. . . only it's just to win the Democrat primary, not the general against Trump.
Desperate times for Democrats call for desperate measures.
Showing posts with label Bush 41. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bush 41. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Sunday, March 10, 2019
We are into Trump's third year as president and Ingraham Angle is still blaming policy failures on Obama holdovers
When exactly is Trump going to become president of the United States? After 2020? We don't have time for the training wheels to come off.
Maybe Trump's policy failures on immigration are HIS FAULT. Blaming Obama holdovers is ridiculous when Bush 41 cleaned house on accession by firing all the Reagan administration holdovers OVERNIGHT.
This reminds me of nothing so much as the Limbaugh Theorem, not holding the president accountable for his own policies, except now Republicans are doing it.
Trump is doing nothing because that's the way he wants it. It's politics, not policy, and for playing politics with the nation's integrity and security, for that alone he shouldn't be president right now, let alone in 2020.
Trump is every bit the scoundrel now his past life says he always was.
Taxpayers fund commercial flights for illegal immigrants
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
It's no one's fault but Trump's that his administration is BURSTING with people who oppose him
Mike Pompeo (SECSTATE), Sylvia May Davis, Brooke Rollins, Chris Liddell (all in White House), Kirstjen Nielsen (SECDHS), Chad Wolf (DHS), Mary Kissel, Jim Jeffrey, Elliott Abrams (all at State), LARRY BARTLETT (Obama retread at Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration) . . ..
Bush 41 fired thousands of Reagan appointees and remade the executive in his kinder, gentler image. Trump's a wimp by comparison, as Ann Coulter says. Trump is hopelessly hamstrung, by himself.
What does President Kushner enjoy for breakfast?
Friday, January 4, 2019
Ann Coulter: The media are trying to convince Trump that if he abandons the wall, he’ll be a statesman . . .
Bush 41 accepted the Profiles in Courage award from Democrats for abandoning his Read My Lips No New Taxes pledge, many years later of course, proof that the voters were right to turn out the bum in 1992 for his betrayal.
Will Trump follow in his footsteps?
Nearly every Republican presidential candidate tried to con voters with these meaningless catchphrases about “border security.”
Here are The Des Moines Register’s summaries of some of the candidates’ positions on immigration a few weeks before the 2016 Iowa caucus:
Jeb Bush: “has called for enhanced border security.”
Marco Rubio: “proposes … improved security on the border.”
John Kasich: “believes border security should be strengthened.”
Chris Christie: “urges … using technology to improve border surveillance …”
Rand Paul: “would secure the border immediately.”
Carly Fiorina: “would secure the border, which she says requires only money and manpower.”
They all lost.
The guy who won: “Trump has said many illegal immigrants are rapists and are bringing drugs and crime to the United States. He has called for building a wall along the southern border, and has said he would make Mexico pay for it. He said he would immediately terminate President Barack Obama’s ‘illegal executive order on immigration.'”
Trump got more votes than any other Republican in the history of presidential primaries. No one was falling for “border security” then, and they aren’t now.
But instead of doing what he said and building a wall, Trump has hired people who don’t even grasp that the point is to make it unattractive to break into our country.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Pat Buchanan blames Clinton, Bush 43 and Obama for squandering away the world Bush 41 gave us
Jawohl, the Baby Boom presidents, except Pat won't yet admit that Trump is simply Squanderbucks IV.
Was it not the three presidents who sat so uncomfortably beside President Donald Trump at the state funeral of 41?
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
W's eulogy for his father is so good . . .
. . . it makes you wish his father had died more often.
You can watch him, here.
And here's the transcript (I've edited out the "laughters", you can supply your own):
GEORGE W. BUSH: Distinguished guests, including our presidents and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries and friends, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I and our families thank you all for being here.
I once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young, as late as possible.
At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H.W. Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300-horsepower engines to fly -- joyfully fly -- across the Atlantic with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up.
At age 90, George H.W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Ann's by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine, the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn't open.
In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A. Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton's.
To his very last days, Dad's life was instructive.
As he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness, and when the good Lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead.
One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later, he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did.
God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George H.W. Bush.
For Dad's part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live every day to the fullest.
Dad was always busy, a man in constant motion, but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him.
He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the illusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walker's Point, contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic.
The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man, and that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible.
He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions.
He was a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out.
Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, the mission completed, the shoot-down. We learned of the death of his crew mates, whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue.
And then another audacious decision: He moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas.
He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learned their profession: ladies of the night.
Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and he usually found it.
Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul. To us, his was the brightest of the thousand points of light.
In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen.
None of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and Mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty, and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious Robin again.
