President @realDonaldTrump’s letter to @SpeakerPelosi concerning her upcoming travel pic.twitter.com/TtBCvwp080— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 17, 2019
AND: Politico characterizes Pelosi's disinvitation of Trump for the State of the Union as "a carefully crafted, old-school letter," in which she "played the political game on her terms and accomplished three important things."
But Scott Adams calls it a strategic blunder (because the House setting for the SOTU is boring and now Trump can give his speech somewhere else):
Scott Adams talks about Pelosi’s SOTU strategic blunder. https://t.co/En7MoYBome— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) January 17, 2019
Posts
295 comments:
1 – 200 of 295 Newer› Newest»There isn't enough popcorn in the world for this.
Not the Onion?
Hahahahaha
As it should be. She is getting paid, so she should be working on fixing the problem instead of throwing temper tantrums.
Next step: Trump puts in one day a week as a volunteer border patrol agent. Invites Congresspersons to join in.
Trump's catty bitchiness is all the proof you need that he's entirely at ease with his feminine side.
My first instinct - yes, funny. Good response to Pelosi.
Above all else, Trump responds in kind to criticisms and political "attacks".
My long view - a smidgen of worry. I have trouble squaring this interaction with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work. Is there some institutional protocol that is being eroded by these "stunts"? But maybe my smidgen of worry is unfounded, and I should just enjoy the show.
A gentle reminder: Hillary is still not President.
There are times Trump makes me cringe. And then there are times he's spectacular.
This would the latter.
Article 2, Section 3: ...he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them,...
This means that Trump can order both Houses into a joint meeting to give them a State of the Union message. It's even better if the Democrats refuse to come, because Trump can focus attention on the empty seats.
At this rate the Trump / Pelosi war could have us back to a balanced budget within 18 months.
Telling her she crossed a political red line.
No more Mr. Nice guy.
Sauce for the goose....
Only time will tell who wins this PR war. Everything is about appearances. But so far Trump seems to be hanging in pretty well. The Dems frolicking on the beach in Puerto Rico probably wasn't a good look for them. Now we're into the phase of exchanging public missives.
"I am sure you will agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate."
... this public relations event...
Trump is a magnificent bastard.
This is wonderful stuff. Comic novel.
I'm very happy to see the cancellation of all events involving politicians, jet travel, and television.
I really hope Pelosi's disinvite sets an unimpeachable precedent.
Trump's mocking the public relations aspect of it all. It's not a move within the genre but standing outside it.
Article 2, Section 3: ...he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them,...
This means that Trump can order both Houses into a joint meeting to give them a State of the Union message.
No. It means that he can direct that they open into session, period. Which means they can convene in their respective chambers. It does not give the executive the power to enter the Capitol grounds, much less into the House chamber.
Each of the chambers of the Congress are sacrosanct and cannot be intruded upon without their consent. Even the king was not allowed to enter Parliament without permission.
One call from Nancy to Soros or any of the Tech titans could easily deliver a charter jet on their own dime.
Trump should offer to make the "Trump Force One" 757 available.......
Mark: "It does not give the executive the power to enter the Capitol grounds, much less into the House chamber."
Whoa whoa whoa!!
I thought "walls" and "barriers" were immoral........
"Adams is a vegetarian and trained as a hypnotist." That won't endear him to Mr. Meade - the vegetarian part that is. The fact that he apparently is an admirer of the president, doesn't endear him to me.
I do like the idea of Trump delivering his writen SOTU to Congress, and then delivering his speech on tv from the Oval Offfice.
He cancelled her military aircraft. The critters are sitting on a bus!!
An short, uninterrupted SOTU would be worth watching.
Even the king was not allowed to enter Parliament without permission.
The announcers at the State Opening emphasize that it's Her Palace of Westminster. It's the House of Commons room she's not supposed to enter since Charles I did, and I doubt that's actually written in law.
Dear Speaker Pelosi:
Goodbye AF Gulfstream for constituency travel.
Hello, United.
Fucking savage.
The God Emperor patrolled the shit out of that dusty old thot.
Our congress critters are oblivious and arrogant and entitled. Who the hell does Pelosi think she is to expect military assets to fly her around as if the govt isn't in the middle of a cataclysmic, dire emergency due to the shutdown? [I am paraphrasing how the Dems have described it].
The freshmen Dems will soon start to revolt against her Beltway nonsense - well at least the serious ones will like Conor Lamb.
"My long view - a smidgen of worry. I have trouble squaring this interaction with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work. Is there some institutional protocol that is being eroded by these "stunts"?"
This is a very minor effect of underlying causes, not a cause. Institutional protocols are downstream things. Often they persist after the fundamentals change, and then seem bizarre, like an Orthodox cathedral used by the Bolsheviks as a stable.
In Reagan-O'Neil's day you had a much healthier condition of society and culture. It was a much more unified, culturally consistent country. There wasn't such a gulf between regions, cultures, classes and castes.
Now you don't. You hate each others guts to a degree that frightens me.
Adams is on point yet again. Imagine Trump giving the state of the Union at the Toyota Center. He can set up chairs for Congress on the floor and invite them all to attend and fill the stadium with supporters. The Dems won't show up. Imagine the SOTU, standing ovations from the public, while DJT points at 300 empty chairs and asks when are they going to get back to the work of reopening our government and securing the border?
Madame not Madam? Seems frenchy to me.
"That won't endear him to Mr. Meade - the vegetarian part that is."
