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."
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