Former Trump advisor and current Breitbart propagandist Steve Bannon is
planning on running primary challengers to key Republican lawmakers in
order to shift the Party even further to the right.
Bannon has been
empowered by Trump, and now he wants to take over the whole Party. Ring
of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Conservatives Disrespect The American Flag And Violate U.S. Flag Code With Their Fake Patriotism
In this episode of "The Conversation", Jesse discusses the U.S. Flag
Code and the many violations of it committed by the same "conservatives
who act so hyper patriotic. Even the "Blue Lives Matter" crowd are a
bunch of violators of U.S. Code!
Why Is Donald Trump So Obsessed With President Obama?
The only thing that Donald Trump has accomplished during his time in
office is to undo things that President Obama did. On a near-daily
basis, Trump tweets out something about Obama, making the country wonder
why he is so obsessed with the former president.
What is he trying to prove?
Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this obsession and how it is hindering Trump’s ability to do anything positive for this country.
Link – http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/how-the-assault-on-obamas-legacy-explains-trump/
What is he trying to prove?
Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this obsession and how it is hindering Trump’s ability to do anything positive for this country.
Link – http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/how-the-assault-on-obamas-legacy-explains-trump/
Trump Knows Impeachment is Looming
In this episode, we discuss the recent antics by Trump such as pardoning
Joe Arpaio, the disgraced Sheriff from Arizona; his new Transgender
ban; and attacks on Republicans. Sylvia breaks down why Trump is
engaging in these theatrics as he knows that Impeachment is likely
inevitable. Also discussed is an offensive tweet from NBC as well as
debunking Conservative narratives.
Here are the videos we used and played in this show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlt4gU3lgCY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxfbb6uayYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlt4gU3lgCY
Listen to us every Saturday at 11pm on https://www.spreaker.com/show/candor-talk-shows
Visit our website at www.sylviaexpress.com
Here are the videos we used and played in this show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlt4gU3lgCY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxfbb6uayYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlt4gU3lgCY
Listen to us every Saturday at 11pm on https://www.spreaker.com/show/candor-talk-shows
Visit our website at www.sylviaexpress.com
Legal groups move to challenge Trump's Arpaio pardon
By MADELINE CONWAY
Two advocacy groups moved on Monday to challenge Donald Trump’s pardon of controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, alleging that the president's move was unconstitutional because it undermined the power of the federal judiciary.
A public interest law firm, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, sought to file an amicus brief in an Arizona district court, where Arpaio is seeking to vacate a conviction after Trump granted him a pardon last month. The brief was initially turned down by a judge on procedural grounds.
A second group, the Protect Democracy Project, also filed an amicus
brief on Monday arguing that the pardon is unconstitutional.
Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, has been repeatedly accused of employing racist law enforcement tactics and mistreating inmates. A Justice Department civil rights investigation concluded that his department racially profiled Latinos, and Arpaio in 2016 lost a bid for re-election.
In July, he was convicted of criminal contempt of court because he had continued to detain immigrants without sufficient reason after a federal court order told him to stop. Trump pardoned Arpaio in August, pointing to his "selfless public service."
The MacArthur Justice Center moved to file in the case on Monday but was warned by Judge Susan Bolton that the motion would be denied in three days if it is not edited to adhere to court procedure.
The brief contends that Trump’s pardon of Arpaio violated the Constitution because “it has the purpose and effect of eviscerating the judicial power to enforce constitutional rights.” The MacArthur Justice Center lawyers argue that, while broad, presidential pardon power can not be used to undermine the judiciary’s ability to enforce the Bill of Rights or the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Arpaio pardon, the lawyers argue, “eviscerates this Court’s enforcement power...by endorsing Arpaio’s refusal to comply with federal court orders.”
The brief also takes issue with the breadth of Trump’s pardon, noting that the “text of the pardon is so broad that it purports to allow Arpaio to run for Sheriff again...and escape criminal liability for future contempt.”
Protect Democracy’s lawyers similarly contend that the pardon violates the separation of powers “because it unconstitutionally interferes with the inherent powers of the Judicial Branch.”
They also argue that the pardon goes beyond the president’s power — “We are aware of no case in this Court, the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court that has upheld a pardon matching the extraordinary circumstances here, where the contempt is used to enforce court orders protecting the rights of private litigants,” the lawyers write — and violates due process.
Two advocacy groups moved on Monday to challenge Donald Trump’s pardon of controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, alleging that the president's move was unconstitutional because it undermined the power of the federal judiciary.
A public interest law firm, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, sought to file an amicus brief in an Arizona district court, where Arpaio is seeking to vacate a conviction after Trump granted him a pardon last month. The brief was initially turned down by a judge on procedural grounds.
Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, has been repeatedly accused of employing racist law enforcement tactics and mistreating inmates. A Justice Department civil rights investigation concluded that his department racially profiled Latinos, and Arpaio in 2016 lost a bid for re-election.
In July, he was convicted of criminal contempt of court because he had continued to detain immigrants without sufficient reason after a federal court order told him to stop. Trump pardoned Arpaio in August, pointing to his "selfless public service."
The MacArthur Justice Center moved to file in the case on Monday but was warned by Judge Susan Bolton that the motion would be denied in three days if it is not edited to adhere to court procedure.
The brief contends that Trump’s pardon of Arpaio violated the Constitution because “it has the purpose and effect of eviscerating the judicial power to enforce constitutional rights.” The MacArthur Justice Center lawyers argue that, while broad, presidential pardon power can not be used to undermine the judiciary’s ability to enforce the Bill of Rights or the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Arpaio pardon, the lawyers argue, “eviscerates this Court’s enforcement power...by endorsing Arpaio’s refusal to comply with federal court orders.”
The brief also takes issue with the breadth of Trump’s pardon, noting that the “text of the pardon is so broad that it purports to allow Arpaio to run for Sheriff again...and escape criminal liability for future contempt.”
Protect Democracy’s lawyers similarly contend that the pardon violates the separation of powers “because it unconstitutionally interferes with the inherent powers of the Judicial Branch.”
They also argue that the pardon goes beyond the president’s power — “We are aware of no case in this Court, the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court that has upheld a pardon matching the extraordinary circumstances here, where the contempt is used to enforce court orders protecting the rights of private litigants,” the lawyers write — and violates due process.
Monday, September 11, 2017
WE GET IT, GOP
By NanceGreggs
There’s only one reason – and one reason only – why you are doing nothing to rid us of the incompetent madman you’ve put in the Oval Office: You don’t give a flyin’ fuck.
You don’t give a fuck if he ruins American lives, puts our national security at risk, distances us from our allies, or lowers our standing and influence in the global community.
You don’t give a fuck if he lies, makes decisions based on passing whims, or tries to bait North Korea into war just because he fuckin’ well feels like it.
You don’t give a fuck if Americans die as a consequence of his actions, or if global conflict is triggered by his statements - nor do you care if he consistently and repeatedly demonstrates his obvious mental instability.
You don’t give a fuck that he praises our enemies, colluded with them, and personally gave them highly classified information at his first opportunity to do so.
You don’t give a fuck that the presidency of the United States is now being degraded, disrespected, and shit upon every day by the current holder of that office.
You don’t give a fuck about ANY of that. You don’t give a fuck about the well-being of your fellow citizens, the well-being of our country, or the very survival of our democracy.
YOU. JUST. DON’T. GIVE. A. FUCK.
There is NO other explanation.
There’s only one reason – and one reason only – why you are doing nothing to rid us of the incompetent madman you’ve put in the Oval Office: You don’t give a flyin’ fuck.
You don’t give a fuck if he ruins American lives, puts our national security at risk, distances us from our allies, or lowers our standing and influence in the global community.
You don’t give a fuck if he lies, makes decisions based on passing whims, or tries to bait North Korea into war just because he fuckin’ well feels like it.
You don’t give a fuck if Americans die as a consequence of his actions, or if global conflict is triggered by his statements - nor do you care if he consistently and repeatedly demonstrates his obvious mental instability.
You don’t give a fuck that he praises our enemies, colluded with them, and personally gave them highly classified information at his first opportunity to do so.
You don’t give a fuck that the presidency of the United States is now being degraded, disrespected, and shit upon every day by the current holder of that office.
You don’t give a fuck about ANY of that. You don’t give a fuck about the well-being of your fellow citizens, the well-being of our country, or the very survival of our democracy.
YOU. JUST. DON’T. GIVE. A. FUCK.
There is NO other explanation.
