Don't get me wrong here, But I LIKE Donald Trump.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Aus seems to have had some form of systemic corruption for as long as I can remember, however, it has clearly increased in the last few years. Not unexpected given the bozos that have been in power (and that includes Howard, Abbott, Turnbull, and of course, the quintesstially corrupt (IMHO), ScoMo. But, let's not forget, Joh, Kennett, Kirner (who seemed to kow-tow to unions), the Andrews government is in the spotliight at the moment, and someone hitherto I didn't know about, Sir Thomas Bent - a surname surely appropriate, I guess: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-lessons-how-successful-victorias-most-corrupt-stephen-ratcliffe/

 

But this comes down to, I think culture. We seem to tolerate it, and almost expect it. An American friend of mine has often said it is the brown paper bags with paper in them that is the machinations of progress. It may well be the case.. but not really.

 

But those that are corrupt are not necessarily the smartest. I have paid a bribe.. I was pulled over in teh Czech Republic for going down a street I shouldn't have.. I tially missed the sign... do the time,, pay the crime. Still have my Vic license.. and they lit up.. "Normally, you will have to go to court at it will be a 300 USD fine.. If you pay now, it will only be 150USD". As it turned out, I had $30USD, and opened my wallet and said that was all I had, but could top up with Koruna, which I said I am sure would be accepted by a judge in court. He moaned a bit, took the $30, and left, what he didn't realised was about £150 (at the tome, about $USD 210) worth of Koruna behind.. As I walked back to the car, I said to my partner (we were just courting then), "Well, I thin I just paid a bribe - bloody idiots could have have 7 times what I game them".

 

Today, I sadly read that there is about $8bn/year in rorting Medicare. Which is a great shame.

[nomadpete]

A wise drunk once told me....

 

"Idealism ends at the hip pocket"

 

Many a true word comes from the mouths of small children and drunks.

 

Further, I think that when you have petty politicians in control, and megarich lobby groups quietly in the wings, temptation wins out.

[red750]

Washington Examiner:

 

A new court filing suggests new legal jeopardy for former President Donald Trump in his quest to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

 

When Trump and his attorneys filed a challenge in Georgia in December 2020, the former president "knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public," a federal judge wrote on Wednesday.

 

Further, Trump "signed a verification swearing under oath that the incorporated, inaccurate numbers 'are true and correct' or 'believed to be true and correct' to the best of his knowledge and belief finds that these emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States," the judge wrote.

 

The assertions were made by David Carter, a federal judge in California, while ordering conservative attorney John Eastman to release more emails to the Jan. 6 committee.

 

The language about the Fulton County case, which was filed by the Trump campaign to decertify the Georgia results and soon tossed out by a judge, led lawyer Twitter to opine that this is bad news for Trump.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I was listening to a UK journo normally based in the US, but back in the UK last night who was saying that there is a strong chance the Republicans will take a majority in the house, and possibly the senate in the mid-terms. They are only a couple of weeks away - 8th November. If that happens, all federal action (including the Jan 6th Riots hearings) will probably abruptly come to an end. Also, he is likely to declare himself a candidate in the not too distant future after the mid-terms, as apparently when you're a candidate, it also basically results in a huge disincentive to investigate candidates for fear of being branded a political witch-hunter.

 

Separately, a CNN journo was calling for Trump to be put on trial for the heinous crimes, citing that normally it is good and right for an ex-president not to be investigated for crimes (usually corruption) for the same reason, but in Trumps case, they were such an affront to the US Constitution, they needed to be heard in a court.

 

This is a tacit admission that their system of democracy is corrupt – and despite their written constitution (something I advocate the UK should implement) lacks the basic institutional independence and checks and balances to ensure corruption and crime doesn’t happen, or if it does, it is exposed.

 

Of course, our constitution could also be better, but the independence of the judiciary and, well, except for the recent abuse by the LNP, the senior public service did go some way to it.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Jerry_Atrick

[rgmwa]

There will be a lot of unhappy Republicans if and when he does declare he's a candidate. Most of them must be thinking that he's got too much baggage to win now. Of course with all the behind the scenes scheming that they've been busy with to control future elections, he could still get across the line by cheating. 

 

[onetrack]

Someone is bound to assassinate him eventually, surely? After all, this America, where assassinations are fairly frequent.

[Jerry_Atrick]

My guess is those who are most likely to perform such acts are the ones that would follow him to their demise.

[Old Koreelah]

The amoral Republican mafia is ramping up their dismantling of American democracy. They have already made it so hard for traditional Democrat voters that only a massive turnout can head off their appalling coup.
This mid-term may be the last hope for America.

[rgmwa]

As far as the Republicans are concerned Democracy is too valuable to be entrusted to the will of the people.

[Old Koreelah]

The son of Rev MLK has called for the US to introduce Australian-style voting.

Fat chance. In America the election is on a Tuesday so fewer working people can vote. They have to queue up for hours and recently Republican governments have passed laws making it even harder to vote.

 

Meanwhile, in the Lucky Country, we vote on Saturday and the Alectoral Commission spend lots to make sure everyone can have their say.

 

https://amp.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/north-america/martin-luther-king-iii-says-us-must-consider-adopting-australian-voting-system-20221019-p5br52.html

[red750]

From MSNBC:

 

We always knew that Donald Trump sought to personally profit from the presidency, whether by receiving foreign government emoluments (aka payoffs) or scheduling a G-7 meeting at his own golf club. Recently, we learned more about the true extent of his grift – the exorbitant amounts he charged taxpayers for Secret Service agents to stay in his hotels and clubs. On paper, the agents’ job was to protect him and his family. In reality, they had a second job: to make taxpayers pay him a lot of money (our money) at the same time. But we the taxpayers are not without ways of stopping Trump’s scam.

