Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

you cant make an omelette without breaking a few eggs

does spoiling $500m in food count?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/usaid-inspector-fired-trump-freeze-b2696917.html

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

you cant make an omelette without breaking a few eggs

does spoiling $500m in food count?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/usaid-inspector-fired-trump-freeze-b2696917.html

the pic posted in the article is vegetable oil they have to do something in what....6 months or so. canned goods in 6 years or so. ive used eggs gathered in the spring later in the fall, making an omelette and for pickling

lousubcap

Thursday Clown Show summary:

"President Trump yesterday signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Foreign Service to be reformed “to ensure faithful and effective implementation of the President’s foreign policy agenda” and stating that a failure to implement such policy would be grounds for “professional discipline.” Michael Crowley reports for the New York Times.

The Associated Press yesterday accused the White House of violating the First Amendment by banning it from covering multiple Oval Office events, saying the move was “plainly intended to punish The A.P. for the content of its speech.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision, stating that “it is a privilege to cover this White House” and “if we feel there are lies being pushed by outlets ... we are going to hold those lies accountable.” Katie Robertson and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times; Dominick Mastrangelo reports for the Hill.

The ongoing Justice Department and FBI shake-ups have eroded continuity on national security matters by removing multiple veteran officials from a daily intelligence coordination meeting, officials say. Perry Stein and Mark Berman report for the Washington Post.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said he plans to welcome the “keen eye of DOGE” to scrutinize Pentagon spending “very soon.” Zachary Basu reports for Axios.

Roughly 75,000 federal workers have accepted the Trump administration’s “fork in the road” offer before the program was closed yesterday, a senior administration official said. Rebecca Beitsch reports for the Hill.

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to open an investigation into Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company, over its DEI policies,according to a letter published by the FCC Brendan Carr yesterday. Dominick Mastrangelo reports for the Hill.

The Trump administration is planning to spend $400 million on purchasing armored Tesla vehicles, according to a State Department document detailing 2025 fiscal year procurement. The document was later revised to omit the word “Tesla.” Ryan Grim reports for Drop Site News; Bobby Allyn reports for NPR.

An unknown number of federal grants remains frozen by the Trump administration, according to nonprofits, government agencies, and other recipients. David A. Fahrenthold, Sharon LaFraniere, Nicholas Nehamas, and Coral Davenport report for the New York Times.

The Trump administration is considering using Defense Department funds to hire contractors to expand the scale and scope of immigrant arrests and deportations, sources say. Julia Ainsley and Courtney Kube report for NBC News.

Mass federal agency firings have begun, with terminations underway at the Education Department and the Small Business Administration, according to federal employees. Separately, sources said that dozens of General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services employees were fired yesterday. Rene Marsh and Tami Luhby report for CNN; Makena Kelly reports for WIRED."

JohnInCarolina

Can't wait to see how this goes.

JohnInCarolina

These are all people refusing to dismiss the case against Eric Adams.  The Trump DOJ just keeps moving the case from one unit to another, trying to find someone, anyone, willing to trade in their reputation in exchange for servitude to Dear Leader.   It seems that some lines are ones folks just won't cross.

JohnInCarolina

DoubleEgger

JohnInCarolina said:

These are all people refusing to dismiss the case against Eric Adams.  The Trump DOJ just keeps moving the case from one unit to another, trying to find someone, anyone, willing to trade in their reputation in exchange for servitude to Dear Leader.   It seems that some lines are ones folks just won't cross.

Donnie will check the Fox News roster and find someone. 

lousubcap

A perspective-likely not far off the mark-Ukraine and the way ahead...

Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good   https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1739488703269d15f9504fa8a/raw?utm_

lousubcap

Friday Clown Show summary:

"At least seven federal agencies initiated layoffs of thousands of government workers yesterday, as Office of Personnel Management officials advised agency leaders to dismiss probationary employees. The Trump administration has also begun introducing surveillance measures for the remaining workers, a source said. Sophia Cai, Eli Stokols, Jack Detsch, and Brakkton Booker report for POLITICO; Ted Oberg and Megan Lebowitz report for NBC News; Jenna McLaughlin and Shannon Bond report for NPR.

