@Valvegear absolutely true. Some of the Democratic nominees have been truly pathetic (Beto). It ia an affiction that affects both sides of polirics.

Michael

@don_dunstan So what if the whistleblower was a former Obama official. Forget about Officer Vidmans testimony or the fact many Rrpublicans think that Trump is wrong.

Maybe what the Bidens had done was wrong, the point is that it has been proven that Trump has bteached the Constitution in making aid approved by congress conditional on essentially a foreign power spying on a US citizen. But hey those pesky Democrats hey.

Trump has absolutely no right to question Biden or anyone else given his track record.

As regards to the Democratic nominee, the only ones I would like to see is Sanders, Warren or Kamala Harris. Sod the rest including Clinton if she runs. Republican lite candidates can go and jump as far as I am concerned.


Michael

So glad you are giving Joe and Hunter Biden a free pass to use US taxpayer money however they like in the corrupt pursuit of money abroad, I'm sure they'll be really glad that there's people like you who support their overt criminality. The Bidens can blackmail and corruptly obtain influence any way they like hey - but how dare Trump ask a foreign official if there's any basis to it! The fact that the Democrats are trying to force through this massive own-goal goes to show how un-electable they are.

Get used to Trump, he's going to be there for another five years.

@don_dunstan So what if the whistleblower was a former Obama official. Forget about Officer Vidmans testimony or the fact many Rrpublicans think that Trump is wrong.

Maybe what the Bidens had done was wrong, the point is that it has been proven that Trump has bteached the Constitution in making aid approved by congress conditional on essentially a foreign power spying on a US citizen. But hey those pesky Democrats hey.

Trump has absolutely no right to question Biden or anyone else given his track record.

As regards to the Democratic nominee, the only ones I would like to see is Sanders, Warren or Kamala Harris. Sod the rest including Clinton if she runs. Republican lite candidates can go and jump as far as I am concerned.


Michael

So glad you are giving Joe and Hunter Biden a free pass to use US taxpayer money however they like in the corrupt pursuit of money abroad, I'm sure they'll be really glad that there's people like you who support their overt criminality. The Bidens can blackmail and corruptly obtain influence any way they like hey - but how dare Trump ask a foreign official if there's any basis to it! The fact that the Democrats are trying to force through this massive own-goal goes to show how un-electable they are.

Get used to Trump, he's going to be there for another five years.

If he simply asked, then who cares? The problem was the Trump thought it was a good idea to threaten negative consequences if said foreign power refused/declined.

Good to know you're giving Trump a free pass to blackmail whoever he likes.

@don_dunstan No I am not giving Joe Biden as pass. I did say it was probably wrong as opposed to you condoning Mr Trump breaking the constitution, his actions reeking of corruption.  Do stop trying to blow smoke up my rear and out of yours Don.


Michael

If he simply asked, then who cares? The problem was the Trump thought it was a good idea to threaten negative consequences if said foreign power refused/declined.

Good to know you're giving Trump a free pass to blackmail whoever he likes.

Again with the Trump hysteria - I've read the transcript of the phone call. Where'e the blackmail? Trump expresses concern about possible graft by American citizens in the Ukraine and invites the new leader to discuss the situation further with Rudy Giuliani. Explain to me how that's blackmail - explain to me the part where Trump is threatening people in that phone call. And yet another person who thinks a Joe Biden blackmailing Ukraine with a billion dollar loan guarantee is not as important as Trump asking for it to be investigated. Biden is corrupt as they come, the evidence is staring everyone in the face but somehow Trump is the issue?

And did the Democrats seriously learn nothing from the protracted impeachment process (the ultimately failed) with Bill Clinton? It accomplished naught, if anything it made Clinton even more popular with the public.

The fact that the Democrats are continuing to pursue this (presumably in the hope that they can unseat him rather than try and fight him again in an election they know they'll lose) goes to show how hopelessly out of touch with their constituents they are and ultimately how weak and un-electable they are.

@don_dunstan No I am not giving Joe Biden as pass. I did say it was probably wrong as opposed to you condoning Mr Trump breaking the constitution, his actions reeking of corruption.  Do stop trying to blow smoke up my rear and out of yours Don.


Michael

Michael - you said:

Trump has absolutely no right to question Biden or anyone else given his track record.

That very much sounds like you are giving Joe Biden a free pass there. Biden might be corrupt but somehow Trump is worse (despite the fact that he's still in office and apparently will not be impeached).

You have a terrible case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Have a Bex and a good lie down.

Trump is more popular with the Average Joes in the United States than ever before: Here he is on the weekend with the First Lady being cheered at an Alabama football game:



You people can carp and whinge all you want about Trump but he's not going anywhere.