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Congressional Black Caucus Ready For Impeachment Talk
Posted with permission from Newsweek
The Congressional Black Caucus will hold a meeting next week to discuss whether to call for the impeachment of Donald Trump. Following Trump’s response to deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month, the CBC chairman, Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, said the 49 member caucus would have a discussion on Trump’s possible impeachment when Congress reconvened after the August recess.
Those talks will take place next Wednesday, a CBC staffer confirmed to Newsweek on Thursday. While it was initially anticipated that the discussions would happen at this week’s meeting, relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey and in anticipation of Hurricane Irma took priority. Still, members were given background information on the impeachment process and the details on all the federal officials who have previously been subject to impeachment.
The CBC was among the first parties in Congress to call for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, when it filed a resolution in the House of Representatives in 1973. The following year, Nixon resigned with his impeachment considered a virtual certainty.
Representative Al Green of Texas became the first Democrat to call for Trump’s removal from office, in May. He later supported California Representative Brad Sherman when he introduced articles of impeachment against the president the following month, alleging obstruction of justice over the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Representative Maxine Waters, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, has also called to impeach Trump, and Representative Gwen Moore became the most recent member to do so, following Trump’s blaming of “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville.
“For the sake of the soul of our country, we must come together to restore our national dignity that has been robbed by Donald Trump’s presence in the White House,” Moore, a Democrat from Wisconsin, said last month. “My Republican friends, I implore you to work with us within our capacity as elected officials to remove this man as our commander-in-chief and help us move forward from this dark period in our nation’s history.”
While Charlottesville may have been the tipping point, the CBC will look at a variety of issues that could be grounds for impeachment, including alleged violations of the emoluments cause and Trump’s fitness to serve. The case against Nixon will be studied closely as a guiding comparison.
Despite three members going on record urging Trump’s removal, a CBC staffer said “we have not made a decision yet” over whether the group would take the step of formally calling for the president’s impeachment. No preliminary discussions have yet taken place.
If there is a sense that the members are moving in the direction of impeachment, a vote could be called for. General policy is that a majority vote is required for a motion to pass, although because of the seriousness of this issue more than a simple majority may be deemed necessary.
For the Congressional Black Caucus, which encompasses 47 members in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate, calling for the removal of the Trump would undeniably be a powerful statement. However, there is little chance that it would bring about Trump’s exit any time soon. A majority vote in the House is required to impeach a president, followed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate in order to convict.
Republicans currently control both chambers and there have only been limited signs thus far of the party publicly abandoning their president. Also, Trump in recent days has reached out to leading Democrats over increasing the debt ceiling, a move that could win him some support.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Eric Bolling’s Son Found Dead
Eric Chase Bolling died hours after Fox News announced his father’s departure from the network.
Eric Chase Bolling, the 19 year old son of former Fox News host Eric Bolling, was found dead Friday.
The cause of death remains unknown as of Saturday evening.
The younger Bolling died hours after Fox News announced it was parting ways “amicably” with his father. The Fox personality came under fire after HuffPost published a report in August revealing that he had sent inappropriate text messages to current and former female colleagues.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Paul Ryan Struggles To Explain Trump's Deal With Democrats
Paul Ryan is a practiced liar, but when he knows he’s about to say the
exact opposite of what he said one day prior, even he squirms a bit.
Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks it down.
"Republican resistance to a deal to raise the national borrowing limit — struck by President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders — is straining GOP unity just as Congress enters the most politically treacherous stretch of the legislative calendar. The leaders of the Republican Study Committee, an alliance of more than 150 conservative House members, panned the deal Thursday, even as Speaker Paul Ryan — who initially opposed it as well — praised Trump for seeking a bipartisan approach. The measure is expected to be attached to a bill that would send billions of dollars worth of disaster aid to Texas for its recovery from Hurricane Harvey.”
Read more here: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/key-conservatives-oppose-trump-debt-ceiling-deal-242445
"Republican resistance to a deal to raise the national borrowing limit — struck by President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders — is straining GOP unity just as Congress enters the most politically treacherous stretch of the legislative calendar. The leaders of the Republican Study Committee, an alliance of more than 150 conservative House members, panned the deal Thursday, even as Speaker Paul Ryan — who initially opposed it as well — praised Trump for seeking a bipartisan approach. The measure is expected to be attached to a bill that would send billions of dollars worth of disaster aid to Texas for its recovery from Hurricane Harvey.”
Read more here: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/key-conservatives-oppose-trump-debt-ceiling-deal-242445
Trump Makes A Deal With The Democrats
Trump Deals finally made a deal and heads are exploding. Cenk Uygur,
host of The Young Turks, breaks it down.
"President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested he is open to getting rid of the nation's debt ceiling altogether. "It could be discussed," Trump told reporters Thursday. "There are a lot of good reasons to do that."
A day after Trump agreed with Democrat to suspend the debt ceiling for three months, a shorter time period than Republican leaders wanted, reports said Trump also told Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi that he was willing to work with them on legislation to eliminate the ceiling permanently.”
Read more here: http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-debt-ceiling-schumer-pelosi-deal-2017-9
Host: Cenk Uygur
Cast: Cenk Uygur
"President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested he is open to getting rid of the nation's debt ceiling altogether. "It could be discussed," Trump told reporters Thursday. "There are a lot of good reasons to do that."
A day after Trump agreed with Democrat to suspend the debt ceiling for three months, a shorter time period than Republican leaders wanted, reports said Trump also told Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi that he was willing to work with them on legislation to eliminate the ceiling permanently.”
Read more here: http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-debt-ceiling-schumer-pelosi-deal-2017-9
Host: Cenk Uygur
Cast: Cenk Uygur
Trump’s betrayal of the Republican leaders should surprise no one
Chuck
and Nancy and Donald and Ivanka seemed to thoroughly enjoy their
meeting at the White House the other day. Mitch and Paul, not so much.
One thing that should be blindingly obvious by now is that political loyalty, for the president, is a one-way street. Yes, McConnell and Ryan embarrassed themselves and squandered precious political capital in a long, fruitless attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Yes, the Republican leaders have held their tongues time and again when Trump has manifested his unfitness for office. Yes, they have pretended not to notice the glaring conflicts of interest between Trump’s private business affairs and his public responsibilities.
Still, there was something brazen about the way events unfolded Wednesday. First, Ryan tells reporters that a short-term, three-month extension on the debt ceiling, tied to relief funds for Hurricane Harvey — an idea supported by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — was “ridiculous and disgraceful.” Then, in the Oval Office meeting, Trump stuns everyone by endorsing the Schumer-Pelosi plan — and agrees to work with the Democrats on repealing the debt ceiling altogether, according to The Post. Later, on Air Force One, Trump goes on about what a productive meeting he had with “Chuck and Nancy,” not bothering to mention the GOP congressional leaders by name. Ouch.
Some shell-shocked attendees said they believed the meeting went off the rails when the president’s daughter Ivanka, who has an office in the West Wing, cheerily dropped in and disrupted the conversation’s focus. But this sounds to me like nothing more than a search for a scapegoat. Ryan and McConnell have no one to blame but themselves.
Trump is many things, but he is not, nor has he ever been, a committed Republican. He seized control of the party in a hostile takeover. His campaign positions on trade, health care, entitlements and other issues bore no resemblance to GOP orthodoxy. He has instincts — some of them odious, from what we can intuit about his views on race and culture — but his worldview is transactional and situational, not ideological.
Ryan, McConnell and many of their Republican colleagues in Congress convinced themselves that Trump could be a useful instrument — that he would sign whatever legislation they sent him, and therefore they would be able to enact a conventional GOP agenda of tax and entitlement cuts.
Trump might have gone along with this scenario, at least for a while. But Ryan and McConnell utterly failed to hold up their end of the bargain.
Look at the health-care fiasco from Trump’s point of view. His campaign position was that Obamacare had to be repealed, but that the replacement should be a system offering health care for “everyone.” What Ryan and the House delivered, however, was a plan that would make 23 million people lose health insurance and cut nearly $800 billion from Medicaid.
Trump called that legislation “mean” but was so desperate for a big win that he backed it anyway. In the Senate, however, McConnell wasn’t able to deliver anything at all — not even a stripped-down measure to repeal the ACA now and replace it later. Trump was humiliated and angry. “Mitch M” and “Paul R” became frequent targets of his barbed tweets.
So on Wednesday, Trump dished out a little humiliation of his own. At the White House meeting, the president reportedly cut off Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — who supported the Ryan-McConnell approach to raising the debt ceiling — in mid-sentence to announce that he was siding with Schumer and Pelosi.
