Why Trump May Never Poll Over 45 Percent
"America has simply become too diverse for a Nixonian "Southern Strategy" to succeed. No longer can a multicultural Democratic coalition be broken by race-baiting whites. Decades ago, as political scientist Michael Tesler has explained, white attitudes on race were more monolithic and susceptible to wedge politics. Today, such tactics are ineffective to dislodge white Democrats from their party. The Trump campaign has been a test to see if the Republican Party can still win as an essentially all-white party with a platform rooted in racial grievance. All the evidence says it cannot. The Trump campaign can change now or the Republican Party can change later. There is no other option."
News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Thursday, August 11, 2016
‘This sh*t’s not funny’: Strategist explains that Trump is causing an ‘extinction event’ for the GOP
‘This sh*t’s not funny’: Strategist explains that Trump is causing an ‘extinction event’ for the GOP
"more than 70 prominent Republicans — including several former GOP senators and congressmen — have written a letter begging RNC chairman Reince Priebus to pull the plug on Trump’s campaign and instead spend all their resources protecting down-ballot Republican senators and representatives. “We believe that Donald Trump’s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide,” reads the letter, which was signed by big names such as former Sen. Gordon Humphrey and former Rep. Chris Shays. “Only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck.” As if that weren’t enough, Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak on Thursday posted an epic tweetstorm describing the abject panic that has set in among Republicans, who now fear that they’ll suffer massive down-ballot losses if Trump stays on his current course."
"more than 70 prominent Republicans — including several former GOP senators and congressmen — have written a letter begging RNC chairman Reince Priebus to pull the plug on Trump’s campaign and instead spend all their resources protecting down-ballot Republican senators and representatives. “We believe that Donald Trump’s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide,” reads the letter, which was signed by big names such as former Sen. Gordon Humphrey and former Rep. Chris Shays. “Only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck.” As if that weren’t enough, Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak on Thursday posted an epic tweetstorm describing the abject panic that has set in among Republicans, who now fear that they’ll suffer massive down-ballot losses if Trump stays on his current course."
From Fringe to Mainstream: Conspiracies, Baseless Accusations and Lunacy Are the New Normal for Republicans @alternet
From Fringe to Mainstream: Conspiracies, Baseless Accusations and Lunacy Are the New Normal for Republicans @alternet:
"What these stories all have in common is that they are premised on complete and unadulterated bullsh*t, the kind of stuff that used to be limited to shortwave radio transmissions beamed out from trailers in the Nevada desert. Now they are the mainstream of the Republican Party. But this is the problem with the right wing and the Republicans these days. The GOP has no discernment, no firewalls to insulate itself from its crazies and the conspiracies and dark fantasia they spin out. There is no distinction to be made between its presidential candidate, a senator who has been a sleeper darling of the Republican establishment (Bill Kirstol was Cotton’s first mentor when he arrived in Washington), and the lunatics voting for it in this election. It is hard to see how the GOP splits, forming one right-ish party while the far-right kooks slip further out onto the fringe. The kooks are the party now. Separating them out to become a functional party capable of participating in governance may not be possible."
"What these stories all have in common is that they are premised on complete and unadulterated bullsh*t, the kind of stuff that used to be limited to shortwave radio transmissions beamed out from trailers in the Nevada desert. Now they are the mainstream of the Republican Party. But this is the problem with the right wing and the Republicans these days. The GOP has no discernment, no firewalls to insulate itself from its crazies and the conspiracies and dark fantasia they spin out. There is no distinction to be made between its presidential candidate, a senator who has been a sleeper darling of the Republican establishment (Bill Kirstol was Cotton’s first mentor when he arrived in Washington), and the lunatics voting for it in this election. It is hard to see how the GOP splits, forming one right-ish party while the far-right kooks slip further out onto the fringe. The kooks are the party now. Separating them out to become a functional party capable of participating in governance may not be possible."
Trump just gave a bonkers interview to CNBC — here are 4 batsh*t crazy excerpts
Trump just gave a bonkers interview to CNBC — here are 4 batsh*t crazy excerpts
"None of his statements, it goes without saying, were remotely close to being in touch with reality."
"None of his statements, it goes without saying, were remotely close to being in touch with reality."
BUSTED: Trump told 30 lies in two days during 2007 deposition about his ‘billionaire’ claims
BUSTED: Trump told 30 lies in two days during 2007 deposition about his ‘billionaire’ claims
"It was in this deposition that Trump made his now-notorious pronouncement that he bases his net worth on his “feelings"."
"It was in this deposition that Trump made his now-notorious pronouncement that he bases his net worth on his “feelings"."
PERRspectives: Three Lessons from the Rise of Donald Trump
PERRspectives: Three Lessons from the Rise of Donald Trump
"The new GOP plan of conquest was much like the old one. Once again, the Republicans would combine far-right fury with another wave of tried and untrue talking points. No matter that Obamacare reduces the national debt and was not a "government takeover of health care." So what if decades of data showed that higher taxes on "job creators" do not hurt the economy and that the estate tax has little impact on small businesses and family farms. Big deal if the nonpartisan CBO and the overwhelming consensus of economists concluded the stimulus resulted in millions of additional jobs and a significant boost to American GDP? For that matter, who gives a hoot if the record shows that the U.S. economy almost always does better when a Democrat is in the White House? And who cares if Mitt Romney's shameless lie that Obama "made the economy worse" was thoroughly debunked throughout the campaign? For Republicans, this platform of deceit was a feature, not a bug. All of which means Donald Trump is just the newest version of the Republicans' fraud ware."
