Is Rick's primary goal still to rejuvenate the coal industry?

Rick Perry has three primary goals, uhhhh... ummmm... sorry... whoops.

Seriously: he declared that one of the three departments he would eliminate was.... drum roll.... the DOE. Rick Perry is truly Trump's intellectual equal (*not* a complement).

***

2011 GOP debate:

"And I will tell you, it is three agencies of government when I get there that are gone. Commerce, Education, and the... what's the third one there? Let's see."

Perry then paused and there was audible laughter in the room. Texas Rep. Ron Paul then chimed in "You need five," to which Perry responded, "Oh, five, OK. So Commerce, Education, and the..."

Romney then suggested, "EPA?" to which Perry responded, "EPA, there you go, no..." with laughter from the candidate and the audience.

Moderator John Harwood from CNBC then asked, "Seriously, is the EPA the one you were talking about?"

"No, sir, no, sir. We were talking about the agencies of government -- the EPA needs to be rebuilt. There's no doubt about that," Perry responded.

"But you can't name the third one?" Harwood asked.

"The third agency of government I would, I would do away with, the Education, the... Commerce and, let's see," Perry said, as his brain freeze continued.

Finally, Perry gave up, saying: "I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops."

However, a few minutes later in the debate, Perry remembered that the third department was the Energy Department. "By the way that was the Department of Energy I was reaching for a while ago," he said with a chuckle when he was asked another question.

Web Link

@ resident - I'm not sure. When did he say that it was his "primary" task?

Of course, we could also inquire about such tasks under Obama. Does Obama's choice for NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, still think that Obama's primary goal for Bolden at NASA was to reach out to the Muslim world and help them feel good about their own contributions to STEM?

Web Link

After all, Bolden said in an interview with Al-Jazeera about his primary tasks when appointed by Obama. Speaking of Obama, Bolden said, "and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math and engineering."

Obviously, you didn't actually *read* the article you linked to, did you?

But I guess when the president that you support turns out to be a grade-A incompetent that is being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin, deflection is all you have...

@ "@Nayeli" - I didn't read all of the article. I also didn't agree with the opinions of the author from the parts that I read. I simply included it because it was a left-wing source that still mentioned the infamous quote by Charles Bolden.

Of course, I am also not someone who feels a need to bring up wild conspiracy theories with the hope that they will somehow be true if repeated often enough throughout media outlets.

While it is your opinion that Trump is "grade-A incompetent," I'm pretty happy with most of his job performance. He's far from perfect but I agree with most of what he has done as president -- particularly with the economy.

Where is your evidence of Trump being "blackmailed by Vladimir Putin?" Is this some wild fictitious tale that you gleaned from some left-wing analyst at The Huffington Post, MSNBC or other partisan op-ed or agenda-driven political websites?

Such fictitious statements are not true simply because such pundits repeat such odd and unsubstantiated claims as an attempt to validate their own political prejudices.

Of course, we digress.

The truth is that Rick Perry never said that it was his "primary goal" to rejuvenate the coal industry.

However, Charles Bolden did claim that Obama tasked his new NASA administrator to "perhaps foremost, find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math and engineering."

Any claim otherwise is REAL "deflection."

He may be known as U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry now, but he will always be Governor Goodhair to me!

My my my...you didn't just drink the Kool-Aid; you went for seconds and thirds. You don't read the article you link to; you don't bother with any actual facts [portion removed.]

I'm probably in the minority, but I luv Rick Perry!! Oops and all!!

This administration will be with us for one or two terms. We better get used to work with it instead of keep fighting with it. Some of the stuff this admin says or does make sense, some don't. But that is typical for any form of government.

Anybody who accepts to be part of the cabinet of the most despicable president in history has no moral compass or no brain. In the case of Rick Perry it is both. What a letdown after having Nobel prize winner Steven Chu heading the DOE.

@ Claude Ezran - Your post is a perfect example of the reason why Democrats have lost over a thousand seats over the last six years. [Portion removed.]

