Saturday, October 27, 2018
After the arrest in Florida, Trump’s guilt is clearer than ever: But will anything change?
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/26/after-the-arrest-in-florida-trumps-guilt-is-clearer-than-ever-but-will-anything-change/?fbclid=IwAR1djFqNVNH5zY9tP17oucPkBiIZYR4LT93QsliCCSTgmMsPKpWGiLbDGoQ
"Donald Trump presents a unique problem. He has repeatedly and publicly chosen to ally himself with a foreign adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, against the safety and security of the United States and the American people. He has encouraged violence and usurped America's democratic norms and institutions, as well as the rule of law. He has evident contempt for the U.S. Constitution and offers aid and comfort to white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and others who reject America's multiracial democracy and are willing to use violence to overthrow it. In total, this makes Donald Trump a domestic enemy, and makes the entire Republican Party complicit. Its leaders have chosen power over patriotism."
"Donald Trump presents a unique problem. He has repeatedly and publicly chosen to ally himself with a foreign adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, against the safety and security of the United States and the American people. He has encouraged violence and usurped America's democratic norms and institutions, as well as the rule of law. He has evident contempt for the U.S. Constitution and offers aid and comfort to white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and others who reject America's multiracial democracy and are willing to use violence to overthrow it. In total, this makes Donald Trump a domestic enemy, and makes the entire Republican Party complicit. Its leaders have chosen power over patriotism."
Mail Bombings Suspect Appeared To Promote Trump, Conspiracies On Social Media
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/florida-bomb-suspect-social-media-pro-trump-far-right-conspiracies?fbclid=IwAR2PN3Tki528-oT5WbEjigNoJk0cSviMV0TKP8UBaIPPJhKUQM3NlJHbtaM
"The posts are full of misspellings, run-on sentences, and bizarre stream-of-consciousness word vomit."
"The posts are full of misspellings, run-on sentences, and bizarre stream-of-consciousness word vomit."
Cesar Sayoc Jr., Alleged Mail Bomber, Threatened Democrats on Twitter
https://www.thedailybeast.com/cesar-sayoc-jr-alleged-mail-bomber-threatened-democrats-on-twitter?source=twitter&via=desktop&fbclid=IwAR0ZSgRK7f-zZkwoCGXLGVu2i44PuP01uLKudKlFElW1mvTOSjiyVgJcAbg
"He appears to have repeatedly tweeted about George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist who has long been the target of far-right, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. At one point, Sayoc purportedly wrote “you will vanish” in a tweet aimed at the billionaire. Soros received a suspicious package at his Westchester County home on Monday—the first of at least 12 mailed to liberal public figures this week. Other tweets falsely claimed the February 2018 mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was a false-flag operation orchestrated by Soros and his liberal allies. The account also frequently posted angry messages about Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose name was listed as the return address on the mailed pipe bombs. Other prominent liberal activists—including Parkland survivor David Hogg and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick—are targeted in his tweets."
"He appears to have repeatedly tweeted about George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist who has long been the target of far-right, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. At one point, Sayoc purportedly wrote “you will vanish” in a tweet aimed at the billionaire. Soros received a suspicious package at his Westchester County home on Monday—the first of at least 12 mailed to liberal public figures this week. Other tweets falsely claimed the February 2018 mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was a false-flag operation orchestrated by Soros and his liberal allies. The account also frequently posted angry messages about Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose name was listed as the return address on the mailed pipe bombs. Other prominent liberal activists—including Parkland survivor David Hogg and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick—are targeted in his tweets."
Far Right Urging of Jailing of Political Rivals Linked in History With Bombings
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/26/far-right-urging-jailing-political-rivals-linked-history-bombings?fbclid=IwAR3xzSz7ZoSxDg8Lftml2a-qWAV3CiK1-nOULFkxN8xQBKufaBGadsRnTgk
"The mass right wing parties of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s were led by charismatic leaders who whipped up the hatreds of mobs by denouncing immigrants and ethnic and religious groups as threats to the nation and as terrorists and saboteurs. Somehow when politicians set such a tone, in which alternative political leaders and movements are not just seen as a legitimate loyal opposition, but are depicted as criminal traitors who must be locked up, one thing that happens is that bombs start to go off, planted by members of the far Right parties. If you don’t believe me about the connection, consider a few news articles from the 1920s and early 1930s, as the Fascists came to power in Italy and increasingly agitated in Germany"
"The mass right wing parties of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s were led by charismatic leaders who whipped up the hatreds of mobs by denouncing immigrants and ethnic and religious groups as threats to the nation and as terrorists and saboteurs. Somehow when politicians set such a tone, in which alternative political leaders and movements are not just seen as a legitimate loyal opposition, but are depicted as criminal traitors who must be locked up, one thing that happens is that bombs start to go off, planted by members of the far Right parties. If you don’t believe me about the connection, consider a few news articles from the 1920s and early 1930s, as the Fascists came to power in Italy and increasingly agitated in Germany"
Far Right Urging of Jailing of Political Rivals Linked in History With Bombings
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/26/far-right-urging-jailing-political-rivals-linked-history-bombings?fbclid=IwAR3xzSz7ZoSxDg8Lftml2a-qWAV3CiK1-nOULFkxN8xQBKufaBGadsRnTgk
"The mass right wing parties of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s were led by charismatic leaders who whipped up the hatreds of mobs by denouncing immigrants and ethnic and religious groups as threats to the nation and as terrorists and saboteurs. Somehow when politicians set such a tone, in which alternative political leaders and movements are not just seen as a legitimate loyal opposition, but are depicted as criminal traitors who must be locked up, one thing that happens is that bombs start to go off, planted by members of the far Right parties. If you don’t believe me about the connection, consider a few news articles from the 1920s and early 1930s, as the Fascists came to power in Italy and increasingly agitated in Germany"
"The mass right wing parties of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s were led by charismatic leaders who whipped up the hatreds of mobs by denouncing immigrants and ethnic and religious groups as threats to the nation and as terrorists and saboteurs. Somehow when politicians set such a tone, in which alternative political leaders and movements are not just seen as a legitimate loyal opposition, but are depicted as criminal traitors who must be locked up, one thing that happens is that bombs start to go off, planted by members of the far Right parties. If you don’t believe me about the connection, consider a few news articles from the 1920s and early 1930s, as the Fascists came to power in Italy and increasingly agitated in Germany"
As Trump continues attack on CNN, network receives another ‘suspicious package’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-attacks-cnn-mail-bomb-james-clapper-aef423e14580/?fbclid=IwAR1hwmUOEFPTaJbsDtpLwqpl58xzuv5I-6mMrXrNy-mktfjm9s4XZQxUNdQ
"Hours after President Trump posted a tweet at 3:14 a.m. on Friday lambasting CNN, the network was targeted by another “suspicious package.” NBC reports that the package — which was sent to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper but addressed to the network where he serves as a contributor — is believed to be a bomb. The Clapper package marks the second time this week that CNN has received an explosive device in the mail."
"Hours after President Trump posted a tweet at 3:14 a.m. on Friday lambasting CNN, the network was targeted by another “suspicious package.” NBC reports that the package — which was sent to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper but addressed to the network where he serves as a contributor — is believed to be a bomb. The Clapper package marks the second time this week that CNN has received an explosive device in the mail."
Fox News Didn’t Know How to Politicize the Pipe Bomb Story
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/fox-news-pipe-bombs-caravan-coverage.html?fbclid=IwAR1GPEp536gN_GzYWwfCPqovKCSg31Tu7Wa1o074EzkrteuZisjL-qCWH0U
"The network was set for a day of fear-stoking caravan coverage—until breaking news disrupted its efficient propaganda machine."
"The network was set for a day of fear-stoking caravan coverage—until breaking news disrupted its efficient propaganda machine."
Supreme Leader Trump Brushes Off Terrorist Plot to Murder His Political Adversaries
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-pipe-bombs-746945/?fbclid=IwAR1mVT6At8K9UL6if1L4hdYsn4tbE52-xqjW9bby1q_eajvX7SXWnUVvJJQ
"These are the people Republican politicians fear will vote them out of office, which is why they have mostly refrained from acknowledging Trump’s role in dividing the nation and inciting violence. To them, both sides are to blame, and the bombing attempts are no different from a restaurant refusing to serve Sarah Huckabee Sanders. As a result, a terrorist plot to murder two ex-presidents, other current and former Democratic politicians, a billionaire philanthropist and employees of a news network will be conveniently flushed out of the news cycle in a matter of days."
"These are the people Republican politicians fear will vote them out of office, which is why they have mostly refrained from acknowledging Trump’s role in dividing the nation and inciting violence. To them, both sides are to blame, and the bombing attempts are no different from a restaurant refusing to serve Sarah Huckabee Sanders. As a result, a terrorist plot to murder two ex-presidents, other current and former Democratic politicians, a billionaire philanthropist and employees of a news network will be conveniently flushed out of the news cycle in a matter of days."
The Problem Isn’t Incivility. It’s Trump’s Belief the Media Can’t Criticize Him.
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/trumps-pipe-bombs-mainstream-media-clean-up-act.html?fbclid=IwAR36N6fIHwD7AAB25Yky-ALByPn3AVMiN5A1fZSau0ULLdoahbbGxsQv8DU
"Trump persisted in manipulating the media to build his image as a brilliant deal maker by publishing lies so wild the reporters he used couldn’t fathom them. (Reporter Jonathan Greenberg later recounted one such episode, in which Trump lied his way onto the Forbes 400.) Eventually almost all of Trump’s deals collapsed, and his one remaining marketable asset was the media-created perception that he was a brilliant businessman. The corollary to Trump’s expectation that the news media unquestioningly transmit his lies is his demand that it refrain from criticism of any kind. He was fanatical about intimidating reporters with legal threats. He would wring apologies out of any skeptics, or even get them fired — not despite the fact the criticism was true but because it was true. In his incarnation as a political candidate, Trump has mostly lost his ability to intimidate the media with legal threats. (Politicians have a prohibitively high standard for libel in the United States.) But his expectation and worldview are the same. Any news outlet not controlled by his loyalists is “fake news” and an “enemy of the people.” It must “clean up its act” — or else. Trump can’t literally attack reporters, though he can praise allies who do. The mail-bomb threats are the leverage he craves. They are the threat that can make good on his demand, the consequence facing the media for failing to submit to his orders. It is a supreme irony that Trump used his speech last night to delegitimize criticism. “No one should carelessly compare political opponents to historical villains.” But the issue is that Trump, in his psychological makeup and aspirations, is precisely such a historical villain."
"Trump persisted in manipulating the media to build his image as a brilliant deal maker by publishing lies so wild the reporters he used couldn’t fathom them. (Reporter Jonathan Greenberg later recounted one such episode, in which Trump lied his way onto the Forbes 400.) Eventually almost all of Trump’s deals collapsed, and his one remaining marketable asset was the media-created perception that he was a brilliant businessman. The corollary to Trump’s expectation that the news media unquestioningly transmit his lies is his demand that it refrain from criticism of any kind. He was fanatical about intimidating reporters with legal threats. He would wring apologies out of any skeptics, or even get them fired — not despite the fact the criticism was true but because it was true. In his incarnation as a political candidate, Trump has mostly lost his ability to intimidate the media with legal threats. (Politicians have a prohibitively high standard for libel in the United States.) But his expectation and worldview are the same. Any news outlet not controlled by his loyalists is “fake news” and an “enemy of the people.” It must “clean up its act” — or else. Trump can’t literally attack reporters, though he can praise allies who do. The mail-bomb threats are the leverage he craves. They are the threat that can make good on his demand, the consequence facing the media for failing to submit to his orders. It is a supreme irony that Trump used his speech last night to delegitimize criticism. “No one should carelessly compare political opponents to historical villains.” But the issue is that Trump, in his psychological makeup and aspirations, is precisely such a historical villain."
Someone Sent CNN a Bomb. The President Called for Civility—Then Attacked the Media.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24213739/cnn-bomb-president-trump-attack-media/?fbclid=IwAR0NoUsS6w8azkvXhlLNMsjIXwAAV9ouWUgtU5FHivhQvce8zNzkC2TMAmg
"Again, someone tried to bomb CNN earlier that day. And now the person who unleashes more invective against the media in general and CNN in particular than anyone else in public life is demanding civility from those who were just physically attacked. The number one dispenser of false information in our society is demanding others stop their "false attacks." It's enough to make you wonder whether Donald Trump, American president, is capable of taking responsibility for anything at all. After all, the president is not merely the most "uncivil" figure in our politics, whose viciousness and blatant disregard for the truth have trickled down to permeate all of our discourse. In this homestretch of the 2018 midterms in particular, it is Donald Trump who is ratcheting up the rhetoric to dangerous new levels This is reality. This is what's happening. The president is banging on about how his political opponents want to allow hordes of faceless criminal brown people to pour into the country through the southern border, and continually suggests the Mainstream Media is aiding and abetting that effort. He has categorized not just CNN and other media outlets, but Democrats, too, as enemies of the state. He has been doing so for some time, but as the election approaches and Republicans' prospects—particularly in the House—have not improved, the president and his allies have turned to a loud and sprawling campaign of outright propaganda. And all the while, he pretends that continually casting his political opponents and the free press as enemies of the American people who are endangering you and your family has no effect on his supporters or the wider political system. He pretends he is not contributing to this "atmosphere" of increasingly violent hostility, even as he embraces political violence from the podium, praising an ally for physically assaulting a reporter. A proto-brownshirt group supporting him went on a violent spree in the streets of New York less than two weeks ago."