"The new GOP plan of conquest was much like the old one. Once again, the Republicans would combine far-right fury with another wave of tried and untrue talking points. No matter that Obamacare reduces the national debt and was not a "government takeover of health care." So what if decades of data showed that higher taxes on "job creators" do not hurt the economy and that the estate tax has little impact on small businesses and family farms. Big deal if the nonpartisan CBO and the overwhelming consensus of economists concluded the stimulus resulted in millions of additional jobs and a significant boost to American GDP? For that matter, who gives a hoot if the record shows that the U.S. economy almost always does better when a Democrat is in the White House? And who cares if Mitt Romney's shameless lie that Obama "made the economy worse" was thoroughly debunked throughout the campaign? For Republicans, this platform of deceit was a feature, not a bug. All of which means Donald Trump is just the newest version of the Republicans' fraud ware."
Tax-hating Tea Partiers using taxpayer money to promote themselves for re-election
Tax-hating Tea Partiers using taxpayer money to promote themselves for re-election
"Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) is a staunch Tea Party advocate, who believes Congress should reduce federal spending to 18 percent of GDP. That would mean a 16 percent decrease from literally every single agency from education to defense, as well as intelligence, where Hurd once worked. He supports cutting veterans benefits and slash Medicare funding for the elderly and children. But Hurd is more than willing to spend taxpayer money on free mail to promote himself and his ideology."
"Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) is a staunch Tea Party advocate, who believes Congress should reduce federal spending to 18 percent of GDP. That would mean a 16 percent decrease from literally every single agency from education to defense, as well as intelligence, where Hurd once worked. He supports cutting veterans benefits and slash Medicare funding for the elderly and children. But Hurd is more than willing to spend taxpayer money on free mail to promote himself and his ideology."
The real threat to American sovereignty: Citizens United and global money influencing our politics
The real threat to American sovereignty: Citizens United and global money influencing our politics
"Trump’s recent public request that hackers connected to the Russian government sabotage his opponent Hillary Clinton is the tip of a Trumpian iceberg of foreign influence. He’s also been actively soliciting campaign funds from officials of foreign governments — in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Australia and elsewhere. Terri Butler, a member of the Australian parliament member, was surprised to receive fundraising solicitations from Trump at her official government email address, asking her to make a “generous contribution” to the Trump campaign. Bob Blackman, a member of Britain’s House of Commons, who has also received fundraising requests from the Trump campaign, says “I did not sign up, these are sent unsolicited.” Another member of the U.K. parliament, Peter Bottomley, has received three such solicitations. “Neither [Trump’s] sons nor anyone else has answered my questions about how they acquired my email nor why they were asking for financial support that I suppose to be illegal for [Trump] to accept,” he says, In Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir, chair of the Left-Green Movement, a democratic socialist party, has “no idea” how she got on Trump’s fundraising list. Someone should let Trump know it’s illegal for candidates for federal office to solicit foreign money, regardless of whether the donations ever materialize. In addition, foreign individuals, corporations and governments are barred from either giving money directly to U.S. candidates or spending on advertising to influence U.S. elections. Why hasn’t Trump been held accountable? Because the Federal Election Commission, charged with enforcing the law, is gridlocked by its Republican appointees."
"Trump’s recent public request that hackers connected to the Russian government sabotage his opponent Hillary Clinton is the tip of a Trumpian iceberg of foreign influence. He’s also been actively soliciting campaign funds from officials of foreign governments — in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Australia and elsewhere. Terri Butler, a member of the Australian parliament member, was surprised to receive fundraising solicitations from Trump at her official government email address, asking her to make a “generous contribution” to the Trump campaign. Bob Blackman, a member of Britain’s House of Commons, who has also received fundraising requests from the Trump campaign, says “I did not sign up, these are sent unsolicited.” Another member of the U.K. parliament, Peter Bottomley, has received three such solicitations. “Neither [Trump’s] sons nor anyone else has answered my questions about how they acquired my email nor why they were asking for financial support that I suppose to be illegal for [Trump] to accept,” he says, In Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir, chair of the Left-Green Movement, a democratic socialist party, has “no idea” how she got on Trump’s fundraising list. Someone should let Trump know it’s illegal for candidates for federal office to solicit foreign money, regardless of whether the donations ever materialize. In addition, foreign individuals, corporations and governments are barred from either giving money directly to U.S. candidates or spending on advertising to influence U.S. elections. Why hasn’t Trump been held accountable? Because the Federal Election Commission, charged with enforcing the law, is gridlocked by its Republican appointees."
Mitch McConnell: Proud Moment When I Told Obama 'You Will Not Fill This Supreme Court Vacancy'
Mitch McConnell: Proud Moment When I Told Obama 'You Will Not Fill This Supreme Court Vacancy'
"He called this "one of the proudest moments" of his political career, a moment of complete intransigence and thumbing his nose at America's democratic traditions by denying a sitting U.S. President's nominee to the Supreme Court even a hearing."
"He called this "one of the proudest moments" of his political career, a moment of complete intransigence and thumbing his nose at America's democratic traditions by denying a sitting U.S. President's nominee to the Supreme Court even a hearing."
