal immigration. That would also dramatically improve the quality of life in our country.

    If Trump is serious, which frankly is an open question, he can’t repeat the BS of 2017 and 2018.

    Dustin (4b502c) — 11/11/2024 @ 6:34 am

    So, uh, still have no idea what your talking about. The 14th Amendment exists, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

    So, legal or not legal? Again, more hand wavey magic. I infer from the highlighted portion, that it’s not just illegals, it’s citizens that are born here too, so it’s not just the illegals. So the 10M-20M, is actually 60M, from crossing the border today, to being born here 90 years ago.

    Meh, there ought to be a law…There is, not just laws, but the constitution in fact.

    Plus a living wage via free markets, two completely opposed forces. All you have to do then is put up a giant wall, have tariffs around 2000%, to ensure there are no global supply chains, etc etc. Not sure how “ensure a living wage” doesn’t require government mandate, like Bernie Sanders.

    All the Bund continues to demand is that they live in a different reality where magic exists.

    Marvel isn’t a documentary.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  259. The “Number”:

    ………….
    The Number is the maximum budget deficit increase that Republicans are willing to tolerate as they extend tax cuts scheduled to expire after 2025 and advance the rest of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans. To unlock the gate to the legislative fast track that lets them sidestep Democratic objections, Republicans must agree, with virtually no defections, on The Number.
    ……………
    House Republicans say they intend to move a bill in the first 100 days of the new Congress, which starts in January. It is likely to include tax cuts, border-security spending and energy policies such as expanded drilling on federal land. They can’t do that until they agree among themselves and with senators on The Number.

    But there is no firm agreement yet on what should go in that bill, how big it should be and how quickly it should move.
    ………..
    Republicans are planning to use a procedure known as reconciliation. It is clunky, because it is restricted to budgetary items and because Congress can’t use it to increase budget deficits beyond a 10-year window. But reconciliation’s advantage is that the Senate can pass bills with a simple-majority vote. …….
    ………….
    The bigger The Number, the more net tax cuts Congress can pass. The smaller The Number, the more those tax cuts must be dialed back or offset with spending cuts, tax increases or tariffs.
    ………….
    Generally, House Republicans prefer a smaller number than GOP senators do, and House members see reconciliation as a chance to push the spending cuts they have long sought.
    ………….
    ………….. To squeeze permanent tax cuts into reconciliation, Republicans would need to find permanent offsets, such as repealing tax breaks or cutting spending. They did some of that in 2017 when they made the corporate tax rate cut permanent but set other policies to lapse after eight years.
    …………..
    Trump has proposed large tax cuts on top of extensions and promised to protect major programs such as Social Security and Medicare while talking generally about spending cuts. As the debate advances, wavering Republicans might look to him for a decision.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  260. So, no birthright citizenship, after what generation, if the first doesn’t count, then the second? The third?

    That would limit US citizenship to only native Americans (wait, at some point they were born here so?) and those that have been naturalized. So the US really only has 20M-30M citizens.

    That’s a lot of deporting.

    The Bund=magical thinking.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  261. You have repeatedly been shown to have come very close to that. Maybe you didn’t say the exact words, or weren’t as strident as we ALL remember, but you did it.

    You’re lying about that, too, Kevin. The fact remains is you can’t produce a quote that is even “very close”. Whether you reply to me or not, I don’t care. In any event, you’ve convinced me that you’re basically full of sh-t and non-credible.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  262. Immoral? The govt does this all the time WRT mothers who test positive for drugs in maternity wards.

    Yes, immoral. Because those immigrant mothers aren’t a danger to their kids like a drug-addict mother could very well be.
    This didn’t have to happen, but Trump wanted a zero-tolerance policy and his lieutenants said “yes, sir”, re-categorizing every case as criminal, regardless of the consequences.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  263. Paul thinks parents trafficking their kids illegally across international borders and risking death or abuse isn’t endangering them. And to think otherwise and try to remove the incentives is immoral.

    lloyd (b80248)

  264. Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 9:40 am

    Rip, who flipped out when he was subjected to one personal attack, is totally simpatico with a commenter who flings poo. That figures.

    lloyd (b80248)

  265. You can’t expel citizens. That may be by treaty or just because there is nothing to authorize it in the first place.

    We aren’t expelling citizens. We are expelling their parents. If some other arrangement can be made (e.g. an aunt, an adoption, etc) they can stay, or come back later. What we won’t do is 1) allow the parents to hold the child hostage, or 2) let it fend for itself.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  266. @266 Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/11/2024 @ 11:46 am
    ” subject to the jurisdiction thereof ” is the center of the debate.

    What does it really mean and what did the framer’s meant?

    It currently has a settled meaning: It referred to a person who was subject to U.S. law.

    Some argues that the original meaning refers to the political allegiance of an individual and the jurisdiction that a foreign government has over that individual and that birthright citizenship has been implemented by executive fiat, not because it is required by federal law or the Constitution.

    Both sides are kidding themselves that one has the stronger argument than the other, as there was this back and forth debate at the time the 14th was written and pasted…and the lower courts has weighed into this.

    It’s either going to take a Congressional act (lol!), or a decision from SCOTUS.

    whembly (477db6)

  267. (If you all don’t mind me mentioning Veterans Day, again.)

