Saturday, September 29, 2018

The lies that senators must tell themselves to support Brett Kavanaugh

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2018/09/28/the-lies-senators-must-tell-themselves-support-brett-kavanaugh/3Jy8vwnRx5PUwQtVHN3M5O/story.html
"Make no mistake: Brett Kavanaugh’s a liar. He lies about little things. He lies about big things. He lies under oath."

Every time Ford and Kavanaugh dodged a question, in one chart

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/9/28/17914308/kavanaugh-ford-question-dodge-hearing-chart
"Ford made an effort to answer every single question. Kavanaugh actively dodged questions. He often repeated the same non-answer over and over. Other times, he insisted on answering a question with “context” — which inevitably was a long story about his childhood — but never actually answered the question."

In Plain Terms, Judge Brett Kavanaugh Lies About Everything

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23511160/brett-kavanaugh-lies-about-everything/
"In plain terms, for all his spleen and outrage, Judge Kavanaugh lies about everything. In his earlier hearings, he lied about his judicial philosophy, and he lied about his days as a Republican operative, both in and out of the White House. On Monday, he lied to Martha McCallum of Fox News. On Thursday, he lied about his entire adolescence and his college days. He lied even when he didn't have to lie. He lied in preposterous ways easily disproven by common sense. (The "Devil's Triangle"? "Renate Alumnius"?) He lied like a toddler, like a guilty adolescent, and like a privileged scion of the white ruling class, which is a continuum with which we all are far too familiar. He lied and he dared the Democratic members of the committee, and the country, to call him on his lies. And now, he is a couple of easy steps away from having lied his way into a lifetime seat on the United States Supreme Court. This guy is going to be deciding constitutional issues for the next four decades, and the truth is not in him."

Brett Kavanaugh lies a lot

http://www.alreporter.com/2018/09/28/opinion-brett-kavanaugh-lies-a-lot/
"Brett Kavanaugh is a liar. Let’s get that straight right off the bat. He’s a stone cold, look-you-in-the-eye-and-lie liar."

With Nation Transfixed By Kavanaugh Monstrosity, House GOP Votes to Give Rich Another $3 Trillion in Tax Cuts @alternet

With Nation Transfixed By Kavanaugh Monstrosity, House GOP Votes to Give Rich Another $3 Trillion in Tax Cuts @alternet:

"With the nation's attention rightly transfixed by the Senate GOP's monstrous efforts to ram through a Supreme Court nominee who has been credibly accused by multiple women of sexual assault, House Republicans on Friday voted overwhelmingly to approve another $3 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans just weeks before the November midterms."

Brett Kavanaugh Credibility Questioned Even Before Assault Accusations

The Unbearable Dishonesty of Brett Kavanaugh

https://theintercept.com/2018/09/29/the-unbearable-dishonesty-of-brett-kavanaugh/
"How should we judge someone who, during his testimony, repeatedly misrepresented facts and dissembled when pressed for detail?"

Brett Kavanaugh’s independence was already in doubt, now it’s worse

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/brett-kavanaughs-independence-was-already-doubt-now-its-worse
"There were lingering concerns about Kavanaugh’s independence before yesterday. Those concerns are vastly more difficult to ignore now."

Brett Kavanaugh Really, Really Likes to Perjure

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/28/brett-kavanaugh-really-really-likes-perjure
"Accused sex criminal and admitted drunkard Brett Kavanaugh (R-MD), is the Supreme Court nominee nominated by accused sex criminal and President of the United States Donald Trump. Throughout his Supreme Court confirmation hearing, his original D.C. Court of Appeals hearing from 2004 to 2006, and in a new hearing based upon an allegation of sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh has demonstrated he has a love of perjury that rivals his suspicious love of baseball tickets."

Brett Kavanaugh's Mask Falls In Partisan Reveal

Kavanaugh Repeatedly Claimed That Ford’s Friend Said the Assault “Didn’t Happen.’’ That’s Not True.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-hearing-leland-keyser-statement.html
"In reality, though, Kavanaugh’s characterization is misleading. It positions Keyser as a witness in his favor, while in reality she said that she believes Ford."

Fear a Justice Brett Kavanaugh

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/christine-blasey-ford-hearing-fear-a-justice-brett-kavanaugh.html
"While Ford offered exacting answers, Kavanaugh repeated half-truths and conspiracy theories and sneered and slammed through a fog of rage."

The Ford-Kavanaugh Hearings Were a Case Study in GOP Misogyny

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/09/ford-kavanaugh-hearings-were-a-case-study-in-gop-misogyny.html
"America has a major political party more dedicated than ever to stripping women of power by any ruthless means it can."

Definitive Proof That Kavanaugh Lied

The Russians Are Getting Heavily Involved In The Brett Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/09/28/the-russians-are-getting-heavily-involved-in-the-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-fight.html
"The Hamilton 68 dashboard, which attempts to track Russian influence operations on Twitter, is charting a lot of Kavanaugh activity right now."

'Lying to Congress Is a Federal Crime': Sanders Demands FBI Investigate Whether Kavanaugh Committed Perjury

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/29/lying-congress-federal-crime-sanders-demands-fbi-investigate-whether-kavanaugh
"In addition to investigating the accusations made by multiple women, a thorough investigation should include a review of Judge Kavanaugh’s numerous untruthful statements in his previous testimony before Congress."

