Thursday Open Thread | Trump made up an African country while speaking to African leaders

Posted on September 21, 2017 by SouthernGirl2

God help me….I can’t stand this man.

Not only did Trump make up a country in Africa, he thought it was a good idea to tell them “So many” of my friends are going to Africa “to get rich”.

WHAT? He has no common sense. After white men have robbed Africa of precious jewels, minerals & PEOPLE, did he think that made them feel good? It’s absolutely mind numbing. I didn’t think I could despise Trump more, but I do. Intensely.

About SouthernGirl2

A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
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78 Responses to Thursday Open Thread | Trump made up an African country while speaking to African leaders

  5. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    If you have a healthcare story, please tweet it to the hashtag.

    https://twitter.com/RedTRaccoon/status/910919437661954048

    Reply
  8. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    THIS is the story and needs to be shared far and wide.

    https://twitter.com/AHamiltonSpirit/status/910565614166700033

    Reply
  22. Liza says:
    September 21, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Check out Michelle Obama’s cover photo on Twitter (Bo and Sunny).

    https://twitter.com/MichelleObama

    Reply
  24. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 21, 2017 at 2:46 pm

    Mark Zuckerberg full of ISH. He was greedy. He wanted that money from the Russians and didn’t give a FUCK.

    https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/910950399812755456

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    From the Economic Policy Institute:

    Cassidy-Graham is a horribly destructive bill. It is a ticking time bomb that will end up repealing the ACA with no viable replacement. It’s worse than even the terrible pre-ACA status quo, with Medicaid cuts falling on the backs of the poorest American families. It is structured explicitly to juke a CBO score, putting off its most savage cuts until 2027. Since they cannot start the huge Medicaid cuts right away (again, juking the CBO score means they need to wait 10 years), the architects of Graham-Cassidy put in provisions to make the next 10 years a completely partisan redistribution of shrinking federal government funding from blue to red states.

    “Graham-Cassidy: Maybe the worst Republican health proposal yet”

    http://www.epi.org/blog/graham-cassidy-maybe-the-worst-republican-health-proposal-yet/

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    The Sponsors Of Obamacare Repeal Are Trying To Fool America — And Fellow Republicans
    Here’s what they’re not telling you, or their colleagues, about the bill.
    By Jonathan Cohn

    ………………………………………………………

    The bottom line is that the Graham-Cassidy bill is like every other repeal proposal that’s come before Congress this year. It would mean millions more people struggling to get care or being exposed to financial hardship. And it’d most certainly hit some Republican-leaning states hard.

    What Graham-Cassidy would actually do

    Graham and Cassidy are telling the truth when they say their proposal turns control of the Affordable Care Act to the states. Specifically, they would transform the program into a “block grant,” giving states enormous leeway over how to spend the money that, in today’s system, goes to finance expanded Medicaid programs and subsidized private insurance.

    But the proposal actually does a great deal more than simply give states more control over how to spend dollars now going to health care. It also gives them less of that money to spend.

    On the whole, the block grant would be smaller than what states would receive if the Affordable Care Act remains in place. That is very much by design, because Graham and Cassidy want to reduce federal spending. But the cut would be substantial ― to the tune of $239 billion over the first 10 years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which so far is the only independent organization to conduct this kind of analysis.

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Trump isn’t the only one fibbing about the GOP’s health care plan
    09/21/17 12:45 PM—UPDATED 09/21/17 12:49 PM
    By Steve Benen

    Donald Trump declared via Twitter last night, “I would not sign Graham-Cassidy if it did not include coverage of pre-existing conditions. It does!”

    It doesn’t! It’s probably unrealistic to think the president has spent a meaningful amount of time scrutinizing the details of the legislation he’s eager to sign, but Trump’s assurance is plainly untrue. In fact, there’s no real ambiguity here: the Affordable Care Act guarantees protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, and the GOP’s Graham-Cassidy plan eliminates that guarantee.

    Of course, the president trying to deceive the public about policies he doesn’t understand is, alas, a common occurrence. What’s worth appreciating, however, is that Trump isn’t the only one selling the Republican plan with bogus claims. Yesterday, for example, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), one of the principal architects of the GOP legislation, said under his plan “more people will have coverage” than under the Affordable Care Act. Is that true? The Washington Post took a closer look:

    Cassidy has provided little evidence to support his claim of more coverage, except that innovation would flourish and help bring down costs and expand coverage. That’s certainly possible, but it would be more plausible if his proposal did not slash funding to such an extent.

