OT: Thanking Donald Trump

[stu4don]

What bothers me is how our President continues to disrespect and politicize military families in their darkest hours. From his ignorant comment about McCain to going after the Gold Star Family during the campaign, to the recent heartless comment "He knew what he signed on for", and now, dragging Kelly's heroic son (with a lie) who died in Afghanistan into his childish, embarrassing, lie-strewn twitter world is an absolute disgrace.

His is not Presidential behavior. I don't know how my respected friends on this site -- who gave him the benefit of the doubt -- can continue to support him.

Bush's former ethics chief Richard Painter said this morning:

“He has no empathy, no understanding of the human emotions of what people go through because he never did it himself, he stayed home during Vietnam with his sore foot or whatever it was,” Painter said. “What he’s done to Gen. Kelly is atrocious.”

 

[stu4don]

Thank your son for his service. I have family on the Western part of the Island.

Have you seen what Insurance stocks have done since Barry’s insurance plan went through? Some over 400%

That will happen when you bring 25 Million new costumers into a business. We all agree it needs to be fixed. But to deny coverage to 25 Million Americans is wrong. Once young, healthy people leave to jump to Trump's cheap plans, we will all be paying a lot more. Thanks Mr. President.

 

[john0gaunt]

people leave to jump to Trump's cheap plans, we will all be paying a lot more

This is kind of unbelievable. You are concerned that POTUS will find a way to offer real, usable health insurance to those of us in the middle class that are unable to find the same since this disaster of a law was passed. You're against that because it might cost you more for your insurance. Now you see how the majority of us feel who are funding your disaster of a law.

Now back to the big game week.

Go Irish!

 

[stu4don]

This is kind of unbelievable. You are concerned that POTUS will find a way to offer real, usable health insurance to those of us in the middle class that are unable to find the same since this disaster of a law was passed. You're against that because it might cost you more for your insurance. Now you see how the majority of us feel who are funding your disaster of a law.

Now back to the big game week.

Go Irish!

Yet this is what all the experts are saying about what Trump has done. (It does make sense when young healthy people stop paying into our plans, then the old farts like us will have to pick up the slack. Where will the money come from?) It is also why recently, (finally) some republicans have offered a bipartisan plan to fix Obamacare. But hey... you have a choice you can believe the experts who do this kind of research for a living or you can believe Donald Trump (of "Trump University" fame.)

 

[stu4don]

• Florida congresswoman says Trump told a fallen soldier's widow "He knew what he was signing up for."
• Trump denies claim, says he "has proof" he never said that.
• Asked what proof he's talking about, Trump says he will release it if congresswoman repeats her claim again.
• Congresswoman repeats her claim again. Also says she has her own proof. Also the widow's family says she's right.
• Silence hangs in the air, undercut only by an eerie whistling wind as clumps of tumbleweed roll past White House.

 

[stu4don]

Trump told the father of a fallen soldier "I’m going to write you a check, out of my personal account, for $25,000. No other president has ever done something like this, but I’m going to do it."* Even when trying to console a grieving family, Trump is a car salesman who tells you he's really not supposed to offer you the free Undercarriage Rust Protection Package but he's going to make an exception because he likes you. And then he goes back on his word.
*Trump reportedly mailed the check TODAY, months after promising to, and presumably because he got caught lying. AGAIN.

 

[Telx1]

What bothers me is how our President continues to disrespect and politicize military families in their darkest hours. From his ignorant comment about McCain to going after the Gold Star Family during the campaign, to the recent heartless comment "He knew what he signed on for", and now, dragging Kelly's heroic son (with a lie) who died in Afghanistan into his childish, embarrassing, lie-strewn twitter world is an absolute disgrace.

His is not Presidential behavior. I don't know how my respected friends on this site -- who gave him the benefit of the doubt -- can continue to support him.

Bush's former ethics chief Richard Painter said this morning:

“He has no empathy, no understanding of the human emotions of what people go through because he never did it himself, he stayed home during Vietnam with his sore foot or whatever it was,” Painter said. “What he’s done to Gen. Kelly is atrocious.”