Trump Offers Huge Favors to Billionaires, and Calls It a Big Economic Speech @alternet
Trump Offers Huge Favors to Billionaires, and Calls It a Big Economic Speech @alternet:
"The lies were almost too many to count: Point to a sentence, find a lie."
"The lies were almost too many to count: Point to a sentence, find a lie."
American Greed: Trump’s Economic Team Is A Who’s Who Of What’s Wrong
American Greed: Trump’s Economic Team Is A Who’s Who Of What’s Wrong
"These are the architects of the economy Trump would create: a fracker for Energy Secretary, harmful speculators in key advisory roles, and an economy controlled by people who foreclose on widows and profit from gun violence."
"These are the architects of the economy Trump would create: a fracker for Energy Secretary, harmful speculators in key advisory roles, and an economy controlled by people who foreclose on widows and profit from gun violence."
‘He weakens US moral authority’: 50 GOP security experts rip Trump in joint statement
‘He weakens US moral authority’: 50 GOP security experts rip Trump in joint statement
"Fifty prominent Republican national security officials, including a former CIA director, on Monday called party nominee Donald Trump unqualified to lead the country and said he would be “the most reckless president in American history"."
"Fifty prominent Republican national security officials, including a former CIA director, on Monday called party nominee Donald Trump unqualified to lead the country and said he would be “the most reckless president in American history"."
The epitome of Republican ideology
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/7/1556318/-The-epitome-of-Republican-ideology
"Trump is the walking, talking manifestation of the right-wing ideology that has taken control of the Republican Party."
"Trump is the walking, talking manifestation of the right-wing ideology that has taken control of the Republican Party."
Former Klansman David Duke expects Donald Trump supporters to turn out for him, too
Former Klansman David Duke expects Donald Trump supporters to turn out for him, too
"David Duke, former Klansman and U.S. Senate hopeful, has repeated his support for Trump and said that “of course” people voting for Trump will also vote for him in an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep. “As a United States senator, nobody will be more supportive of his legislative agenda, his Supreme Court agenda, than I will,” Duke said."
"David Duke, former Klansman and U.S. Senate hopeful, has repeated his support for Trump and said that “of course” people voting for Trump will also vote for him in an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep. “As a United States senator, nobody will be more supportive of his legislative agenda, his Supreme Court agenda, than I will,” Duke said."
U.S. Nazi Party Leader: Trump’s Campaign Is A ‘Real Opportunity’ For White Nationalist (AUDIO)
http://addictinginfo.org/2016/08/07/u-s-nazi-party-leader-trumps-campaign-is-a-real-opportunity-for-white-nationalist-audio/
"Trump has received support from the worst-of-the-worst within the white nationalist and white supremacist movements."
"Trump has received support from the worst-of-the-worst within the white nationalist and white supremacist movements."
Sanders warns against being inactive: 'the most immediate task we face is to defeat Donald Trump'
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/5/1557123/-Sanders-warns-against-being-inactive-the-most-immediate-task-we-face-is-to-defeat-Donald-Trump
"The struggle will continue, he says, both during this election and after it. But in the near term, Clinton's vision for America on climate change, higher education, racial justice, criminal justice, income inequality, universal health care, and the Supreme Court is worth fighting for."
"The struggle will continue, he says, both during this election and after it. But in the near term, Clinton's vision for America on climate change, higher education, racial justice, criminal justice, income inequality, universal health care, and the Supreme Court is worth fighting for."
Jeb Bush's National Security Adviser Unleashes Tweetstorm in Response to Trump's Nuclear Weapon Stance @alternet
Jeb Bush's National Security Adviser Unleashes Tweetstorm in Response to Trump's Nuclear Weapon Stance @alternet: '
"John Noonan is a conservative security commentator and the former national security adviser for both Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney."
"John Noonan is a conservative security commentator and the former national security adviser for both Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney."
Trump’s New Agriculture Adviser Has Some Very Backwards Ideas
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-new-agriculture-adviser-has-some-very-backwards-ideas-1892085378af#.hmliv1ray
"Miller has engaged in some eyebrowing-raising conduct during his tenures as commissioner and as a former state representative. He defended suggesting that the United States nuke the Muslim world and compared refugees to snakes. Asked at a conservative policy forum about what keeps him up at night, Miller responded that he was concerned that the country would turn into a “Muslim country.” He has been accused of using state funds to take a trip to Oklahoma to get a “Jesus shot,” a medical cure-all for his chronic pain (he later reimbursed the funds to the state). And Miller also allegedly used state funds to compete in a rodeo. Other odd behaviors included granting “amnesty” to cupcakes and lifting a ban on deep fryers and soda machines in Texas public schools."
"Miller has engaged in some eyebrowing-raising conduct during his tenures as commissioner and as a former state representative. He defended suggesting that the United States nuke the Muslim world and compared refugees to snakes. Asked at a conservative policy forum about what keeps him up at night, Miller responded that he was concerned that the country would turn into a “Muslim country.” He has been accused of using state funds to take a trip to Oklahoma to get a “Jesus shot,” a medical cure-all for his chronic pain (he later reimbursed the funds to the state). And Miller also allegedly used state funds to compete in a rodeo. Other odd behaviors included granting “amnesty” to cupcakes and lifting a ban on deep fryers and soda machines in Texas public schools."
