News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Someone Sent CNN a Bomb. The President Called for Civility—Then Attacked the Media.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24213739/cnn-bomb-president-trump-attack-media/?fbclid=IwAR0NoUsS6w8azkvXhlLNMsjIXwAAV9ouWUgtU5FHivhQvce8zNzkC2TMAmg
"Again, someone tried to bomb CNN earlier that day. And now the person who unleashes more invective against the media in general and CNN in particular than anyone else in public life is demanding civility from those who were just physically attacked. The number one dispenser of false information in our society is demanding others stop their "false attacks." It's enough to make you wonder whether Donald Trump, American president, is capable of taking responsibility for anything at all. After all, the president is not merely the most "uncivil" figure in our politics, whose viciousness and blatant disregard for the truth have trickled down to permeate all of our discourse. In this homestretch of the 2018 midterms in particular, it is Donald Trump who is ratcheting up the rhetoric to dangerous new levels This is reality. This is what's happening. The president is banging on about how his political opponents want to allow hordes of faceless criminal brown people to pour into the country through the southern border, and continually suggests the Mainstream Media is aiding and abetting that effort. He has categorized not just CNN and other media outlets, but Democrats, too, as enemies of the state. He has been doing so for some time, but as the election approaches and Republicans' prospects—particularly in the House—have not improved, the president and his allies have turned to a loud and sprawling campaign of outright propaganda. And all the while, he pretends that continually casting his political opponents and the free press as enemies of the American people who are endangering you and your family has no effect on his supporters or the wider political system. He pretends he is not contributing to this "atmosphere" of increasingly violent hostility, even as he embraces political violence from the podium, praising an ally for physically assaulting a reporter. A proto-brownshirt group supporting him went on a violent spree in the streets of New York less than two weeks ago."
"Again, someone tried to bomb CNN earlier that day. And now the person who unleashes more invective against the media in general and CNN in particular than anyone else in public life is demanding civility from those who were just physically attacked. The number one dispenser of false information in our society is demanding others stop their "false attacks." It's enough to make you wonder whether Donald Trump, American president, is capable of taking responsibility for anything at all. After all, the president is not merely the most "uncivil" figure in our politics, whose viciousness and blatant disregard for the truth have trickled down to permeate all of our discourse. In this homestretch of the 2018 midterms in particular, it is Donald Trump who is ratcheting up the rhetoric to dangerous new levels This is reality. This is what's happening. The president is banging on about how his political opponents want to allow hordes of faceless criminal brown people to pour into the country through the southern border, and continually suggests the Mainstream Media is aiding and abetting that effort. He has categorized not just CNN and other media outlets, but Democrats, too, as enemies of the state. He has been doing so for some time, but as the election approaches and Republicans' prospects—particularly in the House—have not improved, the president and his allies have turned to a loud and sprawling campaign of outright propaganda. And all the while, he pretends that continually casting his political opponents and the free press as enemies of the American people who are endangering you and your family has no effect on his supporters or the wider political system. He pretends he is not contributing to this "atmosphere" of increasingly violent hostility, even as he embraces political violence from the podium, praising an ally for physically assaulting a reporter. A proto-brownshirt group supporting him went on a violent spree in the streets of New York less than two weeks ago."
The conservative mainstream is embracing conspiracy theories
https://thinkprogress.org/conspiracy-theories-now-conservative-mainstream-attempted-bombings-fcb2a7d3d66b/?fbclid=IwAR3FKQQmPzrPCvZa6JHVsQTs5K_4G3UYP2gjzwoV8GxTA0p_SJbAFFYgYNs
"What makes the spread of this theory so depressing is that it has moved into mainstream conservative conversation despite being the exact same theory that is currently being propagated by neo-Nazis like Andrew Anglin at the Daily Stormer and conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer. The fringe internet to Fox News pipeline has proved increasingly successful in recent months."
"What makes the spread of this theory so depressing is that it has moved into mainstream conservative conversation despite being the exact same theory that is currently being propagated by neo-Nazis like Andrew Anglin at the Daily Stormer and conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer. The fringe internet to Fox News pipeline has proved increasingly successful in recent months."
As Trump Gaslights Entire Nation About Package Bombs, This 'Will Go Down in History' as Clear Moment 'American Democracy Truly at Risk'
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/25/trump-gaslights-entire-nation-about-package-bombs-will-go-down-history-clear-moment?fbclid=IwAR14IM6rZOqaZdWhz5HM1_Oya8zaHcMq2HFQTrOSuKcXZnM1trYa1AzKmls
"Trump's tweet and the swift backlash came just hours after over 200 retired journalists signed an open letter (pdf) condemning the president's continued attacks on the free press, highlighting as just one example his remarks last week praising Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) for body-slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. "Trump's condoning of political violence is part of a sustained pattern of attack on a free press--which includes labeling any reportage he doesn't like as 'fake news' and barring reporters and news organizations whom he wishes to punish from press briefings and events," the former journalists wrote. "The president... is actively working not simply to undermine the press, but to incite violence against it as well"."
"Trump's tweet and the swift backlash came just hours after over 200 retired journalists signed an open letter (pdf) condemning the president's continued attacks on the free press, highlighting as just one example his remarks last week praising Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) for body-slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. "Trump's condoning of political violence is part of a sustained pattern of attack on a free press--which includes labeling any reportage he doesn't like as 'fake news' and barring reporters and news organizations whom he wishes to punish from press briefings and events," the former journalists wrote. "The president... is actively working not simply to undermine the press, but to incite violence against it as well"."