    Kimmel’s claim that 30 million fewer Americans will have insurance may be a high-end estimate. But already, in 2019, CBO calculations suggest at least 15 million fewer Americans would have insurance once the individual and employer mandates are repealed. Much of that decline might be by choice, but Cassidy insists the gap will be filled and then exceeded in 10 years. Unlike Cassidy, no prominent health-care analyst is willing to venture a guess on coverage levels – but the consensus is that his funding formula makes his claim all but impossible to achieve.

    Vox added that there is “literally no analysis” to bolster Cassidy’s claim. (The Congressional Budget Office could provide lawmakers with a more detailed analysis, but Senate Republicans aren’t prepared to wait until the full CBO score is ready.)

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    This Akron Beacon Journal editorial is 🔥🔥🔥.@senrobportman has no biz voting for G-C. It would be awful for Ohio.https://t.co/TpJbN6jkg3 pic.twitter.com/wc5LgBa61y
    — Chad Bolt (@chadderr) September 21, 2017

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    Potential cost increases by state:
    – AK: $31,790
    – AZ: $22,074
    – ME: $16,437
    – WV: $18,462
    That’s simply unaffordable. https://t.co/4PG57017Vr
    — AARP Advocates (@AARPadvocates) September 21, 2017

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    It’s this sop to White Mediocrity that bothers me most about Dolt45.

    There are people that go to school to learn about Agriculture and it’s issues. It’s not my thing, but these folks study it. They learn about it. They’re interested in it, and, genuinely, chose, as their life’s work, to help the American Farmer.

    THEY don’t get jobs, but these ‘ all you gotta be is White’ muthaphuckas do?

    ……………………..

    Trump hires campaign workers instead of farm experts at USDA
    Truck driver, landscaper among political appointees at agency headquarters.
    By JENNY HOPKINSON 09/21/2017 05:09 AM EDT

    President Donald Trump’s appointees to jobs at Agriculture Department headquarters include a long-haul truck driver, a country club cabana attendant and the owner of a scented-candle company.

    A POLITICO review of dozens of résumés from political appointees to USDA shows the agency has been stocked with Trump campaign staff and volunteers who in many cases demonstrated little to no experience with federal policy, let alone deep roots in agriculture. But of the 42 résumés POLITICO reviewed, 22 cited Trump campaign experience. And based on their résumés, some of those appointees appear to lack credentials, such as a college degree, required to qualify for higher government salaries.

    It’s typical for presidents to reward loyalists with jobs once a campaign is over. But what’s different under Trump, sources familiar with the department’s inner workings say, is the number of campaign staffers who have gotten positions and the jobs and salaries they have been hired for, despite not having solid agricultural credentials in certain cases. An inexperienced staff can lead to mistakes and sidetrack a president’s agenda, the sources say.

    “There is a clear prioritization of one attribute, and that is loyalty,” said Austin Evers, American Oversight’s executive director, who provided the documents after his organization received them in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. He said the group sought résumés for Trump administration political appointees from across the federal government and found an abundance of former campaign workers in positions that did not appear to match their qualifications. “The theme that emerges is pretty clear: What do you have to do to get an administration job? Work on the campaign,” he added.

    ………………………………………..

    The truck driver, Nick Brusky, was hired this year at USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service — an agency tasked with developing overseas markets for U.S. agricultural trade goods — at one of the highest levels on the federal government’s pay scale, a GS-12, earning $79,720 annually. Though that pay grade requires a master’s degree or equivalent experience, it’s not clear from Brusky’s résumé whether he’s a college graduate. The document lists coursework in business management and political science at three universities from 2000 to 2013, but does not specify a graduation date.

    …………………………

    Another example: Christopher O’Hagan, an appointee as a confidential assistant at the Agricultural Marketing Service, which helps producers of food, fiber and specialty crop growers market their goods. O’Hagan graduated in 2016 from the University of Scranton with a major in history and a minor in economics. But his résumé lists only one example of work experience prior to joining the Trump campaign in January 2016 — employment as a cabana attendant at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, while in school.

