https://thinkprogress.org/mcconnell-tax-cuts-budget-deficit-debt-very-disturbing-f7d976976996/?fbclid=IwAR3zeizmi8HvHZU6idQePx__34xyq07o2aVcB7kCWSwvGYjTF2CG1i7bhxk
"The same lawmakers who exploded the federal deficit by gifting millionaires and billionaires a favorable corporate tax bill are now telling the public that the way to fix the deficit is to shred the social safety net."
News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Friday, October 26, 2018
Unraveling Trump’s Toxic Agenda
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/donald-trump-environmenal-agenda-738964/?fbclid=IwAR3lPSEn6Dx0CJcM0OTs4L7emLYBrlDcWrokhN4rSaCTvOMxWvBr2LBR7rw
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Meanwhile, Democrats are Accomplishing Something Amazing in California (with Photos!)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/11/1787157/-Meanwhile-Democrats-are-Accomplishing-Something-Amazing-in-California-with-Photos?utm_campaign=trending&fbclid=IwAR1a9wVts0QEwQm78crH7rFL0NxKdD1i92eQ9pxNqNWhgH21-LxMMEB7K_4
"California recently surpassed the United Kingdom to become the World’s fifth largest economy, if measured separately from the united states. Since the Great Recession, California has added 2 million jobs and grown its GDP by $700 billion. The state has 12% of the U.S. population, but has contributed 16% of the country's job growth over the last five years. Governor Jerry Brown inherited a budget deficit when he took office in 2011, but the state now has a $9 billion budget surplus. And all the while, Democrats dominate California politics."
"California recently surpassed the United Kingdom to become the World’s fifth largest economy, if measured separately from the united states. Since the Great Recession, California has added 2 million jobs and grown its GDP by $700 billion. The state has 12% of the U.S. population, but has contributed 16% of the country's job growth over the last five years. Governor Jerry Brown inherited a budget deficit when he took office in 2011, but the state now has a $9 billion budget surplus. And all the while, Democrats dominate California politics."
Saturday, October 6, 2018
So it’s true: Republicans really do hate women
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/05/so-its-true-republicans-really-do-hate-women/
"Republican misogyny is not an act, and the party and its followers eagerly seized this opportunity to put women in their place."
"Republican misogyny is not an act, and the party and its followers eagerly seized this opportunity to put women in their place."
Retired Justice John Paul Stevens says Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-retired-justice-john-paul-stevens-says-dont-confirm/1527194002/
"Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is quoted as saying that Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed to the high court because of Kavanaugh's potential political bias. It's rare for a retired justice to weigh in on a pending nomination."
"Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is quoted as saying that Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed to the high court because of Kavanaugh's potential political bias. It's rare for a retired justice to weigh in on a pending nomination."
Kavanaugh's idea of an 'independent counsel' is one appointed by and answerable to the president
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/4/1801498/-Kavanaugh-s-idea-of-an-independent-counsel-is-one-appointed-by-and-answerable-to-the-president
"So Kavanaugh’s idea of an “independent” counsel is one who is appointed by the president, serves at his pleasure, and has no other layers of appointed or elected officials to protect him from direct management by the president. It’s an independent counsel—without the independent. This is a position description for the president’s personal attorney."
"So Kavanaugh’s idea of an “independent” counsel is one who is appointed by the president, serves at his pleasure, and has no other layers of appointed or elected officials to protect him from direct management by the president. It’s an independent counsel—without the independent. This is a position description for the president’s personal attorney."
Susan Collins’ Bad Faith
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/susan-collins-kavanaugh-speech-senate-confirmation.html
"Collins disparaged her constituents on the Senate floor, portraying them as gullible fools."
"Collins disparaged her constituents on the Senate floor, portraying them as gullible fools."
Senator Susan Collins Will Vote 'Yes' On Kavanaugh And Lone Democrat Abandons Party
The lie of Kavanaugh (a non-assault lie), by a court officer. So, can you and I lie in court too?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/6/1802193/-The-lie-non-assault-of-Kavanaugh-a-court-officer-Can-I-lie-in-court-too-Can-you-A-justice?utm_campaign=recent
"If an officer of the court does not need to testify truthfully, then why does anyone facing the justice system of the US need to bear witness truthfully?"