He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice.
He placed great value on a good joke. That's why he chose Simpson to speak.
On e-mail, he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush: The rare sevens and eights were considered huge winners, most of them off-color.
George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored many -- his many friendships with a generous and giving soul.
There exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends and acquaintances. He had an enormous capacity to give of himself.
Many a person would tell you that Dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend.
I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as brothers from other mothers.
He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer. Well, here's my conclusion: He played fast, so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all.
He was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep.
He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was firm in his principles, and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but never steered.
We tested his patience. I know I did.
But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love. Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, "He -- I think he can hear you, but he hasn't said anything for most of the day." I said, "Dad, I love you, and you've been a wonderful father." And the last words he would ever say on earth were, "I love you, too."
To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy.
He wasn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor.
The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli.
And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us.
Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her, totally.
In his old age, Dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high.
All the while, holding Mom's hand. After Mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was hold Mom's hand again.
Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country.
When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great president of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander-in-chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor.
In his inaugural address, the 41st president of the United States said this, "We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it.
"What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment, there, to trade a word of friendship."
Well, Dad, we're going to remember you for exactly that and much more. And we're going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever.
So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could ask. And in our grief, let us smile, knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again.
You can watch him, here.
And here's the transcript (I've edited out the "laughters", you can supply your own):
GEORGE W. BUSH: Distinguished guests, including our presidents and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries and friends, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I and our families thank you all for being here.
I once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young, as late as possible.
At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H.W. Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300-horsepower engines to fly -- joyfully fly -- across the Atlantic with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up.
At age 90, George H.W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Ann's by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine, the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn't open.
In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A. Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton's.
To his very last days, Dad's life was instructive.
As he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness, and when the good Lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead.
One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later, he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did.
God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George H.W. Bush.
For Dad's part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live every day to the fullest.
Dad was always busy, a man in constant motion, but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him.
He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the illusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walker's Point, contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic.
The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man, and that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible.
He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions.
He was a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out.
Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, the mission completed, the shoot-down. We learned of the death of his crew mates, whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue.
And then another audacious decision: He moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas.
He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learned their profession: ladies of the night.
Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and he usually found it.
Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul. To us, his was the brightest of the thousand points of light.
In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen.
None of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and Mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty, and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious Robin again.
He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice.
He placed great value on a good joke. That's why he chose Simpson to speak.
On e-mail, he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush: The rare sevens and eights were considered huge winners, most of them off-color.
George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored many -- his many friendships with a generous and giving soul.
There exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends and acquaintances. He had an enormous capacity to give of himself.
Many a person would tell you that Dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend.
I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as brothers from other mothers.
He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer. Well, here's my conclusion: He played fast, so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all.
He was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep.
He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was firm in his principles, and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but never steered.
We tested his patience. I know I did.
But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love. Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, "He -- I think he can hear you, but he hasn't said anything for most of the day." I said, "Dad, I love you, and you've been a wonderful father." And the last words he would ever say on earth were, "I love you, too."
To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy.
He wasn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor.
The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli.
And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us.
Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her, totally.
In his old age, Dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high.
All the while, holding Mom's hand. After Mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was hold Mom's hand again.
Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country.
When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great president of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander-in-chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor.
In his inaugural address, the 41st president of the United States said this, "We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it.
"What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment, there, to trade a word of friendship."
Well, Dad, we're going to remember you for exactly that and much more. And we're going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever.
So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could ask. And in our grief, let us smile, knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again.
Shameless Sen. Alan Simpson can talk of Bush 41's no new taxes betrayal and his loyalty in the same breath without blinking an eye
Yeah, Bush 41 was loyal to everyone but the taxpayer.
Bush 41's Americans with Disabilities Act has made the Social Security disability insurance trust fund nearly insolvent because no one ever imagined people would milk it
Contrary to critical analysis, Bush 41 did have a vision thing, it was just a mistaken vision.
He imagined a kinder gentler America full of kinder gentler people, at the expense of a sober estimation of human nature which recognized and reckoned with the baser instincts residing in every human heart.
Conservatives are supposed to specialize in that, but Bush 41 did not.
This mistaken example of liberalism wasn't just a one-off, either. The lack of sobriety extended also to his hate crime legislation.
Bush 41 imagined you could eradicate hate by criminalizing it, as if America ought to become a theocracy with "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" becoming the law of the land. But who doesn't kill except out of hate? "Nothing personal, just business" is for the movies, not reality. It's as if long established laws differentiating involuntary manslaughter from murder never existed. Now the damn idea has metastasized into the force which is at the heart of America's perilous polarization, and its insanity. We aren't allowed to hate anything except the haters, while entertaining our hate secretly all the while. Enter cognitive dissonance on a national scale. Everyone knows the truth, they just can't say it.