Christine Blasey Ford Shows the Power of Letting Survivors of Sexual Violence Tell Their Own Stories

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/christine-blasey-ford-brett-kavanaugh-opening-statement.html
"Christine Blasey Ford released the text of her opening statement on Wednesday, the day before her testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In it, she describes the night she says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her with the assistance of his close friend Mark Judge. She also tells of the lasting trauma she’s suffered in the decades since. The account is straightforward, detailed, and devastating to read."

Did These Protestors Change A Republican Senator's Mind?

Friday, September 28, 2018

Denouncing 'Misogynistic Bullying' and 'Failed Leadership,' 50+ Groups Call on Grassley to Resign Immediately as Judiciary Committee Chair

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/27/denouncing-misogynistic-bullying-and-failed-leadership-50-groups-call-grassley
"As Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) put on a "genuinely unhinged" performance during Thursday's Senate hearing with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford—constantly interrupting Democratic senators and repeatedly inserting self-serving rants between questioning—more than 50 Iowa-based and national groups representing hundreds of thousands of Americans sent a letter denouncing Grassley's "failed leadership" and demanding that he immediately resign as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee."

It's Difficult to Overstate How Unhinged, and Legitimately Scary, That Trump Presser Was

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23480509/donald-trump-press-conference-accusers-paid-off-george-washington/
"It is difficult to pinpoint one moment, or even three, that truly showcase the range of unhinged behavior on show here. For instance, he once again magicked up the idea the United States was on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea before he was elected, saving "millions of people." Here he is suggesting the Chinese government has "great respect" for his "very, very large brain": Trump: Expert says China has great respect for "Donald Trump's very, very large a'brain." But perhaps the most critical moment was when the president seemed to suggest he always sides with the accused in cases of alleged sexual misconduct because he himself has been accused (at least a dozen times, though Trump suggested it was four and you could verify that with Sean Hannity), and those who accused him were "paid off." What, exactly, is he saying happened? It's almost impossible to decipher. Some women were paid off, but some recanted their stories, but the stories were front page in The New York Times, but the Times wouldn't print that their own stories were fake, but the good things they said about him were front page in The New York Times. Does anyone seriously think this person's brain is functioning well? And did you notice when he said "another one had other things happen" as evidence one of his sexual assault accusers was paid off? And then there was George Washington. President Donald Trump: "If we brought George Washington here ... the Democrats would vote against him." "And he may have had a bad past, who knows ... George Washington would be voted against one hundred percent by Schumer and the con artists," he adds This is the most powerful man in the world. This is the man whom Republicans in Congress think is doing a bang-up job, and there's nothing to worry about. This is the man vouching for Brett Kavanaugh. This is the man getting laughed at in front of the world. But everything's going great—just ask Sean Hannity."

Everything to Know About Mark Judge, Brett Kavanaugh’s Alleged Accomplice

https://www.thecut.com/2018/09/mark-judge-kavanaughs-alleged-accomplice-what-to-know.html
"He has disturbing opinions about sexual assault and masculinity."

The Men Who Hurt Their Careers by Hurting Women Aren’t the Victims

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-men-who-hurt-their-careers-by-hurting-women-arent-the-victims?ref=scroll
"For some Republicans, it simply does not matter if the allegations against Kavanaugh are true."

Trump and Kavanaugh: Sexualized Dominance and Executive Power

http://prospect.org/article/trump-and-kavanaugh-sexualized-dominance-and-executive-power
"It should come as no surprise, I suppose, that a man nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States—a man who would be a justice for another 40 years, perhaps—by the pu**y-grabber-in-chief now stands accused of sexual assault himself. Both Donald Trump and his nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, share that sense of entitlement that tells men of a certain sort that the world is their oyster, as it were—there for the grabbing. It’s quite likely that the reason Trump nominated Kavanaugh went beyond the judge’s box-checking right-wing positions on regulation and reproductive rights, and was an obvious calculation regarding the consequential outcome of a particular criminal investigation. The real potential jackpot in having Kavanaugh on the court lay in his expansive view of executive power and privilege. That kind of investment in the dominance of one individual stems from the same impulse, differently expressed, that can lead a man to set himself upon a woman without her consent. It’s all about power and its exercise. Tomorrow, Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school, is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to tell her story, an exercise the Republican majority seems to regard as a thing simply to get through before the committee votes Friday on whether to send Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. If listen they must, they’ll do so with their fingers in their ears.  There’s no reason that the committee vote must take place less than a day after Blasey Ford tells her story. That’s the prerogative of Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Republican of Iowa."

No Reputable Company Would Hire Someone Like Brett Kavanaugh At This Point

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-allegations-hired_us_5babdcaae4b082030e77a9f8
"Despite what it looks like to some of his supporters, Brett Kavanaugh is not currently on trial. The federal judge is actually in the middle of the most intense job interview of his life, for one of the best gigs in the country: lifetime appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court."

The U.S. deserves the best Supreme Court nominee. Brett Kavanaugh is not it, Blumenthal says

Here Is the Full Text of the Declaration by Julie Swetnick, the Third Women to Accuse Kavanaugh of Sexual Misconduct

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/26/here-full-text-declaration-julie-swetnick-third-women-accuse-kavanaugh-sexual
"In her sworn statement, Swetnick says that she "fully understands the seriousness" of her accusations and charges that she was "gang raped" when she was a high school student at a party and that Kavanaugh, and his friend Mark Judge, were both "present." She also says she that Kavanaugh and his friends were known at the time for "targeting" girls with alcohol and drugs in order to take advantage of them sexually, and that she has "a firm recollection" that Judge and Kavanaugh were among the "boys lined up outside rooms at many [other] parties waiting for their 'turn' with a girl inside the room"."