Eric Bolling Berates A GOP Congressman Refusing To Support Donald Trump
Eric Bolling Berates A GOP Congressman Refusing To Support Donald Trump
"Then Bolling began berating Dent: “If Hillary Clinton gets elected because people like you don’t vote for Donald Trump, you’re gonna have a liberal Supreme Court and if Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires, that will be replaced by yet another liberal. You’ll have a liberal Supreme Court going down, maybe our children, our grandchildren’s lifetimes"."
"Then Bolling began berating Dent: “If Hillary Clinton gets elected because people like you don’t vote for Donald Trump, you’re gonna have a liberal Supreme Court and if Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires, that will be replaced by yet another liberal. You’ll have a liberal Supreme Court going down, maybe our children, our grandchildren’s lifetimes"."
Donald Trump’s Hispanic Outreach Effort Humiliatingly Goes Down In Flames
http://addictinginfo.org/2016/08/04/donald-trumps-hispanic-outreach-effort-humiliatingly-goes-down-in-flames/
"Trump’s poll numbers among Hispanics have since gone from bad to downright atrocious even as he scrambles to do ridiculous outreach efforts like eating a taco bowl or having white Trump supporters hold up signs saying Latinos support Trump to somehow draw Hispanic support to his campaign. And it looks like any substantial effort has just gone down the toilet as well."
"Trump’s poll numbers among Hispanics have since gone from bad to downright atrocious even as he scrambles to do ridiculous outreach efforts like eating a taco bowl or having white Trump supporters hold up signs saying Latinos support Trump to somehow draw Hispanic support to his campaign. And it looks like any substantial effort has just gone down the toilet as well."
John Birch Society Continues Comeback With Values Voter Summit Sponsorship
John Birch Society Continues Comeback With Values Voter Summit Sponsorship:
"JBS has long been at least nominally exiled from the conservative mainstream thanks to its history of paranoia and racism, but has recently begun to get a toehold in some conservative establishment events. The group was allowed to sponsor a table at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2010 but was booted from the event in 2012 amidst criticism. As the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote in 2013, “Once considered by the right and the left as the political equivalent of an addled uncle sent down to the basement rec room to drink, rant and hopefully pass out before saying anything too nutty in front of the guests, in recent years the John Birch Society has been invited back upstairs and has even hosted a dinner party or two.” JBS is probably best known for its decades-long obsession with fighting the communist infiltration of America, at one point even accusing President Dwight Eisenhower of being a communist agent."
"JBS has long been at least nominally exiled from the conservative mainstream thanks to its history of paranoia and racism, but has recently begun to get a toehold in some conservative establishment events. The group was allowed to sponsor a table at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2010 but was booted from the event in 2012 amidst criticism. As the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote in 2013, “Once considered by the right and the left as the political equivalent of an addled uncle sent down to the basement rec room to drink, rant and hopefully pass out before saying anything too nutty in front of the guests, in recent years the John Birch Society has been invited back upstairs and has even hosted a dinner party or two.” JBS is probably best known for its decades-long obsession with fighting the communist infiltration of America, at one point even accusing President Dwight Eisenhower of being a communist agent."
Saturday, August 6, 2016
The Kochs, Big Oil Are Taking Their War With The EPA To The Ballot Box
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/08/04/3803911/who-is-behind-pro-fossil-fuel-ags/
"So where did RAGA get its money? More than $2.4 million — about 13 percent — came from Koch Industries, Murray Energy, the American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, and other fossil fuel interests. Another nearly $1.4 million came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which receives a significant amount of its funds from fossil fuel companies and Koch-backed nonprofits. Attorney general elections don’t garner big headlines. Most Americans likely can’t even name their state attorney general. But these people play a major role in enforcing — or fighting — environmental laws."
"So where did RAGA get its money? More than $2.4 million — about 13 percent — came from Koch Industries, Murray Energy, the American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, and other fossil fuel interests. Another nearly $1.4 million came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which receives a significant amount of its funds from fossil fuel companies and Koch-backed nonprofits. Attorney general elections don’t garner big headlines. Most Americans likely can’t even name their state attorney general. But these people play a major role in enforcing — or fighting — environmental laws."
Scott Walker Is ‘Proud’ Of Gutting University Of Wisconsin Budgets
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2016/08/05/3805402/scott-walker-brags-university-of-wisconsin-cuts/
"The last budget the governor signed into law cut $250 million from the state’s public universities. That number, which was slightly less than the $300 million in cuts Walker sought, matches the contribution taxpayers are making for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena."
"The last budget the governor signed into law cut $250 million from the state’s public universities. That number, which was slightly less than the $300 million in cuts Walker sought, matches the contribution taxpayers are making for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena."
Trump's economic team: cigarette peddler, Nixon’s lawyer, mortgage fraudsters and a fracking lunatic
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/5/1557080/-Trump-s-economic-team-cigarette-peddler-Nixon-s-lawyer-mortgage-fraudsters-and-a-fracking-lunatic
"Donald Trump has announced his all-male, all-wealthy team of economic advisers. Ready to meet the team? Well, there are a couple of Wall Street hedge fund billionaires, at least two mortgage fraudsters, America’s discount cigarette CEO, the king of crumbling strip malls, Nixon’s former lawyer who moved to Neverland, a fracking crazy oilman who attributes rising stock prices to Trump, a second generation Goldman-Sachs investment banker, and a corporate raider who profited from both the 2008 crash and 9/11. If you were expecting to find an economist among Trump’s economic advisers … have you been paying attention? This is Trump."