    That brief biography of Bill Mauldin should remind us all of the strain war puts on families of soldiers, as well as the soldiers themselves.

    In Up Front Mauldin mentions that he named his jeep, Jean, after his first wife, and says that he misses her and their baby son from time to time. And then the two got divorced in 1946, soon after he returned from Europe.

    Was that divorce one of the many consequences of the war? Possibly.

    Jim Miller (6d1168)

  268. War has been good for virtually no one, except the Cheneys.

    lloyd (b80248)

  269. Paul, why are you in favor of carving out exceptions for migrants breaking our laws?

    I didn’t say that, lloyd. It’s still lawful to adjudicate mothers with dependent kids non-criminally, thereby keeping them together in detention facilities until immigration court or deported or put on parole, like it was before Trump’s “zero tolerance” idea, and as Trump did after he rescinded zero-tolerance.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  270. Trump rescinded zero tolerance because folks like you were intent on making him pay a political price for enforcing the law.

    lloyd (b80248)

  271. “No one is above the law”. That means parents too.

    The law doesn’t require criminal prosecutions for mothers with dependent kids. They can still be held non-criminally (thereby not separating kids) and deported.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  272. Trump’s new border czar Tom Homan’s brutal takedown of AOC resurfaces

    Ocasio-Cortez pressed Homan on his role in recommending the separation of illegal immigrants from children as part of a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to border enforcement.

    Homan, the former head of ICE, informed her that even U.S. citizens are separated from their children if they commit crimes that could affect them, such as driving under the influence or domestic violence.

    When Ocasio-Cortez protested that seeking asylum is completely legal, Homan said that illegal border crossers cannot claim asylum after being caught.’

    If you want to seek asylum, go to a port of entry and do it the legal way,’ Homan said. ‘The attorney general of the United States has made that clear.’

    lloyd (b80248)

  273. Immoral? The govt does this all the time WRT mothers who test positive for drugs in maternity wards.

    I notice that:
    A) The government takes kids from mothers and ships them to foreign countries?

    B) Do you think the mother has no rights?

    C) Maybe you’ve never heard of the American Indian boarding schools, houses for unwed mothers, etc. I know that the Bund likes those things, but there’s a history that exists.

    Paul thinks parents trafficking their kids illegally across international borders and risking death or abuse isn’t endangering them. And to think otherwise and try to remove the incentives is immoral.

    A) What does “parents trafficking their kids illegally across international borders” even mean? They think the opportunities in the US are less risky than staying.

    B) I thought it was only the “criminals”, but anyone crossing the border is illegal, so a criminal, parent or infant. The infant is a criminal.

    It’s almost like reality requires complicated solutions, but when the foremost spokesperson for the policy is stupid Hitler, all you get are stupid solutions that seem to sound a lot like those people that one time over in that one place.

    The Bund.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  274. C) If the home country doesn’t accept returnees; criminals, parents, babies, etc, then what?

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  275. Trump rescinded zero tolerance because folks like you were intent on making him pay a political price for enforcing the law.

    I thought stupid Hitler was strong. If he’s not willing to pay a political price, then that should tell you something.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  276. Trump rescinded zero tolerance because folks like you were intent on making him pay a political price for enforcing the law.

    The law could just as easily be enforced, i.e., via deportation or detention, without zero tolerance and without making every single illegal subject to criminal prosecution. Why go the inhumane route and route make the kids pay?

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  277. Elections, they have consequences.
    Trump’s first-term Wormtongue will play a more prominent role, soon to be Deputy Chief of Staff with expanded responsibilities.

    Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner and adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, is taking over policy planning for the transition and is expected to be named deputy chief of staff in the incoming administration, according to people briefed on the matter.

    It remains to be seen how broad Mr. Miller’s portfolio will be, but it is expected to be vast and to far exceed what the eventual title will convey, according to the people briefed on the matter.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  278. Why go the inhumane route and route make the kids pay?

    Because that’s the point, the cruelty disincentives migration.

    Don’t come here, will take your kids and give them to white people. It’s the whole point of stupid Hitler’s take on the Lebensborn program.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  279. The Bund needs a safe space.

    The most delicate snowflakes on the planet.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  280. Rip (#262)

    Trump has complined about the filibuster a number of times in term 1. Since it will get in the way of what he wants at some point, her will do it again.

    Huey Long just had the Louisiana Leg pass everything so that he could just veto the stuff he didn’t want. With a House and Senate in GOP hands — I could see that happening. Far more efficient.

    Appalled (dbc647)

  281. Rip (#265)

    I’m not particularly offended if Trump evades the nomination sideshow. Like most things government, it has become far too bloated.

    We know what he has in store for DoJ anyway and there is no stopping it.

    Appalled (dbc647)

  282. “Our people aren’t having enough children to replace themselves. That should bother us, We want babies not just because they are economically useful. We want more babies because children are good. And we believe children are good, because we are not sociopaths.”

    To counteract falling birth rates in Germany, and to promote Nazi eugenics, leaders of the League of German Girls were also instructed to recruit young women with the potential to become good breeding partners for SS officers.

    Young women who could prove their Aryan ancestry were given incentives for bearing Aryan children, including financial support and privileged treatment in maternity homes.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  283. “The Minister [Himmler] feared that the action would have most unfavourable political consequences, that it would be regarded as abduction of children, and that the juveniles did not represent a real asset to the enemy’s military strength anyhow.”