"Again, someone tried to bomb CNN earlier that day. And now the person who unleashes more invective against the media in general and CNN in particular than anyone else in public life is demanding civility from those who were just physically attacked. The number one dispenser of false information in our society is demanding others stop their "false attacks." It's enough to make you wonder whether Donald Trump, American president, is capable of taking responsibility for anything at all. After all, the president is not merely the most "uncivil" figure in our politics, whose viciousness and blatant disregard for the truth have trickled down to permeate all of our discourse. In this homestretch of the 2018 midterms in particular, it is Donald Trump who is ratcheting up the rhetoric to dangerous new levels This is reality. This is what's happening. The president is banging on about how his political opponents want to allow hordes of faceless criminal brown people to pour into the country through the southern border, and continually suggests the Mainstream Media is aiding and abetting that effort. He has categorized not just CNN and other media outlets, but Democrats, too, as enemies of the state. He has been doing so for some time, but as the election approaches and Republicans' prospects—particularly in the House—have not improved, the president and his allies have turned to a loud and sprawling campaign of outright propaganda. And all the while, he pretends that continually casting his political opponents and the free press as enemies of the American people who are endangering you and your family has no effect on his supporters or the wider political system. He pretends he is not contributing to this "atmosphere" of increasingly violent hostility, even as he embraces political violence from the podium, praising an ally for physically assaulting a reporter. A proto-brownshirt group supporting him went on a violent spree in the streets of New York less than two weeks ago."
The conservative mainstream is embracing conspiracy theories
https://thinkprogress.org/conspiracy-theories-now-conservative-mainstream-attempted-bombings-fcb2a7d3d66b/?fbclid=IwAR3FKQQmPzrPCvZa6JHVsQTs5K_4G3UYP2gjzwoV8GxTA0p_SJbAFFYgYNs
"What makes the spread of this theory so depressing is that it has moved into mainstream conservative conversation despite being the exact same theory that is currently being propagated by neo-Nazis like Andrew Anglin at the Daily Stormer and conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer. The fringe internet to Fox News pipeline has proved increasingly successful in recent months."
"What makes the spread of this theory so depressing is that it has moved into mainstream conservative conversation despite being the exact same theory that is currently being propagated by neo-Nazis like Andrew Anglin at the Daily Stormer and conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer. The fringe internet to Fox News pipeline has proved increasingly successful in recent months."
As Trump Gaslights Entire Nation About Package Bombs, This 'Will Go Down in History' as Clear Moment 'American Democracy Truly at Risk'
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/25/trump-gaslights-entire-nation-about-package-bombs-will-go-down-history-clear-moment?fbclid=IwAR14IM6rZOqaZdWhz5HM1_Oya8zaHcMq2HFQTrOSuKcXZnM1trYa1AzKmls
"Trump's tweet and the swift backlash came just hours after over 200 retired journalists signed an open letter (pdf) condemning the president's continued attacks on the free press, highlighting as just one example his remarks last week praising Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) for body-slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. "Trump's condoning of political violence is part of a sustained pattern of attack on a free press--which includes labeling any reportage he doesn't like as 'fake news' and barring reporters and news organizations whom he wishes to punish from press briefings and events," the former journalists wrote. "The president... is actively working not simply to undermine the press, but to incite violence against it as well"."
"Trump's tweet and the swift backlash came just hours after over 200 retired journalists signed an open letter (pdf) condemning the president's continued attacks on the free press, highlighting as just one example his remarks last week praising Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) for body-slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. "Trump's condoning of political violence is part of a sustained pattern of attack on a free press--which includes labeling any reportage he doesn't like as 'fake news' and barring reporters and news organizations whom he wishes to punish from press briefings and events," the former journalists wrote. "The president... is actively working not simply to undermine the press, but to incite violence against it as well"."
Terror from the Right
https://www.splcenter.org/20180723/terror-right?fbclid=IwAR3XKbH7a_F3J1-dBZzKMxFfda5TRzwR_zcfLmHp_bR5beCGoxJ4VXZBZyk
"What follows is a detailed listing of major terrorist plots and racist rampages that have emerged from the American radical right in the years since Oklahoma City. These have included plans to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, utilities, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians, civil rights figures and others; to rob banks, armored cars and other criminals; and to amass illegal machine guns, missiles, explosives and biological and chemical weapons. [Each of these plots aimed to make changes in America through the use of political violence.] Most contemplated the deaths of large numbers of people — in one case, as many as 30,000, or 10 times the number murdered on Sept. 11, 2001. Here are the stories of plots, conspiracies and racist rampages since 1995 — plots and violence waged against a democratic America."
"What follows is a detailed listing of major terrorist plots and racist rampages that have emerged from the American radical right in the years since Oklahoma City. These have included plans to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, utilities, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians, civil rights figures and others; to rob banks, armored cars and other criminals; and to amass illegal machine guns, missiles, explosives and biological and chemical weapons. [Each of these plots aimed to make changes in America through the use of political violence.] Most contemplated the deaths of large numbers of people — in one case, as many as 30,000, or 10 times the number murdered on Sept. 11, 2001. Here are the stories of plots, conspiracies and racist rampages since 1995 — plots and violence waged against a democratic America."
Words into bombs: Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric has consequences
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/24/words-into-bombs-donald-trumps-violent-rhetoric-has-consequences/?fbclid=IwAR0oL0d2SETkukfzjzpj_i_ymzc65uFq7XQ8oac9MfJ94NpJCcEhCPLPylE
"Trump's constant rhetorical violence violence is an extension of his authoritarianism and the diseased country which elected him president. He frightens his supporters by referencing some kind of enemy, usually an ethnic or racial minority. Like other authoritarians and political strongmen, Trump then presents himself as the savior. Like the mafiosi he admires, and with whom he often consorted early in his career, Trump is running a political protection racket where he tells his supporters to give him money so that he will keep them safe."
"Trump's constant rhetorical violence violence is an extension of his authoritarianism and the diseased country which elected him president. He frightens his supporters by referencing some kind of enemy, usually an ethnic or racial minority. Like other authoritarians and political strongmen, Trump then presents himself as the savior. Like the mafiosi he admires, and with whom he often consorted early in his career, Trump is running a political protection racket where he tells his supporters to give him money so that he will keep them safe."
Trump Is Celebrating Violence and Nationalism at His Rallies
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/trump-nationalist-gop-violence.html?fbclid=IwAR0ISuWfmpHkHQlgrayBRdTP7Q43eTs-olvHA5uLeFkGVkwtb8syySn8H_A
"If he endorses violence, he puts people’s lives in danger. And if his party falls in line behind him, the ingredients for a catastrophe are in place. A day after Trump celebrated Gianforte’s assault on Jacobs, a Republican official in Montana called in to a radio show to say she would have gone further. “If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him,” she said. Don’t pretend it can’t happen here. It’s happening."
"If he endorses violence, he puts people’s lives in danger. And if his party falls in line behind him, the ingredients for a catastrophe are in place. A day after Trump celebrated Gianforte’s assault on Jacobs, a Republican official in Montana called in to a radio show to say she would have gone further. “If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him,” she said. Don’t pretend it can’t happen here. It’s happening."
Everything We Know About the String of Pipe Bombs Sent to Prominent Democrats
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/explosive-clinton-obama-soros.html?fbclid=IwAR0W_jCT191TK9m_dSBe5NcamSJsU8zi6Z6vh9cmUP_r36v4gggFAYrIrfE
"The Secret Service said it “has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” Clinton and Obama, according to a statement. A Secret Service employee who screens Clinton’s mail found the device late on Tuesday in a package addressed to her in Westchester County, New York. The package meant for Obama’s home was found early on Wednesday by Secret Service agents in Washington. The Secret Service said it has launched a criminal investigation “that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources” to find the person or people responsible, according to the statement. Later on Wednesday morning, the Broward County sheriff’s office confirmed that a suspicious package was found at the Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman. NBC News has reported that the suspicious packages sent to Soros, Clinton, and Obama listed Wasserman Schultz for the return address. After CNN was evacuated from its New York offices Wednesday, officials said the explosive device was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. These packages were found two days after a caretaker found the bomb mailed to Soros. A bomb squad on Monday detonated the device, which authorities described as a six-inch-long pipe filled with explosive powder and rigged with a detonator. Federal authorities said they believed the device was hand-delivered, according to the New York Times. Had someone been standing nearby when the device was detonated, that person could have been maimed or killed. The motive behind the attempted bombings are not known, but just as Clinton and Obama are vilified figures among the far right, Soros has been the focus of right-wing anger and conspiracy-mongering. The New York offices of the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the attempted bombing of Soros’ home, according to the Times."
"The Secret Service said it “has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” Clinton and Obama, according to a statement. A Secret Service employee who screens Clinton’s mail found the device late on Tuesday in a package addressed to her in Westchester County, New York. The package meant for Obama’s home was found early on Wednesday by Secret Service agents in Washington. The Secret Service said it has launched a criminal investigation “that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources” to find the person or people responsible, according to the statement. Later on Wednesday morning, the Broward County sheriff’s office confirmed that a suspicious package was found at the Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman. NBC News has reported that the suspicious packages sent to Soros, Clinton, and Obama listed Wasserman Schultz for the return address. After CNN was evacuated from its New York offices Wednesday, officials said the explosive device was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. These packages were found two days after a caretaker found the bomb mailed to Soros. A bomb squad on Monday detonated the device, which authorities described as a six-inch-long pipe filled with explosive powder and rigged with a detonator. Federal authorities said they believed the device was hand-delivered, according to the New York Times. Had someone been standing nearby when the device was detonated, that person could have been maimed or killed. The motive behind the attempted bombings are not known, but just as Clinton and Obama are vilified figures among the far right, Soros has been the focus of right-wing anger and conspiracy-mongering. The New York offices of the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the attempted bombing of Soros’ home, according to the Times."
Imagined job totals from Trump’s imagined arms deal keep growing
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/imagined-job-totals-trumps-imagined-arms-deal-keep-growing?fbclid=IwAR0PFhdOidX4OdVVenqz8LIe3T0ySvvEUnGMsj0oDcMiknNWYgEQERPnFOc
"Over the summer, Donald Trump told a group of supporters that he’d spoken with the head of U.S. Steel, who told him that, as a result of the president’s policies, the company was opening six new plants. It wasn’t long before we learned that Trump had made up the conversation, and U.S. Steel wasn’t opening any new plants. But the president was undeterred by reality. As the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale has documented in detail, Trump not only kept repeating the lie, he also inflated the number of new plants that don’t exist. What started as six imaginary plants soon became seven, then eight, and more recently “at least eight.” Remember, the actual number is zero. The president nevertheless repeats the lie at nearly every campaign rally, constantly upping the ante, assuming Republican voters won’t know or care about the difference. Something eerily similar is unfolding with Trump’s rhetoric about a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which, in reality, is not real. And yet, despite the fact that the deal does not really exist, the American president continues to ascribe new job totals to the imagined agreement. Mar. 20, 2018: “We’re talking about over 40,000 jobs in the United States.” Oct. 13, 2018: “It’s 450,000 jobs.” Oct. 17, 2018: “It’s 500,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018: “I’d prefer that we not cancel $110 billion worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later): “600,000 jobs, maybe more than that.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later after that): “So now if you’re talking about – that was $110 billion – you know, you’re talking about over a million jobs.” I half expect him to start making up gibberish numbers just to see what he can get away with. (“This arms deal will create 18 gajillion jobs….”) Of course, while it’s tempting to laugh at all of this, the underlying point is quite serious. Trump has argued repeatedly that the $110 billion arms deal is so important that the United States must be prepared to tolerate Saudi Arabian abuses, including the murder of a U.S.-based journalist"
"Over the summer, Donald Trump told a group of supporters that he’d spoken with the head of U.S. Steel, who told him that, as a result of the president’s policies, the company was opening six new plants. It wasn’t long before we learned that Trump had made up the conversation, and U.S. Steel wasn’t opening any new plants. But the president was undeterred by reality. As the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale has documented in detail, Trump not only kept repeating the lie, he also inflated the number of new plants that don’t exist. What started as six imaginary plants soon became seven, then eight, and more recently “at least eight.” Remember, the actual number is zero. The president nevertheless repeats the lie at nearly every campaign rally, constantly upping the ante, assuming Republican voters won’t know or care about the difference. Something eerily similar is unfolding with Trump’s rhetoric about a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which, in reality, is not real. And yet, despite the fact that the deal does not really exist, the American president continues to ascribe new job totals to the imagined agreement. Mar. 20, 2018: “We’re talking about over 40,000 jobs in the United States.” Oct. 13, 2018: “It’s 450,000 jobs.” Oct. 17, 2018: “It’s 500,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018: “I’d prefer that we not cancel $110 billion worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later): “600,000 jobs, maybe more than that.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later after that): “So now if you’re talking about – that was $110 billion – you know, you’re talking about over a million jobs.” I half expect him to start making up gibberish numbers just to see what he can get away with. (“This arms deal will create 18 gajillion jobs….”) Of course, while it’s tempting to laugh at all of this, the underlying point is quite serious. Trump has argued repeatedly that the $110 billion arms deal is so important that the United States must be prepared to tolerate Saudi Arabian abuses, including the murder of a U.S.-based journalist"
Key GOP senator: Trump admin has ‘clamped down’ on Khashoggi intel
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/key-gop-senator-trump-admin-has-clamped-down-khashoggi-intel?fbclid=IwAR3sWHw97EihfjlHaT9d19pQO6Ya5Er3BkCXMI8wqasQAg53x-WDoPGFZ_Y
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has extensive oversight authority over the executive branch’s handling of international affairs, has more than a few questions right now about Saudi Arabia and the White House’s policy toward the Middle Eastern giant. But the Trump administration, while working with the Saudi royal family on “a mutually agreeable explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” has decided to “clamp down” on sharing intelligence with Congress."