You've labeled nearly half of the voters in this country as having "no moral compass or no brain." This is why much of America now immediately collectively rolls its eyes at California and dismisses most of its politicians, activists and loudest supporters thereof as being given to extremism.

I'm not a fan of everything about Donald Trump. However, I felt that many of the policies of Barack Obama were terrible. I have both a moral compass and a brain.

@ Nayeli - First, if you had read my post correctly, you would have seen that I was talking about people in his cabinet, not the voters in this country. but where do you want me to start about what is despicable about Trump and his administration? The constant lying, the attacks on women, Muslims, Mexicans, war heroes, handicapped people. His praise of neo-nazis. His attacks on allied foreign leaders. His withdrawal of the Paris accord, his tax reform that is a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans and dangerously increases the deficit. His selection of complete idiots in his cabinet/administration such as HUD secretary Ben Carson, or of extremists such Bannon or Bolton. His complete inaction with respect of sensible gun control measures despite repeated mass shootings and the deaths of 30,000 of our citizens every year due to guns. So, @ Nayeli, if you support Trump in any manner, I do have to question your moral compass or your brains. All over the country people are fed-up with Trump, his approval ratings are very low, and Democrats and many people who used to be politically inactive are mobilized like never before. The mid-term election looks very good for the Resistance against Trumpism.

@ Claude Ezran - Everything that you said about Trump could have been said about Obama too. I found many of his picks to be unbelievably bad choices.

Interestingly, you say that people like Dr. Ben Carson -- one of the most accomplished surgeons in history -- was a "complete idiot." That says more about liberal extremism and an attempt to control a shockingly dishonest narrative than it does about Dr. Carson.

The other things that you said (like "praise for neo-nazis") is simply untrue and a narrative that desperately attempts to wrongly characterize what was actually said. It is true that ideologues often hear things that they want to hear to reinforce their prejudices.

Now, there were some conservatives who said similarly terrible things about Barack Obama. However, they didn't represent most conservatives. The interesting thing is that the entire media and left-wing portion of the Democratic Party (including many of their politicians) seem to chase after divisive attack rhetoric and crazy conspiracy theories. That is very much a norm with many liberals now.

They are the types of people who think that Trump is an "idiot" or dishonestly claim that he never built a company into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. They think that men like Dr. Ben Carson are "idiots." Of course, the media helps with this attack rhetoric 24/7. After all, it helped with their narrative in 2008 to pin all of the blame for this country's woes on George W. Bush (who was also painted like a dimwitted fool by the liberals in and out of the media).

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The action plan of the modern Conservative is to appoint
incompetent or political loyalist administrators to (mis)"manage"
government agencies ( into the ground ) who will then, under
the guise of fiscal responsibility, worsen or cut or eliminated
services and fire competent employees to destroy institutional
memory and expertise developed over long decades.

When the agency is thus broken or created unhappy customers
created, the Conservative media can then criticize and call for private
contractors, or for the agencies or its resources to be privatized.
Forcing the American taxpayer to pay for the revolution against
their government and way of life and the debt from outrageous
privatization costs and giveaways.

In the last decades, aside from importing foreign labor and
exporting domestic jobs overseas, this war against the American
government has been a primary factor in the inequality we have
experienced and which affects even the children of more
economically well-off families who are duped into thinking this
is what allows their preferential lifestyles.

If you consider the trillions that have been spend in this time
on the military, military contractors, public giveaways, and tax
breaks for this same class of "Conservative revolutionaries"
this also explains the creation and burgeoning of the political
oligarchies and the national takeover of the economy by
radical Conservatives who only want more, that is, it all.

It also explains the continued employment of the virtual idiots
such as Rick Perry, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVoss or this new guy
a Veteran's Affairs. This is a full scale revolution against the
American people, with the media, and now the social media
stepping from the shadows and showing themselves for what
they truly are.

If your interest is piqued by this take a look at the book "The
Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule" by Thomas Frank,
author of "What's The Matter With Kansas" and "Listen Liberal".

The fringe righties now just want "everyone to get along"...

- "This administration will be with us for one or two terms. We better get used to work with it instead of keep fighting with it."