"If an officer of the court does not need to testify truthfully, then why does anyone facing the justice system of the US need to bear witness truthfully?"
Sens. Susan Collins and Jeff Flake Are Frauds, Plain and Simple. Their Kavanaugh Votes Show It.
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/05/susan-collins-kavanaugh-vote-jeff-flake/
"Never again believe Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, or Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., when they claim to be critics of Donald Trump or posture as “moderate” Republicans."
"Never again believe Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, or Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., when they claim to be critics of Donald Trump or posture as “moderate” Republicans."
Brett Kavanaugh Protests Rage Until The Very End
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-protests-vote_us_5bb902ece4b01470d051cbb0
"The Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation was seen as inevitable after two key swing senators voiced support on Friday."
"The Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation was seen as inevitable after two key swing senators voiced support on Friday."
'We Will Not Be Silenced': As Protests Continue, Debbie Ramirez Champions Collective Courage of Sexual Assault Survivors Standing Against Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/06/we-will-not-be-silenced-protests-continue-debbie-ramirez-champions-collective
"With a public statement issued on Saturday just ahead of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate, Debbie Ramirez—the Yale classmate of the nominee who says he sexually assaulted her while in college—said that even though coming forward has been a painful experience she thanked those who have stood by her side and said the courage of all those survivors is proof that something historic has taken place."
"With a public statement issued on Saturday just ahead of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate, Debbie Ramirez—the Yale classmate of the nominee who says he sexually assaulted her while in college—said that even though coming forward has been a painful experience she thanked those who have stood by her side and said the courage of all those survivors is proof that something historic has taken place."
Susan Collins’s Enraging Speech Led Donors to Crash a Site Raising Money for Her Opponent
https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/site-fundraising-for-susan-collins-opponent-crashed-from-donations.html
"In a statement, Crowdpac CEO Gisel Kordestani wrote that their site received 90 times the average amount of traffic they see hourly, and that it overwhelmed their servers. The site was back up a couple of hours later. As of Friday afternoon, the campaign has received over $2 million in donations from over 700,000 people."
"In a statement, Crowdpac CEO Gisel Kordestani wrote that their site received 90 times the average amount of traffic they see hourly, and that it overwhelmed their servers. The site was back up a couple of hours later. As of Friday afternoon, the campaign has received over $2 million in donations from over 700,000 people."
Ben Sasse Is Sad. Ben Sasse Is a Hypocrite.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23596392/ben-sasse-kavanaugh-speech/
"Once again, we are presented with proof that Brett Kavanaugh is likely to be a Supreme Court justice without ever having been a lawyer who actually practiced law."
"Once again, we are presented with proof that Brett Kavanaugh is likely to be a Supreme Court justice without ever having been a lawyer who actually practiced law."
Mass Arrests as Thousands Descend on Senate Office Building Demanding Lawmakers Reject Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/04/mass-arrests-thousands-descend-senate-office-building-demanding-lawmakers-reject
"After rallying at Supreme Court earlier in the day, protesters who'd traveled from all over the country filled the building with chants of, "Whose Senate? Our Senate!" and "Believe Survivors!" as more than one hundred were arrested after staging mass civil disobedience."
"After rallying at Supreme Court earlier in the day, protesters who'd traveled from all over the country filled the building with chants of, "Whose Senate? Our Senate!" and "Believe Survivors!" as more than one hundred were arrested after staging mass civil disobedience."
All the Ways a Justice Kavanaugh Would Have to Recuse Himself
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/opinion/justice-kavanaugh-recuse-himself.html
"The Supreme Court may have to consider questions about whether a sitting president can be indicted or subpoenaed, and what effect pardoning a federal offense would have on state charges for the same conduct — an issue bound up in Gamble v. United States, a double jeopardy case already on the court’s calendar. Many have argued that Judge Kavanaugh should not be confirmed unless he commits in advance to recusing himself from such cases. He has predictably refused to do so."