The stunning slap down almost overshadowed a surprise that Trump had delivered Tuesday evening: After sending Attorney General Jeff Sessions out to announce the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Trump tweeted that if Congress did not act within six months, he would “revisit” the question.
What Trump clearly has already revisited is his belief in the ability of the conservative GOP congressional majorities to get anything meaningful done. He seems to be at least flirting with the idea of working instead with Democrats and GOP moderates — working not with but around the House and Senate leadership.
I just hope Schumer and Pelosi know not to trust him the way Ryan and McConnell did.
Read more from Eugene Robinson’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Donald Trump Jr.'s Closed Door Senate Statement Is Going To Cause Him A Lot Of Problems
In this ‘Dollemore Daily’ Jesse Dollemore addresses Donald Trump Jr.'s prepared
statement in front of Senate Intelligence Committee staffers and
investigators.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Republicans Left Reeling After Deal Between Trump And Democrats
WASHINGTON — Republicans were left fuming at a deal struck Wednesday
between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders that combines
disaster aid for Hurricane Harvey victims with measures to keep the
government open and extend the debt ceiling for three more months.
The agreement occurred during a late-morning Oval Office meeting between Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. During the meeting, Trump sided with the Democrats, agreeing to their demands for a short-term extension of government funding and the debt limit and rejecting Republicans’ efforts to seek a longer-term debt ceiling hike.
It was a blow to GOP plans to avoid a series of politically treacherous votes for their members, or at least provide cover for them by attaching it to the disaster relief bill.
By agreeing to the three-month extensions, the GOP-controlled Congress would be forced to revisit both the debt ceiling and government spending extensions in December. And it increases the pressure on Republicans to pass yet more extensions to both, or face the prospect of the U.S. defaulting on its bills or a government shutdown just weeks before Christmas.
Democrats praised the deal, which was reached just before the House overwhelmingly passed $7.85 billion in disaster relief with nothing else attached.
“It was a really good moment of some bipartisanship and getting things done,” Schumer told reporters.
But it leaves rank-and-file Republicans befuddled and with few good choices. Opposition to increasing the nation's debt ceiling has become a matter of principle for many conservatives who say that this deal is worse than any they could have imagined because it forces them to vote on it twice in three months.
“The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad,” said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., in a short, terse statement.
McConnell told reporters it was the president’s decision and that GOP leadership will move forward with it.
“The President can speak for himself, but his feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis and that was the rationale,” McConnell told reporters.
Still, it was a stunning turn of events.
Wednesday morning began with Pelosi and Schumer issuing their demand that the debt limit be increased for just three months as part of the hurricane relief bill. Ryan called the idea “ridiculous and disgraceful,” adding that Democrats “want to play politics with the debt ceiling.”
An hour later, the four leaders met with Trump. Republicans entered the meeting proposing an 18 month increase to the debt limit, which would put the issue aside until after the midterm elections.
Trump rejected that and so Republicans floated six months. But Pelosi and Schumer stuck to their three month demand.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who was also present, argued in favor of a longer-term debt limit extension, but the president cut him off and sided with the Democrats, multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting said.
In an unexpected turn of events, Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, came into the room to say hello toward the end of the meeting, which derailed the conversation and left the Republicans visibly annoyed, a Democratic aide briefed on the meeting said.
AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, called that characterization of Republican reaction "false."
And a White House aide said that Trump invited his daughter in to talk about her child-tax credit proposal, that she stayed on-topic and that it was “not an issue.”
Back on Capitol Hill, there was a mixture of resignation and outrage.
At the weekly lunch for Senate Republicans, McConnell, joined by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney and Vice President Mike Pence, laid out the deal reached with Democratic leaders.
When asked if they were surprised at the deal that was made, some senators appeared unfazed.
“Nothing shocks me around here,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
“Am I surprised? Not really,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
Still, senators were left unsure of how they’d vote on the deal, even though it includes nearly $8 billion in immediate relief for Harvey victims.
“We are literally funding this government on 90 day notes. That is not the way to fund the largest, most relevant entity in the world,” said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.
He said that he’s likely to vote for it because of the desperate need of people in Texas, adding, “patience is wearing thin on short-term funding of this government.”
Some Republicans, however, fumed. During a lunch of the conservative Republican Study Committee, members unanimously voiced their opposition to the deal, an aide said.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Republican leaders didn’t go into the talks with a good enough proposal.
“You've got to give the president conservative options," Meadows said. "There was not a conservative option on the table. It was either a clean debt ceiling or this deal. And when we look at that you can’t criticize somebody when there’s not a conservative proposal that’s put forth."
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said Mnuchin and Republican leaders have been pushing for a way to find the easiest path to pass a debt ceiling with no reforms attached.
“They’ve been trolling along looking for something to attach it to,” Walker said of Republican leaders. “To use the pain and suffering of the people of Texas to me is offensive."
Trump praised the deal aboard Air Force One on his way to North Dakota for a speech on tax reform. But he said he had a very good meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, and didn’t even mention the leaders of his party — McConnell and Ryan.
He also said that the debt ceiling must always be lifted without question, a position not held by most Republicans, who in recent years have turned it into a lever to achieve their policy goals of budget cuts.
“We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer," Trump said. "We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred — very important — always we’ll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it."
The deal, however, just pushes the threat of a government shutdown to December.
“Merry Christmas,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
The agreement occurred during a late-morning Oval Office meeting between Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. During the meeting, Trump sided with the Democrats, agreeing to their demands for a short-term extension of government funding and the debt limit and rejecting Republicans’ efforts to seek a longer-term debt ceiling hike.
It was a blow to GOP plans to avoid a series of politically treacherous votes for their members, or at least provide cover for them by attaching it to the disaster relief bill.
By agreeing to the three-month extensions, the GOP-controlled Congress would be forced to revisit both the debt ceiling and government spending extensions in December. And it increases the pressure on Republicans to pass yet more extensions to both, or face the prospect of the U.S. defaulting on its bills or a government shutdown just weeks before Christmas.
Democrats praised the deal, which was reached just before the House overwhelmingly passed $7.85 billion in disaster relief with nothing else attached.
“It was a really good moment of some bipartisanship and getting things done,” Schumer told reporters.
But it leaves rank-and-file Republicans befuddled and with few good choices. Opposition to increasing the nation's debt ceiling has become a matter of principle for many conservatives who say that this deal is worse than any they could have imagined because it forces them to vote on it twice in three months.
“The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad,” said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., in a short, terse statement.
McConnell told reporters it was the president’s decision and that GOP leadership will move forward with it.
“The President can speak for himself, but his feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis and that was the rationale,” McConnell told reporters.
Still, it was a stunning turn of events.
Wednesday morning began with Pelosi and Schumer issuing their demand that the debt limit be increased for just three months as part of the hurricane relief bill. Ryan called the idea “ridiculous and disgraceful,” adding that Democrats “want to play politics with the debt ceiling.”
An hour later, the four leaders met with Trump. Republicans entered the meeting proposing an 18 month increase to the debt limit, which would put the issue aside until after the midterm elections.
Trump rejected that and so Republicans floated six months. But Pelosi and Schumer stuck to their three month demand.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who was also present, argued in favor of a longer-term debt limit extension, but the president cut him off and sided with the Democrats, multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting said.
In an unexpected turn of events, Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, came into the room to say hello toward the end of the meeting, which derailed the conversation and left the Republicans visibly annoyed, a Democratic aide briefed on the meeting said.
AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, called that characterization of Republican reaction "false."
And a White House aide said that Trump invited his daughter in to talk about her child-tax credit proposal, that she stayed on-topic and that it was “not an issue.”
Back on Capitol Hill, there was a mixture of resignation and outrage.
At the weekly lunch for Senate Republicans, McConnell, joined by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney and Vice President Mike Pence, laid out the deal reached with Democratic leaders.
When asked if they were surprised at the deal that was made, some senators appeared unfazed.
“Nothing shocks me around here,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
“Am I surprised? Not really,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
Still, senators were left unsure of how they’d vote on the deal, even though it includes nearly $8 billion in immediate relief for Harvey victims.
“We are literally funding this government on 90 day notes. That is not the way to fund the largest, most relevant entity in the world,” said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.
He said that he’s likely to vote for it because of the desperate need of people in Texas, adding, “patience is wearing thin on short-term funding of this government.”
Some Republicans, however, fumed. During a lunch of the conservative Republican Study Committee, members unanimously voiced their opposition to the deal, an aide said.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Republican leaders didn’t go into the talks with a good enough proposal.