    ……………………………………

    Brusky, O’Hagan and Page are three of 10 confidential assistants whose résumés were among those obtained by American Oversight, along with the résumés of some career staff who are acting in leadership roles. All but one of the 10 touted their work to get the president elected, and most do not have agricultural experience. All of the appointees with this title are ranked as GS-11, GS-12 or GS-13, positions with annual salaries ranging from $60,210 to $85,816 at Step 1 of each grade. Two of the 10 didn’t list college degrees on their résumés, despite guidelines that call for anyone at GS-7 or higher to have completed a four-year degree.

    Further, none of the confidential assistants indicated they had earned a master’s. Employees at the GS-9 level or higher are required by Office of Personnel Management guidelines to have obtained that level of education or equivalent experience.

    Reply
  36. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:55 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 9/20/17
    Manafort now working with Kurds against US policy in Iraq
    Ken Vogel, reporter for the New York Times, talks with Rachel Maddow about his reporting that former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is now working to promote the Kurdish independence referendum in contradiction of U.S. policy in Iraq.

    Reply
  37. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:54 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 9/20/17
    Trump campaign Kremlin connection seen in Manafort e-mails: WaPo
    Carol Leonnig, staff writer for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about new reporting on how Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort talked with a Putin-connected Russian oligarch about how to capitalize on his campaign position.

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:53 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 9/20/17
    Following the path from Manafort to Mueller’s investigation
    Rachel Maddow shows how a small story about an obscure change in the Republican Party platform was the first indication of a bigger story that will lead to a full blown federal investigation and Robert Mueller asking the White House for 13 kinds of documents.

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:51 am

    Facing new allegations, Price’s track record does him no favors
    09/21/17 11:20 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s private-jet travel is tough to defend. After initially refusing comment, the far-right cabinet’s secretary spokesperson said yesterday Price’s chartered flights were necessary to accommodate his “incredibly demanding schedule,” but given the circumstances, it’s a tough sell.

    And as Politico noted, congressional Democrats clearly aren’t buying it.

    House and Senate Democrats on Wednesday formally requested that the HHS inspector general investigate HHS Secretary Tom Price’s use of private planes for government business.

    Five Democrats asked the inspector general to review Price’s adherence to federal regulations on traveling by government employees, following a POLITICO investigation that found Price used charter planes to conduct official business within the United States. The request — sent by Reps. Frank Pallone and Richard Neal and Sens. Patty Murray, Ron Wyden and Gary Peters — asks the office to probe how many times Price used government or charter aircraft, the costs of the trips and whether HHS personnel raised internal concerns about Price’s use of private planes.

    …………………………………..

    As regular readers may recall, in late January, there were some striking reports published about the far-right Georgia Republican and his controversial investment record. The Wall Street Journal reported, for example, that Price “traded more than $300,000 in shares of health-related companies over the past four years while sponsoring and advocating legislation that potentially could affect those companies’ stocks.”

    Kaiser Health New added soon after that Price got “a sweetheart deal” on an investment opportunity from a foreign biotech firm. CNN then reported that the congressman bought stock in a medical company, introduced legislation that would benefit that company, and then received a campaign contribution from the company’s PAC.

    Reply
  40. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:41 am

    One of Trump’s most radical judicial nominees in the spotlight
    09/21/17 10:44 AM
    By Steve Benen
    Eight months into the Trump era, it may be tempting to believe the Republican president and Republican Congress have, at least for now, failed to change the country’s direction. But it’s important not to forget the federal judiciary.

    Shortly before lawmakers left for their summer break, for example, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was asked about his party’s challenges advancing its agenda. He replied, “We have a new Supreme Court justice.” McConnell had a point: while legislative setbacks matter, GOP officials are moving the courts to the right.

    And that won’t change anytime soon. CNN yesterday put the spotlight on one of Donald Trump’s most radical judicial nominees.

    In a pair of 2015 speeches, President Donald Trump’s nominee for a federal judgeship in Texas described transgender children as evidence of “Satan’s plan,” lamented that states were banning conversion therapy and argued that sanctioning same-sex marriage would lead to polygamy and bestiality.

    Jeff Mateer, the current first assistant attorney general of Texas, was serving at the time as general counsel of the First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty advocacy group known before 2016 as the Liberty Institute. He faced criticism from LGBT rights groups for his work with the organization, such as opposing the expansion of nondiscrimination protections to LGBT people in the city of Plano.

    And as startling as the CNN report is, it’s really just the start. Right Wing Watch published a piece yesterday taking a closer look at the judicial nominee’s radical background, which seems like it should be disqualifying for the judiciary.