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  284. I wonder why Make the Bund Great Again and stupid Hitler’s words seem so…familiar.

    Hmm, who?

    “Our people aren’t having enough children to replace themselves. That should bother us, We want babies not just because they are economically useful. We want more babies because children are good. And we believe children are good, because we are not sociopaths.”

    Himmler or…?

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  285. Klink, I see you’re channeling your inner-Goebbels.

    Chillax my dude.

    whembly (477db6)

  286. War has been good for virtually no one, except the Cheneys.

    lloyd (b80248) — 11/11/2024 @ 12:33 pm

    I’m sure the countries liberated from Naziism and Imperial Japan would beg to differ.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  287. It is hard to prove the employer knew the forged documents presented were not real

    The SSA used to send out this notice:

    You reported X# employee names and Social Security numbers (SSNs) on the Wage
    and Tax Statements (Forms W-2) for tax year xxxx that do not match our records.
    There are a number of reasons why reported names and SSNs may not agree with our
    records, such as typographical errors, unreported name changes, and inaccurate or
    incomplete employer records.
    However, when the information reported does not match
    our records, we cannot credit employees’ earnings to their Social Security records.
    Accurate earnings records are important because these records can determine if
    someone is entitled to Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors benefits,
    and how much he or she can receive.
    This letter provides useful information about free online wage reporting tools,
    including how to view and correct name and SSN mismatches.
    IMPORTANT: This letter does not imply that you or your employee intentionally gave
    the government wrong information about the employee’s name or SSN. This letter does
    not address your employee’s work authorization or immigration status.
    Do not take adverse action against an employee, such as laying off, suspending, firing,
    or discriminating against that individual, just because this letter identifies a mismatch
    between his or her SSN or name as reported to us. Those actions could violate state or
    federal law and subject you to legal consequences.

    steveg (4d28b3)

  288. Since lloyd’s comment immediately followed Jim Miller’s on Bill Maudlin, it wasn’t confined to wars of the past 20 years or so.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  289. Jim,

    You might like Willie & Joe: The WWII Years

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  290. War has been good for virtually no one, except the Cheneys.
    lloyd (b80248) — 11/11/2024 @ 12:33 pm

    I’m sure the countries liberated from Naziism and Imperial Japan would beg to differ.
    Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 2:24 pm

    This. Also, our Revolutionary War. The Civil War was good for the enslaved. Israel has engaged in it, too.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  291. When I used to get those, I’d write back saying that the employee said that was the correct number and the SSA would never reply. But my hands were tied by that last paragraph. Why no response? Probably because they are happy to get the monthly payment with no corresponding liability

    steveg (4d28b3)

  292. Klink, I see you’re channeling your inner-Goebbels.

    I see that the Bund doesn’t know who is saying what.

    It’s inconvenient that the Bund, stupid Hitler, and JD Himmler are directly quoting the natcies.

    JD has changed his name so many times, I’m almost positive that one of them was Himmler…oh, wait, it was Hamel, totally different.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  293. Appalled (dbc647) — 11/11/2024 @ 1:43 pm

    Unfortunately it’s a constitutional requirement.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  294. Trump’s Promises and Threats: A Guide to What’s Possible

    President-elect Donald Trump has made a series of promises, proposals and threats during his campaign, on issues ranging from tax cuts to mass deportations. Here is a rundown of some of these vows, with a look at their prospects.

    Climate
    ………….
    Defense and Foreign Policy

    Pledge

    Use troops against “the enemy within.”
    …………
    Obstacles

    Under the Posse Comitatus act of 1878, the active-duty troops can’t participate in civilian law enforcement on American citizens unless authorized by Congress.

    Pledge

    Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza before even taking office.

    Can He Do It?

    Trump may have luck encouraging Ukraine, which has been losing ground, to the negotiating table, but Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hamas and Israel have shown no signs they want to end the fighting.

    Obstacles

    Ceasing hostilities depends on whether the warring parties are willing to negotiate.

    Justice Department
    …………
    Pledge

    Prosecute political enemies.

    Can He Do It?

    Trump is looking for an attorney general who is willing to do his bidding, after feeling let down by his first-term picks.

    Obstacles

    Internal dissent within the Justice Department and judges unwilling to sign off on arrest warrants could derail these plans.

    Energy

    Pledge

    “Drill baby drill” and cut energy prices in half.

    Can He Do It?

    While administration policy can affect demand and supply at the margins, energy prices are mostly driven by market forces. Trump can offer more leases on federal lands and waters with few restrictions, but that doesn’t mean companies will bid on them or increase drilling.

    Obstacles

    The federal government has little authority to set commodity prices. Companies are unlikely to increase production, which already hit all-time highs under Biden, in large part because investors want companies to spend on buybacks and dividends, not drilling.
    ………….

    Federal Reserve and Finance
    ………….
    Health and Education
    ………….
    Pledge

    Get rid of the Education Department.

    Can He Do It?

    Congress would need to pass a law to eliminate the department, which would be possible if Republicans control both the House and Senate.

    Obstacles

    Democrats could filibuster such a measure in the Senate.

