United States Congress of Fail - Part 4

[Howl]

I despise the oleaginous Ted Cruz with the heat of a thousand suns!  He's taking a page out of the Trump playbook, totally blaming  Democrats for the 2013 government shut down, which he engineered, promoted, talked about, while calling the recent fiasco the "Shumer Shutdown".   

Sadly, my state will send him right back to the Senate in 2018. 

Meanwhile, around 80% of Americans think DACA Dreamers shouldn't be deported.  That's an astounding number; staggering really.  One of the only things that most people can agree on. Republican hard liners on immigration should consider that when they are yammering on about what people elected them to do. 

I'm sure the plan is to set up DACA requirements so draconian that most will not be able to meet them.  

[fraurosena]

Well, well, well....

Schumer withdraws offer on Trump's wall

Quote

Chuck Schumer is taking his big spending boost for Donald Trump’s border wall off the table.

The Senate minority leader, through an aide, informed the White House on Monday that he was retracting the offer he made last week to give Trump well north of the $1.6 billion in wall funding Trump had asked for this year, according to two Democrats. And now they say Trump will simply not get a better deal than that on his signature campaign promise.

Schumer “took it off,” said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. “He called the White House yesterday and said it’s over.”

In the now-infamous cheeseburger summit last Friday with Trump, Schumer offered a large increase in border wall spending as a condition for a broader deal to help Dreamers. But after that offer was rebuffed — prompting the three-day government shutdown — the president has now “missed an opportunity to get the wall,” one Democratic aide said.

Some key Republicans — including Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a key GOP immigration negotiator — had already considered using the promise of border wall funding totaling more than $1.6 billion to lure more conservative votes. A Dreamer plan written by a bipartisan group of six senators, including Flake, had included Trump’s $1.6 billion request as part of a broader, $2.7 billion border security package.

“Sen. Schumer’s already indicated that he would go for more. Republicans will go for more,” Flake said. “It’s just how much more we can get from the Democrats.”

Republicans aligned with Trump are unlikely to go for any bill that does not offer a major boost in border wall funding, given the president’s strong feelings about the issue. Moreover, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said he was skeptical of Schumer’s recollection of the meeting and the border wall offer anyway.

“They claim that some crazy deal was made,” Cotton said of Democrats. “And then when we say no deal was made, they accuse Republicans and the president of reneging.”

But providing border wall money could also push away more liberal Democrats, who prefer to completely restart negotiations rather than start from any existing bill, even a bipartisan one like the proposal written by Durbin and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

“Discussions were had coming up to Friday night are interesting for context,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). But now, he said, “we start from a blank sheet of paper.”

 

[formergothardite]

 If I was a Democrat in Congress I would tell him that if he wants a wall he can go get Mexico to pay for it since that was his campaign promise. 

[nvmbr02]

Sen. Tammy Duckworth is pregnant, due in late April. 

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[Howl]

18 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

So, a one-sided emotional affair? 

And of course he lashed out (raged?) when he found out she was involved in an age-appropriate relationship, of course he did, because what 60 something man in a one-sided emotional affair wouldn't?  And of course, you always hurt the people you're closest to, right?  RIGHT? And you always run off any other man on Team Meehan that is hitting on YOUR emotional crush, right? 

Note to this oblivious eejit:  many women, likely including your wife, experience emotional betrayal on par with physical betrayal.  

And STOP with the explanations already.  It is only making it worse for you and embarrassing everyone else.  

This guy obviously has trouble with rejection; I hope he gets help before Nov. 2018 *smirk*. 

 

[candygirl200413]

Since he is a congressmen around my area I watched snippets of his interview on the local news and legitimately puked at his "rational". His face was just like "well what is the problem?!" So so gross.

[fraurosena]

What.the.fuck?

The only conclusion is that McTurtle is up to his eye-balls in the Russian conspiracy.