    In case this isn’t obvious, keep in mind that if Jeff Mateer is confirmed by the Senate Republican majority, it’s a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. In other words, barring impeachment, he’d be a federal judge for as long as he wants to be one.

    Reply
  41. vitaminlover says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:28 am

    Spot on, Southern!

    Reply
  42. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:24 am

    The case for the Republican health care repeal plan unravels
    09/21/17 10:05 AM
    By Steve Benen

    As this week’s developments have made clear, Republicans can’t offer a coherent explanation for why they’re scrambling to pass a regressive health care plan. Many GOP officials have no idea what it’s in the Graham-Cassidy plan they intend to vote for, or what it would do to the system and the public.

    But when asked to defend their intentions, Republican lawmakers can’t just offer a blank stare. In fact, over the last few days, the GOP pitch has basically been reduced to five talking points, each of which are spectacularly unpersuasive.

    1. Republicans have to keep a promise.
    Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said yesterday, “I could maybe give you 10 reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered. But Republicans campaigned on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign. That’s pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill.”

    That’s absurd. For one thing, it’s ridiculous to think a vague campaign promise is as important, if not more so, than the real-world effects of overhauling the nation’s health care system. For another, if Republicans “have a responsibility to carry out what [they] said in the campaign,” they’d also be extending coverage to everyone, shielding Medicaid beneficiaries from cuts, and guaranteeing protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. Instead, GOP officials appear desperate to break those promises without explanation.

    2. The clock is ticking.

    Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said on Tuesday night, “We have a Sept. 30 deadline on our promise. Let’s finish the job.”

    Um, no. As New York’s Jon Chait responded, “Can you imagine being accused on national television of sponsoring a law that would hurt millions of people, and lying about its effects, and your response is “We have a deadline”? They are rushing to enact massive, permanent changes to the health-care system because of a legislative deadline? What if you said a used car was dangerously unsafe and lacked any of the promised features, and the salesman’s response was to tell you it’s the end of the month and he has a sales quota to meet?”

    Reply
  44. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 10:15 am

    There’s no way to talk accurately about the viability of Medicaid block grants wout factoring in the effect a of $1.5T tax cut. One big game
    — Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) September 21, 2017

    Reply
  46. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:54 am

    🚨@BillCassidy is all over TV grossly misrepresenting impacts of #GrahamCassidy
    We made a myth/fact table debunking him
    Pls share widely pic.twitter.com/Z8qtgMriv2
    — igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) September 20, 2017

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:52 am

    The FBI says as many as 39 states had their voting systems scanned or targeted by Russia. https://t.co/YG7EuCRhrB
    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 21, 2017

    Reply
  49. Liza says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:38 am

    Tom Farr has devoted his career to racialized voter suppression. To make him a federal judge would be to erect a living monument to racism.— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) September 21, 2017

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Reply
  50. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Some humor for this morning.

    https://youtu.be/4eKcEdfXYpM

    Reply
  51. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:21 am

    In Russia scandal, Trump’s actions are under Mueller’s microscope
    09/21/17 08:00 AM
    By Steve Benen

    There was a point in the not-too-distant past at which the Russia scandal focused on events that unfolded during the 2016 election cycle. As Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation moves forward, it’s increasingly obvious that the probe’s focus includes examining all kinds of things Donald Trump has done since taking office.

    As Rachel explained on last night’s show, reporting from the New York Times and the Washington Post has moved the ball forward significantly, just over the last 12 hours.

    The special counsel investigating Russian election meddling has requested extensive records and email correspondence from the White House, covering areas including the president’s private discussions about firing his FBI director and his response to news that the then-national security adviser was under investigation, according to two people briefed on the requests.

    White House lawyers are now working to turn over internal documents that span 13 categories that investigators for the special counsel have identified as critical to their probe, the people said.

    Reply
  53. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Trump praises health care system in non-existent African country
    09/21/17 09:20 AM—UPDATED 09/21/17 09:36 AM
    By Steve Benen
    Donald Trump attended a United Nations luncheon with African leaders yesterday, and reading from a prepared text, he offered praise for health care progress in some of the continent’s countries.

    “We cannot have prosperity if we’re not healthy,” the American president said. “We will continue our partnership on critical health initiatives. Uganda has made incredible strides in the battle against HIV/AIDS. In Guinea and Nigeria, you fought a horrifying Ebola outbreak. Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient.”

