POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

I'm sure he acquiesced due to political pressure. I have no doubt about that.

My point is, does the lowering of the flag to half staff really matter in the grand scheme of things? I mean, seriously. Was this country affected one way or the other by the fact that Bill Clinton didn't lower the flags to half staff until the day of Barry Goldwater's funeral, and not during the days leading up to it? Did anyone even remember that? I sure didn't. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/05/29/goldwater.obit/

Who cares, really?

Someone seems to care very much that you stand up during the National Anthem and salute the flag. So, who cares again?

 

[SJHovey]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Does this flag lowering really affect our daily lives or matter in the scheme of things in the long run? No. Does someone standing silently and respectfully or kneeling silently and respectfully really affect or matter either? No. But they can't have it both ways, getting to choose when this protocol or take it or leave it versus the most important matter of life and death in the country.

You and Scooby seem to be under the impression that I think the national anthem issue is a big deal. I don't. I think that's stupid too.

Furthermore, when did we decide in this country that whenever someone turns a mole hill into a mountain that every mole hill needs to get turned into a mountain?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

You and Scooby seem to be under the impression that I think the national anthem issue is a big deal. I don't. I think that's stupid too.

Furthermore, when did we decide in this country that whenever someone turns a mole hill into a mountain that every mole hill needs to get turned into a mountain?

He's the President. That matters.

 

[alfablue]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

You and Scooby seem to be under the impression that I think the national anthem issue is a big deal. I don't. I think that's stupid too.

Furthermore, when did we decide in this country that whenever someone turns a mole hill into a mountain that every mole hill needs to get turned into a mountain?

Well, the current president certainly turns ant hills into mountains, so it's interesting that he doesn't follow his own demands. Which pretty much illustrates that his only goal is to make enough people happy or angry that he is supported by someone.

It's a big deal because dumpy made it a big deal in the past for less important matters, and now he's going back on that same big deal. What a hack.

This guy gets upset that people don't stand for the national anthem, he thinks Chairman Kim is a good guy, and Putin is also a good guy and not a liar. And now he does not honor a Veteran Senator who just passed. What in the world does he stand for? And if we can't figure out what he stands for, what will he fall for?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

What the President stands for would be less important if there was actually a check on his power. But, there is no check on his power. The Senate, The Supreme Court, and the House are in lock step.

 

[bronconick]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Googling his name is now RIGGED against him with all the fake news and should be illegal.

There's today's pointless idiocy while his cabinet guts regulations somewhere else

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Googling his name is now RIGGED against him with all the fake news and should be illegal.

There's today's pointless idiocy while his cabinet guts regulations somewhere else

Well, you can pretty much see that for every logical regulation Obama put in, Trump has eliminated 3. So, there's no check on corporate power either.

 

[rufus]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

His foreign policy has been an unmitigated disaster:

In the article that the tweet is based on, and another similar article from Reuter's, they state that the North Koreans won't negotiate with anyone from the US about denuclearization, that it's a no-go. They're just waiting for another Trump-Kim meeting cause they see Trump as a soft touch who will give them everything they want eventually anyway.


And seriously, who didn't see this coming before that big NK "summit". Besides Flaggy, of course.

 

[bronconick]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Well, you can pretty much see that for every logical regulation Obama put in, Trump has eliminated 3. So, there's no check on corporate power either.

The first Democrat that replaces him is going to have to spend every weekend the first 6 months fixing them all instead of golfing like the Orange Cheeto

 

[St. Clown]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Anyone else notice the news that Manafort was trying to plea a deal with Meuller while the jury was deliberating? It didn't go far, as the Mueller team wasn't happy with what was being offered.

So Manafort is looking at a pretty tough trial in DC this month.

Also, more info from the NY Southern District- that many of the dunp Co executives are tearing down the wall of secrecy. And lets be clear, what is going on in New York can not be protected via the Constitution or by Presidential pardons. Which is quite interesting.

On the trade note- funny to hear some people claim that this is a whole new deal with Mexico, when it's mostly a tweak of the old one, plus adding digital stuff to what wasn't there. Hard to tell that there's a huge change, other that is making cars made in North America just slightly more expensive (for higher NA content plus higher wages in Mexico). Funny that the auto industry was singled out, but it's the appliance industry that lost way more jobs to Mexico.

Automobiles are flashy, and people have a love affair with them; these same people merely use their appliances, and thus the disparate attention given to jobs within the industries.