    Immigration
    ……………
    Obstacles

    Congress will likely need to provide the administration additional funding to make mass deportations a reality. Also expect nearly every individual policy to be challenged in court.

    Taxes
    ………….
    Can He Do It?

    Making tips tax-free could be the easiest to accomplish, because it has a smaller deficit impact at an estimated $300 billion over a decade, compared with more than $1 trillion each for making overtime pay or Social Security benefits tax free. Lawmakers may want to limit the exemption to set an income cap or to prevent people from recharacterizing wages or business income as tips.

    Obstacles

    Would require approval of Congress, which will be looking for ways to trim the price tag of a tax bill that extends Trump’s expiring 2017 tax cuts and includes his newer ideas.
    ………….

    Trade
    ……………

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  295. What’s gonna be worse: four more years of Trump or four years of Klink’s Nazi analogies? Hard to tell.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  296. @303

    What’s gonna be worse: four more years of Trump or four years of Klink’s Nazi analogies? Hard to tell.

    Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 3:13 pm

    People like that defended slavery because of “economic ramifications” or the likes…

    Klink’s party is just mad that for 150 years we took their slaves away, and they absolutely do not want to get rid of their new economic slaves.

    But Sir Goebbels is going to Goebbels…

    whembly (477db6)

  297. Rip Murdock (36978f) — 11/11/2024 @ 3:07 pm

    Regarding court challenges to Trump’s immigration policies, Congress has the constitutional authority to limit the jurisdiction of the federal courts.

    Article III provides that the Court’s appellate jurisdiction is subject to Exceptions and Regulations prescribed by Congress. Congress and the Court have construed this provision, sometimes called the Exceptions Clause, to grant Congress significant control over the Court’s appellate jurisdiction and proceedings.

    In addition, Congress possesses extensive authority to regulate the jurisdiction of the lower federal courts, and may limit the cases the Supreme Court can hear on appeal by generally stripping the federal courts of jurisdiction over certain cases.
    …………..

    Footnotes omitted.

    So Congress can pass a law that would deny the ability of the federal courts to hear any legal challenges to Trump’s immigration policies, which would greatly facilitate their implementation.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  298. whembly (477db6) — 11/11/2024 @ 3:23 pm

    Your interpretation is your own. My comment was merely reflecting my annoyance with his Johnny-one-note commentary and the useless back and forth it has generated, nothing more. I’ve made it perfectly clear over the past year that I don’t support Trump.

    Even I got tired of my own “Darling Nikki” references and I eventually ended them. Klink’s made his point; it’s his turn to stop.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  299. Amsterdam, we have a problem, a militant Islamist problem.

    AMSTERDAM—Israeli financial adviser Ofek Ziv had just emerged from the metro, heading to the Dutch capital’s central Dam Square with a group of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans, when he says he was struck in the back of the head with a rock. A firecracker exploded near him. Men in ski masks later appeared, wielding knives and bats.

    The assailants, he said, “had fire in their eyes. They want to catch you.”

    Ziv and scores of other Maccabi supporters had traveled to the Dutch capital for a match with local team Ajax on Thursday night. Little did they know that, earlier in the day, they had become a topic of discussion on popular messaging apps, where users were calling for a Jodenjacht, or “Jew hunt.”

    From late Thursday and into the early hours of Friday, Dutch authorities said, mobs unleashed a wave of violence, chasing Israelis through the streets on motorbikes and beating them. The attacks came after videos circulated online of Maccabi fans pulling down a Palestinian flag and chanting about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Police said 25 to 35 people were injured in Amsterdam.

    This attack wasn’t the only Jew-hating event in Amsterdam.

    Riot police in Amsterdam on Monday evening arrested several people during another eruption of violence in the city.

    Footage circulated on social media appeared to show demonstrators throwing fireworks into a tram, which subsequently caught fire, and shouting “Kankerjoden” (“Jewish cancer”).

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  300. What’s gonna be worse: four more years of Trump or four years of Klink’s Nazi analogies? Hard to tell.

    I will talk a lot less about Nazi analogies when the ones that were just elected stopped using the Nazis as the actual guidebook for “Fascist for dummies”.

    It’s annoying because there’s too much truth to be comfortable.

    “well, it’s too bad about the whole genocide thing, because Hitler really did have some great ideas how to build a strong country”

    “the civil war was only about economic determinism, the slaves were just the method of production, so aren’t more important than a mule or a drill press”

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  301. #297 Kevin M. Thanks. Might be a good one to put on my cellphone.

    (I already have a cartoon collection there, from Matt Pritchett. If you are at all interested in British politics, you should look at his cartoons from time to time. I love this recent one.

    He consistently manages to bed sharp and funny, without ever being mean.)

    Jim Miller (8ee121)

  302. It’s annoying because there’s too much truth to be comfortable.

    No, it’s annoying because it’s repetitive and has lost all meaning as an argument as there’s nothing in Nazi-like in Trump’s policies. It’s an ad hominem attack on people who just have an opposing political agenda.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  303. Trump’s historical ignorance about the Nazi regime is no excuse to paint his supporters with the same broad brush.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  304. America is for Americans and Americans Only–Nur für Deutsche

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  305. So Congress can pass a law that would deny the ability of the federal courts to hear any legal challenges to Trump’s immigration policies, which would greatly facilitate their implementation.