Truth-O-Meader rates this comment: Pants With Pockets Full Of Shoplifted Baloney On Fire
In fact, I LOVE vegetarians, herbivores, peskyvores, and fattened calves, quads, glutes, and hams.
But mostly, ribeyes.
"The freshmen Dems will soon start to revolt against her Beltway nonsense "
Start to revolt? Who do you think these people are?
Everyone there is an employee, of a patron, a funder, or a cabal of them.
Their compensation, should they behave as directed, is generally deferred or indirect.
at least the serious ones will like Conor Lamb
@AI, you have evidence that Conor Lamb is serious? Please share that with us.
Ditto Jim:
>>>There are times Trump makes me cringe. And then there are times he's spectacular.
This would the latter.<<<
Prediction: Politico will not report favorably on Trump's letter.
I had heard before that you needed 4 Irish to generate a fifth (bottle that is)
Bay Area Guy said... with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work -
now it seems like it was done with 2 Irish!! = each equal to 2 regular?
"Adams is a vegetarian and trained as a hypnotist."
Trumpit: "That won't endear him to Mr. Meade - the vegetarian part that is. The fact that he apparently is an admirer of the president, doesn't endear him to me"
You've got it all wrong!!
He hypnotizes the...vegetables......
You hate each others guts to a degree that frightens me.
Bad reading. The right is into bemusement with the left.
Hate is only necessary by the left.
rhhardin said...
Trump's mocking the public relations aspect of it all. It's not a move within the genre but standing outside it
KOBAYASHI MARU - all the way
Big Mike:
I was just throwing a name out there - he's a veteran from western PA so I'd heard his name since I am from Philly area.
The good news is Lamb did not vote for Pelosi as speaker. The bad news is he instead voted for the pipsqueak Joe Kennedy and that is not a good sign.
@Buwaya smacks us into reality:
This is a very minor effect of underlying causes, not a cause. Institutional protocols are downstream things. Often they persist after the fundamentals change, and then seem bizarre, like an Orthodox cathedral used by the Bolsheviks as a stable.
In Reagan-O'Neil's day you had a much healthier condition of society and culture. It was a much more unified, culturally consistent country. There wasn't such a gulf between regions, cultures, classes and castes.
Now you don't. You hate each others guts to a degree that frightens me.
This is kinda sorta what I was trying to say, albeit inartfully, and less forcefully. I guess I wouldn't quite say I hate the Left's guts. I would say, I don't like what they've done to California, and what they are doing to the country.
Back to the SOTU: Is this a mere stunt or is there a hideous unbridgeable gulf?
You are almost always right on these things, but maybe you're a tad too pessimistic, while I am a tad too naive and optimistic? Who knows.
and then delivering his speech on tv from the Oval Office.
With a Big Mac and fries by his side.
I am looking forward to seeing what Trump will come up with for his State of the Union show!
Pelosi might come to regret throwing him into that brier patch.
Bret Baier had the most extraordinary interview with Steny Hoyer yesterday. Hoyer pretty much said that yeah, um, ah, Trump's wall(s) really work,is needed in places, and ought to be funded. Put that together with Schumer hardly to be seen, and not looking or sounding to good when he is, and one might begin to suspect Pelosi has got more trouble on her hands than the MSM admits to.
Blogger Bay Area Guy said...
I do like the idea of Trump delivering his writen SOTU to Congress, and then delivering his speech on tv from the Oval Offfice.
Yessss !
This does show Trump's feminine aspect. A manly man would've waited until Pelosi was in Afghanistan and canceled her return trip.
El Paso. Right on the border.
The Democrats are not used to a Republican like this one.
"I have trouble squaring this interaction with Reagan and Tip O'Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work."
I share your minor concern but would let you know mine is minimized by the fact that Tip respected and probably liked Reagan and was willing to set aside partisan advantage seeking for what he believed to be the good of the nation. I could be glamming that up a bit, but was alive, an adult, and paying attention back in the 80's, so I don't think so.
Pelosi hates Trump, hates the people that support, and is committed to using any difference of opinion with Trump to advance her and her party's political power.
The beauty of this is twofold:
(#1) Got her a** on the way to the airport. Maybe, just maybe, she lost a little face on that one.
(#2) Brings the public's attention to the fact that the Speaker was going on a BOONDOGGLE during this stressful period when the government is shut down because of policy differences. Had Trump not pulled the plug on guvmnt air travel, Pelosi would have been off on her little trip and the media would never have covered it ... just as they didn't cover the Dem legislators' boondoggle to Puerto Rico and Hamilton.
Heh.
The high-up gov't official's version of 'why dont you go f*ck yourself.'
God bless this man. It's a joy to behold.
Maybe he should give it at a rally.
Special section for the politicians and a couple of thousand seats for average riff raff of all colors. Make room for laid off Fed supporters who hols up derogatory signs about Pelosi and Schumer.
Crime scene photos of victims of violence in backround as he talks about the wall and crime.
Testimonials by black people and legal aliens who got a job because illegals were deported
Free burgers and chick-fil-a.
Stress employment numbers.
Vids of Dems on the beach while Trump waits for them in White House.
Trump is our first performance artist president who knows how to turn the tables. No wonder they want to "Impeach the Motherfucker".
Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, often shortened as The Motherfuckers or UAW/MF, was an anarchist affinity group based in New York City. This "street gang with analysis" was famous for its Lower East Side direct action and is said to have inspired members of the Weather Underground and the Yippies.