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has extensive oversight authority over the executive branch’s handling of international affairs, has more than a few questions right now about Saudi Arabia and the White House’s policy toward the Middle Eastern giant. But the Trump administration, while working with the Saudi royal family on “a mutually agreeable explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” has decided to “clamp down” on sharing intelligence with Congress."
'Groveling' Before Murderous Kingdom, Trump Complains Saudis Deemed 'Guilty Until Proven Innocent' Like Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/17/groveling-murderous-kingdom-trump-complains-saudis-deemed-guilty-until-proven?fbclid=IwAR1_MShty7BHHEWZwZ5-Un0V4Z8jzGBV0xkdptQHe3rX6vf-GBG1u84Zjqw
"U.S. President Donald Trump continued "groveling" at the feet of the murderous kingdom Tuesday night by claiming that the Saudis have been deemed "guilty until proven innocent" just like newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was credibly accused of sexual assault."
"U.S. President Donald Trump continued "groveling" at the feet of the murderous kingdom Tuesday night by claiming that the Saudis have been deemed "guilty until proven innocent" just like newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was credibly accused of sexual assault."
Donald Trump Has a Serious Saudi Arabian Conflict of Interest
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/10/donald-trump-has-a-serious-saudi-arabian-conflict-of-interest/?fbclid=IwAR139mvHb0RV8dNeoS42P9uDV1mrd0kRXmitGiX0zc85qHfhwwfup4GoD3s
"The grisly details of an alleged Saudi government plot to murder dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi are roiling diplomatic and national security circles, but the Trump White House’s reaction has been strangely muted. Asked about the matter on Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump vaguely condemned the “bad situation,” while also praising King Salman, the Saudi monarch, as a “fine man.” He stressed that Saudi officials say it’s unclear what became of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say he was killed within hours of entering the consulate by a Saudi hit squad on the orders of senior Saudi royal family members. Trump’s meek response to the diplomatic crisis highlights the ongoing conflicts of interest posed by his business empire. At a 2015 campaign stop, Trump bragged to the crowd about his business dealings with the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” In 2001, the Saudi government bought the 45th floor of the Trump World Plaza building in New York City as part of its mission to the United Nations. And shortly before entering the White House, Trump was aggressively pursuing deals with Saudi investors and attempting to build hotels in the Saudi Arabia. In August 2015, in the midst of his presidential run, Trump registered new corporations to manage a prospective hotel in Jeddah, the gateway city to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina. That project never came to fruition, but the Washington Post reported that at least two of Trump’s US hotel properties—both called the Trump International Hotel & Tower, in New York and Chicago—have benefitted hugely from Saudi business."
"The grisly details of an alleged Saudi government plot to murder dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi are roiling diplomatic and national security circles, but the Trump White House’s reaction has been strangely muted. Asked about the matter on Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump vaguely condemned the “bad situation,” while also praising King Salman, the Saudi monarch, as a “fine man.” He stressed that Saudi officials say it’s unclear what became of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say he was killed within hours of entering the consulate by a Saudi hit squad on the orders of senior Saudi royal family members. Trump’s meek response to the diplomatic crisis highlights the ongoing conflicts of interest posed by his business empire. At a 2015 campaign stop, Trump bragged to the crowd about his business dealings with the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” In 2001, the Saudi government bought the 45th floor of the Trump World Plaza building in New York City as part of its mission to the United Nations. And shortly before entering the White House, Trump was aggressively pursuing deals with Saudi investors and attempting to build hotels in the Saudi Arabia. In August 2015, in the midst of his presidential run, Trump registered new corporations to manage a prospective hotel in Jeddah, the gateway city to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina. That project never came to fruition, but the Washington Post reported that at least two of Trump’s US hotel properties—both called the Trump International Hotel & Tower, in New York and Chicago—have benefitted hugely from Saudi business."
Trump lies about having ‘no financial interests in Saudi Arabia’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-financial-interests-saudi-arabia-lies-khashoggi-add91211833e/?fbclid=IwAR34INaBaK2Ddt33SrAiKwoQ1uRLQnl9cfjEWDIpRF9_3VAfH9ga7NnuGH4
"In an apparent effort to push back on suggestions his soft stance toward Saudi Arabia is a result of his business dealings with Saudis, President Trump on Tuesday tweeted, “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!” Trump’s claim is transparently false. As the Washington Post reported in August, the Saudi regime has been pumping money directly into Trump’s pockets through his hotels." “After two years of decline, revenue from room rentals [at the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan] went up 13 percent in the first three months of 2018,” the Post reported — in large part due to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s patronage of the hotel during a visit to New York City in which he and his entourage didn’t even end up staying there. Trump wasn’t always so reluctant to acknowledge his business dealings with the Saudis. The month after he launched his presidential campaign, Trump gave a speech in which he boasted that “likes the Saudis” because “I make a lot of money with them” — an admission that directly contradicts what he now claims."
"In an apparent effort to push back on suggestions his soft stance toward Saudi Arabia is a result of his business dealings with Saudis, President Trump on Tuesday tweeted, “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!” Trump’s claim is transparently false. As the Washington Post reported in August, the Saudi regime has been pumping money directly into Trump’s pockets through his hotels." “After two years of decline, revenue from room rentals [at the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan] went up 13 percent in the first three months of 2018,” the Post reported — in large part due to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s patronage of the hotel during a visit to New York City in which he and his entourage didn’t even end up staying there. Trump wasn’t always so reluctant to acknowledge his business dealings with the Saudis. The month after he launched his presidential campaign, Trump gave a speech in which he boasted that “likes the Saudis” because “I make a lot of money with them” — an admission that directly contradicts what he now claims."
A Radical Republican Shows His Aryan Colors
https://www.dcreport.org/2018/10/22/a-radical-republican-shows-his-aryan-colors/?fbclid=IwAR38wxJWDd-ndvcZdBcrIsd372jVbZ4EpmQo1rt4qyXsgsiDRa-Hqcfk2v8
"Iowa Rep. Steve King Spells Out His Racist Worldview with an Austrian Neo-Fascist"
"Iowa Rep. Steve King Spells Out His Racist Worldview with an Austrian Neo-Fascist"
Friday, October 26, 2018
GOP Lies About Pre-Existing Conditions May Have Reached Peak Absurdity
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-tweet-pre-existing-conditions-gop_us_5bd0a4f9e4b0a8f17ef35bab?fbclid=IwAR3Yb_kuMdCGvI5xzLFf3HeYVRAJM9SXPt_KVPM1mE51dvexh3OeB3T6r5w
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
In historic move, the Arizona Republic endorses a Democrat for Senate for the first time in 18 years
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/23/in-historic-move-the-arizona-republic-endorses-a-democrat-for-senate-for-the-first-time-in-18-years/?fbclid=IwAR1ly5aPv3AdOwB1-fwBiOYQGanAw0XQXpuDLDlk1wpEqQopLWKF4cmppGc
"For the first time in 18 years, the Arizona Republic endorsed a Democratic candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. In an op-ed published on Monday, the Grand Canyon State’s largest newspaper endorsed U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema over her Republican challenger, Martha McSally. The decision marks a stark departure for the historically-conservative publication."
"For the first time in 18 years, the Arizona Republic endorsed a Democratic candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. In an op-ed published on Monday, the Grand Canyon State’s largest newspaper endorsed U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema over her Republican challenger, Martha McSally. The decision marks a stark departure for the historically-conservative publication."
The rigging of American politics
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/16/17951596/kavanaugh-trump-senate-impeachment-avenatti-democrats-2020-supreme-court?fbclid=IwAR1HnvDNM5ALe4Z-Xe2buXIxFJcXVHySkWcT30kSO_74n-oKvEbFefrLOT0
"Since 2000, fully 40 percent of presidential elections have been won by the loser of the popular vote. Republicans control the US Senate despite winning fewer votes than Democrats, and it’s understood that House Democrats need to beat Republicans by as much as 7 or 8 points in the popular vote to hold a majority in the chamber. Next year, it’s possible that Republicans will control the presidency and both chambers of Congress despite having received fewer votes for the White House in 2016 and for the House and Senate in 2018. Kavanaugh now serves on a Supreme Court where four of the nine justices were nominated by a president who lost the popular vote in his initial run for office, and where the 5-4 conservative majority owes its existence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s extraordinary decision to deny Merrick Garland a hearing. This Court will rule on the constitutionality of gerrymandering, voter ID laws, union dues, campaign finance, Obamacare, and more; that is to say, they will rule on cases that will shape who holds, and who can effectively wield, political power in the future. “The party that is trying to keep minority rule is also going to be the party that has less interest in true democratic representation,” says Lilliana Mason, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. “You have to break some rules of democracy in order to keep minority rule.” If these dynamics were at least split — if the geography of the House boosted Democrats while the Electoral College leaned toward Republicans — perhaps the dissatisfaction would be diffused, or the dueling interests of the parties would permit a compromise. But that’s not the case. America’s growing zones of anti-democracy buoy Republicans, who, in turn, gain more political power to write the rules in their favor."
"Since 2000, fully 40 percent of presidential elections have been won by the loser of the popular vote. Republicans control the US Senate despite winning fewer votes than Democrats, and it’s understood that House Democrats need to beat Republicans by as much as 7 or 8 points in the popular vote to hold a majority in the chamber. Next year, it’s possible that Republicans will control the presidency and both chambers of Congress despite having received fewer votes for the White House in 2016 and for the House and Senate in 2018. Kavanaugh now serves on a Supreme Court where four of the nine justices were nominated by a president who lost the popular vote in his initial run for office, and where the 5-4 conservative majority owes its existence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s extraordinary decision to deny Merrick Garland a hearing. This Court will rule on the constitutionality of gerrymandering, voter ID laws, union dues, campaign finance, Obamacare, and more; that is to say, they will rule on cases that will shape who holds, and who can effectively wield, political power in the future. “The party that is trying to keep minority rule is also going to be the party that has less interest in true democratic representation,” says Lilliana Mason, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. “You have to break some rules of democracy in order to keep minority rule.” If these dynamics were at least split — if the geography of the House boosted Democrats while the Electoral College leaned toward Republicans — perhaps the dissatisfaction would be diffused, or the dueling interests of the parties would permit a compromise. But that’s not the case. America’s growing zones of anti-democracy buoy Republicans, who, in turn, gain more political power to write the rules in their favor."
Want to Fight Gerrymandering? These Are the Races to Watch
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/what-is-gerrymandering-747094/?fbclid=IwAR2tjulxhy1rrTpxmutk3lAYwgD4VKQPLS3ijyZJRirfzB6nLjco_GPe5Is
"Until recently, Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district in the southeast corner of the state summed up the insanity of partisan gerrymandering in the United States. The district was a monstrosity, a Rorschach inkblot that stretched from the Republican-leaning suburbs of Philadelphia out into farm and Amish country. One political scientist looked at its winding, jagged lines and saw “Donald Duck kicking Goofy.” The mangled district was cooked up by the Republican-controlled legislature and the state’s Republican governor when they redrew Pennsylvania’s congressional map after the 2010 census. The result? Republicans went from holding seven out of 19 of the state’s House of Representatives seats to a whopping 13. (The state lost one seat after the census.) A political analyst called it “the gerrymander of the decade.” Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court struck down Pennsylvania’s epic gerrymander and declared that a new map must be drawn. This time, however, when the GOP-led legislature came back with yet another nakedly partisan map, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed it. In the end, the state supreme court released its own map, one with clear lines and more competitive districts. Pennsylvania’s democracy was restored — at least for now. On November 6th, voters across the country will have their chance to cast ballots in gubernatorial races that could similarly begin to reverse the effects of gerrymandering. There are 36 races for governor this year — races that, in many cases, have gotten far less attention than those for House or Senate. But on the issue of gerrymandering, governors play a decisive role not just in shaping the future of their states but determining the composition of House of Representatives, approving or blocking congressional maps skewed in favor of one political party."
"Until recently, Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district in the southeast corner of the state summed up the insanity of partisan gerrymandering in the United States. The district was a monstrosity, a Rorschach inkblot that stretched from the Republican-leaning suburbs of Philadelphia out into farm and Amish country. One political scientist looked at its winding, jagged lines and saw “Donald Duck kicking Goofy.” The mangled district was cooked up by the Republican-controlled legislature and the state’s Republican governor when they redrew Pennsylvania’s congressional map after the 2010 census. The result? Republicans went from holding seven out of 19 of the state’s House of Representatives seats to a whopping 13. (The state lost one seat after the census.) A political analyst called it “the gerrymander of the decade.” Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court struck down Pennsylvania’s epic gerrymander and declared that a new map must be drawn. This time, however, when the GOP-led legislature came back with yet another nakedly partisan map, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed it. In the end, the state supreme court released its own map, one with clear lines and more competitive districts. Pennsylvania’s democracy was restored — at least for now. On November 6th, voters across the country will have their chance to cast ballots in gubernatorial races that could similarly begin to reverse the effects of gerrymandering. There are 36 races for governor this year — races that, in many cases, have gotten far less attention than those for House or Senate. But on the issue of gerrymandering, governors play a decisive role not just in shaping the future of their states but determining the composition of House of Representatives, approving or blocking congressional maps skewed in favor of one political party."