 

[Howl]

Democrats, LISTEN UP!   When negotiating over The Wall, say that you will 100% support The Wall upon confirmation from Mexico that they will pay for The Wall, all of it.  Then play endless loops of all the instances of Trump saying Mexico will pay for The Wall.  Hammer this to oblivion.  Hastag #WhenMexicoPays relentlessly.  Take a page from the playbook, already, and then play the endless loop of Trump saying Mexico will pay for The Wall.    

Jaysus!  This is the opportunity of a lifetime to hold Trump to his "word", get great press and show Trump as his true self: the lying liar who lies.  

[GreyhoundFan]

[AmazonGrace]

Patrick Meehan: "My soulmate wanted it, so it's all her fault. Because she would talk with her boss, or something.  Also I have no idea what words mean."

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/370456-gop-rep-facing-sexual-harassment-claims-says-aide-invited-behavior
 

Spoiler

 

Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.) said Tuesday that the aide who accused him of sexual harassment had “invited” the behavior in question.

“That I would find later that that was not something that she was comfortable with, really hurts me,” Meehan told the The New York Times in an interview. “This was a person who specifically invited communication with me so that she would be able to have the ability to be there for me.”

The former aide, whose name is not public but who is decades younger than Meehan, accused the congressman of hostile behavior after he learned that she was in a relationship with someone near her age.

Meehan told the Times on Tuesday that he didn’t respond “as well as [he] would like to have” after learning of the aide’s relationship. She filed a complaint against the congressman, who is 62 and married with three children, accusing him of becoming “hostile” in the incident.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Meehan had used taxpayer dollars to settle the sexual harassment claim.

Meehan gave the Times a copy of the letter he hand-wrote to the aide last year in an effort to make amends for the behavior, writing that he reacted “selfishly” and attempted to express support for her relationship.

“It is a very, very lucky man who might get to be your partner for more of your life,” he wrote in the letter.

On Tuesday, Meehan told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he did not seek a romantic or sexual relationship with the staffer, but that he saw her as a “soul mate.”

“I think that the idea of soul mate is that sort of person that you go through remarkable experiences together,” he told the Inquirer.

Meehan also argued that the payment to her was “severance,” not a settlement. He has declined to say the amount of the payment.

The House Ethics Committee on Monday opened an investigation into the claims and removed Meehan from his post on the panel. If found guilty by the Ethics Committee, Meehan said he would repay the taxpayer funds.

 

If he wasn't looking for a sexual or a romantic relationship then why on earth would her getting into such a relationship with someone else cause any drama?

[Howl]

Simple steps for Meehan: 

1. Meehan, get a damn grip. You're butt hurt when an attractive young woman has a boyfriend and you acted like a stupendous ass.  YOU CANNOT FIX THIS, STFU, FULL STOP 
2. Meehan, say this to yourself everyday, many times a day: There's no fool like an old fool, until you totally, really get it. 
3. Meehan, again, YOU CANNOT FIX THIS.  It's too late for flowers and some chocolates. It's your wife's move. 

[fraurosena]

If Nunes can do it.... well, then so can the Dems!

 

[GrumpyGran]

4 hours ago, Howl said:

Democrats, LISTEN UP!   When negotiating over The Wall, say that you will 100% support The Wall upon confirmation from Mexico that they will pay for The Wall, all of it.  Then play endless loops of all the instances of Trump saying Mexico will pay for The Wall.  Hammer this to oblivion.  Hastag #WhenMexicoPays relentlessly.  Take a page from the playbook, already, and then play the endless loop of Trump saying Mexico will pay for The Wall.    

Jaysus!  This is the opportunity of a lifetime to hold Trump to his "word", get great press and show Trump as his true self: the lying liar who lies.  

I think the message from the Democrats should be that voting to fund a border wall would be aiding Dump in breaking a campaign promise and so the Dems cannot be a party to disappointing Dump's base.

2 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Patrick Meehan: "My soulmate wanted it, so it's all her fault. Because she would talk with her boss, or something.  Also I have no idea what words mean."

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/370456-gop-rep-facing-sexual-harassment-claims-says-aide-invited-behavior
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.) said Tuesday that the aide who accused him of sexual harassment had “invited” the behavior in question.