“You've got to give the president conservative options," Meadows said. "There was not a conservative option on the table. It was either a clean debt ceiling or this deal. And when we look at that you can’t criticize somebody when there’s not a conservative proposal that’s put forth."
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said Mnuchin and Republican leaders have been pushing for a way to find the easiest path to pass a debt ceiling with no reforms attached.
“They’ve been trolling along looking for something to attach it to,” Walker said of Republican leaders. “To use the pain and suffering of the people of Texas to me is offensive."
Trump praised the deal aboard Air Force One on his way to North Dakota for a speech on tax reform. But he said he had a very good meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, and didn’t even mention the leaders of his party — McConnell and Ryan.
He also said that the debt ceiling must always be lifted without question, a position not held by most Republicans, who in recent years have turned it into a lever to achieve their policy goals of budget cuts.
“We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer," Trump said. "We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred — very important — always we’ll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it."
The deal, however, just pushes the threat of a government shutdown to December.
“Merry Christmas,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
Alex Moe, Garrett Haake, Frank Thorp V and Hallie Jackson
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Donald Trump Rescinds DACA - Stands With White Supremacists Against A Million Dreamers
In this ‘Dollemore Daily’ Jesse Dollemore addresses Donald Trump's decision to rescind DACA.
Trump's DACA Decision Is A Grim Turning Point
The opportunists in the GOP who enable these racist moves will face a reckoning.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Is Joel Osteen A Bad Guy For Reasons Beyond Failing To Act During Hurricane Harvey?
In this episode of "The Conversation", Jesse Dollemore discusses Joel Osteen and
his bizarre Americanized version of Jesus' Gospel message.
His inaction in the face of the suffering caused by Hurricane Harvey was bad, but are there more reasons his actions should be questioned and scrutinized?
His inaction in the face of the suffering caused by Hurricane Harvey was bad, but are there more reasons his actions should be questioned and scrutinized?
Will Trump's Republican lackeys in Congress reverse course on disaster response cuts?
The pending reduction to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief account is part of a spending bill that the House is scheduled to consider next week when Congress returns from its August recess. The $876 million cut, part of the 1,305 page measure’s homeland security section, pays for roughly half the cost of Trump’s down payment on a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
It seems sure that GOP leaders will move to reverse the disaster aid cut next week. The optics are politically bad and there’s only $2.3 billion remaining in disaster coffers.One would like to think that they'd reverse those cuts. But don't forget the request they're working with from the White House.
The proposal, drawn up by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), also would slash the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides disaster relief after hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters. The Coast Guard’s $9.1 billion budget in 2017 would be cut 14 percent to about $7.8 billion, while the TSA and FEMA budgets would be reduced about 11 percent each to $4.5 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively.All so Trump can hire more border agents, build his wall, and more effectively terrorize people of color. Given the disproportionate hit people of color are taking from this natural disaster, don't bet on Trump changing his mind about pushing for these cuts.
Donald Trump Lied About Avoiding Flood Victims In Flooded Areas
In this ‘Dollemore Daily’ Jesse Dollemore addresses the reporting from journalists
with Donald Trump which refutes his claims of witnessing the 'horror'
and 'devastation' caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Trump's Hurricane Speech Turns Into Campaign Rally
Recently Donald Trump visited Texas and the survivors of Hurricane Harvey and couldn't resist talking about his crowd sizes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/even-in-visiting-hurricane-ravaged-texas-trump-keeps-the-focus-on-himself/2017/08/29/3037a4a6-8cc3-11e7-84c0-02cc069f2c37_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/even-in-visiting-hurricane-ravaged-texas-trump-keeps-the-focus-on-himself/2017/08/29/3037a4a6-8cc3-11e7-84c0-02cc069f2c37_story.html
Trump Visits Texas: Ignores Victims And Damage, Brags About Crowd Size
Donald Trump finally made his way to Texas on Tuesday, but instead of
touring the areas that are being ravaged by floods, he stayed completely
dry, didn’t meet with a single victim, and bragged about the size of
the crowd that showed up to hear him speak.
This man is not a leader, and his callous response to Hurricane Harvey is just another reason why he shouldn’t beresident. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
This man is not a leader, and his callous response to Hurricane Harvey is just another reason why he shouldn’t be
Maggie Haberman Smears Bernie - Internet Immediately Trounces
If Joel Osteen and Maggie Haberman have shown anything, its that Twitter is a shaming force for good.
Fox Host Falls For Hurricane Hoax
Jesse Watters fell for a little bit of Photoshopping. Ana Kasparian and
Michael Shure, the hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.
Mike Pence is trying to make people forget his heartless response to Hurricane Katrina
Mike Pence is on a self-serving blitz of
radio appearances this week, touting the Trump administration’s response
to Hurricane Harvey. That includes promises to have federal funds ready
to go for relief — something he cruelly opposed when he was in
Congress.
Pence had the nerve, during his several radio interviews Monday, to repeatedly refer to his time in Congress as proof he understands the importance of passing legislation to provide for disaster relief.
“We’re very confident that the Congress of the United States is going to be there to provide the resources necessary,” Pence told the host at Houston’s KHOU. He added that he will work with legislators to “make sure that the disaster assistance that already some 22,000 Texans have signed up for is available and is there.”
But when thousands of citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 needed Pence’s help, he had other priorities. He was instead focused on bludgeoning those citizens by attaching his extremist political ideology to disaster relief bills, holding up vital support that was urgently needed.
Pence said that funding for Katrina relief should be paid for with cuts to Social Security and Medicare, ideas that the right has championed for decades, even though they have proved to be unpopular and destructive again and again.
Justifying his cruelty, Pence told reporters at the time that Katrina relief and the rebuilding of devastated areas like New Orleans just had to wait, because “it is not acceptable to take a catastrophe of nature and turn it into a catastrophe of debt.”
He also said on the floor of the House, “When a tree falls on your house you tend to the wounded, you rebuild and then you figure out how you are going to pay for it.”
Ignoring the dire situation in the region, Pence lectured victims and offered up right-wing talking points.
“Let’s pay for the cost of Katrina by reducing the size and scope of government,” he said.
Pence even said that legislators should have considered delaying a $40 billion prescription drug benefit for seniors, and use that money for Katrina relief — instead of approving new funding in Congress.
Those statements, in contrast to his platitudes during Hurricane Harvey, show how Pence and his fellow Republicans have often instigated mealy-mouthed concerns about “debt” when they are out of power, only to disregard them when they are in charge.
Pence is not alone in his hypocrisy. Other Republicans have argued that disaster relief must be “offset” by cuts to necessary programs. It’s a despicable way to exploit a national disaster to target programs Republicans have long sought to dismantle.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is pushing for hurricane relief now, but when Superstorm Sandy hit New York and New Jersey, he voted against the emergency aid package to help the victims. He complained at the time that the bill had been loaded up “with billions in new spending” unrelated to the storm. Like Pence, he also invoked worries about “debt” to justify his stance.
The claim was also untrue. Cruz recently made the same claim while defending his Sandy spin, and it was fact checked by the Washington Post, which awarded him “three Pinocchios” for his ugly lie.
“The bill was largely aimed at dealing with Sandy, along with relatively minor items to address other or future disasters,” the Post noted.
Mick Mulvaney, currently serving as Trump’s budget director, was in Congress during Sandy as well, and he was among those who also called for budget cuts to offset storm relief.
It is unlikely he will do so now from inside the White House.
Pence had the nerve, during his several radio interviews Monday, to repeatedly refer to his time in Congress as proof he understands the importance of passing legislation to provide for disaster relief.
“We’re very confident that the Congress of the United States is going to be there to provide the resources necessary,” Pence told the host at Houston’s KHOU. He added that he will work with legislators to “make sure that the disaster assistance that already some 22,000 Texans have signed up for is available and is there.”
But when thousands of citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 needed Pence’s help, he had other priorities. He was instead focused on bludgeoning those citizens by attaching his extremist political ideology to disaster relief bills, holding up vital support that was urgently needed.
Pence said that funding for Katrina relief should be paid for with cuts to Social Security and Medicare, ideas that the right has championed for decades, even though they have proved to be unpopular and destructive again and again.
Justifying his cruelty, Pence told reporters at the time that Katrina relief and the rebuilding of devastated areas like New Orleans just had to wait, because “it is not acceptable to take a catastrophe of nature and turn it into a catastrophe of debt.”
He also said on the floor of the House, “When a tree falls on your house you tend to the wounded, you rebuild and then you figure out how you are going to pay for it.”