    A strict reading of Arizona v. US would say that the federal courts have no jurisdiction to begin with.

    SaveFarris (fd1535)

  306. A strict reading of Arizona v. US would say that the federal courts have no jurisdiction to begin with.

    SaveFarris (fd1535) — 11/11/2024 @ 5:22 pm

    What language in the decision leads to that conclusion?

    From the opinion syllabus:

    The Federal Government’s broad, undoubted power over immigration and alien status rests, in part, on its constitutional power to “establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” Art. I, §8, cl. 4, and on its inherent sovereign power to control and conduct foreign relations, see Toll v. Moreno, 458 U.S. 1, 10.……..

    The Supremacy Clause gives Congress the power to preempt state law. A statute may contain an express preemption provision, see, e.g., Chamber of Commerce of United States of America v. Whiting, 563 U. S. ___, ___, but state law must also give way to federal law in at least two other circumstances. First, States are precluded from regulating conduct in a field that Congress has determined must be regulated by its exclusive governance………. Second, state laws are preempted when they conflict with federal law, including when they stand “as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives of Congress.”………

    ……….. Section 3 (of Arizona’s SB 1070) intrudes on the field of alien registration, a field in which Congress has left no room for States to regulate. ……….

    Section 5(C)’s criminal penalty stands as an obstacle to the federal regulatory system.……….

    By authorizing state and local officers to make warrantless arrests of certain aliens suspected of being removable, §6 too creates an obstacle to federal law. As a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain in the United States.……..
    ………..

    There is nothing in the syllabus that says federal courts have no jurisdiction over federal immigration law.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  307. https://www.battleswarmblog.com/?p=61340

    No backdoor amnesty from Biden.

    It’s a start.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  308. Klink clearly doesn’t believe his own garbage otherwise he’d be high-tailing it out of the country instead of polluting this blog with his trash.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  309. https://x.com/KarluskaP/status/1856146761917628530

    Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.

    That’s a shock.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  310. https://www.dailywire.com/news/youre-hired-follow-along-for-live-updates-as-trump-builds-his-white-house

    Good place for updates as President-elect Trump builds his cabinet.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  311. 317, other “token” Ls that would serve in Cabinet positions may not meet purity tests. And it might help to have someone versed in Spanish expletives if the US directs bellicosity southward.

    urbanleftbehind (397697)

  312. Really interesting how the Bund never says they don’t believe in their National Socialist agenda, it’s just that it’s mean to point out how that the current National Socialism doesn’t hate jews nearly as much as they used to, anti semitism is only the 5th most important thing.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  313. RIP legendary Southern Cal and Rams coach John Robinson (89):

    ……….He spent 12 total years at the helm at USC and led it to a national championship during the 1978 campaign. He compiled a 104-35-4 record during his two stints leading the Trojans, which has him as the third-winningest coach in program history. He led the team to five Pac-10 championships and he went a perfect 4-0 in the Rose Bowl, too. Two players, Charles White and Marcus Allen, won the Heisman Trophy under his watch.

    ………..He went 75-68 over his nine seasons with the Rams and reached the NFC championship game twice……… His 79 total wins with the organization were the most by a single head coach in team history up until last month, when current head coach Sean McVay picked up his 80th career win.

    Rip Murdock (36978f)

  314. Trump could do worse, picking Rubio for SecState. He’s been a supplicant long enough to earn his loyalty points.

    Paul Montagu (cc78b8)

  315. RIP Legendary Ohio Prep and Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust.

    Faust was the head coach at Moeller High School in Ohio for 19 seasons. During his time there, the Crusaders won five Ohio State Championships (all of which came in his final 6 seasons), 4 Prep National Championships, and 12 Greater Catholic League championships.

    Faust had no plans to leave Moeller ever — except for one place, at that was the University of Notre Dame. Faust was a very devout catholic, and the chance to coach there — a university that wasn’t just catholic, but one of the most storied football programs in America, was a dream come true. In 1980, the Irish offered him that chance after the departure of Dan Devine from South Bend.

    Faust famously once said, “I hope my lifelong dream doesn’t end in a nightmare,” and sadly it slowly became one during five rough seasons at Notre Dame. Perhaps the two most famous games for Faust while at Notre Dame were when the Irish upset the #1 ranked Pitt Panthers in 1982, and the final game of his career against the Miami Hurricanes — a 58-7 loss that kick-started one of the great rivalries in college football during the late 80s and early 90s.

    I was only 3-1 against Moeller, but the only loss in High School was once to Moeller.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  316. Kristi Noem to run DHS. I suspect Lewandowski put in a good word.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  317. Maybe the clincher was her joining Trump in the 39-minute musical interlude with Trump.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  318. AOC why did voters vote for trump and vote for me she asks. Because you get what you see say voters. Corporate establishment donor class running dogs continue to fool less and less voters. (black and latinx woman voters say they have no other place to go.) Jen Psaki asks why did harris campaign with liz cheney instead of Bernie Sanders? Because donors said our money is for liz cheney not sanders $$$! Consultants wouldn’t get 15% of donor class running with bernie appealing to workers instead of wall street.

    asset (20511f)

  319. More about Homan, consequences to elections, and track records.

    In 2017, as acting ICE Director, Tom Homan chose to spread disinfo about the California wildfires saying an undocumented immigrant had started them. He went on to attack the local Sheriff’s office, while they were in the middle of dealing with responding to this natural disaster, asking them to hand over the individual to ICE. The immigrant had NOTHING to do with the wildfires. Those of us working at DHS who were actually committed to homeland security watched this with horror internally as it played out. Remember this going forward when things like this happen again (link).