I was hoping Trump would just get us back to a simple letter to Congress and avoid the whole circus, but with Pelosi being an asshole, he can't do that now. I hope he still finds a way to slap her down and change the whole thing to something less ridiculous that what it has become. The whole SOTU thing is just embarrassing, fake, and tedious. Grown adults standing up and clapping a hundred times or pouting depending on which team they are on. It's just silly as hell.
He should deliver the whole thing in Spanish.
I can only imagine.
I sitting on the bus waiting to start this grand trip, then the big sloppy grin on my face fades into stunned disbelief when I hear news of the cancellation. I'm not going, Trump canceled the trip.
I hope the bus has an interior video camera.
Hilarious.
I think Mueller will try to sneak this latest impeachable offense in under the wire before Barr calls him and says: Ok, walk me through this from the beginning...
"Pelosi hates Trump, hates the people that support, and is committed to using any difference of opinion with Trump to advance her and her party's political power."
I think that's probably right. But then the question is asked, "Why does Pelosi hate Trump and his supporters so much"?
It's because he is a big obstacle in the path of the Left's march to power. It galls Nancy that Trump may have 3 Scotus picks, rather than Hillary. It galls Nancy that the economy is doing well under Trump, when it might have done well under Hillary.
The Left does not believe in: (a) God, (b) Family and (c) Country. They want atheism, gay-marriage, divorce, abortion, open borders and a large welfare state -- as long as they are safely protected away from all this in the gated estates of Pacific Heights, Beverly Hills or the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch:
An intelligent move would be for the Senate to invite the President to deliver the State of the Union address there.
No House members invited. Because House members don't get invited to the Senate.
Then the Democrat Senators who want to run for President have to decide if they'll show up
The SotU address at the House would be a complete disaster for the Democrats, because Trump would be able to "call out" all sorts of things popular with the American people, and the Democrats would sit there looking pissy the entire time.
So it's a wise move by Pelosi. But that doesn't make it a good move.
Just the best move she has
I haven't listened to a Presidential speech of any kind since the 2003 SOTU, so I couldn't care less about Pelosi's letter. However, I'm very happy to see the USAF not be used as a commercial airline for Congress. And if Democrats want to introduce a bill to defund Air Force One, that would be fantastic. I'm sure Trump would be happy using his 757 and not giving rides to the Press. I certainly would be happy. Bonus, I'm sure it would also shutdown the support fleet that carries the motorcade; so even that would become reasonable.
I'm not a fan of popcorn but I'm practically falling off my chair on this.
CNN is saying Trump suggested she fly commercial into an active war zone and that he "took away her right to military aircraft" for the trip.
Meanwhile, back in reality: A president is demanding some modest funding for a border security project while the opposing party disagrees with it to the point they won't even sit down to negotiate on it.
Simultaneously we're seeing the actual impact - not the scaremongering - of a significant "longest ever" shutdown.
Beautiful.
I wonder if RBG would have been there? No I don't. She's not doing well and wouldn't want to be seen in her current condition.
Then again, based on past SOTU appearances, she could have caught up on her sleep and gotten some apparently much needed rest.
chickenlittle: "Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch"
Inga, likely returning from a "New Leader of The Free World" wake for Merkel/Macron/May/child-President Trudeau, is going to be gobsmacked.
Haha. What a classy fuck you letter.
Even now the LLR cucks are no doubt furiously placing phone call after phone call to every democrat partisan organization on Earth trying to find ways to help the lefty cause in 2020.
David French will likely need extra cuck-counseling after this one....
Of course, Nancy could sue and get some Left-wing Federal judge to say Trump is required by the Constitution to give her military transport.
He should tweet the State of the Union.
100-1 some left-billionaire will now offer Nancy the use of their private plane.
chickenlittle said...
Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch
I assume the executive branch provides the transportation & whatever state department support is involved. He can cancel that.
David French now writes for the left-wing "Atlantic Magazine". He got the coveted "cuckservative slot" that Kevin Williamson lost.
It will probably take another 3 years for Right-wingers to stop calling French a Conservative. They're always slow on the uptake.
If I was Trump, I'd deny her Secret service or military protection too. Tell her the SS can't guarantee her safety.
Brussels and Egypt are not war zones.
And there are commercial flights to Kabul.
Emirates, Air India and Turkish Airlines.
None of which has ever had a plane shot down over Kabul that I have heard.
Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch:
He canceled the use of military aircraft and personnel for the trip. She's free to pay for a private flight using her own money.
Have the State of Union in the Senate. Or at Trump National. Serve Big Macs.
Trump should ask Putin to let him do the State of the Union from the Russian Embassy.
Because fuck-em, that's why.
Does Nancy have the guts that Hillary did?
She landed under sniper fire.
100-1 some left-billionaire will now offer Nancy the use of their private plane.
That would look absoultely horrible for Nancy, a super entitled and out of touch plutocrat helping out a fellow elite? I mean, isn't the bag of bones worth like $93 million or something? She could easily pay for the whole thing herself.
Wait a minute. Didn't Pelosi say the SOTU couldn't be held safely in the Capitol, but she can fly into a war zone? Yea, she isn't too full of shit is she? It's like she knows she can say absolutely anything and still have the media cover for her, and she's right.
"In Reagan-O'Neil's day you had a much healthier condition of society and culture."
I don't disagree but lets put the blame where it belongs.
I hate these vague, "why can't we all get along" or "Our society is broken" statements.
