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founding

And now we know that Trump has reversed course because the stock market tanked after he rejected the stimulus bill. As Stephanie Ruhle pointed out just a few minutes ago on Morning Joe, the stock market was going up on Monday, not because Trump seemed to be doing OK after getting COVID as he claimed and the media echoed but because big investors were optimistic because they thought the stimulus bill was going to be passed. Ruhle worked for years on Wall Street and has really great contacts with influential people there. Despite that she has no qualms about criticizing them.

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Once again all of this is noise. The Reich does nothing about anything he does. Ever. He gets away with doing and saying anything. And the dems are still just laying around playing it safe. The only thing that could surprise me is if one he bows out of the race or two he leaves after losing the election. Absolutely nothing else is surprising shocking or matters anymore. We are done as a democracy with the courts and the Reich. Done.

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I suppose I must be dense. Trump's apparent strategy of urging immediate confirmation of his supreme court pick but waiting for a stimulus vote until after he is elected assumes that these two endeavors cannot be pursued at the same time. Why not?

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Trump called off the stimulus negotiations as a walk away from the table tactic. In his drug addled haze he forgot the consequences to equity markets would produce a serious cross current. When that reality dawned on him he careened back to whatever crazed position he is currently holding. None of this makes real sense because he is higher than Venus. The Supreme Court only matters to him if the election is close. It’s looking like it won’t be. He may not be able to absorb that knowledge.

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I vacillate between if Trump is just a complete nincompoop or is he an evil genius. For example does he actually get it that he can't possible win this election as the polls are showing? Therefore his only option is to get Barrett on the court to hopefully vote him in as president if the GOP lawyers can prove, somehow, that the election was fraudulent? Or is he just a complete moron who has no f#!king clue as to what he is doing? What sense does it make to not supply a stimulus if you are looking for more votes? So did he tweet the thwarting of the stimulus just to throw a shiny object for the media to chase. Of course that's something the press simply can't ignore with this madman/evil genius in the White House.

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Mr. Boehlert, I think you miss the bigger story here.

Trump is playing at being President while under the influence of mood altering drugs. We know that steroids can increase aggression. I've heard that one of the unpronounceable drugs Trump was given can lead to feelings of grandiosity.

Not that Trump needs help with either; but imagine what little restraint he has removed by the effects of the drugs he's taking.

Perhaps a sober Trump will reconsider the stimulus.

But mood altered Trump still has access to the nuclear codes.

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A couple of points. One is that Trump doesn't just need a court that will let him steal the election. He needs a Supreme Court that will block the release of his taxes.

The other is the latest gimmick this morning, where he's claiming he'll sign a stand alone bill. Basically he wants everyone to get a check with his name on it in big letters just before the election. Could he be any more blatant?

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