I don't remember their previous posts that went like this:

- OBAMA will be with us for one or two terms. We better get used to work with it instead of keep fighting with it.

Nor do I think they ever would have written:

- HILLARY will be with us for one or two terms. We better get used to work with HER instead of keep fighting with it.

Yeah.

> During his remarks, Perry recalled, without apology and to the
> amusement of his audience, his 2013 efforts as governor of
> Texas to run ads in California aimed at persuading California-based
> companies to relocate to Texas.

When I read sarcastic and cynical comments here at Palo Alto Online
about California, and the disparaging words about Liberals, I wonder
why it is that all these folks don't take up Rick Perry's suggestion and
beat a trail to Texas? I spent some time there and it's not a bad place
except for the business elites that run it for their own profit.

I know a few who have for mostly practical reasons such as housing
prices, etc, but in reality the complaints are mostly inflated numbers
of "Likes" on websites, and the same characters voting slapping each
other on the back. California with all its problems is still one of the
best places in the country to live and work.

The real metric is the number of people who move, and aside from
Austin, where there is a more open-minded and diverse population there
is not a lot tech worker dissatisfaction. It is other workers, ironically
who the Liberals are trying to help with raising the minimum wage and
strengthening the safety net who are leaving.

Maybe expecting logic from the Rick Perry crowd is a bit too much.

California - liberal paradise!

"Interestingly, you say that people like Dr. Ben Carson -- one of the most accomplished surgeons in history -- was a "complete idiot."

A virtuoso in the OR, OK. But he's a complete idiot in the Cabinet.

That would be an asset, except he is also a subperforming sycophant for Trump. Really, really unsmart there. He'll be out on his ear soon.

>> But he's a complete idiot in the Cabinet.

Nah, he's just sleepin' ;-)

My thoughts, exactly. One of the sides wants the compromise only when they are in power. When it is the other side - make him a one term president.

>> I'm not a fan of everything about Donald Trump.

@Nayeli: I was a total Trump fan, but I lost it as he has failed and failed again to lock HRC up like he promised. He lied to us. Are you also bothered about this?

Lock up HRC? Is HRC a new acronym for The Gang?

You know, the new gang of jailbirds: Manafort, Gates, Kuchner, Gen Flynn, Flynns son, Papadapoulas, etc..

----

Nayali claims: "(like "praise for neo-nazis") is simply untrue "

Trump called some of the neo-nazis in Charlottesville: "Some Very Fine People"

Please:
1. google the words: Trump Some Very Fine People
2. explain why you put falsehoods like this online

Thanks.

[Portion removed.]

@ Losing It - No, I don't actually care that Hillary Clinton is "locked up." I'm just happy that she didn't scheme her way into the White House.

Yes, I do think that Comey's judgment was wrong in her case. She clearly violated the law. Comey's judgment in this particular case (from bringing up the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton during the election to his decision to not pursue charges) -- as well as his personal and politically-charged rhetoric on Twitter after his firing -- is indicative of what can be wrong with law enforcement when "justice" is not truly "blind."

Of course, Hillary Clinton is yesterday's news. She continues to try and stay relevant; however, I am quite confident that even she, Huma Abedin and John Podesta realize that her political career and influence is largely gone.

As for Trump's presidency: I'm fairly happy with actual policy decision and goals by Trump. My only major point of consternation is with Trump's rhetoric (particularly on Twitter).

There is one exception: I am happy that President Trump has called out blatant examples of bias by the corporate media industry. There is a difference between straight "journalism" that covers the facts and events of the day and the agenda-driven op-ed and "interpretation" of events found on many (if not most) media outlets. There is a reason why trust in the media is near an all-time low. The partisan mob mentality of TV media outlets, late-night comedians, magazines, websites and even many newspapers is quite evident even to the most biased politicos.

I don't watch most TV news outlets or comedians for the same reasons that I don't watch Fox News. Most of Fox News' pundits are biased conservatives. I do think that they give more time to both sides (than, say, MSNBC or CNN). However, I don't need affirmation of my beliefs. I already know what I believe and why.

