Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Trump Legally Prohibits Volunteers From Saying Anything Bad About Him — Forever
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-requires-volunteers-sign-nondisclosure-agreement-bb240eb080f6#.k1xc2oey9
"Corey Lewandowski is a CNN contributor even though he’s subject to a nondisclosure agreement legally prohibiting him from criticizing Trump, his family, or any of his businesses. Suffice it to say Trump’s former campaign manager has lived up to his end of the bargain — Lewandowski basically serves as a paid Trump campaign source during his CNN appearances. On the other side of the spectrum, Trump recently filed a $10 million lawsuit against former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg for allegedly violating that same NDA."
"Corey Lewandowski is a CNN contributor even though he’s subject to a nondisclosure agreement legally prohibiting him from criticizing Trump, his family, or any of his businesses. Suffice it to say Trump’s former campaign manager has lived up to his end of the bargain — Lewandowski basically serves as a paid Trump campaign source during his CNN appearances. On the other side of the spectrum, Trump recently filed a $10 million lawsuit against former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg for allegedly violating that same NDA."
CNN's Corey Lewandowski Flat-Out Lies About Trump's History Of Using Undocumented Workers
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/09/07/cnns-corey-lewandowski-flat-out-lies-about-trumps-history-using-undocumented-workers/212892
"Lewandowski has received criticism recently for his continued ties to the Trump campaign including prepping Trump for the debates and travelling with the candidate to campaign stops while continuing to being paid to shill for Trump on CNN."
"Lewandowski has received criticism recently for his continued ties to the Trump campaign including prepping Trump for the debates and travelling with the candidate to campaign stops while continuing to being paid to shill for Trump on CNN."
Texas official: Donald Trump a 'scam artist' who was 'protected by politics' in Trump U scandal
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/6/1567191/-Texas-official-Donald-Trump-a-scam-artist-who-was-protected-by-politics-in-Trump-U-scandal
"The Trump University case would seem to have all the ingredients of not just a media sensation, but a genuine someone-goes-to-jail scandal. It includes defrauding people down on their luck, a fake “university” using cheaply produced plagiarized materials, and high-pressure sales techniques from “instructors” who were actually salesmen. Their job was to tease that the real secrets were just ahead, so that students would keep paying. The case even includes Donald Trump’s numerous racist attacks on a judge because of his Mexican heritage."
"The Trump University case would seem to have all the ingredients of not just a media sensation, but a genuine someone-goes-to-jail scandal. It includes defrauding people down on their luck, a fake “university” using cheaply produced plagiarized materials, and high-pressure sales techniques from “instructors” who were actually salesmen. Their job was to tease that the real secrets were just ahead, so that students would keep paying. The case even includes Donald Trump’s numerous racist attacks on a judge because of his Mexican heritage."
Today In Trump Supporters Behaving Badly - Candidate Wishes Rape On Reporter
Today In Trump Supporters Behaving Badly - Candidate Wishes Rape On Reporter
"Mike had a disagreement with Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi and like any reasonable intelligent person.... Oh wait, he's a Trump supporter!"
"Mike had a disagreement with Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi and like any reasonable intelligent person.... Oh wait, he's a Trump supporter!"
Rudy Giuliani Fixed Trump's Little Mob Problem
Rudy Giuliani Fixed Trump's Little Mob Problem
"Rudy and Donald first got together in the late 1980s shortly before Donald became a co-chair of Giuliani's first fundraiser for his 1989 mayoral campaign, sitting on the Waldorf dais and steering $41,000 to the campaign. A year earlier, Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump's role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city's largest gambling ring."
"Rudy and Donald first got together in the late 1980s shortly before Donald became a co-chair of Giuliani's first fundraiser for his 1989 mayoral campaign, sitting on the Waldorf dais and steering $41,000 to the campaign. A year earlier, Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump's role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city's largest gambling ring."
Donald Trump’s Connections To Florida’s Attorney General Just Got Shadier (Updated)
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-bondi-gets-shadier-902eba59e15b#.uy3i4ux3v
"Bondi dropped her state’s investigation into the now-defunct Trump University in October 2013, shortly after Trump made the sizable and likely illegal donation to her campaign."