"Donald Trump has announced his all-male, all-wealthy team of economic advisers. Ready to meet the team? Well, there are a couple of Wall Street hedge fund billionaires, at least two mortgage fraudsters, America’s discount cigarette CEO, the king of crumbling strip malls, Nixon’s former lawyer who moved to Neverland, a fracking crazy oilman who attributes rising stock prices to Trump, a second generation Goldman-Sachs investment banker, and a corporate raider who profited from both the 2008 crash and 9/11. If you were expecting to find an economist among Trump’s economic advisers … have you been paying attention? This is Trump."
Jeb Bush's National Security Adviser Unleashes Tweetstorm in Response to Trump's Nuclear Weapon Stance @alternet
Jeb Bush's National Security Adviser Unleashes Tweetstorm in Response to Trump's Nuclear Weapon Stance @alternet:
"Noonan did not mince words in an effort to convey his reasons for believing Trump is a threat to world peace."
"Noonan did not mince words in an effort to convey his reasons for believing Trump is a threat to world peace."
Mike Pence Loves ALEC and Keeps Pushing Public School Privatization, Despite Lousy Indiana Record With Charters and Vouchers @alternet
Mike Pence Loves ALEC and Keeps Pushing Public School Privatization, Despite Lousy Indiana Record With Charters and Vouchers @alternet:
"Mike Pence is a hardcore right-winger playing the long game, especially when it comes to privatizing public schools. It’s not just that the Republican vice-presidential nominee and Indiana governor last weekend told a roomful of deregulation-obsessed executives and lobbyists in Indianapolis, “You are the model for Washington, D.C., after this election. You really are.” The nation is “at a fork in the road,” Pence said at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting, referring not only to who would be president for the next four years but who would control the Supreme Court for the “next 40 years.” The choice is “whether we will have justices appointed to the Supreme Court, as my partner in this endeavor is committed to doing, that reflect the brilliance and the greatness and the principles of the late justice Antonin Scalia,” he said. “So I would say to all of you, for the sake of the rule of law, for the sake of the sanctity of life, for the sake of our Second Amendment and all of our God-given liberties, we must ensure that the next president making appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States of America is President Donald Trump.” Pence was no stranger to the stage of ALEC, a corporate-funded behemoth that drafts bills and finds right-wing lawmakers to carry them. He’s been an ALEC fixture for years, touting deregulation, privatization and extreme social conservatism"
"Mike Pence is a hardcore right-winger playing the long game, especially when it comes to privatizing public schools. It’s not just that the Republican vice-presidential nominee and Indiana governor last weekend told a roomful of deregulation-obsessed executives and lobbyists in Indianapolis, “You are the model for Washington, D.C., after this election. You really are.” The nation is “at a fork in the road,” Pence said at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting, referring not only to who would be president for the next four years but who would control the Supreme Court for the “next 40 years.” The choice is “whether we will have justices appointed to the Supreme Court, as my partner in this endeavor is committed to doing, that reflect the brilliance and the greatness and the principles of the late justice Antonin Scalia,” he said. “So I would say to all of you, for the sake of the rule of law, for the sake of the sanctity of life, for the sake of our Second Amendment and all of our God-given liberties, we must ensure that the next president making appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States of America is President Donald Trump.” Pence was no stranger to the stage of ALEC, a corporate-funded behemoth that drafts bills and finds right-wing lawmakers to carry them. He’s been an ALEC fixture for years, touting deregulation, privatization and extreme social conservatism"
President Obama's Powerful Essay on Women’s Rights: 'This Is What a Feminist Looks Like' @alternet
President Obama's Powerful Essay on Women’s Rights: 'This Is What a Feminist Looks Like' @alternet:
"On his 55th birthday, Obama writes about gender equality, cementing his status as the first sitting president to call himself a feminist."
"On his 55th birthday, Obama writes about gender equality, cementing his status as the first sitting president to call himself a feminist."
The Koch Brothers Are Behind a Plot to Open Up the Grand Canyon Watershed to Toxic Uranium Mining @alternet
The Koch Brothers Are Behind a Plot to Open Up the Grand Canyon Watershed to Toxic Uranium Mining @alternet:
"Unsurprisingly, the issue at hand involves revenue, big power brokers, ramifications of Citizens United, and a familiar actor in the anti-environmental space—the Koch brothers."
"Unsurprisingly, the issue at hand involves revenue, big power brokers, ramifications of Citizens United, and a familiar actor in the anti-environmental space—the Koch brothers."
25 Progressive Reforms Hillary Clinton Promised to Work Toward If Elected President @alternet
25 Progressive Reforms Hillary Clinton Promised to Work Toward If Elected President @alternet: "Clinton has defined the most progressive agenda since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society or Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Of course, the economy is far better now than in 2008, so a more ambitious government agenda is possible."
Thursday, August 4, 2016
9 Terrifying Things Donald Trump Has Publicly Said About Nuclear Weapons
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/08/04/3804985/7-terrifying-things-donald-trump-publicly-said-nuclear-weapons/
"Trump said he might use nuclear weapons and questioned why we would make them if we wouldn’t use them"
"Trump said he might use nuclear weapons and questioned why we would make them if we wouldn’t use them"
Weekly Standard Writer Slams Trump Over Report That He Might Consider Nuclear First Strike
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/03/weekly-standard-writer-slams-trump-over-report-he-might-consider-nuclear-first-strike/212159
"Noonan’s nuclear expertise stems from his U.S. Air Force service, including work as a missile-launch officer at a nuclear silo in Wyoming. Noonan wondered if Trump understands “how F’ing dangerous” his foreign policy stances are, hit the nominee for “undoing 6 decades of proven deterrence theory,” and lamented the position of officers down the chain of command who are “[w]ondering if they’ll soon answer to a madman"."