Interestingly, I see a difference in how left-wing zealots often whine endlessly about "Faux News" but celebrate the same type of biased "reporting" and "analysis" from MSNBC, CNN or even extremely liberal late-night comedians or quasi-news shows (e.g., John Oliver, Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, etc.).

As for the "state of the union:"

The economy is booming. Consumer confidence is exceptionally high. Unemployment is low. The Obamacare monstrosity is unraveling. Tax cuts are helping most Americans.

While I don't mind a border wall, I think that this shouldn't be the focus. I'd prefer Mr. Trump to come up with a different emphasis -- namely a figurative "wall" that would prevent illegal immigrants from finding any reason to come.

The federal government should pass laws that penalize any person, company or agency from hiring illegal immigrants. If a company hires an illegal immigrant (and the state wants to protect that hire), then the federal government should levy a massive tax fine against that company equal to twice the yearly salary per year of employment.

In addition, "anchor babies" (the children of illegal immigrants) should not be granted citizenship -- with the hope that this would make it to the Supreme Court to decide whether the child of non-citizens is suddenly a citizen simply because they are born on this side of the border. The federal government should pass a law that prohibits liberal "sanctuary" states from granting driver's licenses or college admission to illegal immigrants. Steps should be made to prove citizenship for everything from access to entitlements, non-emergency hospital care to enrollment in schools and school lunch programs. There should be no financial accessibility reason for a person to enter the country illegally.

In addition, the H-1B visa program and other means of permitting foreign workers into this country should be a bit more fluid. The number of foreign workers in any company should be capped. Moreover, the number permitted into this country should be dependent upon the need. If the unemployment rate for American college graduates is high in a particularly field, then there is no reason to offer many visas to foreign workers. In addition, if there is a designated need for workers in a particular field, then the number of visas offered can be increased.

All the while, the individuals who apply to this country should be limited to individuals who will respect the liberties in this country. I don't have a problem with things like the "hijab" or other religious garb. However, it should always be up to the person and any potential immigrant should understand that they believe that women and girls have a right to say "no" as well as individual liberties when it comes to things like conversion, marriage, etc. Radical and violent fundamentalism should not be permitted into this country if such beliefs are incompatible with the liberties guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.

I know that this is something of a tangent. However, I am happy with most of the things that Trump has done and is doing. I'd like him to focus on staying away from Twitter and fixing immigration in ways other than a mere "wall."

> Oh, one last thing: why do you click on so many of your posts?
> 60 likes on this thread? over 100 on others? Wouldn't you rather
> an honest accounting of how many folks really 'like' your posts?

The giveaway that this is fake is that these likes occur within minutes of posting.
If Nayeli really had this many fervent followers they would be marching on
the capitol and taking over the City, State or Country.

I find this farce of "likes" the norm on internet discussions. The feedback is
limited only to likes or thumbs ups, and then on almost every board that could
possibly be construed as having a political dimension and some that do not,
a mob of right-wingers descends agreeing with each other when challenged
or "liking" each others posts anonymously so that they do not have to reveal
that they are same people all over, probably posting from back-rooms as
portrayed on last year's Homeland series that we know a little about the
existence of because of extensive intelligence industry reporting about
sock-puppet fake accounts where hundreds of fake personas can be
controlled by a single individual. This is technology developed by the CIA
back after WWII when the Cold War began to over-throw governments,
and privatized, turned against our own country. first in guerrilla marketing,
and then in political manipulation. Sure, it is not exclusively used and
understood by the right, but mainly since they have the platforms,
access and money.

Facebook is the same way, as are most of the internet sites that allow
discussion.

I wish if they cannot get the implementation of a discussion board right and
do it fairly that they would either fix it or drop the whole "Like"/"Thumbs-Up"
think. It is obviously fake.

@Nayeli

You are doing the same rationalizations I was doing a couple of months ago. It didn't work. The bald fact is Trump promised alot he can't deliver or doesn't want to deliver (like locking HRC up for her crimes). Maybe he is saving it for a rehash in 2020. It will work twice on some people. Not on me.