Minority Rule Does Not Have to Be Here Forever
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/minority-rule-not-in-the-constitution.html?fbclid=IwAR2niFYLMUi66tLkNWvdsmiFobS8cycqlXk1oZIC_fhrxLrp_PBsmJ7-XC4
"Madison wasn’t a minoritarian; he believed majorities, properly structured around consensus, had the right to govern. That belief should inform our understanding of the present, where the Republican Party holds all three branches in Washington despite less-than-majority support among the public at large. This was dramatized by the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was nominated by a minority president who lost the national popular vote by 3 million ballots. Unpopular from the start, Kavanaugh’s standing collapsed in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s credible allegation of sexual assault. He was confirmed by a narrow majority of the Senate representing just 44 percent of all Americans, and more Americans opposed his confirmation than supported it. Now aligned with four other conservative justices—including one nominated by his patron and two others by a president who also entered the White House with minority support—Kavanaugh will likely back jurisprudence that enables voter suppression and extreme partisan gerrymandering, allowing the Republican Party to strengthen its anti-majoritarian hold on power. With Kavanaugh’s confirmation, an electoral minority is now essentially dictating the terms of constitutional interpretation, thanks to two institutions: the Electoral College—which favors the geographical distribution of supporters, not the total number—and the Senate, which creates huge disparities of representation. (A majority of Americans are represented by just 18 senators.) While there’s no clear relationship between partisanship and state size—some small states are heavily Democratic, some large ones are heavily Republican—the present configuration of state partisanship makes the GOP Senate majority a minority of the overall population. Even the House of Representatives no longer conforms fully to principles of majority representation—because of gerrymandering, come November, Democrats will have to win the House by at least 7 points to claim a majority of seats."
"Madison wasn’t a minoritarian; he believed majorities, properly structured around consensus, had the right to govern. That belief should inform our understanding of the present, where the Republican Party holds all three branches in Washington despite less-than-majority support among the public at large. This was dramatized by the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was nominated by a minority president who lost the national popular vote by 3 million ballots. Unpopular from the start, Kavanaugh’s standing collapsed in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s credible allegation of sexual assault. He was confirmed by a narrow majority of the Senate representing just 44 percent of all Americans, and more Americans opposed his confirmation than supported it. Now aligned with four other conservative justices—including one nominated by his patron and two others by a president who also entered the White House with minority support—Kavanaugh will likely back jurisprudence that enables voter suppression and extreme partisan gerrymandering, allowing the Republican Party to strengthen its anti-majoritarian hold on power. With Kavanaugh’s confirmation, an electoral minority is now essentially dictating the terms of constitutional interpretation, thanks to two institutions: the Electoral College—which favors the geographical distribution of supporters, not the total number—and the Senate, which creates huge disparities of representation. (A majority of Americans are represented by just 18 senators.) While there’s no clear relationship between partisanship and state size—some small states are heavily Democratic, some large ones are heavily Republican—the present configuration of state partisanship makes the GOP Senate majority a minority of the overall population. Even the House of Representatives no longer conforms fully to principles of majority representation—because of gerrymandering, come November, Democrats will have to win the House by at least 7 points to claim a majority of seats."
GOP rhetoric about the deficit becomes a punch-line to an awkward joke
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-rhetoric-about-the-deficit-becomes-punch-line-awkward-joke?fbclid=IwAR02XszmHJ-Ho9WxIxEPs7xcF4D_8k6ovrYuE0C0uob3NY8bJbVh7B_1-rg
"As recently as June, Larry Kudlow, the director of the Trump White House’s National Economic Council, boasted to a national television audience the U.S. budget deficit “is coming down, and it’s coming down rapidly.” Yeah, about that…. The U.S. government ran its largest budget deficit in six years during the fiscal year that ended last month, an unusual development in a fast-growing economy and a sign that – so far at least – tax cuts have restrained government revenue gains. The deficit totaled $779 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 17% from $666 billion in fiscal 2017, the Treasury Department said Monday. The deficit is headed toward $1 trillion in the current fiscal year, the White House and Congressional Budget Office said. This deficit is the fifth largest in modern American history – in non-inflation adjusted terms – and it now stands at 3.9% of GDP, up from 3.5% a year ago. To be sure, as a percentage of the economy, the deficit isn’t necessarily at a level that should cause significant concern. The trouble is the broader context: Circling back to our previous coverage, there are a few key angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that Donald Trump’s campaign assurances about balancing the budget and eliminating the national debt should be near the top of the list of his broken promises. Second, it’s now painfully obvious that the Republican Party, which spent the Obama era pretending to care deeply about fiscal responsibility and the terrible burdens deficits place on future generations, operated in bad faith. And third, every Republican who said the GOP tax breaks for the wealthy would pay for themselves ought to face some renewed questioning about how very wrong they were."
"As recently as June, Larry Kudlow, the director of the Trump White House’s National Economic Council, boasted to a national television audience the U.S. budget deficit “is coming down, and it’s coming down rapidly.” Yeah, about that…. The U.S. government ran its largest budget deficit in six years during the fiscal year that ended last month, an unusual development in a fast-growing economy and a sign that – so far at least – tax cuts have restrained government revenue gains. The deficit totaled $779 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 17% from $666 billion in fiscal 2017, the Treasury Department said Monday. The deficit is headed toward $1 trillion in the current fiscal year, the White House and Congressional Budget Office said. This deficit is the fifth largest in modern American history – in non-inflation adjusted terms – and it now stands at 3.9% of GDP, up from 3.5% a year ago. To be sure, as a percentage of the economy, the deficit isn’t necessarily at a level that should cause significant concern. The trouble is the broader context: Circling back to our previous coverage, there are a few key angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that Donald Trump’s campaign assurances about balancing the budget and eliminating the national debt should be near the top of the list of his broken promises. Second, it’s now painfully obvious that the Republican Party, which spent the Obama era pretending to care deeply about fiscal responsibility and the terrible burdens deficits place on future generations, operated in bad faith. And third, every Republican who said the GOP tax breaks for the wealthy would pay for themselves ought to face some renewed questioning about how very wrong they were."
Trump Hits A New High-Water Mark: The Biggest Federal Deficit In 6 Years
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-deficit-highest-six-years_us_5bc545ece4b0a8f17ee4c5d6?fbclid=IwAR2gQ13T68BeVwKc-PsM6ylVGGnQtf-WUb6odMikYYzAyK1V9FwweBdg8LU
"President Donald Trump likes to boast that he’s breaking records with the latest low unemployment figures. Here’s another record for his administration: The 2018 federal deficit hit the highest level of the last six years. The deficit jumped 17 percent (or by $113 billion) to $779 billion at the end of Trump’s first fiscal year, according to final figures released Monday by the Treasury Department."
"President Donald Trump likes to boast that he’s breaking records with the latest low unemployment figures. Here’s another record for his administration: The 2018 federal deficit hit the highest level of the last six years. The deficit jumped 17 percent (or by $113 billion) to $779 billion at the end of Trump’s first fiscal year, according to final figures released Monday by the Treasury Department."
Steve King endorsed a far-right mayoral candidate because he’s a white supremacist
https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-endorsed-far-right-mayoral-candidate-because-hes-a-white-supremacist-b9b686330bd2/?fbclid=IwAR0NgWsnquoucem0igPAZaMTAchafX41DTlBlOAF4BAfZqOBYgPpHSNH4Vc
"When it comes to white nationalism, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has a long list of zingers he can point to. He’s retweeted British neo-Nazi Mark Collett and steadfastly refused to apologize for it, been endorsed by the Daily Stormer, made frequent trips to visit the far-right government of Austria, and, perhaps most infamously, quipped that “we can’t restore our civilization with someone else’s babies.” On Tuesday night, King further added to his laundry list of white nationalist talking points by endorsing fringe far-right candidate Faith Goldy in her attempt to become mayor of Toronto. “Faith Goldy, [is] an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget,” King tweeted. “BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values.” For the uninitiated, Faith Goldy is a former reporter for the right-wing site Rebel Media, whose roster of current and former employees includes luminaries like Proud Boys’ founder Gavin McInnes, bankrupt British columnist Katie Hopkins, and former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka. Goldy is currently polling around 2 percent in her quest to become Toronto’s mayor. Goldy is a full-blown white supremacist, or “ethno-nationalist” as she’d likely prefer to be called. As Right Wing Watch has noted, Goldy last December went on YouTube to recite the fourteen words, one of the world’s most popular white supremacist slogans, which was originally created by far-right terrorist David Lane. Goldy has also appeared on the Daily Stormer’s podcast and previously recommended a book calling for the “elimination” of Jews."
"When it comes to white nationalism, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has a long list of zingers he can point to. He’s retweeted British neo-Nazi Mark Collett and steadfastly refused to apologize for it, been endorsed by the Daily Stormer, made frequent trips to visit the far-right government of Austria, and, perhaps most infamously, quipped that “we can’t restore our civilization with someone else’s babies.” On Tuesday night, King further added to his laundry list of white nationalist talking points by endorsing fringe far-right candidate Faith Goldy in her attempt to become mayor of Toronto. “Faith Goldy, [is] an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget,” King tweeted. “BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values.” For the uninitiated, Faith Goldy is a former reporter for the right-wing site Rebel Media, whose roster of current and former employees includes luminaries like Proud Boys’ founder Gavin McInnes, bankrupt British columnist Katie Hopkins, and former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka. Goldy is currently polling around 2 percent in her quest to become Toronto’s mayor. Goldy is a full-blown white supremacist, or “ethno-nationalist” as she’d likely prefer to be called. As Right Wing Watch has noted, Goldy last December went on YouTube to recite the fourteen words, one of the world’s most popular white supremacist slogans, which was originally created by far-right terrorist David Lane. Goldy has also appeared on the Daily Stormer’s podcast and previously recommended a book calling for the “elimination” of Jews."
GOP State Lawmakers Pal Around With White Supremacists. Party Group Backs Them Anyway.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-state-lawmakers-white-nationalists-rslc-silent_us_5bcd82e4e4b0a8f17eee0a1d?fbclid=IwAR04KCLpunsyrfTK40mkejl2AIphEngehQPCicJHk0xAaTFxmSW7UQWDtXk
"Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew national attention last week for elaborating at length on his white nationalist views in a far-right Austrian propaganda outlet. But in state legislatures across the country, GOP lawmakers’ embrace of openly racist or extremist figures, organizations and views often goes unnoticed. And even when it has been exposed in recent years, a Washington-based group that helps elect Republicans to state legislatures says nothing. The Republican State Leadership Committee has provided funding to groups backing lawmakers and candidates with extremist and racist ties. It has not, however, publicly denounced any individual lawmakers or candidates, even though several state lawmakers’ extremist ties have been exposed in recent years. In Florida, it emerged in August that Peter Gemma, a white nationalist and supporter of Holocaust denial who once worked for the openly racist Council of Conservative Citizens, hosted a campaign event for Tommy Gregory, an attorney who was elected to the state House of Representatives in a special election. Gregory, apparently not shy about associating with Gemma, touted the “meet and greet” in a Facebook post. He tagged Gemma and Gemma’s wife Catherine. In Tennessee, home to active white nationalist groups, a GOP-controlled panel of state House lawmakers killed a resolution in March urging that law enforcement prosecute “white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups” with the same ardor as other forms of terrorism. It never received a vote on the House floor. In Arizona, state Rep. Bob Thorpe introduced an aggressive new immigration bill in February 2017 that would empower local law enforcement to question undocumented immigrants about their immigration status. The organization behind the bill is the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks far-right organizations, designates FAIR an anti-immigrant hate group in light of the views of founder John Tanton and other leaders."
"Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew national attention last week for elaborating at length on his white nationalist views in a far-right Austrian propaganda outlet. But in state legislatures across the country, GOP lawmakers’ embrace of openly racist or extremist figures, organizations and views often goes unnoticed. And even when it has been exposed in recent years, a Washington-based group that helps elect Republicans to state legislatures says nothing. The Republican State Leadership Committee has provided funding to groups backing lawmakers and candidates with extremist and racist ties. It has not, however, publicly denounced any individual lawmakers or candidates, even though several state lawmakers’ extremist ties have been exposed in recent years. In Florida, it emerged in August that Peter Gemma, a white nationalist and supporter of Holocaust denial who once worked for the openly racist Council of Conservative Citizens, hosted a campaign event for Tommy Gregory, an attorney who was elected to the state House of Representatives in a special election. Gregory, apparently not shy about associating with Gemma, touted the “meet and greet” in a Facebook post. He tagged Gemma and Gemma’s wife Catherine. In Tennessee, home to active white nationalist groups, a GOP-controlled panel of state House lawmakers killed a resolution in March urging that law enforcement prosecute “white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups” with the same ardor as other forms of terrorism. It never received a vote on the House floor. In Arizona, state Rep. Bob Thorpe introduced an aggressive new immigration bill in February 2017 that would empower local law enforcement to question undocumented immigrants about their immigration status. The organization behind the bill is the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks far-right organizations, designates FAIR an anti-immigrant hate group in light of the views of founder John Tanton and other leaders."