I knew Brett Kavanaugh during his years as a Republican operative. Don't let him sit on the Supreme Court.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/i-knew-brett-kavanaugh-during-his-years-republican-operative-don-ncna907391
"Kavanaugh was not a dispassionate finder of fact but rather an engineer of a political smear campaign. And after decades of that, he expects people to believe he's changed his stripes."

Booker leaves Kavanaugh hearing, says he can't participate in what history will see as 'dark moment'

The Republicans Abandoned Their Obligations to the Constitution and to the American People

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23494430/republican-senators-christine-blasey-ford-testimony-brett-kavanaugh/
"It is not often that you see a complete panorama of abject cowardice like you saw on the majority side of the dais of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning. Eleven white men, with the constitutional duty to advise and consent on the nomination of people to be justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, sitting as mute as a row of tombstones, refusing even personally to yield their time to the hired-gun woman who was questioning Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. They let the befuddled—and befuddling—chairman, Chuck Grassley, yield for them, and they let Rachel Mitchell ask their questions, and they sat there, shirkers and poltroons all. They should send their salaries for the day to battered women's shelters in their home states. By 11 a.m., any moral basis for the continued existence of the Republican Party had evaporated. It was striking. The next time that Ben Sasse or Jeff Flake start moaning about how we've all abandoned "civics," their tongues should turn to fire."

In Stark Contrast to Ford's Measured Appearance, Kavanaugh Falls Apart With 'Rage, Terror, and Fear' on National TV

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/27/stark-contrast-fords-measured-appearance-kavanaugh-falls-apart-rage-terror-and-fear
"In a public meltdown that many found nearly impossibly to comprehend,Brett Kavanaugh's opening statement and early responses before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday offered a stark contrast to Dr. Christine Ford's morning appearance, as the Supreme Court nominee launched into an angry, tear-streaked tirade against the Democratic Party and those who have alleged that he sexual assaulted them. The reaction by those watching was a mix of disbelief and shock that Kavanaugh would try to win confirmation with his remarks and attitude before the committee"

Brett Kavanaugh Plays The Victim

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-testimony-plays-victim-senate-hearing_us_5bad3b5ae4b0b4d308d1310b
"Kavanaugh’s apparent strategy is called DARVO, short for “Deny. Attack. Reverse victim and offender.” The term was coined by Jennifer Freyd, a psychologist at the University of Oregon."

Despite Gut-Wrenching Testimony from Dr. Blasey Ford, GOP Moves Forward with Vote on Kavanaugh

'Are You Afraid?': Kavanaugh Claims Innocence But Angrily and Repeatedly Refuses to Back Call for FBI Probe

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/27/are-you-afraid-kavanaugh-claims-innocence-angrily-and-repeatedly-refuses-back-call
"After delivering a flailing, furious, and blatantly partisan opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Trump Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh repeatedly and angrily refused to express support for an FBI investigation into Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations or to encourage his friend Mark Judge to testify when given multiple opportunities to do so by three consecutive Democratic senators."

Former Federal Prosecutor Apologizes 'On Behalf of All Men' After Lindsey Graham's Furious Response to Ford's Testimony @alternet

Former Federal Prosecutor Apologizes 'On Behalf of All Men' After Lindsey Graham's Furious Response to Ford's Testimony @alternet:

"In sum, he made it clear that he cares much more about the fact that GOP efforts to confirm a Supreme Court nominee may be impeded than that the judge has been credibly accused of sexual assault."

Five Times Brett Kavanaugh Appears to Have Lied to Congress While Under Oath

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/09/five-times-brett-kavanaugh-appears-to-have-lied-to-congress-while-under-oath/
"Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has made declarations under oath during his current and past confirmation hearings that are contradicted by documents from his time as a counsel to the president and staff secretary in the George W. Bush White House."

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Gives Gripping Testimony

Kavanaugh courthouse lit up with projections calling him a ‘sexual predator’

https://thinkprogress.org/kavanaughs-courthouse-lit-up-with-kavanaugh-is-a-sexual-predator-projections-549dc76a46f9/
"Even before the sexual abuse allegations came forward, Kavanaugh’s trustworthiness was already in serious doubt. He had previously testified under oath that he’d had no role in a controversial judicial nomination during his time working for the Bush White House. Emails released as part of his nomination process show that he actually played quite an active role in that nomination. He likewise had testified on a separate occasion to having no access to a bunch of documents that had been hacked from Democratic senators during this time, but the emails show he not only received some of them, but forwarded them to others."

Mormon women call on Mormon senators to delay Kavanaugh vote

https://thinkprogress.org/mormon-women-call-delay-kavanaugh-vote-60090e457501/
"Specifically, the group is urging Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Mike Crapo (R-ID), who are all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to “ensure that these charges be taken seriously and that every attempt be made to ascertain the truth of the situation.” “Our mutual faith teaches that any sexual abuse or assault in any context is contemptible and worthy of the most severe condemnation,” MWEG’s statement said."

We’ve Now Spent $77 MILLION On Trump’s Golf Trips

Brett Kavanaugh Didn’t Help His Case on Fox News

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/brett-kavanaugh-fox-news-728772/
"Just as it was disturbing when Kavanaugh equated contraceptives to “abortion-inducing drugs” during his confirmation hearing earlier this month, it’s unsettling that a man seeking a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court thinks sexual activity and sexual assault are mutually exclusive."

In 601 days, President Trump has made 5,001 false or misleading claims

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?utm_term=.f6d0c7971d75
"The Fact Checker’s ongoing database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump since assuming office."