Ignoring the dire situation in the region, Pence lectured victims and offered up right-wing talking points.
“Let’s pay for the cost of Katrina by reducing the size and scope of government,” he said.
Pence even said that legislators should have considered delaying a $40 billion prescription drug benefit for seniors, and use that money for Katrina relief — instead of approving new funding in Congress.
Those statements, in contrast to his platitudes during Hurricane Harvey, show how Pence and his fellow Republicans have often instigated mealy-mouthed concerns about “debt” when they are out of power, only to disregard them when they are in charge.
Pence is not alone in his hypocrisy. Other Republicans have argued that disaster relief must be “offset” by cuts to necessary programs. It’s a despicable way to exploit a national disaster to target programs Republicans have long sought to dismantle.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is pushing for hurricane relief now, but when Superstorm Sandy hit New York and New Jersey, he voted against the emergency aid package to help the victims. He complained at the time that the bill had been loaded up “with billions in new spending” unrelated to the storm. Like Pence, he also invoked worries about “debt” to justify his stance.
The claim was also untrue. Cruz recently made the same claim while defending his Sandy spin, and it was fact checked by the Washington Post, which awarded him “three Pinocchios” for his ugly lie.
“The bill was largely aimed at dealing with Sandy, along with relatively minor items to address other or future disasters,” the Post noted.
Mick Mulvaney, currently serving as Trump’s budget director, was in Congress during Sandy as well, and he was among those who also called for budget cuts to offset storm relief.
It is unlikely he will do so now from inside the White House.
Pence, Cruz, and Mulvaney have been exposed as hypocrites. When they were out of power, they didn’t think twice about holding up disaster relief so they could engage in political experimentation for the right.
But now, when the storm is on their watch, all the hand-wringing about “debt” has evaporated into thin air. As if it was always a cynical and callous ruse all along.
Trump Cybersecurity Advisors Resign, Citing His ‘Insufficient Attention’ to Threats
By David Z. Morris
A quarter of the members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose purview includes national cybersecurity, have resigned. In a group resignation letter, they cited both specific shortfalls in the administration’s approach to cybersecurity, and broader concerns that Trump and his administration have undermined the “moral infrastructure” of the U.S.
In a report issued just after the mass resignations, the NIAC issued a report saying that dramatic steps were required to prevent a possible "9/11-level cyberattack."
A quarter of the members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose purview includes national cybersecurity, have resigned. In a group resignation letter, they cited both specific shortfalls in the administration’s approach to cybersecurity, and broader concerns that Trump and his administration have undermined the “moral infrastructure” of the U.S.
The resignations came Monday and were acknowledged by the White House on Tuesday. Nextgov has recently published the resignation letter that the departing councilors submitted. According to Roll Call, seven members resigned from the 27 member Council.
Several of those resigning were Obama-era appointees, including former U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil and former Office of Science and Technology Policy Chief of Staff Cristin Dorgelo.
Not surprisingly, then, the issues outlined in the resignation letter
were broad, faulting both Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris
climate accords and his inflammatory statements after the
Charlottesville attacks, some of which came during what was intended to
be an infrastructure-focused event.
“The
moral infrastructure of our Nation is the foundation on which our
physical infrastructure is built,” reads the letter in part. “The
Administration’s actions undermine that foundation.”
But
the resigning advisors also said the Administration was not “adequately
attentive to the pressing national security matters within the NIAC’s
purview, or responsive to sound advice received from experts and
advisors.” The letter also zeroed in on “insufficient attention to the
growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which
all Americans depend,” including election systems.
While he has ordered better security for government networks, Trump has shown little understanding
or seriousness when it comes to the broader issues surrounding, in his
words, “the cyber.” Most notably, he has refused to accept the U.S.
intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia engineered a hacking and
propaganda campaign meant to subvert the 2016 presidential election,
and even floated the idea of forming a cyber-security task force with Russia. The administration also missed a self-imposed deadline for presenting a comprehensive cyber-security plan.
Best Buy apologizes for big mistake of price-gouging Texans for water - after their stock tanks
$43 pack of bottled water being sold at a Houston Best Buy (Photo via Ken Klippenstein).
The image, which raced across the internet, shows $42.96 cases of Dasani bottled water, next to a “limited supply” of “Smart Water” for $29.98 a case.
“As a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people,” Best Buy told Business Insider. “We’re sorry, and it won’t happen again.”
The company claims the “big mistake” was caused by an employee multiplying the price of a single bottle. The company says the price-gouging signage was only up on Friday and that the Cypress, TX store in question is now closed due to Hurricane Harvey.
Best Buy stock fell 11 percent Tuesday, in heavy trading.
Below is a sampling of social media criticism:
One Houston resident sent me a pic of water he saw being sold for *$42* at a nearby Best Buy. They were kind enough to offer $29 bottles too pic.twitter.com/8dKz3sJJM1— ken klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) August 29, 2017
Hey @BestBuy, check out what one of your locations in Houston is doing. Pretty sick stuff. https://t.co/WQqstnTotr— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 29, 2017
Rot in hell, @BestBuy. pic.twitter.com/Jj7xUfoUp4— jordan 🌹🌹 (@JordanUhl) August 29, 2017
Hey @BestBuy you want to explain why this store of yours in Houston is illegally price gouging? pic.twitter.com/803tuo4XLm— Max Cotterill 🚩 (@mcotteri) August 29, 2017
Greedy Best Buy Gouges Hurricane Plagued Texas Residents; Sells Cases of Water for $42 https://t.co/HNs8XnkEVh— Thomas Paine (@Thomas1774Paine) August 29, 2017
The @BestBuy at Houston charging $40 for a pack of water bottles is a disgrace. People are in need, shame on you #bestbuy #shame #greed— Panda (@4kec4) August 29, 2017
@BestBuy this was happening by me in Houston this past week. Safe to say I will never shop in your stores again. pic.twitter.com/1wAUhnks14— James DeCicco (@bobbyd914) August 29, 2017
Only bcause they got caught. Sum1 HAD 2 authorize the sign, sell & purchase of the #gouging , stop blaming the wrkr bees Fire Mgmt @BestBuy pic.twitter.com/OFKRfeotea— MoreMusicMoreMoney (@MoreMusicMoreMo) August 29, 2017
In response to my article, Best Buy issues apology, saying the pricing was "a big mistake" & "it won't happen again" https://t.co/AcLuHkp0y1— ken klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) August 29, 2017
Is The Street Wrong? What Best Buy $BBY Is Doing Right (video) https://t.co/sgNCaLZoXg @BestBuy #stocks #BestBuy #Retail #investors pic.twitter.com/WoL0DYuLK5— Domain Mondo (@DomainMondo) August 29, 2017
By Bob Brigham
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Donald Trump's Plans For A Russian Trump Tower In Moscow Just Revealed
In this ‘Dollemore Daily’ Jesse Dollemore addresses the just revealed plans for a
Trump Tower in Moscow, Russia which were previously concealed by Donald
Trump.
Add to the mix, Felix Sater, who has deep mafia ties and connections to heavy hitters in the Russian government.
Add to the mix, Felix Sater, who has deep mafia ties and connections to heavy hitters in the Russian government.
Ted Cruz blusters when asked why he opposed Hurricane Sandy relief then, but wants Harvey relief now
When Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage in New York and New Jersey in 2012, the Senate Republican absolutely nobody likes, Sen. Ted Cruz, was one of the loudest voices opposing federal disaster aid for the region.
Now that he is asking for disaster relief for his own state in very similar circumstances, he is naturally being asked about the apparent contradiction.
He finds this annoying.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/28/1694047/-Ted-Cruz-blusters-when-asked-why-he-opposed-Hurricane-Sandy-relief-then-but-wants-Harvey-relief-now
The Desperate Neediness Of Donald Trump, Even In The Midst Of A Hurricane
Posted by Rude One
(Yeah, yeah, I'll be getting to Arpaio and Russia and whatever other clusterfucks of doom happen, but first, let's deal with the big damn Harvey in the room.)
We know that Donald Trump is a man whose ego must be constantly stroked, like the head of a grumpy baby who won't go to sleep. Any chance any of his administration has to praise him, praise him they must or they will face the jowly gaze of disapproval and probably some kind of stupid-ass threat at a public gathering. They gotta blow this fuckin' guy so often that they get assigned government-issue knee pads.