@don_dunstan Still blowing smoke eh Don! Mate Your man has installed his family into key White house positions. Half his original cabinet has had to resign or have been arrested and was going to, I do not know if he is still going have a G20 conference at one of his hotels in direct breach of the emoluments rule. So yeah he has no right. It is not the caae that I am giving the Biden's a pass. If the Bidens are guilty then fo through the proper channels not attempt to coerce a nation through blackmail. Trump throwing stones. Really lets not go there

You want to remove the patch from one of your eyes Don.

Michael

Most of America is rather disillusioned with both Trump and the current line-up of Democrat candidates.  They're becoming like the French - pessimists rather than optimists, and it's not hard to see why.

And Don I would take what that absolute throbber Charlie Kirk says with a pinch of salt.

Michael

@don_dunstan Still blowing smoke eh Don! Mate Your man has installed his family into key White house positions. Half his original cabinet has had to resign or have been arrested and was going to, I do not know if he is still going have a G20 conference at one of his hotels in direct breach of the emoluments rule. So yeah he has no right. It is not the caae that I am giving the Biden's a pass. If the Bidens are guilty then fo through the proper channels not attempt to coerce a nation through blackmail. Trump throwing stones. Really lets not go there

You want to remove the patch from one of your eyes Don.

Michael

Hey Michael, you can keep having your little whinge-fest about Trump all you like. Did you watch that video? Trump is more popular with the average Joes than ever before.

Your bitter belly-aching about him doesn't matter one iota.

@don_dunstan Still blowing smoke eh Don! Mate Your man has installed his family into key White house positions. Half his original cabinet has had to resign or have been arrested and was going to, I do not know if he is still going have a G20 conference at one of his hotels in direct breach of the emoluments rule. So yeah he has no right. It is not the caae that I am giving the Biden's a pass. If the Bidens are guilty then fo through the proper channels not attempt to coerce a nation through blackmail. Trump throwing stones. Really lets not go there

You want to remove the patch from one of your eyes Don.

Michael

Hey Michael, you can keep having your little whinge-fest about Trump all you like. Did you watch that video? Trump is more popular with the average Joes than ever before.

Your bitter belly-aching about him doesn't matter one iota.

Trump is popular in Alabama.  Of course he is!  And Warren, Sanders and so on would have rocks thrown at them...

And yet it would be the opposite situation on the West Coast.

If he simply asked, then who cares? The problem was the Trump thought it was a good idea to threaten negative consequences if said foreign power refused/declined.

Good to know you're giving Trump a free pass to blackmail whoever he likes.

Again with the Trump hysteria - I've read the transcript of the phone call. Where'e the blackmail? Trump expresses concern about possible graft by American citizens in the Ukraine and invites the new leader to discuss the situation further with Rudy Giuliani. Explain to me how that's blackmail - explain to me the part where Trump is threatening people in that phone call. And yet another person who thinks a Joe Biden blackmailing Ukraine with a billion dollar loan guarantee is not as important as Trump asking for it to be investigated. Biden is corrupt as they come, the evidence is staring everyone in the face but somehow Trump is the issue?


(snip)

Why would it have been reported then that he did threaten to withhold aid? And please don't sprout "fake news" crap.


Also, where in my post did I give the Biden's a pass? Spoiler alert, I didn't. If the concern is real, then by all means go after them.

Why would it have been reported then that he did threaten to withhold aid? And please don't sprout "fake news" crap.


Also, where in my post did I give the Biden's a pass? Spoiler alert, I didn't. If the concern is real, then by all means go after them.

Where did he threaten to withhold aid? The phone call is what the impeachment investigation is about - didn't read anything in that transcript about threatening to withhold aid. Perhaps you are getting confused with Joe Biden who definitely DID blackmail the Ukraine government by threatening to withhold aid if the investigation into his son's activities in that country continued.

@don_dunstan And the Democrata have just flipped 2 red state legislatures in Kentucky and Virginia. So lets wait and see.

What you think of me is neither here or there Don. You are kind of not that important. We are having a debate.

Michael

@don_dunstan And the Democrata have just flipped 2 red state legislatures in Kentucky and Virginia. So lets wait and see.

What you think of me is neither here or there Don. You are kind of not that important. We are having a debate.

Michael

So why bother arguing with me, Michael? Neither of us are going to change our minds.

So why bother arguing with me, Michael? Neither of us are going to change our minds.

Well why don't you quit arguing with him, Don?

@ValvegearYou are right. It is just that Mr Dunstan treats anyone who disagrees with him as a mortal enemy or stupid or a belly acher.
I should ignore hismild insults.