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  320. Kristi Noem to run DHS. I suspect Lewandowski put in a good word.

    Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/11/2024 @ 11:11 pm

    All dogs should afraid.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  321. Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/12/2024 @ 8:44 am

    My prediction is that Homan’s nomination (along with some of other less qualified nominees) will be filibustered by the Democrats.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  322. In 2017, as acting ICE Director, Tom Homan chose to spread disinfo about the California wildfires saying an undocumented immigrant had started them

    From what I read and heard from him in the last day or so, it occurred to me that he was ignoramus or a liar who told half truths. He seems to know enough to tell half truth rather than lies.

    In either case, if he keeps it up, he’ll have a downfall. Trump will not stop him from digging himself into a hole, and Stephen Miller will see to it that he gets a good chance to dig himself really deep.

    As soon as the public turns against him, which may take some time, (and Trump will not personally defend him) Trump will let him go. Then he try to make the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal happy. Try but not quite succeed.

    Sammy Finkelman (51823e)

  323. I don’t think Homan will be named to a position that requires Senate confirmation. He’ll be White House staff, running policy from the White House.

    Besides, there’s a plan in the works to have Congress recess early or maybe before he inauguration even, for about ten days ending a bit after January 20) and save controversial appointments, or time consuming appointments (and it takes most of a year now for anyone if they have them fill out financial statements etc.w) for the recess period.

    Sammy Finkelman (51823e)

  324. As soon as the public turns against him, which may take some time, (and Trump will not personally defend him) Trump will let him go. Then he try to make the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal happy. Try but not quite succeed.

    Sammy Finkelman (51823e) — 11/12/2024 @ 9:11 am

    That’s quite a speculative prediction, with absolutely no facts in evidence. Why would Trump turn against Homan-he obviously knows what kind of guy he is, or Trump wouldn’t have nominated him. Trump won’t care if the public (or the WSJ editorial board) turns against Homan, as Trump doesn’t need to worry about reelection. The MAGA base will never turn against Homan or Trump.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  325. I don’t think Homan will be named to a position that requires Senate confirmation. He’ll be White House staff, running policy from the White House.

    I agree that Homan will avoid a Senate confirmation position, which will further insulate himself from public opinion.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  326. Why would the public turn against him? Because the media and left will lie about him constantly? They voted for Trump because they wanted to send a message on illegal immigration. He will help send that message.

    Pro-illegal immigration people hardest hit.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  327. The public will turn against him if the deportation is brutal and people are dying. If he is simply deporting criminals and people with existing removal orders, or even those who failed to appeal at hearings, then I think it can work.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  328. *appear

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  329. My prediction is that Homan’s nomination (along with some of other less qualified nominees) will be filibustered by the Democrats.

    The late January recess will make that meaningless.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  330. And it might help to have someone versed in Spanish expletives if the US directs bellicosity southward.

    With what is going on in Mexico’s government, the bellicosity might not be partisan. We don’t needs Mexico to implode.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  331. Why no response? Probably because they are happy to get the monthly payment with no corresponding liability

    They solved this by allowing illegals to get Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to identify an account in case they were later eligible for SS.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  332. I did not vote for Trump. I am not a fan of Trump. In many ways I find him suboptimum at this point in time (although not quite as bad as Harris would have been).

    That being said, I will take him one policy at a time. Some of them I will support (such as deportation of the least desirable illegals), some I will not support (e.g. anything favoring Putin). And some will depend on the details.

    He seems to want to restructure the bureaucracy. I agree this is a needed exercise, but I don’t think Trump is the one to do it. What we will get is an assault with blunt objects, but maybe we are past the point of scalpels. Hard to say. It’s clear that few candidates have had this on offer, so maybe it’s the best we can get.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  333. My prediction is that Homan’s nomination (along with some of other less qualified nominees) will be filibustered by the Democrats.

    Even if his is a job that requires Senate Advise & Consent (and I doubt it does), there’s nothing to filibuster, thanks to Harry Reid.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  334. Even if his is a job that requires Senate Advise & Consent (and I doubt it does), there’s nothing to filibuster, thanks to Harry Reid.

    Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/12/2024 @ 10:35 am

    Cabinet nominees can still be filibustered; the only exceptions are judicial nominations.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  335. The public will turn against (Homan) if the deportation is brutal and people are dying.

    Even if that happens, I doubt Trump would fire him; Homan would simply be carrying out Administration policy, which is what the voters want. And since Trump is immune from reelection worries, he can disregard public opinion.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  336. Trump picks Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel

    Those Relaxium commercials finally paid off.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  337. John Paulson Drops Out of Running to Become Trump Treasury Secretary

    ……….
    “Although various media outlets have mentioned me as a candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, my complex financial obligations would prevent me from holding an official position in President Trump’s administration at this time,” Paulson said in the statement. “However, I intend to remain actively involved with the President’s economic team and helping in the implementation of President Trump’s outstanding policy proposals.”
    ……….
    Paulson’s assets could have come under scrutiny if he were to have a cabinet role in the Trump administration. As a hedge-fund manager, he made an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion during the 2008 financial crisis, the Journal has reported, after he bet against the housing market. He later converted the hedge fund into a family office and stopped managing money for outside clients.