President Trump has made more than 5,000 false or misleading claims

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/13/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/?utm_term=.a419eea751d7
"On Sept. 7, President Trump woke up in Billings, Mont., flew to Fargo, N.D., visited Sioux Falls, S.D., and eventually returned to Washington. He spoke to reporters on Air Force One, held a pair of fundraisers and was interviewed by three local reporters.  In that single day, he publicly made 125 false or misleading statements — in a period of time that totaled only about 120 minutes. It was a new single-day high.  The day before, the president made 74 false or misleading claims, many at a campaign rally in Montana. An anonymous op-ed article by a senior administration official had just been published in the New York Times, and news circulated about journalist Bob Woodward’s insider account of Trump’s presidency.  Trump’s tsunami of untruths helped push the count in The Fact Checker’s database past 5,000 on the 601st day of his presidency. That’s an average of 8.3 Trumpian claims a day, but in the past nine days — since our last update — the president has averaged 32 claims a day."

Trump Administration Deals Major Blow To Children’s Health Programs

Brett Kavanaugh’s habit of dissembling makes it hard to take his word over Ford’s

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/9/24/17893134/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-allegation-dishonest
"From his public remarks to his congressional testimony, he’s awfully dishonest."

A Congressional Candidate Just Made One of the Most Brutal Campaign Ads Ever

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23376235/gosar-arizona-campaign-ad/
"David Brill's campaign ad against incumbent congressman Paul Gosar begins as pretty standard political fare. "Paul Gosar, the congressman, isn't doing anything to help rural America," says "rural physician" Grace. "If he actually cared about people in rural Arizona, I bet he'd be fighting for social security, for better access to healthcare," adds Jennifer, "medical interpreter." Not terribly interesting stuff to anyone who’s not from Arizona’s 4th congressional district, until the reveal—all the people disparaging the Republican congressman's record are his siblings. Though familial political divides are nothing new in the Trump era, Gosar's family felt impelled to back his Democratic challenger, Dr. David Brill, because of their brother's far-right views. In the wake of last year’s white supremacist rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Representative Gosar made headlines when he implied that the event was orchestrated by "an Obama sympathizer" and that Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros "turned in his own people to the Nazis." In another ad, Grace Gosar says, "It would be difficult to see my brother as anything but a racist"."

Hearing Exposes Brett Kavanaugh Temperament Problem, Credibility Issues

Trump’s 4 Biggest Lies about Today’s Economy

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/11/trumps-4-biggest-lies-about-todays-economy
"1. “Best job growth ever.” Wrong. Job growth has actually slowed. In the last 19 months of the Obama administration the economy created 3.96 million jobs. In the first 19 months of Trump’s, 3.58 million."

Social Security: An Economic Engine That Benefits Everyone

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/16/social-security-economic-engine-benefits-everyone
"Efforts to boost Social Security have languished in the Republican-controlled Congress. But that could change after November’s elections."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Was “Disturbed” By GOP Senators

Kavanaugh’s Testimony Proved He’s Completely UNFIT To Be A Judge

Deregulation of Wall Street Is Plain and Simple Corruption

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/20/deregulation-wall-street-plain-and-simple-corruption
"These attacks stem from the corrupt connection between Wall Street political spending and compliant lawmakers, and from revolving-door regulators who came from—and may well return to—Wall Street jobs. Every safeguard that is repealed or withdrawn, every standard that goes unenforced, every executive order that rigs the rules and every dedicated public servant replaced by a corporate ideologue is another payback to a regulated industry – usually one that has spent countless millions, or in Wall Street’s case billions, to influence lawmakers and buy special favors. Here’s how Wall Street banks cashed in on their political spending and lobbying dollars over the past two years: They staffed financial regulatory agencies with Goldman Sachs and other big bank alumni, who then used their positions to back sweeping financial deregulation. They seated anti-government, anti-consumer radical Mick Mulvaney as the temporary head of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and arranged for one of his loyal foot soldiers, a completely unqualified political hack, to be the next permanent director. They secured a sweeping retreat in our government’s regulatory enforcement, especially enforcement targeting the financial industry, which is needed to deter and punish corporate crime. They persuaded Congress to use the Congressional Review Act to repeal the CFPB’s forced arbitration rule, blocking consumers’ access to the courts and allowing banks and credit card companies to rip off customers with impunity. They pushed half a dozen agencies to commit to weakening the Volcker Rule, which stops banks from recklessly gambling with deposits. They won a massive tax handout benefitting the ultra-wealthy and big corporations, tens of billions of which went directly into the coffers of the largest Wall Street banks."

Ford Candidly Describes Alleged Kavanaugh Assault, Thought She'd 'Accidentally Be Killed'

Trump lies about protections for those with pre-existing conditions

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-lies-about-protections-those-pre-existing-conditions
"At a campaign rally in Las Vegas last night, Donald Trump peddled a variety of falsehoods, but one of the president’s claims seemed new. Referring to himself in third person, the Republican argued: “When it comes to health insurance, Donald Trump and Republicans will protect patients with pre-existing conditions. We’re going to do that. We want to do it.” The crowd roared with approval, which wasn’t too surprising. There’s overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Americans – even the kind of folks who attend Trump rallies – strongly support the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The oddity, however, was the president’s boast. He was either brazenly lying or Trump somehow forgot his own position on the issue. Whether he keeps up with current events or not, there’s currently a Republican lawsuit pending in federal court that’s trying to tear down the ACA’s existing protections for those pre-existing conditions. Trump not only refused to defend the current law in court, he also endorsed the litigation that would undermine Americans’ health security."