Terror from the Right
https://www.splcenter.org/20180723/terror-right?fbclid=IwAR3XKbH7a_F3J1-dBZzKMxFfda5TRzwR_zcfLmHp_bR5beCGoxJ4VXZBZyk
"What follows is a detailed listing of major terrorist plots and racist rampages that have emerged from the American radical right in the years since Oklahoma City. These have included plans to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, utilities, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians, civil rights figures and others; to rob banks, armored cars and other criminals; and to amass illegal machine guns, missiles, explosives and biological and chemical weapons. [Each of these plots aimed to make changes in America through the use of political violence.] Most contemplated the deaths of large numbers of people — in one case, as many as 30,000, or 10 times the number murdered on Sept. 11, 2001. Here are the stories of plots, conspiracies and racist rampages since 1995 — plots and violence waged against a democratic America."
"What follows is a detailed listing of major terrorist plots and racist rampages that have emerged from the American radical right in the years since Oklahoma City. These have included plans to bomb government buildings, banks, refineries, utilities, clinics, synagogues, mosques, memorials and bridges; to assassinate police officers, judges, politicians, civil rights figures and others; to rob banks, armored cars and other criminals; and to amass illegal machine guns, missiles, explosives and biological and chemical weapons. [Each of these plots aimed to make changes in America through the use of political violence.] Most contemplated the deaths of large numbers of people — in one case, as many as 30,000, or 10 times the number murdered on Sept. 11, 2001. Here are the stories of plots, conspiracies and racist rampages since 1995 — plots and violence waged against a democratic America."
Words into bombs: Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric has consequences
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/24/words-into-bombs-donald-trumps-violent-rhetoric-has-consequences/?fbclid=IwAR0oL0d2SETkukfzjzpj_i_ymzc65uFq7XQ8oac9MfJ94NpJCcEhCPLPylE
"Trump's constant rhetorical violence violence is an extension of his authoritarianism and the diseased country which elected him president. He frightens his supporters by referencing some kind of enemy, usually an ethnic or racial minority. Like other authoritarians and political strongmen, Trump then presents himself as the savior. Like the mafiosi he admires, and with whom he often consorted early in his career, Trump is running a political protection racket where he tells his supporters to give him money so that he will keep them safe."
"Trump's constant rhetorical violence violence is an extension of his authoritarianism and the diseased country which elected him president. He frightens his supporters by referencing some kind of enemy, usually an ethnic or racial minority. Like other authoritarians and political strongmen, Trump then presents himself as the savior. Like the mafiosi he admires, and with whom he often consorted early in his career, Trump is running a political protection racket where he tells his supporters to give him money so that he will keep them safe."
Trump Is Celebrating Violence and Nationalism at His Rallies
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/trump-nationalist-gop-violence.html?fbclid=IwAR0ISuWfmpHkHQlgrayBRdTP7Q43eTs-olvHA5uLeFkGVkwtb8syySn8H_A
"If he endorses violence, he puts people’s lives in danger. And if his party falls in line behind him, the ingredients for a catastrophe are in place. A day after Trump celebrated Gianforte’s assault on Jacobs, a Republican official in Montana called in to a radio show to say she would have gone further. “If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him,” she said. Don’t pretend it can’t happen here. It’s happening."
"If he endorses violence, he puts people’s lives in danger. And if his party falls in line behind him, the ingredients for a catastrophe are in place. A day after Trump celebrated Gianforte’s assault on Jacobs, a Republican official in Montana called in to a radio show to say she would have gone further. “If that kid had done to me what he did to Greg, I would have shot him,” she said. Don’t pretend it can’t happen here. It’s happening."
Everything We Know About the String of Pipe Bombs Sent to Prominent Democrats
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/explosive-clinton-obama-soros.html?fbclid=IwAR0W_jCT191TK9m_dSBe5NcamSJsU8zi6Z6vh9cmUP_r36v4gggFAYrIrfE
"The Secret Service said it “has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” Clinton and Obama, according to a statement. A Secret Service employee who screens Clinton’s mail found the device late on Tuesday in a package addressed to her in Westchester County, New York. The package meant for Obama’s home was found early on Wednesday by Secret Service agents in Washington. The Secret Service said it has launched a criminal investigation “that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources” to find the person or people responsible, according to the statement. Later on Wednesday morning, the Broward County sheriff’s office confirmed that a suspicious package was found at the Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman. NBC News has reported that the suspicious packages sent to Soros, Clinton, and Obama listed Wasserman Schultz for the return address. After CNN was evacuated from its New York offices Wednesday, officials said the explosive device was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. These packages were found two days after a caretaker found the bomb mailed to Soros. A bomb squad on Monday detonated the device, which authorities described as a six-inch-long pipe filled with explosive powder and rigged with a detonator. Federal authorities said they believed the device was hand-delivered, according to the New York Times. Had someone been standing nearby when the device was detonated, that person could have been maimed or killed. The motive behind the attempted bombings are not known, but just as Clinton and Obama are vilified figures among the far right, Soros has been the focus of right-wing anger and conspiracy-mongering. The New York offices of the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the attempted bombing of Soros’ home, according to the Times."
"The Secret Service said it “has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees,” Clinton and Obama, according to a statement. A Secret Service employee who screens Clinton’s mail found the device late on Tuesday in a package addressed to her in Westchester County, New York. The package meant for Obama’s home was found early on Wednesday by Secret Service agents in Washington. The Secret Service said it has launched a criminal investigation “that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources” to find the person or people responsible, according to the statement. Later on Wednesday morning, the Broward County sheriff’s office confirmed that a suspicious package was found at the Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman. NBC News has reported that the suspicious packages sent to Soros, Clinton, and Obama listed Wasserman Schultz for the return address. After CNN was evacuated from its New York offices Wednesday, officials said the explosive device was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. These packages were found two days after a caretaker found the bomb mailed to Soros. A bomb squad on Monday detonated the device, which authorities described as a six-inch-long pipe filled with explosive powder and rigged with a detonator. Federal authorities said they believed the device was hand-delivered, according to the New York Times. Had someone been standing nearby when the device was detonated, that person could have been maimed or killed. The motive behind the attempted bombings are not known, but just as Clinton and Obama are vilified figures among the far right, Soros has been the focus of right-wing anger and conspiracy-mongering. The New York offices of the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are investigating the attempted bombing of Soros’ home, according to the Times."
