Phil1111

I'll guess somewhere around 25%. There seems to be a small but dedicated faction that will support him no matter what. It seems to run around 25%. I don't know if they are blind, stupid, or simply that bigoted, xenophobic and misogynistic that actually like what he's doing. You have to admit that he's done a masterful con job. All of his main campaign points ("Lock her up", "Build a wall & make Mexico pay for it", "Ban Muslims", "Drain the swamp", "I won't take a vacation", ect) have fallen through. There are fairly clear indications that Russia interfered in the campaign (not the actual election). Yet his true believers, and more than a few "sorta true" believers ignore those things. I don't disagree. BUT there is a mandate from voters to change the status quo. To institute a national program to promote US workers. I don't agree that its one to erect trade barriers because they don't work. Venezuela and another populist leader that was almost a carbon copy of trump, Hugo Chavez showed that. Chavez was more socialist than trump. Democrats and Republicans should recognize this in order to regain the voter in the middle of the political spectrum.

SAD "Most members of President Trump’s Cabinet do not yet have leadership teams in place or even nominees for top deputies. But they do have an influential coterie of senior aides installed by the White House who are charged — above all — with monitoring the secretaries’ loyalty, according to eight officials in and outside the administration. This shadow government of political appointees with the title of senior White House adviser is embedded at every Cabinet agency, with offices in or just outside the secretary’s suite. The White House has installed at least 16 of the advisers at departments including Energy and Health and Human Services and at some smaller agencies such as NASA, according to records first obtained by ProPublica through a Freedom of Information Act request. These aides report not to the secretary, but to the Office of Cabinet Affairs, which is overseen by Rick Dearborn, a White House deputy chief of staff, according to administration officials. A top Dearborn aide, John Mashburn, leads a weekly conference call with the advisers, who are in constant contact with the White House." above from the story. IMO this is almost hard to believe. Then trump wonders why he has loyalty issues beyond his children. P.S. its helpful if direct quotes are taken from stories and posted directly, because most of the major newspapers limit the number of stories a IP address can access in a month. Most are 5-10 a month and beyond that you have to become a subscriber.

1. Pipeline approvals. 2. The two current generals he picked were great choices. i.e. Mattis, McMaster. 3. Removing micro-management of the US military re drone strikes from politics is a step in the right direction. 4. The statements he made regarding Germany's very successful apprenticeship-trades training programs. Was right on the money. He should direct his education secretary to implement such a program.

F-1 technology: http://jalopnik.com/how-formula-ones-amazing-new-hybrid-turbo-engine-works-1506450399 New battery tech: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/super-safe-glass-battery-charges-in-minutes-not-hours/ IMO state of the art:http://www.caranddriver.com/bmw/i8 Its pretty hard to beat diesel/ gas given today's prices and technology.

