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Senate Confirms Former Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler To Lead EPA (cnn.com)

The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, ratifying President Trump's choice of a former advocate for business interests to lead the agency. From a report: Wheeler, also a former Republican Senate aide on environmental issues, has been acting administrator since July, when former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned amid a host of ethics controversies. Since Wheeler began leading the agency, he has continued work on many of the same priorities as his predecessor, including looking to roll back Obama-era air and water pollution regulations. But Wheeler has brought a level of stability to the agency that didn't exist under Pruitt, keeping a relatively low profile while continuing to make progress towards meeting the Trump administration's policy goals for the agency. He has met often with industry representatives. Wheeler attended or held more than 50 meetings with representatives of companies or industry groups regulated by the EPA between April and August of 2018, a CNN review of his internal schedules found.

201 comments

  1. And In Other News... by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Joseph Goebbels has been named Ambassador to Israel, and Karl Marx has been named an FCC commissioner.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    1. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (trump hater) - chump = trater - c
      not sure what this means
      traitor - the speed of light

    2. Re:And In Other News... by TomR+teh+Pirate · · Score: 2

      Yup. Swamp drained!

    3. Re:And In Other News... by Cyberax · · Score: 2
    4. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't think of a better person for the job. This guy has had to deal with the EPA for many years of his career in the coal industry. Fact of the matter that coal still exists and provides many jobs and lively hoods for thousands of Americans. Coal is still needed where alternative sources don't exist. You have to manage provide regulation for that industry still. What better person can there be. Coal isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

    5. Re: And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wolf to guard the hen house, sounds like a great idea, no idea what could go wrong.

    6. Re: And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No you tell me what could go wrong?

    7. Re:And In Other News... by gweihir · · Score: 0

      The Holocaust was organized by Eichmann. Goebbels was just the salesman and hist teachings are still in use today. Especially his "Big Lie" technique is quite in favor with the Donald, who is a natural at it.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    8. Re:And In Other News... by WhiplashII · · Score: 1, Insightful

      What did Obama say? Elections have consequences?

      It would be nice if no matter who got elected, things basically stayed the same. But if we can't have that, don't complain when the guys you don't like do things you don't like when elected.

      (Specifically, this is why rule by presidential fiat is awful. But it was no less awful under Obama.)

      --
      while (sig==sig) sig=!sig;
    9. Re:And In Other News... by ClickOnThis · · Score: 4, Funny

      Fact of the matter that coal still exists and provides many jobs and lively hoods for thousands of Americans.

      Oh the irony.

      live-li-hoods n. 1. Jobs that pay a living wage.

      live-ly hoods n. 1. Energetic, active criminals. 2. Transferred epithet for head and face covering bobbing up and down (e.g., at a KKK rally.)

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    10. Re:And In Other News... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Fact of the matter that coal still exists and provides many jobs and lively hoods for thousands of Americans.

      You could make the same argument for crystal meth.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    11. Re:And In Other News... by ClickOnThis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It would be nice if no matter who got elected, things basically stayed the same. But if we can't have that, don't complain when the guys you don't like do things you don't like when elected.

      Don't complain? In a democracy, it's a citizen's right (perhaps even her/his duty) to complain.

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    12. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go ahead and provide that argument? How many jobs does crystal meth provide for Americans?

    13. Re:And In Other News... by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      When you drain the swamp then the swamp monsters have no where to go except government agencies.

    14. Re:And In Other News... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      How many jobs does crystal meth provide for Americans?

      Well, let's see: In one year alone (2012), the DEA raided and closed 11,210 meth labs in the US. Now, let's assume that the DEA shuts down maybe one in four meth labs (I would bet that it's much less than that). So, we can say that there are probably about 50,000 meth labs operating at any given time in the US. Let's also assume that not all of those meth labs are one-man operations, so we have at least 50,000 jobs for Americans.

      Let's further assume that the guys running the labs are not the same as the guys dealing the meth on the street. Even if we assume that for every meth lab, there is one person who actually deals the drugs, we're up to over 100,000 jobs.

      That 100,000 jobs. Not counting the thousands of law enforcement jobs for people to try to stop the meth labs. The lawyers like Saul Goodman who represent the meth chemists, and on and on.

      In 2013, there were 80,209 coal jobs in the US. So we can easily say that more people are working in the crystal meth industry than in the coal industry.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    15. Re: And In Other News... by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      We go back to the 70s and rivers start catching fire again?

    16. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      potato patatoe who cares you understand the point.

    17. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      coal still exists and provides many jobs and lively hoods for thousands of Americans.

      Maybe on the left you people care about jobs, with your Civilian Conservation Corp busy-work stuff, but conservatives are tired of subsidizing coal pollution. If the rest of us have to pay extra for all these people, we might as well get something for it. At least make them moderate Youtube comments or something.

    18. Re: And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Drain the swamp, fill it with clean coal tar.

    19. Re: And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Net jobs provided by meth is less than zero.

    20. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You had me until you mentioned a fictitious TV character Saul Goodman. Nice try with the bullshit'n.

    21. Re:And In Other News... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      You had me until you mentioned a fictitious TV character Saul Goodman. Nice try with the bullshit'n.

      The number of meth labs shut down and coal jobs are both publicly available. I'm sorry if you don't like facts, but facts don't care about your feelings, snowflake.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    22. Re:And In Other News... by sfcat · · Score: 1

      You had me until you mentioned a fictitious TV character Saul Goodman. Nice try with the bullshit'n.

      Actually, its likely that illegal drugs are the world's largest employer by industry. Think about it, the number of middlemen, the soldiers, the lawyers, and in a way, even enforcement are all caught up in a huge economy. All legal industries try to reduce the number of people they employ but not for illegal drugs. Not that any of this is good or anything, but strictly by a jobs created metric it might be the largest. The other metrics we might use, not so much...but when there is no attempt to reduce the number of workers in an "industry" and there are extreme attempts to do so for all other industries, what would you expect?

      --
      "Those that start by burning books, will end by burning men."
    23. Re: And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      If you're referring to the 1969 Cuyahoga river fire it had nothing to do with coal. Also is was the last industrial river fire as they were quite common throughout early 20th century. These were a hinderance to the communties and the communities took action not the EPA. The rivers were already cleaned up way before the Clean Water Act was passed and the EPA really had no involvement.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/06/22/the-fable-of-the-burning-river-45-years-later/?utm_term=.7e684080e102

    24. Re:And In Other News... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Actually, its likely that illegal drugs are the world's largest employer by industry.

      And it is probably one of the industries most resistant to automation. Not that it couldn't be automated, but it will most likely be one of the last.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    25. Re:And In Other News... by Kyr+Arvin · · Score: 1

      You had me until you mentioned a fictitious TV character Saul Goodman. Nice try with the bullshit'n.

      Really? That's what you're using to dismiss this?

    26. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes Really.

    27. Re:And In Other News... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Lets make one adjustment to that, it is the Citizens right to complain and their bloody responsibility to campaign. Don't just take your vote away, take as many votes as possible away. Don't just complain become politically active and campaign and let the people you are complaining about, know that you are campaigning against them.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    28. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We're not a democracy, but a constitutional republic. This is 5th grade social studies stuff here......

    29. Re:And In Other News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only citizens with the right to complain are those who vote. ...

    30. Re:And In Other News... by samwichse · · Score: 1

      Ironic comment.