Imagined job totals from Trump’s imagined arms deal keep growing
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/imagined-job-totals-trumps-imagined-arms-deal-keep-growing?fbclid=IwAR0PFhdOidX4OdVVenqz8LIe3T0ySvvEUnGMsj0oDcMiknNWYgEQERPnFOc
"Over the summer, Donald Trump told a group of supporters that he’d spoken with the head of U.S. Steel, who told him that, as a result of the president’s policies, the company was opening six new plants. It wasn’t long before we learned that Trump had made up the conversation, and U.S. Steel wasn’t opening any new plants. But the president was undeterred by reality. As the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale has documented in detail, Trump not only kept repeating the lie, he also inflated the number of new plants that don’t exist. What started as six imaginary plants soon became seven, then eight, and more recently “at least eight.” Remember, the actual number is zero. The president nevertheless repeats the lie at nearly every campaign rally, constantly upping the ante, assuming Republican voters won’t know or care about the difference. Something eerily similar is unfolding with Trump’s rhetoric about a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which, in reality, is not real. And yet, despite the fact that the deal does not really exist, the American president continues to ascribe new job totals to the imagined agreement. Mar. 20, 2018: “We’re talking about over 40,000 jobs in the United States.” Oct. 13, 2018: “It’s 450,000 jobs.” Oct. 17, 2018: “It’s 500,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018: “I’d prefer that we not cancel $110 billion worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later): “600,000 jobs, maybe more than that.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later after that): “So now if you’re talking about – that was $110 billion – you know, you’re talking about over a million jobs.” I half expect him to start making up gibberish numbers just to see what he can get away with. (“This arms deal will create 18 gajillion jobs….”) Of course, while it’s tempting to laugh at all of this, the underlying point is quite serious. Trump has argued repeatedly that the $110 billion arms deal is so important that the United States must be prepared to tolerate Saudi Arabian abuses, including the murder of a U.S.-based journalist"
"Over the summer, Donald Trump told a group of supporters that he’d spoken with the head of U.S. Steel, who told him that, as a result of the president’s policies, the company was opening six new plants. It wasn’t long before we learned that Trump had made up the conversation, and U.S. Steel wasn’t opening any new plants. But the president was undeterred by reality. As the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale has documented in detail, Trump not only kept repeating the lie, he also inflated the number of new plants that don’t exist. What started as six imaginary plants soon became seven, then eight, and more recently “at least eight.” Remember, the actual number is zero. The president nevertheless repeats the lie at nearly every campaign rally, constantly upping the ante, assuming Republican voters won’t know or care about the difference. Something eerily similar is unfolding with Trump’s rhetoric about a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which, in reality, is not real. And yet, despite the fact that the deal does not really exist, the American president continues to ascribe new job totals to the imagined agreement. Mar. 20, 2018: “We’re talking about over 40,000 jobs in the United States.” Oct. 13, 2018: “It’s 450,000 jobs.” Oct. 17, 2018: “It’s 500,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018: “I’d prefer that we not cancel $110 billion worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later): “600,000 jobs, maybe more than that.” Oct. 19, 2018 (a few hours later after that): “So now if you’re talking about – that was $110 billion – you know, you’re talking about over a million jobs.” I half expect him to start making up gibberish numbers just to see what he can get away with. (“This arms deal will create 18 gajillion jobs….”) Of course, while it’s tempting to laugh at all of this, the underlying point is quite serious. Trump has argued repeatedly that the $110 billion arms deal is so important that the United States must be prepared to tolerate Saudi Arabian abuses, including the murder of a U.S.-based journalist"
Key GOP senator: Trump admin has ‘clamped down’ on Khashoggi intel
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/key-gop-senator-trump-admin-has-clamped-down-khashoggi-intel?fbclid=IwAR3sWHw97EihfjlHaT9d19pQO6Ya5Er3BkCXMI8wqasQAg53x-WDoPGFZ_Y
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has extensive oversight authority over the executive branch’s handling of international affairs, has more than a few questions right now about Saudi Arabia and the White House’s policy toward the Middle Eastern giant. But the Trump administration, while working with the Saudi royal family on “a mutually agreeable explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” has decided to “clamp down” on sharing intelligence with Congress."
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has extensive oversight authority over the executive branch’s handling of international affairs, has more than a few questions right now about Saudi Arabia and the White House’s policy toward the Middle Eastern giant. But the Trump administration, while working with the Saudi royal family on “a mutually agreeable explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” has decided to “clamp down” on sharing intelligence with Congress."
'Groveling' Before Murderous Kingdom, Trump Complains Saudis Deemed 'Guilty Until Proven Innocent' Like Kavanaugh
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/17/groveling-murderous-kingdom-trump-complains-saudis-deemed-guilty-until-proven?fbclid=IwAR1_MShty7BHHEWZwZ5-Un0V4Z8jzGBV0xkdptQHe3rX6vf-GBG1u84Zjqw
"U.S. President Donald Trump continued "groveling" at the feet of the murderous kingdom Tuesday night by claiming that the Saudis have been deemed "guilty until proven innocent" just like newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was credibly accused of sexual assault."
"U.S. President Donald Trump continued "groveling" at the feet of the murderous kingdom Tuesday night by claiming that the Saudis have been deemed "guilty until proven innocent" just like newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was credibly accused of sexual assault."