Rep. Steve King Goes Full White Nationalist In Interview With Austrian Site
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/iowa-rep-steve-king-austria-white-nationalist_us_5bca4851e4b0a8f17eec6001?fbclid=IwAR0acMhEfPzL0DTRFAW-UEUJcqI8kel-UsaJgMSXzJgLLosFask7HeHJa7I
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) visited Austria in August and gave an extensive interview to a far-right publication there in which he spelled out, in clearer and more shocking terms than he ever has before, his white nationalist worldview. The eight-term congressman, up for re-election next month, talked to Caroline Sommerfeld of the Austrian far-right propaganda site Unzensuriert (which means “uncensored” in English). Sommerfeld is a prominent intellectual in Europe’s neo-fascist identitarian movement, which has deep connections to America’s so-called alt-right."
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) visited Austria in August and gave an extensive interview to a far-right publication there in which he spelled out, in clearer and more shocking terms than he ever has before, his white nationalist worldview. The eight-term congressman, up for re-election next month, talked to Caroline Sommerfeld of the Austrian far-right propaganda site Unzensuriert (which means “uncensored” in English). Sommerfeld is a prominent intellectual in Europe’s neo-fascist identitarian movement, which has deep connections to America’s so-called alt-right."
"I Am a Nationalist": Donald Trump Apes Mussolini in Drive to Destroy America
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/i-am-nationalist-donald-trump-apes-mussolini-drive-destroy-america?fbclid=IwAR2NmGsYpdu2KazlLMlX0zACXY7sOTjz3Os--1iQhyp2_sc2TprZBjFWX70
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
President Trump Just Called Himself a 'Nationalist.' Here's What That Means—and Why It's So Dangerous.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24103912/donald-trump-nationalist-george-orwell/?fbclid=IwAR2JD1xSK93NVKuCCKHuM4Ym4bMSbwi-yZYYCwVRqsaxohOIKsNTI40d_mM
"The United States president's explicit embrace of nationalism is a stunning world-historical development and a siren blaring on the world stage. The world's most powerful country is now ruled by a man who embraces the racism, chauvinism, cruelty, and utter disregard for the truth that has characterized every great authoritarian regime."
"The United States president's explicit embrace of nationalism is a stunning world-historical development and a siren blaring on the world stage. The world's most powerful country is now ruled by a man who embraces the racism, chauvinism, cruelty, and utter disregard for the truth that has characterized every great authoritarian regime."
The Fascist Threat Our Political Establishment Won't Acknowledge
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/fascist-threat-our-political-establishment-wont-acknowledge?fbclid=IwAR0wVq40izvBuNS1-eHi4aKFstlThJ7tBshh9rMw9A-Ktj5YWQU_6bGHZms
"The threat has returned and is now on our doorsteps, and it needs to be named, exposed, and overcome by those who believe that the stakes are much too high to look away and not engage in organized political and pedagogical struggles against a fascist state and an omniscient fascist politics."
"The threat has returned and is now on our doorsteps, and it needs to be named, exposed, and overcome by those who believe that the stakes are much too high to look away and not engage in organized political and pedagogical struggles against a fascist state and an omniscient fascist politics."
Was There a Connection Between a Russian Bank and the Trump Campaign?
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/was-there-a-connection-between-a-russian-bank-and-the-trump-campaign?fbclid=IwAR3nAT3r94E2k8vIH-QYGVXWzHUtxZfNMwzH7HewSLDT1L8saSOxIPQ9raY
"Examining records for the Trump domain, Max’s group discovered D.N.S. lookups from a pair of servers owned by Alfa Bank, one of the largest banks in Russia. Alfa Bank’s computers were looking up the address of the Trump server nearly every day. There were dozens of lookups on some days and far fewer on others, but the total number was notable: between May and September, Alfa Bank looked up the Trump Organization’s domain more than two thousand times. “We were watching this happen in real time—it was like watching an airplane fly by,” Max said. “And we thought, Why the hell is a Russian bank communicating with a server that belongs to the Trump Organization, and at such a rate?” Only one other entity seemed to be reaching out to the Trump Organization’s domain with any frequency: Spectrum Health, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spectrum Health is closely linked to the DeVos family; Richard DeVos, Jr., is the chairman of the board, and one of its hospitals is named after his mother. His wife, Betsy DeVos, was appointed Secretary of Education by Donald Trump. Her brother, Erik Prince, is a Trump associate who has attracted the scrutiny of Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump’s ties to Russia. Mueller has been looking into Prince’s meeting, following the election, with a Russian official in the Seychelles, at which he reportedly discussed setting up a back channel between Trump and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. (Prince maintains that the meeting was “incidental.”) In the summer of 2016, Max and the others weren’t aware of any of this. “We didn’t know who DeVos was,” Max said. The D.N.S. records raised vexing questions. Why was the Trump Organization’s domain, set up to send mass-marketing e-mails, conducting such meagre activity? And why were computers at Alfa Bank and Spectrum Health trying to reach a server that didn’t seem to be doing anything?"
"Examining records for the Trump domain, Max’s group discovered D.N.S. lookups from a pair of servers owned by Alfa Bank, one of the largest banks in Russia. Alfa Bank’s computers were looking up the address of the Trump server nearly every day. There were dozens of lookups on some days and far fewer on others, but the total number was notable: between May and September, Alfa Bank looked up the Trump Organization’s domain more than two thousand times. “We were watching this happen in real time—it was like watching an airplane fly by,” Max said. “And we thought, Why the hell is a Russian bank communicating with a server that belongs to the Trump Organization, and at such a rate?” Only one other entity seemed to be reaching out to the Trump Organization’s domain with any frequency: Spectrum Health, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spectrum Health is closely linked to the DeVos family; Richard DeVos, Jr., is the chairman of the board, and one of its hospitals is named after his mother. His wife, Betsy DeVos, was appointed Secretary of Education by Donald Trump. Her brother, Erik Prince, is a Trump associate who has attracted the scrutiny of Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump’s ties to Russia. Mueller has been looking into Prince’s meeting, following the election, with a Russian official in the Seychelles, at which he reportedly discussed setting up a back channel between Trump and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. (Prince maintains that the meeting was “incidental.”) In the summer of 2016, Max and the others weren’t aware of any of this. “We didn’t know who DeVos was,” Max said. The D.N.S. records raised vexing questions. Why was the Trump Organization’s domain, set up to send mass-marketing e-mails, conducting such meagre activity? And why were computers at Alfa Bank and Spectrum Health trying to reach a server that didn’t seem to be doing anything?"
Manafort, Suffering ‘Significant’ Health Issues In Jail, Gets Virginia Sentencing Date
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/manafort-significant-health-issue-jail?fbclid=IwAR2wMnoslWAcc0eTWb0DYvfPNbzvhw2LAdUK_Fx8rZQ25s9T1gHjjhzFNlU
"Kevin Downing, Manafort’s attorney said that the former Trump campaign chair was suffering “significant issues” with his health in the Alexandria jail where he is being detained. He said the issues had to do with the terms of his confinement needed to guarantee his safety. Downing was seeking to expedite Manafort’s sentencing, suggesting that moving him to the prison where he’d be detained long term would help him with his health condition."
"Kevin Downing, Manafort’s attorney said that the former Trump campaign chair was suffering “significant issues” with his health in the Alexandria jail where he is being detained. He said the issues had to do with the terms of his confinement needed to guarantee his safety. Downing was seeking to expedite Manafort’s sentencing, suggesting that moving him to the prison where he’d be detained long term would help him with his health condition."
While Mueller Stays Quiet, Suspicious Trump–Russia Clues Keep Popping Up
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/muellers-quiet-but-suspicious-russia-clues-keep-popping-up.html?gtm=bottom&fbclid=IwAR1hEW6TiVd25j84iLcIE5VofwwVpcSiDfF-Gf-TVeSiHUhRdww-M47NUSk
"The final and perhaps most intriguing development is last week’s explosive New York Times account of Donald Trump’s fraudulent tax schemes. What makes this report so extraordinary is that it breaks new ground on a figure who has been in the public eye for four decades, on matters at the very center of the source of his fame. It has not been known that Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from his father, nor that his methods included (according to the Times) outright criminality. What does this have to do with the Russia investigation? Quite a bit, actually. It shows that Trump is willing not merely to skirt the law but to blatantly violate it. It reveals that he has been able to harbor enormous secrets even in the face of constant media coverage. And, most directly, it raises unanswered questions about his mysterious financial methods. Trump is and always has been a bad businessman who relies on regular, large cash infusions from his father to stay afloat. Washington Post reporters David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell, piggybacking on the Times revelations, have raised another curiosity: it was about the time that Fred Trump’s payment stream dried up that Trump’s way of financing his operations took a sharp and sudden turn. Whereas before he financed his purchases with debt — he had called himself the “king of debt” — he began buying properties with cash. It is unusual for real estate developers to make cash purchases, given the incentives they normally have to finance with borrowing. It’s especially unusual that Trump started doing this right after he lost his father’s continuous cash spigot. This was also the time in his career he started working closely with Michael Cohen and Felix Sater, both of whom had links to the Russian underworld. It might feel like the Russia scandal is slowing down, as the stream of indictments halts before the midterm elections. In reality, the conclusion might not be anywhere close."
"The final and perhaps most intriguing development is last week’s explosive New York Times account of Donald Trump’s fraudulent tax schemes. What makes this report so extraordinary is that it breaks new ground on a figure who has been in the public eye for four decades, on matters at the very center of the source of his fame. It has not been known that Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from his father, nor that his methods included (according to the Times) outright criminality. What does this have to do with the Russia investigation? Quite a bit, actually. It shows that Trump is willing not merely to skirt the law but to blatantly violate it. It reveals that he has been able to harbor enormous secrets even in the face of constant media coverage. And, most directly, it raises unanswered questions about his mysterious financial methods. Trump is and always has been a bad businessman who relies on regular, large cash infusions from his father to stay afloat. Washington Post reporters David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell, piggybacking on the Times revelations, have raised another curiosity: it was about the time that Fred Trump’s payment stream dried up that Trump’s way of financing his operations took a sharp and sudden turn. Whereas before he financed his purchases with debt — he had called himself the “king of debt” — he began buying properties with cash. It is unusual for real estate developers to make cash purchases, given the incentives they normally have to finance with borrowing. It’s especially unusual that Trump started doing this right after he lost his father’s continuous cash spigot. This was also the time in his career he started working closely with Michael Cohen and Felix Sater, both of whom had links to the Russian underworld. It might feel like the Russia scandal is slowing down, as the stream of indictments halts before the midterm elections. In reality, the conclusion might not be anywhere close."
How Gerrymandering Reform Can Win in the States
How Gerrymandering Reform Can Win in the States:
"Through local action, Democrats this November have a chance to untilt the playing field in every state that now has an extreme partisan gerrymander."
"Through local action, Democrats this November have a chance to untilt the playing field in every state that now has an extreme partisan gerrymander."
Republicans Are Now Running as the Defenders of Healthcare—While Simultaneously Trying to Gut It
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23835562/republicans-health-care-preexisting-conditions-donald-trump/?fbclid=IwAR22vtfbmnO8moh7Na84lB5seue_6prH0OgzJH18cF4ZkgTJ2K74dEECOjQ
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
Republicans try to rewrite history and paint themselves as the real defenders of Medicare
https://thinkprogress.org/ahead-of-midterms-republicans-suddenly-pretend-they-havent-opposed-medicare-for-decades-d4026a87c684/?fbclid=IwAR3ENkgAy2B6H2b_vUKqgcOL3Glg_Mp534HJj2J1PBoxNuZi8dgqNAHl4AE
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
McConnell sets his sights on Medicare and Social Security, saying the debt is ‘very disturbing’
https://thinkprogress.org/mcconnell-tax-cuts-budget-deficit-debt-very-disturbing-f7d976976996/?fbclid=IwAR3zeizmi8HvHZU6idQePx__34xyq07o2aVcB7kCWSwvGYjTF2CG1i7bhxk
"The same lawmakers who exploded the federal deficit by gifting millionaires and billionaires a favorable corporate tax bill are now telling the public that the way to fix the deficit is to shred the social safety net."
"The same lawmakers who exploded the federal deficit by gifting millionaires and billionaires a favorable corporate tax bill are now telling the public that the way to fix the deficit is to shred the social safety net."
Unraveling Trump’s Toxic Agenda
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/donald-trump-environmenal-agenda-738964/?fbclid=IwAR3lPSEn6Dx0CJcM0OTs4L7emLYBrlDcWrokhN4rSaCTvOMxWvBr2LBR7rw
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
Meanwhile, Democrats are Accomplishing Something Amazing in California (with Photos!)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/11/1787157/-Meanwhile-Democrats-are-Accomplishing-Something-Amazing-in-California-with-Photos?utm_campaign=trending&fbclid=IwAR1a9wVts0QEwQm78crH7rFL0NxKdD1i92eQ9pxNqNWhgH21-LxMMEB7K_4
"California recently surpassed the United Kingdom to become the World’s fifth largest economy, if measured separately from the united states. Since the Great Recession, California has added 2 million jobs and grown its GDP by $700 billion. The state has 12% of the U.S. population, but has contributed 16% of the country's job growth over the last five years. Governor Jerry Brown inherited a budget deficit when he took office in 2011, but the state now has a $9 billion budget surplus. And all the while, Democrats dominate California politics."