"Bondi dropped her state’s investigation into the now-defunct Trump University in October 2013, shortly after Trump made the sizable and likely illegal donation to her campaign."
Seth Meyers Hilariously Lambasts Trump's Attempt to Capture the Black Vote @alternet
Seth Meyers Hilariously Lambasts Trump's Attempt to Capture the Black Vote @alternet:
"Among Trump's biggest problems in recuiting black voters is his persistence as a birther. After publicly doubting for years that President Obama was born in America and repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of his Hawaiian birth certificate, Trump's new position that he "doesn't talk about it anymore," just isn't going to cut it."
"Among Trump's biggest problems in recuiting black voters is his persistence as a birther. After publicly doubting for years that President Obama was born in America and repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of his Hawaiian birth certificate, Trump's new position that he "doesn't talk about it anymore," just isn't going to cut it."
Trump says his tax plan is 'going to cost me a fortune'—and he’s lying
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/08/14/1558971/-Trump-says-his-tax-plan-is-going-to-cost-me-a-fortune-and-he-s-lying
"President Trump would give himself and his children a massive tax cut now, and a huge windfall later. Last year, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated Donald Trump's tax plan (table above) would blow a $9.5 trillion hole in federal revenue between 2017 and 2026. While his revised August 8, 2016 scheme would lower than price tag somewhat (due to his higher 12/25/33 income tax rates), the overall impact is little changed. The rich would reap the lion's share of the tax cuts. Trump's plan is going to cost Uncle Sam a fortune. But Donald Trump? Not so much."
"President Trump would give himself and his children a massive tax cut now, and a huge windfall later. Last year, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated Donald Trump's tax plan (table above) would blow a $9.5 trillion hole in federal revenue between 2017 and 2026. While his revised August 8, 2016 scheme would lower than price tag somewhat (due to his higher 12/25/33 income tax rates), the overall impact is little changed. The rich would reap the lion's share of the tax cuts. Trump's plan is going to cost Uncle Sam a fortune. But Donald Trump? Not so much."
Hillary Clinton leads among business economists, Trump comes in third
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/23/1562820/-Hillary-Clinton-leads-among-business-economists-Trump-comes-in-third
"Six out of 10 of the business economists surveyed say that his presence in the election and uncertainty surrounding it "is holding back economic growth at least somewhat." There goes the Republican brand."
"Six out of 10 of the business economists surveyed say that his presence in the election and uncertainty surrounding it "is holding back economic growth at least somewhat." There goes the Republican brand."
Business Bashes Trump While Warning That His Presidency Could Cause a Global Recession
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/25/citigroup-warns-trump-presidency-global-recession.html
"Reports showing that the economy would “weaken significantly” under Trump’s policies aren’t new. In June, a Moody’s analysis warned that during Trump’s first term we would reduce employment by 3.5 million jobs and a heavy recession would hit the nation."
"Reports showing that the economy would “weaken significantly” under Trump’s policies aren’t new. In June, a Moody’s analysis warned that during Trump’s first term we would reduce employment by 3.5 million jobs and a heavy recession would hit the nation."
Fox's Chris Wallace: Not My Job To Be A 'Truth Squad' While Moderating Debate
Fox's Chris Wallace: Not My Job To Be A 'Truth Squad' While Moderating Debate
"Trump's efforts to influence the debate moderator selection seem to have paid off."
"Trump's efforts to influence the debate moderator selection seem to have paid off."
Former models for Donald Trump's agency say they violated immigration rules and worked illegally
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/donald-trump-model-management-illegal-immigration
"Foreigners who visit the United States as tourists are generally not permitted to engage in any sort of employment unless they obtain a special visa, a process that typically entails an employer applying for approval on behalf of a prospective employee. Employers risk fines and possible criminal charges for using undocumented labor."
"Foreigners who visit the United States as tourists are generally not permitted to engage in any sort of employment unless they obtain a special visa, a process that typically entails an employer applying for approval on behalf of a prospective employee. Employers risk fines and possible criminal charges for using undocumented labor."