"The Supreme Court may have to consider questions about whether a sitting president can be indicted or subpoenaed, and what effect pardoning a federal offense would have on state charges for the same conduct — an issue bound up in Gamble v. United States, a double jeopardy case already on the court’s calendar. Many have argued that Judge Kavanaugh should not be confirmed unless he commits in advance to recusing himself from such cases. He has predictably refused to do so."
Our View: Sen. Collins should vote ‘no’ on Kavanaugh
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/04/our-view-sen-collins-should-vote-no-on-kavanaugh/
"The Senate should reject the nomination and start over, and Collins has the ability to help make that happen."
"The Senate should reject the nomination and start over, and Collins has the ability to help make that happen."
Russia Is Exploiting American White Supremacy Over and Over Again
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-russia-exploits-american-white-supremacy-over-and-over-again?ref=home
"Russia’s troll army was not interested in stirring up generic ‘chaos’ in America. The Kremlin is strategically tapping into the inexhaustible fuel source of white grievance."
"Russia’s troll army was not interested in stirring up generic ‘chaos’ in America. The Kremlin is strategically tapping into the inexhaustible fuel source of white grievance."
Friday, October 5, 2018
The Supreme Court's Legitimacy Is on the Brink of Collapse
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23621362/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-legitimacy-collapse/
"We will get to see how utterly reckless Mitch McConnell is in perpetuating the power down through the generations, the Constitution and the republic be damned. We will get to see the steel in Heidi Heitkamp, who has gone all the way out on a very tremulous limb, and we will get to see, finally, what Joe Manchin is willing to sell cheap in order to stay in office. We will see the true depth of the loyalty the congressional majority has to the developing oligarchy, to its dedication to rolling back the achievements of 20 years of civil rights progress, and to the heedless savage who sits in the White House. This is what United States senators are supposed to do. This, to borrow a phrase from a movie that seems to be coming to life more every day, is the life they have chosen."
"We will get to see how utterly reckless Mitch McConnell is in perpetuating the power down through the generations, the Constitution and the republic be damned. We will get to see the steel in Heidi Heitkamp, who has gone all the way out on a very tremulous limb, and we will get to see, finally, what Joe Manchin is willing to sell cheap in order to stay in office. We will see the true depth of the loyalty the congressional majority has to the developing oligarchy, to its dedication to rolling back the achievements of 20 years of civil rights progress, and to the heedless savage who sits in the White House. This is what United States senators are supposed to do. This, to borrow a phrase from a movie that seems to be coming to life more every day, is the life they have chosen."
If The Rule Of Law Means Anything, Kavanaugh Must Be Impeached
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/10/if-the-rule-of-law-means-anything-kavanaugh-must-be-impeached
"If a federal judge can get away with lying to Congress, why do we even have sworn oaths?"
"If a federal judge can get away with lying to Congress, why do we even have sworn oaths?"
Above the Law and Below the Belt: High Crimes and Misdemeanors of Kavanaugh and the Senate-Trump Faction
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/05/above-law-and-below-belt-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-kavanaugh-and-senate-trump
"In our considered legal and moral opinion, Kavanaugh's continual false declarations and prevarications are grounds for impeachment in even his current position of Federal Court Judge. In our judgement, with which many will agree, Trump’s candidate Kavanaugh has incontestably demonstrated unfitness for any judicial or public office. His speech and actions under oath, to the US Senate, is enough for him to be disbarred and lose his law license."
"In our considered legal and moral opinion, Kavanaugh's continual false declarations and prevarications are grounds for impeachment in even his current position of Federal Court Judge. In our judgement, with which many will agree, Trump’s candidate Kavanaugh has incontestably demonstrated unfitness for any judicial or public office. His speech and actions under oath, to the US Senate, is enough for him to be disbarred and lose his law license."
Early voting has begun! Here's when it starts (and ends) in every state
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/2/1800834/-Early-voting-has-begun-Here-s-when-it-starts-and-ends-in-every-state
"Note that in some states, “early voting” may be referred to by another name (most commonly “in-person absentee voting”), and procedures for casting ballots early can vary, so please check with local election officials."