      A republic is a democracy. Maybe you should go to a 5th grade social studies class and ask about "representative democracy" vs direct democracy.

      Here's a link for your future non-perusal:
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    31. Re:And In Other News... by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      The two terms are not mutually exclusive. Congress, the fundamental lawmaking body of the US, is democratically selected. The President is indirectly elected. Only the courts and Cabinet officials, and by extension heads of various departments, are not democratically constituted; though all those positions must pass muster in the Senate, which has been democratically constituted since the 17th amendment.

      And really, this is no different than how it works in Parliamentary democracies. In a Westminster government; Parliament is democratically elected, but the Government is effectively selected by that elected Parliament (in other words, the Prime Minister and his cabinet), through the process of gaining the House's confidence in the speech from the throne (or Queen's Speech in Britain). By your definition, only direct democracies would in fact be true democracies, and clearly that is not a definition used by any political scientist in the last five hundred years.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    32. Re:And In Other News... by Ranbot · · Score: 1

      It would be nice if no matter who got elected, things basically stayed the same.

      In regards to the EPA [and other large gov't agencies] you have a system that will basically stay the same. An administrator of the EPA is not all powerful, and there are lots of existing laws, policies and active projects the administrator has no control over. Steering the EPA is like steering a massive ocean cargo boat at full speed, there's a limit to how quickly the captain can change course. That can be good or bad depending on your view... if you want things to stay mostly the same, it's good; if you want the EPA to be nimble and dynamic, it's bad. At any rate, Andrew Wheeler's appointment, like Scott Pruit's before, won't drastically change the EPA (but that doesn't make a good news story).

    33. Re:And In Other News... by Kyr+Arvin · · Score: 1

      Saul Goodman is a fictional character in a fictional TV show that is based on a real life industry. Just because Jimmy McGill doesn't actually exist doesn't mean that drug dealers and the lawyers they need don't exist in real life.

    34. Re:And In Other News... by sydbarrett74 · · Score: 1

      Don Blankenship, is that you?

      --
      'He who has to break a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.' -- Gandalf to Saruman
  2. Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    And fuck coal miners. Leave that poison in the ground.

    1. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me remind you Hillary Clinton said the same thing and she was left in the dust. No pun intended.

    2. Re: Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Nobody cares about Hillary Clinton except failing right-wing talk show hosts.

    3. Re:Fuck coal by ClickOnThis · · Score: 4, Informative

      And fuck coal miners. Leave that poison in the ground.

      Let me remind you Hillary Clinton said the same thing and she was left in the dust. No pun intended.

      No, she did not say "the same thing."

      She said that the coal industry was dying (true) and that she wanted to offer opportunities for coal workers to train and transfer to other industries. That does not sound like "fucking" coal miners.

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    4. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      unless she meant retrain them for the sex industry.

    5. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You just made that that up she did not say that. She said "We're gonna put a lot of coal miners and coal companies outta business". I'll translate that for you "Fuck coal miners.". What a lying prick you are.

    6. Re:Fuck coal by ClickOnThis · · Score: 2

      You just made that that up she did not say that. She said "We're gonna put a lot of coal miners and coal companies outta business". I'll translate that for you "Fuck coal miners.". What a lying prick you are.

      Here's the full context, from this article.

      Instead of dividing people the way Donald Trump does, let’s reunite around politics that will bring jobs and opportunities to all these under-served poor communities. So, for example, I’m the only candidate who has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right, Tim [Ryan (D-OH)]?

      And we’re going to make it clear that we don’t want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories. Now we’ve got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I don’t want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce energy that we relied on.

      Per the article, Clinton regretted the way she said the above. (From her book What Happened: “The point I had wanted to make was the exact opposite of how it came out. ... [I] felt absolutely sick about the whole thing.” But the full context shows she was not trying to "fuck" coal miners. Quite the opposite.

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
    7. Re:Fuck coal by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 0

      Funny, when we tell laid off journalists that they need to retrain for other industries, it's hate speech. But when we tell laid off coal miners to fuck off, move to New York City and found the next generation of nimble tech startups, it's completely acceptable to talk down to deplorables that way. Classist bigotry: it's fun to shit on the little people if you're a Democrat. Speak truth to the powerless!

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    8. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, she did not say "the same thing."

      She said that the coal industry was dying (true) and that she wanted to offer opportunities for coal workers to train and transfer to other industries. That does not sound like "fucking" coal miners.

      One of those was the porn industry. So no, but also yes, depending on the script.

    9. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good thing that Bitch lost.

    10. Re:Fuck coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, when we tell laid off journalists that they need to retrain for other industries, it's hate speech.

      No-one said that.
      Maybe your are confusing the responses to that with the response you got from saying that Hitler didn't go far enough.

      The big difference is of course that we will still have use of about the same number of journalists in the future while we will need even less coal workers.
      Maybe the coal workers should retrain to become journalists.

  3. Agency name change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Environmental Pillaging Agency

    1. Re:Agency name change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Exceptional Polluting Abilities"

    2. Re:Agency name change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wow, you went full stupid.

  4. Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Senate = non representative corrupt dictators. They don't represent the people.

    It's long time we rip up parts of the consitution, you know, the most important ones that have to do with how many senators a state gets.

    They sit on their throne for a lifetime while selling you out for free. You have no say-so neither do your tax dollars.

    1. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're full of shit. They can be voted out.

      They don't represent the people.

      Yes they do! That's why they win reelection.

    2. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by sexconker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Senate = non representative corrupt dictators. They don't represent the people.

      You are a moron. Senators are representatives of their state. If you want representatives of the people you go to the House.

      This is by design, for good reason.

    3. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "They can be voted out."

      Tell that to the people of North Carolina and Wisconsin.

    4. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by cayenne8 · · Score: 2

      It's long time we rip up parts of the consitution, you know, the most important ones that have to do with how many senators a state gets.

      It might help if we went back to having the state legislatures appoint the senators, rather than having them elected by the general vote.

      This would make them more answerable to the state (the state legislatures voted in by the state people)....and it would take out all the $$$$$ involved in buying general senate elections, and end the influence of lobbying.

      I think they had it right the first time around.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    5. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by bobbied · · Score: 0

      "They can be voted out."

      Tell that to the people of North Carolina and Wisconsin.

      Why? Did something other than the election results decide who got sent to the Senate from those states? You got proof of that I suppose?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    6. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by bobbied · · Score: 1

      I think so too, but I seriously doubt we'd be able to make the case to amend the constitution. I actually think making a senate seat a state wide election was a HUGE mistake and we've only started to see the problems it's causing us. The lobbying cash and having expensive elections ever 6 years for every seat has made the whole process one of "follow the money" if you can.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    7. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope, fuck 'em. The voters have to raise more hell. They might just get another chance in Carolina. Sorry, it's all on us, we are on our own. Only we can demand paper ballots and an accurate count. If we don't nobody else will. Like it or not, it's that simple. Quit the fucking blame passing! You only make the republicans look good. We're not going to vote for the crybaby party.

    8. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Junta · · Score: 1

      I presume he is talking about the representatives, where those states have badly gerrymandered districts.

      Not particularly relevant to senate though.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    9. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by bobbied · · Score: 0

      Show me a state that doesn't have gerrymandered districts and I'll show you one that has all one political party anyway..