 

[alfablue]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Automobiles are flashy, and people have a love affair with them; these same people merely use their appliances, and thus the disparate attention given to jobs within the industries.

The auto industry didn't loose nearly as many jobs as everyone else did moving to Mexico- by the time the agreements were signed, everyone already had plants there, as well as the really old ones in Canada.

Seems like the only thing he's trying to do is shore up a little support in Michigan and Ohio. Which I don't exactly see as happening- jobs are not going to be all of a sudden created here to make cars. Nor is anyone thinking of moving a plant from Mexico back to the US- too much cost for almost no gain.

 

[Handyman]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

His foreign policy has been an unmitigated disaster:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just going to leave this whole section here. Hang on to your hats. <a href="https://t.co/P7VyCKoK0a">pic.twitter.com/P7VyCKoK0a</a></p>— Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) <a href="https://twitter.com/NarangVipin/status/1034085161955192834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Not possible. Timothy A told me that everything about that summit was amazing and it was saving thousands of lives!!

 

[Handyman]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Do you seriously need someone here to tell you it wasn't a big deal?

I seem to recall you as one of the voices of reason mocking television commentators, politicians and even a few posters here for getting bent out of shape over things like Obama bowing or not bowing to foreign leaders (I even forget which it was), and some such nonsense? Do you really want us coming back here ten years from now and asking, "Hey, Handy, remember when you got your panties in a bunch over Trump's failure to lower the flag to half staff?"

C'mon, seriously. There's a lot of bad crap happening in this country. We're going to characterize this as a "big deal?"

Bowing not bowing isnt a big deal. ****ing on a War Hero and long time Senator out of spite is a much bigger deal. (and it goes beyond just the flag) Is it criminal...no. Is it something he should be impeached for...no. Will it matter a year from...of course not. But it is something that is representative of the attitude and disgrace of the President. Obama holding a coffee cup while he saluted was not no matter what Faux News said.

When the AFL-CIO has more respect for a long time Republican Senator than the current Republican President does that tells you something.

And remember, I dont much like McCain and havent for a decade. I also believe he was lucky never to end up in prison for the S&L scandal. That doesnt mean I dont honor him when he dies.

In a month it wont matter...except in Arizona where every Trump endorsed candidate will have that run against them. No one else will care.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

The auto industry didn't loose nearly as many jobs as everyone else did moving to Mexico- by the time the agreements were signed, everyone already had plants there, as well as the really old ones in Canada.

Seems like the only thing he's trying to do is shore up a little support in Michigan and Ohio. Which I don't exactly see as happening- jobs are not going to be all of a sudden created here to make cars. Nor is anyone thinking of moving a plant from Mexico back to the US- too much cost for almost no gain.

Apart from the misspelled word, it's hard to disagree with any of that. The problem is here, when comparing to the appliance industry, appliances don't get peoples' hearts racing, so they make no emotional attachment. We think of the appliance industry as something that makes an item that costs anywhere from $300-3,000 brand new, and thus take a cold, calculating look at them. We don't do that with cars; we love our cars and allow that attachment to override our ability to make rational decisions. And thus we now have something a politician can use to gin up support, regardless of whether or not it's deserved.

 

[alfablue]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Apart from the misspelled word, it's hard to disagree with any of that. The problem is here, when comparing to the appliance industry, appliances don't get peoples' hearts racing, so they make no emotional attachment. We think of the appliance industry as something that makes an item that costs anywhere from $300-3,000 brand new, and thus take a cold, calculating look at them. We don't do that with cars; we love our cars and allow that attachment to override our ability to make rational decisions. And thus we now have something a politician can use to gin up support, regardless of whether or not it's deserved.

But this guy was supposed to lift regulation, not put more in. All he has done is put more restrictions in importing cars from Mexico and Canada. Other than placating to Unions, that helps nobody, and provides no jobs.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

But this guy was supposed to lift regulation, not put more in. All he has done is put more restrictions in importing cars from Mexico and Canada. Other than placating to Unions, that helps nobody, and provides no jobs.

So you're saying he's snake oil salesman? Consider me shocked!

He's a con artist, and he's continuing the con because he has no other moves to make. He doesn't know what he's doing, and the Best People are proving out the same thing.

 

[leswp1]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Do you seriously need someone here to tell you it wasn't a big deal?

I seem to recall you as one of the voices of reason mocking television commentators, politicians and even a few posters here for getting bent out of shape over things like Obama bowing or not bowing to foreign leaders (I even forget which it was), and some such nonsense? Do you really want us coming back here ten years from now and asking, "Hey, Handy, remember when you got your panties in a bunch over Trump's failure to lower the flag to half staff?"