“That I would find later that that was not something that she was comfortable with, really hurts me,” Meehan told the The New York Times in an interview. “This was a person who specifically invited communication with me so that she would be able to have the ability to be there for me.”

The former aide, whose name is not public but who is decades younger than Meehan, accused the congressman of hostile behavior after he learned that she was in a relationship with someone near her age.

Meehan told the Times on Tuesday that he didn’t respond “as well as [he] would like to have” after learning of the aide’s relationship. She filed a complaint against the congressman, who is 62 and married with three children, accusing him of becoming “hostile” in the incident.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Meehan had used taxpayer dollars to settle the sexual harassment claim.

Meehan gave the Times a copy of the letter he hand-wrote to the aide last year in an effort to make amends for the behavior, writing that he reacted “selfishly” and attempted to express support for her relationship.

“It is a very, very lucky man who might get to be your partner for more of your life,” he wrote in the letter.

On Tuesday, Meehan told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he did not seek a romantic or sexual relationship with the staffer, but that he saw her as a “soul mate.”

“I think that the idea of soul mate is that sort of person that you go through remarkable experiences together,” he told the Inquirer.

Meehan also argued that the payment to her was “severance,” not a settlement. He has declined to say the amount of the payment.

The House Ethics Committee on Monday opened an investigation into the claims and removed Meehan from his post on the panel. If found guilty by the Ethics Committee, Meehan said he would repay the taxpayer funds.

 

If he wasn't looking for a sexual or a romantic relationship then why on earth would her getting into such a relationship with someone else cause any drama?

Is he illiterate? 

[GreyhoundFan]

Cotton is such an ass:

[fraurosena]

Wow. Such job creation with that tax cut for the rich! Oh, wait...

Kimberly-Clark to use savings from tax cuts to pay for layoffs

Quote

Kimberly-Clark — maker of brands such as Kleenex, Scott and Huggies — said the savings it receives from the new tax-cut law will help them pay for a restructuring program that includes layoffs.

The company said the restructuring initiative, which the company was planning to undertake regardless of the tax law's passage, will involve reducing its number of employees by about 5,000 to 5,500 people, or 12 to 13 percent of its workforce. Kimberly-Clark also said it plans to close or sell about 10 manufacturing facilities. 

The announcement contrasts with other businesses, such as Starbucks and Walmart, that have said that they will increase wages or issue bonuses in the wake of the tax law. President Trump signed the law in late December.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) highlighted Kimberly-Clark's announcement in a floor speech Wednesday as an example of "evidence that big corporations are not turning their new tax cut into jobs for the middle class."

In an earnings call Tuesday, Kimberly-Clark said it expects its effective tax rate to be between 23 and 26 percent in 2018 because of the new law, lower than in 2017. 

"We also anticipate ongoing annual cash-flow benefits from tax reform," Kimberly-Clark Chief Financial Officer Maria Henry said on the call. "That provides us flexibility to continue to allocate significant capital to shareholders, while we also fund increased capital spending and our restructuring program over the next few years."

Kimberly-Clark's restructuring program comes amid increased competition and lower birth rates than it expected in the U.S. and South Korea, which impacts diaper sales.

The company had been considering the restructuring program for much of last year, before Congress approved the tax legislation.

"Kimberly-Clark, a company with a long history of supporting American workers and manufacturing, is undertaking a restructuring program to retain its leadership in a rapidly evolving global marketplace by streamlining its operations and reducing costs in order to continue investing in its brands and long term growth," the company said in a statement. "The decision to undertake this restructuring program was made independently and not as a result of the recently passed tax reform legislation."

"Kimberly-Clark remains committed to American manufacturing, plans significant capital investments into its ongoing U.S. operations, and will remain a significant employer with more than 12,000 employees in the U.S.," the company added.

The company said it expects to spend about $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion by the end of 2020 to implement the restructuring program.

 

[fraurosena]

Dana Milbank has an hilarious op-ed in WaPo about Trey Gowdy's, John Ratcliffe's and Ron Johnson's secret society conspiracy theory:

Inside the secret, sinister and very illegal cabal trying to destroy Trump

Quote

It began, as these things generally do, with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-Benghazi).