So it was that during Hurricane (now Tropical Storm) Harvey, which is wrecking the fuck out of the lives of millions of Americans, Trump not only stayed for the weekend at Camp David, but he teleconferenced into situation room meetings. That gave us photos of an old man in an ill-fitting suit and stupid, over-sized "USA" hat, alone at a table, talking over speakers to those who were genuinely engaged beyond watching footage on TV and tweeting, "Wow, that's a whole bunch of rain!" or whatever the fuck Trump said.
Today. Trump's most voracious chowder-guzzler, Vice President Mike Pence, made the rounds of talk radio to show just how enthusiastically he gargles on Trump's nutsack. Seriously, the amount that Pence praised Trump for his actions during the hurricane makes it sound like the president was personally out in his yacht, rescuing people. Instead, what really is occurring is that Barack Obama's FEMA was, so far, doing a pretty good job for Texas.
But here's Pence, on a Houston news station, just licking his lips in anticipation of Trump dick. "Trump made his decision on Friday night, before landfall, to issue an emergency declaration with regard to Texas" and later, Louisiana, Pence said. "Trump and our entire administration have been working closely with Governor Abbott...Trump assembled the Cabinet twice... I can tell you that from Friday night forward, Trump has been continuously engaged in this."
Then, on another station, Pence fellated on about "the swift response by Trump" and "Trump’s direction" in the crisis. "I couldn’t be more proud of Trump’s leadership," Pence asserted, obviously.
We get it. You wanna make sure the spin is that Trump's not fucking it up like Bush during Katrina. But a real leader would tell his people to knock that praise shit off, that it's not necessary, and that, frankly, the effort to save southeast Texas and, likely, parts of Louisiana is just beginning, and there's still plenty of time to fuck it up. The nauseating amount of appreciation that his staff and cabinet heap on Trump is tough to take in non-catastrophic times. Now, it just comes across as needy and selfish on the part of Trump, putting himself at the center of the story when, at best, he's a tangential element, someone who would serve everyone best by staying the fuck out of everyone's way while grown-ups are working here.
Put him in a corner. Give him the remote. Put a big boy hat on him. And ignore him.
(Yeah, yeah, I'll be getting to Arpaio and Russia and whatever other clusterfucks of doom happen, but first, let's deal with the big damn Harvey in the room.)
We know that Donald Trump is a man whose ego must be constantly stroked, like the head of a grumpy baby who won't go to sleep. Any chance any of his administration has to praise him, praise him they must or they will face the jowly gaze of disapproval and probably some kind of stupid-ass threat at a public gathering. They gotta blow this fuckin' guy so often that they get assigned government-issue knee pads.
So it was that during Hurricane (now Tropical Storm) Harvey, which is wrecking the fuck out of the lives of millions of Americans, Trump not only stayed for the weekend at Camp David, but he teleconferenced into situation room meetings. That gave us photos of an old man in an ill-fitting suit and stupid, over-sized "USA" hat, alone at a table, talking over speakers to those who were genuinely engaged beyond watching footage on TV and tweeting, "Wow, that's a whole bunch of rain!" or whatever the fuck Trump said.
Today. Trump's most voracious chowder-guzzler, Vice President Mike Pence, made the rounds of talk radio to show just how enthusiastically he gargles on Trump's nutsack. Seriously, the amount that Pence praised Trump for his actions during the hurricane makes it sound like the president was personally out in his yacht, rescuing people. Instead, what really is occurring is that Barack Obama's FEMA was, so far, doing a pretty good job for Texas.
But here's Pence, on a Houston news station, just licking his lips in anticipation of Trump dick. "Trump made his decision on Friday night, before landfall, to issue an emergency declaration with regard to Texas" and later, Louisiana, Pence said. "Trump and our entire administration have been working closely with Governor Abbott...Trump assembled the Cabinet twice... I can tell you that from Friday night forward, Trump has been continuously engaged in this."
Then, on another station, Pence fellated on about "the swift response by Trump" and "Trump’s direction" in the crisis. "I couldn’t be more proud of Trump’s leadership," Pence asserted, obviously.
We get it. You wanna make sure the spin is that Trump's not fucking it up like Bush during Katrina. But a real leader would tell his people to knock that praise shit off, that it's not necessary, and that, frankly, the effort to save southeast Texas and, likely, parts of Louisiana is just beginning, and there's still plenty of time to fuck it up. The nauseating amount of appreciation that his staff and cabinet heap on Trump is tough to take in non-catastrophic times. Now, it just comes across as needy and selfish on the part of Trump, putting himself at the center of the story when, at best, he's a tangential element, someone who would serve everyone best by staying the fuck out of everyone's way while grown-ups are working here.
Put him in a corner. Give him the remote. Put a big boy hat on him. And ignore him.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
There's a 'mountain of evidence' that Trump is unstable
- Congresswoman calls for Trump's removal from office through the 25th Amendment
- Democrat Jackie Speier is "concerned about him having his finger on the button that could send nuclear warheads around the world."
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Donald Trump just resurrected Joe Arpaio from irrelevance
By
Editorial: Donald Trump said he was going to pardon
former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But knowing in advance didn't soften the blow
to Latinos - and equal justice.
While America was talking about tearing
down monuments that offend historically oppressed people, Donald Trump
effectively erected yet another one.
His pardon of Joe Arpaio
elevated the disgraced former Maricopa County sheriff to monument
status among the immigration hardliners and nationalists in Trump’s
base.
This erases any doubt about whether Trump meant to empower them after the violence in Charlottesville.
Arpaio is their darling. Arpaio is now back on his pedestal thanks to their resident.
Expecting the pardon doesn't make it better
This insult wasn’t a surprise. Trump told us it was coming during his rally-the-base speech in Phoenix Tuesday.
But that doesn’t lessen the sting or diminish the significance of Trump’s decision to put Arpaio back on the national stage.
Maricopa County had a bellyful of this showboat sheriff and voted him out of office last year.
A
federal court found Arpaio in criminal contempt for ignoring a judge's
order in a long-running case over racial profiling of Latino motorists.
It
was a dose of hard-won justice for a too-flamboyant sheriff who showed
little respect for the Constitution as he made national news as an
immigration hardliner – and let real crimes go uninvestigated.
Donald Trump’s pardon elevates Arpaio once again to the pantheon of those who see institutional racism as something that made America great.
It's a slap for Latinos - and everyone else
Many will characterize it as a slap to the Latino community – and it is.
The
vast majority of Latinos in Arizona are not undocumented, yet they all
fell under heightened scrutiny as Arpaio honed his image.
The
pardon was a slap to those who worked through the judicial system to
make Arpaio accountable, too. It robbed the people hurt by his policies
of justice – even before a judge could mete out a sentence.
The pardon was a sign of pure contempt for every American who believes in justice, human dignity and the rule of law.
MONTINI: Trump violates his oath to pardon Arpaio
This isn't about one group of people. It’s about all Americans.
Arpaio
was a lawman who scorned his duty to treat all people equally. He made
it law enforcement policy to profile people based on their heritage.
It played well in Arizona, then it turned hollow.
Arpaio
was riding high in 2010 when then-Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill
1070, a draconian law written to intimidate people. Then Arizona came to
its senses. It recognized the dangers of scapegoating – or at least the
economic risks of alienating a growing demographic group.
Institutional racism is clearly Trump's goal
Then
came Trump. He resurrected Arpaio’s rhetoric and made a hit on the
national stage. He used Arpaio as a warm-up act during campaign rallies
and modeled his own speeches on Arpaio’s rambling populist routine.
Many hoped the country would tire of this toxic folly – just as Arizona had.
After
Trump was elected, many hoped he would abandon his habit of appealing
to the worst instincts of disaffected white Americans who have been left
behind by economic changes that had little to do with undocumented
immigration.
Many hoped Trump would decide to become the resident of all the people.
But Trump spent last week demonstrating that he wants to be resident of the few.
By pardoning Arpaio, Trump made it clear that institutional racism is not just OK with him. It is a goal.
That should trouble every American who believes that our duty as a nation is to continue working on behalf of equal justice.
We want to hear from you! Send us a letter to the editor to respond to this editorial. Also be sure to sign up for our free, emailed opinion newsletter.
MORE EDITORIALS:
North Carolina County Official Indicted For Rigging The 2016 Election For Donald Trump
A former elections worker in North Carolina was indicted by a grand
jury on Monday for purposefully changing ballot results during the March
2016 primary election.
Richard Robert Rawling, 59, of Cary, was charged with felony counts of failing his duties and obstruction of justice after allegedly skewing the vote tallies to help elect Donald Trump and other conservative candidates.
Rawling allegedly ordered subordinates to run provisional ballots through tabulators more than the correct number of times, and then made manual changes so that the results of the provisional canvass would match the tally of total ballots.