I promise I will resist the temptation.

Michael

@ValvegearYou are right. It is just that Mr Dunstan treats anyone who disagrees with him as a mortal enemy or stupid or a belly acher.
I should ignore hismild insults.

I promise I will resist the temptation.

Michael

Okay Michael, you wanna keep chatting about the US Presidency - why not but you know already what I'm going to say.

Trump is a phenomenon entirely delivered to the United States by eight years of incompetent Barack Obama administration - him and his pretend government infiltrated by the plutocracy - him and his utterly venomous bile Secretary of State for four years Hillary Rodham Clinton. They promised to put a stop to the United States getting involved in making new wars of occupation and creating hotbeds of terrorism and yet what did they do?

They made several more of their own.

For this fact alone Obama and Hillary need to hang their heads in collective shame and never be seen in public again.

Trump was one hundred percent the creation of eight years of Obama Presidency and the reaction to his do-nothing approach with foreign affairs and the economy, end-of-story.

Discuss.

@don_dunstan Nope I aint falling for it. You sound off pretty well without my input.

Michael

@don_dunstan Nope I aint falling for it. You sound off pretty well without my input.

Michael

Obama thought he could just Bill Clinton his way through the Presidency. And did. Syria, Libya, you name it - heaps more future wars for the USA to help fight in the future - at least Trump was trying to leave the Syrian situation to its own devices several years after Hillary Clinton's genocidal decision not to do deals with Putin.

Yeah the Demmie-crats have a lot to be proud of, don't they.

So why bother arguing with me, Michael? Neither of us are going to change our minds.

Well why don't you quit arguing with him, Don?

Michael agrees with me that the Democrats are weak as water and don't deserve to govern. Don't you, Michael?

Evidence that the government's $1,080 tax refund had zero effect on the economy - News.com.au;

Growth in retail volumes fell to about zero over the last year, and that’s after rounding the number up. The actual growth was negative 0.145 per cent, a fall in the amount of goods and services sold in Australia. As the next graph shows, that’s extremely rare...

...The Australian economy includes a lot of heavy industry and big business. But the consumer economy is still its most important part, accounting for more than half. So the fall in retail sales volumes is serious.

This is especially so since the government handed out tax cuts it expected would flow through to retail spending. Apparently that plan … didn’t work.

The other problem was that employment wasn't stimulated either:

ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch acknowledged the job ads series has been predicting weakness that is yet to arrive.

“The ANZ Job Ads series has been pointing to a material slowdown in employment growth for some time; yet employment growth has been remarkably resilient. We don’t expect it can hold up for much longer though. In particular, employment in the construction industry should continue to fall as residential building activity contracts.”

That must have been very painful news for the Reserve Bank to hear as it met on Tuesday.

Time to bring out the helicopter money?

Evidence that the government's $1,080 tax refund had zero effect on the economy - News.com.au;

Growth in retail volumes fell to about zero over the last year, and that’s after rounding the number up. The actual growth was negative 0.145 per cent, a fall in the amount of goods and services sold in Australia. As the next graph shows, that’s extremely rare...

...The Australian economy includes a lot of heavy industry and big business. But the consumer economy is still its most important part, accounting for more than half. So the fall in retail sales volumes is serious.

This is especially so since the government handed out tax cuts it expected would flow through to retail spending. Apparently that plan … didn’t work.

The other problem was that employment wasn't stimulated either:

ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch acknowledged the job ads series has been predicting weakness that is yet to arrive.

“The ANZ Job Ads series has been pointing to a material slowdown in employment growth for some time; yet employment growth has been remarkably resilient. We don’t expect it can hold up for much longer though. In particular, employment in the construction industry should continue to fall as residential building activity contracts.”

That must have been very painful news for the Reserve Bank to hear as it met on Tuesday.

Time to bring out the helicopter money?

Don, we have debts to pay off and many of us have had a gutful of consumerism and wasteful spending.

And yet Australians blow about $208 billion per year on gambling.  That's $11000 per person.

Don, we have debts to pay off and many of us have had a gutful of consumerism and wasteful spending.

And yet Australians blow about $208 billion per year on gambling.  That's $11000 per person.

Carnot, I keep careful track of these things and I spend about $500-$1,000 a year on lotto tickets; it's the only kind of gambling we have in our household. You get the fantasy for a few days before the inevitable disappointment.

Someone is spending the other $10,000 on my behalf, probably in those unbearable pokies dens or with those phone betting apps. It must be horrendous being a problem gambler now-days, there's gambling options everywhere including on your phone.