"California recently surpassed the United Kingdom to become the World’s fifth largest economy, if measured separately from the united states. Since the Great Recession, California has added 2 million jobs and grown its GDP by $700 billion. The state has 12% of the U.S. population, but has contributed 16% of the country's job growth over the last five years. Governor Jerry Brown inherited a budget deficit when he took office in 2011, but the state now has a $9 billion budget surplus. And all the while, Democrats dominate California politics."
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Saturday, October 6, 2018
So it’s true: Republicans really do hate women
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/05/so-its-true-republicans-really-do-hate-women/
"Republican misogyny is not an act, and the party and its followers eagerly seized this opportunity to put women in their place."
"Republican misogyny is not an act, and the party and its followers eagerly seized this opportunity to put women in their place."
Retired Justice John Paul Stevens says Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-retired-justice-john-paul-stevens-says-dont-confirm/1527194002/
"Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is quoted as saying that Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed to the high court because of Kavanaugh's potential political bias. It's rare for a retired justice to weigh in on a pending nomination."
"Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is quoted as saying that Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed to the high court because of Kavanaugh's potential political bias. It's rare for a retired justice to weigh in on a pending nomination."
Kavanaugh's idea of an 'independent counsel' is one appointed by and answerable to the president
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/4/1801498/-Kavanaugh-s-idea-of-an-independent-counsel-is-one-appointed-by-and-answerable-to-the-president
"So Kavanaugh’s idea of an “independent” counsel is one who is appointed by the president, serves at his pleasure, and has no other layers of appointed or elected officials to protect him from direct management by the president. It’s an independent counsel—without the independent. This is a position description for the president’s personal attorney."
"So Kavanaugh’s idea of an “independent” counsel is one who is appointed by the president, serves at his pleasure, and has no other layers of appointed or elected officials to protect him from direct management by the president. It’s an independent counsel—without the independent. This is a position description for the president’s personal attorney."
Susan Collins’ Bad Faith
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/susan-collins-kavanaugh-speech-senate-confirmation.html
"Collins disparaged her constituents on the Senate floor, portraying them as gullible fools."
"Collins disparaged her constituents on the Senate floor, portraying them as gullible fools."
The lie of Kavanaugh (a non-assault lie), by a court officer. So, can you and I lie in court too?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/6/1802193/-The-lie-non-assault-of-Kavanaugh-a-court-officer-Can-I-lie-in-court-too-Can-you-A-justice?utm_campaign=recent
"If an officer of the court does not need to testify truthfully, then why does anyone facing the justice system of the US need to bear witness truthfully?"
"If an officer of the court does not need to testify truthfully, then why does anyone facing the justice system of the US need to bear witness truthfully?"
Sens. Susan Collins and Jeff Flake Are Frauds, Plain and Simple. Their Kavanaugh Votes Show It.
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/05/susan-collins-kavanaugh-vote-jeff-flake/
"Never again believe Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, or Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., when they claim to be critics of Donald Trump or posture as “moderate” Republicans."
"Never again believe Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, or Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., when they claim to be critics of Donald Trump or posture as “moderate” Republicans."
Brett Kavanaugh Protests Rage Until The Very End
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-protests-vote_us_5bb902ece4b01470d051cbb0
"The Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation was seen as inevitable after two key swing senators voiced support on Friday."
"The Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation was seen as inevitable after two key swing senators voiced support on Friday."
'We Will Not Be Silenced': As Protests Continue, Debbie Ramirez Champions Collective Courage of Sexual Assault Survivors Standing Against Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/06/we-will-not-be-silenced-protests-continue-debbie-ramirez-champions-collective
"With a public statement issued on Saturday just ahead of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate, Debbie Ramirez—the Yale classmate of the nominee who says he sexually assaulted her while in college—said that even though coming forward has been a painful experience she thanked those who have stood by her side and said the courage of all those survivors is proof that something historic has taken place."
Susan Collins’s Enraging Speech Led Donors to Crash a Site Raising Money for Her Opponent
https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/site-fundraising-for-susan-collins-opponent-crashed-from-donations.html
"In a statement, Crowdpac CEO Gisel Kordestani wrote that their site received 90 times the average amount of traffic they see hourly, and that it overwhelmed their servers. The site was back up a couple of hours later. As of Friday afternoon, the campaign has received over $2 million in donations from over 700,000 people."
"In a statement, Crowdpac CEO Gisel Kordestani wrote that their site received 90 times the average amount of traffic they see hourly, and that it overwhelmed their servers. The site was back up a couple of hours later. As of Friday afternoon, the campaign has received over $2 million in donations from over 700,000 people."
Ben Sasse Is Sad. Ben Sasse Is a Hypocrite.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23596392/ben-sasse-kavanaugh-speech/
"Once again, we are presented with proof that Brett Kavanaugh is likely to be a Supreme Court justice without ever having been a lawyer who actually practiced law."
"Once again, we are presented with proof that Brett Kavanaugh is likely to be a Supreme Court justice without ever having been a lawyer who actually practiced law."
Mass Arrests as Thousands Descend on Senate Office Building Demanding Lawmakers Reject Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/04/mass-arrests-thousands-descend-senate-office-building-demanding-lawmakers-reject
"After rallying at Supreme Court earlier in the day, protesters who'd traveled from all over the country filled the building with chants of, "Whose Senate? Our Senate!" and "Believe Survivors!" as more than one hundred were arrested after staging mass civil disobedience."
"After rallying at Supreme Court earlier in the day, protesters who'd traveled from all over the country filled the building with chants of, "Whose Senate? Our Senate!" and "Believe Survivors!" as more than one hundred were arrested after staging mass civil disobedience."
All the Ways a Justice Kavanaugh Would Have to Recuse Himself
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/opinion/justice-kavanaugh-recuse-himself.html
"The Supreme Court may have to consider questions about whether a sitting president can be indicted or subpoenaed, and what effect pardoning a federal offense would have on state charges for the same conduct — an issue bound up in Gamble v. United States, a double jeopardy case already on the court’s calendar. Many have argued that Judge Kavanaugh should not be confirmed unless he commits in advance to recusing himself from such cases. He has predictably refused to do so."
"The Supreme Court may have to consider questions about whether a sitting president can be indicted or subpoenaed, and what effect pardoning a federal offense would have on state charges for the same conduct — an issue bound up in Gamble v. United States, a double jeopardy case already on the court’s calendar. Many have argued that Judge Kavanaugh should not be confirmed unless he commits in advance to recusing himself from such cases. He has predictably refused to do so."
Our View: Sen. Collins should vote ‘no’ on Kavanaugh
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/04/our-view-sen-collins-should-vote-no-on-kavanaugh/
"The Senate should reject the nomination and start over, and Collins has the ability to help make that happen."
"The Senate should reject the nomination and start over, and Collins has the ability to help make that happen."
Russia Is Exploiting American White Supremacy Over and Over Again
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-russia-exploits-american-white-supremacy-over-and-over-again?ref=home
"Russia’s troll army was not interested in stirring up generic ‘chaos’ in America. The Kremlin is strategically tapping into the inexhaustible fuel source of white grievance."
Friday, October 5, 2018
The Supreme Court's Legitimacy Is on the Brink of Collapse
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23621362/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-legitimacy-collapse/
"We will get to see how utterly reckless Mitch McConnell is in perpetuating the power down through the generations, the Constitution and the republic be damned. We will get to see the steel in Heidi Heitkamp, who has gone all the way out on a very tremulous limb, and we will get to see, finally, what Joe Manchin is willing to sell cheap in order to stay in office. We will see the true depth of the loyalty the congressional majority has to the developing oligarchy, to its dedication to rolling back the achievements of 20 years of civil rights progress, and to the heedless savage who sits in the White House. This is what United States senators are supposed to do. This, to borrow a phrase from a movie that seems to be coming to life more every day, is the life they have chosen."
"We will get to see how utterly reckless Mitch McConnell is in perpetuating the power down through the generations, the Constitution and the republic be damned. We will get to see the steel in Heidi Heitkamp, who has gone all the way out on a very tremulous limb, and we will get to see, finally, what Joe Manchin is willing to sell cheap in order to stay in office. We will see the true depth of the loyalty the congressional majority has to the developing oligarchy, to its dedication to rolling back the achievements of 20 years of civil rights progress, and to the heedless savage who sits in the White House. This is what United States senators are supposed to do. This, to borrow a phrase from a movie that seems to be coming to life more every day, is the life they have chosen."
If The Rule Of Law Means Anything, Kavanaugh Must Be Impeached
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/10/if-the-rule-of-law-means-anything-kavanaugh-must-be-impeached
"If a federal judge can get away with lying to Congress, why do we even have sworn oaths?"
"If a federal judge can get away with lying to Congress, why do we even have sworn oaths?"
Above the Law and Below the Belt: High Crimes and Misdemeanors of Kavanaugh and the Senate-Trump Faction
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/05/above-law-and-below-belt-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-kavanaugh-and-senate-trump
"In our considered legal and moral opinion, Kavanaugh's continual false declarations and prevarications are grounds for impeachment in even his current position of Federal Court Judge. In our judgement, with which many will agree, Trump’s candidate Kavanaugh has incontestably demonstrated unfitness for any judicial or public office. His speech and actions under oath, to the US Senate, is enough for him to be disbarred and lose his law license."
"In our considered legal and moral opinion, Kavanaugh's continual false declarations and prevarications are grounds for impeachment in even his current position of Federal Court Judge. In our judgement, with which many will agree, Trump’s candidate Kavanaugh has incontestably demonstrated unfitness for any judicial or public office. His speech and actions under oath, to the US Senate, is enough for him to be disbarred and lose his law license."
Early voting has begun! Here's when it starts (and ends) in every state
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/2/1800834/-Early-voting-has-begun-Here-s-when-it-starts-and-ends-in-every-state
"Note that in some states, “early voting” may be referred to by another name (most commonly “in-person absentee voting”), and procedures for casting ballots early can vary, so please check with local election officials."
"Note that in some states, “early voting” may be referred to by another name (most commonly “in-person absentee voting”), and procedures for casting ballots early can vary, so please check with local election officials."
State Ballot Initiatives Challenge Gerrymandering and Voter Suppression
https://truthout.org/articles/state-ballot-initiatives-challenge-gerrymandering-and-voter-suppression/
"Across the country, voters are considering more than two dozen ballot initiatives aimed at expanding ballot access and voting rights, as well rooting out political corruption, according to civil rights advocates and nonpartisan good government groups who held a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. Call it “draining the swamp” if you like, but these efforts are driven by activists and everyday citizens who pounded the pavement collecting signatures, not by loudmouth politicians in Washington, DC."
"Across the country, voters are considering more than two dozen ballot initiatives aimed at expanding ballot access and voting rights, as well rooting out political corruption, according to civil rights advocates and nonpartisan good government groups who held a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. Call it “draining the swamp” if you like, but these efforts are driven by activists and everyday citizens who pounded the pavement collecting signatures, not by loudmouth politicians in Washington, DC."
Lies don’t get more brazen than the one Rohrabacher is telling his constituents about health care
https://thinkprogress.org/dana-rohrabacher-lying-about-preexisting-conditions-6497fb40ceb3/
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
Daddy’s boy: New York Times investigation exposes the breadth of Trump’s lies and corruption
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/03/daddys-boy-new-york-times-investigation-exposes-the-breadth-of-trumps-lies-and-corruption/
"Part of the Donald Trump myth has always been the idea that he was much more successful than his father. That too is BS. Fred Trump was massively rich, and his wealth is what supported Trump throughout his career. The Times procured hundreds of thousands of confidential documents, including 200 tax returns from Fred Trump's business that show many years of shady business practices designed to hide all these transactions -- which add up to Donald Trump receiving at least $413 million in today's dollars. Trump has always said he got "peanuts” from his father. That's a lot of peanuts. And they started rolling in when he was a tiny boy. The Times found that even as a toddler, he was earning the equivalent of $200,000 a year in contemporary dollars. He and was a millionaire by the time he was eight years old. Year after year he received more money from his father's various trusts, until he was getting $5 million a year all the way into his 50s. It's always been unclear how Trump could maintain his luxurious lifestyle even when his businesses were all cratering in the '80s and '90s. Now we know. Fred Trump took very good care of his boy even after he found out that Donnie was fiddling with the will without telling anyone and had his daughter Maryanne (now a federal judge) find someone to draw up papers stripping his son of sole control over Fred’s estate."
"Part of the Donald Trump myth has always been the idea that he was much more successful than his father. That too is BS. Fred Trump was massively rich, and his wealth is what supported Trump throughout his career. The Times procured hundreds of thousands of confidential documents, including 200 tax returns from Fred Trump's business that show many years of shady business practices designed to hide all these transactions -- which add up to Donald Trump receiving at least $413 million in today's dollars. Trump has always said he got "peanuts” from his father. That's a lot of peanuts. And they started rolling in when he was a tiny boy. The Times found that even as a toddler, he was earning the equivalent of $200,000 a year in contemporary dollars. He and was a millionaire by the time he was eight years old. Year after year he received more money from his father's various trusts, until he was getting $5 million a year all the way into his 50s. It's always been unclear how Trump could maintain his luxurious lifestyle even when his businesses were all cratering in the '80s and '90s. Now we know. Fred Trump took very good care of his boy even after he found out that Donnie was fiddling with the will without telling anyone and had his daughter Maryanne (now a federal judge) find someone to draw up papers stripping his son of sole control over Fred’s estate."