Stu... something you and I can partially agree on! The only disconnect is with your opening line. What bothers you is all things Trump, not just this newest issue. I can’t stand the guy as I’ve stated many times, and while I generally think we are better served by reversing the left leaning direction Obama had us on, his petty narcissistic thin skinned way of dealing with literally every daily matter turns the routine into anything but. And of course, The resist folks and their crony mainstream media are positioned to pounce each time. To think this has spilled over into how he communicates with the families of fallen soldiers suggests we are dysfunctional beyond belief, and I personally think Trump and the mainstream media own this is equal parts.

 

[stu4don]

Telx -- this is not about the mainstream media. The mainstream media didn't say the things trump said, didn't defame McCain, the Gold Star Family, and say the cold hearted things and outright lies this guy has said about our military.

Never understood the hatred of President Obama. You may disagree with his policies but he has been married to the same woman his whole life, raised two beautiful daughters and always carried himself with class and showed respect for the office. While he was in office the USA had the respect of the world, now we are a joke and Merkel is the world leader.

You call Obama narcissistic and thin skinned?! Prove it. Did he tweet? Did he say anything when Bozos like Trump questioned his citizenship for eight years?! When they defamed his mother by questioning his citizenship? Nope, he turned the other cheek and got the job done. Disagree with his policies, hate him for that, I will defend your right to do that. But the man is all class. Show me an Obama tweet (he never did that, he is a grownup) or a quote that proves he is narcissistic?

Who would you want your kids emulate: Obama or Trump?

 

[NDEwing18]

Stu... something you and I can partially agree on! The only disconnect is with your opening line. What bothers you is all things Trump, not just this newest issue. I can’t stand the guy as I’ve stated many times, and while I generally think we are better served by reversing the left leaning direction Obama had us on, his petty narcissistic thin skinned way of dealing with literally every daily matter turns the routine into anything but. And of course, The resist folks and their crony mainstream media are positioned to pounce each time. To think this has spilled over into how he communicates with the families of fallen soldiers suggests we are dysfunctional beyond belief, and I personally think Trump and the mainstream media own this is equal parts.

Just out of curiosity, but how do you think the mainstream media is complicit in Trump's approach to communicating with the families of fallen soldiers.

 

[deadirishpoet]

Telx -- this is not about the mainstream media. The mainstream media didn't say the things trump said, didn't defame McCain, the Gold Star Family, and say the cold hearted things and outright lies this guy has said about our military.

Never understood the hatred of President Obama. You may disagree with his policies but he has been married to the same woman his whole life, raised two beautiful daughters and always carried himself with class and showed respect for the office. While he was in office the USA had the respect of the world, now we are a joke and Merkel is the world leader.

Did he tweet? Did he say anything when Bozos like Trump questioned his citizenship for eight years?! When they defamed his mother by questioning his citizenship? Nope, he turned the other cheek and got the job done. Disagree with his policies, hate him for that, I will defend your right to do that. But the man is all class. Show me an Obama tweet (he never did that, he is a grownup) or a quote that proves he is narcissistic?

Who would you want your kids emulate: Obama or Trump?

Got the job done?

Stop it!

What he said about John McCain during the primaries was out of bounds

What he said in regards to Gold Star Family during the primaries was not out of bounds because they injected themselves into it

Anybody who has joined the military especially those in the operating family understand that is what they signed up for he didn't say anything operators had said themselves

We didn't go into it for the enemy in front of
us, we did it for the ones we love behind us

The reason you don't understand why lpeople who don't agree with President Obama as hatred is because you have blinders on

President Trump did not politicize the military thats what that ignorant congresswoman did.

"You call Obama narcissistic and thin skinned?! Prove it. """...... Which executive order do you want to talk about?
I guess you forgot about pen and phone, or how about him injecting himself into police matters coming out with egg on his face.

I wouldn't have my children "emulate" either one of them.

"and showed respect for the office. While he was in office"...........WOW just WOW.
Where do you want to start
Bugging reporters and their families households?
Using the NSA in the manner in which he did?
His IRS?
His racist Attorney General?
His foreign policies which destroyed the Middle East?

His conduct towards our best Ally Israel?
And it looks like the real Russian collusion was under his administration

Fast ad Furious?