The Left is to blame. The Democrats are the blame. The only way to "Fix it" is for them to stop their behavior. Pelosi caused a shutdown because she doesn't want to spend $5 billion - chickenfeed - to help secure the border. That is unheard of.
The Democrats have REFUSED to treat Trump like every other POTUS. They have voted almost all his nominnees. They have blocked and slowed down his nominees. They have REFUSED any compromise and have come out 100% for unsecured borders and illegal immigration. They are anti-American traitors.
Its unheard of for the Speaker of the House to refuse to let the POTUS address from House
Its never been done. Ever. If Tip O'Neill or Ryan had done it, there would've been outrage from Coast to Coast.
But Pelosi does it, and everyone yawns.
There has to be a state of the union gathering if only to confirm to the nation that RBG is still looking at the green side of the grass.
chickenlittle: "Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch"
As noted by others, the AF planes that she would use belong to the Executive Branch. One of the scandals when Obama was Predident and she was Speaker the last time was that she was going back home in CA almost every weekend, and would use an AF Gulfstream to do it, because otherwise they would have to stop and refuel along the way. Restated, she essentially had a govt owned Gulfstream as one of the perks of being Speaker. Boehner and green Ryan didn’t live nearly as far away, and so didn’t require nearly as expensive a ride every week. I expect that she is just now discovering the disadvantages of picking a public fight with the guy who controls her top end ride. Of course, she and her husband could afford to charter that sort of plane, but then that wouldn’t show everyone that she controlled half of a coequal branch of government. Just not the coequal branch that owns all the planes.
He's pretty shrewd, this Donny. Wow. Waited until she was on the tarmac and only then sent her a letter.
Moi, I think she seriously cut off her shvance on this. So seriously, that the real risk of impeachment is to put the Dear Old Girl out to pasture. Her obvious lack of professionalism and her emotional paralysis has threatened the ability of the House to function simply because she has the vapors. At a certain point, the Institution of the House, as such, will have to move.
Simply put, she has to go.
You can bet the Young Turks smell blood and want her out of the way.
Buwaya wrote ".. like an Orthodox cathedral used by the Bolsheviks as a stable." This is a good example of irrational hatred that could be building here. The Union Army occupying Milledgeville, GA, vandalized the Episcopal church there by pouring molasses in the organ, breaking out all the stained glass windows, and using the sanctuary as a stable. It has happened before.
KABOOM!
"jaydub said...
There has to be a state of the union gathering if only to confirm to the nation that RBG is still looking at the green side of the grass."
Gateway Pundit just came out saying she has pneumonia. Broken ribs. Partial lung removal. Pneumonia makes sense. And if so adios.
The Democrats are not used to a Republican like this one.
As has been noted here before Trump is not really a Republican. Sure he ran like one, because like Bernie, he had to choose one of the two major parties in order to have a chance to win. He has embraced ideas from both parties on the past, donated to both and is now hated by both within The Establishment. But he’s not an idealogue and owes Republicans NOTHING after the way so many in our party treated him. This, in my opinion is why he is so different from all who came before. He has the common touch of Bubba Clinton, the instincts of Reagan and more backbone than any pol of any party I can recall.
Time to re evaluate Pelosi's cagey power play.
Think about it a minute. Part of the government is shutdown except for essential personnel, and the Democrats were headed out on a junket, at significant taxpayers’ expense using Air Force planes, bases, and personnel, instead of staying in town to work out a compromise that would allow the government to reopen. Was their travel essential? Of course not, but like when a bunch of them went to Hawaii, then a bunch went to Puerto Rico, this was just a way to take a paid holiday at government expense - while hundreds of thousands of federal employees are going without a paycheck. Pelosi and the Dems are going to have a very hard time winnng this fight. Very hard.
Pelosi response: The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines
So it was a PR trip. And you can get copies of the briefings sent to you in DC.
Note,
Trump only precluded her from using USAF VIP planes. She could still use House funds to charter or fly commercial and expense it to the Gov House travel budget.
Not sure of the legality or optics of using a Soros or Bezos jet. "gifts above xxx dollars, etc"
This is a potential shot across Pelosis' bow on her VIP Gulfstreams home each weekend. They could become unavailable...unscheduled maintenance at the last minute.. safety issues...
"The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines"
Hilarious. Can you imagine anyone in uniform giving a damn about the Speaker of the House?
Gillette has offered Pelosi their corporate jet. The pink one.
"rcocean said...
"The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines"
Hilarious. Can you imagine anyone in uniform giving a damn about the Speaker of the House?"
We'll have to wait for our resident dullard Inga to weigh in. Her daughter is in the Navy and therefore can speak for all 1.4 million people serving in the U.S. armed forces.
I believe Air Pelosi consisted of 3 757's because she insisted on a plane big enough for her to take her entire California caucus and selected staff back and forth with her, and that the plane be ready to fly whenever called for. So one ready to fly, one in maintenance, and one in reserve - it is the military way. This came to light and got media publicity so that she had to agree to just one plane and to give adequate advance notice for when it would be needed.
Adams is right.
Trump should host the SOTU somewhere else.
He should host it on Pelosi's lawn by using Marine One to ferry rally supporters over her wall.
Video and audio can be done with drones piped live through USAF communication satellites as a broadcast on people's smart-phones. Classify it as an "emergency" message.
& to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines
Wait. We're at war in Brussels and Egypt?
Dennis Hastert also used to fly home on weekends, but caught a lift with military planes going to the Midwest anyway, and they would drop him off and go on to wherever else they were going.