Blood and Race and Trump
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/blood-and-race-and-trump
"More than anything, perhaps the most chilling part of this day is the contrast between the two men - a measured, calm statesman figure we saw this afternoon and this railing, angry demagogue figure who captured the emotional tenor of Klan rally. As I said, the ability to shift from one persona to the other is a sign of danger in itself."
"More than anything, perhaps the most chilling part of this day is the contrast between the two men - a measured, calm statesman figure we saw this afternoon and this railing, angry demagogue figure who captured the emotional tenor of Klan rally. As I said, the ability to shift from one persona to the other is a sign of danger in itself."
Here's How Vladimir Putin Is Using Donald Trump To Advance Russia's Goals
Here's How Vladimir Putin Is Using Donald Trump To Advance Russia's Goals
"Not since the beginning of the Cold War has a U.S. politician been as fervently pro-Russian as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump."
"Not since the beginning of the Cold War has a U.S. politician been as fervently pro-Russian as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump."
Trump's Racism Goes Deep: Can You Believe He Said This? @alternet
Trump's Racism Goes Deep: Can You Believe He Said This? @alternet:
"That’s right. Trump will unify the races around statements like this: “I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is; I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.” The “laziness” statement came after Donald Trump started having financial difficulties at his casinos in Atlantic City. Trump’s response? He had black accountants."
"That’s right. Trump will unify the races around statements like this: “I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is; I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.” The “laziness” statement came after Donald Trump started having financial difficulties at his casinos in Atlantic City. Trump’s response? He had black accountants."
Old Man Trump: Tom Morello gives new life to Woody Guthrie's protest song
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/30/old-man-trump-tom-morello-ani-difranco-woody-guthrie
"The elder Trump was Guthrie’s landlord for two years in the 1950s. The public housing complex, named Beach Haven, was built near Coney Island and almost exclusively housed white tenants. (Kaufman described the neighborhood as “lily-white”.) Trump, who built Beach Haven using federal loans, made significant profits from the project. In 1954, after Guthrie had already moved out, Trump was the subject of a federal investigation for overstating the cost of developing Beach Haven and pocketing the $3.7m difference. A Village Voice investigative series published in 1979 looked at the Trumps’ real estate empire, including the cases brought by the US justice department alleging “racially discriminatory conduct by Trump agents”. Guthrie’s writings focus in particular on the racial segregation within the housing complex: “I suppose/Old Man Trump knows/Just how much/Racial Hate/he stirred up/In the bloodpot of human hearts/When he drawed/That color line/Here at his/1800 family project”. Guthrie penned Old Man Trump at a time when he was thinking deeply about race and segregation in the US, Kaufman said. In a letter to his friend activist Stetson Kennedy, Guthrie described the Beach Haven complex as a “JimCrow [sic] town"."
"The elder Trump was Guthrie’s landlord for two years in the 1950s. The public housing complex, named Beach Haven, was built near Coney Island and almost exclusively housed white tenants. (Kaufman described the neighborhood as “lily-white”.) Trump, who built Beach Haven using federal loans, made significant profits from the project. In 1954, after Guthrie had already moved out, Trump was the subject of a federal investigation for overstating the cost of developing Beach Haven and pocketing the $3.7m difference. A Village Voice investigative series published in 1979 looked at the Trumps’ real estate empire, including the cases brought by the US justice department alleging “racially discriminatory conduct by Trump agents”. Guthrie’s writings focus in particular on the racial segregation within the housing complex: “I suppose/Old Man Trump knows/Just how much/Racial Hate/he stirred up/In the bloodpot of human hearts/When he drawed/That color line/Here at his/1800 family project”. Guthrie penned Old Man Trump at a time when he was thinking deeply about race and segregation in the US, Kaufman said. In a letter to his friend activist Stetson Kennedy, Guthrie described the Beach Haven complex as a “JimCrow [sic] town"."