The Trump administration this week notified Congress that it is prepared to challenge a long-standing Supreme Court ruling that protects regulatory agencies’ commissioners from being fired without cause. Ann E. Marimow and Lauren Kaori Gurley report for the Washington Post.

The Labor Department has approved DOGE’s use of software that could allow it to transfer vast amounts of data out of the agency’s systems, alarming some career civil servants. David Ingram reports for NBC News.

The State Department has not awarded Tesla a contract to produce “armored” electric cars, the agency’s spokesperson said yesterday. The budget document was a procurement forecast that was last modified in December 2024, before Trump took office, the official said. Daniel Arkin reports for NBC News.

Pentagon officials have invited a far-right activist with a history of extreme rhetoric, Jack Posobiec, to participate in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s current overseas trip, according to documents reviewed by the Washington Post. Dan Lamothe reports.

The White House Correspondents’ Association yesterday again condemned the Trump administration, describing the White House’s barring of Associated Press from a news conference as an “outrageous escalation.” Ashleigh Fields reports for the Hill."

lousubcap

Excerpts from an Atlantic article by Anne Applebaum:

"Although Trump and Musk insist they are fighting fraud, they have not yet provided evidence for their sweeping claims. Although they demand transparency, Musk conceals his own conflicts of interest. Although they do say they want efficiency, Musk has made no attempt to professionally audit or even understand many of the programs being cut. Although they say they want to cut costs, the programs they are attacking represent a tiny fraction of the U.S. budget.

The only thing these policies will certainly do, and are clearly designed to do, is alter the behavior and values of the civil service. Suddenly, and not accidentally, people who work for the American federal government are having the same experience as people who find themselves living under foreign occupation." So what's the point of all this? It's been clearly spelled out in Project 2025 and described during speeches previously made by Trump and Vance. It's not about saving money. It's about breaking the system.

The stories about firings and department destruction are so plentiful that they can be overwhelming. So le'ts narrow things down to what all of them have in common. The always excellent Anne Applebaum is especially so here. The Atlantic (Gift Article): There’s a Term for What Trump and Musk Are Doing. How regime change happens in America. "The new system, whatever its ideology, will in practice represent a return to patronage...But before it can be imposed, the administration will first have to break the morale of the people who believed in the old civil-service ethos.

Vought, at a 2023 planning meeting organized in preparation for this moment, promised exactly that. People who had previously viewed themselves as patriots, working for less money than they could make in the private sector, must be forced to understand that they are evil, enemies of the state. His statement has been cited before, but it cannot be quoted enough times: 'We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected,' he said at the time. 'When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains … We want to put them in trauma.'" She ends with: "There is still time to block this regime change, to preserve the old values. But first we need to be clear about what is happening, and why."

JohnInCarolina

@lousubcap - I saw someone observe that, were Musk serious about identifying waste and fraud, he would have brought accountants with him, not programmers.  Spot on in my opinion.

lousubcap

Tuesday Clown Show summary:

Elon Musk is not the leader or employee of DOGE, a White House official said yesterday in a court filing. According to the affidavit, Musk is a Senior Advisor to Trump employed by the White House as a Special Government Employee and “has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions.” Kyle Cheney reports for POLITICO.

DOGE staffers are expected to arrive at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the coming days, sources say. The SEC recently sued Musk over his alleged failure to properly disclose his 2022 Twitter stock purchases. Declan Harty reports for POLITICO.

The Social Security Administration's Acting Commissioner, Michelle King, resigned this weekend over DOGE’s access to Social Security recipient data, sources say. Fatima Hussein reports for AP News.

DOGE is seeking access to the Internal Revenue Service’s data systems, containing some of the most sensitive financial information of U.S. taxpayers, a source said. Alayna Treene and David Goldman report for CNN.

The Trump administration is preparing to fire hundreds of high-level Homeland Security Department employees it perceives as potentially standing in the way of Trump’s agenda goals this week, sources say. Julia Ainsley reports for NBC News.