    His previous investment holdings might have been red flags for government ethics officials, and he has also faced several legal hurdles including settling a case with a former business partner. He is in the midst of a bitter divorce.

    Scott Bessent, as a founder of investment firm Key Square Group, could face similar scrutiny of his previous business dealings if he were to get the job. He was the chief investment officer at Soros Fund Management, an investment firm founded by billionaire Democratic megadonor George Soros.
    ……….

    More:

    A number of growing signs suggest Donald Trump may pick hedge fund mogul Scott Bessent as the next Treasury Secretary, which would move the Wall Street veteran—and former colleague of Democratic megadonor George Soros—a step closer to becoming perhaps the most prominent voice shaping the Trump economy.
    ………..
    Bessent worked for Soros from 1991 to 2000, rising to the firm’s head of European allocation by his departure, and returned to Soros from 2011 to 2015 as the fund’s chief investment officer, departing again to run Key Square with a $2 billion investment from the 94-year-old Soros.
    ………..
    Bessent made a name for himself at Soros by reportedly playing a key role in the firm’s bets against the British pound in the early 1990s and the Japanese yen in the early 2010s.
    ………..
    In an editorial published Sunday in the Journal, Bessent offered a roadmap of his vision for the economy during Trump’s second term: “Restarting the American growth engine, reducing inflationary pressures, and addressing the debt burden from four years of reckless spending.” Specifically, Bessent called for an overhaul of bank regulations, “preserving” the U.S. Dollar, reforming the Inflation Reduction Act and a “renaissance in American energy investment” and “free and fair” trade, a nod to the controversial tariffs backed by Trump……….
    ……….

    If nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, Bessent will become the first ever openly gay member of a Republican cabinet.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  338. I hope the Trump Sdmjnistration follows Patterico’s advice: Deport the Criminals First:

    As regular readers know, I have repeatedly argued that our federal government should devote all its ICE agents (at least those not working on border enforcement) to the task of identifying and deporting those illegal aliens who commit crimes while in this country. In my view, it is outrageous that we would use a single ICE agent to arrest someone working hard for a living, while countless thousands of illegals sit in county jails and state prisons — their illegal immigrant status unknown, waiting to be released onto the streets once their sentences are completed.

    This seems like an utter no-brainer to me — but no matter how much I talk about it, the policy isn’t getting implemented. I recently read a Steve Lopez column in which a pro-illegal immigration activist argued that (as Lopez put it) “the tone of the debate has been and will continue to be changed by humanizing it.” I promised to try to “humanize” the problem of crime committed by illegal immigrant criminals, by seeking out and reporting stories of crimes that would have been prevented by pursuing my “deport the criminals first” policy.

    Patterico wrote this in 2007 but had been arguing for it since 2005 and probably before that. I believe he was the first internet proponent of this policy. The Trump Admjnistration should embrace it.

    DRJ (0adca3)

  339. Cabinet nominees can still be filibustered; the only exceptions are judicial nominations.
    I’m not so sure about that, Rip.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  340. Cabinet nominees can still be filibustered; the only exceptions are judicial nominations.

    I’m not so sure about that, Rip.

    Paul Montagu (509661) — 11/12/2024 @ 11:51 am

    Thanks for the link, apparently the filibuster for cabinet officers was nuked along with judges.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  341. @348 As I have noted previously, the migrants who killed Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and many others did not have criminal records. The law is the law, or so we’ve been told. Entering our country illegally is a crime. We have had four years of an administration prioritizing known criminals for deportation, and we’ve seen the result with our own eyes.

    lloyd (47c9fe)

  342. Marco Rubio’s (unconfirmed) SecState selection triggers MAGA:

    Shortly after news leaked that Donald Trump was expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, some of the most MAGA-minded online warriors rushed to cast doubt on the selection — both Rubio’s America First credentials, and whether the decision had actually been made by Trump.
    ……….
    Spokespeople for Trump have not confirmed the selection, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    ……….
    Just before 11 p.m. in Palm Beach, influential Republican activist Charlie Kirk on Monday wrote a veiled message warning his four million followers not to trust all the reporting they’re seeing about the cabinet.

    “Folks, word of wisdom. If Trump hasn’t confirmed it on Truth [Social], don’t jump to conclusions and don’t believe everything you see,” Kirk wrote.

    Elon Musk, a top Trump ally who was seen spending time with Kirk over the weekend in Palm Beach, replied with an “Office Space” meme joking about jumping to conclusions.
    ………..
    The Hill reported on Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has allowed to weigh in on the makings of his second administration, had “expressed opposition” about Rubio having a major foreign policy role. Rubio has been criticized by some Trump diehards as too hawkish.
    ………..
    The criticism of Rubio from online MAGA influencers continued into Tuesday morning, as Trump still had not publicly announced his selection.

    “Why are people inside Mar-a-Lago leaking Trump’s possible cabinet picks to the media?” Trump superfan Laura Loomer wrote on X Tuesday. “Not a good sign that things are being leaked already. People should be respecting President Trump’s privacy and the privacy of the transition team.”