Elections board officials found the smoking gun during an audit of primary results in April.
According to the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement, Rawling’s actions were a desperate attempt to hide his tampering with results. Rawling resigned less than a month after the primary results were tallied.
“The State Board’s top priority is ensuring the integrity of elections so voters have confidence in the process,” the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement said in its remarks to the media.
http://www.rawprogressive.com/2017/08/22/breaking-north-carolina-county-official-indicted-rigging-2016-election-donald-trump/
Richard Robert Rawling, 59, of Cary, was charged with felony counts of failing his duties and obstruction of justice after allegedly skewing the vote tallies to help elect Donald Trump and other conservative candidates.
Rawling allegedly ordered subordinates to run provisional ballots through tabulators more than the correct number of times, and then made manual changes so that the results of the provisional canvass would match the tally of total ballots.
Elections board officials found the smoking gun during an audit of primary results in April.
According to the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement, Rawling’s actions were a desperate attempt to hide his tampering with results. Rawling resigned less than a month after the primary results were tallied.
“The State Board’s top priority is ensuring the integrity of elections so voters have confidence in the process,” the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement said in its remarks to the media.
http://www.rawprogressive.com/2017/08/22/breaking-north-carolina-county-official-indicted-rigging-2016-election-donald-trump/
White House anti-drug office asks Mass. for medical Marijuana data
An arm of the White House’s anti-drug office has asked Massachusetts and
several other states where medical marijuana is legal to turn over
information about registered patients, triggering a debate over privacy
rights and whether state officials should cooperate with a federal
administration that appears hostile to the drug.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/08/25/white-house-anti-drug-office-asks-massachusetts-for-medical-marijuana-data/FIiAccGpbD7az3wfUyoMbK/story.html
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/08/25/white-house-anti-drug-office-asks-massachusetts-for-medical-marijuana-data/FIiAccGpbD7az3wfUyoMbK/story.html
Trump Threatens Economic Disaster Over Stupid 'Fucking Wall'
Donald Trump wants to build a wall, Donald Trump is threatening to not
raise the debt ceiling. Both of these things are a disaster. Jeff
Waldorf breaks it down.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/23/trump-republicans-border-wall-241931
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/23/trump-republicans-border-wall-241931
‘Remedy is impeachment’: Harvard Law prof blasts Trump pardoning Joe Arpaio
By Bob Brigham
Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense with his late Friday pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, according to a prominent Harvard Law Professor.
“This is the crime that Trump is suggesting he might pardon: willful defiance of a federal judge’s lawful order to enforce the Constitution,” explained Prof. Noah Feldman. “Such a pardon would reflect outright contempt for the judiciary, which convicted Arpaio for his resistance to its authority.
Trump has questioned judges’ motives and decisions, but this would be a further, more radical step in his attack on the independent constitutional authority of Article III judges.”
“An Arpaio pardon would express presidential contempt for the Constitution,” Prof. Feldman continued. “From this analysis it follows directly that pardoning Arpaio would be a wrongful act under the Constitution.”
Professor Feldman worried of a “a crisis in enforcement of the rule of law” if Republican congressional leaders refused to hold Trump to account.
“The Constitution isn’t perfect. It offers only one remedy for a president who abuses the pardon power to break the system itself. That remedy is impeachment,” Prof. Feldman concluded. “James Madison noted at the Virginia ratifying convention that abuse of the pardon power could be grounds for impeachment. He was correct then — and it’s still true now.”
Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense with his late Friday pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, according to a prominent Harvard Law Professor.
“This is the crime that Trump is suggesting he might pardon: willful defiance of a federal judge’s lawful order to enforce the Constitution,” explained Prof. Noah Feldman. “Such a pardon would reflect outright contempt for the judiciary, which convicted Arpaio for his resistance to its authority.
Trump has questioned judges’ motives and decisions, but this would be a further, more radical step in his attack on the independent constitutional authority of Article III judges.”
“An Arpaio pardon would express presidential contempt for the Constitution,” Prof. Feldman continued. “From this analysis it follows directly that pardoning Arpaio would be a wrongful act under the Constitution.”
Professor Feldman worried of a “a crisis in enforcement of the rule of law” if Republican congressional leaders refused to hold Trump to account.
“The Constitution isn’t perfect. It offers only one remedy for a president who abuses the pardon power to break the system itself. That remedy is impeachment,” Prof. Feldman concluded. “James Madison noted at the Virginia ratifying convention that abuse of the pardon power could be grounds for impeachment. He was correct then — and it’s still true now.”
— Harvard Law School (@Harvard_Law) August 25, 2017
All Administration Personnel Need To Align Their Loyalties - America, Or Trump?
In this ‘Dollemore Daily’ Jesse Dollemore addresses the mass resignations of many
CEO's who were members of Donald Trump's individual Economic Advisory
Councils. He also calls on all other personnel, working in an agenda
support capacity, to resign and choose country over hate.
People dumping Ivanka Trump products at Goodwill
Social media users proudly confess to dumping Ivanka Trump fashion items
at Goodwill - many with the tags STILL ON - as one staff member reveals
huge surge in donated items from her brand.
Trump Has Now Lied To The Public More Than 1,000 Times Since Taking Office
According to a report by The Washington Post, Donald Trump has passed
the 1,000 lie milestone since being sworn in as President. Many of his
lies have been repeated so often that a majority of his supporters
actually believe them to be true, like Trump actually winning the
popular vote. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
IF TRUMP'S MOUTH IS MOVING, A LIE IS SPILLING OUT, IF HIS HAND IS MOVING, THE SATANIC 666 HAND GESTURE IS SHOWING YOU WHO HE WORSHIPS.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/08/22/president-trumps-list-of-false-and-misleading-claims-tops-1000/
IF TRUMP'S MOUTH IS MOVING, A LIE IS SPILLING OUT, IF HIS HAND IS MOVING, THE SATANIC 666 HAND GESTURE IS SHOWING YOU WHO HE WORSHIPS.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/08/22/president-trumps-list-of-false-and-misleading-claims-tops-1000/
Friday, August 25, 2017
A Millennial Takes On Trump, His Voters, And Whatever The Hell That Arizona Thing Was
Posted by R. Sharp
Yeah, I could rant about how the media and its loyal zombie followers (I’m looking at you, Fox) are dividing us up. I could go on and on about those deplorable Nazi-wannabes we saw in Charlottesville. But I feel I would just be adding fuel to the gigantic flaming shit storm that is America in 2017. No, I’m focusing on the ugly head of the Republican monster that’s been butt fucking us for the past 26 months (since it announced it was running). The creature is most recently responsible for giving those same hateful ideologies national attention.
On Tuesday night, the creature slithered on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center. It puffed its saggy orange chest out and smiled, knowing that the hordes of brainless morons were packed inside to see it perform. It lifted one of its tiny claws off the podium, opened its mouth, and began to spew bile all over the crowd. The loyal followers soaked up the bile and cheered the creature on. “I want more!” cried an old man with a red hat. “Soak me in your juices!” yelled the obese woman next to him. The creature gave them what they wanted. For 77 minutes, it threw up uncontrollably while the crowd licked the puke off the floor.
This horrific display of ignorance is what we’ve come to accept from the creature that calls itselfresident and rhymes with "dump." This is
just another distraction that this administration is creating. They’re
putting up roadblock after roadblock trying to deter us from
distinguishing reality from fiction. Even the kind and reasonable among
us can get sidetracked. Whether it’s breaking news, an angry tirade, or a
tweet, Americans are cruelly inundated with the media’s coverage of
this administration. We find ourselves being enraged at one thing, and
then the next day comes and something else happens. We haven’t even
gotten over what happened in the first place, because we're pissed about
something new. These distractions are building up, creating a seemingly
impenetrable layer of bullshit.
One core issue here is the creature’s ties to Russia. Robert Mueller’s special counsel is reportedly making progress, like when they raided former campaign manager and walking cadaver Paul Manafort’s home. Unfortunately, all the distractions created by the orange creature drown out any minimal good news. The attacks on the media the creature keeps shouting are focused on the wrong thing. The mainstream media concentrates on the bullshit show at the White House to the exclusion of so much else going on because they know it will bring up ratings. You wanna say how the media is bad? That's how it's bad right now.
Which gets us back to Mueller. Even though it’s fake news, The New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz made me laugh with his piece titled, “Millions Willing to Work for Mueller for Free If That Would Speed Things Up.” But it gives me an idea for an offer:
Mr. Mueller, I’ve been looking for a fall internship and I have a psychotic obsession with ending this grotesque creature’s administration. My legal skills are nonexistent, but I can write one hell of an email. I’ll even clean up your office. Please, let me send you my resume. I’ll do anything to help hurry things up and end this clusterfuck of aresidency.
