All Things Trump

[Svartalf]

Here is an article from Time. It is interesting how the 'rust belt' perceives him:

Why Trump’s ‘Forgotten Man’ Still Supports Him

Donald Trump was saying everything Vonie Long wanted to hear, not that Long believed him.

The head of the United Steelworkers’ local union in Coatesville, Pa., Long was sitting in his electrical-maintenance truck in June 2016, listening on the radio to Trump give a speech on trade at an aluminum plant on the other side of the state, outside Pittsburgh. Trump had begun with a tribute to the steelworkers who built America. He blasted the politicians who pursued globalization and pledged to fight unfair trade practices that threatened U.S. jobs. Most of all, he made promises, from renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to imposing a tariff on steel.

Long, a stout man with a bristly gray mustache, was impressed. Republicans didn’t usually talk like this. “Any of us steelworkers could have given that exact speech,” he told me recently. And while Long, a Democrat, voted against Trump, after the election he hoped that Trump might actually follow through.

But it hasn’t panned out that way. A year into Trump’s term, the factories have not roared back. His accomplishments–a massive corporate tax cut, a strong stock market–have largely redounded to the benefit of the bankers and fat cats. Trump has taken few of his promised actions on trade and manufacturing. The American steel industry has suffered as the market floods with imports, forcing prices down, all while the Administration dithers and delays over tariffs.

As Long sees it, no one should feel more betrayed by the Trump presidency than the archetypical Trump supporter: the white working-class voter whom Trump dubbed the Forgotten Man. And yet, to his great frustration, many of his fellow blue collar workers don’t seem to grasp how Trump has abandoned them. As of last month, the President’s approval rating was 46 percent among white non-college-educated voters, down 7 points since he took office, according to the polling firm Morning Consult. “The most vocal supporters of him, they’re just unwavering,” Long says, shaking his head.

That is about a third of the electorate which in Election College terms is sufficient to win. They are not leaving him.

they have 2 years to see the error of their ways... I know people are fools, but they shouldn't be THAT foolish, this is handing the slavedriver the whip to scourge you.

[Forty Two]

Dictatorship next

Abortion rights in 'dire, immediate danger' as Anthony Kennedy retires

Potential nominees shortlisted by Trump are believed to be jurists who would overturn the landmark decision Roe v Wade

The US supreme court legalized abortion in 1973. Now, 45 years later, activists say the departure of the court’s moderate, Justice Anthony Kennedy, represents the most direct threat to reproductive freedom since abortion was legalized.
Pro-choice advocates said Kennedy’s retirement represents a “dire, immediate danger” to women’s reproductive freedom. Though the supreme court is not expected to rule on abortion matters in the near future, all of the potential nominees shortlisted by the Trump administration are believed to be jurists who would overturn the landmark decision, Roe v Wade, given the opportunity.

“Today, Justice Kennedy announced his retirement, and because President Trump will nominate the next supreme court justice, a woman’s constitutional right to access legal abortion is in dire, immediate danger – along with the fundamental rights of all Americans,” said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

“Our country faces a moment of deep crisis – a crisis of rights, of values and of leadership,” she said. “The deeply-divided decisions from the supreme court this week are a clear warning that our most cherished values are in jeopardy, and now hang in the balance. Women will not go back to the days when abortion was illegal in this country.”

Anti-abortion activists, meanwhile, described Kennedy’s retirement as a turning point in the movement.

“Justice Kennedy’s retirement from the supreme court makes a pivotal moment for the fight to ensure every unborn child is welcomed and protected under the law,” said Susan B Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser.

I wonder what country has abortion "rights" like in the US? In the Netherlands, for example, is there a Constitutional provision that prohibits the Parliament from legislating on or restricting abortion?

In the Netherlands, for example, abortion performed by a certified clinic or hospital is effectually allowed at any point between conception and viability, subject to a five-day waiting period. After the first trimester, the procedure becomes stricter, as two doctors must consent to treatment.

Here in the US, the suggestion that two doctors would have to consent to treatment would be viewed by many as a massive infringement on the "right" to abortion. Any restriction that certified clinics or hospitals be the only ones to perform abortions are portrayed in the media as a means of prohibiting abortion.

If the US Supreme Court changes, and eliminates the "right" to abortion enshrined in Roe v Wade, then that would leave the regulation of abortion to the legislatures (our parliaments). What would be wrong with that?

Isn't the idea that certain areas of the law are outside the realm of majority or parliamentary/legislative purview something ridiculous about American law, in the European view?

[Scot Dutchy]

Why do you bother writing anything 42? It is all a load of crap any way but never mind.

[Forty Two]

I'm asking you how abortion "rights" are handled in the Netherlands. Can your parliament restrict abortion? Does it? My understanding is that that there are limits on abortion in the Netherlands? Is that understanding wrong? I freely admit that I may be wrong - maybe abortion is completely unlimited and unregulated in the Netherlands.

Shouldn't abortion, like anything else, be a matter for majority rule, via elected legislatures/parliaments? Or, no? Do European countries exempt or except abortion from the purview of majority rule, via elected legislatures/parliaments?

[Sean Hayden]

Not all majority opinions are equal!

[Svartalf]

especially when it's about stuff the great unwashed udderly lacks the expert knowledge aboujt... anyway, the lawmakers are supposed to study a matter before voting it into law, and justices are to make an even closer study of the case before rendering judgment.

[Scot Dutchy]

Do they have lawmakers in America these days or is it all left to Trump?