Donald Trump Has a Serious Saudi Arabian Conflict of Interest
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/10/donald-trump-has-a-serious-saudi-arabian-conflict-of-interest/?fbclid=IwAR139mvHb0RV8dNeoS42P9uDV1mrd0kRXmitGiX0zc85qHfhwwfup4GoD3s
"The grisly details of an alleged Saudi government plot to murder dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi are roiling diplomatic and national security circles, but the Trump White House’s reaction has been strangely muted. Asked about the matter on Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump vaguely condemned the “bad situation,” while also praising King Salman, the Saudi monarch, as a “fine man.” He stressed that Saudi officials say it’s unclear what became of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say he was killed within hours of entering the consulate by a Saudi hit squad on the orders of senior Saudi royal family members. Trump’s meek response to the diplomatic crisis highlights the ongoing conflicts of interest posed by his business empire. At a 2015 campaign stop, Trump bragged to the crowd about his business dealings with the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” In 2001, the Saudi government bought the 45th floor of the Trump World Plaza building in New York City as part of its mission to the United Nations. And shortly before entering the White House, Trump was aggressively pursuing deals with Saudi investors and attempting to build hotels in the Saudi Arabia. In August 2015, in the midst of his presidential run, Trump registered new corporations to manage a prospective hotel in Jeddah, the gateway city to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina. That project never came to fruition, but the Washington Post reported that at least two of Trump’s US hotel properties—both called the Trump International Hotel & Tower, in New York and Chicago—have benefitted hugely from Saudi business."
"The grisly details of an alleged Saudi government plot to murder dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi are roiling diplomatic and national security circles, but the Trump White House’s reaction has been strangely muted. Asked about the matter on Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump vaguely condemned the “bad situation,” while also praising King Salman, the Saudi monarch, as a “fine man.” He stressed that Saudi officials say it’s unclear what became of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say he was killed within hours of entering the consulate by a Saudi hit squad on the orders of senior Saudi royal family members. Trump’s meek response to the diplomatic crisis highlights the ongoing conflicts of interest posed by his business empire. At a 2015 campaign stop, Trump bragged to the crowd about his business dealings with the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them,” Trump said. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.” In 2001, the Saudi government bought the 45th floor of the Trump World Plaza building in New York City as part of its mission to the United Nations. And shortly before entering the White House, Trump was aggressively pursuing deals with Saudi investors and attempting to build hotels in the Saudi Arabia. In August 2015, in the midst of his presidential run, Trump registered new corporations to manage a prospective hotel in Jeddah, the gateway city to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina. That project never came to fruition, but the Washington Post reported that at least two of Trump’s US hotel properties—both called the Trump International Hotel & Tower, in New York and Chicago—have benefitted hugely from Saudi business."
Trump lies about having ‘no financial interests in Saudi Arabia’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-financial-interests-saudi-arabia-lies-khashoggi-add91211833e/?fbclid=IwAR34INaBaK2Ddt33SrAiKwoQ1uRLQnl9cfjEWDIpRF9_3VAfH9ga7NnuGH4
"In an apparent effort to push back on suggestions his soft stance toward Saudi Arabia is a result of his business dealings with Saudis, President Trump on Tuesday tweeted, “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!” Trump’s claim is transparently false. As the Washington Post reported in August, the Saudi regime has been pumping money directly into Trump’s pockets through his hotels." “After two years of decline, revenue from room rentals [at the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan] went up 13 percent in the first three months of 2018,” the Post reported — in large part due to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s patronage of the hotel during a visit to New York City in which he and his entourage didn’t even end up staying there. Trump wasn’t always so reluctant to acknowledge his business dealings with the Saudis. The month after he launched his presidential campaign, Trump gave a speech in which he boasted that “likes the Saudis” because “I make a lot of money with them” — an admission that directly contradicts what he now claims."
"In an apparent effort to push back on suggestions his soft stance toward Saudi Arabia is a result of his business dealings with Saudis, President Trump on Tuesday tweeted, “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!” Trump’s claim is transparently false. As the Washington Post reported in August, the Saudi regime has been pumping money directly into Trump’s pockets through his hotels." “After two years of decline, revenue from room rentals [at the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan] went up 13 percent in the first three months of 2018,” the Post reported — in large part due to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s patronage of the hotel during a visit to New York City in which he and his entourage didn’t even end up staying there. Trump wasn’t always so reluctant to acknowledge his business dealings with the Saudis. The month after he launched his presidential campaign, Trump gave a speech in which he boasted that “likes the Saudis” because “I make a lot of money with them” — an admission that directly contradicts what he now claims."
A Radical Republican Shows His Aryan Colors
https://www.dcreport.org/2018/10/22/a-radical-republican-shows-his-aryan-colors/?fbclid=IwAR38wxJWDd-ndvcZdBcrIsd372jVbZ4EpmQo1rt4qyXsgsiDRa-Hqcfk2v8
"Iowa Rep. Steve King Spells Out His Racist Worldview with an Austrian Neo-Fascist"
"Iowa Rep. Steve King Spells Out His Racist Worldview with an Austrian Neo-Fascist"
Friday, October 26, 2018
GOP Lies About Pre-Existing Conditions May Have Reached Peak Absurdity
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-tweet-pre-existing-conditions-gop_us_5bd0a4f9e4b0a8f17ef35bab?fbclid=IwAR3Yb_kuMdCGvI5xzLFf3HeYVRAJM9SXPt_KVPM1mE51dvexh3OeB3T6r5w
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
In historic move, the Arizona Republic endorses a Democrat for Senate for the first time in 18 years
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/23/in-historic-move-the-arizona-republic-endorses-a-democrat-for-senate-for-the-first-time-in-18-years/?fbclid=IwAR1ly5aPv3AdOwB1-fwBiOYQGanAw0XQXpuDLDlk1wpEqQopLWKF4cmppGc
"For the first time in 18 years, the Arizona Republic endorsed a Democratic candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. In an op-ed published on Monday, the Grand Canyon State’s largest newspaper endorsed U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema over her Republican challenger, Martha McSally. The decision marks a stark departure for the historically-conservative publication."
