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Trump Timeline ... Trumpocalypse
- Thread starter CdnGuy
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WASHINGTON — Ahead of the first public testimony of the impeachment inquiry next week, the White House and key Hill Republicans are discussing a defense of President Donald Trump that is heavy on offense, with a focus on dismissing and discrediting witnesses whose testimony may be damaging to the president.
“If folks question the motivations and credibility of the president as we go through this, it’s possible that the same standard could apply to them,” said an administration official involved in the process granted anonymity to speak candidly about strategy, who said the approach had been used during past impeachment defenses.
The president's congressional backers are likely to question the standing of witnesses expected to provide the toughest assessments of his conduct in requesting the government of Ukraine investigate Hunter Biden, son of 2020 rival Joe Biden, the former vice president.
Some key Hill GOP allies of the president are looking to the combative Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings as a model for what they view as a successful effort to chip away at the credibility of a potentially damaging witness, according to a person familiar with the White House’s thinking.
The strategy for limiting the damage to the president from the upcoming hearings, developed by White House aides in concert with Republican allies in Congress, also includes an effort to emphasize distance between the witnesses — who include three career diplomats — and the president, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Russell Dotson served 22 years with the U.S. Navy, active duty and reserve. A decorated senior chief boatswain’s mate, he was deployed overseas six times, each for a year. In 2010, he saved two lives in a rocket attack and ground assault in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
His service took a toll. His marriage didn’t survive. His children worried about him — a lot.
“I was gone for a year, home for a year, gone for a year, home for a year,” he says. “The whole family paid a price for that.”
His daughter, Paige Dotson, 22, says: “I didn’t see my dad for six years. I thought he was going to die.”
When the Navy told Dotson that, if he would re-enlist for another four years, he could transfer his Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefit to Paige and her brother for college, he didn’t hesitate. His children each would get two years of schooling paid, giving them a shot to be the first college graduates in their family.
Dotson, who’s from Michigan, didn’t know that the promised education would be yanked out from under them, that this gift would turn into debt-collection notices for his daughter amounting to $20,000 and growing.
The Dotsons are among military families on the hook for huge, unexpected bills for college they were promised would be covered by a government plan that for years has come under fire. Some children of veterans went to college, only to be told there was an error with their parents’ applications, and the funds would be cut off.
“A lot of time, they don’t even know something is wrong,” says Vadim Panasyuk, a senior manager with the nonprofit organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Panasyuk says he’s heard from more than 40 families who were shocked to find their GI Bill benefits canceled. One family was told: You now owe the government $60,000.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he says. “It really ruins the financial stability of some of our longest-serving families. It’s folks that gave their all for their country — their youth, their health, everything.”
The Post-9/11 GI Bill, signed into law in 2008, covers veterans who served in the military after Sept. 11, 2001. It’s meant to pay college tuition, books and housing for veterans, much like the post-World War II GI Bill that helped boost the middle class.
But there have been numerous complaints. Initially, much of the funding was going to for-profit colleges. Last year, some vets saw their housing payments delayed because of administrative glitches.
Being able to transfer the education benefit to your dependents has become a key retention tool for military services stretched thin by deployments. Branches have enticed service members to agree to re-enlist for four more years by offering the chance to pass the education benefit to a child or spouse.
But the rules have tripped up some families.
A JUNIOR SACRIFICE
A Junior Sacrifice
A few years ago, a special interest group asked me to draw a series of cartoons for them on climate change. They didn’t specify where they stood on climate change in their initial feeler, but I got the idea they wanted me to provide cartoons denying it. They didn’t even specify what they would do with the cartoons or where they would be published. Before I replied, I did a little digging (in case you’re a Republican, that’s research) and discovered the company was owned by a much larger company famous for pumping millions into Republican candidates, right-wing think tanks, and mostly into efforts fighting climate change legislation.
I declined for two reasons. The first reason is that I believe in climate change. Why did they seek me out? There are plenty of hack cartoonists out there who’d be willing to take their money. The other reason I declined is that working for them would have been unethical. Even though I draw cartoons, I’m still a journalist. I need to retain some independence, credibility, and integrity. This company wanted a series of cartoons and they were offering me a lot of money to do it. Did I make a sacrifice for principles? Sure. But you could also argue that if I did it and took the money, that I would have sacrificed something much costlier.
When I think about veterans, like my father, and those who died and are buried in Arlington National Cemetary (which is just up the road from where I live), I don’t think, “gee…I can relate. I sacrificed too because I turned down a money-making opportunity. I’m awesome.” What kind of ridiculous asshole would even think such a thing to compare losing money to lost lives? Donald Trump Jr. is that kind of ridiculous asshole.
Donald Trump Jr. has written a book. I know. Who knew he would even bother reading a book, less enough write one. It’s only about 300 pages, which someone with an adequate level of literacy could read in one sitting. It’s called, “Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us.” In it, Jr writes, “A victimhood complex has taken root in the American left,” while using all 300 pages to whine about how he, his father, and family have all be victimized.
In one passage from Triggered, Trumpy Jr. compares his “sacrifices” to those who have fought and died for our nation. He recounts a visit to Arlington National Cemetary and as Taps was playing, “In that moment, I also thought of all the attacks we’d already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we’d have to make to help my father succeed — voluntarily giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals to avoid the appearance that we were ‘profiting off the office.”
Seriously, Jr? Hearing Taps make you think of lost money and not lost lives? At the very least, hearing Taps should have made you think of all the money you stole from veterans with your fake charity.