Mitch McConnell Again Proves He’ll Stop at Nothing for a Conservative Court

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mconnell-kavanaugh-supreme-court-727651/
"Mitch McConnell doesn’t appear to care if there is truth to the allegation that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford."

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's Testimony Will Move You

Republicans Will Regret Blocking An FBI Investigation Into Kavanaugh

Meet the Republicans who kept money from Elliott Broidy, convicted briber accused of sexual assault

https://thinkprogress.org/six-endangered-house-republicans-still-havent-divested-of-their-elliott-broidy-donations-68f1147d961a/
"Republican Rep. Mimi Walters, who represents California’s 45th Congressional District, casts herself a “proven champion fighting for domestic violence victims.” She serves on the House Ethics Committee. She also accepted $5,400 — the legal maximum — in campaign contributions last July from Elliott Broidy, the man who paid $1.6 million to settle an abuse case brought by a former mistress. According to court filings, the woman says Broidy physically injured her, hurt her during sexual activities, touched her in non-consensual ways, and expressed his admiration for Donald Trump’s ability to get away with sexually abusing women. Walters did not return requests for comment. Walters is not alone. At least five other House Republicans facing tough re-election races accepted the legal maximum from Broidy in 2017."

Brett Kavanaugh Should Be Impeached for Lying to Senate

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/18/brett-kavanaugh-should-be-impeached-lying-senate
"Lying under oath to the Senate is a serious matter. Kavanaugh’s nomination for a life term on the high court should, of course, be put on hold."

New Brett Kavanaugh Allegations Come To Light Ahead Of Dr. Ford Hearing

More Women Come Forward Accusing Brett Kavanaugh Of Sexual Assault

The GOP jury is in: They don't give a damn about sexual assault, time to confirm Kavanaugh

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/21/1797515/-The-GOP-jury-is-in-They-don-t-give-a-damn-about-sexual-assault-time-to-confirm-Kavanaugh
"The Republicans—apparently emboldened by the fact that they denied ever even giving President Obama nominee Merrick Garland a hearing and still kept the majority—figure they have no obligation to put someone on the court who has more than 30-some percent support on electorate (Kavanaugh literally has more opposition to his confirmation than support for it in three separate polls this week). Republicans see their obligation is only to please that 30 percent, not to maintain the integrity of the Supreme Court in the eyes of the other 60 percent of the nation."

We Know Brett Kavanaugh Has Lied Already

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/18/we-know-brett-kavanaugh-has-lied-already
"In fact, there’s clear evidence showing that Kavanaugh lied under oath during the 2006 confirmation hearing for his spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit."

Reminder: Brett Kavanaugh has a history of lying about stuff. A lot. Under oath

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/20/1797349/-Reminder-Brett-Kavanaugh-has-a-history-of-lying-about-stuff-A-lot-Under-oath
"It's why there has to be a real investigation into his accuser’s claims, not the sham that we're seeing from the committee. But it's also why Republicans are not going to let that happen. They already know he's going to lie about it."

GOP Forges Ahead In Spite Of New Brett Kavanaugh Allegations

Fox News Is Peddling Conspiracy Theories to Defend Brett Kavanaugh

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fox-news-kavanaugh-727504/
"It didn’t take long for Kavanaugh apologists to put on their tin foil hats as part of their feverish effort to exonerate Trump’s latest Supreme Court nominee."

What Did Brett Kavanaugh Know About His Mentor Alex Kozinski’s Sexual Harassment? A Timeline Suggests an Awful Lot.

https://theintercept.com/2018/09/20/alex-kozinski-brett-kavanaugh-judge-9th-circuit/
"Kavanaugh, however, has a record of issuing categorical denials in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, such as his claim never to have exploited documents stolen from Senate Democrats. He has issued an equally categorical denial when it comes to having any knowledge about the behavior of his longtime friend and mentor, former 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski. Kozinski resigned in December 2017 after articles in the Washington Post exposed years of sexual harassment. Though Kavanaugh claims to have been “gut-punched” by the revelations of Kozinski’s behavior, the outlines of it have been public in various forms for decades."

Attorney: Republicans Skipped Call With Second Brett Kavanaugh Accuser

Brett Kavanaugh Can’t Be Trusted. We Know Because We Worked as Counsel to Senators When He Was in the Bush White House

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/17/brett-kavanaugh-cant-be-trusted-we-know-because-we-worked-counsel-senators-when-he
"We watched the testimony of Judge Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee with dismay and disbelief. His many misleading and false statements cast serious doubt on whether he should be confirmed to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The events of this weekend only make it clearer the Senate must not act in haste. At the very least, the Senate should not vote on his nomination until still-secret documents from his time in the George W. Bush White House are made public and until the sexual misconduct allegations that have just become public are thoroughly investigated."

Not The Onion: Roy Moore urges Republicans to ignore Kavanaugh’s sexual assault allegation

https://thinkprogress.org/roy-moore-brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-republicans-alabama-53dbdd8ed223/
"Failed Alabama Senate candidate and accused child molester Roy Moore is urging fellow Republicans to “take a stand” against Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that Brett Kavanaugh tried to rape her."