A financial history of Donald Trump: From daddy's little boy, to Putin's best partner
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/5/1801568/-A-financial-history-of-Donald-Trump-From-daddy-s-little-boy-to-Putin-s-best-partner?utm_campaign=recent
"By 2004, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts was forced to file bankruptcy. And this time, it really was Donald Trump’s money and Donald Trump’s assets on the line. Trump couldn’t get a loan. He couldn’t get a casino license. His days as a would-be casino mogul were over. Just as Donald Trump was being selected to be a pretend billionaire on The Apprentice, his real life failures were catching up with him. This was also the period of Trump trying to make money off of just being Trump. Trump water, Trump steaks, and Trump magazine were just a few of the ‘T’ brands that appeared, and swiftly disappeared, in the mid-aughts. The threat that Trump would ever be ousted from the eponymous tower built under his father’s reign was always remote. At his low point, Trump still controlled a plethora of properties that did produce an income in the millions and he really was able to sell his name, though never for the kind of numbers he’s asserted. But Trump’s net worth was a fraction of what he claimed, and his ability to make a deal for more than a used car was far more constrained than his eight-figure income would suggest. Fortunately for Trump, he did have a way out of his doldrums. It went back to Atlantic City. Not to his investors, but the friends he made laundering money for Russian mobsters."
"By 2004, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts was forced to file bankruptcy. And this time, it really was Donald Trump’s money and Donald Trump’s assets on the line. Trump couldn’t get a loan. He couldn’t get a casino license. His days as a would-be casino mogul were over. Just as Donald Trump was being selected to be a pretend billionaire on The Apprentice, his real life failures were catching up with him. This was also the period of Trump trying to make money off of just being Trump. Trump water, Trump steaks, and Trump magazine were just a few of the ‘T’ brands that appeared, and swiftly disappeared, in the mid-aughts. The threat that Trump would ever be ousted from the eponymous tower built under his father’s reign was always remote. At his low point, Trump still controlled a plethora of properties that did produce an income in the millions and he really was able to sell his name, though never for the kind of numbers he’s asserted. But Trump’s net worth was a fraction of what he claimed, and his ability to make a deal for more than a used car was far more constrained than his eight-figure income would suggest. Fortunately for Trump, he did have a way out of his doldrums. It went back to Atlantic City. Not to his investors, but the friends he made laundering money for Russian mobsters."
Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation may be how every Trump associate permanently avoids prosecution
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/brett-kavanaugh-s-confirmation-may-be-how-every-trump-associate-ncna916681
"If confirmed by the Senate to a Supreme Court seat, Judge Brett Kavanaugh immediately could be a crucial vote to decide whether the constitution bars any state’s efforts to prosecute Trump campaign officials and aides for state crimes if President Trump has already pardoned them for federal crimes."
"If confirmed by the Senate to a Supreme Court seat, Judge Brett Kavanaugh immediately could be a crucial vote to decide whether the constitution bars any state’s efforts to prosecute Trump campaign officials and aides for state crimes if President Trump has already pardoned them for federal crimes."
Trump and McConnell Take Gaslighting to New Level in Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight
Trump and McConnell Take Gaslighting to New Level in Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight:
"The use of an anti-Semitic trope to condemn protesters for exercising their First Amendment rights signals a turning point in the authoritarian trajectory of our politics."
"The use of an anti-Semitic trope to condemn protesters for exercising their First Amendment rights signals a turning point in the authoritarian trajectory of our politics."
Editorial: Kavanaugh lied under oath. This alone is disqualifying.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-kavanaugh-lied-under-oath-this-alone-is-disqualifying/article_4aa8be43-695c-5d9e-8844-94d045dcb77e.html
"Even under oath, Judge Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t meet the same level of truthfulness that he certainly would demand of anyone appearing in his court."
"Even under oath, Judge Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t meet the same level of truthfulness that he certainly would demand of anyone appearing in his court."
USA TODAY editorial board: Vote no on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/05/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-we-urge-senators-vote-no-editorials-debates/1527514002/
"Based on Kavanaugh’s failure to live up to his own description of judicial attributes, he disqualified himself."
"Based on Kavanaugh’s failure to live up to his own description of judicial attributes, he disqualified himself."
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Former Koch staffer appointed to key EPA position
https://thinkprogress.org/koch-epa-industry-david-dunlap-chemical-water-1f08cfa2fb01/
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
Tax Dodger Donald Trump Is Looking Out for His Own Kind
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23580840/donald-trump-republicans-slash-irs-funding-enforcement/
"In typical Trumpian fashion, it was not enough to scam the government. His father engineered a trickle-down scam, where this family—whose scion now bills himself as a Fighter For The Forgotten Man as a politician—used the mechanisms of tax avoidance to also squeeze the little guy with artificial rent hikes."
"In typical Trumpian fashion, it was not enough to scam the government. His father engineered a trickle-down scam, where this family—whose scion now bills himself as a Fighter For The Forgotten Man as a politician—used the mechanisms of tax avoidance to also squeeze the little guy with artificial rent hikes."
Trump pick to run Social Security allegedly impersonated police officer to avoid trespassing charge
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-pick-social-security-allegedly-impersonated-police-officer-666aa57d9212/
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
Corporate Front Groups Lobby to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh. On the Supreme Court, He Could Give Them Vastly Expanded Power.
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-confirmation-corporate-regulations/
"The interests backing Kavanaugh are hoping that his confirmation will tilt the court and undercut potentially dozens of government policies on clean elections, environmental regulations, bank regulations, and predatory lending, in addition to weakening organized labor."
"The interests backing Kavanaugh are hoping that his confirmation will tilt the court and undercut potentially dozens of government policies on clean elections, environmental regulations, bank regulations, and predatory lending, in addition to weakening organized labor."
Voter Suppression Is Deeply Embedded in the Republican Party. Brett Kavanaugh Helped Put It There.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23585673/voter-suppression-republican-brett-kavanaugh-don-mcgahn/
"The entire Republican project ever since the Florida burglary of 2000—in which Kavanaugh was an accessory after the fact—has been to find a way to hang onto power while the party itself is shrinking down to an old, white, Southern base. Every institution of government that the Republicans have controlled for nearly 20 years has been tasked with this, and now they pretty much control all of them, at least until the first week of November. Brett Kavanaugh has been at the center of those efforts. So has Don McGahn. This is the part of the tale that is not about the president* at all."
"The entire Republican project ever since the Florida burglary of 2000—in which Kavanaugh was an accessory after the fact—has been to find a way to hang onto power while the party itself is shrinking down to an old, white, Southern base. Every institution of government that the Republicans have controlled for nearly 20 years has been tasked with this, and now they pretty much control all of them, at least until the first week of November. Brett Kavanaugh has been at the center of those efforts. So has Don McGahn. This is the part of the tale that is not about the president* at all."
Brett Kavanaugh Lied Brazenly and Repeatedly Under Oath. Any Law Student Knows He Cannot Sit on the Supreme Court
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-lied-brazenly-and-repeatedly-under-oath-any-law-student-knows-he
"It feels self-evident, but a judge who cannot obey the law cannot be expected to apply it."
"It feels self-evident, but a judge who cannot obey the law cannot be expected to apply it."
Republicans Defend and Cover Up Trump’s Tax Fraud
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/10/republicans-defend-and-cover-up-trumps-tax-fraud.html
"Rubio and Brady helpfully clarify the issue in the midterm elections. Republican control means Trump’s rampant corruption will have a willing partner in Congress."
"Rubio and Brady helpfully clarify the issue in the midterm elections. Republican control means Trump’s rampant corruption will have a willing partner in Congress."
Why the FBI’s Kavanaugh Investigation Is So Troubling
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fbi-kavanaugh-investigation-findings-733118/
"The feds did not interview key witnesses — including former classmates who claim they can corroborate sexual misconduct allegations and lies under oath"
"The feds did not interview key witnesses — including former classmates who claim they can corroborate sexual misconduct allegations and lies under oath"
The entire mainstream legal profession tells the Senate: Don't put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/4/1801516/-The-legal-profession-to-the-Senate-Don-t-put-Kavanaugh-on-the-Supreme-Court
"From Harvard Law School (which cancelled the class Kavanaugh was scheduled to teach) to the American Bar Association to thousands of law professors, the legal profession has made it clear that this is not a man who should serve on the highest court of the land for life. The nearly 1,000 law professors publicly opposing Kavanaugh that Jen Hayden highlighted on Wednesday now number more than 1,700—and counting."
"From Harvard Law School (which cancelled the class Kavanaugh was scheduled to teach) to the American Bar Association to thousands of law professors, the legal profession has made it clear that this is not a man who should serve on the highest court of the land for life. The nearly 1,000 law professors publicly opposing Kavanaugh that Jen Hayden highlighted on Wednesday now number more than 1,700—and counting."
Here are all the ways the effort to clear Kavanaugh was a farce
https://thinkprogress.org/ridiculous-process-white-house-senate-republicans-pushing-brett-kavanaugh-on-supreme-court-17010cf15538/
"Conservatives say the process has been thorough and meaningful. That couldn't be further from the truth."
"Conservatives say the process has been thorough and meaningful. That couldn't be further from the truth."
Amid Growing Outrage Over Confirmation Process, Corporate Powers Spending Millions to Help GOP Ram Through Pro-Business Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/04/amid-growing-outrage-over-confirmation-process-corporate-powers-spending-millions
"As Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump try to sell a "sham" FBI probe to the public in hopes of tempering impassioned protests of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, corporate powers are covertly pouring millions of dollars into efforts to push through the corporate-friendly judge's confirmation."
"As Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump try to sell a "sham" FBI probe to the public in hopes of tempering impassioned protests of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, corporate powers are covertly pouring millions of dollars into efforts to push through the corporate-friendly judge's confirmation."
In Trump, GOP Grifters Welcomed the Biggest of Them All
https://www.thedailybeast.com/in-trump-gop-grifters-welcomed-the-biggest-of-them-all?ref=home
"Trump was the logical culmination of all the moves Republicans have made in the last 25 years or so to degrade the norms of our democracy, he is also the logical culmination of everything they’ve done to turn the economy from one that helped the broad middle class to one that serves only those at the top. Put more succinctly: Of course they elected a plutocrat tax cheat. They spent 30 years making the world safe for plutocrat tax cheats!"
"Trump was the logical culmination of all the moves Republicans have made in the last 25 years or so to degrade the norms of our democracy, he is also the logical culmination of everything they’ve done to turn the economy from one that helped the broad middle class to one that serves only those at the top. Put more succinctly: Of course they elected a plutocrat tax cheat. They spent 30 years making the world safe for plutocrat tax cheats!"
This is who Trump is—and who Republicans are, every one of them
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/3/1801233/-This-is-who-Trump-is-and-who-Republicans-are-every-one-of-them?utm_campaign=trending
"Really, there are no words left for how grotesque the man is in every possible way, or how grotesque his cheering, vapid, and brick-stupid supporters are. He has been a criminal his whole life. He has been a business failure his whole sorry existence, propped up solely by his papa and whatever crime rings he could ingratiate himself to. He has assaulted whichever women he wanted to assault, and gotten away with it each time via threats or cash payments or simply lying. The sneering, raging manchild of his rallies is who he is, and who his party is. It is who Mitch McConnell is, and Chuck Grassley, and yes, Jeff Flake. It is every one of his enablers, and every pundit who stares into a camera and declares that the human toilet is not doing the things that every American can plainly see him doing. To hell with them all. There is no possible redemption there."
"Really, there are no words left for how grotesque the man is in every possible way, or how grotesque his cheering, vapid, and brick-stupid supporters are. He has been a criminal his whole life. He has been a business failure his whole sorry existence, propped up solely by his papa and whatever crime rings he could ingratiate himself to. He has assaulted whichever women he wanted to assault, and gotten away with it each time via threats or cash payments or simply lying. The sneering, raging manchild of his rallies is who he is, and who his party is. It is who Mitch McConnell is, and Chuck Grassley, and yes, Jeff Flake. It is every one of his enablers, and every pundit who stares into a camera and declares that the human toilet is not doing the things that every American can plainly see him doing. To hell with them all. There is no possible redemption there."
Under Cover of Kavanaugh, Republicans Passed Huge Tax Cuts for the Wealthy
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/03/under-cover-kavanaugh-republicans-passed-huge-tax-cuts-wealthy
"While Americans watched the Senate, House Republicans passed an extra $3 trillion tax cut for rich people and corporations"
"While Americans watched the Senate, House Republicans passed an extra $3 trillion tax cut for rich people and corporations"
Largest coalition of Christian churches in US demands Kavanaugh nomination be withdrawn
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/3/1801277/-Largest-coalition-of-Christian-churches-in-the-U-S-demands-that-Kavanaugh-nomination-be-withdrawn?utm_campaign=trending
"Brett Kavanaugh’s support list keeps getting shorter and shorter. On Wednesday, he lost the support of a whole bunch of Christian churches, as the National Council of Churches—a coalition of 38 denominations, the largest of its kind—published a statement demanding that his beleaguered nomination process to the Supreme Court be stopped, once and for all."
