The Political Junkie Thread

[CameronBornAndBred]

Gaetz in January

[AtlBluRew]

Gaetz withdraws. I wonder if he goes back to the House? It was a unclear situation since he resigned from his current term but has been re-elected for a new term too. Since he probably doesn't want the investigation to come out he will probably disappear? I bet Kevin MacCarthy feels good.


“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Perhaps he won’t return to Congress. Now he has the freedom to pursue his passion of being a sexual predator full time.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Gaetz is replaced by Pam Bondi, who I'm sure is nicknamed by many as Pam Blondie because that's too easy.

I don't know anything about her other than the color of her hair, but at least she was the AG for Florida, so she's not completely unqualified as Gaetz would have been.

[Lotusland]

Gaetz withdraws. I wonder if he goes back to the House? It was a unclear situation since he resigned from his current term but has been re-elected for a new term too. Since he probably doesn't want the investigation to come out he will probably disappear? I bet Kevin MacCarthy feels good.


“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Perhaps he won’t return to Congress. Now he has the freedom to pursue his passion of being a sexual predator full time.

He can get a head start on finding a prom date.

[jipops]

Gaetz is replaced by Pam Bondi, who I'm sure is nicknamed by many as Pam Blondie because that's too easy.

I don't know anything about her other than the color of her hair, but at least she was the AG for Florida, so she's not completely unqualified as Gaetz would have been.

She’s a 2020 election denier, led “lock her up” chants in 2016. And most notably took a 25k illegal donation from the Trump organization to look the other way in the Trump University fraud case while Florida AG.

So she’s corrupt as hell and loyal to DonOld. She fits the bill.

[jipops]

Gaetz withdraws. I wonder if he goes back to the House? It was a unclear situation since he resigned from his current term but has been re-elected for a new term too. Since he probably doesn't want the investigation to come out he will probably disappear? I bet Kevin MacCarthy feels good.


“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Perhaps he won’t return to Congress. Now he has the freedom to pursue his passion of being a sexual predator full time.

He can get a head start on finding a prom date.

Gaetz felt like he needed to step aside so he can spend more time with other people’s kids.

[Furniture]

[/quote]

Gaetz felt like he needed to step aside so he can spend more time with other people’s kids.
[/quote]

He got relegated from the majors to the minors.....

[CameronBornAndBred]

My guess is that he'll be spending some time in court fighting civil suits against him, so no sense in cluttering up his schedule with Congressional duties.

Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/22/politics ... index.html

[HoKogan]

Trump is doing a great job of appointing all the right people, who re absolutely positively qualified to do the job they are tasked with. So whats the over under on how many are still there in a year's time, let alone 2026. One of the things that comes with being a Trump loyalist is also being incredibly incompetent, so being a bootlicker is the only way they ever got ahead. When they actually have control and have to do stuff, well...good luck.

I'll be honest that I've kind of purged myself in following anything political after the election. I mean who wants to be on ship staring at the sea, knowing the iceberg is coming but you can't make the ship avoid it? Resignation, and a morbid curiosity to see how many buffoons he can appoint. I mean, I know if I need to appoint a Secretary of Education, I want to know if they ever got hit with the stone cold stunner. If the answer is no, then they have no future in my cabinet.

[CameronBornAndBred]

So whats the over under on how many are still there in a year's time, let alone 2026..

History says they won't be there long. Most will last longer than Gaetz, who didn't it make it to a Scaramucci, lol. I'll be surprised (I think) if all of the current picks actually make it through confirmation.

Trump has the GOP so tightly wrapped around his finger that once in, I don't see much happening to spur their leaving (I mean these folks are going in with the shadiest of backgrounds, so if they pass they survived the gauntlet), but if that iceberg hits my guess is the midterms will take Congress away from Trump then things may change.

[Furniture]

[jipops]

Another data point showing that having the Democrats go more “moderate” is not necessarily the best way to go for them.

[Phredd3]

Another data point showing that having the Democrats go more “moderate” is not necessarily the best way to go for them.

Maybe so, but that graphic is seriously misleading. It also made more than 2-in-10 independents more enthusiastic. The net was -7% among independents on their own survey. But worse, there is no listed margin of error on a graphic prepared by a group calling themselves Data for Progress, and which is styling themselves as "the think tank for the future of progressivism". So, yeah, I don't expect a group like that to be entirely objective in the gathering and reporting of this type of polling data.

Democrats need to be absolutely clear-eyed about the causes for the loss and how to solve those issues. I'm not sure we're getting the self-critical approach we need from this particular group.