So they're saying Bush 41 was a patrician as they bury him today. Puritan was more like it.
No one expected that more Americans with disabilities would be dependent on government 25 years later, but that’s what has happened. ...
The ADA made no change to Social Security, yet there has been a substantial increase in the number of people who saw the offered hand described by President Bush bearing a monthly check.
The number of workers who receive Social Security disability-insurance payments has almost tripled. At the end of 2014, 9 million workers had a disability award that entitled them and their dependents to a monthly government check. This was a 197 percent increase over the 1990 number; over the same period the working-age population had increased by only 29 percent.
The disability path out of the labor market has become much more inviting since the ADA became law. More claims point to pain and other conditions whose diagnoses largely rely on patients’ subjective experiences rather than the self-evident disabilities of those who have appeared in coverage of the ADA’s 25th.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Monday, December 3, 2018
Mark Levin tonight in the second hour is pointing out how Bush 41 required resignations from all 3000 Reagan political appointees after his 1988 election
Bush was much more moderate, Levin says, and wanted to appoint similar.
Quite right, on all counts.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Thursday, November 22, 2018
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: Hillary now laughably blames fear of immigrants for her loss, says Europe must curb immigration, thinks the people crave tyranny!
Now we're sure she's a drunk.
Both Clintons used to say this crap about immigration to America back in ancient times when they ruled in Washington, even as they did NOTHING to reduce the levels of legal immigration into the United States, levels which were dramatically ramped up by their predecessor, George Herbert Walker Bush.
They don't give a damn about Americans. Immigration is only a problem to them because it puts the wrong people in power.
“I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame,” Clinton said, speaking as part of a series of interviews with senior centrist political figures about the rise of populists, particularly on the right, in Europe and the Americas.
“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message – ‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’ – because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic.” ...
Clinton urged forces opposed to rightwing populism in Europe and the US not to neglect the concerns about race and identity issues that she says were behind her losing key votes in 2016. She accused Trump of exploiting the issue in the election contest – and in office. ...
“The whole American system was designed so that you would eliminate the threat from a strong, authoritarian king or other leader and maybe people are just tired of it. They don’t want that much responsibility and freedom. They want to be told what to do and where to go and how to live … and only given one version of reality.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Kooky "Macro Tourist" tells us to put aside our political views, uses crabbed Talking Points Memo graph to warn us about Republican federal spending increases
Although the Republicans are supposedly the party of fiscal conservatism, we all know that sort of talk is only for when they are not in power. ... There should be little surprise that under Republican stewardship, the greatest fiscal stimulus in the past decade has been instituted. Not saying if it is good or bad because my opinion is completely irrelevant. ... You would be foolish to ignore the dramatic change in the world’s attitude towards economic policy. “Tight fiscal and easy monetary policy” is being replaced with “easy fiscal and (somewhat) tighter monetary policy”. And ironically enough, the Republican Party under Trump’s “leadership” is at the forefront of this change.
Apparently the guy can't figure out the facts for himself, which show that Trump is projected by the center left Tax Policy Center to be in the same league as Obama through fiscal 2020, not in the Reagan league, not in the Nixon league, not in the Bush 41 league, either. Hell, he's not even projected to make the Bush 43 league, which was bad enough. Spending is going up under Trump, too be sure, but it's a world away from previous Republican administrations.
What really matters for spending is who controls the purse strings, which is Congress. Until Clinton, Republican presidents had to bargain with Democrat Congresses to get what they wanted. That often meant agreeing to big spending bills. The Republican resurgence in Congress under Clinton marked a new era in spending, which comparatively speaking is way down on a compound annual growth rate basis, even under spendthrift Bush 43.
Personally I'm less fearful than I had been of a new spending spree under Trump with Republicans in control of Congress. Trump is adversarial with the Republican Establishment in a way that no Republican president of the past has been. Getting what he wants hasn't been at all easy for this very reason. Republicans are obstructing him no less than Democrats are even as Trump folds like a house of cards on taxes and regulation without getting anything in return, like a wall. At some point he's going to veto something, or go down to electoral defeat.
At any rate, talk of a new dramatic change is simply kooky.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Good comparison of the presidents on GDP by Justin Fox at Bloomberg
Fox well reminds his readers that GDP is an inadequate measure in many respects, and gives credit where credit is due even when the numbers don't seem to show it.