Yeah, I could rant about how the media and its loyal zombie followers (I’m looking at you, Fox) are dividing us up. I could go on and on about those deplorable Nazi-wannabes we saw in Charlottesville. But I feel I would just be adding fuel to the gigantic flaming shit storm that is America in 2017. No, I’m focusing on the ugly head of the Republican monster that’s been butt fucking us for the past 26 months (since it announced it was running). The creature is most recently responsible for giving those same hateful ideologies national attention.
On Tuesday night, the creature slithered on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center. It puffed its saggy orange chest out and smiled, knowing that the hordes of brainless morons were packed inside to see it perform. It lifted one of its tiny claws off the podium, opened its mouth, and began to spew bile all over the crowd. The loyal followers soaked up the bile and cheered the creature on. “I want more!” cried an old man with a red hat. “Soak me in your juices!” yelled the obese woman next to him. The creature gave them what they wanted. For 77 minutes, it threw up uncontrollably while the crowd licked the puke off the floor.
This horrific display of ignorance is what we’ve come to accept from the creature that calls itself
One core issue here is the creature’s ties to Russia. Robert Mueller’s special counsel is reportedly making progress, like when they raided former campaign manager and walking cadaver Paul Manafort’s home. Unfortunately, all the distractions created by the orange creature drown out any minimal good news. The attacks on the media the creature keeps shouting are focused on the wrong thing. The mainstream media concentrates on the bullshit show at the White House to the exclusion of so much else going on because they know it will bring up ratings. You wanna say how the media is bad? That's how it's bad right now.
Which gets us back to Mueller. Even though it’s fake news, The New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz made me laugh with his piece titled, “Millions Willing to Work for Mueller for Free If That Would Speed Things Up.” But it gives me an idea for an offer:
Mr. Mueller, I’ve been looking for a fall internship and I have a psychotic obsession with ending this grotesque creature’s administration. My legal skills are nonexistent, but I can write one hell of an email. I’ll even clean up your office. Please, let me send you my resume. I’ll do anything to help hurry things up and end this clusterfuck of a
Is This The Secret Russian Deal Trump Made?
Erik Prince sends mercenaries around the world to kill people on your
tax dollar. Now he’s potentially involved in an international scandal
involving Trump and Russia. Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, breaks
it down.
"Though Prince had no formal role with the Trump campaign or transition team, he presented himself as an unofficial envoy for Trump to high-ranking Emiratis involved in setting up his meeting with the Putin confidant, according to the officials, who did not identify the Russian.
Prince was an avid supporter of Trump. After the Republican convention, he contributed $250,000 to Trump’s campaign, the national party and a pro-Trump super PAC led by GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, records show.
He has ties to people in Trump’s circle, including Stephen K. Bannon, now serving as the president’s chief strategist and senior counselor. Prince’s sister Betsy DeVos serves as education secretary in the Trump administration. And Prince was seen in the Trump transition offices in New York in December.
U.S. officials said the FBI has been scrutinizing the Seychelles meeting as part of a broader probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and alleged contacts between associates of Putin and Trump. The FBI declined to comment.”
Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html
Hosts: Cenk Uygur
Cast: Cenk Uygur
"Though Prince had no formal role with the Trump campaign or transition team, he presented himself as an unofficial envoy for Trump to high-ranking Emiratis involved in setting up his meeting with the Putin confidant, according to the officials, who did not identify the Russian.
Prince was an avid supporter of Trump. After the Republican convention, he contributed $250,000 to Trump’s campaign, the national party and a pro-Trump super PAC led by GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, records show.
He has ties to people in Trump’s circle, including Stephen K. Bannon, now serving as the president’s chief strategist and senior counselor. Prince’s sister Betsy DeVos serves as education secretary in the Trump administration. And Prince was seen in the Trump transition offices in New York in December.
U.S. officials said the FBI has been scrutinizing the Seychelles meeting as part of a broader probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and alleged contacts between associates of Putin and Trump. The FBI declined to comment.”
Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html
Hosts: Cenk Uygur
Cast: Cenk Uygur
How Bad Of A Businessman Is Donald Trump? Here’s How Bad.
How bad of a businessman is Donald Trump? Two experts, and one person
impacted by Trump’s business deals, discuss his record.
Marvin Roffman, an analyst, took Trump to court after getting fired for telling the Wall Street Journal that Trump’s plan for the Taj Mahal was financially irresponsible. Trump settled the case and Roffman won financial compensation.
Prudence Gourguechon, past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, argues that Trump views his business partners and even the banks which lend him money as expendable, since he can just use them until he gets a better deal.
“Donald Trump’s handshake, his signature and his word mean absolutely nothing in Atlantic City,” says Paul Friel, whose father’s cabinetry business was never paid in full for the work it completed on Trump Plaza.
Marvin Roffman, an analyst, took Trump to court after getting fired for telling the Wall Street Journal that Trump’s plan for the Taj Mahal was financially irresponsible. Trump settled the case and Roffman won financial compensation.
Prudence Gourguechon, past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, argues that Trump views his business partners and even the banks which lend him money as expendable, since he can just use them until he gets a better deal.
“Donald Trump’s handshake, his signature and his word mean absolutely nothing in Atlantic City,” says Paul Friel, whose father’s cabinetry business was never paid in full for the work it completed on Trump Plaza.
Roland Martin To Paula White: Be A Prophetic Voice And Don't Just Be A Profitable Voice
Roland Martin rips Pastor Paula White for her partisan comments about
Donald Trump: Be a prophetic voice and don't just be a profitable voice.
Trump is acting like he is running out of time
By Josh Delk
Former
Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman said Thursday that Donald Trump is
acting in regards to the Russia collusion investigation as if he knows
"time is running out."
"What we're finding is, as time goes on, we keep learning new, additional facts. But we don't know what [special counsel Robert] Mueller's staff knows. For all we know, we may just have the tip of the iceberg on this," Akerman told MSNBC's Ari Melber.
Akerman referenced a The Washington Post report that Trump had pushed back on legislation proposed in July that would block him from firing the special counsel investigating his campaign's ties to Russia without a federal judge's approval.
"Now it appears he's directly lobbying congress to try and ensure that he has a way to get rid of this investigation," Akerman said.
CNN reported this week that congressional investigators had unearthed an email from now-White House aide Rick Dearborn to campaign officials last year relaying information about a person who was trying to connect top Trump officials with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Federal and congressional investigators had already shown an interest in a meeting that Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. set up last summer between campaign officials and a Russian lawyer promising damaging information on his presidential rival Hillary Clinton.
"At the same time that we keep getting more evidence, we also learn that Donald Trump has consistently, from day one, tried to stop this Russia investigation," Akerman said.
Trump harshly criticized and later fired James Comey as FBI director amid the escalating Russia probe, and slammed Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the ongoing investigation.
"All of this comes down to one simple fact," said Akerman. "You have someone who is acting extremely guilty, someone who is acting in a way that he realizes that time is running out, and he's taking all kinds of desperate moves to try and stop this investigation."
"What we're finding is, as time goes on, we keep learning new, additional facts. But we don't know what [special counsel Robert] Mueller's staff knows. For all we know, we may just have the tip of the iceberg on this," Akerman told MSNBC's Ari Melber.
Akerman referenced a The Washington Post report that Trump had pushed back on legislation proposed in July that would block him from firing the special counsel investigating his campaign's ties to Russia without a federal judge's approval.
"Now it appears he's directly lobbying congress to try and ensure that he has a way to get rid of this investigation," Akerman said.
CNN reported this week that congressional investigators had unearthed an email from now-White House aide Rick Dearborn to campaign officials last year relaying information about a person who was trying to connect top Trump officials with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Federal and congressional investigators had already shown an interest in a meeting that Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. set up last summer between campaign officials and a Russian lawyer promising damaging information on his presidential rival Hillary Clinton.
"At the same time that we keep getting more evidence, we also learn that Donald Trump has consistently, from day one, tried to stop this Russia investigation," Akerman said.
Trump harshly criticized and later fired James Comey as FBI director amid the escalating Russia probe, and slammed Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the ongoing investigation.
"All of this comes down to one simple fact," said Akerman. "You have someone who is acting extremely guilty, someone who is acting in a way that he realizes that time is running out, and he's taking all kinds of desperate moves to try and stop this investigation."
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