[Svartalf]

well, they have nine of them, and they are called SCOTUS... they are supposed to be independent from the president, but I don't know how it really stands these days

[Scot Dutchy]

Well he appoints them. I suppose they are grateful.

[Svartalf]

well, some have proved to be surprisingly independent over the years, even roberts does not seem to be as utter a cunt as was expected

[Scot Dutchy]

We can only hope.

[Seabass]

well, some have proved to be surprisingly independent over the years, even roberts does not seem to be as utter a cunt as was expected

Anyone nominated by Trump will be an utter cunt.

[Svartalf]

even as utter a cunt as trump can make a mistake

though, yeah, I fear you may be right.
Which is why, somewhere else, I wondered how long the US would take to recover from the Trump court.

[Seabass]

Former Republican does not want US to become "Trumpistan".

[Seabass]

"The fake news media is the enemy of the American people." —Donald J. Trump


http://www.capitalgazette.com/bs-md-gaz ... story.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... story.html

Five dead, others 'gravely injured' in shooting at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis

At least five people were killed and several others were “gravely injured” in a shooting Thursday afternoon at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, authorities said.

A shooter is in custody, police said. Police would not name the suspect or say what type of weapon was used.

Anne Arundel County Police initially confirmed about 3:15 p.m. that they were responding to an “active shooter” at 888 Bestgate Road, where the newspaper’s offices are located. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the scene.

The Capital Gazette is owned by The Baltimore Sun.

Phil Davis, a Capital Gazette crime reporter who was in the building at the time of the shooting, said multiple people were shot, as others — himself included — hid under their desks. He said there was a lone male gunman.

“Gunman shot through the glass door to the office and opened fire on multiple employees. Can’t say much more and don’t want to declare anyone dead, but it’s bad,” Davis wrote on Twitter as he waited to be interviewed by police.

“There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.”

In a subsequent interview, Davis said it “was like a war zone” inside the newspaper’s offices — a situation that would be “hard to describe for a while.”


“I’m a police reporter. I write about this stuff — not necessarily to this extent, but shootings and death — all the time,” he said. “But as much as I’m going to try to articulate how traumatizing it is to be hiding under your desk, you don’t know until you’re there and you feel helpless.”

Davis said he and others were still hiding under their desks when the shooter stopped firing.

“I don’t know why. I don’t know why he stopped,” he said.

Police arrived and surrounded the shooter, Davis said. He declined to elaborate.

Authorities said police responded to the scene within a minute. "If they were not there as quickly as they were it could have been a lot worse," Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said.

Officials at Maryland Shock Trauma Center confirmed the hospital was treating at least one victim.

Agents with the ATF were on the scene in Annapolis to provide support to local law enforcement, said Amanda Hils, a spokeswoman for the federal agency. ATF can help with tracing weapons, conducting interviews and other assistance.

President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he had been briefed on the shooting. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene,” Trump wrote.

Gov. Larry Hogan, on Twitter, wrote, “Absolutely devastated to learn of this tragedy in Annapolis.”

He said he was in contact with County Executive Steve Schuh, and that Maryland State Police were on the scene assisting county police.

“Please, heed all warnings and stay away from the area. Praying for those at the scene and for our community,” he wrote.

Ben Jealous, the Democratic nominee for governor, said he was “deeply saddened about the unfolding events in Annapolis.”

“As we await more information from the authorities, I’m keeping everyone at The Capital Gazette and the surrounding community in my thoughts and prayers. I’m grateful to our law enforcement for their efforts to respond to this crisis and ensure the safety of Marylanders in the area.”

House Speaker Michael E. Busch has represented Annapolis since 1987 and said The Capital is “the voice of the community.”

Even with a shrinking staff, Busch said, “they knew the pulse of the community and had a lot of influence on what took place.

“This is a shocker,” Busch said. “Over the years, a lot of these people become friends. They do their job, you do your job, and you respect them for it. A lot of good writers have come out of there.”

“This is really something that is totally, totally shocking, that we don’t know how to understand.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen wrote on Twitter, “My heart is with the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims as we learn more about this terrible situation. We must unite to end the violence.”

U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes said at the scene that he expects the incident will shake Annapolis “to its core.”

“I know how close the ties are that bind people down here,” he said.

Police were also at The Baltimore Sun newsroom in Baltimore. Police said there was no threat on the Sun, and that their presence was a precaution.

The Gazette is not the only business in the building where the shooting occurred. There are 30 tenants in the building, including five others on the first floor with The Capital. They include accountants, lawyers, financial and medical offices. The newspaper has been in the building since 2015, according to CoStar, a real estate information company. They have 5,000 square feet of offices.

Aaron Smith and Randall Fisher of the Fisher Law Office were on the fourth floor in the same building as the Gazette at the time of the shooting. They didn't hear or see anything and didn't know anything was going on until Smith received a text from a colleague saying there was an apparent shooting, he said.

They flipped a desk over in front of the door to the office and stayed there until SWAT officers arrived. They then walked out of the building with their hands on their heads, like everyone else in the building, Fisher said.

Bethany Clasing, who works in second floor of the building, said she heard a single gunshot and then heard the police yell, “Get down! Get down! Don't move!”

Clasing said she saw a sheriff’s deputy standing outside of their door, next to a man on the ground who was being patted down. The deputy told Clasing and other employees to stay inside, but "literally a second later, they told us to put our hands up and sprint” away from the building, she said. “That was the scariest part.”