      Reminds me of my younger liberal brother from Illinois during 2016's election... He was complaining about the Senate's balance of power and blamed gerrymandered districts in "red states" for it. He also voted for Bernie in the primary... How'd we have the same parents?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    10. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are adopted, cowardly traitor.

    11. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He got the brains, you got the... wait a moment... I'll think of something.

    12. Re: Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean just like it was when it was the old way and instead of one guy, it was dozens at the state level who were beholden only to their buyers, not the people?

      Remember, this was before Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims, not to mention rampant poll taxes and other impediments to voting. And you're just asking to bring it back.

      Sorry, but what we need to do is the opposite. Bring more power to the people. Force the Senators to face recall. Make them servants of the people.

      And yes, do the House as well. And the judiciary.

      Power to the people. Not useless politicians.

      But heck, you've opposed popular suffrage. Can't stand people voting. They vote against you.

    13. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by edwdig · · Score: 4, Informative

      I assume he's talking about the power grabs the state senates did in those two states. When the Republican governors lost their elections, the Republican state senates passed a bunch laws transferring a bunch of power from the governor to the senate. The outgoing governors were happy to sign the bills into law on their last days in office.

    14. Re: Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It takes 12 year to BlueWave all the corporate whores out of the Senate.

    15. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Whorhay · · Score: 2

      There is also the ongoing controversy over absentee ballot fraud in NC. Some ex-con was paid for his super duper skills at turning out votes via absentee ballots. Turns out he had people illegally collecting ballots, illegally filling in votes in races which hadn't been marked yet on the ballots, witnessing the ballots illegally, and then sealing the ballots and mailing them in from different post offices to deliberately conceal the illegal activities. Only one race so far has been announced as needing a redo, however more may follow.

    16. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what did you get? The deep end of the stupidity pool?

    17. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      I think they had it right the first time around.

      I went back and looked to see why they changed it, as usually, when things get changed, there is a reason and unless that has changed, those reasons will just pop back up again. Turns out a major reason for the change was partisan bickering at the state level, where one party would sabotage another party's choice for the senate to the point of forgoing that senate seat. This was causing a disfunctional senate. Since partisan bickering probably hasn't stopped, Id' say we'd just run into the same issues that caused us to change it the first time.

    18. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by GonzoPhysicist · · Score: 1

      I do think the senate is broken as is, but wouldn't that just make it easier for the lobbyists to select favorable senators? They would only have to convince(or bribe) the state legislators, not the whole populace.

      --
      horror vacui
    19. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      I went back and looked to see why they changed it, as usually, when things get changed, there is a reason and unless that has changed, those reasons will just pop back up again. Turns out a major reason for the change was partisan bickering at the state level, where one party would sabotage another party's choice for the senate to the point of forgoing that senate seat. This was causing a disfunctional senate. Since partisan bickering probably hasn't stopped, Id' say we'd just run into the same issues that caused us to change it the first time.

      Well, I believe we'd have to have an amendment to turn it back, and during that we could think it out and have some rules mandated, etc...to try to avoid the problems of old.

      I shouldn't think it would too tough....you have one party in majority in the state legislatures, they'd likely pick senators of their own party and thinking.....but, this way they'd be more beholden to the states, and therefore, more beholden to the people of the state.

      It would also likely keep anyone from being there in the senate over 40 years.....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    20. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by thrich81 · · Score: 1

      "went back to having the state legislatures appoint the senators" No, unless they fix the gerrymandering in almost every state first. The nice thing about popular election of Senators is that the state legislature can't directly gerrymander the whole state. The state legislatures are NOT answerable to the state's voters, because of the gerrymandering. -- they are more answerable to the power brokers behind the state government, not even close to the same thing.

    21. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by jader3rd · · Score: 1

      I think they had it right the first time around.

      The problem was that politicians couldn't help but play politics with it. Some states were going years without Senators because minority parties in some states weren't allowing votes to happen. If it could be arranged such that the vote happened on a normal ballot, on election day, and not during a state legislative session, I could see it possibly working then.

    22. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was by design, but the reasons were mostly fulfilled the moment the constitution was ratified.

    23. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Senators are representatives of their state.

      Many of them are.

      States like North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Louisiana have so large problems with gerrymandering, voter suppression and in some cases election fraud that they at most could be said represent a small subset of the state.

    24. Re:Senate = non representative corrupt dictators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Gerrymandering in Wisconsin is horrible. One side got 60% of the votes and 40% of the representatives.

  5. Fox meet by CodeHog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    hen house

    --
    Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
    1. Re:Fox meet by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2, Insightful

      AKA Trump's standard approach to appointing anyone to a position in government.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    2. Re:Fox meet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe this will get us to Mars faster?

    3. Re:Fox meet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump? Name a president in living memory that has not done this.

      The problem is the system that attracts and allows bad players while doing the opposite to people we want there.

    4. Re:Fox meet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wolf: did someone say meat?

    5. Re:Fox meet by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2

      This kind of behaviour is not common, especially with Democratic party presidents. To be clear, simply appointing a former lobbyist doesn't necessarily amount to putting a fox in the henhouse, although it's obviously not good. Appointing a lobbyist who used to lobby for a conflicting cause, a businessperson who currently profits from a conflicting interest, a person who denies the science that underpins the mission of the institution they're appointed to, or a person who had previously expressed interest in dismantling the institution they've been appointed to, are putting a fox in the henhouse.

      The only qualifying example of that kind of behavior from Obama I can think of was Tom Wheeler, and that didn't even turn out badly.

      With Trump on the other hand, he's done this very consistently:

      https://qz.com/861897/fox-in-t...

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  6. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, Cohen said exactly the opposite. He had no direct evidence or knowledge of any Russian collusion during the campaign and said so under questioning yesterday.

    Cohen said a lot of nasty things about Trump, but on that specific point he clearly has no direct evidence to provide. If he had, I doubt he'd be heading to jail right now, but would have been charged by Mueller and given a immunity deal for his testimony.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  7. Good move! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's put Chapo in charge of the DEA. Oh, wait, he already is! (by proxy)

  8. #shitholecountry #MAGA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A great country has no need for clean air & water!

  9. Lobbying money = re-election by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Until the flow of lobbying money into election funds stops they represent an "electorate" of corporate donors, not the people, and they do serve their electorate.

    1. Re:Lobbying money = re-election by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're still full of shit. Nobody is forced to vote for corporate puppets.

  10. Re:Heck yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mr Wheeler get back to work! You still have a bunch of coal industry executives to blow today! Remember tomorrow it's oil industry executives- you won't have to use mouthwash after, but no beans for you tonight!

  11. This is what people voted for by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    if you want coal to come back you'll need somebody in charge who wants it to come back and wants it at any cost. Natural gas is just too competitive (let alone Solar and Wind). You're gonna have to start loosening environmental regs around coal.

    One of the key reasons for the "Green New Deal" (the "New Deal" part) is jobs for ex coal miners. These folks are clustered in critical voting districts where there is literally no work outside of Walmart, the mines and a handful of service jobs (doctors to treat black lung, police to lock up the occasional drunk miner, etc).

    Folks are confused why these guys would fight so hard to mine coal given the health and safety risks. Folks who wonder that have never been without a job for 12 months and counting....

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    1. Re:This is what people voted for by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Folks are confused why these guys would fight so hard to mine coal given the health and safety risks. Folks who wonder that have never been without a job for 12 months and counting....