Quoting someone else: "Trump took away Nancy's car keys".
Nancy thinks the Constitution considers her equal to Trump.
Unfortunately for her, the Air Force doesn’t.
"The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines"
Really? Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan during the longest shutdown ever.
Seriously, wtf was Pelosi doing on this international trip during a shutdown?
Pelosi response: The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines
In Brussels?
After this, who expects the House to have We, The Taxpayer, fund their own planes?
Trump just canceled their secret Davos plans. They were all going to conspire with globalists and deep-staters regarding 2020.
I can't wait for the next episode. What Pelosi comes up with next is anyone's guess.
Revenge of the Sith
Adams is right again. Trump is the most entertaining and ballsy President in modern times. And he is doing it essentially on his own. The Dems and the rest of the left are exposed as hate filled and incompetent boobs. So pass the popcorn, Trump has already won this one. It's only a question of how much spin the MSM is willing to put on Nancys debacle.
And it should be repeated, often. The left really really hates not just Trump, but the rest of us too. Not disagrees with, but active and pure hate. That is all the left has now.
Damn this popcorn is making me lose my appetite for dinner!!!
Here's an Article about the bus with Pelosi and the Dems turning around.
Quite funny.
Gillette has offered Pelosi their corporate jet. The pink one.
Heh. The one where the price of the blades in the engines is more the price of the jet.
Being a male, at at times, not having got past my prepubescent behavior, the first thing that came to my mind was the great movie, Walking Tall. The scene where a Judge mocks Sheriff Bufford T Pusser for being ignorant of the law, and how the Judge will tell the Sheriff what to do. The next day, the Judge finds his office in the basement Mens room...because the Sheriff runs the courthouse and assigns offices.
Pelosi runs the House of Representatives and controls if the President is allowed to enter, or not. Sheriff Trump controls the Air Force, and who flys on Air Force planes, and Pelosi may never be on that list again.
Where does President Trump get the constitutional authority to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip? I thought she was head of a co-equal branch:
I could be wrong, but I'm not sure the House operates it's own Air Force. POTUS, on the other hand, is CINC of the DOD.
(eaglebeak)
ChickenLittle--Trump, as Commander-in-Chief, can cancel any military flight he wants to cancel--can cancel use of bases by wandering congressmen, etc.
The military answers to him.
And Nancy Pelosi is crazy if she thinks the Constitution regards her as equal to the President. The Constitution regards the Legislature as an equal branch, not her.
Also: He did't cancel her trip. She can fly commercial if she wishes, as he so helpfully pointed out in his letter. Try flying commercial to Kabul, Madam Speaker.
"I have trouble squaring this interaction with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work."
So Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy walk into this bar...
https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/national-party-news/350045-liberals-should-admit-tip-oneill-was-reagans-bitter
Pelosi's deputy chief of staff said this about the Brussels part of the trip:
The CODEL to Afghanistan included a required stop in Brussels for pilot rest. In Brussels, the delegation was scheduled to meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies–to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.
He also said that Egypt was not included in the trip.
Someone just asked what my reaction would be if Obama canceled a trip of Congressional Republicans like Trump did.
"Obama wouldn't have to. The press - pointing out the hypocrisy of an overseas trip during a government shutdown - would've done it for him.
Try to picture Jen Bush or Marco Rubio doing this.
I think several of you a missing chickenlittle's sarcasm.
A certain, regular, not-very-smart poster here thinks Pelosi is equal to Trump.
Ha. Jen should be Jeb.
I beginning to think there might be a difference between how business in done in the New York City and how business is done in the vineyards of Napa Valley.
CNN attempted to spin this:
1) Pelosis' mission was military related and top secret and now could cause a international crisis! What will our NATO allies think!
2) He's doing this to deflect from the the Mueller report. Because he's worried.
Definitely 2 movies going on....
The CODEL to Afghanistan included a required stop in Brussels for pilot rest. In Brussels, the delegation was scheduled to meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies–to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.
Fine. Do the trip after the shutdown is resolved.
Why is this so difficult to understand?
The Senate approves treaties and ambassador appointments. That's their constitutional input into foreign affairs.
The House has no constitutional function in foreign affairs.
Congresscritters and Senators shouldn't be traveling to any foreign country on the taxpayer's dime unless at the request of the President, who does conduct foreign affairs. If they want to travel on their own dime, fine. But they shouldn't be meeting with any foreign officials if they do.
Pelosi should fly commercial, share her coach with demos, and reduce her Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming footprint. Her oversize, novelty mallet will need to fly cargo.
As second in line to the presidency, the Speaker of the House is supposed to be allowed use of an Air Force jet for traveling. It was after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks that Bush 43 offered the Speaker of the House, second in the presidential line of succession, the security of military travel to and from his district. Then-Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) took advantage of the offer, and often took along his wife and members of his staff.
Records indicate that most often, Hastert and whoever was with him flew on a 12-seater Gulfstream III. Pelosi preferred to use a luxurious Gulfstream V as her Speaker Shuttle which was capable of flying to SFO or Travis AFB in California without refueling on the way.
The Code of Federal Regulations states that "...because the taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for your transportation, generally you may travel on Government aircraft only when a Government aircraft is the most cost-effective mode of travel."
But that matters not-at-all to Trump, who merely fumes when his own people avoid commercial flights - but his childishness blooms full force only when he plays house with Pelosi.