"Note that in some states, “early voting” may be referred to by another name (most commonly “in-person absentee voting”), and procedures for casting ballots early can vary, so please check with local election officials."
State Ballot Initiatives Challenge Gerrymandering and Voter Suppression
https://truthout.org/articles/state-ballot-initiatives-challenge-gerrymandering-and-voter-suppression/
"Across the country, voters are considering more than two dozen ballot initiatives aimed at expanding ballot access and voting rights, as well rooting out political corruption, according to civil rights advocates and nonpartisan good government groups who held a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. Call it “draining the swamp” if you like, but these efforts are driven by activists and everyday citizens who pounded the pavement collecting signatures, not by loudmouth politicians in Washington, DC."
"Across the country, voters are considering more than two dozen ballot initiatives aimed at expanding ballot access and voting rights, as well rooting out political corruption, according to civil rights advocates and nonpartisan good government groups who held a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. Call it “draining the swamp” if you like, but these efforts are driven by activists and everyday citizens who pounded the pavement collecting signatures, not by loudmouth politicians in Washington, DC."
Lies don’t get more brazen than the one Rohrabacher is telling his constituents about health care
https://thinkprogress.org/dana-rohrabacher-lying-about-preexisting-conditions-6497fb40ceb3/
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
Daddy’s boy: New York Times investigation exposes the breadth of Trump’s lies and corruption
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/03/daddys-boy-new-york-times-investigation-exposes-the-breadth-of-trumps-lies-and-corruption/
"Part of the Donald Trump myth has always been the idea that he was much more successful than his father. That too is BS. Fred Trump was massively rich, and his wealth is what supported Trump throughout his career. The Times procured hundreds of thousands of confidential documents, including 200 tax returns from Fred Trump's business that show many years of shady business practices designed to hide all these transactions -- which add up to Donald Trump receiving at least $413 million in today's dollars. Trump has always said he got "peanuts” from his father. That's a lot of peanuts. And they started rolling in when he was a tiny boy. The Times found that even as a toddler, he was earning the equivalent of $200,000 a year in contemporary dollars. He and was a millionaire by the time he was eight years old. Year after year he received more money from his father's various trusts, until he was getting $5 million a year all the way into his 50s. It's always been unclear how Trump could maintain his luxurious lifestyle even when his businesses were all cratering in the '80s and '90s. Now we know. Fred Trump took very good care of his boy even after he found out that Donnie was fiddling with the will without telling anyone and had his daughter Maryanne (now a federal judge) find someone to draw up papers stripping his son of sole control over Fred’s estate."
"Part of the Donald Trump myth has always been the idea that he was much more successful than his father. That too is BS. Fred Trump was massively rich, and his wealth is what supported Trump throughout his career. The Times procured hundreds of thousands of confidential documents, including 200 tax returns from Fred Trump's business that show many years of shady business practices designed to hide all these transactions -- which add up to Donald Trump receiving at least $413 million in today's dollars. Trump has always said he got "peanuts” from his father. That's a lot of peanuts. And they started rolling in when he was a tiny boy. The Times found that even as a toddler, he was earning the equivalent of $200,000 a year in contemporary dollars. He and was a millionaire by the time he was eight years old. Year after year he received more money from his father's various trusts, until he was getting $5 million a year all the way into his 50s. It's always been unclear how Trump could maintain his luxurious lifestyle even when his businesses were all cratering in the '80s and '90s. Now we know. Fred Trump took very good care of his boy even after he found out that Donnie was fiddling with the will without telling anyone and had his daughter Maryanne (now a federal judge) find someone to draw up papers stripping his son of sole control over Fred’s estate."
