Progressive Discussion - Monday 4-17-17

Good morning! Hope you each had a wonderful Easter. Meanwhile . . .

"Trump 2020 efforts raking in funds
Less than 100 days in office and President Donald Trump's campaign committee reported it had raised over $7.1 million. Over the same period, Trump's campaign spent $6.3 million.

Some of the money went to John Pence, Vice President Mike Pence's nephew, Bannon Strategic Advisors and a few of Trump's own properties.

And the Republican National Committee raised just under $30 million in January and February.

The Trump campaign also received more than $3.5 million in transfers for the 2020 primary. (In case you were wondering, it's less than three years until the Iowa caucuses.)" -- copied from CNN's nightly newsletter

Really??? To already be bringing in that much money tells me that it must be coming from very wealthy donors who have specific agendas that will benefit themselves. It's certainly not the $20 mom and pop donations. As Tweety said himself, wealthy people such as himself make large donations because they want something for themselves. Political deductions are not even tax deductible, so clearly it is a quid pro quo.

Seriously, it's hard to even put to words the "slimy, get rich quick" con game of this Fake Prez aka JA.. Evidently, his still hanging on supporters don't care. They can't think past their "Lib Bashing" to seriously think of the damage this guy is doing to their own lives because of his policies & his swamp filled cabinet. He cares NOTHING for this country other than whatever $$$ he can steal from all of us for his own personal gain. I hope the day comes very soon that he is kicked to the curb in disgrace & then thrown in jail along with Flynn, Manafort, Bannon & his other Russian spies...it will take many many years to undo the damage he has already managed to do. If ever! UGH!

SATIRE FROM THE BOROWITZ REPORT
NORTH KOREA OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER AFTER MIKE PENCE ANGRILY SQUINTS AT IT
By Andy Borowitz

PYONGYANG (The Borowitz Report)—In a major foreign-policy coup for the Trump Administration, North Korea offered to unconditionally abandon its nuclear program on Monday, after Mike Pence spent several minutes angrily squinting at the nation from just across the border.

Warning North Korea that the United States had jettisoned its policy of “strategic patience” and that “all options were on the table,” Pence fixed his steely glare on the isolated Communist nation and began furiously staring it down.

After Pence spent between five and six minutes demonstrating U.S. resolve by squinting indignantly, the government in Pyongyang released a statement indicating that North Korea’s nuclear ambitions were a thing of the past.

“We will henceforth abandon our nuclear program and dismantle all existing nuclear facilities,” read the official statement from North Korean President Kim Jong-un. “In exchange, we request that Mike Pence stop giving us that really mean look.”

Moments after the North Korean statement, Pence ordered his facial muscles to stand down, and the Vice-President’s face assumed a peacetime footing.

Yes, something that really concerns me is that after the Syria bombing his ratings went up a little--not a lot but still went up. He pays a lot of attention to things like ratings, and I'm afraid that small bump may encourage him to push even harder for military action with North Korea and Syria. He likes to feel like a "big tough guy," and he likes even more to see even the slightest rise in ratings. However, if he gets us involved in all out war with either or both countries, he's going to see those ratings plummet even further than they already are IMO. Seeing his ratings rise thwarted will be no compensation for the rest of us. Syria has Russia firmly behind it, and NK's leader is totally nuts. So they are not going to just back down. Even if MP squints really hard. LOL!

The Rachel Maddow Show

The Coast Guard is going to see its budget cut if Donald Trump has his way, even as it is now spending every weekend taking on the extra job of securing the president's golf club. Whether or not you are upset about the president's travel costs, one thing you might be upset about is the lack of respect for the Coast Guard, even as they are busy saving his bacon day in and day out -- all of our bacon, frankly, including the president's while he golfs.

Watch the full segment: on.msnbc.com/2oGamXX