For example, Trump permitted his Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, whose fortune hovers just under $400 million, and his beautiful show wife to use a government plane to observe the last solar eclipse in Kentucky. The cost to taxpayers: $25,000 an hour, so that Mnuchin could have a "secure communications facility" for travel because, you know, he's constantly briefed on potential nuclear war.
Then there is Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, worth $13.6 million, who chartered five private jets and 26 flights for government and personal reasons costing taxpayers over $400,000 and the IG boo birds descended.
And who did not notice the EPA's Scott Pruitt, the goofiest secretary ever hired, whose apartment rental and Trump mattress scandals and first class flights were nothing compared to his travel to Africa with a staff of hundreds to do environmental protection work for and link us forever to the third world, I guess.
But now we know that Trump told Pelosi, "My dog's bigger than your dog, my dog's better than yours ..."
justice is looking through the blindfold,
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/prominent-global-law-firm-agrees-register-agent-foreign-principal
@gadfly - Pelosi isn't second in line. That would be Pence.
Oh Peeeeloooossseeeee! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....
I say stop all the junkets. Every stinking one till they come to the table and make a deal.
gadfly babbles:
As second in line to the presidency, the Speaker of the House is supposed to be allowed use of an Air Force jet for traveling.
As President of the United States, President Trump is supposed to be invited to the House to give the State of the Union Address.
Pelosi appears to be trying to revoke that.
Once you've taken away someone else's "should", you don't get to complain when they take away yours.
When HENRY VIII and ANNE Boleyn went on procession in their carriage emblazoned with the pair's new monogram, the crowds lining the streets chanted
HA! HA! HA!
That is just too thumping precious!
Pelosi isn't second in line. That would be Pence.
No, Pence is first in line (unless Trump has changed the constitution to make Ivanka or Jared first in line).
I think he and the GOP run for the border and give the speech there.
In the end, for all the theatrics and bluster, more Americans blame Trump for the government shutdown than blame the Democrats, and more Americans do not want a wall or think it is necessary than do.
As President of the United States, President Trump is supposed to be invited to the House to give the State of the Union Address.
That is a tradition, not an official policy or rule.
Ace o Spades has videos of the USAF bus bringing Adam Schitt back to the Capitol:
Ace
Gadfly spews 500 words ... none of which explain why this trip couldn't be made after the shutdown is resolved.
@FF - crap. My bad. Processing comprehension not firing on all cylinders. Thanks for the correction.
This is not a Democrat vs. Republican issue, but a Legislative branch vs. Executive branch issue.
The Legislative branch can pass a budget without the approval of the President. Yes, they have to override the veto, but they only need two thirds of the House and two thirds of the Senate.
This would require that Republicans and Democrats work together to generate a budget that two thirds of each chamber would vote for. I would note that in companies around the world, teams with differing views and politics manage to build consensus and move forward regularly. Congressional leaders should be able to work together to do the same.
The Democrats vs. Republicans is just theater to mask the fact that the Legislature is unwilling to do its job and fulfill its designated role.
The CODEL to Afghanistan included a required stop in Brussels for pilot rest. In Brussels, the delegation was scheduled to meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies–to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.
Video conference. Think of Global Warming.
Meet with them when the UN meets.
Her priority isn’t the shutdown.
Give the speech from the WH.
Ber Shipiro is an idiot.
"I don't get the logic of Trump denying Pelosi her trip. Why not just point out that her trip will require massive logistical support -- and that she'll get it -- and that she's obviously lying about SOTU?"
How did he ever get a reputation for being smart.
Maybe too young still to understand theater, irony and mockery for which the humor is that the other side won't notice it.
Robert Cook:
There is no way of knowing who Americans blame and what they want, and it doesn't really matter anyway. The next election is not until November 2020, and until then, immigration policy at the Federal level is not up for vote by American citizens.
Then there is the whole question of exactly what is meant by "The Wall". Most Americans seem to accept the presence of some portion of a wall, as presently there are walls on sections of the U.S./Mexico border. A continuous wall from the Pacific to the mouth of the Rio Grande is a horse of a different color. Where do Americans stand on $5 B worth of wall and associated security measures? Impossible to tell, and the answer will change tomorrow anyway
My only criticism is that Trump should have waited until all the Congressscum were settled into their seats on the plane before stopping the flight.
"In the end, for all the theatrics and bluster, more Americans blame Trump for the government shutdown than blame the Democrats,"
Possibly, though that would surely include people who *approve* of the shutdown - plenty of commenters here that do, including me - and what the media wants to call "blame" is actually "credit".
"and more Americans do not want a wall or think it is necessary than do."
I call massive flaming bullshit on that one.
Even better Greg P, the democrats will completely lose their shit in front of the entire world.
Talk about winning.
If Trump gives the SOTU speech outside of DC at some non-traditional forum, he should end it by playing, "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane."
"The Democrats vs. Republicans is just theater to mask the fact that the Legislature is unwilling to do its job and fulfill its designated role."
This is theater indeed, but the "intended roles" are irrelevant.
Everything here serves larger ends and entities.
The conflict here goes way beyond the simple mechanics of government.
Consider this a little window allowing a tiny glimpse of a raging war, where everything is at stake.
Americans stand for civil rights under The Constitution, which does not selectively discriminate by diversity, sex, girth, age, or citizenship. Also, emigration reform to mitigate the collateral damage from immigration reform at both ends of the bridge and throughout, and under a cloak of privacy behind legal and ethical impenetrable walls and ceilings. The Mediterranean can finish waterboarding the remains of men, women, and children from the last administration's adventures in global social justice.