A financial history of Donald Trump: From daddy's little boy, to Putin's best partner
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/5/1801568/-A-financial-history-of-Donald-Trump-From-daddy-s-little-boy-to-Putin-s-best-partner?utm_campaign=recent
"By 2004, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts was forced to file bankruptcy. And this time, it really was Donald Trump’s money and Donald Trump’s assets on the line. Trump couldn’t get a loan. He couldn’t get a casino license. His days as a would-be casino mogul were over. Just as Donald Trump was being selected to be a pretend billionaire on The Apprentice, his real life failures were catching up with him. This was also the period of Trump trying to make money off of just being Trump. Trump water, Trump steaks, and Trump magazine were just a few of the ‘T’ brands that appeared, and swiftly disappeared, in the mid-aughts. The threat that Trump would ever be ousted from the eponymous tower built under his father’s reign was always remote. At his low point, Trump still controlled a plethora of properties that did produce an income in the millions and he really was able to sell his name, though never for the kind of numbers he’s asserted. But Trump’s net worth was a fraction of what he claimed, and his ability to make a deal for more than a used car was far more constrained than his eight-figure income would suggest. Fortunately for Trump, he did have a way out of his doldrums. It went back to Atlantic City. Not to his investors, but the friends he made laundering money for Russian mobsters."
"By 2004, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts was forced to file bankruptcy. And this time, it really was Donald Trump’s money and Donald Trump’s assets on the line. Trump couldn’t get a loan. He couldn’t get a casino license. His days as a would-be casino mogul were over. Just as Donald Trump was being selected to be a pretend billionaire on The Apprentice, his real life failures were catching up with him. This was also the period of Trump trying to make money off of just being Trump. Trump water, Trump steaks, and Trump magazine were just a few of the ‘T’ brands that appeared, and swiftly disappeared, in the mid-aughts. The threat that Trump would ever be ousted from the eponymous tower built under his father’s reign was always remote. At his low point, Trump still controlled a plethora of properties that did produce an income in the millions and he really was able to sell his name, though never for the kind of numbers he’s asserted. But Trump’s net worth was a fraction of what he claimed, and his ability to make a deal for more than a used car was far more constrained than his eight-figure income would suggest. Fortunately for Trump, he did have a way out of his doldrums. It went back to Atlantic City. Not to his investors, but the friends he made laundering money for Russian mobsters."
Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation may be how every Trump associate permanently avoids prosecution
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/brett-kavanaugh-s-confirmation-may-be-how-every-trump-associate-ncna916681
"If confirmed by the Senate to a Supreme Court seat, Judge Brett Kavanaugh immediately could be a crucial vote to decide whether the constitution bars any state’s efforts to prosecute Trump campaign officials and aides for state crimes if President Trump has already pardoned them for federal crimes."
"If confirmed by the Senate to a Supreme Court seat, Judge Brett Kavanaugh immediately could be a crucial vote to decide whether the constitution bars any state’s efforts to prosecute Trump campaign officials and aides for state crimes if President Trump has already pardoned them for federal crimes."
Trump and McConnell Take Gaslighting to New Level in Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight
Trump and McConnell Take Gaslighting to New Level in Kavanaugh Confirmation Fight:
"The use of an anti-Semitic trope to condemn protesters for exercising their First Amendment rights signals a turning point in the authoritarian trajectory of our politics."
"The use of an anti-Semitic trope to condemn protesters for exercising their First Amendment rights signals a turning point in the authoritarian trajectory of our politics."
Editorial: Kavanaugh lied under oath. This alone is disqualifying.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-kavanaugh-lied-under-oath-this-alone-is-disqualifying/article_4aa8be43-695c-5d9e-8844-94d045dcb77e.html
"Even under oath, Judge Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t meet the same level of truthfulness that he certainly would demand of anyone appearing in his court."
"Even under oath, Judge Brett Kavanaugh doesn’t meet the same level of truthfulness that he certainly would demand of anyone appearing in his court."
USA TODAY editorial board: Vote no on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/05/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-we-urge-senators-vote-no-editorials-debates/1527514002/
"Based on Kavanaugh’s failure to live up to his own description of judicial attributes, he disqualified himself."
"Based on Kavanaugh’s failure to live up to his own description of judicial attributes, he disqualified himself."