"For the first time in 18 years, the Arizona Republic endorsed a Democratic candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. In an op-ed published on Monday, the Grand Canyon State’s largest newspaper endorsed U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema over her Republican challenger, Martha McSally. The decision marks a stark departure for the historically-conservative publication."
The rigging of American politics
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/16/17951596/kavanaugh-trump-senate-impeachment-avenatti-democrats-2020-supreme-court?fbclid=IwAR1HnvDNM5ALe4Z-Xe2buXIxFJcXVHySkWcT30kSO_74n-oKvEbFefrLOT0
"Since 2000, fully 40 percent of presidential elections have been won by the loser of the popular vote. Republicans control the US Senate despite winning fewer votes than Democrats, and it’s understood that House Democrats need to beat Republicans by as much as 7 or 8 points in the popular vote to hold a majority in the chamber. Next year, it’s possible that Republicans will control the presidency and both chambers of Congress despite having received fewer votes for the White House in 2016 and for the House and Senate in 2018. Kavanaugh now serves on a Supreme Court where four of the nine justices were nominated by a president who lost the popular vote in his initial run for office, and where the 5-4 conservative majority owes its existence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s extraordinary decision to deny Merrick Garland a hearing. This Court will rule on the constitutionality of gerrymandering, voter ID laws, union dues, campaign finance, Obamacare, and more; that is to say, they will rule on cases that will shape who holds, and who can effectively wield, political power in the future. “The party that is trying to keep minority rule is also going to be the party that has less interest in true democratic representation,” says Lilliana Mason, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. “You have to break some rules of democracy in order to keep minority rule.” If these dynamics were at least split — if the geography of the House boosted Democrats while the Electoral College leaned toward Republicans — perhaps the dissatisfaction would be diffused, or the dueling interests of the parties would permit a compromise. But that’s not the case. America’s growing zones of anti-democracy buoy Republicans, who, in turn, gain more political power to write the rules in their favor."
"Since 2000, fully 40 percent of presidential elections have been won by the loser of the popular vote. Republicans control the US Senate despite winning fewer votes than Democrats, and it’s understood that House Democrats need to beat Republicans by as much as 7 or 8 points in the popular vote to hold a majority in the chamber. Next year, it’s possible that Republicans will control the presidency and both chambers of Congress despite having received fewer votes for the White House in 2016 and for the House and Senate in 2018. Kavanaugh now serves on a Supreme Court where four of the nine justices were nominated by a president who lost the popular vote in his initial run for office, and where the 5-4 conservative majority owes its existence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s extraordinary decision to deny Merrick Garland a hearing. This Court will rule on the constitutionality of gerrymandering, voter ID laws, union dues, campaign finance, Obamacare, and more; that is to say, they will rule on cases that will shape who holds, and who can effectively wield, political power in the future. “The party that is trying to keep minority rule is also going to be the party that has less interest in true democratic representation,” says Lilliana Mason, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. “You have to break some rules of democracy in order to keep minority rule.” If these dynamics were at least split — if the geography of the House boosted Democrats while the Electoral College leaned toward Republicans — perhaps the dissatisfaction would be diffused, or the dueling interests of the parties would permit a compromise. But that’s not the case. America’s growing zones of anti-democracy buoy Republicans, who, in turn, gain more political power to write the rules in their favor."
Want to Fight Gerrymandering? These Are the Races to Watch
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/what-is-gerrymandering-747094/?fbclid=IwAR2tjulxhy1rrTpxmutk3lAYwgD4VKQPLS3ijyZJRirfzB6nLjco_GPe5Is
"Until recently, Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district in the southeast corner of the state summed up the insanity of partisan gerrymandering in the United States. The district was a monstrosity, a Rorschach inkblot that stretched from the Republican-leaning suburbs of Philadelphia out into farm and Amish country. One political scientist looked at its winding, jagged lines and saw “Donald Duck kicking Goofy.” The mangled district was cooked up by the Republican-controlled legislature and the state’s Republican governor when they redrew Pennsylvania’s congressional map after the 2010 census. The result? Republicans went from holding seven out of 19 of the state’s House of Representatives seats to a whopping 13. (The state lost one seat after the census.) A political analyst called it “the gerrymander of the decade.” Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court struck down Pennsylvania’s epic gerrymander and declared that a new map must be drawn. This time, however, when the GOP-led legislature came back with yet another nakedly partisan map, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed it. In the end, the state supreme court released its own map, one with clear lines and more competitive districts. Pennsylvania’s democracy was restored — at least for now. On November 6th, voters across the country will have their chance to cast ballots in gubernatorial races that could similarly begin to reverse the effects of gerrymandering. There are 36 races for governor this year — races that, in many cases, have gotten far less attention than those for House or Senate. But on the issue of gerrymandering, governors play a decisive role not just in shaping the future of their states but determining the composition of House of Representatives, approving or blocking congressional maps skewed in favor of one political party."
"Until recently, Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district in the southeast corner of the state summed up the insanity of partisan gerrymandering in the United States. The district was a monstrosity, a Rorschach inkblot that stretched from the Republican-leaning suburbs of Philadelphia out into farm and Amish country. One political scientist looked at its winding, jagged lines and saw “Donald Duck kicking Goofy.” The mangled district was cooked up by the Republican-controlled legislature and the state’s Republican governor when they redrew Pennsylvania’s congressional map after the 2010 census. The result? Republicans went from holding seven out of 19 of the state’s House of Representatives seats to a whopping 13. (The state lost one seat after the census.) A political analyst called it “the gerrymander of the decade.” Earlier this year, the state Supreme Court struck down Pennsylvania’s epic gerrymander and declared that a new map must be drawn. This time, however, when the GOP-led legislature came back with yet another nakedly partisan map, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed it. In the end, the state supreme court released its own map, one with clear lines and more competitive districts. Pennsylvania’s democracy was restored — at least for now. On November 6th, voters across the country will have their chance to cast ballots in gubernatorial races that could similarly begin to reverse the effects of gerrymandering. There are 36 races for governor this year — races that, in many cases, have gotten far less attention than those for House or Senate. But on the issue of gerrymandering, governors play a decisive role not just in shaping the future of their states but determining the composition of House of Representatives, approving or blocking congressional maps skewed in favor of one political party."