[jipops]

I have not posted here yet but thought I would share this quote from Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic and professor at the Naval War College. This was taken from an interview in The Atlantic about the recent Trump nominees and how Trump wants lackeys in the most important positions that give him control: Defense, Intelligence and Justice. A link to the article:

https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/ar ... tlantic+AM

The quote is:

"And this was my argument about why we shouldn’t have elected Donald Trump back in 2016. He wears down our standards to the point where vulgarity and crudeness and criminality and incompetence all just become part of our daily life. When I look back ten years, just in a decade of my life, I think, The amount of change that has happened in the political environment in America is astonishing, and purely because we have signed on to this kind of, as you say, sort of comical and trashy but chilling change, you know, step by step by step, every day. We didn’t do this all in one year. We did this, like, you know, the frog-boiling exercise."

Here's a quote from the Ezra Klein podcast I posted above:

"What we’re seeing here is that in the areas of government where Trump cares most about full control — the military, the intelligence services, the Department of Justice — he is trying to do what he could not do last time: He is trying to put true lackeys and loyalists in charge. People who have no loyalty aside from their loyalty to him. No patron aside from him. No viable path in politics or public service aside from him."

Nichols is always worth a listen. He was very good on a recent John Heilemann podcast. I’ll have to give the Ezra Klein one a listen.

Thinking back to the thread that existed in DBR and a few posters were rather insistent that Project 2025 was just some non-consequential manuscript and they truly believed Trump when he said he had nothing to do with it…this just pisses me off to no end. Given the breadth of his staff involvement it was abundantly obvious this was the goal blueprint. And we’re already seeing it play out. It’s just astonishing that so many voters cast a vote for a guy not believing he would do all the unpopular stuff that was fully indicated he would do. It’s like we’re a nation of dips and rubes.

At least some national media is coming clean about it. Would have been nice if they had been on top of this a couple months ago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donal ... rcna180689

And here, Trump plans to fire Jack Smith and use the DOJ to probe the 2020 election. This from the paper that refused to endorse. Nice going morons.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nationa ... stigation/

I’m sure voters will be happy with how this lowers costs.

[jipops]

Another data point showing that having the Democrats go more “moderate” is not necessarily the best way to go for them.

Maybe so, but that graphic is seriously misleading. It also made more than 2-in-10 independents more enthusiastic. The net was -7% among independents on their own survey. But worse, there is no listed margin of error on a graphic prepared by a group calling themselves Data for Progress, and which is styling themselves as "the think tank for the future of progressivism". So, yeah, I don't expect a group like that to be entirely objective in the gathering and reporting of this type of polling data.

Democrats need to be absolutely clear-eyed about the causes for the loss and how to solve those issues. I'm not sure we're getting the self-critical approach we need from this particular group.

I agree, probably not the most objective. But it seems apparent that Harris associating to the Cheney’s as well as endorsements by other Republicans entrenched her in a status quo that voters rejected.

I remain skeptical of the notion that Democrats have to move (or in my opinion remain) at the center to get back voters.

[jipops]

So whats the over under on how many are still there in a year's time, let alone 2026..

History says they won't be there long. Most will last longer than Gaetz, who didn't it make it to a Scaramucci, lol. I'll be surprised (I think) if all of the current picks actually make it through confirmation.

Trump has the GOP so tightly wrapped around his finger that once in, I don't see much happening to spur their leaving (I mean these folks are going in with the shadiest of backgrounds, so if they pass they survived the gauntlet), but if that iceberg hits my guess is the midterms will take Congress away from Trump then things may change.

I’m not sure there is going to be much resistance to Trump’s cabinet picks. Gaetz may have actually given him some equity there. Reports are that Senators are being told to confirm or get ready to be primaried.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 06178007/

[CrazyNotCrazie]

So whats the over under on how many are still there in a year's time, let alone 2026..

History says they won't be there long. Most will last longer than Gaetz, who didn't it make it to a Scaramucci, lol. I'll be surprised (I think) if all of the current picks actually make it through confirmation.

Trump has the GOP so tightly wrapped around his finger that once in, I don't see much happening to spur their leaving (I mean these folks are going in with the shadiest of backgrounds, so if they pass they survived the gauntlet), but if that iceberg hits my guess is the midterms will take Congress away from Trump then things may change.