His second chart is the better chart since it is a political comparison, which is what this is all about, pegging beginning and end of analysis to fourth quarters when presidents are elected or eclipsed.
He has Kennedy and Johnson first and second (5.5% and 5%), followed by Clinton (3.8%), Reagan 3.6%), Carter (3.2%) and Nixon 3.0%), then IKE (2.5%), then Ford and Bush 41 tied (2.2%), with Obama (1.9%) and Bush 43 (1.8%) bringing up the rear. (Trump so far is seventh, ahead of IKE but behind Nixon, at 2.7%).
A few quibbles.
The data is plenty fine for Truman 1948-1952. He should be included. His performance is the best of them all on a full term basis (5.54%), using the same compound annual growth rate Fox uses. The secret to Truman's success? He slashed government spending in the wind-down from World War II. No one seems to get that. By cutting taxes and not slashing spending, Republicans since Truman only defeat themselves and discredit what works.
Secondly, JFK didn't serve out his first term, Nixon his second. Therefore it makes more sense to view JFK coterminous with LBJ (5.19% together), and Ford with Nixon (2.73%), evaluating them together in two eight year periods of Democrat and Republican political administration respectively, which is what it was.
Third, Fox rounds his numbers, which obscures how close Bush and Obama were in their terrible records (1.83% and 1.88% respectively).
All in all, though, we come up with similar results: Truman is first (5.54), followed by JFK/LBJ (5.19), Clinton (3.81), Reagan (3.55), Carter (3.19), Nixon/Ford (2.73), IKE (2.52), Bush 41 (2.21), Obama (1.88), and Bush 43 (1.83).
Trump's first year through 4Q2017 is 2.47%. Measured 2Q2017 on 2Q2018 just completed he's at 2.85%.
Only by comparison with the previous sixteen years is this anything to cheer about, but thankfully we have that.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Legal immigration into the US has been out of control since Bush 41 succeeded Reagan
Kinder, gentler America, my ass.
More like multicultural hell.
Are you paying attention, Mr. Trump?
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Bush 41 has now admitted voting for Hillary
Good thing his parachute jumping days are behind him. Could be more dangerous now.
Sunday, July 23, 2017
George Herbert Walker Bush's legacy: It took only 7 years of NAFTA to destroy hours worked in the United States
Hours of all persons grew 44% during the Reagan bull market, which ended in August 2000. Since then, hours of all persons has grown just 3%.
NAFTA went into effect in January 1994, eleven years after the Reagan bull began and a little over one year after Bush inked the deal. Seven years later hours of all persons peaked.
It reminds me of Bill Clinton's innovation, the so-called Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which blew up the housing market after just 10 years.
Republicans take away your job, then Democrats come along and take away your house.
If you're living in your car, you'd better watch your back.
Monday, April 10, 2017
The false question remains "Why did Trump win?"
Two examples from today.
Liz Peek of FOX reassured Steve Gruber this morning on his radio program in Michigan that Trump won in 2016 primarily because the voters were most concerned to ensure we had a Supreme Court seat filled by a Scalia clone.
And then Josh Brown assures his readers in the line up at Real Clear Markets that the most important reason was class warfare: a tax cut for the middle class and a big tax increase on rich speculators.
It's been five months since the election and we still can't agree about the political state of the country. Hint: libertarians don't agree about very much.
One could go on. Ann Coulter would tell you it was the promise of The Wall and an end to indiscriminate invasion by illegal aliens. Independent small business owners and self-employed people would tell you it was the promise of repeal of Obamacare. Veterans . . . veterans' affairs. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
These various opinions tell us more about the values of the individual coalitions Trump cobbled together to win, not why he won.
Meanwhile the narrow character of Trump's victory in key states, the result of former Democrat voters boycotting Hillary by the millions, goes underestimated by the winners . . . and the losers.
That's fairly typical, even for otherwise prudent presidents.
George Herbert Walker Bush thought victory in Kuwait made him golden, promptly raised taxes after we read his lips, and was shown the door.
The same will happen to Trump if he doesn't deliver on his program.
And because his program is a Duodetrigintapus, the question is really "How many of my twenty-eight legs can I get away with chopping off and still have enough left to strangle my opponent with in 2020"?
He's already cut off three. Repeal of Obamacare has failed. DACA has not been reversed (what, did they run out of pens in the White House?), and suddenly we have to burn $100 million worth of cruise missiles because someone used a politically incorrect weapon.
What's next, an assault weapon ban?
There's still plenty of time for Trump to prove that he isn't some suicidal sea monster.
But at the rate he's going he'll be a legless jellyfish by Christmas.
But at the rate he's going he'll be a legless jellyfish by Christmas.
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