The voluble congressman, who speaks as if he is arguing the trial of the century even if he is ordering breakfast, went on Fox News on Tuesday to divulge a secret.

“There’s a text exchange between these two FBI agents” — Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who had originally been on Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia probe — “saying that perhaps this is the first meeting of the ‘secret society,’ ” Gowdy announced. “I’m going to want to know what secret society are you talking about.”

A secret society! The Illuminati? The Carbonari? Or perhaps the dreaded Rigatoni? Or, um, maybe, given that Strzok and Page were lovers, their text was actually a joke or a flirtation.

Gowdy’s sidekick, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Tex.), allowed that “there may have been a secret society,” but “I’m not saying that actually happened.”

He did not need to. Sen. Ron Johnson did. “I have heard from somebody who has talked to our committee that there is a group of individuals in the FBI who were holding secret, off-site meetings,” the Wisconsin Republican told Fox News on Wednesday. (Maybe that person was Gowdy?)

Fox had a news alert: “Texts Indicate Secret Society to Resist Trump.” Sean Hannity tweeted: “FBI CONSPIRACY? Text Messages Show Anti-Trump ‘SECRET SOCIETY’ at DOJ.” Breitbart and Daily Caller joined in.

Rush Limbaugh said he was “not surprised there’s a secret society” going after Trump, and he alleged that a secret society also cooked up fake intelligence to goad George W. Bush into a dumb war. “What if the intel on the war in Iraq was another disinformation campaign to damage another Republican president?” Limbaugh asked.

Exactly! And what if Ted Cruz’s dad, after killing President Kennedy, forged Barack Obama’s birth certificate?

But we do not have to speculate about this secret society, for I have obtained, at great personal risk, the following leaked minutes from the society’s meeting on Inauguration Day last year:

20th January, anno Domini 2017

Society for Harassing and Impeaching Trump with Hearsay, Outrageous Lies and Extralegal Schemes

Recording Secretary: Maddow, R.

The meeting was called to order at noon. Society officers greeted each other with the secret fist bump, recited the secret Pledge of Allegiance to Saul Alinsky, and then knelt for the national anthem, sung by an illegal immigrant.

In attendance: Podesta, J., worshipful master; Comey, J., senior warden; Mueller, R., junior warden; Rosenstein, R., inner guard; McCabe, A., pursuivant; Strzok, P., steward; Page, L., almoner; Clapper, J., grand sword bearer; Yates, S., grand registrar; Brennan, J., chancellor; Soros, G., treasurer. Absent: Clinton, H., grand standard-bearer.

Members voted to accept as submitted the minutes of the November 2016 meeting, titled “How Our Gal Lost,” and of the December 2016 meeting, titled “Witch Hunt: Is Our Phony Dossier Working?”

The steering committee presented its Inauguration Day recommendations in a report titled “Underhanded and Conspiratorial Things We Can Do to Make Trump Look Bad.”

The society would use its contacts to convince Trump that he was the victim of massive voter fraud and that President Barack Obama personally ran a wiretap on him. This would make Trump sound paranoid.

The society would use its influence to convince Trump that Frederick Douglass is still alive and that Andrew Jackson was involved in the Civil War. This would make Trump sound dumb.

The society would hack Trump’s Twitter account so that it appeared he was calling the North Korean leader “fat” and a “Rocket Man” with a small “button.” This would make Trump sound dangerous.

The society would secretly edit video footage and transcripts to show Trump shoving a world leader and insulting leaders of friendly countries such as Australia, Britain and Sweden. This would make Trump sound like a bully.

The society would infiltrate White House policy so Trump would add trillions of dollars to the deficit to give billionaires a huge tax break. This would make Trump sound like a liar.

The society would convince Trump to say kind things about white supremacists, and to use a filthy word to describe African countries. This would make Trump sound like a racist.

The society, finally, would convince Trump to fire an FBI director, hire a guy named “Mooch” and declare himself a “stable genius.” This would make it clear he was neither.