Meanwhile for Russian Consumption. Every opportunity to separate European allies and diss trump now that the Putin trump bromance is dissolved. "There were discernible slights and insults for German Chancellor Angela Merkel at her first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. For Donald Trump, it was just another day, full of outrageous behavior and controversy. The grave consequences of rudeness at this rarefied diplomatic level should not be underestimated. But it was nuances of what was said and what wasn’t said at the White House that will have the more far reaching results. Angela Merkel was portrayed by the world media as a put upon woman, a victim of the slights of a misogynist. But she is a mature and substantial politician in her own right. She will know that she came away from this summit with nothing. She is the kind of consensus, liberal politician that Trump holds in the greatest contempt. And she has the most to fear. It was the more nuanced, less obvious slights that will rankle Merkel. She will get over the brutish behavior of Trump, for she is a woman who has put up with George Bush, Silvio Berlusconi, and Nikolas Sarkozy in the past. It is her failure to win any concessions that will wound her more deeply. But first, to the ghastly fun – Trump’s obnoxious behavior. The German media, clutching at straws, said that the pair had clasped hands twice. But it was the outrageous snub of the German Chancellor’s offer to shake hands at the particular time and location – the official photo call in the Oval Office – that caught the world’s attention. The footage will be replayed for many years as a reminder of how badly Trump can behave. The photographers called for the two to shake hands and Merkel can be heard saying: “Do you want to have a handshake?” Trump ignored her, and enhanced footage later shows that he clearly heard her. https://www.rt.com/op-edge/381299-trump-merkel-nato-meeting-washington/ Its unfortunate that the republican leadership has no control over trump. That Fox news has no concept of political international relationships. Fox is solely a US national phenomenon. That there is no one to suggest that the US will need allies sooner or later. That trump's treatment of Australia, Germany, GB, etc. will soon come back. In a manner that will only benefit Russia. Hopefully Merkel will rise to the occasion. Together with Republican house and senate leaders. Because Putin, China and North Korea all have agendas in mind. Ones that differ from that of the US. For Germany and Japan. Worldwide competition and free trade was on the agenda. While trump wants to hide, to baby and protect US domestic industries. Who will have domestic markets protected by the rigors of real competition. Business News | Sun Mar 19, 2017 | 5:27pm EDT Germany's Merkel and Japan's Abe urge free trade with jabs at U.S. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke up for free trade at a major technology fair on Sunday with jabs clearly pointed at an increasingly protectionist United States. Both called for a free trade deal to be reached quickly between Japan and the European Union, in comments made after G20 finance ministers and central bankers dropped a long-standing mention of open trade in their final communique after a two-day meeting in Germany. Neither leader named the U.S. government as they opened the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover, but both used the opportunity to distance themselves from protectionist tendencies coming from the Trump administration. "In times when we have to argue with many about free trade, open borders and democratic values, it's a good sign that Japan and Germany no longer argue about this but rather are seeking to shape the future in a way that benefits people," Merkel said. As G20 president, Germany feels especially committed to these principles, she added. After meeting President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday for the first time, Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer. Merkel stressed that Germany was strongly in favor of free trade and open markets. "We certainly don't want any barriers but at a time of an 'Internet of things' we want to link our societies with one another and let them deal fairly with one another, and that is what free trade is all about," she said. Speaking at the same event, Abe said: "Japan, having gone through reaping in abundance the benefits of free trade and investment, wants to be the champion upholding open systems alongside Germany." He added: "Of course to do so it will be necessary to have rules that are fair and can stand up to democratic appraisal." He also said the European Union and Japan should soon reach an economic deal. Merkel welcomed his comments, saying: "It's very, very good that Japan says we want a free trade agreement, we want it soon because that could be the right statement and Germany would love to be a driving force behind this." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Bild am Sonntag newspaper he was pleased that he would be meeting Abe on Tuesday and said the bloc wanted to conclude a free trade deal with Japan this year." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-cebit-merkel-idUSKBN16Q0UR Meanwhile China, South Korea,are joining in free trade talks to replace the US in the TPP. Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, , Mexico, Chile and Peru. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/14/china-south-korea-join-tpp-members-in-trade-talks.html Canada is already in a EU free trade marketplace. As such the US will now have free trade agreements with....wait... nobody. These are the free trade deals which trump has vowed to cancel and renegotiate. Such that US manufacturers can have free reign over domestic consumers. https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements

That is a charge? What a joke. LOL. Oh come on. If there was a law that legalized prostitution outside 1000ft of a church, I bet you guys would be all for it! But then again, this would just be trick by those crafty christian conservatives. In the U.S, when are you ever 1000ft away from a church? A couple small places in the smokey mountains near Dollywood.

That is FUNNY

Verrry verrry hard. Merkel has left for Germany so now dumbff can be himself again.Would it be possible for the US to borrow Merkel on weekends while trump is at the "Southern White House"? Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes..... 7:15 AM - 18 Mar 2017 _____________________________________________ Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump ...vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany! 7:23 AM - 18 Mar 2017 I hate to say it but the US has not come to the aid of NATO since WW2...uh no, not ever. For the EU both France(300 weapons) and Britain(215 weapons) have nuclear weapons. The military industrial complex of the US is not owed "vast sums of money", either by contract, by implication, or by obligation. In fact the US was attacked on 9/11 and NATO came to the defense of the US. http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_69366.htm For which NATO suffered 1190 dead, including: Britain 453 Canada 158 France 88 Germany 57 Italy 53

What would you like to know? I have not had any interest in astronomy, or very much in astrology, during my lifetime. I found out about this phenomena a few months ago from an SF buddy who studies this sort of thing. I am more interested in the attacks on Israel as an indicator. If it happens during our lifetimes, what are you plans after the rapture? "Israel’s sophisticated Arrow anti-missile system has scored its first hit, taking down a surface-to-air missile fired from Syria, according to media reports. The Jerusalem Post reports that the Arrow interceptor was used for the first time after Israeli fighter jets were targeted with Syrian anti-aircraft missiles during an operation over Syria. Newspaper Haaretz said the interception took place north of Jerusalem. Israeli Channel 10 TV reports the Israeli military had been on a mission to destroy a weapons convoy destined for the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran and fights alongside Syrian government forces. Arrow provides the top layer of the country’s complex aerial defense system. Whereas the country’s Iron Dome system deals with short-range threats such as rockets, and David’s Sling is designed to tackle midrange threats, Arrow can take out targets outside Earth’s atmosphere." http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/03/17/israels-arrow-anti-missile-system-scores-first-hit.html Must be a message in there somewhere?