      I do get that dying slowly and killing a lot of others slowly becomes an attractive option when the alternative is dying pretty fast. It is still something that people should be prevented from doing. They need to be given an alternative that does actually not do this incredible amount of damage.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    2. Re:This is what people voted for by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      if you want coal to come back you'll need somebody in charge who wants it to come back and wants it at any cost. Natural gas is just too competitive (let alone Solar and Wind). You're gonna have to start loosening environmental regs around coal.

      The problem is even if you loosen the environmental regulations, it's still not competitive. They're the buggy whip factory workers asking for someone to save their industry instead of helping them move to the car factory

    3. Re:This is what people voted for by aitikin · · Score: 1

      They need to be given an alternative that does actually not do this incredible amount of damage.

      Isn't that what GP is point out with the paragraph about the "Green New Deal"?

      --
      "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
    4. Re:This is what people voted for by radarskiy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Folks who wonder that have never been without a job for 12 months and counting"

      I was unemployed for 19 months. What I did during that time is look for a *different* job.

      The confusing part is why they are fighting for jobs that aren't coming back even if coal comes back.

    5. Re:This is what people voted for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, this is what the electoral college voted for.

    6. Re:This is what people voted for by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      There are no *different* jobs. At least, not without moving to a different state. And that's not all that easy to do when all you know how to do is mine.

    7. Re:This is what people voted for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Folks aren't confused why coal miners would fight for coal mining jobs. Folks are confused why so many other people think it's a good idea.

      Fossil fuels are such a valuable, non-renewable resource. It's amazing to me that whole swaths of the country think nothing of sending trainloads of them up in smoke every day.

  12. Lead? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as in "Pb"

    1. Re:Lead? by gweihir · · Score: 2

      Well, you know as in the unofficial US motto: "Maintaining world LEADership." I see Trump is finally starting to make good on his promises.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    2. Re:Lead? by bobbied · · Score: 1

      as in "Pb"

      Nope, as in Pitcher OK. (If you don't know, Look it up..)

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  13. Re: And why is this bad? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Weak troll.

  14. Drain The Swamp! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How's that 'draining the swamp' thing workin' out for you guys? AC

  15. So ... by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 0

    ... someone who actually knows about stuff. Eek.

    1. Re:So ... by Jason+Levine · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In the same way that a lobbyist for buggywhip manufacturers might "know" about cars when crafting regulations. He'll have a skewed view that will favor old, out of date technology because that's what makes his former employers rich and will work against newer, cleaner technologies because those take business away from his old employers.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    2. Re:So ... by gweihir · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I see "clueless" is still cool in come circles. A "lobbyist" is not an "engineer" or a "scientist". (You may want to look these words up....) His expertise is pushing what he gets told to push, not to understand anything except the pushing itself.

      I once heard a talk by a US lobbyist about his work given to an expert audience. (Don't ask me how they got the guy to do that, but there were some pretty high-powered people in the audience...) Extremely interesting, extremely smart and capable guy, extremely disillusioning about the mental capabilities of politicians. Lobbyists do not explain things or create understanding in their targets, they use every trick in the book to create the illusion of understanding. That is why they do not actually need any facts or any expert knowledge to do their work.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    3. Re:So ... by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      I see "clueless" is still cool in come circles.

      How's that working for you? When attempting to teach someone something new, starting out by telling them they are an idiot?

    4. Re:So ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, he doesn't and no, you don't. He knows about LOBBYING and crafting industry-protecting bullshit bills. He's just a blank check for industry, like your faggot uneducated shill ass is also, retard. You're whores.

    5. Re:So ... by gweihir · · Score: 2

      I find that you have two classes of people: Those that want to learn and those that do not. The second class is lost anyways, no way to reach them. May at least get some entertainment out of them. The first class is something else and I either do not insult them or apologize when I realize the mistake. That approach is working pretty well, thank you.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    6. Re:So ... by farble1670 · · Score: 0

      I find that you have two classes of people: Those that want to learn and those that do not. The second class is lost anyways, no way to reach them. May at least get some entertainment out of them. The first class is something else and I either do not insult them or apologize when I realize the mistake. That approach is working pretty well, thank you.

      Fancy talk. Go read your post. You called everyone that might not have agreed with you, or just had less knowledge on the topic, "clueless." You didn't qualify it.

      Trust me, that doesn't work well. That means you either get punched in the nose a lot, or you limit your trolling to when you are safe behind your computer screen.

    7. Re:So ... by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      his former and future employers rich

      FTFY

    8. Re:So ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey I saw OPM, too! I love DeVito!

    9. Re:So ... by gweihir · · Score: 1

      You seem to have a reading problem. Or you just want so desperately to be right you ignore what is right in front of your eyes.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    10. Re:So ... by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      You seem to have a reading problem. Or you just want so desperately to be right you ignore what is right in front of your eyes.

      Nah I'm good. You're the one with nothing better to do than hurl insults. I agree though, it's very hard to rationalize that behavior, and even harder when someone calls you on it.

  16. Cool. by cheesybagel · · Score: 2

    I propose a novel approach to fight global warming. We'll remove all the filters from coal power stations and emit all that marvelous dust into the atmosphere so we can block out the sun's rays and hence reduce global temperature.

    1. Re:Cool. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ^^ Burn this dumb bitch for fuel.

  17. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    "He had no direct evidence or knowledge of any Russian collusion during the campaign and said so under questioning yesterday." - Wrong, his testimony IS evidence. He said Jr. told Trump about that meeting beforehand.

    That proves not only was Trump lying when he said he "knew nothing" about it, but that he was an active participant, which we already know other ways. Collusion not only established, knowledge of it cemented. Trump is fucked.

    Cohen isn't the one fucking him either, this is for Trump's own treasons that Cohen was a bit player in. All of this is Trump's fault, and yours for defending that world's dumbest traitor. It's so fucking obvious.

    You should be hanged along with Jr.

  18. Making America Great Again by Macdude · · Score: 4, Informative

    Andrew Wheeler is helping Make America Great Again by bringing back those glory days when rivers routinely caught fire.

    --
    "Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
    1. Re:Making America Great Again by MightyMartian · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Think of it. We will save a fortune on electricity. We can turn the street lights off and walk by the lovely glow of hydrocarbon-infused water. MAGA!

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re: Making America Great Again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rivers never routinely caught fire. The river that caught fire in Cleveland decades ago was a notable event.

    3. Re:Making America Great Again by bobbied · · Score: 0

      Andrew Wheeler is helping Make America Great Again by bringing back those glory days when rivers routinely caught fire.

      And your actual evidence of this is?

      Why do the politicos always pitch a fit about an appointee, even before they have a chance to do anything good or bad? Isn't it a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy to call some guy nasty names and accuse him of atrocities then complain he won't talk to you?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    4. Re: Making America Great Again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe not routine, but these rivers in the US have caught fire:

      - Buffalo River, Buffalo NY, 1968.
      - Rouge River, Detroit MI, 1969.
      - Cuyahoga River, Cleveland OH 1868, 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, 1948, 1952, and 1969.

      https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/is-the-cuyahoga-river-the-only-river-to-ever-catch-on-fire.html
      https://www.mi-wea.org/docs/John_Hartig_-_Burning_Rivers.pdf

    5. Re:Making America Great Again by mea2214 · · Score: 1

      He'll have less than 22 months to wreak havoc. Luckily government bureaucracy and courts will slow down anything really crazy from being implemented.

