The Trump Presidency

[amlove21]

I’m not smart enough on the intricacies of the ACA, but reading what I have, I like the EO move from President Trump on this one. I think it’s a step in the right direction on health care.

Let’s go ahead and string good things like this together- maybe get to like 4 to 5 good things in a row.

I'd like to retract this comment. After reading more and trying to get a little smarter on healthcare and what this EO actually means, I don't think it was a good thing; I was wrong.

If the overall goal is "More Americans with more coverage", I think this EO falls short.

 

[Il Duce]

I'd like to retract this comment. After reading more and trying to get a little smarter on healthcare and what this EO actually means, I don't think it was a good thing; I was wrong.

If the overall goal is "More Americans with more coverage", I think this EO falls short.

The goal of the EO is to damage the ACA market-places in an attempt to raise the cost of coverage and drive insurers out of the markets - to speed up what President Trump claims is happening already (with a great deal of dispute on that point).

President Trump (maybe) believes this will make the collapse of the marketplaces and the ACA inevitable and drive Democrats to the negotiating table to reform/rescind the ACA under President Trumps terms and (probably) believes those who voted for him will blame any loss/increased cost of coverage on Democrats and not him.

 

[Florida173]

Did Congress appropriate these subsidies the POTUS is using an EO to stop?

He's right to do it.

 

[Salt USMC]

The Obama administration appealed a lawsuit related to the subsidies, and federal court said that the executive branch can continue funding them until SCOTUS decides the case. He's ending the subsidies purely out of spite.

 

[Blizzard]

...He's ending the subsidies purely out of spite.

Or principle.

 

[TLDR20]

Or principle.

I don't think he operates on good principles, but hey whatever.

This will backfire. People don't know what they got until its gone, so to speak. People will lose their insurance, and with it access to care they have enjoyed over the last few years.

I have seen people saying "health insurance premiums will go down..." My response would be why and how? When a company realizes it can charge more to insure fewer, it will do so. With companies paying the majority of insurance costs, people who are not insured via companies will themselves become a higher risk pool. The point of increasing access to insurance is to lower the risk pool which in turn lowers overall costs. President Trump removing the incentive to get insurance and removing subsidies will only harm the entire market and make prices increase.

I love it when I see a patient post getting life's saving heart surgery watching Fox News bitching about entitlements, then I look at his record and see that he is getting Medicaid. The irony is so strong that it is sickening.

 

[ThunderHorse]

Here's a good one, John McCain, stfd!

McCain blocks Defense nominees to get Afghanistan war info

This shit needs to stop, we need the administrators of the government confirmed so that we can operate efficiently.

 

[Il Duce]

This is the best summary I've seen of the distasteful imbroglio over President Trump's condolences to Gold Star families: How did Trump's response to Niger deaths go so wrong?

And this is the best analysis (IMO): Trump's Unforced Error

I think overall it shows how the coarsening of dialogue and the ejection of custom/courtesy/manners is a slippery slope. One can be happy with the President's brash style and disregard for norms in some circumstances - but then you have to accept them in a host of other circumstances. Also, the lying - the constant, not thought-out, seemingly instinctive lying. At some point I wonder if the President will realize everything he says and does will now be scrutinized? That's the difference between being the President and anybody else.

 

[Devildoc]

I think overall it shows how the coarsening of dialogue and the ejection of custom/courtesy/manners is a slippery slope. One can be happy with the President's brash style and disregard for norms in some circumstances - but then you have to accept them in a host of other circumstances. Also, the lying - the constant, not thought-out, seemingly instinctive lying. At some point I wonder if the President will realize everything he says and does will now be scrutinized? That's the difference between being the President and anybody else.