Let me know if you need help with any more!

On a closing note President Obama is WHY president Trump was elected

 

[NDEwing18]

President Trump did not politicize the military thats what that ignorant congresswoman did.

Trump was the one who made the way he deals with families who have lost loved ones a political issue--not the congresswoman.

I also don't know how she's "ignorant". Trump hasn't provided this "proof" that she was wrong. Instead, the widow and her family have appeared to corroborate what he said.

 

[deadirishpoet]

Trump was the one who made the way he deals with families who have lost loved ones a political issue--not the congresswoman.

I also don't know how she's "ignorant". Trump hasn't provided this "proof" that she was wrong. Instead, the widow and her family have appeared to corroborate what he said.

This congresswoman is taking advantage of a very vulnerable woman.
The ignorance was her injecting this into a political matter she is part of the resistance quote on quote Anything she says should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[NDEwing18]

This congresswoman is taking advantage of a very vulnerable woman.
The ignorance was her injecting this into a political matter she is part of the resistance quote on quote Anything she says should be taken with a grain of salt.

Anything Trump says should be taken with a grain of salt. The mother of the deceased corroborated the congresswoman's report.

When the President declares that he calls and writes to families of deceased soldiers more than past presidents, then he makes this a political issue.

Trump has a hard-on with respect to anything related to Obama. It's kind of strange, frankly.

 

[Telx1]

Telx -- this is not about the mainstream media. The mainstream media didn't say the things trump said, didn't defame McCain, the Gold Star Family, and say the cold hearted things and outright lies this guy has said about our military.

Never understood the hatred of President Obama. You may disagree with his policies but he has been married to the same woman his whole life, raised two beautiful daughters and always carried himself with class and showed respect for the office. While he was in office the USA had the respect of the world, now we are a joke and Merkel is the world leader.

You call Obama narcissistic and thin skinned?! Prove it. Did he tweet? Did he say anything when Bozos like Trump questioned his citizenship for eight years?! When they defamed his mother by questioning his citizenship? Nope, he turned the other cheek and got the job done. Disagree with his policies, hate him for that, I will defend your right to do that. But the man is all class. Show me an Obama tweet (he never did that, he is a grownup) or a quote that proves he is narcissistic?

Who would you want your kids emulate: Obama or Trump?

Poor writing on my part. I was referring to my dislike of Trump and his narcissistic ways, not Obama. I disliked the majority of policy under Obama, and I disliked his ends justifies the means way of governing, but I respected him as a man and father.

 

[deadirishpoet]

Anything Trump says should be taken with a grain of salt. The mother of the deceased corroborated the congresswoman's report.

When the President declares that he calls and writes to families of deceased soldiers more than past presidents, then he makes this a political issue.

Trump has a hard-on with respect to anything related to Obama. It's kind of strange, frankly.

Kind of like the left has with President Trump.
President Trump is doing what the people wanted him to do who elected him by dismantling the course President Obama put this country on.

I guess President Obama didn't need to inject himself politically into military families who lost loved ones by never contacting them.
Including General Kelly son by all accounts.
, But what President Obama did do was go out and push a false narrative about videos while Americans are being killed in the service of this country, with his crooked Secretary of State doing the same
By the way that cat that made the video is still in jail yet the transvestite traitor gets a pardon.
Kind of ironic isn't it?

 

[deadirishpoet]

Have you seen what Insurance stocks have done since Barry’s insurance plan went through? Some over 400%

Speak of Sleeping with the Enemy

 

[HarlemIrish]

Have you seen what Insurance stocks have done since Barry’s insurance plan went through? Some over 400%

That will happen when you bring 25 Million new costumers into a business. We all agree it needs to be fixed. But to deny coverage to 25 Million Americans is wrong. Once young, healthy people leave to jump to Trump's cheap plans, we will all be paying a lot more. Thanks Mr. President.

The insurance plan is being propped up by taxpayers. How’s Medicaid doing? Let every state mandate their own plans. Did you see today? An illegal 16 year old alien being given a tax subsidized abortion in Texas. That’s what’s driving medical costs. Who do you think is paying for all the illegal aliens plans in NYS?

