There is only one purpose to DT's current proposed budget:

[pnwmom]

to be so breathtakingly wrong and heartless that when Ryan finally announces his budget, by comparison it will appear almost humane -- and all the media will say so.

We can't fall for that. DT's budget is just a ruse. The real budget, wrong and inhumane by every measure except by comparison to DT's, hasn't been released yet.

[Fast Walker 52]

2. to some extent, but I don't think they are really that smart

they are just fucking assholes and the Trump WH is just dumber about their assholery

[pnwmom]

6. DT is a salesman and this is a classic salesman's stunt. n/t

[LisaM]

3. I partially agree. I think the Meals on Wheels thing is probably a red herring.

They'll pretend to give in on that, but that will make other cuts - particularly to the arts and public broadcasting - happen more under the radar. Then they'll all brag that they 'saved' Meals on Wheels.

I feel as if Regina on "Once Upon a Time" has reached into each and every one of their chests and pulled out their hearts.

[still_one]

4. In regard to the ACA they sure are on the same deplorable page.

As for the budget, I believe this is exactly what Banon and his other slum landlord advisors want. There will be push back by some republicans in Congress on that, but I don't believe for a moment that Trump is doing this so Congressional republicans look "more reasonable". I think trump is pushing it because trump and his advisors ARE deplorable, and a good number of Congressional republicans have that same mindset

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Both Trump and Ryan follow the hard-core conservative dogma

that the federal government exists only to to provide military defense and channel tax revenues for the benefit of the wealthy, and that everything else should be supported by the states or by private charity. They are so fanatical about this belief that the harm to actual people from eliminating funding for all social programs is irrelevant; people are merely collateral damage. I am beginning to think, as well, that Trump wants to emulate what Putin has done to Russia: it has a huge military force and vast natural resources, but the people are poor and there is little government help for them. Money from oil and other natural resources is used to line the pockets of the oligarchs (which are basically the Mafia only much richer) and to support the military. The rest of the country has been hollowed out, and that's what will happen to us if these criminals aren't stopped.

Read this: http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53897/trump-budget-meals-wheels/

[IcyPeas]

7. and Mulvaney, the budget guy is a tea partier

[KewlKat]

8. wasn't that the jist of the Art of the Deal?

I agree with what you say.