    Conservative comedian Dave Smith said Tuesday that Rubio is “a disaster.”

    “Might as well give Liz Cheney the State Department,” Smith wrote. “Awful sign.”

    “Rubio? Was Hillary unavailable?” wrote another far-right influencer (Peachy Keenan).
    …………

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  343. @335 Remember child separation? Leave the kids alone and stay out of the schools and the people will let trump slide through.

    asset (d873a2)

  344. @342 Not quite yet ;but close most ballots still uncounted democrat. If so another moderate squish bites the dust because of $$$ Helps the left take over the party from the donor class. All we need then is to win an election to quickly change the corrupt system.

    asset (d873a2)

  345. Comcast to sell off msDNC if they can find a buyer for the d.n.c. public relations network. Seems ignoring Bernie and AOC and shilling for corporate establishment stooges is bad for viewership!

    asset (d873a2)

  346. Trump’s pretty astute in his choice of appointees. I wonder who’s advising him.

    They are not all good or even right wing. Tulsi Gabbard is headed for Secretary of Defense

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  347. A friend or acquaintance told me that his neighbors stopped talking to him after the election. He told me that he thinks it is because they think he voted for Trump. he actually voted for Harris (after earlier contemplating skipping the presidential line) but he’s not going to tell them. He doesn’t like either of them.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  348. Senator Eric Schmidt (Republican-Missouri), to whom Donald Trump gave an ambiguous endorsement before the Republican primary in 2022, turned down an offer or near offer to be Attorney General.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  349. Tulsi Gabbard is headed for Secretary of Defense

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 11/12/2024 @ 4:15 pm

    Wrong.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  350. Pete Hegseth makes Gabbard look like a fabulous choice. Hegseth isn’t qualified, just period.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  351. About that call with Putin.

    Trump: I talked to Putin and told him to de-escalate the war in Ukraine.

    Putin: Never happened…*blows up the Kurakhiv reservoir dam, moves 50,000 troops to the border, plays naked pictures of Melania on a loop, issues official press release saying that Trump has corresponding obligations due to Russia helping him get elected and will be obliged to fulfill them*

    He’s not eating him for lunch, he’s eating him for breakfast.

    If I were to guess, the kompromat that Putin has on Trump relates to Jeffrey Epstein, that he has pictures of Trump with minor-aged girls.

    Paul Montagu (509661)

  352. Democrat consultants say don’t blame us and our 15% cut for your message failure! Donor class said appeal to liz cheney and white women not latinx and black working class with threat to democracy not increase taxes on rich or no billion dollars for you!

    asset (38093d)

  353. Assuming that the 7 open races end as they’re trending, the new House will be 222-213 GOP

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  354. Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 11/11/2024 @ 12:54 pm

    C) If the home country doesn’t accept returnees; criminals, parents, babies, etc, then what?

    Trump puts tariffs on imports from thatcountry. And if that doesn’t work, more tariffs, Or he makes a deal to help a dictatorship stay in power, Or that’s his plan anyway.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  355. Kevin M (a9545f) — 11/13/2024 @ 6:56 am

    Assuming that the 7 open races end as they’re trending, the new House will be 222-213 GOP

    At the time of the election of the Speaker. To be reduced temporarily soon thereafter to 220-213 because two are being appointed to executive branch positions.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e)

  356. CIA Official Arrested for Intelligence Leak on Israeli Plans to Strike Iran

    WASHINGTON—A CIA official has been charged with leaking top-secret classified documents that revealed information last month about Israel’s plans for a military strike against Iran, according to U.S. court documents and people familiar with the matter.

    Asif William Rahman, a U.S. government official with top security clearance, was arrested in Cambodia on Tuesday and transported to a federal court in Guam to be charged. He was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts of willful transmission of national defense information, which are charges that can result in years in prison.

    Court documents filed Wednesday say Rahman possessed a top-secret security clearance and had access to sensitive compartmented information. The documents don’t state that he worked at the Central Intelligence Agency, but people familiar with the matter confirmed his employment at the spy agency.

    In October two leaked classified reports from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes imagery gathered by American reconnaissance satellites, appeared on Telegram and X. The files were circulated by a pro-Iran account, Middle East Spectator, which says it received them from an anonymous source.

    I suspect we will never know his motive.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  357. It’s a perfect fit, a parody site buying a bankrupt joke site.

    Paul Montagu (271b15)

  358. Trump puts tariffs on imports from thatcountry. And if that doesn’t work, more tariffs, Or he makes a deal to help a dictatorship stay in power, Or that’s his plan anyway.

    Cool, except those countries are mostly countries that have no imports to the US to tax American citizens on. Just a refresher, but having Americans pay extra taxes probably isn’t the disincentive you think.

    Definitely put those tariffs on Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti…

    Wait, you mean that putting a infinity tariff on them will raise 0 dollars, so the good thing is it’s not adding more taxes on Americans, the bad thing is it defeats the purported reason.

    Ah, now that stupid Hitler is in, it’s almost like people are looking at his ideas and figuring out how stupid they are. It’s in the name people.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  359. This is terrorism, and close to home. The UW administrators would be more sympathetic to the Palestinian side, so there’s no rational reason.

    Paul Montagu (271b15)

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