It would take a heart of stone not to laugh.
Nancy doesn't understand what most of us deplorables know:
"Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."
Speaking of theatrics, wouldn't it have been great if Trump had joined the protesting Angel Moms outside of Pelosi's office the other day, as she hid inside and her spokesweasel lied by saying she wasn't there, chanting "Build the Wall! Build the Wall!"? Maybe then they would have gotten some press coverage.
Compare Pelosi + letter to Trump against Warren + DNA test ... Who is smarter?
> Ber Shipiro is an idiot.
"I don't get the logic of Trump denying Pelosi her trip."
At least he is honest :)
what difference does it make, right:
https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/17/sheila-jackson-lee-rape-lawsuit/
Why does Nancy need to fly anywhere on the tax payer dime?
Rich leftists should pay their own way.
We have all experienced more than two years of Trump and yet politicians - of all stripes - have yet to figure out that they can't out-troll him. Dummies.
Trump should repeat on simple sentence:
Nancy refuses to fund any border security because she is filled with hate.
No, Pence is first in line (unless Trump has changed the constitution to make Ivanka or Jared first in line).
Ha! Yet Trump keeps on nominating acclaimed originalist and textualist jurists (from lists he did not create) to the Supreme Court and to lesser courts. While it's quite understandable why leftists and Democrats don't like such people on the courts — such judges decline as a matter of principle to regard the Constitution as being infinitely malleable as the cultural dust-devils of the nonce would have it! But that also makes these particular judges and Justices fundamentally the very last people to accept some boob coming along and simply inserting novel new clauses into the Constitution.
Is Trump then simply stupid (from the leftist point of view!) to be doing this (nominating such judges)? Probably so!
Dear, RICH LEFTWING OVERLORDS.
PAY YOUR OWN DAMN WAY.
“The CODEL to Afghanistan included a required stop in Brussels for pilot rest. In Brussels, the delegation was scheduled to meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies–to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.”
They very likely could have stopped elsewhere. I greatly expect that the reason that they were stopping in Brussels was to meet with NATO, to essentially sand bag the President who recently publicly quested our role there and why we were covering most of the bill, when the avowed purpose of the organization is to protect Europe from a mostly now nonexistent threat. They were very likely attempting to engage in foreign policy, which the House has no legitimate role in. It is nowhere near their job to “meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies–to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance.” That alone should be grounds for Trump to refuse to provide them with free VIP travel. That isn’t fact finding, but engaging in foreign relations. Weren’t we hearing awhile back about Logan Act violations? In my mind, reassuring NATO counties about our commitment to the organization is probably much closer to a Logan Act violation than anything Trump did before being sworn in as President.
it does ring of chutzpah doesn't it,
https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/01/authorities-arrest-georgia-man-who-wanted-to-attack-the-white-house/
Let's not forget that this is not the first shutdown of the federal government due to Congress's inability or unwillingness to pass a budget.
There were shutdowns long before Trump ever became president.
Immigration policy has been a shambles since long before Trump became president as well.
All of this predated Trump by decades.
"with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work."
Those days be long gone.
Presidents use to put the SoTU in a letter. Trump should hand-scrawl it and then drop it off on Pelosi's desk with a simple "State of the Union is incredible!" all while scarfing down a Big Mac.
Overheard in Pelosi-land: "We need those AF flying perks in order to keep attracting the best and brightest to public service; they might otherwise be tempted by the private sector.
And: "We'll never build that immoral wall because it's unfair to our Mexican brethren; it hems them in."
Why does Nancy need to fly anywhere on the tax payer dime?
I believe she's had free rides home as Speaker. Don't know about as Minority Leader.
Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work
I don't think that happened very often. Reagan got fed up with Tip reneging on deals.
Reagan got fed up with Tip reneging on deals.
One of those deals was amnesty for a border wall.
and more Americans do not want a wall or think it is necessary than do."
Then they should walk their talk and remove their firewalls from their computers.
"As second in line to the presidency, the Speaker of the House is supposed to be allowed use of an Air Force jet for traveling."
That's right. It was added to the Constitution in 1787. Right after the section on solar panel installation on the White House roof.
I was going to observe that the shutdown likely wouldn't end until pigs fly,..., and then this.... I'm so sad.
Ace is reporting the Democrat Reps were aboard an Air Force bus enroute to the plane when they got word their junket was canceled. Bus turned back. Little Democrats said to be "furious".
LMAO.
Eat it Inga!
Humperdink said...
“Quoting someone else: ‘Trump took away Nancy's car keys’.”
“And we’ll have fun, fun, fun ’til her daddy takes the T-bird away.”
Not sure if was mentioned upthread, but one of the disgruntled passengers scheduled to fly on Pinko Force One was Adam Schiff. Makes it even better.
And to think I didn't vote for him. Sigh.
With leading Democrats partying in Puerto Rico and now Nancy Pelosi wanting to take another batch to Afghanistan to "meet the troops," I do not see how the Democrats can keep up their mantra about the "shutdown crisis" that must be immediately resolved to keep the poor government employees from bankruptcy and starvation.
Obviously a dispute between Congress and the Executive cannot be "negotiated" if most of the Democrat leadership are off to the four corners of the world junketeering!
Speaking of troubles brewing for Pelosi: have you seen the pictures of her on TheDailyMailonline? It looks like the photographers have taken the smudging filters off their lenses and/or there has been some magic done in the studio lab!