I’m not sure there is going to be much resistance to Trump’s cabinet picks. Gaetz may have actually given him some equity there. Reports are that Senators are being told to confirm or get ready to be primaried.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 06178007/

I am hoping that Mitt Romney finally grows a pair and stands up to this (I see that he publicly applauded Bondi but as wackadoodle as she is, she is at least theoretically somewhat qualified since she was a state AG - save the ammo for others). And I assume McConnell has no intention to run again so the threat of being primaried shouldn't bother him so maybe he will finally stand for decency. It is a shame that Casey lost PA as that would have made things a bit easier. Trump's bullying crap is so childish yet the ignorant masses eat it up and think it makes him look tough, like his pathetic fist pump when someone shot at him.

Anyone who voted for Trump because "he won't be that bad" and "he promised he won't do Project 2025" is a moron. They are almost worse than the MAGA folks. The clock is ticking. There is not much Biden can do, but I wish he was using his last two months to protect us as much as possible. I think I saw that they are trying to fast track spending on some projects. And rather than bullying through the last bunch of judges, Dems made a deal that will get some but not all of them confirmed. Stop being nice guys and making deals. There will be no deals starting Jan 20.

I am very scared for the country my children will inherit. And I am an upper middle class heterosexual white male, so I have a lot going for me.

[jipops]

History says they won't be there long. Most will last longer than Gaetz, who didn't it make it to a Scaramucci, lol. I'll be surprised (I think) if all of the current picks actually make it through confirmation.

Trump has the GOP so tightly wrapped around his finger that once in, I don't see much happening to spur their leaving (I mean these folks are going in with the shadiest of backgrounds, so if they pass they survived the gauntlet), but if that iceberg hits my guess is the midterms will take Congress away from Trump then things may change.

I’m not sure there is going to be much resistance to Trump’s cabinet picks. Gaetz may have actually given him some equity there. Reports are that Senators are being told to confirm or get ready to be primaried.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 06178007/

I am hoping that Mitt Romney finally grows a pair and stands up to this (I see that he publicly applauded Bondi but as wackadoodle as she is, she is at least theoretically somewhat qualified since she was a state AG - save the ammo for others). And I assume McConnell has no intention to run again so the threat of being primaried shouldn't bother him so maybe he will finally stand for decency. It is a shame that Casey lost PA as that would have made things a bit easier. Trump's bullying crap is so childish yet the ignorant masses eat it up and think it makes him look tough, like his pathetic fist pump when someone shot at him.

Anyone who voted for Trump because "he won't be that bad" and "he promised he won't do Project 2025" is a moron. They are almost worse than the MAGA folks. The clock is ticking. There is not much Biden can do, but I wish he was using his last two months to protect us as much as possible. I think I saw that they are trying to fast track spending on some projects. And rather than bullying through the last bunch of judges, Dems made a deal that will get some but not all of them confirmed. Stop being nice guys and making deals. There will be no deals starting Jan 20.

I am very scared for the country my children will inherit. And I am an upper middle class heterosexual white male, so I have a lot going for me.

Romney has retired.

Our kids inherit a country that will no longer be governed by people who have any interest in actual governing.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I’m not sure there is going to be much resistance to Trump’s cabinet picks. Gaetz may have actually given him some equity there. Reports are that Senators are being told to confirm or get ready to be primaried.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 06178007/

I am hoping that Mitt Romney finally grows a pair and stands up to this (I see that he publicly applauded Bondi but as wackadoodle as she is, she is at least theoretically somewhat qualified since she was a state AG - save the ammo for others). And I assume McConnell has no intention to run again so the threat of being primaried shouldn't bother him so maybe he will finally stand for decency. It is a shame that Casey lost PA as that would have made things a bit easier. Trump's bullying crap is so childish yet the ignorant masses eat it up and think it makes him look tough, like his pathetic fist pump when someone shot at him.

Anyone who voted for Trump because "he won't be that bad" and "he promised he won't do Project 2025" is a moron. They are almost worse than the MAGA folks. The clock is ticking. There is not much Biden can do, but I wish he was using his last two months to protect us as much as possible. I think I saw that they are trying to fast track spending on some projects. And rather than bullying through the last bunch of judges, Dems made a deal that will get some but not all of them confirmed. Stop being nice guys and making deals. There will be no deals starting Jan 20.

I am very scared for the country my children will inherit. And I am an upper middle class heterosexual white male, so I have a lot going for me.

Romney has retired.

Our kids inherit a country that will no longer be governed by people who have any interest in actual governing.

Yup - brain fart. Smart guy to get out of there.