Is Donald Trump a Racist?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/opinion/sunday/is-donald-trump-a-racist.html?_r=1
"One early red flag arose in 1973, when President Richard Nixon’s Justice Department — not exactly the radicals of the day — sued Trump and his father, Fred Trump, for systematically discriminating against blacks in housing rentals. I’ve waded through 1,021 pages of documents from that legal battle, and they are devastating. Donald Trump was then president of the family real estate firm, and the government amassed overwhelming evidence that the company had a policy of discriminating against blacks, including those serving in the military. To prove the discrimination, blacks were repeatedly dispatched as testers to Trump apartment buildings to inquire about vacancies, and white testers were sent soon after. Repeatedly, the black person was told that nothing was available, while the white tester was shown apartments for immediate rental. A former building superintendent working for the Trumps explained that he was told to code any application by a black person with the letter C, for colored, apparently so the office would know to reject it. A Trump rental agent said the Trumps wanted to rent only to “Jews and executives,” and discouraged renting to blacks. Donald Trump furiously fought the civil rights suit in the courts and the media, but the Trumps eventually settled on terms that were widely regarded as a victory for the government. Three years later, the government sued the Trumps again, for continuing to discriminate."
"One early red flag arose in 1973, when President Richard Nixon’s Justice Department — not exactly the radicals of the day — sued Trump and his father, Fred Trump, for systematically discriminating against blacks in housing rentals. I’ve waded through 1,021 pages of documents from that legal battle, and they are devastating. Donald Trump was then president of the family real estate firm, and the government amassed overwhelming evidence that the company had a policy of discriminating against blacks, including those serving in the military. To prove the discrimination, blacks were repeatedly dispatched as testers to Trump apartment buildings to inquire about vacancies, and white testers were sent soon after. Repeatedly, the black person was told that nothing was available, while the white tester was shown apartments for immediate rental. A former building superintendent working for the Trumps explained that he was told to code any application by a black person with the letter C, for colored, apparently so the office would know to reject it. A Trump rental agent said the Trumps wanted to rent only to “Jews and executives,” and discouraged renting to blacks. Donald Trump furiously fought the civil rights suit in the courts and the media, but the Trumps eventually settled on terms that were widely regarded as a victory for the government. Three years later, the government sued the Trumps again, for continuing to discriminate."
Roger Ailes And The Rampant Misogyny That Fuels Fox News
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/01/roger-ailes-and-rampant-misogyny-fuels-fox-news/212059
"The claims first made by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who detailed the harassing office culture in her sexual harassment lawsuit filed July 6 (Ailes: “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better”), have now been joined by the increasingly disturbing and chilling claims being made by additional women against Ailes. As outside attorneys finish up their investigation into claims of harassment inside Fox News, the picture being painted of the cable news channel is one where oversight was nonexistent; in fact, senior executives appear to have helped Ailes cover up his routine acts of lechery. During July, we learned that women claimed men who worked in positions of power at Fox News (namely Ailes, but not exclusively) groped women, kissed women against their will, made wildly inappropriate sexual comments (“Are you wearing any panties? I wish you weren't”), asked about female employees’ sex lives, pressured younger women to date older men in the office, made “jokes” about liking having women on their knees, promised promotions in exchange for sex, and cut short careers of women who took offense. And no, it’s not plausible that Fox News executives didn’t know about this kind of rampant, illegal, workplace behavior. Fox News general counsel Dianne Brandi and Ailes’ deputy Bill Shine have been accused of trying to cover up their former boss’ behavior. But surprise! That demeaning view of women has also been a cornerstone of Fox News’ programming for many, many years. The sexist themes relentlessly promulgated by Fox didn’t spring from a vacuum. They sprang from inside Roger Ailes’ corner office. Meaning, Fox News’ signature Neanderthal view of women came from the top, just like Fox News’ ugly race-baiting and Islamophobia came from the top. For decades, Ailes has helped engineer hateful programming by setting the tone himself."