“Survivors Must Be Heard”: 1,100 Alumnae of Dr. Blasey Ford’s H.S. Demand FBI Investigate Kavanaugh

‘I felt that it was my fault': A rape survivor shares her story of speaking out

Trump’s Tariffs on Chinese Imports Are Actually a Tax on the US Middle Class

https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-tariffs-on-chinese-imports-are-actually-a-tax-on-the-us-middle-class/
"While Trump talks as though he thinks his tariffs are taxing China, they aren’t. Most immediately, they are a tax on US households. The full $80 billion would come to a bit less than $600 per household."

Kavanaugh Nomination Is Dangerous for Disability Rights Community

http://prospect.org/blog/tapped/kavanaugh-nomination-dangerous-disability-rights-community
"As an attorney and judge, Brett Kavanaugh has done everything in his power to limit the rights of people with disabilities. As a Supreme Court justice, he would have the ability to do even more damage, rolling back decades of progress in the field of disability rights—and civil rights more broadly."

Billionaire's TONE DEAF Response To China Tariffs

Rand Paul Wants to Scrap Some U.S. Sanctions on Russia

https://www.thedailybeast.com/rand-paul-wants-to-scrap-some-us-sanctions-on-russia?ref=home
"Paul has made sanctions relief a cause of his since returning from Moscow last month. During that trip, which he took without any of his colleagues, Paul met with Russian officials and delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the White House later said was written at Paul’s request. In addition to meeting with former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, Paul had an hour-long sit-down with Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s legislature. During that meeting, according to Paul’s office, the senator invited Kosachev, who himself is banned from entering the U.S., to send Russian lawmakers to the U.S. Capitol to meet with their American counterparts. Paul’s amendment would be the first step toward allowing those Russians to travel to the U.S. The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, paid for Paul’s trip."

“America is becoming more like Russia” says Russian-born novelist Gary Shteyngart

https://www.salon.com/2018/09/24/america-is-becoming-more-like-russia-says-russian-born-novelist-gary-shteyngart/
"I thought after the Soviet collapse it would become more like America in many ways. Civil society, rule of law, elections. But everything's going the opposite way. America is becoming more like Russia. Trump looks at someone like Putin and I think the envy is real. The respect is real, because this is a kleptocrat in the same way that Trump wishes to be. This is somebody who has muzzled the media the way Trump wishes to do. It's a perfect world for him. As somebody born in Russia, finding myself here in an election that has been in part determined by Russia, it's very strange."

Paul Manafort Is A Russian Puppet

Rev. William Barber: Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court Would Endanger Rights of Women, Workers & Voters

Donald Trump’s lechery and Brett Kavanaugh’s dubious history: Misogyny comes out of the shadows

https://www.salon.com/2018/09/20/donald-trumps-lechery-and-brett-kavanaughs-dubious-history-misogyny-comes-out-of-the-shadows/
"Republican propaganda bolstering the Boy Scout image of their leaders has been effective, even after they nominated and elected a president who has literally bragged about how he likes to "grab them by the pu**y." They shouldn't be. There were plenty of hints during the Kavanaugh hearings that he has a high comfort level with the leering frat boy mentality, and not just because he took the job from Trump. For instance, there are the White House emails that Republican senators tried to suppress, in which Kavanaugh's buddy jokes "you may be hoping that I've lined up a hostess for a rub-n-tug massage session" and Kavanaugh, at age 36, reminds his friends to be "very, very vigilant w/r/t confidentiality on all issues and all fronts, including with spouses." Nor should people be surprised at the collective shrug coming from the Republican members of the Senate, or the multitude of boys-will-be-boys excuses coming from the right-wing punditry. They've known all along that the pious-Christian-man-who-respects-women thing was all an act. They also expect, when the dust settles from all this, that everyone will return to pretending to believe in it again."

Michael Cohen flips on Trump

https://thinkprogress.org/michael-cohen-flips-on-trump-05d9cedfd024/
"Sources who spoke with ABC News Thursday afternoon said Cohen, who pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges in August, has spoken with Special Counsel Robert Mueller multiple times over the past month, for several hours each time. The sources said the men discussed topics including Trump’s financial and business dealings in Russia and collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials — the focus of Mueller’s ongoing investigation."

Intercept Report Reveals Senate Ignored Federal Court Employees Willing to Testify Against Kavanaugh

Paul Manafort's deal showcases once again the staggering competence of Robert Mueller's team

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/14/1795737/-Paul-Manafort-s-deal-showcases-once-again-the-staggering-competence-of-Robert-Mueller-s-team
"The news that Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort’s guilty plea includes a cooperation agreement with the special counsel’s office marks a huge shift in the investigation of connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. It also demonstrates—and not for the first time—just how the team under Special Counsel Robert Mueller builds detailed cases, moves forward with one inexorable step after another, and stays absolutely leak-proof in every instance. Politico reports that just hours before the announcement, White House staffers fully expected Donald Trump to pardon Manafort of all charges. Trump and attorney Rudy Giuliani spent the earlier part of the week praising Manafort for not being “a flipper"."

Paul Manafort got Ben Shapiro to push his pro-Russia propaganda

https://thinkprogress.org/ben-shapiro-paul-manafort-rick-gates-robert-mueller-special-counsel-plea-agreement-documents-d4fc04a51e60/
"Manafort convinced conservative provocateur Ben Shapiro to support his political work in Ukraine. “Manafort owes much of his time behind bars to his work on behalf of Russian-backed Ukrainian political interests,” according to Ackerman. Manafort worked for Kremlin-supported Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych during his re-election campaign against Yulia Tymoshenko in 2012. The superseding criminal information released on Friday detailed Manafort’s work in the U.S. on behalf of Yanukovych"

Elie Mystal: Paul Manafort May Know Exactly What Russia Wanted

Paul Manafort's Activities in Ukraine Were Even Shadier Than We Thought. And That's Pretty Damn Shady.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23282016/paul-manafort-ukraine-identity-theft-shell-companies/
"It seems that, in one of his more successful international scams, Manafort would steal someone's identity, use it to set up a shell company, and then park tens of millions of dollars in the company's accounts."