"Noonan’s nuclear expertise stems from his U.S. Air Force service, including work as a missile-launch officer at a nuclear silo in Wyoming. Noonan wondered if Trump understands “how F’ing dangerous” his foreign policy stances are, hit the nominee for “undoing 6 decades of proven deterrence theory,” and lamented the position of officers down the chain of command who are “[w]ondering if they’ll soon answer to a madman"."
Trump Asked Three Times in an Hour Security Briefing Why We Can't Just Use Nuclear Weapons @alternet
Trump Asked Three Times in an Hour Security Briefing Why We Can't Just Use Nuclear Weapons @alternet:
"While General Hayden was explaining to the Morning Joe crew why he wouldn't vote for Trump, Joe dropped a bombshell about Trump and nuclear weapons."
"While General Hayden was explaining to the Morning Joe crew why he wouldn't vote for Trump, Joe dropped a bombshell about Trump and nuclear weapons."
Trump and Putin: A Love Story
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/trump-and-putin-a-love-story
"Vladimir Putin is a cunning and cynical reader of his adversaries. He notices that Trump does not know the difference between the Quds Force and the Kurds, or what the “nuclear triad” is; that his analysis of Brexit was based in part on what might be good for his golf courses in Britain; that his knowledge of world affairs is roughly that of someone who subscribes to a daily newspaper but doesn’t always have time to get to it. Overwhelmed with his own problems at home, Putin sees the ready benefit in having the United States led by an unlettered narcissist who believes that geostrategic questions are as easy to resolve as a real-estate closing. Putin knows a chump when he sees one."
"Vladimir Putin is a cunning and cynical reader of his adversaries. He notices that Trump does not know the difference between the Quds Force and the Kurds, or what the “nuclear triad” is; that his analysis of Brexit was based in part on what might be good for his golf courses in Britain; that his knowledge of world affairs is roughly that of someone who subscribes to a daily newspaper but doesn’t always have time to get to it. Overwhelmed with his own problems at home, Putin sees the ready benefit in having the United States led by an unlettered narcissist who believes that geostrategic questions are as easy to resolve as a real-estate closing. Putin knows a chump when he sees one."
A neuroscientist explains what may be wrong with Trump supporters’ brains
A neuroscientist explains what may be wrong with Trump supporters’ brains
"Hypersensitivity to Threat Science has unequivocally shown that the conservative brain has an exaggerated fear response when faced with stimuli that may be perceived as threatening. A classic study in the journal Psychophysiology found that conservatives have a stronger physiological reaction to startling noises and graphic images compared to liberals. A brain-imaging study published in Current Biology revealed that those who lean right politically tend to have a larger amygdala — a structure that is electrically active during states of fear and anxiety. And a 2014 fMRI study found that it is possible to predict whether someone is a liberal or conservative simply by looking at their brain activity while they view threatening or disgusting images, such as mutilated bodies. Specifically, the brains of self-identified conservatives generated more activity overall in response to the disturbing images. So how does this help explain the unbridled loyalty of Trump supporters? These brain responses are automatic, and not influenced by logic or reason. As long as Trump continues his fear mongering by constantly portraying Muslims and Mexican immigrants as imminent dangers, many conservative brains will involuntarily light up like light bulbs being controlled by a switch. Fear keeps his followers energized and focused on safety. And when you think you’ve found your protector, you become less concerned with remarks that would normally be seen as highly offensive."
"Hypersensitivity to Threat Science has unequivocally shown that the conservative brain has an exaggerated fear response when faced with stimuli that may be perceived as threatening. A classic study in the journal Psychophysiology found that conservatives have a stronger physiological reaction to startling noises and graphic images compared to liberals. A brain-imaging study published in Current Biology revealed that those who lean right politically tend to have a larger amygdala — a structure that is electrically active during states of fear and anxiety. And a 2014 fMRI study found that it is possible to predict whether someone is a liberal or conservative simply by looking at their brain activity while they view threatening or disgusting images, such as mutilated bodies. Specifically, the brains of self-identified conservatives generated more activity overall in response to the disturbing images. So how does this help explain the unbridled loyalty of Trump supporters? These brain responses are automatic, and not influenced by logic or reason. As long as Trump continues his fear mongering by constantly portraying Muslims and Mexican immigrants as imminent dangers, many conservative brains will involuntarily light up like light bulbs being controlled by a switch. Fear keeps his followers energized and focused on safety. And when you think you’ve found your protector, you become less concerned with remarks that would normally be seen as highly offensive."
The NY Times Made A Video Of Real Voices From Trump Supporters--Uncensored. It Will Make You Sick.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/3/1556508/-Real-Voices-From-Trump-Supporters-Uncensored
"It’s hard to remember that these are actually Americans, supposedly raised with American values."
"It’s hard to remember that these are actually Americans, supposedly raised with American values."