    6. Re:Making America Great Again by jeff4747 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why do the politicos always pitch a fit about an appointee, even before they have a chance to do anything good or bad?

      Because time did not start today.

    7. Re: Making America Great Again by Macdude · · Score: 1

      2014 Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
      1969 Rouge River, Detroit, United States
      1968 Buffalo River, Buffalo, United States
      1892 Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, United States
      2015 Bellandur Lake, Bangalore, India

      17 fires from 1868 to 1969 Cuyohoga River, Cleveland, United States

      --
      "Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
  19. USA is a joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Tell us again how great your democracy is , how wonderful your freedom is.
    Because countries with real democracies and greater freedoms are laughing hard at you.

    Its obvious to the rest of us that your politicians are bought and paid for by industry, it is industry that actually runs the USA now, and you can NOT vote them out.

    1. Re:USA is a joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's been that way as long as I've been aware (and I'm forty-five, and probably paid too close attention to this bullshit when I was young). The people of America have never had any real power. It was set up that way at the outset with filters in place to stop the will of the people if it got too far out of wack with what the ruling class (land owners at the time) wanted. One example is the electoral college, put in place and legally specced out to where they can utterly ignore the will of the people if they don't like it. Now, it hasn't been used that way often, because the elites have done an excellent job of keeping the plebes ill-informed enough to continue voting against their own interests throughout most of American history.

      Further filters are put in place as the ratio of wealthy to non-wealthy gets further and further weighted towards the peon side, like the primary system set in place for the major political parties being weighted in ways that make sure the commoner's vote counts for far less than the "special case" (i.e. wealthy investor level) vote. And specific wording in party documents stating the final vote in any case doesn't necessarily have to be used to choose the actual candidate to receive the nomination.

      American government was designed to protect and promote the wealthy, and keep everyone else from getting too far ahead. Sure, there's nominal escape routes kept in place specifically to show how it's not an oppressive regime (SEE! .0001% OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY TRY CAN CLIMB OUT OF THE GUTTER AND INTO THE CASTLE!), but in the end, it's still designed from the ground up to be exactly that.

      The only difference between the proverbial "then" and "now" is that for a relatively brief moment of time, people could get real information via the internet before it could be filtered out by those in charge, and people have seen the truth of how utterly boned we are. Of course, the elites are in the process of wresting control of that information again, and within a few years I doubt we'll have any actual information flowing into the hands of us mere mortals without it being carefully screened and re-written to reflect the "proper" viewpoint. Maybe that's for the best. It turns out there are a large number of Americans not equipped to handle real information without shutting down the critical thinking center of the brain and going fully into non-critical thinking, science debunking, full-idiot mode. And then we end up with an "election" between a non-starter (Hillary) and someone that is, quite possibly, the most legitimately insane person to ever run for the highest office of the land.

      That was the point where the people themselves flat out gave up. The number of people I've heard say they voted for Trump simply because they knew he'd bring chaos into government proceedings and had the best chance to shake things up made me realize there's no hope for progress in any real sense. The only hope the people in general have is to put so much chaos into the system that all progress, positive OR negative, stops altogether. And it seems like that may actually be working to some degree.

      Which both sucks and blows.

    2. Re:USA is a joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From one AC to another, only the rich and stupid still think this country is great. The relatively few good people here are disgusted at the rampant corruption.

    3. Re:USA is a joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can only imagine how depressing it must be to be a well informed intelligent American.
      The only problem is, most other countries are in a similar predicament.

  20. Re: Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Get help for your derangement. Or at least wipe that froth off with a towel.

  21. The US does want to destroy itself, does it? by gweihir · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Incredible.

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    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:The US does want to destroy itself, does it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I guess Chinese do as well because their not ramping down on coal plants either.

    2. Re:The US does want to destroy itself, does it? by gweihir · · Score: 0

      You must be a Trump follower. You people keep always pointing out how some others are just as dumb as you are. Ever heard about being _smarter_ than others?

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  22. Gameboy(R)acist(M)isogynist(H)omophobe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The guy who told me that censorship of blacks/women/gays was so meaningless that they shouldn't even be counted in stats of censorship is giving us a morality message?

    Yep, he bashes minorities based on their minority status, or women because they are women, and then gets on his high horse to tell us we are not ethical.
    Go back to VA, Northam is running KKK meetings in the Governor mansion.
    Or if you prefer to bash women, I believe the Lt. Governor Fairfax is holding rape sessions in his house in VA.
    Maybe you can follow it up by killing a live born baby to show how much you support abortion.

    Is this a joke at this point?

  23. evaluation -- non-coal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To really know what his effect will be, you have to look beyond coal. His position on coal is irrelevant. Coal is dead -- being killed by economic forces. The handwriting is on the wall: it is going away, and it's not coming back in the next 20 years.

    What else does he bring to the table?

  24. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 1, Informative

    "He had no direct evidence or knowledge of any Russian collusion during the campaign and said so under questioning yesterday." - Wrong, his testimony IS evidence. He said Jr. told Trump about that meeting beforehand.

    Which is .... hearsay, and thus inadmissible as actual evidence... You cannot testify to what you *think* somebody else said to somebody else, especially when that somebody is available to testify as to what was said. ALSO... IF you are talking about the "Trump Tower Meeting" during the campaign, it is FAR from established that anything unseemly or unethical took place at that meeting, in fact, everybody who was at that meeting says that the topic being discussed was some obscure adoption rules and had nothing to do with coordinating electioneering activities. But don't let the lack of actual evidence dissuade you from believing something else happened.

    When he was questioned about "Russian Collusion" Cohen says the following... Transcript excerpt follows from NBC none the less...

    Was there collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia?

    "Questions have been raised about whether I know of direct evidence that Mr. Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. I do not. I want to be clear. But, I have my suspicions," Cohen said.

    Suspicions are not "direct evidence" so Cohen knows nothing of importance about this subject.

    I'm making no judgment here about what Trump may or may not be guilty of, I'm just pointing out that Cohen doesn't have any direct evidence of Russian collusion to share with us. That Cohen suspects something he cannot prove may mean something to you, but to a court of law, it's meaningless.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  25. The new normal. by evendiagram · · Score: 1

    It would be more surprising if the Wheeler _wasn't_ a kakistocrat.

  26. ..so, quietly poison all Americans. Gotcha. by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Well I guess historians will have to add 'rise in cancer deaths' to the ever-growing list of shit Trump and his administration will inflict on us. Maybe the next president in 2020 will be able to get some of these assholes out and mitigate at least some of the damage.

  27. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    No, he said Jr. was in the room, went around his desk, and said what he testified. That is evidence, it is testimony. You can say it's not enough to convict, and by itself it isn't, but there's no question it's evidence under oath.

    Furthermore Trump has never had the balls/spine/brains combo to go under oath himself to refute ANY of this, because he's so cowardly and afraid of being instantaneously proven a liar and perjurer. He's a pussy.

    He's managed to drag things out but there is no escape from the mountains of evidence. Trump is a traitor, this is already proven. He will die in prison as he deserves, and his family may also.

    " I'm just pointing out that Cohen doesn't have any direct evidence of Russian collusion to share with us" - Doubly false. He has a dozen years of financial and other info on Trump's dealings with the Russian mob.

    As he testified, all of that is in Mueller's hands now.

    If you can't learn to read or pay attention, let me sum up for you Republican denialist faggots - Trump is completely fucked by his own hand. Completely.