C'mon, seriously. There's a lot of bad crap happening in this country. We're going to characterize this as a "big deal?"

There is so much 'bad crap' where does one start.

The flag itself isn't the issue. It is all the other stuff happening around McCain's death and the flag is a symbol of that. The Right-wing radicals are proceeding with a character assassination of a man who was well respected and behaved like a civil person to the very end (even if he had many faults). He is the antithesis of what the current president is. The flag raising was just another prop to shore up the narrative of the radical sect. It got reaction as it symbolized acceptance of the narrative.

In the article that the tweet is based on, and another similar article from Reuter's, they state that the North Koreans won't negotiate with anyone from the US about denuclearization, that it's a no-go. They're just waiting for another Trump-Kim meeting cause they see Trump as a soft touch who will give them everything they want eventually anyway.


And seriously, who didn't see this coming before that big NK "summit". Besides Flaggy, of course.

Wellllll, there are those who think it is a god idea to be friends with our enemies. Simpleminded and simplistic as it is, it is way less painful than looking at the reality of what it really means.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Bowing not bowing isnt a big deal. ****ing on a War Hero and long time Senator out of spite is a much bigger deal.

The guy was a war hero and long time Senator back when he was running for President and you guys pizzed on him all the time.

Now you really have me curious what would have happened if the minute McCain had died Trump started lavishing praise on him, started planning for an elaborate celebration of his career, etc... You guys would probably be all like, "Oh, he was ok, but he was a flawed man." Trump has been the best thing that McCain could have wished for in terms of his legacy.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

The Trade Deal We Just Threw Overboard

That’s what Trump says he wants, too. Free trade was a core Republican principle before his nationalist campaign, but he has repeatedly trashed multilateral deals like NAFTA and TPP as establishment efforts to appease foreign elites at the expense of hardworking Americans, a message that resonated with many blue-collar whites. Trump has also argued that America’s $500 billion trade deficit—a measure of how much more we buy from other countries than they buy from us—is a national disgrace, and he has pledged to wipe it out by striking harder bargains in one-on-one negotiations with America’s suppliers, starting with Mexico. (He recently said he wants only minor tweaks to NAFTA regarding Canada, which does not contribute to the U.S. trade deficit.)

But it’s not clear precisely what Trump is looking for in a new approach, beyond winning and more winning, or how he intends to achieve it, beyond blustery threats of massive import taxes and trade wars. His own trade team has already sent out contradictory signals about what’s coming next; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has suggested the TPP commitments could be “a starting point” for renegotiating NAFTA, while key adviser Peter Navarro has laid out a Fortress America vision of trade that would blow up not only NAFTA and TPP but also the basic concept of global supply chains. The White House would not comment for this story.

What is clear is that Trump won’t be able to snap his fingers and redesign NAFTA the way he might decide to redecorate a hotel. It’s complicated. Trade talks are multidimensional poker games involving hundreds of stakeholders, thousands of products, millions of jobs and the ever-present risk that an unpopular concession at the table can bring down the government of your negotiating partner. They hinge on arcane details like the difference between the “net-cost” and “build-down” approaches to calculating how much of a car has been manufactured in a free-trade zone. They get hung up on obscure disputes like a pitched TPP battle over whey, a dairy product associated primarily with Miss Muffet before Obama had to raise it in multiple discussions with foreign leaders. And in today’s hyperconnected global economy, unilateral bullying has its limits. Poor countries with weak militaries still get to influence outcomes.

At a rally in Iowa this past September, as Trump was trashing NAFTA and TPP, I watched him make a telling remark about the pitiful quality of U.S. trade negotiators. “It’s almost like … they want these other countries to do so well!” he marveled. That’s true. They believe that when Mexico does well, for example, more of its citizens can afford to buy American goods, and fewer of them try to sneak across the border in search of better jobs. Trade deals are always supposed to create benefits for everyone involved, and while negotiators always pursue their national interests, they don’t gain anything from lopsided deals that fall apart because their counterparts can’t defend them politically at home. It’s a delicate balance, with spoken and unspoken sensitivities, which is one reason the negotiations take so long.

By contrast, Trump seems to have a zero-sum view of trade, of deals, maybe of life, where anything good for the guy on the other side of the table is bad for the sucker who gave it to him. He believes in winners and losers, and his idea of a “win-win” is a deal where he wins twice. As a real estate developer, he was known for controversial deals that left him with a windfall, counterparties and contractors holding the bag, and lawyers sorting out the aftermath for years. That combative alpha-male approach obviously served Trump well in business, and it has worked for him in politics, too. In global trade, well, it will be a change of pace.