Trump yesterday said he nominated Ed Martin, a far-right election denier and interim U.S. attorney for Washington D.C., to run the office on a permanent basis. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.

The acting U.S. Archivist, William Bosanko, and several senior National Archives and Records Administration staffers have resigned over a Trump administration push to install its appointees at the agency, a source said. Maegan Vazquez reports for the Washington Post.

fishlessman

this new season premier on netflex of trumps is the best we have seen so far. well its just the season trailer so far but it shows potential..........

lousubcap

Wednesday clown show summary:

"Trump yesterday issued an executive order seeking to “rein in” independent agencies established by Congress and centralize the presidential control over the executive branch. Charlie Savage reports for the New York Times.

The Trump administration is expected to start firing Defense Department employees as soon as this week and has directed defense agencies to turn over lists of their probationary employees by the end of yesterday, sources say. Dan Lamothe, Alex Horton, and Hannah Natanson report for the Washington Post.

Trump yesterday told reporters Musk’s role can be called “whatever you want,” sidestepping questions over the billionaire's official post after the White House said Musk is not part of DOGE. Alex Gangitano reports for the Hill.

Trump yesterday said he has instructed the Justice Department to terminate all remaining U.S. attorneys appointed by former President Biden. Jasper Ward reports for Reuters.

The Trump administration yesterday cut off funding to providers who give advice and legal representation to unaccompanied children who cross the U.S. border, a memo reviewed by the Washington Post shows. Teo Armus and Arelis R. Hernández report.

The Agriculture Department is trying to rehire “several” employees working on the federal response to the H5N1 avian flu outbreak after “accidentally” firing them, the agency’s spokesperson said yesterday. Allan Smith, Melanie Zanona, and Laura Strickler report for NBC News.

The Trump administration is directing federal agencies to no longer look at DEI considerations when making procurement decisions, according to an announcement from the General Services Administration. Michelle Hackman reports for the Wall Street Journal.

The director of the Food and Drug Administration’s food division resigned on Monday, saying the “indiscriminate” layoffs of critical employees made his work impossible. Christina Jewett reports for the New York Times."

CPFC1905

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

fishlessman

CPFC1905 said:

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

we keep the kings that lower the  taxes, those that raise taxes we send back to the uk

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

CPFC1905 said:

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

we keep the kings that lower the  taxes, those that raise taxes we send back to the uk

Where do tariffs fall in this anal-ysis?

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

CPFC1905 said:

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

we keep the kings that lower the  taxes, those that raise taxes we send back to the uk

Where do tariffs fall in this anal-ysis?

they dont

JohnInCarolina

More from the Orange moron:

Buckwoody Egger

wait is he back on the fixing all the toilets thing again?  just gold plate some old ones with high capacity tanks man!!! leave that gold bar stockpile alone. 

JohnInCarolina

Buckwoody Egger said:

wait is he back on the fixing all the toilets thing again?  just gold plate some old ones with high capacity tanks man!!! leave that gold bar stockpile alone. 

Who knows?  This one came out of nowhere for me.  I have no idea why or how he's got a bee in his bonnet for the gold in Fort Knox.  He and his fans are just so friggin weird.

Buckwoody Egger

he’s remaking geraldo looking for capone but this time he gets to make up the ending.  look at all the empty vaults!!!  there was way more gold here before 2020!!!

Legume

How long until Trump shows up in a military uniform with a bunch of medals and ribbons?  Maybe some gold cords, big gaudy epaulets, all of it?

I feel like this is a lock, we just don't know when.

Legume

We could setup a pool?

WildmanWilson

OUTRAGE: Elon Musk and DOGE are reportedly planning to cut off all people older 150 years old from Social Security!

They survived the Great Depression, but how will they survive this? 🤣

dbCooper

CPFC1905 said:

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

@CPFC1905 - Seems to me that all of the British monarchs have served in the military.  If that is accurate, is it compulsory for them to serve?