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Former Koch staffer appointed to key EPA position
https://thinkprogress.org/koch-epa-industry-david-dunlap-chemical-water-1f08cfa2fb01/
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
Tax Dodger Donald Trump Is Looking Out for His Own Kind
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23580840/donald-trump-republicans-slash-irs-funding-enforcement/
"In typical Trumpian fashion, it was not enough to scam the government. His father engineered a trickle-down scam, where this family—whose scion now bills himself as a Fighter For The Forgotten Man as a politician—used the mechanisms of tax avoidance to also squeeze the little guy with artificial rent hikes."
"In typical Trumpian fashion, it was not enough to scam the government. His father engineered a trickle-down scam, where this family—whose scion now bills himself as a Fighter For The Forgotten Man as a politician—used the mechanisms of tax avoidance to also squeeze the little guy with artificial rent hikes."
Trump pick to run Social Security allegedly impersonated police officer to avoid trespassing charge
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-pick-social-security-allegedly-impersonated-police-officer-666aa57d9212/
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
Corporate Front Groups Lobby to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh. On the Supreme Court, He Could Give Them Vastly Expanded Power.
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-confirmation-corporate-regulations/
"The interests backing Kavanaugh are hoping that his confirmation will tilt the court and undercut potentially dozens of government policies on clean elections, environmental regulations, bank regulations, and predatory lending, in addition to weakening organized labor."
"The interests backing Kavanaugh are hoping that his confirmation will tilt the court and undercut potentially dozens of government policies on clean elections, environmental regulations, bank regulations, and predatory lending, in addition to weakening organized labor."
Voter Suppression Is Deeply Embedded in the Republican Party. Brett Kavanaugh Helped Put It There.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23585673/voter-suppression-republican-brett-kavanaugh-don-mcgahn/
"The entire Republican project ever since the Florida burglary of 2000—in which Kavanaugh was an accessory after the fact—has been to find a way to hang onto power while the party itself is shrinking down to an old, white, Southern base. Every institution of government that the Republicans have controlled for nearly 20 years has been tasked with this, and now they pretty much control all of them, at least until the first week of November. Brett Kavanaugh has been at the center of those efforts. So has Don McGahn. This is the part of the tale that is not about the president* at all."
"The entire Republican project ever since the Florida burglary of 2000—in which Kavanaugh was an accessory after the fact—has been to find a way to hang onto power while the party itself is shrinking down to an old, white, Southern base. Every institution of government that the Republicans have controlled for nearly 20 years has been tasked with this, and now they pretty much control all of them, at least until the first week of November. Brett Kavanaugh has been at the center of those efforts. So has Don McGahn. This is the part of the tale that is not about the president* at all."
Brett Kavanaugh Lied Brazenly and Repeatedly Under Oath. Any Law Student Knows He Cannot Sit on the Supreme Court
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-lied-brazenly-and-repeatedly-under-oath-any-law-student-knows-he
"It feels self-evident, but a judge who cannot obey the law cannot be expected to apply it."
"It feels self-evident, but a judge who cannot obey the law cannot be expected to apply it."
Republicans Defend and Cover Up Trump’s Tax Fraud
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/10/republicans-defend-and-cover-up-trumps-tax-fraud.html
"Rubio and Brady helpfully clarify the issue in the midterm elections. Republican control means Trump’s rampant corruption will have a willing partner in Congress."
"Rubio and Brady helpfully clarify the issue in the midterm elections. Republican control means Trump’s rampant corruption will have a willing partner in Congress."
Why the FBI’s Kavanaugh Investigation Is So Troubling
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fbi-kavanaugh-investigation-findings-733118/
"The feds did not interview key witnesses — including former classmates who claim they can corroborate sexual misconduct allegations and lies under oath"
"The feds did not interview key witnesses — including former classmates who claim they can corroborate sexual misconduct allegations and lies under oath"
The entire mainstream legal profession tells the Senate: Don't put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/4/1801516/-The-legal-profession-to-the-Senate-Don-t-put-Kavanaugh-on-the-Supreme-Court
"From Harvard Law School (which cancelled the class Kavanaugh was scheduled to teach) to the American Bar Association to thousands of law professors, the legal profession has made it clear that this is not a man who should serve on the highest court of the land for life. The nearly 1,000 law professors publicly opposing Kavanaugh that Jen Hayden highlighted on Wednesday now number more than 1,700—and counting."