"The claims first made by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who detailed the harassing office culture in her sexual harassment lawsuit filed July 6 (Ailes: “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better”), have now been joined by the increasingly disturbing and chilling claims being made by additional women against Ailes. As outside attorneys finish up their investigation into claims of harassment inside Fox News, the picture being painted of the cable news channel is one where oversight was nonexistent; in fact, senior executives appear to have helped Ailes cover up his routine acts of lechery. During July, we learned that women claimed men who worked in positions of power at Fox News (namely Ailes, but not exclusively) groped women, kissed women against their will, made wildly inappropriate sexual comments (“Are you wearing any panties? I wish you weren't”), asked about female employees’ sex lives, pressured younger women to date older men in the office, made “jokes” about liking having women on their knees, promised promotions in exchange for sex, and cut short careers of women who took offense. And no, it’s not plausible that Fox News executives didn’t know about this kind of rampant, illegal, workplace behavior. Fox News general counsel Dianne Brandi and Ailes’ deputy Bill Shine have been accused of trying to cover up their former boss’ behavior. But surprise! That demeaning view of women has also been a cornerstone of Fox News’ programming for many, many years. The sexist themes relentlessly promulgated by Fox didn’t spring from a vacuum. They sprang from inside Roger Ailes’ corner office. Meaning, Fox News’ signature Neanderthal view of women came from the top, just like Fox News’ ugly race-baiting and Islamophobia came from the top. For decades, Ailes has helped engineer hateful programming by setting the tone himself."
Sam Brownback’s downward spiral accelerates after another godawful Kansas jobs report
Sam Brownback’s downward spiral accelerates after another godawful Kansas jobs report
"this failed experiment in voodoo economics will hopefully serve as a warning sign to other states that massive tax cuts will not automatically lead to magical job growth and economic prosperity."
"this failed experiment in voodoo economics will hopefully serve as a warning sign to other states that massive tax cuts will not automatically lead to magical job growth and economic prosperity."
How Trump Supporters Talk When They Think Nobody's Listening @alternet
How Trump Supporters Talk When They Think Nobody's Listening @alternet:
"A Massachusetts convoy of Trump supporters drove from Wrentham to Foxboro in their trucks, RVs and SUVs on July 31 and were caught on tape spewing racist epithets and calls for anti-black violence."
"A Massachusetts convoy of Trump supporters drove from Wrentham to Foxboro in their trucks, RVs and SUVs on July 31 and were caught on tape spewing racist epithets and calls for anti-black violence."
“Totally Synced”: How Donald Trump And Alex Jones’ Conspiracy Theory Movement Speaks With One Voice
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/12/totally-synced-how-donald-trump-and-alex-jones-conspiracy-theory-movement-speaks-one-voice/212362
"Trump and Jones have also been in lockstep on other conspiracies. Jones has often promoted the birther conspiracy that President Obama was not born in the United States, a nonsense theory that Trump has eagerly pushed. Infowars promoted the idea that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had been killed around the same time Trump floated the theory in an appearance on Michael Savage’s radio show. And when Trump argued, without evidence, that Ted Cruz’s father Rafael Cruz was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he was echoing a claim that had already been made on Jones’ website."
"Trump and Jones have also been in lockstep on other conspiracies. Jones has often promoted the birther conspiracy that President Obama was not born in the United States, a nonsense theory that Trump has eagerly pushed. Infowars promoted the idea that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had been killed around the same time Trump floated the theory in an appearance on Michael Savage’s radio show. And when Trump argued, without evidence, that Ted Cruz’s father Rafael Cruz was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he was echoing a claim that had already been made on Jones’ website."