 

[Telx1]

Just out of curiosity, but how do you think the mainstream media is complicit in Trump's approach to communicating with the families of fallen soldiers.

Never said or suggested the mainstream media is complicit in this specific instance or story, but rather stated the opinion that this story illustrates how dysfunctional we’ve become, and my belief that the media partially owns this along with Trump in the broader sense. To be clear, Trump calling for looking at news reporting and suggesting licenses possibly be pulled for reporting fake news is dangerous and careless on his part, but it’s also very dangerous for a democracy to have editorial opinion blur with news reporting and editorial standards for what constitutes news being widely ignored throughout the industry.

 

[NDEwing18]

Never said or suggested the mainstream media is complicit in this specific instance or story, but rather stated the opinion that this story illustrates how dysfunctional we’ve become, and my belief that the media partially owns this along with Trump in the broader sense. To be clear, Trump calling for looking at news reporting and suggesting licenses possibly be pulled for reporting fake news is dangerous and careless on his part, but it’s also very dangerous for a democracy to have editorial opinion blur with news reporting and editorial standards for what constitutes news being widely ignored throughout the industry.

Editorial opinion has been blurred with news since the founding of the democracy. Arguably, the press at the time of the nation's founding was worse than it is now.

 

[deadirishpoet]

The insurance plan is being propped up by taxpayers. How’s Medicaid doing? Let every state mandate their own plans. Did you see today? An illegal 16 year old alien being given a tax subsidized abortion in Texas. That’s what’s driving medical costs. Who do you think is paying for all the illegal aliens plans in NYS?

Exactly

 

[Telx1]

Editorial opinion has been blurred with news since the founding of the democracy. Arguably, the press at the time of the nation's founding was worse than it is now.

Well, there was no such thing as editorial standards at the time of the nation’s founding.

 

[NDEwing18]

Kind of like the left has with President Trump.
President Trump is doing with the people wanted him to do who elected him by dismantling the course President Obama put this country on.

I guess President Obama didn't need to himself politically into military families who lost loved ones by never contacting them.
Including General Kelly son by all accounts.
, But what President Obama did do was go out and push a false narrative about videos while Americans are being killed in the service of this country, with his crooked Secretary of State doing the same
By the way that cat that made the video is still in jail yet the transvestite traitor gets a pardon.
Kind of ironic isn't it?

I expect the left to have a problem with President Trump. I also expect the right to have a problem with Democratic politicians. I don't expect any current officeholder, though, to have a weird obsession with making false claims about his or her predecessor (Trump's inaugural crowd was bigger than Obama's, etc.)

Apparently Obama never called General Kelly, but there's no suggestion (to my knowledge) that there was no letter written. Nor, to my knowledge, has it been typical "practice" for a President to personally call every family who has lost a service member (candidly, I wouldn't expect him to). If Trump is going to boast about calling everyone and suggesting that others didn't do it, then he probably should make sure he does call everyone. According to reports that I've seen, he hasn't done so.

I don't necessarily have an issue with what Trump said to the family he spoke to the other day. Consoling a family that lost a loved one that you're technically responsible for doesn't come with a template. I don't expect him to be perfect with what he says. I would expect, though, that our presidents generally keep those things in private so not to drag out grieving families in public. Trump failed to do so the other day when he inaccurately criticized former presidents.

 

[deadirishpoet]

I expect the left to have a problem with President Trump. I also expect the right to have a problem with Democratic politicians. I don't expect any current officeholder, though, to have a weird obsession with making false claims about his or her predecessor (Trump's inaugural crowd was bigger than Obama's, etc.)

Apparently Obama never called General Kelly, but there's no suggestion (to my knowledge) that there was no letter written. Nor, to my knowledge, has it been typical "practice" for a President to personally call every family who has lost a service member (candidly, I wouldn't expect him to). If Trump is going to boast about calling everyone and suggesting that others didn't do it, then he probably should make sure he does call everyone. According to reports that I've seen, he hasn't done so.

I don't necessarily have an issue with what Trump said to the family he spoke to the other day. Consoling a family that lost a loved one that you're technically responsible for doesn't come with a template. I don't expect him to be perfect with what he says. I would expect, though, that our presidents generally keep those things in private so not to drag out grieving families in public. Trump failed to do so the other day when he inaccurately criticized former presidents.