Author and Iraq War veteran Matt Gallagher tweeted at Jr., “Imagine going to Arlington … and being moved to think about money. You are a soup sandwich, @DonaldJTrumpJr, and my friends buried there would tell you the same thing.” A soup sandwich indeed.
Jr, you haven’t sacrificed shit. You haven’t even earned what you have less enough sacrificed to get it. You didn’t have to be the best to get into college. You didn’t have to be the best to get a job at your company. You didn’t have to be the best to get your position in that company. You don’t have to give good speeches to get speaking engagements. You don’t have to have any qualifications or accomplishments to go on talk shows. Hell, you didn’t even have to write a good book to get a book deal. Everything you have is because your name is Donald Trump. You have never had to need or want anything in your life. You’ve never had to work or accomplish anything to be where you are today. What the hell do you know about anything? You don’t even know how to be honest as just this week, a court has ordered you and your shithead siblings to attend classes to learn you’re not supposed to steal from charities.
This is the same guy who claimed he could make millions if his name was Hunter Biden. The guy, who is currently making millions because he literally named “Donald Trump.” And, even his claim of a sacrifice is a lie because he’s still making foreign business deal. Has Hunter Biden ever stolen from a charity? Has a court ordered him to attend classes to learn that putting money meant for charitable causes into your own pocket is bad?
On top of all that, Jr should stop comparing himself to those who have served and actually sacrificed for our country. His father is a draft dodger. He never served and neither did his brother, Eric, or his brother-in-law, Jared, who are all making money off the presidency. People who served were shot at, Jr. When you go to Africa and shoot big game animals on a reserve, they’re not shooting back.
Obviously, Jr projects a lot. It must run in the family, just like being oblivious. The best example of him projecting and being oblivious is the fact his book is titled “Triggered.”
A Junior Sacrifice
A few years ago, a special interest group asked me to draw a series of cartoons for them on climate change. They didn’t specify where they stood on climate change in their initial feeler, but I got the idea they wanted me to provide cartoons denying it. They didn’t even specify what they would do with the cartoons or where they would be published. Before I replied, I did a little digging (in case you’re a Republican, that’s research) and discovered the company was owned by a much larger company famous for pumping millions into Republican candidates, right-wing think tanks, and mostly into efforts fighting climate change legislation.
I declined for two reasons. The first reason is that I believe in climate change. Why did they seek me out? There are plenty of hack cartoonists out there who’d be willing to take their money. The other reason I declined is that working for them would have been unethical. Even though I draw cartoons, I’m still a journalist. I need to retain some independence, credibility, and integrity. This company wanted a series of cartoons and they were offering me a lot of money to do it. Did I make a sacrifice for principles? Sure. But you could also argue that if I did it and took the money, that I would have sacrificed something much costlier.
When I think about veterans, like my father, and those who died and are buried in Arlington National Cemetary (which is just up the road from where I live), I don’t think, “gee…I can relate. I sacrificed too because I turned down a money-making opportunity. I’m awesome.” What kind of ridiculous asshole would even think such a thing to compare losing money to lost lives? Donald Trump Jr. is that kind of ridiculous asshole.
Donald Trump Jr. has written a book. I know. Who knew he would even bother reading a book, less enough write one. It’s only about 300 pages, which someone with an adequate level of literacy could read in one sitting. It’s called, “Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us.” In it, Jr writes, “A victimhood complex has taken root in the American left,” while using all 300 pages to whine about how he, his father, and family have all be victimized.
In one passage from Triggered, Trumpy Jr. compares his “sacrifices” to those who have fought and died for our nation. He recounts a visit to Arlington National Cemetary and as Taps was playing, “In that moment, I also thought of all the attacks we’d already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we’d have to make to help my father succeed — voluntarily giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals to avoid the appearance that we were ‘profiting off the office.”
Seriously, Jr? Hearing Taps make you think of lost money and not lost lives? At the very least, hearing Taps should have made you think of all the money you stole from veterans with your fake charity.
Author and Iraq War veteran Matt Gallagher tweeted at Jr., “Imagine going to Arlington … and being moved to think about money. You are a soup sandwich, @DonaldJTrumpJr, and my friends buried there would tell you the same thing.” A soup sandwich indeed.
Jr, you haven’t sacrificed shit. You haven’t even earned what you have less enough sacrificed to get it. You didn’t have to be the best to get into college. You didn’t have to be the best to get a job at your company. You didn’t have to be the best to get your position in that company. You don’t have to give good speeches to get speaking engagements. You don’t have to have any qualifications or accomplishments to go on talk shows. Hell, you didn’t even have to write a good book to get a book deal. Everything you have is because your name is Donald Trump. You have never had to need or want anything in your life. You’ve never had to work or accomplish anything to be where you are today. What the hell do you know about anything? You don’t even know how to be honest as just this week, a court has ordered you and your shithead siblings to attend classes to learn you’re not supposed to steal from charities.
This is the same guy who claimed he could make millions if his name was Hunter Biden. The guy, who is currently making millions because he literally named “Donald Trump.” And, even his claim of a sacrifice is a lie because he’s still making foreign business deal. Has Hunter Biden ever stolen from a charity? Has a court ordered him to attend classes to learn that putting money meant for charitable causes into your own pocket is bad?
On top of all that, Jr should stop comparing himself to those who have served and actually sacrificed for our country. His father is a draft dodger. He never served and neither did his brother, Eric, or his brother-in-law, Jared, who are all making money off the presidency. People who served were shot at, Jr. When you go to Africa and shoot big game animals on a reserve, they’re not shooting back.
Obviously, Jr projects a lot. It must run in the family, just like being oblivious. The best example of him projecting and being oblivious is the fact his book is titled “Triggered.”