So Much For Dog Whistles. Trump Has Now Fully Embraced White Nationalists.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-embraces-the-alt-right-cd91cc889154#.eqdootcos
"Donald Trump has built his campaign on the strength of his white-nationalist dog-whistle. He has a habit of retweeting racist and anti-Semitic memes from white-supremacists. His campaign gives radio interviews to explicitly racist media outlets. Yet while Trump’s comments outraged many — like his claim that a Latino judge couldn’t be impartial — a virulent subculture heard his call and came out swinging. When Trump talks about “heritage” and the criminality of immigrants and people of color, white nationalists hear an endorsement of their core beliefs. Over the past year, they’ve come out in droves: making robocalls, organizing rallies, and raising money. Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke cited Trump as his inspiration to run for Senate. But until now, Trump has danced around openly embracing the white nationalist alt-right: He’ll retweet their adulation of him and borrow their talking points, but when asked, say the absolute minimum to defuse the controversy. To the white nationalists, Trump’s words are taken as a tacit signal of approval, but it’s one that still leaves Trump some wiggle room to claim ignorance in front of more mainstream audiences. On Wednesday, Trump named Steven K. Bannon, the executive chairman of the conservative website Breitbart News (known for their drooling Trump coverage), as his new campaign CEO. In doing so, Trump signaled that he’s ready to formally embrace the alt-right and their white nationalist views. “Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart openly embraced the white supremacist Alt-Right,” former Breitbart Editor-at-large and currently editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire Ben Shapiro wrote. Shapiro resigned from Breitbart after the site’s leadership ordered its reporters to stop defending former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, who was allegedly assaulted by Trump’s then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski."
"Donald Trump has built his campaign on the strength of his white-nationalist dog-whistle. He has a habit of retweeting racist and anti-Semitic memes from white-supremacists. His campaign gives radio interviews to explicitly racist media outlets. Yet while Trump’s comments outraged many — like his claim that a Latino judge couldn’t be impartial — a virulent subculture heard his call and came out swinging. When Trump talks about “heritage” and the criminality of immigrants and people of color, white nationalists hear an endorsement of their core beliefs. Over the past year, they’ve come out in droves: making robocalls, organizing rallies, and raising money. Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke cited Trump as his inspiration to run for Senate. But until now, Trump has danced around openly embracing the white nationalist alt-right: He’ll retweet their adulation of him and borrow their talking points, but when asked, say the absolute minimum to defuse the controversy. To the white nationalists, Trump’s words are taken as a tacit signal of approval, but it’s one that still leaves Trump some wiggle room to claim ignorance in front of more mainstream audiences. On Wednesday, Trump named Steven K. Bannon, the executive chairman of the conservative website Breitbart News (known for their drooling Trump coverage), as his new campaign CEO. In doing so, Trump signaled that he’s ready to formally embrace the alt-right and their white nationalist views. “Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart openly embraced the white supremacist Alt-Right,” former Breitbart Editor-at-large and currently editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire Ben Shapiro wrote. Shapiro resigned from Breitbart after the site’s leadership ordered its reporters to stop defending former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, who was allegedly assaulted by Trump’s then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski."
Interrupting Trump’s strut is only a start: Journalists shouldn’t normalize the GOP candidate
Interrupting Trump’s strut is only a start: Journalists shouldn’t normalize the GOP candidate
"Political journalists have yet to face their complicity in normalizing much of the garbage that Trump has packaged into pellets in this campaign. The normalization of which I speak is not new. For years, respectable media treated climate-change-deniers as legitimate dissenters, with lazy point-counterpoint coverage that gave the voices of a few flat-earthers equal weight with a vast scientific consensus. For years, they have left unquestioned a conservative (now metamorphosed by media groupthink into “centrist”) uproar about the magnitude of American taxes. But for now, let me emphasize only one component of conventional wisdom: hysteria about budget deficits, a conservative bugaboo since Ronald Reagan (in fact, since the days of Herbert Hoover, as demonstrated by the historian Kim Phillips-Fein, but that’s a subject for another time). In recent years, the poster boy for “responsible” budgeteering has been the choirboyish Paul Ryan, feebly carrying the flag for true conservatism even as he dare not detach himself from the loathsome Trump. Ryan & Co. only seem respectable because their false premises go unexamined, starting with the crackpot, easily falsifiable claim that the United States is crushed by a tax burden second to none in the wealthy world, and supplemented by the corollaries that trickle-down economics works, that there is something non-idiotic about the existence of a “Laffer curve,” that American business suffers from excessive regulation, and that raising wages would impede growth."