I agree. I think that is part of the reason not a lot of media is following the Russia-Obama-Uranium thing. The media is fixated on what he is saying and doing and trying to parse his language, a lot of important stories are just going by the wayside. (Not to say his words and actions shouldn't be scrutinized; rather, his behavior has media perhaps going deeper than they normally would)

 

[Topkick]

Trump denies being disrespectful to widow. John Kelly backs Trump. Could it be that a Democrat congresswoman might just be politicizing this to get at Trump? Say it isn't so.

Kelly defends Trump's call to war widow, raps congresswoman

 

[Grunt]

General Kelly's speech was one of the best, most authentic speeches I have heard in a long time. Well spoken and no teleprompter. Straight from the heart.

Job well done, General!

 

[Poccington]

Trump denies being disrespectful to widow. John Kelly backs Trump. Could it be that a Democrat congresswoman might just be politicizing this to get at Trump? Say it isn't so.

Kelly defends Trump's call to war widow, raps congresswoman

Well, a family member who heard the call also said he made the comment. I'd fully believe Trump said something along the lines of "He knew what he was getting into".

However, I think what Kelly is getting at and what I agree with, is that someone saying something along the lines of "He knew what he was getting into" to the family of a service member killed in combat isn't always meant in a disrespectful manner. You can say "He knew what he was getting into" as a means of acknowledging the fact that soldiers sign on the dotted line in the complete knowledge that their service could result in their death, something which is deserving of the utmost respect.

Instead of focusing on the words, tone becomes much more important. I doubt what Trumps words were meant in the manner that the Congresswoman has portrayed them as.

 

[Poccington]

The deaths in Niger have been turned into a political football by both sides and it's just wrong.

 

[Il Duce]

Trump denies being disrespectful to widow. John Kelly backs Trump. Could it be that a Democrat congresswoman might just be politicizing this to get at Trump? Say it isn't so.

Kelly defends Trump's call to war widow, raps congresswoman

The congresswoman was with the family when they received the call - and another relative on the call corroborated what the congresswoman said. I think it's fair to say President Trump said some version of the 'he knew what he signed up for - still very unfortunate/shocking/whatever' and that at least some people on the call felt the President was extremely disrespectful. But, of course the two things are not mutually exclusive - the President attempting to console meaning zero disrespect and those on the call feeling his tone/words were disrespectful. Both can be true at the same time.

I think a lot of people look really shitty in this whole scenario - the President most of all. It's one of the reasons other Presidents have done things the way they have in terms of norms, traditions, and decorum - because this is one of those areas where it's totally appropriate.

The Congresswoman absolutely should not have talked about what the President said - but, from her perspective the President had already politicized his notification process by claiming he called people, unlike previous Presidents (an easily refutable lie - both on what previous Presidents did and the fact President Trump has not called every gold star family). One of them can't be guilty of politicizing with out the other being as well. I'm not defending the congresswoman - just saying the President can't have it both ways.

I remember hearing story that President GW Bush allowed a gold star family (mother or sister I think) to rage at him for 20 minutes, then held her why she cried. Whatever you think of his policies that's pretty decent human-being shit right there. Both President GW Bush and President Obama avoided talking too much about that stuff - for just this reason, there is no upside. It's one of the worst times in peoples lives and there is no way to spin it in your favor and it's unseemly to do so - even when you've done all the right things.

Similarly I think it's pretty horrific that father of a fallen service member talked/asked about money when he got a call from the President - that just seems like a fucking trash move to me. I think it's weird the President would then promise him money - but its his money if that's what he wants to do. But then to turn around and not pay the guy until the dude goes to the press - just makes the President and the entire process look more like some cheap reality TV show than anything else.

 

[Grunt]

Well, a family member who heard the call also said he made the comment. I'd fully believe Trump said something along the lines of "He knew what he was getting into".

However, I think what Kelly is getting at and what I agree with, is that someone saying something along the lines of "He knew what he was getting into" to the family of a service member killed in combat isn't always meant in a disrespectful manner. You can say "He knew what he was getting into" as a means of acknowledging the fact that soldiers sign on the dotted line in the complete knowledge that their service could result in their death, something which is deserving of the utmost respect.