Donald Trump may be acting crazy, but it's keeping the news away from the one story he wants to bury
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/3/1555927/-Donald-Trump-may-be-acting-crazy-but-it-s-keeping-the-news-away-from-the-one-story-he-wants-to-bury
"If there was any evidence Donald Trump was capable of thinking beyond the next moment, it would be easy to suspect that 90% of what’s bubbled from his lips over the last three days is a diversion. Attacking the Khans. Hints that he won’t accept the results of the election. Complaints that the polls are fishy. Saying that women should run away from sexual harassment. Even kicking a baby out of a rally. All of it. Because as bad as all this is, if it serves to fend off media attention from the thing Trump’s campaign has suddenly gone quiet about, it could be worth it. Because the thing they’re not talking about is Russia. While Donald Trump may now claim that his request for Russia to interfere in the election was just an example of sarcasm, it certainly didn't seem that way to those listening on that day. And even if you wave that away—including the calls for a Senate hearing on the topic—other aspects of this story simply can't be passed off as a joke. In particular this is one place where both Donald Trump and campaign manager Paul Manafort are deliberately, publicly, and obviously lying.. And that should be setting off major alarms. Donald Trump campaign Chair Paul Manafort denied Sunday a two-week-old report that the campaign pushed for changes in the Republican platform that softened the party's stance on helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. … When asked once more if anyone on the campaign was involved, Manafort said, "No one, zero.” The problem with Manafort’s claim is that there are hundreds of witnesses to the contrary. Inside the meeting, Diana Denman, a platform committee member from Texas who was a Ted Cruz supporter, proposed a platform amendment that would call for maintaining or increasing sanctions against Russia, increasing aid for Ukraine and “providing lethal defensive weapons” to the Ukrainian military. … Trump staffers in the room, who are not delegates but are there to oversee the process, intervened."
"If there was any evidence Donald Trump was capable of thinking beyond the next moment, it would be easy to suspect that 90% of what’s bubbled from his lips over the last three days is a diversion. Attacking the Khans. Hints that he won’t accept the results of the election. Complaints that the polls are fishy. Saying that women should run away from sexual harassment. Even kicking a baby out of a rally. All of it. Because as bad as all this is, if it serves to fend off media attention from the thing Trump’s campaign has suddenly gone quiet about, it could be worth it. Because the thing they’re not talking about is Russia. While Donald Trump may now claim that his request for Russia to interfere in the election was just an example of sarcasm, it certainly didn't seem that way to those listening on that day. And even if you wave that away—including the calls for a Senate hearing on the topic—other aspects of this story simply can't be passed off as a joke. In particular this is one place where both Donald Trump and campaign manager Paul Manafort are deliberately, publicly, and obviously lying.. And that should be setting off major alarms. Donald Trump campaign Chair Paul Manafort denied Sunday a two-week-old report that the campaign pushed for changes in the Republican platform that softened the party's stance on helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. … When asked once more if anyone on the campaign was involved, Manafort said, "No one, zero.” The problem with Manafort’s claim is that there are hundreds of witnesses to the contrary. Inside the meeting, Diana Denman, a platform committee member from Texas who was a Ted Cruz supporter, proposed a platform amendment that would call for maintaining or increasing sanctions against Russia, increasing aid for Ukraine and “providing lethal defensive weapons” to the Ukrainian military. … Trump staffers in the room, who are not delegates but are there to oversee the process, intervened."
This ‘Morning Joe’ Discussion About Trump And Nuclear Weapons Is Terrifying
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/08/03/3804589/scarborough-donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-msnbc/
"Asked which people in the national security community are advising Trump, Hayden said, “No one.” And in response to a question about what steps might stand in the way of Trump using nukes if he’s elected president, Hayden said, “The system is designed for speed and decisiveness. It’s not designed to debate the decision.” Despite characterizing nukes as “the single biggest problem we face,” Trump has had a hard time articulating a coherent nuclear weapons strategy. He’s suggested he’s not a fan of the nonproliferation strategy the United States has successfully pursued for the last three decades. Asked about the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Europe, Trump said he’s “not going to take it off the table"."
"Asked which people in the national security community are advising Trump, Hayden said, “No one.” And in response to a question about what steps might stand in the way of Trump using nukes if he’s elected president, Hayden said, “The system is designed for speed and decisiveness. It’s not designed to debate the decision.” Despite characterizing nukes as “the single biggest problem we face,” Trump has had a hard time articulating a coherent nuclear weapons strategy. He’s suggested he’s not a fan of the nonproliferation strategy the United States has successfully pursued for the last three decades. Asked about the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Europe, Trump said he’s “not going to take it off the table"."
The internet crushes blame-gaming #KatrinaPiersonHistory: ‘Obama’s foreign policy caused 9/11’
The internet crushes blame-gaming #KatrinaPiersonHistory: ‘Obama’s foreign policy caused 9/11’
"she ended up blaming President Obama for Capt. Khan’s death, which happened in 2004, before Obama was president."
"she ended up blaming President Obama for Capt. Khan’s death, which happened in 2004, before Obama was president."
The InfoWars Candidate: How Donald Trump Is Broadcasting Conservative Misinformation
The InfoWars Candidate: How Donald Trump Is Broadcasting Conservative Misinformation:
"And he’s proud of it. Trump has appeared alongside Alex Jones, hailing the unhinged radio conspiracy theorist’s “amazing” reputation. He rejoiced at the news that WorldNetDaily — the site whose “reporting” he has cited to in his birther accusations against President Obama — named him its 2015 Man of the Year. Trump has also made clear that he believes everything he reads in the National Enquirer because if what the grocery store tabloid publishes isn’t true, they can get sued. He often boasts, while making one or another outrageous claim, that he has the best sources."