"Political journalists have yet to face their complicity in normalizing much of the garbage that Trump has packaged into pellets in this campaign. The normalization of which I speak is not new. For years, respectable media treated climate-change-deniers as legitimate dissenters, with lazy point-counterpoint coverage that gave the voices of a few flat-earthers equal weight with a vast scientific consensus. For years, they have left unquestioned a conservative (now metamorphosed by media groupthink into “centrist”) uproar about the magnitude of American taxes. But for now, let me emphasize only one component of conventional wisdom: hysteria about budget deficits, a conservative bugaboo since Ronald Reagan (in fact, since the days of Herbert Hoover, as demonstrated by the historian Kim Phillips-Fein, but that’s a subject for another time). In recent years, the poster boy for “responsible” budgeteering has been the choirboyish Paul Ryan, feebly carrying the flag for true conservatism even as he dare not detach himself from the loathsome Trump. Ryan & Co. only seem respectable because their false premises go unexamined, starting with the crackpot, easily falsifiable claim that the United States is crushed by a tax burden second to none in the wealthy world, and supplemented by the corollaries that trickle-down economics works, that there is something non-idiotic about the existence of a “Laffer curve,” that American business suffers from excessive regulation, and that raising wages would impede growth."
Monday, September 5, 2016
This Labor Day, Thank Unions For Boosting Wages
https://thinkprogress.org/labor-day-unions-wages-6bf2dc0be8bd#.2f1e28b2j
"Being in a union is particularly helpful for marginalized groups that tend to be paid less than white men. A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that black union workers earn wages that are, on average, 16.4 percent higher than black workers who aren’t in a union. The same is true for women: a report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that women in a union earn 30.9 percent more than women who aren’t unionized."
"Being in a union is particularly helpful for marginalized groups that tend to be paid less than white men. A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that black union workers earn wages that are, on average, 16.4 percent higher than black workers who aren’t in a union. The same is true for women: a report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that women in a union earn 30.9 percent more than women who aren’t unionized."
Make Your Next Barbecue Or Tailgate A Tribute To Unions
https://thinkprogress.org/make-your-next-barbecue-or-tailgate-a-tribute-to-unions-3abbd53b0ecb#.9wo4pjz2d
"Labor Day itself is a testament to those who fought for—and in some cases died for—friendlier work weeks, higher wages, and more benefits in the workplace. What better way to commemorate all that unions have contributed to your long weekends than with a union-made barbecue?"
"Labor Day itself is a testament to those who fought for—and in some cases died for—friendlier work weeks, higher wages, and more benefits in the workplace. What better way to commemorate all that unions have contributed to your long weekends than with a union-made barbecue?"
There's a Lot to Celebrate This Labor Day: The Summer Has Been Filled with Victories for Workers @alternet
There's a Lot to Celebrate This Labor Day: The Summer Has Been Filled with Victories for Workers @alternet:
"2.) A New Rule Will Hold Contractors Who Cheat Workers Accountable Despite opposition, from the GOP and lobbyists, President Obama implemented the Fair Pay & Safe Workplaces Executive Order, which will punish federal contractors for repeatedly violating worker safety. The new rules will require companies to report previous violations when bidding for new contracts of $500,000 or more. Effectively, this would make it harder for companies that cheat workers to conduct business. The Obama administration actually issued the order in 2014, but was just finalized by the Labor Department and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council. The New York Times editorial board has declared that "despite Republican objections", the new rule is a "big step forward for labor standards"."
"2.) A New Rule Will Hold Contractors Who Cheat Workers Accountable Despite opposition, from the GOP and lobbyists, President Obama implemented the Fair Pay & Safe Workplaces Executive Order, which will punish federal contractors for repeatedly violating worker safety. The new rules will require companies to report previous violations when bidding for new contracts of $500,000 or more. Effectively, this would make it harder for companies that cheat workers to conduct business. The Obama administration actually issued the order in 2014, but was just finalized by the Labor Department and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council. The New York Times editorial board has declared that "despite Republican objections", the new rule is a "big step forward for labor standards"."
Donald Trump Is the Anti–Labor Day Candidate: Running Against Fair Wages, Worker Rights, and Unions
https://www.thenation.com/article/donald-trump-is-the-anti-labor-day-candidate-running-against-fair-wages-worker-rights-and-unions/
"And the party’s platform is a litany of foolish dreams and ugly thoughts."