Minority Rule Does Not Have to Be Here Forever
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/minority-rule-not-in-the-constitution.html?fbclid=IwAR2niFYLMUi66tLkNWvdsmiFobS8cycqlXk1oZIC_fhrxLrp_PBsmJ7-XC4
"Madison wasn’t a minoritarian; he believed majorities, properly structured around consensus, had the right to govern. That belief should inform our understanding of the present, where the Republican Party holds all three branches in Washington despite less-than-majority support among the public at large. This was dramatized by the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was nominated by a minority president who lost the national popular vote by 3 million ballots. Unpopular from the start, Kavanaugh’s standing collapsed in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s credible allegation of sexual assault. He was confirmed by a narrow majority of the Senate representing just 44 percent of all Americans, and more Americans opposed his confirmation than supported it. Now aligned with four other conservative justices—including one nominated by his patron and two others by a president who also entered the White House with minority support—Kavanaugh will likely back jurisprudence that enables voter suppression and extreme partisan gerrymandering, allowing the Republican Party to strengthen its anti-majoritarian hold on power. With Kavanaugh’s confirmation, an electoral minority is now essentially dictating the terms of constitutional interpretation, thanks to two institutions: the Electoral College—which favors the geographical distribution of supporters, not the total number—and the Senate, which creates huge disparities of representation. (A majority of Americans are represented by just 18 senators.) While there’s no clear relationship between partisanship and state size—some small states are heavily Democratic, some large ones are heavily Republican—the present configuration of state partisanship makes the GOP Senate majority a minority of the overall population. Even the House of Representatives no longer conforms fully to principles of majority representation—because of gerrymandering, come November, Democrats will have to win the House by at least 7 points to claim a majority of seats."
"Madison wasn’t a minoritarian; he believed majorities, properly structured around consensus, had the right to govern. That belief should inform our understanding of the present, where the Republican Party holds all three branches in Washington despite less-than-majority support among the public at large. This was dramatized by the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was nominated by a minority president who lost the national popular vote by 3 million ballots. Unpopular from the start, Kavanaugh’s standing collapsed in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s credible allegation of sexual assault. He was confirmed by a narrow majority of the Senate representing just 44 percent of all Americans, and more Americans opposed his confirmation than supported it. Now aligned with four other conservative justices—including one nominated by his patron and two others by a president who also entered the White House with minority support—Kavanaugh will likely back jurisprudence that enables voter suppression and extreme partisan gerrymandering, allowing the Republican Party to strengthen its anti-majoritarian hold on power. With Kavanaugh’s confirmation, an electoral minority is now essentially dictating the terms of constitutional interpretation, thanks to two institutions: the Electoral College—which favors the geographical distribution of supporters, not the total number—and the Senate, which creates huge disparities of representation. (A majority of Americans are represented by just 18 senators.) While there’s no clear relationship between partisanship and state size—some small states are heavily Democratic, some large ones are heavily Republican—the present configuration of state partisanship makes the GOP Senate majority a minority of the overall population. Even the House of Representatives no longer conforms fully to principles of majority representation—because of gerrymandering, come November, Democrats will have to win the House by at least 7 points to claim a majority of seats."
GOP rhetoric about the deficit becomes a punch-line to an awkward joke
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-rhetoric-about-the-deficit-becomes-punch-line-awkward-joke?fbclid=IwAR02XszmHJ-Ho9WxIxEPs7xcF4D_8k6ovrYuE0C0uob3NY8bJbVh7B_1-rg
"As recently as June, Larry Kudlow, the director of the Trump White House’s National Economic Council, boasted to a national television audience the U.S. budget deficit “is coming down, and it’s coming down rapidly.” Yeah, about that…. The U.S. government ran its largest budget deficit in six years during the fiscal year that ended last month, an unusual development in a fast-growing economy and a sign that – so far at least – tax cuts have restrained government revenue gains. The deficit totaled $779 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 17% from $666 billion in fiscal 2017, the Treasury Department said Monday. The deficit is headed toward $1 trillion in the current fiscal year, the White House and Congressional Budget Office said. This deficit is the fifth largest in modern American history – in non-inflation adjusted terms – and it now stands at 3.9% of GDP, up from 3.5% a year ago. To be sure, as a percentage of the economy, the deficit isn’t necessarily at a level that should cause significant concern. The trouble is the broader context: Circling back to our previous coverage, there are a few key angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that Donald Trump’s campaign assurances about balancing the budget and eliminating the national debt should be near the top of the list of his broken promises. Second, it’s now painfully obvious that the Republican Party, which spent the Obama era pretending to care deeply about fiscal responsibility and the terrible burdens deficits place on future generations, operated in bad faith. And third, every Republican who said the GOP tax breaks for the wealthy would pay for themselves ought to face some renewed questioning about how very wrong they were."