1. IMO there are very few (R's) who think like this. 2. More power to them; this President, and his loonies in the White House, need to be kept under control. Jerry Baumchen Agree. They are trying to keep their noses to the grindstone and get some serious work done before everything gets sidetracked again. Wishing trump would hit the road to sell trumpcare. Instead of another weekend at the "Southern White House".

Ivanka was there to negotiate the eight free BMW X6M US built cars for the trump family. Harald Krueger thought that it would be a nice gesture to showcase how strong the US worker was. Lets step back in time a bit, to Germany, to trump's credit worthiness, five years before the tax return of 2005. "Imagine drinking champagne at sunset, looking at a breathtaking skyline while surrounded by waterfalls and palm trees on the 50th-floor patio of Trump Tower - not in New York, but in Frankfurt. That was how Donald Trump envisioned Europe's tallest building in November 2001. It was just weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, and plans already included construction materials like high-pressure concrete. Only the best was good enough for this building, an investment worth 350 million euros.... Trump believed that there was money to be earned in a strong economic nation like Germany and actually, his guess was spot on. In the past 15 years, real estate prices in major German cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin have gone up 25 percent, and in some cases by up to 70 percent. Back in 2000, Trump decided to make money on the German market by building the tallest, most beautiful buildings that were technically viable.... They wanted to start work in booming Berlin. Trump wanted to invest at least 4 billion euros in Alexanderplatz, prime property in the heart of the German capital. The money was not to be used for hotels, casinos or golf courses, but instead, a huge high-rise building at least 200 meters tall. Trump's executive aide-de-camp in Germany, Hans Ulrich Gruber, described Trump's motivation as follows: It was the American real estate tycoon's desire "to build a bridge between Berlin and New York."... Apparently, city officials in Berlin did not immediately grasp the scope of this generous and symbolic gesture. They merely pointed out existing construction regulations, which only allowed for buildings up 150 meters in height. Never again did Trump want to deal with such "small-mindedness." Trump found admirers in the southwestern city of Stuttgart... Trump was pleased. Construction was about to begin when suddenly, things took an unexpected turn. Authorities from Stuttgart's city hall did not have Trump's finance plan. Then, doubts about the creditworthiness of the American developer started growing. No one wanted to be left with an unfinished building. As the doubts could not be cast aside, the city of Stuttgart stopped construction plan approval procedures. Trump was furious. The spirited development giant sued for millions in compensation for the incurred planning costs. However, the district court of Stuttgart overturned a previous ruling in his favor. That was the end of the show. http://www.dw.com/en/donald-trumps-castles-in-the-german-sky/a-36472081 Ah! but today anything for the trump family is possible, is negotiable. Just talk to Ivanka.

No, Merkel has 10 times the brianpower and trump knows it. Thankfully he can hide behind translators a bit and the usual rhetoric. Imagine a reporter asking him if he is a isolationist and anti-trade. That such "tough questions" are even allowed! That German negotiators were better than American negotiators in the other prior trade deals. Must be addressed. US negotiators will be given copies of "The Art of The Deal" at $99.99 a copy. So they can argue that: -Although German minimum wages are $3 above US. -Germany has higher electrical rates. -Germany has higher environmental standards. -Germany has higher fuel prices. -Germany has higher and more expensive social programs. -Germany has higher corporate taxes. -Germany has higher personal taxes, state taxes and a 19% VAT. -Germany looks after their elderly, those that need medical attention. Those that need sanctuary from dictators and war. That they are still unfair traders with the US. That even though Angela Merkel did her homework. She watched his speeches. Talked to the other leaders who met with trump. She complemented him on his big strong hands. trump had to ask bannon just before the meeting. What her name was again.