Kavanaugh: Good for Corporations, Bad for Your Wallet

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/10/kavanaugh-good-corporations-bad-your-wallet
"There is little doubt that if Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, he will tilt the scales of justice in favor of corporations over consumers, workers, investors and retirees, while gutting the financial regulatory agencies’ ability to protect the public from scammers, predators and crooks. The bottom line is that anyone who has a savings or checking account, credit card, debit card, mortgage, student loan, car loan, retirement plan, personal loan, college savings fund, publicly traded stock or any other financial product or service — meaning every single American — has to care about the Supreme Court’s momentous decisions that affect every one of those critical financial issues for every American family. Put differently, if you care about what’s in your wallet, you should be very worried if judge Kavanaugh becomes Justice Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court."

I Wrote Some of the Stolen Memos That Brett Kavanaugh Lied to the Senate About

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/judge-brett-kavanaugh-should-be-impeached-for-lying-during-his-confirmation-hearings.html
"Kavanaugh should be removed because he was repeatedly asked under oath as part of his 2004 and 2006 confirmation hearings for his position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit about whether he had received such information from Miranda, and each time he falsely denied it."

Robert Mueller Secures Full Cooperation, Guilty Plea From Paul Manafort

What's in the plea deal: The truth about how Paul Manafort promoted Russian interests in the U.S.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/14/1795772/-What-s-in-the-plea-deal-The-truth-about-how-Paul-Manafort-promoted-Russian-interests-in-the-US
"For those wondering just how money-laundering through real estate works, Manafort’s documents detail at least one way. Manafort used illegal foreign money to simply buy real estate. Because real estate laws are notoriously protective in guarding sources, he could more easily plow this money into a condo or apartment building than into his bank account. Once he purchased the property, Manafort then took out mortgages against the property. At that point, he had both cash and property. Then he used the property as collateral to buy other properties. All of which would have worked better had Manafort ever controlled his spending impulses well enough to pay off the first set of mortgages, but he didn’t. Despite running through almost $60 million of off-the-books, tax-free funds, Manafort still managed to be perpetually on the edge of bankruptcy while buying himself suits that cost in the five-figure range. It takes real dedication to be both that venal and incompetent. Manafort’s plea includes a recommended sentence maximum of 10 years, to be served in conjunction with his eight convictions on money laundering and fraud at his first trial in Virginia. While earlier assumptions had made it seem likely that for Manafort, who is 69, any sentence would be a “life sentence,” based on the given guidelines and standard procedures, he could easily be out on probation in three to five years. In addition to the prison sentence, Manafort had agreed to forfeit properties that were either paid for directly using illegal funds from overseas accounts, or which were obtained through bank fraud in which those illegal funds were reported as collateral or income. Included in the list of property to be surrendered is Manafort’s home in the Hamptons, two properties in New York City, and a home in Alexandria, Virgnia. Estimates of the worth of the properties Manafort is forfeiting have been as high as $46 million—more than enough to cover the cost of the entire special counsel investigation."

Decades Ago, Paul Manafort Played a Leading Role in a Pioneering Operation to Secretly Funnel Foreign Money into U.S. Politics

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/05/decades-ago-paul-manafort-played-a-leading-role-in-a-pioneering-operation-to-secretly-funnel-foreign-money-into-u-s-politics/
"Trump brought on Manafort, a longtime political consultant, at no cost in March 2016 to recruit delegates for the upcoming Republican National Convention. Two months later, the then-candidate named Manafort his campaign adviser, again without an official salary. Manafort never asked for one. He did not last long, though, at least not officially; Trump removed Manafort in August amid internal campaign discord and following reports of Manafort’s business dealings with Russian-aligned individuals in Ukraine, including Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On June 9, 2016, 11 days before he was named campaign chair, Manafort, along with Donald Trump Jr. and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. Special Counsel Robert Mueller III has focused on Manafort. When Mueller was appointed to lead the Trump-Russia probe in May, he began to draw from ongoing investigations into Manafort’s business dealings, including one by federal prosecutors in Manhattan and a review of Manafort’s late filings to comply with FARA. The FBI raided the political consultant’s Virginia home in July to secure documents related to the Russia probe and in August, Mueller subpoenaed Manafort’s bank records."

The Precedent Respecter Has Logged On

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/kavanaugh-confirmation-hearing-roe-heller.html
"Brett Kavanaugh says he follows every Supreme Court precedent. Don’t believe him."

Overlap In Brett Kavanaugh Nomination, Trump Russia Probe Becomes Clear

Sunday, September 16, 2018

With Most Benefits Going to Rich, 'Reckless and Stupid' GOP Tax Scam 2.0 Could Cost $3 Trillion Over Ten Years

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/11/most-benefits-going-rich-reckless-and-stupid-gop-tax-scam-20-could-cost-3-trillion
"In their latest "reckless and stupid" bid to deliver massive rewards to ultra-wealthy Americans, House Republicans on Monday introduced three pieces of legislation that make up the GOP's so-called "Tax Reform 2.0" package. But with less than two months to go before crucial midterm elections, early estimates indicate the GOP's proposals would blow a nearly $3 trillion hole in the federal budget over ten years while sending the vast majority of the benefits to the top."