"Brett Kavanaugh’s support list keeps getting shorter and shorter. On Wednesday, he lost the support of a whole bunch of Christian churches, as the National Council of Churches—a coalition of 38 denominations, the largest of its kind—published a statement demanding that his beleaguered nomination process to the Supreme Court be stopped, once and for all."
The Cruelty Is the Point
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/the-cruelty-is-the-point/572104/
"We can hear the spectacle of cruel laughter throughout the Trump era. There were the border patrol agents cracking up at the crying immigrant children separated from their families, and the Trump adviser who delighted white supremacists when he mocked a child with down syndrome who was separated from her mother. There were the police who laughed uproariously when the president encouraged them to abuse suspects, and the Fox News hosts mocking a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre (and in the process inundating him with threats), the survivors of sexual assault protesting Senator Jeff Flake, the women who said the president sexually assaulted them, and the teen survivors of the Parkland school shooting. There was the president mocking Puerto Rican accents shortly after thousands were killed and tens of thousands displaced by Hurricane Maria, the black athletes protesting unjustified killings by police, the women of the #MeToo movement who have come forward with stories of sexual abuse, and the disabled reporter whose crime was reporting on Trump truthfully. It is not just that they enjoy this cruelty, it is that they enjoy it with each other. Their shared laughter at the suffering of others is an adhesive that binds them to each other, and to Trump. Taking joy in that suffering is more human than most would like to admit. Somewhere on the wide spectrum between adolescent teasing and the smiling white men in the lynching photographs are the Trump supporters whose community is built by rejoicing in the anguish of those they see as unlike them, who have found in their shared cruelty an answer to the loneliness and atomization of modern life. The laughter undergirds the daily spectacle of insincerity, as the president and his aides pledge fealty to bedrock democratic principles they have no intention of respecting."
"We can hear the spectacle of cruel laughter throughout the Trump era. There were the border patrol agents cracking up at the crying immigrant children separated from their families, and the Trump adviser who delighted white supremacists when he mocked a child with down syndrome who was separated from her mother. There were the police who laughed uproariously when the president encouraged them to abuse suspects, and the Fox News hosts mocking a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre (and in the process inundating him with threats), the survivors of sexual assault protesting Senator Jeff Flake, the women who said the president sexually assaulted them, and the teen survivors of the Parkland school shooting. There was the president mocking Puerto Rican accents shortly after thousands were killed and tens of thousands displaced by Hurricane Maria, the black athletes protesting unjustified killings by police, the women of the #MeToo movement who have come forward with stories of sexual abuse, and the disabled reporter whose crime was reporting on Trump truthfully. It is not just that they enjoy this cruelty, it is that they enjoy it with each other. Their shared laughter at the suffering of others is an adhesive that binds them to each other, and to Trump. Taking joy in that suffering is more human than most would like to admit. Somewhere on the wide spectrum between adolescent teasing and the smiling white men in the lynching photographs are the Trump supporters whose community is built by rejoicing in the anguish of those they see as unlike them, who have found in their shared cruelty an answer to the loneliness and atomization of modern life. The laughter undergirds the daily spectacle of insincerity, as the president and his aides pledge fealty to bedrock democratic principles they have no intention of respecting."
Republicans Have Decided to Ignore All of Brett Kavanaugh’s Lies
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/10/republicans-have-decided-to-ignore-all-of-kavanaughs-lies.html
"we now know for certain that that testimony, all delivered in the same earnest pitch of an innocent man pleading for his good name, was filled with demonstrable lies. Many of these lies were already apparent at the beginning of the week. Now the evidence is even more damning."
"we now know for certain that that testimony, all delivered in the same earnest pitch of an innocent man pleading for his good name, was filled with demonstrable lies. Many of these lies were already apparent at the beginning of the week. Now the evidence is even more damning."
Five Reasons Why the GOP Is Rushing to Confirm Kavanaugh
https://truthout.org/articles/five-reasons-why-the-gop-is-rushing-to-confirm-kavanaugh/
"Potentially most consequential for Trump is the case of Gamble v. US, which could affect his ability to pardon his associates, and even himself."
"Potentially most consequential for Trump is the case of Gamble v. US, which could affect his ability to pardon his associates, and even himself."
Will the Next Women’s March Be Taxed?
http://prospect.org/article/will-next-womens-march-be-taxed
"A National Park Service plan to impose harsh new fines and restrictions on public protesters takes Donald Trump’s assault on the First Amendment to a whole new level."
"A National Park Service plan to impose harsh new fines and restrictions on public protesters takes Donald Trump’s assault on the First Amendment to a whole new level."
The "Fix Is In, Folks": Though She Admits Not Fully Reading It, Susan Collins Describes FBI Probe as "Very Thorough"
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/04/fix-folks-fix-though-she-admits-not-fully-reading-it-susan-collins-describes-fbi
"the FBI probe—constrained from the start by Republicans in the Senate and the White House—was nothing but an orchestrated "whitewash" to give fence-sitting lawmakers the cover they needed to ultimately vote "yes" on Kavanaugh."
"the FBI probe—constrained from the start by Republicans in the Senate and the White House—was nothing but an orchestrated "whitewash" to give fence-sitting lawmakers the cover they needed to ultimately vote "yes" on Kavanaugh."
Brett Kavanaugh Also Lied About His Rulings on the Environment
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-environmental-rulings/
"When it comes to wildlife, Kavanaugh’s record is even worse, according to an analysis by William Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. In his 12 years on the federal bench, Kavanaugh had a say in 18 decisions affecting wildlife; taking split decisions into account, he ruled against the animals 96 percent of the time, according to Snape. For comparison, Snape also ran the numbers for Judge David Sentelle, a conservative, who ruled against wildlife 57 percent of the time, and Judge Merrick Garland, a moderate, who came down against wildlife 46 percent of the time."
"When it comes to wildlife, Kavanaugh’s record is even worse, according to an analysis by William Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. In his 12 years on the federal bench, Kavanaugh had a say in 18 decisions affecting wildlife; taking split decisions into account, he ruled against the animals 96 percent of the time, according to Snape. For comparison, Snape also ran the numbers for Judge David Sentelle, a conservative, who ruled against wildlife 57 percent of the time, and Judge Merrick Garland, a moderate, who came down against wildlife 46 percent of the time."
Republican Senate hopeful Martha McSally lies about her pre-existing condition record
https://thinkprogress.org/arizona-senate-martha-mcsally-lies-pre-existing-conditions-71d974ab3df9/
"Rep. Martha McSally (R), her party’s nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, was a staunch supporter of the Trumpcare legislation to repeal Obamacare, literally telling her Republican House colleagues that they needed to get the “f**king thing” done. Now that she is under fire for her vote for the wildly unpopular legislation, she is simply lying to her constituents and pretending that the bill would not have eliminated insurance protections for the more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing medical conditions."
"Rep. Martha McSally (R), her party’s nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, was a staunch supporter of the Trumpcare legislation to repeal Obamacare, literally telling her Republican House colleagues that they needed to get the “f**king thing” done. Now that she is under fire for her vote for the wildly unpopular legislation, she is simply lying to her constituents and pretending that the bill would not have eliminated insurance protections for the more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing medical conditions."
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
The Dubious Fiction of Donald Trump’s Fortune Has Been Exposed
https://truthout.org/articles/the-dubious-fiction-of-donald-trumps-fortune-has-been-exposed/
"Thanks to the Times report, we now fully understand why Donald Trump has been so unwilling to release his tax returns. Among other things, his calamitous financial history goes a long way toward explaining how he got himself all tangled up with Russian oligarch money in the first place. After Trump had wrung the last coppers from his father’s empire in an effort to paper over his failures (which begs the question: How does one go bankrupt multiple times after getting millions from Mom and Dad?), those willing to loan him money were few and far between. Should we ever see the final report from the Mueller investigation, odds are it will begin with the highly mobile decimal point on Trump’s bottom line. This is only part of the problem for Trump today. His entire adult existence, beginning well before he monsooned his way into national politics, is premised on the long fiction of his wealth, power and ability to cut a deal."
"Thanks to the Times report, we now fully understand why Donald Trump has been so unwilling to release his tax returns. Among other things, his calamitous financial history goes a long way toward explaining how he got himself all tangled up with Russian oligarch money in the first place. After Trump had wrung the last coppers from his father’s empire in an effort to paper over his failures (which begs the question: How does one go bankrupt multiple times after getting millions from Mom and Dad?), those willing to loan him money were few and far between. Should we ever see the final report from the Mueller investigation, odds are it will begin with the highly mobile decimal point on Trump’s bottom line. This is only part of the problem for Trump today. His entire adult existence, beginning well before he monsooned his way into national politics, is premised on the long fiction of his wealth, power and ability to cut a deal."
Understanding why the FBI moved an apparently unrelated case to Robert Mueller might explain a lot
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/2/1800829/-Understanding-why-the-FBI-moved-an-apparently-unrelated-case-to-Robert-Mueller-might-explain-a-lot
"According to Politico, Cheri Jacobus was a Republican consultant who was considered for a job with the Trump campaign in the spring of 2015—and ended up triggering an FBI investigation into a Trump super PAC. Jacobus was interviewed to be the Trump campaign communication director, but the interviews were apparently “contentious.” Afterward Jacobus told the campaign she was not interested in the post, and the following October she was quoted on at least one item that had ruled out the position: Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski had told Jacobus about plans to create a Trump super PAC—a level of coordination that directly violates FEC regulations. And that’s when things went from super PAC to super weird. According to the Politico story, Jacobus was approached by a man posing as an English barrister representing clients who wanted to make a large contribution to an anti-Trump PAC. Jacobus passed them along to someone operating such a PAC. But the “barrister” began pumping the PAC representatives for information on their tactics and resources, leading them to believe he didn’t represent potential clients so much as … Trump. Meanwhile, Jacobus was receiving multiple calls from make-believe “clients” of the make-believe barrister. It’s not known if John Barron or John Miller was among them. Jacobus was also fighting with Trump’s team. A regular Fox News commentator during the primaries, she was singled out as a “dummy” in one of Trump’s tweets and attacked in the press by Lewandowski. Then the summer of 2016, Jacobus’s email and online files were hacked and the contents of her accounts deleted. It was all enough to trigger an FBI investigation … and now that investigation has been turned over to Robert Mueller."
"According to Politico, Cheri Jacobus was a Republican consultant who was considered for a job with the Trump campaign in the spring of 2015—and ended up triggering an FBI investigation into a Trump super PAC. Jacobus was interviewed to be the Trump campaign communication director, but the interviews were apparently “contentious.” Afterward Jacobus told the campaign she was not interested in the post, and the following October she was quoted on at least one item that had ruled out the position: Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski had told Jacobus about plans to create a Trump super PAC—a level of coordination that directly violates FEC regulations. And that’s when things went from super PAC to super weird. According to the Politico story, Jacobus was approached by a man posing as an English barrister representing clients who wanted to make a large contribution to an anti-Trump PAC. Jacobus passed them along to someone operating such a PAC. But the “barrister” began pumping the PAC representatives for information on their tactics and resources, leading them to believe he didn’t represent potential clients so much as … Trump. Meanwhile, Jacobus was receiving multiple calls from make-believe “clients” of the make-believe barrister. It’s not known if John Barron or John Miller was among them. Jacobus was also fighting with Trump’s team. A regular Fox News commentator during the primaries, she was singled out as a “dummy” in one of Trump’s tweets and attacked in the press by Lewandowski. Then the summer of 2016, Jacobus’s email and online files were hacked and the contents of her accounts deleted. It was all enough to trigger an FBI investigation … and now that investigation has been turned over to Robert Mueller."
This Vicious Buffoon Is a Vessel for All the Worst Elements of the American Condition
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23579738/donald-trump-mock-christine-blasey-ford-sexual-assault/
"Now he comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House. The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides. We have had good presidents and bad—a Buchanan is followed by a Lincoln who is followed by an Andrew Johnson, and so forth. But we never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. We have had presidents who have been the worthy targets of scalding scorn, but James Callender went after giants. We never have had a president* so completely deserving of scorn and yet so small in the office that it almost seems a waste of time and energy to summon up the requisite contempt. Watch him make fun of the woman again. Watch how a republic dies in the empty eyes of an empty man who feels nothing but his own imaginary greatness, and who cannot find in himself the decency simply to shut the f*ck up even when it is in his best interest to do so. Presidents don't have to be heroes to be good presidents. They just have to realize that their humanity is our common humanity, and that their political commonwealth is our political commonwealth, too. Watch him again, behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer."
"Now he comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House. The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides. We have had good presidents and bad—a Buchanan is followed by a Lincoln who is followed by an Andrew Johnson, and so forth. But we never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. We have had presidents who have been the worthy targets of scalding scorn, but James Callender went after giants. We never have had a president* so completely deserving of scorn and yet so small in the office that it almost seems a waste of time and energy to summon up the requisite contempt. Watch him make fun of the woman again. Watch how a republic dies in the empty eyes of an empty man who feels nothing but his own imaginary greatness, and who cannot find in himself the decency simply to shut the f*ck up even when it is in his best interest to do so. Presidents don't have to be heroes to be good presidents. They just have to realize that their humanity is our common humanity, and that their political commonwealth is our political commonwealth, too. Watch him again, behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer."
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