"I have trouble squaring this interaction with Reagan and Tip O''Neil swapping stories and sharing drinks after work."
As people said, it's a big lie. O'Neil was a backbiter who would drink with you then stab you in the back. And did. I heard lots of stories from people that worked with Reagan and Tip never stopped trying to undermine the Reagan Administration--in big matters and small. Tip screwed you with a smile on his face, though. If that makes you feel better.
Pretty amazing that the Democrats aren't even trying to pretend to negotiate, and keep flying around on fancy trips. However, when the press is willing to cover for you, things are much easier.
I forget who implied it above but it’s obvious that Trump has decided to cut Pelosi down to size and to give the insane Occasional Cortex the limelight. By 2020 the American public will be stunned by the insanity of the Democrat Party.
Oh yes he enabled the bomiors and Jim wrigjts who where pro sandinista
https://donsurber.blogspot.com/2019/01/kim-wants-peace-ahead-of-trump-summit.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR1IMsie1OChEZyLQsY6UwjP-ep0Z7pE0n4T0BIK3XuffFK6QsO3wcR9Xxs&m=1
Ber Shipiro is an idiot: "I don't get the logic of Trump denying Pelosi her trip"
Yup. I like him, he's worth saving, but he somehow thinks Democrats can be publicly shamed into behaving.
Please.
Anyone who has witnessed an ounce of shame or embarrassment from Inga, Chuck, et al over the last decade here at Althouse, step forward and tell your tale...
(chirp)
(chirp)
(Cue moon)
(awoooo!)
(Cue sun)
(chirp)
(Cue Lawn Boy) Brrreermmm!
>>As second in line to the presidency, the Speaker of the House is supposed to be allowed use of an Air Force jet for traveling."
C'mon, Gadzooks... "supposed to" according to who??? It's certainly not a law.
And how far down the list do we grant free use of USAF jets?
Down to Sec of State? Attorney General? Secretary of Agriculture? They are all in the line of succession...
And House Speaker is not 2nd in line. That would be the Vice President.
Look it up. VP is 1st in line of succession. Speaker is 2nd.
Lydia said...
Pelosi's deputy chief of staff said this about the Brussels part of the trip:
complete BS
1. Those USAF VIP planes can carry 2 crews like AF1
2. Note, Trump went to Iraq and back in 24 hours. This was a 7 day trip. You think they were gonna be on the ground in A-Stan for 5 days as a target? Nancy isn't that stupid and is not looking for her "snipers on the runway" story
3. any USAF planned crew stop would have been at Ramstein or Frankfurt, which are US bases...
7 days for a hop to A-stan and back? complete BS
Sheesh, you Trump Cultists sure have a bad case of Pelosi Derangement Syndrome.
Unless you consider POTUS to be 1st in line of succession in the event he can no longer be president. But that makes no sense.
Via Insty:
In the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Thursday, President Donald Trump may have suffered some among Republicans overall, but he saw a huge point gain in a different demographic breakdown, and an unexpected one by conventional wisdom. In early December, the poll had Trump’s approval rating among Latino adults at 31%. The results from the poll released Thursday show the president’s job approval among Latino adults at 50%. That is an astonishing 19 point swing. Prior results had less variance, with Latino approval numbers at 36% in their November 1st findings. It was 27% in the pollster’s mid-October survey. The January poll was conducted during the government shutdown over border wall funding, most notably. So the big swing among Latinos was while Trump and Democrats faced off over funding for the wall.”
Pelosi’s been around for decades.
Did you know that, Inga?
Has nothing to do with a Trump.
To increase pressure on Trump, Democrats have been urging Air Traffic Controllers and TSA to stay home, a move which could cancel all flights for ordinary Americans.
So pardon me if I laugh at Peolsi plotzing over this.
"Speaker of the House is supposed to be allowed use of an Air Force jet for traveling."
And nominees to the Supreme Court of the United States are supposed to be afforded a certain amount of dignity and respect. So Nancy can take what she thinks she is "supposed" to get and shove it up her bony ass. Since she intends to "impeach the mother f-cker" anyway.
PATCO!
We come to our contempt, for Pelosi, with great awareness, ironic she and Schumer is his great adversary.
Inga: "Sheesh, you Trump Cultists sure -"
Oh shut up, you putrid fetid hag.
It’s like Pelosi isn’t a known quantity.
“Pelosi’s been around for decades.
Did you know that, Inga?
Has nothing to do with a Trump.”
Yes and you Trump Cultists have had Pelosi Derangement Syndrome even before you were Trump Cultists.
“Oh shut up, you putrid fetid hag.”
Make me, you little pussy.
Chanie said...
Adams is on point yet again. Imagine Trump giving the state of the Union at the Toyota Center. He can set up chairs for Congress on the floor and invite them all to attend and fill the stadium with supporters. The Dems won't show up. Imagine the SOTU, standing ovations from the public, while DJT points at 300 empty chairs and asks when are they going to get back to the work of reopening our government and securing the border?
And instead of asking the networks for air time to broadcast it, pay out of his own pocket to set up whatever network resources are necessary to livestream it free for anyone who wants to watch and don't allow any special accommodations for the press. Then deliver it at 8:00 pm eastern on February 24th and enjoy knowing that he's destroying what's left of the Oscars ratings.
Inga said: "Sheesh, you Trump Cultists sure have a bad case of Pelosi Derangement Syndrome."
Nope, we are mocking Ms. Pelosi, unlike you who mocks people with autism.
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