Trump’s economic illiteracy keeps getting in the way

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-economic-illiteracy-keeps-getting-the-way
"Trump’s first year in office was the slowest year for job growth in six years, and tallying up all of the jobs created since Trump took office, and comparing the totals from the months leading up to his inauguration, shows that job growth has actually slowed since he became president."

Donald Trump Admin Reportedly Making It Easier To Release Methane Into Air

Donald Trump and the Republicans Work Every Day to Destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/11/donald-trump-and-republicans-work-every-day-destroy-social-security-medicare-and
"During Donald Trump’s campaign for president, he promised over and over again to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Now, in the lead-up to the midterm elections, Trump is claiming to have kept that promise. Completely in character for a president who doesn’t let a day go by without lying, he recently falsely claimed, “We’re saving Social Security, the Democrats will destroy Social Security. We’re saving Medicare. The Dems, you look at what they’re doing. They want to destroy Medicare.” It’s time to set the record straight. Far from keeping his word, Trump and his administration have spent every day since taking power working to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Here are 10 of the Trump administration’s worst attacks on the American people’s Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid"

States Allow For-Profit Pipeline Companies to Seize Private Property

https://truthout.org/articles/states-allow-for-profit-pipeline-companies-to-seize-private-property/
"The company must now wait until at least November to finish, when a court will decide whether Energy Transfer Partners has the legal right to “expropriate” the property under state law. Workers have already built much of the pipeline easement on the property after clearing trees and grinding them into mulch. The deal is a setback for the company and a victory for environmentalists, but much of the project is already completed. Aerial photos show unpermitted pipeline construction on Aaslestad’s property as far back as July 23, but the local police did not show up until the media and environmental activists arrived last month. Unlike Energy Transfer Partners, the activists claimed to have written permission from one of Aaslestad’s co-owners to be on the property, but several were arrested on felony charges and dragged off to jail after resorting to civil disobedience to halt construction. “Everyone should be concerned that certain people get away with things that others can’t,” said Mitchell. “It’s not an equitable system, and there should be serious spotlight on accountability and compliance with the laws of this state.” As the spoils of fracking and the Trump administration’s pro-drilling agenda increase demand for new fossil fuel infrastructure, private oil companies are seizing private property from landowners to build oil and gas pipelines across the country. In most cases, state regulators and courts have granted private firms like Energy Transfer Partners eminent domain or “expropriation” powers by framing their for-profit pipelines as public benefit. Activists and landowners are fighting back, and some have been jailed in the process."

General Barry McCaffrey: ‘Space Force Is A Thoroughly Stupid Idea’

It happened there: how democracy died in Hungary

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/9/13/17823488/hungary-democracy-authoritarianism-trump
"If this new kind of fascism continues its march, it may require a new movement, a new generation of activists, to take up the fight."

Legal Battle Staves Off Trump’s Assault on Clean Water Protections

https://truthout.org/articles/legal-battle-staves-off-trumps-assault-on-clean-water-protections/
"Since taking office, Donald Trump has waged a relentless attack on the nation’s waterways, but his efforts to strip away protections for rivers and wetlands have run into a tide of legal resistance. One of Trump’s first environmental policy directives was to choke off the foundational law protecting water bodies and aquatic habitats, the Nixon-era Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Trump nominee Scott Pruitt, targeted a keystone amendment to the Clean Water Act developed by the Obama administration, which strengthened the agency’s ability to control and monitor a range of water bodies and pollution sources."

Hayes: The President Donald Trump Has Surrounded Himself With Criminals

The Untold Story of Robert Mueller's Time in Combat .

https://www.wired.com/story/robert-mueller-vietnam/
"In 1967—just before Donald Trump received his own medical deferment for heel spurs—Mueller started Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia."

Since 'Citizens United,' Just 15 Groups Account for 75 Percent of the $800+ Million in Dark Money Spent on US Elections

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/13/citizens-united-just-15-groups-account-75-percent-800-million-dark-money-spent-us
"While the groups examined by Issue One have supported both Democrat and Republican candidates at various levels of politics, the only ones to break $100 million primarily back the GOP. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce—which gets substantial funding from big banks, pharmaceutical companies, and polluting industries—spent $130 million, and Crossroads GPS, co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove, spent $110 million. The third highest spender was the right-wing billionaire Koch Brothers' Americans for Prosperity."

NRA 'Dark Money' Gets Darker With New President Trump Policy

Russia Shows Us What Happens to ‘Enemies of the People’: Bloodied Heads, Murdered Reporters, Poisoned Dissidents

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-shows-us-what-happens-to-enemies-of-the-people-bloodied-heads-murdered-reporters-poisoned-dissidents?ref=home
"Under Putin, dozens of journalists have been murdered because of their work. He may not have ordered the killings, but he created the deadly atmosphere. Trump’s doing the same."

Trump Adviser Gina Loudon’s Book Claims She Has a Ph.D. in Psychology. She Doesn’t.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-adviser-gina-loudons-book-claims-she-has-a-phd-in-psychology-she-doesnt?ref=scroll
"Gina Loudon, the Republican commentator and author, recently declared that she has scientific evidence that Donald Trump might be the “most sound-minded” president in history."

A Warning From Europe: The Worst Is Yet to Come

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/poland-polarization/568324/?utm_source=fbb
"Polarization. Conspiracy theories. Attacks on the free press. An obsession with loyalty. Recent events in the United States follow a pattern Europeans know all too well."

Author: President Donald Trump Is Russia’s Asset In The White House