West Wing imploding; Trump refuses to talk to anyone in WH

[Cuddles]

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/09/bob-woodwards-reality-bomb-is-blowing-up-the-west-wing

“EVERYBODY ON THE INSIDE KNOWS IT’S TRUE”: WOODWARD’S REALITY BOMB IS BLOWING UP THE WEST WING

“It’s pandemonium. He literally isn’t talking to anyone. He’s canceled meetings and is on the phone calling up his friends,” one source said. Current and former staffers, meanwhile, pointed fingers in all directions as they sought to deflect blame for the damaging leaks. “I’d rather be an unapologetic defender of Donald Trump than Judas,” one West Wing official told me.

Even Trump’s family is concerned the president is in deep trouble. After attending John McCain’s funeral, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump told Trump he needs to get control of himself. A person briefed on the conversation recalled, “Jared told him if they’re going to last in Washington they can’t be this far off the mark with the establishment.”

 

[Frederick Foresight]

When it's over, you just know this whole Trump presidency thing is going to make one helluva movie or mini series. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

[Spike Trader]

''It's Pandemonium'' ? . ?
who can blame him !!!!!!
here's a guy who actually knows how big his hands are.
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Trump’s Divorce Lawyer Reportedly Wrote a Tell-all Book


An attorney who represented shark-fearing president Donald Trump in his both of his divorces has reportedly written a tell-all book .

“Page Six” reports attorney Jay Goldberg, who represented Trump in his splits from tweet-enabling first wife Ivana and lifestyle guru second wife Marla, is set to auction the rights to his memoir. The lawyer’s client roster also reportedly includes Robert F. Kennedy, Diddy, Willie Nelson, and the Rolling Stones, to name a few.

The gossip column notes that the book tells “all the inside stories from behind the trials” — including details about Trump.


Goldberg told Page Six, “Trump gets a very bad rap,” adding, “The book is going to reflect his true character.”

 

[Greenie]

But greatest economy in half-a-century? Give me more pandemonium pleeeeeze!

 

[Slartibartfast]

But greatest economy in half-a-century? Give me more pandemonium pleeeeeze!

Nonsense.

 

[RedDuke]

But greatest economy in half-a-century? Give me more pandemonium pleeeeeze!

Economy was doing quite well when Trump became presidents. He set it on steroids so to speak. Unneeded tax cuts. Let's all hope for our own sake it won't crush with a big bust.

 

[piezoe]

But greatest economy in half-a-century? Give me more pandemonium pleeeeeze!

Obama listened to his economic advisors and the economy made a slow but steady recovery, the economy had recovered by the time Trump took office. The time recovery takes is naturally a functions of the depth of the preceding recession, which was historic. Had the Congress giving the President all that he asked for, recovery would have been a bit faster. The Fed should be faulted for having contributed mightily to the great recession by failing to police mortgage underwriting and not doing anything about the dangers the unregulated swaps market posed. Somewhat ironically then, they were also instrumental in conjunction with the Treasury in preventing a full on depression and in rescuing the economy. The measures taken were extraordinary! Although productivity figures look good at present, we have two significant problems that need attention. One is the relatively large, remaining body of discouraged job seekers. The other, and most serious problem, are the stagnant wages of a large fraction of the middle class, leading to declining real wages. There are signs that pressure on wages is heating up. Inadequate wages has a negative impact on domestic demand and leads to a too rapid expansion of credit and other distortions in the economy caused by indirect, government subsidy of private corporations.

The eye popping 4.2 % GDP increase figure* we see for the second quarter is due somewhat to one time events related to quixotic and capricious announcements of tariffs coming from the White House. Red Duke was right when he said Trump had "set [the economy] on steroids," but both the initial effect and ill effects from that will come later. What you are seeing now is the result of continuation of the previous trend with anticipation of the steroid's effect and the short term effect of on-again off-again policy tweeted from the oval office thrown on top. The longer term effects should be a controlled pick-up in inflation, an accelerated expansion of credit, because real wages are not keeping up with inflation, and a GDP that settles in the 2.8-3 area, which without a large increase in exports is about all the economy can manage without harmful distortions. The extra money being left in the economy will go into share buy backs -- what companies do when demand won't justify expansion of output in goods and services. Supply-side weighting of current tax policy will result in additional money accumulating at the top** being converted into Treasuries as the Fed counters a ballooning in reserve accounts. This temporarily removes ("sidetracks") money from the economy and serves to dampen inflation. What will remain hurting is the demand side. The arms industry should be one of the best prospects for productivity growth.

Many economist are predicting full year GDP growth in the high 2s. That remains to be seen.

___________________
*It seems these numbers are a little more likely to be revised downward than upward.

**A rational person might not have anticipated that their government would adopt policies that would make a bad problem even worse. Oddly, that's precisely what we have done.