"And the party’s platform is a litany of foolish dreams and ugly thoughts."
With Trump Leading the GOP Today is Republicans’ “Anti-labor Day”
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/05/trump-leading-gop-today-republicans-anti-labor-day.html
"Keep in mind that in Republican-controlled states and localities they have passed laws forbidding raising the minimum wage, offering sick leave or vacation pay. In Koch-controlled Wisconsin, Republican Scott Walker attempted to pass legislation eliminating weekends and the idea of overtime pay after 40 hours. The GOP platform also strongly promotes a national “right-to-work” law like those that are crushing union labor in Republican-controlled states across the South. The platform also attacked worker protection laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and lashed out at the Project Labor Agreements because it has the potential of raising worker wages and improving working conditions."
"Keep in mind that in Republican-controlled states and localities they have passed laws forbidding raising the minimum wage, offering sick leave or vacation pay. In Koch-controlled Wisconsin, Republican Scott Walker attempted to pass legislation eliminating weekends and the idea of overtime pay after 40 hours. The GOP platform also strongly promotes a national “right-to-work” law like those that are crushing union labor in Republican-controlled states across the South. The platform also attacked worker protection laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and lashed out at the Project Labor Agreements because it has the potential of raising worker wages and improving working conditions."
Four Ways Media Attack Organized Labor
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/05/four-ways-media-attack-organized-labor/212832
"In the midst of several important battles for labor unions in 2016, media have often pushed misleading information about union membership and fees, attempted to delegitimize the votes of union members, uncritically cited and elevated voices from anti-union dark-money groups without proper disclosure, and claimed that teachers unions’ activism shows that educators do not care about what’s best for their students."
"In the midst of several important battles for labor unions in 2016, media have often pushed misleading information about union membership and fees, attempted to delegitimize the votes of union members, uncritically cited and elevated voices from anti-union dark-money groups without proper disclosure, and claimed that teachers unions’ activism shows that educators do not care about what’s best for their students."
This Labor Day, Remember That Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign Was for Workers’ Rights
This Labor Day, Remember That Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign Was for Workers’ Rights:
"The best way to honor his memory this Labor Day and every day is to continue the struggle for human dignity, workers’ rights, living wages, and social justice."
"The best way to honor his memory this Labor Day and every day is to continue the struggle for human dignity, workers’ rights, living wages, and social justice."
'I'm in a Union—You're Welcome': How Having Strong Labor Unions Helps Everyone Who Works Earn More @alternet
'I'm in a Union—You're Welcome': How Having Strong Labor Unions Helps Everyone Who Works Earn More @alternet:
"Millions of Americans today earn less than their predecessors did 40 years ago, adjusted for inflation, and a big reason for that is declining private-sector union membership—which has dropped from a third of all private-sector employees to just 6.7 percent today."
"Millions of Americans today earn less than their predecessors did 40 years ago, adjusted for inflation, and a big reason for that is declining private-sector union membership—which has dropped from a third of all private-sector employees to just 6.7 percent today."
Look for the Union Label for Your Labor Day Picnic or BBQ @alternet
Look for the Union Label for Your Labor Day Picnic or BBQ @alternet:
"Two union-sponsored website, Union Label and Labor411, help consumers identify union-made products."
"Two union-sponsored website, Union Label and Labor411, help consumers identify union-made products."
Women Are the Majority of Minimum Wage Workers in Every State Except 5 @alternet
Women Are the Majority of Minimum Wage Workers in Every State Except 5 @alternet:
"The minimum wage affects all Americans, but its disproportionate effects on minimum wage-earning single mothers and all women, can’t be forgotten this Labor Day, as we remember and celebrate all of the labor movement’s victories thus far, and all of the challenges it still must overcome."
"The minimum wage affects all Americans, but its disproportionate effects on minimum wage-earning single mothers and all women, can’t be forgotten this Labor Day, as we remember and celebrate all of the labor movement’s victories thus far, and all of the challenges it still must overcome."
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