Summations Only

I agree. But apparently, some folks are pressing the idea that the destruction of the test site was a Trump accomplishment that no other president could match. What is actually the case is that North Korea has during the Trump years managed to test enormously more power nuclear weapons and has now rendered their test site unusable. That is not an accomplishment for the US.Yes, it is unfair to blame Trump for that. On the other hand, if Republican House lackeys actually believe that Trump had already earned a Nobel Prize for his work with Korea, work which has been nothing more than matching Kim's penis waving rhetoric, then maybe the last week or will be a dose of reality.The announcement from North Korea that is supposedly the reason that the summit was canceled was no stronger and no more childish than the needlessly provocative outbursts from Pompeo and Pence. Further, the response was utterly predictable. Probably so. But if he had gotten too far ahead of Trump, I think he'd be gone for making those remarks. I think Trump was fine with Bolton saying what he did, and I would not be surprised if he pre-approved them.

I think you are giving too much credit for organization, communication and attention span.

That is certainly possible. It is something that I consider when I am making predictions such as the one I made here. I certainly don't give Trump the credit for those things. However there are a few smart folks at Trump's disposal, and I am sure that at least some of them can see what everyone else in the world sees; namely that North Korea is playing us and South Korea for total saps, and that even the agreement to a summit only benefited Kim.Perhaps those folks managed to win one.

Great statement by Trump today that sums it all up:

This is how our president acknowledges the men and woman who fought and died or were injured for this country.Trump tweeted...

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"Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!"

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I'd welcome any explanation of how this is not just one more piece of evidence that we have elected a narcissist to the office of the presidency. How can you be a veteran or the family of a deceased veteran and not be disgusted?

Funny thing, a large number of veterans supported Trump because he claimed he'd get us out of the wars in the Middle East.

From CNNI was at the laundromat this morning, and the TV was broadcasting a report that Trump (via Twitter, because of course!) is claiming that Mueller's team is going to try to rig the midterm elections.I'd LOL, but I'm now actually getting kind of worried about whether they're going to be sending out their Brownshirts to start beating up voters at the polls.

A despot trying to wake up his base of support. Nothing more or less. Lies work perfectly well for that kind of thing. Attacks on Mueller are "Kool-Aid" for those supporters.

Red state Republican governors and secretaries of state were among those who pushed back against Kobach's fake Election Integrity Commission. I hope they are among those who tell Trump to cool it.

Every time I see Scott Pruitt, he's wearing a RIBBON on his lapel. Not a lapel pin, but a FUCKING RIBBON. One that I cannot find any reference to anywhere. Is that some kind of FUCKING STOLEN VALOR?I am a retired Chief Petty Officer of the US Navy with 35 years of military service. When you officially receive an award (medal or ribbon), it includes a lapel pin which you are authorized to wear. In bio-pics of LBJ (eg, Brian Cranston's "All the Way", LBJ's photo on Wikipedia), you should see him wearing a lapel pin of the Silver Star which the US Navy awarded him for having once flown into Harm's Way during WWII. Which he had every right to wear.So then just what exactly is this asshole Scott Pruitt up to? Had he actually received some kind of award (in which case why doesn't he just wear the lapel pin instead of the FUCKING RIBBON?).I really hate hypocrites. But even more I hate stolen-valor hypocrites.Edited by dwise1, : even, not ever

During the discussions with Canada about tariffs that are ostensibly justified base on national security concerns, Trump apparently accused Canada of being a threat to the US during the war of 1812.

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According to the sources, Trudeau pressed Trump on how he could justify the tariffs as a "national security" issue. In response, Trump quipped to Trudeau, "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?" referring to the War of 1812.

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Of course, the real story is that it was the British who were involved in the War of 1812, which was started after the US attacked York Ontario, which at the time was a British colony.Whether or not the tariffs are a good idea is a political question that I won't go into here, but whether or not the 'national security' justification will fly if taken to the World Trade Organization is pretty clear. It won't work. Now Trump may not care about the WTO because, well MAGA. But if the US is unable to get the WTO to take up its complaints, then perhaps this tactic is not to our benefit.

Canada was a British colony during the War of 1812, so even though having no choice in the matter they were on the British side and considered a threat. It's even possible Canadians served in the British unit that burned the White House, though who knows. A sidenote: history makes it sound like the White House was burned to the ground, but the shell of the building was saved. The exterior we see today is the same one completed in 1800. Another sidenote: the entire interior was gutted basement to ceiling during the Truman administration. Let me see if I can find a photo of this, it's amazing: Anyway, getting back to history, the War of 1812 was over trade. Britain didn't want the US trading freely with the rest of Europe (actually France, with whom Britain was at war, but also anyone Britain saw as aiding France, such as Denmark, Russia, others), plus they were impressing seaman off our ships who they believed were British deserters (they were often right). Serendipity (an assassination and a change in Britain's prime minister) repealed the British policies in 1812, but by the time the news reached our side of the Atlantic we'd already declared war. The British sort of said, "Oh, all right, if you insist...", and a couple years later they burned the White House.--Percy

Good editorial in today's NYT: 'I Want to Hate...'--Percy

It is also Congress' prerogative to impeach the President if there is an abuse of power.Dershowitz might as well say that there is nothing wrong with a judge being bribed since the decision in a case is the judge's prerogative.

I read somewhere (I can't remember where, unfortunately) that, as understood by the Framers of the Constitution, the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" (the justification for impeachment) referred not only to violations of laws, but also to actions that may be technically legal but rise to the level of egregious abuse of power.And the power of impeachment was given to a political branch of government because it is a political decision as to what is an abuse of power.