 

While the government has long paid the costs for Secret Service agents to travel with and protect the president and the first family, only one president has made money renting rooms to his protection. On Monday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform released forms showing room rates more than five times what's allowable for federal employees. Some of these bills were incurred right in Washington, where the president stayed at the White House, and could have overnight guests. When his sons Don Jr. and Eric visited him, they chose not to stay at the White House but at a hotel – the Trump Hotel, of course.

[red750]

In an opinion piece for MSNBC, the former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush reacted to a report that Donald Trump and his family have been charging the U.S. governmentexorbitant rates at his hotels and resorts to house Secret Service agents and suggested several legal pathways the money can be reclaimed along with damages for fraud.

As Richard Painter notes in his op-ed, a recent NBC report stated that the Trump family has been charging over $1000 per night at his hotels -- more than five times higher than the government normally allows.

 

"Taxpayers were charged $1,160 per room per night at the Trump International Hotel in Washington for Secret Service agents protecting Eric Trump on March 8, 2017, a night for which the government rate was $242. Taxpayers were charged $1,185 per room per night for agents protecting Donald Trump Jr. on Nov. 8, 2017 at the Trump Hotel, at a time when the government rate was $201," he wrote. "For most presidential offspring of presidents, being guarded by Secret Service agents would be enough of a thrill. For the Trump family, making money at taxpayer expense was apparently an even greater thrill."

 

With that in mind, and expressing disgust at Trump's continuing profiteering, he suggested the Department of Justice look into the opening -- yet another -- investigation into the former president and his family, and then provided a roadmap for investigators to follow.

[Bruce Tuncks]

I was amazed at the number of congress members who support Putin. Did a similar lot support Hitler?

[facthunter]

It's easy. Vote correctly.. Live longer... Nev

[red750]

Trump supporters could lose 'millions' as shell company trying to acquire Truth Social faces liquidation,

 

On Thursday, Matthew Sheffield of The Young Turks reported that supporters of former President Donald Trump are facing the prospect of collectively losing millions of dollars they invested into Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC), the special purpose acquisition company, or "blank check" firm that has sought to purchase the former president's Truth Social platform to take it public, as DWAC faces its liquidation deadline with little progress on completing the deal.

 

"In a call with investors, Patrick Orlando, the chairman and CEO of the struggling shell company announced that DWAC was going to reconvene on Nov. 22," said the report. "It was an ominous sign that Digital World had failed to receive authorization from 65% of shareholders to continue the company’s existence, despite months of trying. Under the terms of DWAC’s incorporation, the company was supposed to merge with a private firm within one year’s time or dissolve and reimburse its investors at a rate of about $10 per share."

 

"Liquidation appears more likely to be DWAC’s fate as Trump himself appears increasingly uninterested in the company (or its stockholders) as it has struggled to defend itself from a criminal investigation that executives engaged in prohibited insider trading and a separate inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission about allegations of illegal contact between DWAC officers and the leadership of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG)," said the report.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I have no idea about this company, but looking here (hit the YTD link on the price graph) suggests DWAC's share price is performing consistently with the rest of the market, and there is no concern with its longer term viability (given it is on a second board of NASDAQ): https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/DWAC/

 

I would say its price is supported by brand Trump - there were only 930k shares traded today (according to the numbers on Yahoo.. markets are still open in the US). There are a few institutional shareholders, but at 7.2% of total holdings, they are hardly a strategic holding.. a little play money for a great return or complete loss.

 

Insider trading could be interesting. If they more than made a small profit and are found guilty, I hope they like wearing orange, as that iss the colour of chouce for US Federal prison uniforms (ironically, Trump is Orange.. coincidence?? ;-)))

 

[facthunter]

FAKE Orange and FAKE skin tan. No rippling muscles, Doesn't read anything.  Not a FIT Leader of the USA and Commander in Chief of the armed forces who are ALL "Suckers & Losers". according to the DON.  Nev

[red750]

Donald Trump and his attorneys thumbed their noses at the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack's lawful subpoena ordering him to submit requested documents by 10 AM Friday morning. Trump and his team were originally given two weeks to comply, but Friday morning's 10 AM ET deadline came and went without a whisper from the former president.

 

Nearly ten hours after the deadline the Select Committee announced that they "have received correspondence from the former President and his counsel regarding the committee's subpoena."

[rgmwa]

It will be interesting to see if Garland indicts him. Garland’s position seems to be that the law will be applied irrespective of the political consequences. 

[Old Koreelah]

Why isn’t this crook behind bars?

[old man emu]

10 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

Why isn’t this crook behind bars?

He'd probably serve short measures and charge for doubles.

[onetrack]

Because he could talk his way out a Gestapo group interrogation, and end up making them apologise for wasting his time.

 

Plus, he has around 80-100 million brain-dead followers, who believe he can do nothing wrong. You just have to wonder at the inability of so many Americans to see through pure BS.

[facthunter]

He'd pardon himself or buy the Jail (on bottowed money) and sack the guards and arrange to have his lawyer hanged by his supporters. Nev

[red750]

Although it looks unlikely  from the published polls, if the Republicans get beaten in the mid-terms, will we have to live with four years of Trump bleating how the polls were rigged and hijacked?

[facthunter]

He  has always said HE'll only accept the election result IF HE WINS. . Nev