    Enjoy, America is about to be made great again - by law enforcement.

  28. WHEELER HAS A RECORD ALREADY FAGGOT BOBBY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Politicos lol? Wheeler has a history already, you dumb faggot. Just because you are too lazy and cowardly to find out about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, you dumb faggot.

    1. Re:WHEELER HAS A RECORD ALREADY FAGGOT BOBBY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Settle down, Ivan

  29. Swamp level, it's over 9000! by Snufu · · Score: 0

    Step 1: Appoint industry cronies to regulate said industries.
    Step 2: ?????
    Step 3: No more regulatory capture!

  30. Re: Making America Great Again ^^ Mod up by CapS · · Score: 1

    Mod up please. I mean, how bad is the pollution if the river is catching fire -- let alone the long-term damage to the fish (very likely no longer edible) and other wildlife?

  31. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Hearsay is when the person testifying wasn't in the room and is relying on 3rd party info. He was in the room, he heard what he heard, he testified under oath. That's evidence, it's testimony. Fact. You're a moron.

  32. Trouble is nobody wants to pay by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    for that alternative. Folks are laughing off the Green New Deal as "Pie In the Sky" or just plain crazy, but I haven't heard a single solution to the widespread unemployment that grips the rust belt.

    That's what made Trump win. He listened to what folks like those coal miners were saying and promised them their jobs back. Heck, he even tried (a little) by trying to declare coal a national emergency so he could divert subsidies to them. Now, odds are most of that would have gone to the mine owners, but there'd at least be jobs in the meantime.

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    1. Re:Trouble is nobody wants to pay by gweihir · · Score: 2

      Indeed. Of course not paying for going green now will just be incredibly more expensive later. But humans as a group are stupid that way. I guess pretending to listening to them was probably the winning move for Trump overall, people are suckers for anyone with power pretending to take them seriously.

      --
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    2. Re:Trouble is nobody wants to pay by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      but I haven't heard a single solution to the widespread unemployment that grips the rust belt.

      That's because we're currently running the GOP plan for these areas. It's the same as their healthcare plan: Die quickly.

      Less snarky, the plan, such as it is, is to do nothing and let market forces deplete the population of these areas. Those ex-miners will either 1) die and no longer be a problem, or 2) move to a city, most likely making that city and/or state more Republican. As an added bonus, it doesn't require voting to fund any government programs.

      Now, odds are most of that would have gone to the mine owners, but there'd at least be jobs in the meantime.

      Not really. Mining is far more automated than the "glory days" these miners want to return to. Remove all regulations and there still would be a massive unemployment problem, 'cause things like mountaintop removal just doesn't need that many people.

      Actually pointing this out to miners is political suicide, so Trump and company left that bit out.

    3. Re:Trouble is nobody wants to pay by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      That's what made Trump win. He listened to what folks like those coal miners were saying and promised them their jobs back.

      That's the thing he fonud a group of people who wanted something and told them lies about how they'd get it. The other side told the harsh truth: those jobs aren't coming back.

      And they're not, no matter how much coal is deregulated. It's moving in the direction of ever larger open mines with massive machines run by very few people.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  33. Most of those car factories moved to Mexico by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    so that's not the best analogy... The need an entirely new type of work, but also one that they're capable of doing. "Learn to Code" is not an answer. I've worked with ex-miners who tried that. One one ever lasted more than 6 months, and that guy quit after 18 or so.

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    1. Re:Most of those car factories moved to Mexico by hierofalcon · · Score: 1

      It's not just a new line of work. People think retraining coal miners will solve everything but there are many coal mining locations where coal mining is the only industry supporting the towns in the area. If coal goes, many lives are affected beyond the miners, with no help offered to them. So you need to look at not only helping out coal mines but helping out whole communities. The same thing has happened across the crop belt as family farms have been bought up by corporations. A great many towns have disappeared. Just as with the family farm, most locations that mine coal aren't places corporations want to expand into to provide jobs in the first place, leading to more dislocations and skewing of the population statistics from small to large states.

      Recent statistics say the average coal wage in this area is from $25/hour to $27/hour depending on the mine. There aren't many lines of work that pay that well without expensive training that the person is capable of handling. Your experience with trying to teach coding is a prime example.

      I agree that natural gas and eventually recyclables are going to kill coal and that is one reason fewer people are taking it up as a career. But there are few careers that pay that well if you aren't college educated (and even many of those folks don't make that sort of money).

  34. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    ALSO... IF you are talking about the "Trump Tower Meeting" during the campaign, it is FAR from established that anything unseemly or unethical took place at that meeting, in fact, everybody who was at that meeting says that the topic being discussed was some obscure adoption rules and had nothing to do with coordinating electioneering activities. But don't let the lack of actual evidence dissuade you from believing something else happened.

    The US passed the Magnitsky Act December 14, 2012. This applied financial sanctions to Russia, particularly some Russian billionaires and high level officials. As a direct response, on December 19, 2012, Russia voted to ban the adoption of Russian children by US citizens. Russia has publicly stated that they would only lift the ban on adoptions if the Magnitsky sanctions were lifted. So when the say the 2016 meeting was about "adoptions", that directly translates to "sanctions" as the two are directly linked and you can't talk about one without the other.

    Don Jr has publicly admitted that the meeting between the campaign and with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya took place. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the sanctions (using the codeword adoptions). And Veselnitskaya was offereing damaging information on Clinton as incentive, which from emails we have was described as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” An email to which Don Jr. replied, “If it’s what you say I love it.”.

    The Trump campaign knowingly met with Russians about a quid pro quo deal exchanging dirt on Clinton for lifting sanctions on Russia.

  35. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by greythax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I listened to the whole testimony yesterday and I have got to say, I keep seeing some QUALITY cherry picking going on today.

    Comey testifies that a convicted russian mobster had a rent free office basically across the hall from Trump's, nothing.

    He says he has no evidence that Trump colluded, but basically everything Trump ever said or did points in that direction, and all of the MAGA crowd start shouting "See, no collusion!"

    And even better, the spin is, "He's a liar, you can't trust anything he said, except that no collusion thing."

    Ya gotta laugh at it to keep from crying.

  36. Coal and Cops.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are good wholesome Republican jobs supporting conservative values like 'justice' and 'toiling your peasant body unto your death as god intended'. Those meth jobs are filthy liberal Democrat jobs, without enough toil and supporting hedonistic lifestyles that go against God's teachings.

    See the problem?

    1. Re:Coal and Cops.... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Informative

      Those meth jobs are filthy liberal Democrat jobs, without enough toil and supporting hedonistic lifestyles that go against God's teachings.

      Most of the states with the most meth labs are Republican, and the state with the most meth labs is Vice-President Pence's very own Indiana.

      https://www.realclearpolitics....

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  37. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    And the whole Mueller investigation is fake news, right prisoner Drumpftard? Lol.. Tell it to the warden you world's dumbest faggot traitors. Trump will hang regardless of what Cohen said, lol. You're morons. You back a traitor.

  38. How (up)apt... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Like putting a RAT in charge of the cheese-larder...

  39. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by meerling · · Score: 1

    That's so cute how you to try to turn a statement of 'probably, but I don't have recordings or paperwork of it', into a 'nope didn't do it'.
    You really should include the entire question and reply in that, otherwise you're just twisting what was said.