Instead of focusing on the words, tone becomes much more important. I doubt what Trumps words were meant in the manner that the Congresswoman has portrayed them as.

We are all pretty sure we know what he meant and I am sure that she did as well. In fact, he did know what he was getting into. That's a fact. That's what warriors do. I can't and don't expect a cheesy politician to understand it. And, there are often times that parents of fallen warriors chose not to believe it.

 

[Il Duce]

We are all pretty sure we know what he meant and I am sure that she did as well. In fact, he did know what he was getting into. That's a fact. That's what warriors do. I can't and don't expect a cheesy politician to understand it. And, there are often times that parents of fallen warriors chose not to believe it.

How the fuck are you sure what another person knew or didn't know about what someone meant? Is it so crazy to believe a family member did not find the condolence call about their loved one's death respectful? Is it really impossible to imagine people in that state might not like a lot of the things people say to them - that they might find them of little comfort?

I'd be willing to bet a significant portion of the people who receive condolence calls don't find it comforting and many might even turn their anger towards the person calling - it's one of the things that goes with being the CINC. Yet another reason why other Presidents don't see a percentage in bragging about how awesome they are at it and how nobody else does it as well as they do.

 

[Grunt]

How the fuck are you sure what another person knew or didn't know about what someone meant? Is it so crazy to believe a family member did not find the condolence call about their loved one's death respectful? Is it really impossible to imagine people in that state might not like a lot of the things people say to them - that they might find them of little comfort?

I'd be willing to bet a significant portion of the people who receive condolence calls don't find it comforting and many might even turn their anger towards the person calling - it's one of the things that goes with being the CINC. Yet another reason why other Presidents don't see a percentage in bragging about how awesome they are at it and how nobody else does it as well as they do.

Yeah...he called them to be disrespectful. That's what he is being called out for. Keep believing it....

And you have no clue as to how a significant portion of the people who receive those calls react do you? That's speculation on your part and nothing more.

 

[TLDR20]

If she felt it was disrespectful, it was. That he cannot have the empathy to then say, "I was trying to console her, my words may not have been the best choice" that is on him.

I don't think anyone is saying he called her to be disrespectful. I haven't seen that claim made. Only that he was had a chance to show empathy and failed at it. Bottom line is there are more important things than a real or perceived insult to a SM's family member.

 

[Grunt]

If she felt it was disrespectful, it was. That he cannot have the empathy to then say, "I was trying to console her, my words may not have been the best choice" that is on him.

I don't think anyone is saying he called her to be disrespectful. I haven't seen that claim made. Only that he was had a chance to show empathy and failed at it. Bottom line is there are more important things than a real or perceived insult to a SM's family member.

I can buy that, but I don't buy the fact that he has to act in a scripted manner and do scripted things at the times people want him to. I don't think his business should be being exploited for political gain which he doesn't help in the way he reacts. He will probably pay for his actions for a while, but I don't necessarily feel that this one is completely warranted.

 

[TLDR20]

I can buy that, but I don't buy the fact that he has to act in a scripted manner and do scripted things at the times people want him to. I don't think his business should be being exploited for political gain which he doesn't help in the way he reacts. He will probably pay for his actions for a while, but I don't necessarily feel that this one is completely warranted.

It isn't that hard to apologize. I'm sure every married person should be able to back me up on this one.

This is all such a big deal because he started off this whole thing with a blatant lie about how other presidents didn't call the family members of dead servicemembers, then he did so, and it didn't go over the best. If he wouldn't have spotlighted himself in the first place with a demonstrably false statement it might have not come up at all.

Another thing I am seeing is all these hard core fuckers being like"I did sign up to die..." or "I signed a blank check casahble by the USA" or some other nonsense.

Um bullshit. You don't sign up to die, it is a risk and part of the job but you aren't looking for it.