Worshipful Master Podesta called for discussion.

Senior Warden Comey said the proposals sounded “too far-fetched.” Grand sword bearer Clapper said it would be “impossible” to get Trump to say and do such things. Pursuivant McCabe said people would never believe such “outlandish” things, anyway.

The recommendations were defeated en bloc. The society adjourned.

 

[AmazonGrace]

After all this theater it will probably turn out that the secret society was a code name for a date or something

GOP  nurturing their Inter-Nazi-onal relationships:

 

[Howl]

And of course Louie Gohmert (R-Deficient) is going along.  He represents northeast Texas, including the Big Sandy Gothard compound. 

 

 

 

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, fraurosena said:

Wow. Such job creation with that tax cut for the rich! Oh, wait...

Kimberly-Clark to use savings from tax cuts to pay for layoffs

 

This story is long so I'll make it short:

Hey, America, Kimberly-Clark here. We want to thank all of you who vote for Republicans and especially Donald Trump. We love our tax break! We're going to use it to give our stockholders higher dividends. If you don't own our stock, shame on you! Sorry/notsorry. We're also going to give our top executives a raise cause they work sooooo hard. Oh, and big bonuses for them too! And we'll also use some of it to pay out severance to about 5000 people we don't need anymore. You people aren't having enough babies, it's your fault.

So thanks America! MAGA!

[Howl]

30 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

This story is long so I'll make it short:

Hey, America, Kimberly-Clark here. We want to thank all of you who vote for Republicans and especially Donald Trump. We love our tax break! We're going to use it to give our stockholders higher dividends. If you don't own our stock, shame on you! Sorry/notsorry. We're also going to give our top executives a raise cause they work sooooo hard. Oh, and big bonuses for them too! And we'll also use some of it to pay out severance to about 5000 people we don't need anymore. You people aren't having enough babies, it's your fault.

So thanks America! MAGA!

I used a sad emoji on @GrumpyGran's post because her summary is absolutely on target -- variations of this scenario are playing out across corporate America.  Corporations got a sweetheart deal blow job; workers are screwed.  I couldn't find any information on which factories Kimberly-Clark might sell or close, but making a wild guess they are in areas that went heavily Trump.  One production area is in Paris, Texas (in Louie Gohmert's district!) and they are left not knowing if they'll be reduced, closed, or expanded. 

From NPR station KETR: Future Of Paris Kimberly-Clark Plant In Doubt    

Excerpts

Quote

The Paris facility, which produces Huggies diapers and other products, employs about 900 people. Kimberly-Clark is not saying what lies in store for the Paris plant or any other individual locations.

"The company is not providing specifics on the status of any of our production facilities or the proposed job reductions, beyond what is detailed in our press release, until final decisions are made and announced," the Kimberly-Clark media relations department said in a statement.

"The timing of those announcements will be determined by the needs of the business and appropriate consultation and/or negotiations with unions, works councils and other labor stakeholders," the company said.

Pretty warm and fuzzy, right?

[onekidanddone]

18 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

This story is long so I'll make it short:

Hey, America, Kimberly-Clark here. We want to thank all of you who vote for Republicans and especially Donald Trump. We love our tax break! We're going to use it to give our stockholders higher dividends. If you don't own our stock, shame on you! Sorry/notsorry. We're also going to give our top executives a raise cause they work sooooo hard. Oh, and big bonuses for them too! And we'll also use some of it to pay out severance to about 5000 people we don't need anymore. You people aren't having enough babies, it's your fault.

So thanks America! MAGA!

Kimberly-Clark has (or had by this time), a large plant in Neenah, Wisconsin. Very much the typical Small town America, if the plant there is closing the town will be hit hard. I don't know how another major employer the Neenah Foundry is doing. I wonder how the good folks will remember this come this November after the domino effect spreads. 

[Howl]

The other article I came across was from a local paper in Neenah/Fox Cities (Appleton Fox Cities Post Crescent). 

My impression was that they would be decimated if the plant(s) were to close; there are thousands of employees.  Some facilities will be exanded; the Neenah/Fox cities people are desperately hoping that is their fate. 