If the water gets so bad, from unrestricted fracking etc. Like the Flint Mich. situation. The Flint water problem was caused by unrestricted fracking??? No i was thinking more of the whole loose regulatory environment , no absent regulatory environment that the trumps types love. "As President Barack Obama signed a bill on Friday authorizing $170 million to address the problem of the lead being found in drinking water in Flint, Michigan, Republicans in the House quietly closed a nearly yearlong investigation of the disaster — without receiving crucial information from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Late on Friday afternoon Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a pair of letters announcing the end of his investigation. His letters offered no new information and essentially summarized what had already revealed about the crisis during several high-profile hearings earlier this year. Over a year ago Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver, declared a state of emergency because of her city’s supply of poisonous water and still it remains undrinkable. Flint’s water woes date from April 2014, when a state-appointed emergency manager switched the city’s water source from Detroit’s water system to the Flint River in order to save money." http://www.salon.com/2016/12/19/house-republicans-shut-down-investigation-into-flint-water-crisis-blame-epa-instead/ Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water It took nearly a decade, but former EPA scientist Dominic DiGiulio has proved that fracking has polluted groundwater in Wyoming https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fracking-can-contaminate-drinking-water/ This week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its latest and most thorough report on fracking’s threat to drinking water, and its findings support ProPublica’s reporting. The EPA report found evidence that fracking has contributed to drinking water contamination — “cases of impact” — in all stages of the process: water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing; spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals; injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources; discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water resources; and disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unlined pits, resulting in contamination of groundwater resources. https://www.propublica.org/article/epa-concludes-fracking-a-threat-to-u.s.-water-supplies

Oh don't be like that. Don't do a donald, get mad and carry a grudge. When the FAA restricts skydiving in the US because air pollution is so bad that IFR is the only flight options allowed. You will still be welcome. Regardless of religion, past political mistakes, skin tone, or economic disadvantage. Still welcome. Putin and the trump family might be excluded though. If the water gets so bad, from unrestricted fracking etc. Like the Flint Mich. situation. We will let you have some fresh water if the US gets too bad.

Why feed them when they are nothing but a burden on Social Security. Nothing but costs for health care insurance. As trumps supports say just let them die an be on their way. Its all simple economics. A simple cost-benefit analysis.

Oh for gods sake. STFU, Bond...Bond... even trump can't be that stupid. "British Prime Minister Theresa May has received assurances from the White House it would not repeat allegations that Britain's GCHQ spy agency had helped former U.S. President Barack Obama eavesdrop on Donald Trump, her spokesman said on Friday. A spokesman for May said that the charge, made on Tuesday by Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano, that the UK's signals intelligence agency GCHQ had helped Obama to wire tap Trump after his victory in last year's U.S. presidential election, was "ridiculous". "We've made clear to the administration that these claims are ridiculous and they should be ignored and we've received assurances that these allegations will not be repeated," May's spokesman told reporters." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-wiretapping-idUSKBN16O16Q US makes formal apology to Britain after White House accuses GCHQ of wiretapping Trump Tower The US has made a formal apology to Britain after the White House accused GCHQ of helping Barack Obama spy on Donald Trump in the White House. Sean Spicer, Mr Trump's press secretary, repeated a claim on Thursday evening – initially made by an analyst on Fox News - that GCHQ was used by Mr Obama to spy on Trump Tower in the lead-up to last November's election. The comments prompted a furious response from GCHQ, which in a break from normal practice issued a public statement: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/17/us-makes-formal-apology-britain-white-house-accuses-gchq-wiretapping/

Donald Trump is set to overturn an Obama-era vehicle emissions rule following a letter from top car manufacturers, including Volkswagen. This comes as the German manufacturer is embroiled in a series of legal disputes over attempts to cheat emissions tests. In a visit to Detroit, the heart of the American auto industry, the President is expected to reopen a review on fuel standards due to come into force in 2022. The move will effectively either weaken or delay the implementation of the new standards. It follows months of lobbying from the Auto Alliance trade group, which has been writing to President Trump since his victory in last year’s election, asking him to do just this." https://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2017/03/15/trump-vehicle-emissions-standards-volkswagen-car-lobby/