I do agree president Trump's approach sometimes are less than gracious/president like.
I am and I've always said of being frustrated with the Twitter use.
We are living with the best choice between two candidates running for office as president United States.

We are all going to have to live with the consequences of what previous Administrations have caused the American people to do.

 

[stu4don]

Good discussion, thanks guys.

 

[NIN Irish]

On a closing note President Obama is WHY president Trump was elected

Obama may have partially helped to get trump elected, but Hillary Clinton is WHY trump won.

 

[stu4don]

I disagreed with a lot of what Bush did (Tax cuts for the wealthy/Iraq War) but I never disrespected him as a person and always believed his innate love of country (he just BVG'd his advisors.)

This president doesn't love anyone but himself. He could care less for the middle class (ask all of the people how got bilked on Trump U), soldiers, all he does is talk about himself. Big hands, big crowds, wonderful, best ever, that is why he brought Kelly's son into the discussion. It is always about Trump! He is a bad guy, a dangerous guy... I can't understand why people who supported him, can't see that by now.

Obama signing executive orders had more to do with the on-going (to this day) do nothing Republican congress. Again, hate his policies but not the man (I do think a lot of the Obama hatred -- I'm not talking about you guys, but the alt-right, has everything to do with his black father. It is just racism.)

Just finishing up Meachem's Jackson biography (excellent read and can't wait to start CHernow's new Grant Bio) -- Jackson is a guy who grabbed control of his office. More vetoes in his first year of office than in all the previous presidencies. The first real people's president (but he had more than 35%) Again, like Bush, like Obama, he had the country first in his heart. I didn't agree with all of his policies but he fought to keep America together and strong. And he gave his life in service to his country (at 14 when captured by the British refused to wipe a British officer's boots and was struck in the face with a sword! Old Hickory!) What has Trump ever done for the USA?

Trump only serves Trump. Sorry but as a New Yorker I knew this in the 1970s.

I said my piece. I'll read you guys responses but I don't want to bore everyone.

 

[stu4don]

Signed off and found this from the former president's speech today.

“We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America,” Mr. Bush said. “We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade, forgetting that conflict, instability and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism. We’ve seen the return of isolationist sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places.”

The former president said these afflictions have created a crisis of confidence in the United States that has endangered its historic ideals. “In all these ways, we need to recall and recover our own identity,” he said. “Americans have great advantage. To renew our country we only need to remember our values.”

 

[john0gaunt]

Dow 23k.
Unemployment claims lowest since 1974.

Keep crying.

 

[stu4don]

No crying at all -- just thanking the guy who did it. President Obama. (But Trump will take credit for it or say that this is fake news. Like the world is round.)

• The economy gained a net 11.5 million jobs under Obama. The unemployment rate dropped to below the historical norm.

Employers added 1,189,000 jobs in February through August, according to data released Friday.


That falls short of the 1,375,000 jobs created during Obama's last seven months.

Thanks President Barack Obama. Drop the mike.

 

[IRISHJD98]

Thank your son for his service. I have family on the Western part of the Island.

Thanks. I finally had the opportunity to remind him how proud I am. He got back from hurricane chasing yesterday. He didn't go into a lot of detail, but he said "it really was pretty bad" when he talked about Puerto Rico compared to the other islands he was on. He left the week before ND first's game after Harvey, so he hasn't seen the Irish play so that's what he wanted to hear about. He's pretty skeptical.

 

[john0gaunt]

Dow 23k.
Unemployment claims lowest since 1974.

Keep crying. Maybe next time dab...

 

[Telx1]

No crying at all -- just thanking the guy who did it. President Obama. (But Trump will take credit for it or say that this is fake news. Like the world is round.)

• The economy gained a net 11.5 million jobs under Obama. The unemployment rate dropped to below the historical norm.

Employers added 1,189,000 jobs in February through August, according to data released Friday.


That falls short of the 1,375,000 jobs created during Obama's last seven months.

Thanks President Barack Obama. Drop the mike.