But even extracting concessions Obama already extracted could be much harder than it sounds. Getting Canada to open its dairy industry even slightly took a herculean negotiating effort—Vetter calls it “the most painful thing I’ve ever done”—but ultimately Canada knew it had to give a bit on dairy to get market access to Japan and other TPP countries for its other industries. Presumably, in a NAFTA-only negotiation that had nothing to do with Asia, Canada would want something different. What Canada probably wants most from the United States is better access to government procurement, but that directly conflicts with another one of Trump’s big promises, that he will force U.S. contractors to use “Made in America” products for pipelines and other public works.

“You can’t automatically assume what was negotiated before would work in a different context,” Gilles Gauthier, the economic affairs minister for Canada’s embassy to the United States, told me with a sly negotiator’s grin. Yves Leduc, policy director for Canada’s dairy trade group, was more direct: “Obviously, what happened in TPP was not our first choice. We’d expect a totally different dynamic in new negotiations.”

Presumably, Mexico would also have to get something if Trump wants it to agree to sweeten NAFTA. When I asked Smith Ramos what Mexico might ask from the United States, he mentioned easier movement into the United States for its professionals. I pointed out that easing border crossings for Mexicans seems like the last thing Trump wants. “Well, we don’t want to pre-judge,” Smith Ramos said with a shrug.

Congress would also have to approve any renegotiation of NAFTA, which would require threading an extraordinarily narrow needle given the current state of trade politics. Republicans are divided over trade. Democrats are mostly skeptical of trade and almost uniformly hostile to Trump. And members of both parties have all kinds of industry-specific interests that could scuttle a deal. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York will look out for their dairy farmers. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch is adamant that any new trade deal has to include powerful protections for U.S. pharmaceutical patents. It won’t be easy to strike a balance that majorities will accept.

The politics will be even harder in Mexico, where Trump’s Mexico-bashing nationalism is creating an America-bashing nationalist backlash, and elections are looming in the summer of 2018. Peña Nieto is deeply unpopular, and this is not an opportune time for him to make a deal with the gringo who wants to build the wall, especially if Trump demands extravagant new concessions. Smith Ramos says Mexico is already preparing for the possibility of life without NAFTA, trying to build bridges to the rest of Latin America and Asia in case the United States turns inward. “We hope cooler heads will prevail, but we have to deal with political reality,” he says.

If Trump’s rhetoric is just a negotiating ploy, many economists see it as a ploy tantamount to holding a gun to his own head and threatening to shoot, because it’s no secret that a trade war could trigger a deep recession in the U.S. Ditching NAFTA could be particularly devastating to U.S. farmers, as well as automakers and other exporters who rely on regional supply chains that would take years and multibillion-dollar investments to recreate at home. It might bring back some factories, but it would make American products more expensive for consumers—and if it makes those products too expensive to compete globally, it could lead to overall job losses in Trump strongholds like the Rust Belt.

Meanwhile, foreign policy strategists worry that U.S. global influence will dwindle if Trump stiff-arms the world. Like Mexico, Canada is exploring new partnerships that look a bit like Fortress America insurance, recently concluding a trade deal with the European Union and starting talks with China about closer cooperation. Obama always warned that China would exploit the political vacuum if the United States walked away from TPP, and several TPP countries in Asia are now looking into a China-led regional trade alliance that is unlikely to include any of TPP’s protections for labor, the environment, intellectual property or an open internet.

Our POTUS is a bull in a china shop.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: POTUS 45.40: If You Need a Lawyer, Don't Hire Michael Cohen

Meanwhile, foreign policy strategists worry that U.S. global influence will dwindle if Trump stiff-arms the world. Like Mexico, Canada is exploring new partnerships that look a bit like Fortress America insurance, recently concluding a trade deal with the European Union and starting talks with China about closer cooperation. Obama always warned that China would exploit the political vacuum if the United States walked away from TPP, and several TPP countries in Asia are now looking into a China-led regional trade alliance that is unlikely to include any of TPP’s protections for labor, the environment, intellectual property or an open internet.

This is what I read a long time ago. Hillary, Bernie, and Trump were all wrong on this issue. The problem is Hillary was pandering to the public. She knew better but she didn't think she could win or convince the public. The other two thought they were being so smart.