Welcome to DU, Pepsidog.

I think you're spot-on in your assessment, from your reply title all the way down to "...we are in for even worse days."

I fear that's exactly how it'll play out, even if we do get rid of trump. There are those here and all over everywhere else who believe that there's enough dirt on Pence that whatever takes trump down will take Pence down with him. I wish that were true but I get the feeling it won't work that way.

I suspect there'd be such a load of relief out there that they lanced the boil and now - let's move on! Let's get back down to business! It's over, we fixed it, problem solved, everybody move on. (Particularly because we now HAVE the "dream president" we've always wanted, at long last! A beady-eyed religious fanatic who is one of us, smooth-talking enough, spouting prayer-filled platitudes, looking all holy and reverent and sanctimonious, and sufficiently well-connected with friends he still has in Congress who will be GLAD to send him bills to sign that turn back the clock on civil rights, women's rights, voting rights, and gay rights, among other things. That way, we can live the dream! Happily ever after back in the 6th Century!)

You and me both, barbtries.

Made me think of all the women I know who, when they were in love or about to marry, talked about how "I can change him." And I'd always think to myself - "no you can't. THIS is it. THIS is who he is. He may not feel like changing. He may be okay with the way he is. NOTHING you can do or say will change that (or him), unless HE decided to change, for himself. He won't do it for you."

Made me wonder what the heck they were marrying him for! You sign up with someone - either as a mate, OR as a representative OR as a president - AS IS. Warts and all. There's no such thing as "some assembly required" here. You get what you get, and it is what it is. And yeah, it's made me laugh to hear all the pundits, the interviewers, the reporters, the GOP apologists, the campaign PR people, the guys at the end of the line assigned to sweep up after the elephants' parade, all repeatedly assuring that - "oh, he'll get it! He'll catch on!" and "he'll become presidential!" All through the transition period they yammered about this. "Don't worry!" and "he's gonna start getting it" and "just be patient - he'll grow into the job" and the ever-popular "he's still new at this... just give him time!"

It's ALL BULLSHIT. Just exactly how much time are we supposed to give him to "start getting it" or "grow into the job"? Every time the unscripted, unteleprompter'd, unsupervised trump opens his fish-lipped yap, we can all see who he really is, and how he isn't "growing into" ANYTHING!

Indeed. It does make you wonder what he's trying SO damn hard to hide.

It's either that a lot of Russian money and influence is documented in there, OR that it's well-documented that he isn't anywhere near as wealthy as he's said he is.

Considering his long-established, well-documented, and by now thoroughly fact-checked reputation for lying - about EVERYTHING and ANYTHING that comes up, and his colossal ego, I'd expect it's probably more of the latter than the former. But in reality, it's probably both. With more than a little bit of RICO problems thrown in for good measure.

If there were nothing in there, why would he be working so hard to keep it hidden?

If there's nothing incriminating in there, why would he so ardently want to keep it hidden?

If he's truly done nothing wrong (not by HIS definition of what "wrong" is, but the law's), then why has he been trying so relentlessly to keep it hidden?

This is terrific! All deserve tremendous thanks

and one DEFINITELY deserves The Finger!

LOL!

His "favorables" are still WAY too high.

Hard to believe ANYONE could give him any sort of passing grade.

I couldn't even give him an F. That's still too high. I'd have to go all the way down to Z.

With all due respect, no. And you make a SUPERB point here.

It's absolutely correct - no, not just correct, ESSENTIAL - to remind about the big developers who are only looking to make a big buck, as you have, here. Likely the developers themselves don't live in, or likely anywhere near, the developments they push for. They've got lots of money for bribes - er - I mean campaign contributions - for the politicians whose jobs allow them to appoint AND fire people like city planners.

They might also do some sort of sweet-talking with the planners themselves. After all, regardless what you have to spend to sweeten the pot for that creative new zoning "exemption", you stand to make SO MUCH more after you develop that property with luxury homes and towers of waterfront condos and apartments. Towers are great because as much as you could make from a single-story beachfront property, just think if you could stack 30 stories of property and multiply the payday by 30 - or however many stories you can get the zoning restrictions relaxed enough to allow. And the higher up you build, the better the view, and you can charge even more!

Welcome to DU, LuckyCharms!

I cannot imagine the fatigue. TOTALLY overwhelming. It would be one thing if the rain stopped tomorrow and everything dried up quickly. Hell, they're all going to be mired in this particular situation for WEEKS. I heard something about how the floodwaters aren't expected to recede until late September. SHEESH. That's a MONTH. And that's just at the point where the flood part is over. The recovery - AY-yi-yi... The bugs, the flies, the mosquitos, the heat, and since this is only the start of hurricane season, I bet a lot of folks in that area find themselves wondering - "what's next?"

Welcome to DU, Srkdqltr!

I used to dream of owning property in Malibu, or an island like the one owned by a schoolmate of mine who came from a very wealthy family. Now? NEVER!!! Not that I have that kind of money, mind you, but even if I did, I think I'd want to go find a house on a mountaintop. Maybe with a VIEW of the water, way off at a safe distance.

Besides, if it's ocean water, you've got ongoing corrosion from the salt, in the water, the surf, and the air. You're NEVER free of it.

But hey, who am I to talk? I live in earthquake/brushfire/mudslide country.

BOOM! You just won the internet!