"And he’s proud of it. Trump has appeared alongside Alex Jones, hailing the unhinged radio conspiracy theorist’s “amazing” reputation. He rejoiced at the news that WorldNetDaily — the site whose “reporting” he has cited to in his birther accusations against President Obama — named him its 2015 Man of the Year. Trump has also made clear that he believes everything he reads in the National Enquirer because if what the grocery store tabloid publishes isn’t true, they can get sued. He often boasts, while making one or another outrageous claim, that he has the best sources."
10 Ways Donald Trump Proves Liberals Have Been Right About the Ignorance of Republicans
10 Ways Donald Trump Proves Liberals Have Been Right About the Ignorance of Republicans
"5. The party is driven by hate, fear, paranoia and conspiracy theories: Donald Trump is essentially the living embodiment of what the comment section of a right-wing blog would look like if it could run for president. Trump has become incredibly successful by pandering to some of the lowest-rungs of our society for support."
"5. The party is driven by hate, fear, paranoia and conspiracy theories: Donald Trump is essentially the living embodiment of what the comment section of a right-wing blog would look like if it could run for president. Trump has become incredibly successful by pandering to some of the lowest-rungs of our society for support."
The Brownbacklash Is Finally Here: Kansas Primary Voters Send Conservatives Packing
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/08/03/3804852/kansas-legislature-primary-brownback/
"the primaries signal that voters share the frustration that some Kansas Republicans have begun to voice with Brownback’s unbreakable commitment to trickle-down economic policies that have left Kansas so insolvent it can’t pay for a basic public education system."
"the primaries signal that voters share the frustration that some Kansas Republicans have begun to voice with Brownback’s unbreakable commitment to trickle-down economic policies that have left Kansas so insolvent it can’t pay for a basic public education system."
It looks like Russia hired internet trolls to pose as pro-Trump Americans
http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-internet-trolls-and-donald-trump-2016-7
"It is not surprising, then, that the Kremlin would pay internet trolls to pose as Trump supporters and build him up online. In fact, that would be the easy part. From his interviews with former trolls employed by Russia, Chen gathered that the point of their jobs "was to weave propaganda seamlessly into what appeared to be the nonpolitical musings of an everyday person." "Russia's information war might be thought of as the biggest trolling operation in history," Chen wrote. "And its target is nothing less than the utility of the Internet as a democratic space." From threats about pulling out of NATO to altering the GOP's policy on Ukraine — which has long called for arming Ukrainian soldiers against pro-Russia rebels — Trump is "the gift that keeps on giving" for Putin, Russian journalist Julia Ioffe noted in a piece for Politico."
"It is not surprising, then, that the Kremlin would pay internet trolls to pose as Trump supporters and build him up online. In fact, that would be the easy part. From his interviews with former trolls employed by Russia, Chen gathered that the point of their jobs "was to weave propaganda seamlessly into what appeared to be the nonpolitical musings of an everyday person." "Russia's information war might be thought of as the biggest trolling operation in history," Chen wrote. "And its target is nothing less than the utility of the Internet as a democratic space." From threats about pulling out of NATO to altering the GOP's policy on Ukraine — which has long called for arming Ukrainian soldiers against pro-Russia rebels — Trump is "the gift that keeps on giving" for Putin, Russian journalist Julia Ioffe noted in a piece for Politico."
Another historic Donald Trump first: His convention managed to make him look worse than before!
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/2/1555744/-Another-historic-Donald-Trump-first-His-convention-managed-to-make-him-look-worse-than-before
"this is the first convention ever recorded where the net effect was negative—see the red bar descending down at the far right of the figure above. Congratulations, Mr. Trump! You’ve set a record!"
"this is the first convention ever recorded where the net effect was negative—see the red bar descending down at the far right of the figure above. Congratulations, Mr. Trump! You’ve set a record!"
George W. Bush Slams Trump, Says His Bigotry Will Be The End of The GOP
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/08/03/george-w-bush-slams-trump-says-bigotry-will-end-gop/
"At a private fundraiser in Cincinnati this week, former President George W. Bush gave a talk that subtly, but incisively, ripped into the very foundations of the Donald Trump presidential campaign. Bush is no policy hero himself, having failed to manage the mortgage crisis that created the 2008 financial crash, and he started two wars during his presidency in Afghanistan and Iraq that served to further destabilize the Middle East, cost thousands of American lives, and ballooned the federal deficit. But Bush represents saner days, when the president knew better than to use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons; he didn’t plan to abolish the Department of Education; and he avoided sexist, racist, and islamophobic attacks."
"At a private fundraiser in Cincinnati this week, former President George W. Bush gave a talk that subtly, but incisively, ripped into the very foundations of the Donald Trump presidential campaign. Bush is no policy hero himself, having failed to manage the mortgage crisis that created the 2008 financial crash, and he started two wars during his presidency in Afghanistan and Iraq that served to further destabilize the Middle East, cost thousands of American lives, and ballooned the federal deficit. But Bush represents saner days, when the president knew better than to use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons; he didn’t plan to abolish the Department of Education; and he avoided sexist, racist, and islamophobic attacks."
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