Our guy was deemed unfit for the military, so I'd think he's disqualified from being king.

lousubcap

It's late and the underlying theme for me is  "CHEETO is a F-cktard who makes Nixon look like a saint."
The scary deal here is that CHEETO'S base is too sucked into the vortex and may be brain cell challenged to figure this out. 
Sadly, I'm betting on it.  

CPFC1905

dbCooper said:

CPFC1905 said:

Big news over here,  US of A has returned to being a monarchy with King Donald taking the big chair left vacant by our man George.   Who would have thought congestion charges would have been the key battle ground to end the republic? 

@CPFC1905 - Seems to me that all of the British monarchs have served in the military.  If that is accurate, is it compulsory for them to serve?

Our guy was deemed unfit for the military, so I'd think he's disqualified from being king.

Spoiler alert  :this went on a bit longer than intended.....

There's a centuries old very close affinity between the royal family and the military.  Those who have not served will hold honorary and ceremonial roles.

Serving as an officer in the military is very common amongst the 'upper classes' - with generations serving the same regiment, at least at point of entry.  It follows public school (which is private school) and many of the structures are synonymous.  Look up the Household Division for full context.

WW2 set the modern standard, with the family refusing to leave London and the future Queen serving.  Her outstanding personal attribute was her sense of duty.  Accepting monarchy may be out-moded, but she totally lived and breathed for her country. 

Of her children, only Anne did not serve while Edward tried but failed Royal Marine selection (seemed an odd choice, and so perhaps deliberate). Andrew of course saw 'active service', some of which in the military. 

Of the next crop Harry was a genuine soldier and would have hit the top, were he not a royal. William put in the hours, too.  Whether his children serve will be interesting - it will be their choice, unlike a generation back.  It offers a 'safe' space and underscores the debt owed by previous monarchs to the armed forces.  

Back to normal service....  I hope King Donny finishes his military ensemble with a pair of black aviators. 

Botch

CPFC1905 said:
WW2 set the modern standard, with the family refusing to leave London and the future Queen serving.  Her outstanding personal attribute was her sense of duty.  Accepting monarchy may be out-moded, but she totally lived and breathed for her country. 

 
Was about to delete this meme from my desktop, but it fits so well here:
 

lousubcap

Friday Clown Show summary:

"The Trump administration yesterday told Congress it believes that President Trump has the constitutional power to summarily fire administrative law judges at will. Charlie Savage reports for the New York Times.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could soon fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers in a bid to remove senior leaders seen as either too political or too close to former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, sources say. Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky report for CNN; Peter Alexander reports for NBC News.

The CIA has moved to dismiss an unspecified number of employees involved in working on recruiting and diversity issues, former officials say, in what could be one of the largest firings in CIA’s history. Julian E. Barnes and Seamus Hughes report for the New York Times.

The U.S. Marshals Service has deputized at least some of Elon Musk’s private security detail, giving Musk’s security team certain rights and protections of federal law enforcement agents, law enforcement officials said. Hannah Rabinowitz and Whitney Wild report for CNN.

Trump’s clemency for Jan. 6 Capitol rioters extends to crimes unrelated to the Capitol riot that were discovered by the FBI while investigating Jan. 6 defendants, Justice Department prosecutors argued this week in a court filing. Kyle Cheney reports for POLITICO.

The Trump administration yesterday rescinded a June 2024 Biden administration extension of temporary legal status for Haitian migrants in the United States, laying the groundwork for potential future deportations. Myah Ward reports for POLITICO.

Trump shut down a nationwide database tracking misconduct by federal police officers, the DOJ confirmed. Tom Jackman and Elizabeth Dwoskin report for the Washington Post.

A list of words “prohibited” in external communications circulating at the Food and Drug Administration that includes words such as “woman” or “disabled” stems from a “misinterpretation” of Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders, a White House spokesperson said. Rachael Levy reports for Reuters.

Trump is expected to issue an executive order firing the U.S. Postal Service governing board and absorbing the agency into his administration as soon as this week, sources say. The board is planning to challenge the move, the sources added. Jacob Bogage reports for the Washington Post."