Job creation under Obama was in fact very good by historical standards, especially when you consider the depth of the economic recession he inherited. We can all play with the the various stats to support our bias with respect to Obama, but in my view there were three areas of concern with employment during his administration. First, labor participation rates were among the worse this country has seen since the depression. Second, wages dropped significantly during the recession, and have yet to recover. Third, manufacturing jobs were a net negative while the healthcare industry saw significant growth. None of these trends have significantly reveresed in Trumps first nine months, but in my opinion, these would be a good starting point for assessing the quality of job creation under Trump going forward.

 

[stu4don]

Agreed Telx -- the rich continue to get richer. Everything I read about Trump's tax policy says it will only get worse. I also just read Kelly's defense of Trump's phone call to the mother of the lost soldier.

 

[Telx1]

Agreed Telx -- the rich continue to get richer. Everything I read about Trump's tax policy says it will only get worse. I also just read Kelly's defense of Trump's phone call to the mother of the lost soldier.

Stu, you obviously care about the direction of the country and you invest the time to be informed on the issues. The same goes for many who post here, on both extremes and everything in between. The single overarching aspect of what we see and debate daily, that concerns me the most, is that power is the driving force behind damn near every political action, political posture, political debate. Democrats acting in total unison to block Trumps agenda, and the Republican’s doing the same to Obama, without any regard to making good policy or good law exemplify this at a macro level. At a micro level, the majority of Americans are sympathetic to Dreamers and support a path to legalization and citizenship for them. The same majority of Americans support a significant barrier at the border for security first and foremost, and for control of illegal immigration and illegal drug trafficking. Reasonable people should be able to put these two issues together for a win win. Instead of righteous reasoning, the issues will boil down to Dems wanting to maximize the number of immigrants gaining citizenship and voting rights, and they will want to deny Trump one of the key issues of his campaign by denying him his wall. On the flip side, the Republicans will want to minimize the number of immigrants gaining citizenship because they fear these are future votes for the Dems; and they will insist on a barrier that Trump can declare as a major victory. It all boils down to looking at every issue through the lens of political power for themselves and their party, under the guise of serious consideration of what’s in the country’s best interest.

 

[deadirishpoet]

Agreed Telx -- the rich continue to get richer. Everything I read about Trump's tax policy says it will only get worse. I also just read Kelly's defense of Trump's phone call to the mother of the lost soldier.

I just watched Gen. Kelly speak.
I cried.
I'm done with this subject title.

 

[rgc7]

It is just amazing how times have changed : Growing up during WWll , and the Korean War, and ,I believe , into the Viet NAm War, the family used to just receive a letter from some military officer saying,
“ We regret to inform you that your ....... was killed in action .”
As far as I know Presidents never got involved and no one expected them to ! There may have been a few exceptions, but If there were they were few and far between!

 

[francade]

“He is petty and immature.”

Kinda like the left has been since the election.

 

[HarlemIrish]

Trump was the one who made the way he deals with families who have lost loved ones a political issue--not the congresswoman.

I also don't know how she's "ignorant". Trump hasn't provided this "proof" that she was wrong. Instead, the widow and her family have appeared to corroborate what he said.

So when did the press delve into all the Phone calls to the fallen by Previous two dolts. It’s disgusting democratic arm (Media) would stoop so low.

 

[francade]

That congresswoman is a genius. The dog and moon reference really explained everything to a tee. And we wonder why congress doesn’t get anything done? It’s idiots like that. What a moron.

 

[Telx1]

It is just amazing how times have changed : Growing up during WWll , and the Korean War, and ,I believe , into the Viet NAm War, the family used to just receive a letter from some military officer saying,
“ We regret to inform you that your ....... was killed in action .”
As far as I know Presidents never got involved and no one expected them to ! There may have been a few exceptions, but If there were they were few and far between!

I still have the written notice my mom received about my dad’s death in WW II. A week later two guys showed up in their military dress to inform her the notice was an error, and that he was recovering from wounds in a battlefield hospital. Today that would be cause for the 24/7 news crowd to cover the story from a blame game angle, and for the out of power political party to use the mishap to their political advantage. Then, it was cause for celebration among family and friends to learn he was alive.