"From Harvard Law School (which cancelled the class Kavanaugh was scheduled to teach) to the American Bar Association to thousands of law professors, the legal profession has made it clear that this is not a man who should serve on the highest court of the land for life. The nearly 1,000 law professors publicly opposing Kavanaugh that Jen Hayden highlighted on Wednesday now number more than 1,700—and counting."
Here are all the ways the effort to clear Kavanaugh was a farce
https://thinkprogress.org/ridiculous-process-white-house-senate-republicans-pushing-brett-kavanaugh-on-supreme-court-17010cf15538/
"Conservatives say the process has been thorough and meaningful. That couldn't be further from the truth."
"Conservatives say the process has been thorough and meaningful. That couldn't be further from the truth."
Amid Growing Outrage Over Confirmation Process, Corporate Powers Spending Millions to Help GOP Ram Through Pro-Business Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/04/amid-growing-outrage-over-confirmation-process-corporate-powers-spending-millions
"As Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump try to sell a "sham" FBI probe to the public in hopes of tempering impassioned protests of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, corporate powers are covertly pouring millions of dollars into efforts to push through the corporate-friendly judge's confirmation."
"As Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump try to sell a "sham" FBI probe to the public in hopes of tempering impassioned protests of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, corporate powers are covertly pouring millions of dollars into efforts to push through the corporate-friendly judge's confirmation."
In Trump, GOP Grifters Welcomed the Biggest of Them All
https://www.thedailybeast.com/in-trump-gop-grifters-welcomed-the-biggest-of-them-all?ref=home
"Trump was the logical culmination of all the moves Republicans have made in the last 25 years or so to degrade the norms of our democracy, he is also the logical culmination of everything they’ve done to turn the economy from one that helped the broad middle class to one that serves only those at the top. Put more succinctly: Of course they elected a plutocrat tax cheat. They spent 30 years making the world safe for plutocrat tax cheats!"
"Trump was the logical culmination of all the moves Republicans have made in the last 25 years or so to degrade the norms of our democracy, he is also the logical culmination of everything they’ve done to turn the economy from one that helped the broad middle class to one that serves only those at the top. Put more succinctly: Of course they elected a plutocrat tax cheat. They spent 30 years making the world safe for plutocrat tax cheats!"
This is who Trump is—and who Republicans are, every one of them
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/3/1801233/-This-is-who-Trump-is-and-who-Republicans-are-every-one-of-them?utm_campaign=trending
"Really, there are no words left for how grotesque the man is in every possible way, or how grotesque his cheering, vapid, and brick-stupid supporters are. He has been a criminal his whole life. He has been a business failure his whole sorry existence, propped up solely by his papa and whatever crime rings he could ingratiate himself to. He has assaulted whichever women he wanted to assault, and gotten away with it each time via threats or cash payments or simply lying. The sneering, raging manchild of his rallies is who he is, and who his party is. It is who Mitch McConnell is, and Chuck Grassley, and yes, Jeff Flake. It is every one of his enablers, and every pundit who stares into a camera and declares that the human toilet is not doing the things that every American can plainly see him doing. To hell with them all. There is no possible redemption there."
"Really, there are no words left for how grotesque the man is in every possible way, or how grotesque his cheering, vapid, and brick-stupid supporters are. He has been a criminal his whole life. He has been a business failure his whole sorry existence, propped up solely by his papa and whatever crime rings he could ingratiate himself to. He has assaulted whichever women he wanted to assault, and gotten away with it each time via threats or cash payments or simply lying. The sneering, raging manchild of his rallies is who he is, and who his party is. It is who Mitch McConnell is, and Chuck Grassley, and yes, Jeff Flake. It is every one of his enablers, and every pundit who stares into a camera and declares that the human toilet is not doing the things that every American can plainly see him doing. To hell with them all. There is no possible redemption there."
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