3237

For Americans, the elevation of Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, into the upper echelons of the administration is an unfamiliar violation of basic tenets of American governance. The United States was founded, after all, in rebellion to a monarchy. And while there have been numerous political dynasties – Roosevelts, Kennedys, Bushes, Clintons – there has never been such a blatant insertion of relatives with no qualifications for political office into such high positions of power.

Why appoint family members?

While novel to the US, the Trump family dynamic may be familiar for citizens of authoritarian kleptocracies. One has seen it in Central Asian states like Uzbekistan and in countless other countries where rulers consolidate power and strip the country’s resources for their personal benefit.

3238

President Trump has suggested that the judiciary doesn’t have the authority to question him. He was a very early proponent of nuking the filibuster for Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch. And he recently raised eyebrows by congratulating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the expansion of his presidential powers — echoing his previous admiration for strongman leaders.

Now Trump is talking about consolidating his own power.

In an interview with Fox News that aired Friday night, Trump dismissed the “archaic” rules of the House and Senate — using that word four times — and suggested they needed to be streamlined for the good of the country.

[…]

Whether this is just him blowing off steam or signaling what lies ahead, it’s significant. Because it suggests a president, yet again, who doesn’t agree with his own powers being limited or even questioned. Remember when senior policy adviser Stephen Miller declared “the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned?” This is more of that kind of attitude.

He wants more power — and he wants it quickly. It’s not difficult to connect this to his past admiration for authoritarian leaders, and these comments are likely to give Democrats (and even some in the GOP establishment) plenty of heartburn. This is a demonstrated pattern for him, for all the reasons listed at the top of this post.

3239

Varies by state. If you hurt someone it can be elevated to felony DUI. Or if you’re crazy drunk (like x2+ over the limit). Repeat offender can also bring it out.

3240

It might depend on the state but they are here… And they should be:

In the State of Oregon, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) is either a Class A misdemeanor or a Class C Felony. Misdemeanor DUII is punishable by a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a fine of $6,250. Felony DUII is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $125,000.

Years ago I processed seasonal applications. For no driving positions we’d ask if they had any felonies except driving related on those Apps.

DUII came up a lot for the forklift positions.

3241

Ya, that makes sense.

Also, any case where someone actually killed or injured another person while intoxicated would likely show up as a separate charge.

3242

It’s an added charge. Basically you tend to get “Felony DUI” instead of the usual misdemeanor DUI. Then you also get whatever charge for the injuries/deaths (usually vehicular manslaughter or the like).

3243

Is “consolidating his power” something he can even do?

3244

A naked power grab by Trump would be an interesting test case. Would a Republicans Congress allow that to happen, or would that be something they finally push back on?

3245

If it gets them what they want and is more likely to keep them in power, I am sure the GOP would do whatever he asks of them. the only push backs we’ve seen so far from this group are from the members that realize a president can’t guarantee them votes locally or they think the offer isn’t scummy enough and hold out for a more complete screwing of everyone else.

3246

Have the GOP cried out when that happens on the state level? Nope.

You have your answer.

3247

Oh please. They have their heads so far up their own asses I can’t imagine they’d notice.

3248

Listening to Trump’s recent rally. I want to puke. This man is 100x revolting then any politician I’ve ever disliked before. Holy crap.

3249

This is hilarious.

https://twitter.com/kevinwonkahart/status/858366658653503488

3250

Man, the guy was dressed like a pimp. He showed up at church in a pink Cadillac. Thows a mean right, too. One-punch KO. Dude’s got the evil eye too.

3251

Whaaaaaaaaat the hell.

3252

lol holy shit

3253
3254

Josh Marshall (TPM): Priebus: Trump Considering Amending or Abolishing 1st Amendment

Karl says, accurately, that that kind of clampdown on 1st Amendment rights would require amending the Constitution. Is that what Priebus means, Karl asks? Yes, it is, says Priebus.

Now one might respond to this saying, ‘Okay, technically that’s what he said. But he probably doesn’t actually mean it.’

To which I think the answer is, sure maybe he doesn’t mean but why would anyone assume that? He said it and repeated it. The changes President Trump wants are blocked by decades of decades of jurisprudence which is little contested, unlike other hot button points of constitutional law. If you want what Trump wants, you have to amend the constitution – and not the constitution in general but the 1st Amendment specifically. Amending the 1st Amendment to allow the head of state to sue people who say things he doesn’t like amounts to abolishing it.

None of these are tenuous connections. Each link in the chain of reasoning follows logically from the other.

3255

https://warontherocks.com/2017/04/a-dangerous-new-americanism/

All of these factors are now at play in the consideration of American identity, and that should worry everyone. “American” is an identity collective, like any other. Identifying as part of a collective is not inherently bad. In many ways, it’s normal and healthy. People who live in communities seek definition, whether as a neighborhood or as a nation. But when the health of the in-group can only be obtained at the expense of an out-group, identity takes on sinister and destructive overtones.

The “American” identity is not immune to this dynamic, no matter how nobly it has been defined in the past. President Donald Trump and the “movement” he touts are steering America into the death spiral that leads to true violent extremism.

3256

Welcome: War Criminals (technically probably crimes against humanity?)
Not welcome: Syrian children
Also, the best vetting.
'Merica