Coming soon to a US city near you!! Why is China’s smog so bad? Researchers point far away to a melting Arctic By Eli KintischMar. 15, 2017 , 2:00 PM In China, the winter of 2013 was an “airpocolypse.” A thick soup of harmful smog cloaked its biggest cities, contributing to at least 90,000 deaths and sickening hundreds of thousands more. Things haven’t gotten much better since then, even though the country has enacted tough new emissions controls. A new study may explain why. Melting sea ice and increasing snow across Siberia have altered large-scale weather patterns, replacing currents that used to ventilate China with stagnant air that lets pollution accumulate. “The ventilation is getting worse,” says study author Yuhang Wang, an atmospheric scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. “We think climate change, as it is driving rapid warming of the Arctic, is having a large effect on pollution in China.” Air pollution, a perennial challenge in China’s rapidly growing cities, became a full-blown national crisis during the winter of 2012–13, when 70% of the nation’s 74 largest cities logged pollution levels above government air quality standards. Of special concern were high levels of “PM2.5,” particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers that can lead to heart and lung problems. Citizens flooded the social network Sina Weibo with photos of themselves wearing colored air masks and giant buildings vanishing beneath blankets of smog. Stock prices of air purifier companies surged as the term PM2.5 became a catchphrase. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/why-china-s-smog-so-bad-researchers-point-far-away-melting-arctic

Shortey has been charged with three felony counts, including, Engaging in child prostitution Engaging in prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church. Transporting minor for prostitution/lewdness. http://www.koco.com/article/moore-police-recommend-3-prostitution-related-charges-against-sen-ralph-shortey/9135664

Trump travel ban: Second US judge block new executive order Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland have blocked US President Donald Trump's new travel ban, which was due to begin after midnight on Thursday. The order would have placed a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a 120-day ban on refugees. Both judges questioned the legality of the ban, which critics say is discriminatory. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39287656

At 22, Karim Baratov was already living the high life. Despite having been expelled from high school in Ancaster, Ont., he owned luxury cars, a large home and an online business called Elite Space Corporation. Photos on social media showed him holding a fan-shaped pile of $100 bills, skydiving, eating a $255 steak, hoisting a bottle of Grey Goose vodka and posing in front of a convertible, women in tight skirts in each arm. http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/russian-hackers-charged-in-yahoo-data-breach more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4316650/Russian-spies-facing-U-S-charges-Yahoo-hack-source.html

"Today’s target is a big one: the fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. In 2011, the Obama administration began crafting sweeping new rules that would steadily increase the efficiency of US passenger vehicles through 2025. By the final year, the Environmental Protection Agency expects new cars and light trucks sold in the US to average roughly 36 miles per gallon on the road, up from 25 mpg today..... Except there’s a major twist here. Technically, if the federal government goes too far in weakening Obama’s fuel economy standards, California has a waiver under the Clean Air Act allowing the state to maintain its own, stricter car rules that other states can adopt — a messy possibility that automakers hate. On top of that, California has a waiver for a program pushing automakers to sell more “zero-emissions vehicles” (mainly electric cars). New York and eight other states have also adopted this ZEV mandate, and it’s a major impetus for US electric car sales. In the months ahead, Trump could conceivably ask EPA head Scott Pruitt to look into rescinding California’s waivers if the state won’t play along. This isn’t part of today’s announcement, and it’s wildly unclear if the courts would even allow this, but Trump’s reportedly mulling such a step" http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/3/15/14828070/trump-fuel-economy-standards Oh well Ohio and Alabama rednecks will be able to buy big wheel trucks that get crappy mileage fueled by fracked oil. Tillerson will be happy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/16/analysis-key-points-donald-trumps-first-budget-announcement/ The new chairman of the Democratic National Committee said President Trump will harm ordinary Americans if he succeeds in making the major cuts to federal agencies expected in his first budget. Trump will reportedly demand significant cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State Department to fund a boost in military spending. “Donald Trump’s budget will no doubt be terrific for people who can afford to spend their weekends at luxury resorts like Mar-a-Lago, and it would be a disaster for hardworking Americans struggling to get ahead,” Tom Perez said in a statement Monday, jabbing at Trump’s private resort in Palm Beach, Fla. "Budgets are so much more that a compilation of dollar figures — they are an expression of our values." http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/321461-perez-trump-budget-cuts-a-disaster

Like every time he opens his mouth when other republicans are trying to get bill passed. -his "wiretap" when trumpcare is on the agenda. -his taxes to distract from travel ban. Meanwhile the republican political capital goes drip...drip..drip... like a leaky toilet.

Well first he has to build his wall: "President Trump will ask Congress for $1.5 billion this year to begin work on the wall he promised to build at the U.S.-Mexico border." http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/324118-trump-makes-15-billion-request-to-congress-for-border-wall Then patriots won't be needed for the southern border. That will save money.