 

[AmazonGrace]

How many fucks do you think Jake Tapper has left to give?

His job is to talk to pointless people who don't know what they are talking about

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Exec Departments thread or here, but since it's about the reaction to stupid Nunes, I chose this one: "The Justice Department stands up to a reckless Republican"

Spoiler

It’s about time. After suffering mostly in silence as Republican political hacks and Fox state TV threw one wacky allegation after another in their direction, after President Trump slurred and demeaned FBI employees, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to muster the courage to rebut baseless accusations against prosecutors and the FBI, and after a United States senator laughably accused the FBI of harboring a “secret society” (note to Wisconsin: You can do much better than Republican Sen. Ron Johnson) the professionals at the Justice Department decided they had endured quite enough.

On Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd — a political appointee — sent off a letter to the conspiracy addicted Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Callif.). CNN reported:

The Justice Department warned Wednesday that it “would be extraordinarily reckless” for the House intelligence Committee to release a classified memo publicly “without giving the Department and the FBI the opportunity to review the memorandum,” and to “advise” on possible harm to national security and ongoing investigations from its public release. …

The letter asks “why the Committee would possibly seek to disclose classified and law enforcement sensitive information without first consulting with the relevant members of the intelligence community.”

Boyd wrote that the Justice Department has turned over more than 1,000 pages of classified documents to the committee “relating to the FBI’s relationship, if any, with a source and its reliance, if any, on information provided by that source.”

The memo in question is one drafted by Nunes, one he refuses to show his fellow committee members and which is now the subject of an active social media campaign (#ReleaseTheMemo) led in part by Russian-related Twitter accounts.

Responding to the threatened release of Nunes’s memo speculating about skullduggery in the obtaining FISA warrants, Boyd said flatly it had no evidence of “any wrongdoing relating to the FISA process.” He added that the Justice Department takes any allegation of such abuse seriously. In other words, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee is seeking to compromise America’s national security.

The Justice Department’s letter is long overdue and, in fact, should have come from Boyd’s superior, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. Rosenstein — perhaps in tandem with Sessions (since his recusal seems to be an on-and-off affair) — should have taken it upon himself to shut down the conspiracy talk and rebuke unfounded character assassination. He should have led the effort to protect national security.

Boyd did not stop with Nunes. “Boyd also wrote that ‘wider distribution of the classified information’ presumably contained in Nunes’ memo would be a ‘significant deviation’ from the Department’s agreement with House intel and the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan,” according to the CNN report.

In normal times, the House speaker would have stepped in to protect the reputation of the Intelligence Committee and the integrity of Congress. Ryan (R-Wis.) must decide whether his water-carrying for the president obliges him to indulge an Intelligence Committee chairman who is consumed with conspiracy mongering, who routinely gives support to ludicrous White House allegations (e.g., wiretapping in Trump Tower) and who has failed in his obligation to exercise reasonable, serious oversight and explore an assault on American democracy. Ryan sits passively by as Russian bots help hype the release of a memo based on Nunes’s unfounded speculation. (Note: This is precisely how Russian bots interacted with Trump campaign themes, thereby helping Trump dominate social media and ultimately win the election.) Ryan needs to remember that his role is not that of Trump surrogate, but rather leader of a co-equal branch. Ryan took an oath to defend the Constitution, which, among other things, obligates the president to protect and implement the laws of the United States, not shred them.

Nunes’s deliberate interference with a criminal and counterintelligence investigation, potential release of classified information and attempts to maliciously discredit the FBI should not be tolerated — especially coming from the Intelligence Committee chairman, who is supposed to be above partisan politics and is entrusted with the nation’s secrets. Nunes is now complicit in the ongoing obstruction of the investigation. While he may be safe from prosecution because of the “speech and debate” clause, he remains a walking advertisement for ousting Republicans from the majority. When neither the Intel Committee chairman nor the House speaker is looking for the truth and seeking to protect the American people from foreign threats, it’s time for them and their fellow Republicans to go.

As if Ryan or Nunes care about the Constitution...