    That, of course, struck many as odd, since there is no such country as Nambia. There’s a Zambia, a Gambia, and a Namibia, but no Nambia. (The official White House transcript suggests he was going for Namibia.)

    Reply
  54. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 8:59 am

    Entire health care industry fights to kill Republican repeal bill
    09/21/17 08:40 AM
    By Steve Benen
    There was a line in a Politico article yesterday that I read twice, because it was such a striking detail about the state of the health care fight: “To date, not one major health care industry or advocacy group has expressed support for the Graham-Cassidy plan.”

    That’s not an exaggeration and it’s no small development. Next week, the Senate is poised to vote on overhauling the American health care system, and at this point, the bill’s Republican supporters have managed to persuade no one but themselves. Medical professionals hate the Graham-Cassidy plan, as do hospital administrators and every major patient-advocacy organization in the country. To a very real extent, GOP lawmakers are going up against literally everyone who has a stake in the American health care industry.

    And that includes insurance companies.

    The health insurance industry, after cautiously watching Republican health care efforts for months, came out forcefully on Wednesday against the Senate’s latest bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, suggesting that its state-by-state block grants could create health care chaos in the short term and a Balkanized, uncertain insurance market. […]

    The two major trade groups for insurers, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans, announced their opposition on Wednesday to the Graham-Cassidy bill. They joined other groups fighting the bill, such as the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, AARP and the lobbying arm of the American Cancer Society.

    Reply
  59. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 8:06 am

    “Trillion dollar loophole” in the Graham Cassidy bill that nobody is talking about yet (except this conservative website). Price can change the block grant formula any fricken way he wants.

    “…In other words, if the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) doesn’t like the funding formula, he can change it however he likes. That’s a trillion-dollar loophole that leaves HHS bureaucrats with the ultimate say over how much money states will receive.

    How Graham-Cassidy’s Funding Formula Gives Washington Unprecedented Power

    Which states will end up the proverbial winners and losers under the Graham-Cassidy bill? The answer is simple: Nope.

    http://thefederalist.com/2017/09/20/graham-cassidys-funding-formula-gives-washington-unprecedented-power/

    Reply
  60. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 8:04 am

    David 🍁Canadian Anchor Baby🍁 Koch says:
    September 19, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    So I decided to call McCain’s office regarding ACA

    What the hell: though I’m not an AZ resident, I have a relative who is.

    Phoenix – (602) 952-2410

    Tucson – (520) 670-6334

    WashingtonDC (202) 224-2235 – press #1

    The DC has voice mail, at first the automated message suggests using email, but if you hang on it will connect you to voicemail.

    I asked him not to vote for bill that has no bipartisan support, nor a bill that only has 50 votes, nor a bill that tampers with pre-existing conditions, nor a bill that tampers with medicaid.

    Reply
  61. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 8:03 am

    Just called Lisa Murkowski’s office & was told they WELCOME calls from those outside the state.
    Please call! 202.224.6665 #GrahamCassidy
    — ❄️Mama Snowflake❄️ (@northeast_mama) September 18, 2017

    Reply
  62. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 7:58 am

    Kay says:
    September 20, 2017 at 12:03 pm
    I take a little different approach. I name-drop the local hospital and mention it is the single largest employer in the county- which it is. It’s fudged a bit- they’re the largest but they have lots of 30 hour people, but still. True.

    They’re paranoid about rural hospitals – all of them. I feel it’s a vulnerability for the GOP that screams to be exploited :)

    ………………………………………………………..
    If you have a big provider or best yet, a SINGLE provider, mention that. A lot of people work there. It would be a real body blow to a lot of these places if people had to travel 30, 40, 50 miles for health care, especially elderly people.

    Reply
  63. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 7:57 am

    I will be reposting helpful hints about calling.

    Reply
  64. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 7:57 am

    As always, please continue to call about Trumpcare.
    Sen @BillCassidy called our reading of his health care bill on pre-existing conditions false. Here’s how we read it: https://t.co/6vkONctK7B https://t.co/sA4wAEXvh3— NPR (@NPR) September 20, 2017

    Reply
  65. rikyrah says:
    September 21, 2017 at 5:29 am

    Good Morning, Everyone 😐😐😐

    Reply
  66. nedhamson says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:55 am

    And one of his best friends is from Moldrovia… so that proves he has his heart in his pants? If this was a movie, people would be asking for their money back.

    Reply
  69. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 21, 2017 at 12:29 am

    Good morning, everyone!

    Reply

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