    I've been trying to locate the exact clip I saw of it, but there's way too much noise to the signal at this time. I also tried going through the entire testimony but I keep falling asleep trying to listen to that horribly long video, and as to a transcript, I still haven't found a full transcript that doesn't want me to pay them for a subscription to their site. (Found transcripts from previous testimony, and tons of the opening statement, but none of the actual testimony yet that I can get ahold of.)
    I prefer transcripts over video since it's easy to do a search for keywords, and easy to skip over the really stupid grandstanding by the idiots that aren't even on topic just by skimming. Not really things that video or audio recordings allow.

    So if someone else is lucky enough to know the exact and entire clip (or a link to the exact timing of the question in the full video), or can locate it somehow that would be great.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lung infection and have to take a breathing treatment now, and have already wasted enough time on this anyway.
    Thanks for reading.

  40. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Kyr+Arvin · · Score: 1, Insightful

    And even better, the spin is, "He's a liar, you can't trust anything he said, except that no collusion thing."

    Unfortunately, all this testimony from these various people is all suspect, because they're all liars and generally terrible people. Manafort, Cohen, Stone, Papadopoulos, Flynn, on and on. Far from bringing in "the best people," he has surrounded himself with the worst people, which unfortunately means when they're cast off you have no idea if the tell-alls that they tell are in any way accurate or just new lies to save their own miserable skins.

    In other words, "yeah, I know, I lied for years for this guy, but now I'm telling the truth, honest" makes for witnesses that are easily dismissed. Now, if they can provide hard proof, like the 12 years of checks that Cohen said he had, then that makes for something.

  41. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by greythax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I take your point, but shouldn't that same standard apply to Trump, given how frequent and well documented his lying is? How do you dismiss liars while believing whole heartedly their king?

    (I'm using the impersonal you of course, it doesn't seem like you are defending him.)

  42. Bobbied does not know what hearsay is. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Cohen testified he was in the room when Trump Jr. came in and said what he testified Jr. said. That's not hearsay, that's direct testimony from someone who was in the room. It's evidence. You're a retarded traitor lol.

    Also it's testimony indicating Jr. lied to Congress, which is going to be quite thoroughly investigated, lol, you can take my word on that you punk ass illiterate traitor.

  43. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't conflate Lying with policy disagreements.

    Also, where there are actual lies, Trump lies about stupid, irrelevant stuff...crowd size and the like.

    Democrats lie about Policy that affects your pocketbook and your healthcare

  44. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 0

    Ok, but using Cohen to press this case is kind of thin. Everybody needs to take Cohen's testimony with all the relevance it's due. He's made multiple statements, under oath none the less, which have both conflicted and also boosted all sorts of theories about Trump in turn. It's totally fair to question if he's telling us the truth, or at least wonder which version of the story he's told us is true.

    The problem here is Cohen reputation is in tatters and legally he has an on again, off again relationship with the truth. As a witness, his credibility is shot. So, if he's the best witness we have, the case is in tatters too.

    Also, if the grand claims being made based on Cohen's testimony are true, there simply *has* to be some more evidence. I would suggest that Cohen's testimony isn't worth the paper to print it out. There has to be more actual evidence or this is a dead horse. BUT.... The House investigated this for 2 years already and concluded that there wasn't any evidence, admittedly controlled by the Republicans. Now the Democrats have their chance and they START with Cohen? Wouldn't you start with your best evidence and forget this Cohen mess? He really doesn't help, but comes across as a guy who's desperate and angry with the president to boot. Not a good start.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  45. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 0

    I'm not saying "Trump didn't do it" at all, I'm saying Cohen has no proof he did.

    We all know that the *whole* point here for this "investigation" is to dig up as much dirt as possible to throw into the articles of impeachment which is as certain as the sun rising in the east. Trust me, unless the democrats come to their senses pretty soon, they will impeach him sometime around spring of 2020 if not before.

    Cohen's testimony was supposed to be the start of the Democrat's investigation of Trump... As a beginning it's not a good start, but if that's all the cards you have to play, by all means. All I can say is if this is all the Democrats can come up with, they are WAY overplaying their hand. It may placate the base, but it's going to ensure Trump wins in a landslide in 2020, loosing the House again and loosing more seats in the Senate to boot.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  46. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Listen to the cocksucking Antifa fuck.

    You people riot, burn, attack innocents because you are butthurt.

    You talk about hanging, maybe you should worry about your head being evacuated from 300 yards by some redneck and his .308 deer rifle.

  47. Re:DNC winning! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Faux News is strong with this one. Dupe troll post, at least leave a few in between your weak ass attempts at character assassination, you stupid fucking retard.

    But do polish up that list of GOP talking points, your traitorous leader will be needing all the help he can get soon.

  48. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by reboot246 · · Score: 1

    "No, he said Jr. was in the room, went around his desk, and said what he testified."

    Read it again. Jr. told Trump the meeting was on. He didn't say which meeting or anything like that. Do you think that Trump had only ONE meeting that year?!? Cohen *assumed* they were talking about the meeting with the Russians. Assumptions are not evidence.

  49. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wrong. He was specific about which meeting he was referring to, and everyone in the room was excited about (and had talked publicly about) "Russia, if you're listening..." -etc. Trump collusion in plain sight proven already, sorry traitor.

    You lose traitor.

  50. Re: Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean when Drumpf lies about the âoeemergencyâ at the border thatâ(TM)s a trivial thing that doesnâ(TM)t affect anyone? Mhm. Idiot.

  51. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He lied about not wanting a job in the White House, SDNY had text messages from Cohen that contradict that in his charging documents.
    He claimed on a form he did not work for foreigners, testified he worked for Kazakhstan. One of the two is a lie, both are punishable with jail.

    He was referred to the DOJ for prosecution for both of those lies. Once a witness lies under oath, his testimony on anything else is invalid. Wasn't policy disagreements, was black and white misleading/lying.

  52. I see what you did here.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Andrew Wheeler To “LEAD” EPA

  53. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by maroberts · · Score: 1

    Furthermore Trump has never had the balls/spine/brains combo to go under oath himself to refute ANY of this, because he's so cowardly and afraid of being instantaneously proven a liar and perjurer. He's a pussy.

    This is incorrect. Whether you are innocent or guilty it is best to make no statement at all.

    Google 'Don't Talk to the Police', a lecture by James Duane,Regent University Law Professor.

    --

    Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
    Karma: Chameleon

  54. And? by GlennC · · Score: 1

    What exactly are we supposed to do about this?

    The guys with the guns don't seem to think that there's a problem, and the ones who think there's a problem are too chickenshit to get up and fight. Meanwhile, the corporate owners of the Republicratic Party (and therefore the government) are laughing their asses off at both sides.

    --
    Go on, citizen, stamp the vote card. R or D, your choice.
  55. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Manafort, Cohen, Stone, Papadopoulos and Flynn are such terrible people, what does that say about the man who hired all of them?

  56. I saw an interview with a kid by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    who took a coal mining course at his local community college. The interview asked him why he'd do that when there were other courses and very few mining jobs.

    His answer was pretty sound. The only jobs in his town were at the mine and at Walmart. He could take another course, but then he'd have to move. That meant leaving friends and family behind, the town he grew up in, and coming up with the money to move a long distance and get an apartment in an unfamiliar city.

