Trump's 7 point Drain the Swamp Plan & 100 Day Agenda

[Moiraine]

I continue to be conflicted on whether the decent people should stay in these jobs to protect us or quit loudly.

 

I think I lean toward them staying and documenting everything they can.

[Kiyoat Husker]

I continue to be conflicted on whether the decent people should stay in these jobs to protect us or quit loudly.

 

I think I lean toward them staying and documenting everything they can.

I agree. If there is one saving grace to all this Trump insanity it is his sloppiness. Someone, or hopefully multiple people are collecting data for an impeachment.

 

Hopefully at the end of the day Trump will prove to be an object lesson in the dangers of placing too much power in the executive branch.

[Nebfanatic]

And yet all of my Facebook friends swear he is the best president and anyone critical of him is just being harsh and should leave the country if they don't like it. The liberal media attacks are just unfair. It's like they are brainwashed.

[commando]

And yet all of my Facebook friends swear he is the best president and anyone critical of him is just being harsh and should leave the country if they don't like it. The liberal media attacks are just unfair. It's like they are brainwashed.

it's not "like they are brainwashed"....they ARE brainwashed

[Danny Bateman]

[Nebfanatic]

How is that in any way acceptable?? Why do people defend this?

[Fru]

How is that in any way acceptable?? Why do people defend this?

 

Because he has an R by his name and he said the brown guy was from Kenya.

[Kiyoat Husker]

edit: waited too long to reference an older post

[Nebfanatic]

 

 

How is that in any way acceptable?? Why do people defend this?

Because he has an R by his name and he said the brown guy was from Kenya.

I know you're right but at this point that should not be an excuse.

[Danny Bateman]

I enjoy bumping this thread with updates about how Trump is the least transparent, most unethical and conflicted president of my lifetime. Quite a stark contrast to those who earnestly believed he'd "drain the swamp."

 

A group of ethics orgs sued and won the release of the Mar A Lago visitor logs.

 

 

[TGHusker]

Here are some ideas to drain the swamp independent of what Trump does or doesn't do. :

1. Use modern technology and keep congressmen closer to the citizens and away from the lobbyists. Instead of having Congress meet in DC all of the time, use modern technology had have most of your meetings and votes via internet linkage - use some secure version of 'go to meeting', skype, etc and etc. Fund the congressman to office locally where his rent is cheaper and the lobbyists are fewer and the people of his state have access. Do most of the heavy lifting from remote offices and go to DC only for final votes on important matters and other special events.

2. Term limits

3. Get money out of politics - broad statement I know but when it costs a billion $ss to fund a presidential campaign, and 10s of millions for congressional and senate campaigns - something is wrong wt the system

4. Ban anyone in Federal govt (congress, administration, staff) from lobbying congress

5. Stop the gerrymandering

6. A 6 year presidential term: Yea, not so good this time around but in most cases the 7&8th year of an 8 year president become pretty lame duck. 4 years isn't enough time to get everything a good president needs to get through the system and 8 years starts to feel a bit long.

7. A 20 year SC term. Long enough time to withstand the political changes in the WH and Congress.

8. Reduce the size of Dept of Ed, HUD, HHS - most of these functions are best done at the state level closer to the place of need. I didn't say do away wt those agencies as they all have vital roles to play. The federal agency can provide funding for the state operations, overall guidance and policy but allow for flexible state implementation instead of micro managed federal implementation.

9. No children, family members as advisors, special counselors, etc

10. Full disclosure of personal financial arrangements prior to taking office to avoid conflicts of interest. No renting your hotel to the govt. Competitive bidding on everything.

 

You may have other ideas. If so, add to the list.

[TGHusker]

Speaking of Swamp: The outgoing ethics chief believes Trump is making his own kind of swamp.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/outgoing-federal-ethics-chief-pretty-close-laughingstock-point-133538320.html

 

Some quotes from the article:

 

The federal government’s top ethics chief is resigning on Wednesday. And he’s torching the Trump administration on his way out.

Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, told the New York Times that President Trump’s apparent disdain for long-established ethical norms has undermined the credibility of the United States around the world.

“It’s hard for the United States to pursue international anticorruption and ethics initiatives when we’re not even keeping our own side of the street clean,” Shaub told the Times in an article published Monday. “I think we are pretty close to a laughingstock at this point.”

Shaub — who has been a vocal critic of Trump’s since his election — said the president’s frequent trips to his family-owned golf clubs are a microcosm of just how blurry the line between the White House and Trump brand has become.

“It creates the appearance of profiting from the presidency,” Shaub said. “Misuse of position is really the heart of the ethics program, and the internationally accepted definition of corruption is abuse of entrusted power. It undermines the government ethics program by casting doubt on the integrity of government decision making.”

Trump spent last weekend at another one of his golf courses, and repeatedly promoted the U.S. Women’s Open Championship held there.

Shaub is calling for numerous changes to expand the power of the ethics office. He believes that the agency should have clear ethics oversight authority over all parts of the White House, limited subpoena authority and new conflict of interest standards for the president. (Shaub also wants Congress to pass legislation requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns, which Trump has refused to do.)

Before leaving office, Shaub is expected to meet with Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., to discuss those proposed reforms.

In a statement, Cummings said he is receptive to taking steps to strengthen the ethics office.

“The Office of Government Ethics has an impossible job under this administration because President Trump has ignored its advice, undermined its authority and openly flouted ethics rules,” Cummings said. “Now more than ever, it is important for Congress to act to strengthen OGE and protect its independence.”

[BigRedBuster]

Yeah.....what the hell would he know about any of that stuff?

[NM11046]

Thing is none of this matters if there aren't ramifications. We've assumed (because of years past) that our president will always act in the best interest of the office and of this country. That he will care what the public and what the world thinks of his administration because it has the potential to hurt the US's standing.

 

There is nothing that will get this many to change unless there is prison time or monetary ramifications. Period.

[BigRedBuster]

I'm still wondering how the position will be refilled.