    Basically, we've backed these kids into a corner where all their choices are bad.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:I saw an interview with a kid by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 1

      I grew up in one of those small towns where the only opportunities were working on a farm and in the local convenience store (the town wasn't even big enough for a WalMart). I was smart enough to move away for opportunities. Why do you want me to worry about people that don't have the gumption to change their own lives for the better? I was backed into the same sort of "bad choice". I'm now making more money with a better life than I ever would have had living in that town. People who defend that way of life want people to fail.

      --
      That is all.
    2. Re:I saw an interview with a kid by radarskiy · · Score: 1

      "The only jobs in his town were at the mine and at Walmart. "

      They may be the only jobs in town, but they won't be *increasing*. He's basically replacing the next one or two people that die.

      "but then he'd have to move"

      I moved across the US for my previous job. I moved back for my current job. I was applying for jobs in Europe. I might be tough, but that's no excuse to dangle the hope of terrible jobs *that aren't even coming*.

    3. Re:I saw an interview with a kid by radarskiy · · Score: 1

      'IT' might be tough, not 'I'

      fscking typos...

  57. WindBourne - tell us how this is China's fault by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There must be some way to spin this and blame China?
    Up for the challenge, or laying low and hoping it blows over?

  58. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/28/politics/cohen-hearing-interviews-house-oversight/index.html

  59. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Democrats only started with Cohen to give SDNY time to finish whatever it is doing, because we already knew what Cohen was going to say.

    That show yesterday was to get what we already knew on the record, the names of people, the methods, etc. Just because 'We know' doesn't mean that the House knows or has a plan to follow the Money and trail of mobsters disguised as Trump executives and business partners.

  60. No Conflict There... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yup. yup. yup. yup!

  61. And Obama had a communist run the CIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At the same time I was in a Navy uniform and facing our primary enemy, the communists, during the Cold War a guy named John Brennan was voting for a Communist to be president of the US and to implement unilateral disarmament. Oh, and of course Communist leaders never permit free elections to occur after they get "elected" which is part of why Brennan's vote is so vile.

    then a few years passed

    and then President Obama named that John Brennan to be head of the CIA, where he ultimately used his government position to spy on an opposition party's presidential candidate, tried to defeat that candidate, then tried to keep him from taking office after he won, and then tried to sabotage his administration after he was sworn in. That same John Brennan continues to be a regular "expert" talking head on cable TV programs as he continues to try to subvert the duly elected president he tried to sabotage.

    I'm a LOT less worried about the EPA being led by a coal lobbyist for a handful of years (up to 6 at maximum) than I am by the prospect of an avowed communist running the CIA and using a fake garbage "dossier" made by Russian and British spies and paid for by Hillary Clinton with laundered money to try to sabotage America's election process.

    Hillary Clinton used to agree about the importance of our Democratic processes:

    “That’s horrifying, Let’s be clear about what he is saying and what that means. He is denigrating [pause] he is talking down our democracy. And I am appalled that someone who is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that position.” - Hillary Clinton during 2016 presidential debate

    “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the things that makes America America.” - Hillary Clinton in 2016

    “To say you won't respect the results of the election, that is a direct threat to our democracy, We've been around 240 years. We've had free and fair elections and we've accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them and that is what must be expected of anyone standing on a debate stage during a general election .... Look, some people are just sore losers,” - Hillary Clinton in 2016

    Then she lost to Trump.

    “We don’t have a method for contesting that in our system. That’s why I’ve long advocated for an independent commission to get to the bottom of what happened.” - Hillary Clinton in 2017 interview clearly implying she'd contest the 2016 election if there were a process to do it, but thast she must settle for some extra-constitutional scheme to undermine Trump as the only alternative.

  62. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cohen got caught lying for Trump because he underestimated what the prosecutors would find out about the truth. He no longer has any incentive to lie to Congress. It's not his job anymore and if he got caught again it would just mean more jail time for him.

    On the key crime that Cohen was involved in, illegal campaign payments, there is corroborating evidence that Trump was involved.

  63. The Big Lie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the biggest lie in American history: "Trump colluded with Russia" backed up by a fake dossier created by a British spy and his Russian spy friends, paid for by Hillary Clinton, and run through the DOJ, FBI, and CIA by Obama appointees --- and talked-up relentlessly by Democrats at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, etc for over two years so that half of America believes it even though the author of the Dossier (Mr. Steel) has testified under oath in a British court that he is unaware of any elements of the dossier being truthful. The biggest mouthpieces for the lie have been John Brennan (Presidnet Obama's CIA director) and James Clapper (President Obama's Direcor of National Intelligence) --- incidentally both of whom have lied under oath to congress about spying on the American people.

    The preposterous lie told over and over and over until people believe it, by experts in deceit and disinformation.

  64. Oohh... evil coal!!! Electricity is bad!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What a bunch of idiots. There is no such thing as 'catastrophic man-made global warming'.

    www.climatedepot.com
    www.wattsupwiththat.com

  65. Up next APK for cyber security Czar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Up next will be APK for cyber security Czar

  66. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now the Democrats have their chance and they START with Cohen? Wouldn't you start with your best evidence and forget this Cohen mess?

    They already have a lot of evidence, which Cohen corroborates, not all of which we are yet privy to.

    Also, as an example, in the span of her 5 minute Q&A period, AOC was able to open several substantial new lines of inquiry into Trump's illegal activities, identify those who may be witnesses to said crimes, and determine where the evidence might be located.

    Ironically, if law enforcement never believed the words of anyone who's lied to them, there would be a lot more crime.

  67. Coal Lobbyist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't that kind of like the fox guarding the hen house?

  68. Big Lie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And this is the Big Lie told by Deplorables.

    Trump lies all the time, about everything. Stupid stuff yes, but also important stuff. His supporters simply choose to hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see, and lie about stuff that is important.

    Republicans have sold their souls, no more needs to be said.

  69. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by Kyr+Arvin · · Score: 1

    Also, where there are actual lies, Trump lies about stupid, irrelevant stuff...crowd size and the like.

    Trump lies about everything, big or little. It just seems to be how he does things.

  70. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 1

    So "adoption" is a code word? You are kidding right...

    You DO understand that you are basically making a conspiracy theory out of that assumption, a theory for which you have to make all sorts of assumptions to support because there are no facts to back up your claims.

    The problem for your theory here is *everybody* in the room is saying the same things, that nobody was coordinating Russian efforts with Trump's campaign and besides this meeting there is nothing ,else really to discuss as evidence. This whole thing fails on it's face, legally speaking, unless you have actual evidence and not supposition and innuendo to actually back up your claims. Just meeting a Russian is NOT proof of anything unethical or illegal took place, not even close. You need some kind of actual evidence.... Something more than Hillary lost that is..

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  71. Re: Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 1

    there are people dying because of the border situation. I think that kind of justifies the emergency declaration.

    But the point here is what's the LAW say about this. If you read the law, the president is given very wide latitude in making this decision, and Congress may disagree by passing legislation to undo the president's action, then override his veto if he chooses to stick with the declaration he's made.

    So... Suck it up. Take your case to the courts and fight it there. But you won't get this overturned in the end, so I suggest you get used to the idea.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  72. Re:Donald Trump is going to prison for TREASON by bobbied · · Score: 1

    As much as it says about the folks who hired and paid Dennis Raider for the two plus decades he was on the lamb.. Or what does it say about the local hardware stores that sold the Uni-bomber the stuff for his bombs.. Nothing.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101