"As recently as June, Larry Kudlow, the director of the Trump White House’s National Economic Council, boasted to a national television audience the U.S. budget deficit “is coming down, and it’s coming down rapidly.” Yeah, about that…. The U.S. government ran its largest budget deficit in six years during the fiscal year that ended last month, an unusual development in a fast-growing economy and a sign that – so far at least – tax cuts have restrained government revenue gains. The deficit totaled $779 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 17% from $666 billion in fiscal 2017, the Treasury Department said Monday. The deficit is headed toward $1 trillion in the current fiscal year, the White House and Congressional Budget Office said. This deficit is the fifth largest in modern American history – in non-inflation adjusted terms – and it now stands at 3.9% of GDP, up from 3.5% a year ago. To be sure, as a percentage of the economy, the deficit isn’t necessarily at a level that should cause significant concern. The trouble is the broader context: Circling back to our previous coverage, there are a few key angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that Donald Trump’s campaign assurances about balancing the budget and eliminating the national debt should be near the top of the list of his broken promises. Second, it’s now painfully obvious that the Republican Party, which spent the Obama era pretending to care deeply about fiscal responsibility and the terrible burdens deficits place on future generations, operated in bad faith. And third, every Republican who said the GOP tax breaks for the wealthy would pay for themselves ought to face some renewed questioning about how very wrong they were."
Trump Hits A New High-Water Mark: The Biggest Federal Deficit In 6 Years
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-deficit-highest-six-years_us_5bc545ece4b0a8f17ee4c5d6?fbclid=IwAR2gQ13T68BeVwKc-PsM6ylVGGnQtf-WUb6odMikYYzAyK1V9FwweBdg8LU
"President Donald Trump likes to boast that he’s breaking records with the latest low unemployment figures. Here’s another record for his administration: The 2018 federal deficit hit the highest level of the last six years. The deficit jumped 17 percent (or by $113 billion) to $779 billion at the end of Trump’s first fiscal year, according to final figures released Monday by the Treasury Department."
"President Donald Trump likes to boast that he’s breaking records with the latest low unemployment figures. Here’s another record for his administration: The 2018 federal deficit hit the highest level of the last six years. The deficit jumped 17 percent (or by $113 billion) to $779 billion at the end of Trump’s first fiscal year, according to final figures released Monday by the Treasury Department."
Steve King endorsed a far-right mayoral candidate because he’s a white supremacist
https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-endorsed-far-right-mayoral-candidate-because-hes-a-white-supremacist-b9b686330bd2/?fbclid=IwAR0NgWsnquoucem0igPAZaMTAchafX41DTlBlOAF4BAfZqOBYgPpHSNH4Vc
"When it comes to white nationalism, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has a long list of zingers he can point to. He’s retweeted British neo-Nazi Mark Collett and steadfastly refused to apologize for it, been endorsed by the Daily Stormer, made frequent trips to visit the far-right government of Austria, and, perhaps most infamously, quipped that “we can’t restore our civilization with someone else’s babies.” On Tuesday night, King further added to his laundry list of white nationalist talking points by endorsing fringe far-right candidate Faith Goldy in her attempt to become mayor of Toronto. “Faith Goldy, [is] an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget,” King tweeted. “BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values.” For the uninitiated, Faith Goldy is a former reporter for the right-wing site Rebel Media, whose roster of current and former employees includes luminaries like Proud Boys’ founder Gavin McInnes, bankrupt British columnist Katie Hopkins, and former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka. Goldy is currently polling around 2 percent in her quest to become Toronto’s mayor. Goldy is a full-blown white supremacist, or “ethno-nationalist” as she’d likely prefer to be called. As Right Wing Watch has noted, Goldy last December went on YouTube to recite the fourteen words, one of the world’s most popular white supremacist slogans, which was originally created by far-right terrorist David Lane. Goldy has also appeared on the Daily Stormer’s podcast and previously recommended a book calling for the “elimination” of Jews."
"When it comes to white nationalism, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has a long list of zingers he can point to. He’s retweeted British neo-Nazi Mark Collett and steadfastly refused to apologize for it, been endorsed by the Daily Stormer, made frequent trips to visit the far-right government of Austria, and, perhaps most infamously, quipped that “we can’t restore our civilization with someone else’s babies.” On Tuesday night, King further added to his laundry list of white nationalist talking points by endorsing fringe far-right candidate Faith Goldy in her attempt to become mayor of Toronto. “Faith Goldy, [is] an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget,” King tweeted. “BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values.” For the uninitiated, Faith Goldy is a former reporter for the right-wing site Rebel Media, whose roster of current and former employees includes luminaries like Proud Boys’ founder Gavin McInnes, bankrupt British columnist Katie Hopkins, and former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka. Goldy is currently polling around 2 percent in her quest to become Toronto’s mayor. Goldy is a full-blown white supremacist, or “ethno-nationalist” as she’d likely prefer to be called. As Right Wing Watch has noted, Goldy last December went on YouTube to recite the fourteen words, one of the world’s most popular white supremacist slogans, which was originally created by far-right terrorist David Lane. Goldy has also appeared on the Daily Stormer’s podcast and previously recommended a book calling for the “elimination” of Jews."
GOP State Lawmakers Pal Around With White Supremacists. Party Group Backs Them Anyway.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-state-lawmakers-white-nationalists-rslc-silent_us_5bcd82e4e4b0a8f17eee0a1d?fbclid=IwAR04KCLpunsyrfTK40mkejl2AIphEngehQPCicJHk0xAaTFxmSW7UQWDtXk
"Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew national attention last week for elaborating at length on his white nationalist views in a far-right Austrian propaganda outlet. But in state legislatures across the country, GOP lawmakers’ embrace of openly racist or extremist figures, organizations and views often goes unnoticed. And even when it has been exposed in recent years, a Washington-based group that helps elect Republicans to state legislatures says nothing. The Republican State Leadership Committee has provided funding to groups backing lawmakers and candidates with extremist and racist ties. It has not, however, publicly denounced any individual lawmakers or candidates, even though several state lawmakers’ extremist ties have been exposed in recent years. In Florida, it emerged in August that Peter Gemma, a white nationalist and supporter of Holocaust denial who once worked for the openly racist Council of Conservative Citizens, hosted a campaign event for Tommy Gregory, an attorney who was elected to the state House of Representatives in a special election. Gregory, apparently not shy about associating with Gemma, touted the “meet and greet” in a Facebook post. He tagged Gemma and Gemma’s wife Catherine. In Tennessee, home to active white nationalist groups, a GOP-controlled panel of state House lawmakers killed a resolution in March urging that law enforcement prosecute “white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups” with the same ardor as other forms of terrorism. It never received a vote on the House floor. In Arizona, state Rep. Bob Thorpe introduced an aggressive new immigration bill in February 2017 that would empower local law enforcement to question undocumented immigrants about their immigration status. The organization behind the bill is the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks far-right organizations, designates FAIR an anti-immigrant hate group in light of the views of founder John Tanton and other leaders."
"Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew national attention last week for elaborating at length on his white nationalist views in a far-right Austrian propaganda outlet. But in state legislatures across the country, GOP lawmakers’ embrace of openly racist or extremist figures, organizations and views often goes unnoticed. And even when it has been exposed in recent years, a Washington-based group that helps elect Republicans to state legislatures says nothing. The Republican State Leadership Committee has provided funding to groups backing lawmakers and candidates with extremist and racist ties. It has not, however, publicly denounced any individual lawmakers or candidates, even though several state lawmakers’ extremist ties have been exposed in recent years. In Florida, it emerged in August that Peter Gemma, a white nationalist and supporter of Holocaust denial who once worked for the openly racist Council of Conservative Citizens, hosted a campaign event for Tommy Gregory, an attorney who was elected to the state House of Representatives in a special election. Gregory, apparently not shy about associating with Gemma, touted the “meet and greet” in a Facebook post. He tagged Gemma and Gemma’s wife Catherine. In Tennessee, home to active white nationalist groups, a GOP-controlled panel of state House lawmakers killed a resolution in March urging that law enforcement prosecute “white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups” with the same ardor as other forms of terrorism. It never received a vote on the House floor. In Arizona, state Rep. Bob Thorpe introduced an aggressive new immigration bill in February 2017 that would empower local law enforcement to question undocumented immigrants about their immigration status. The organization behind the bill is the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks far-right organizations, designates FAIR an anti-immigrant hate group in light of the views of founder John Tanton and other leaders."
Rep. Steve King Goes Full White Nationalist In Interview With Austrian Site
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/iowa-rep-steve-king-austria-white-nationalist_us_5bca4851e4b0a8f17eec6001?fbclid=IwAR0acMhEfPzL0DTRFAW-UEUJcqI8kel-UsaJgMSXzJgLLosFask7HeHJa7I
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) visited Austria in August and gave an extensive interview to a far-right publication there in which he spelled out, in clearer and more shocking terms than he ever has before, his white nationalist worldview. The eight-term congressman, up for re-election next month, talked to Caroline Sommerfeld of the Austrian far-right propaganda site Unzensuriert (which means “uncensored” in English). Sommerfeld is a prominent intellectual in Europe’s neo-fascist identitarian movement, which has deep connections to America’s so-called alt-right."
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) visited Austria in August and gave an extensive interview to a far-right publication there in which he spelled out, in clearer and more shocking terms than he ever has before, his white nationalist worldview. The eight-term congressman, up for re-election next month, talked to Caroline Sommerfeld of the Austrian far-right propaganda site Unzensuriert (which means “uncensored” in English). Sommerfeld is a prominent intellectual in Europe’s neo-fascist identitarian movement, which has deep connections to America’s so-called alt-right."
"I Am a Nationalist": Donald Trump Apes Mussolini in Drive to Destroy America
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/i-am-nationalist-donald-trump-apes-mussolini-drive-destroy-america?fbclid=IwAR2NmGsYpdu2KazlLMlX0zACXY7sOTjz3Os--1iQhyp2_sc2TprZBjFWX70
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
President Trump Just Called Himself a 'Nationalist.' Here's What That Means—and Why It's So Dangerous.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24103912/donald-trump-nationalist-george-orwell/?fbclid=IwAR2JD1xSK93NVKuCCKHuM4Ym4bMSbwi-yZYYCwVRqsaxohOIKsNTI40d_mM
"The United States president's explicit embrace of nationalism is a stunning world-historical development and a siren blaring on the world stage. The world's most powerful country is now ruled by a man who embraces the racism, chauvinism, cruelty, and utter disregard for the truth that has characterized every great authoritarian regime."
"The United States president's explicit embrace of nationalism is a stunning world-historical development and a siren blaring on the world stage. The world's most powerful country is now ruled by a man who embraces the racism, chauvinism, cruelty, and utter disregard for the truth that has characterized every great authoritarian regime."
The Fascist Threat Our Political Establishment Won't Acknowledge
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/fascist-threat-our-political-establishment-wont-acknowledge?fbclid=IwAR0wVq40izvBuNS1-eHi4aKFstlThJ7tBshh9rMw9A-Ktj5YWQU_6bGHZms
"The threat has returned and is now on our doorsteps, and it needs to be named, exposed, and overcome by those who believe that the stakes are much too high to look away and not engage in organized political and pedagogical struggles against a fascist state and an omniscient fascist politics."
"The threat has returned and is now on our doorsteps, and it needs to be named, exposed, and overcome by those who believe that the stakes are much too high to look away and not engage in organized political and pedagogical struggles against a fascist state and an omniscient fascist politics."
Was There a Connection Between a Russian Bank and the Trump Campaign?
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/was-there-a-connection-between-a-russian-bank-and-the-trump-campaign?fbclid=IwAR3nAT3r94E2k8vIH-QYGVXWzHUtxZfNMwzH7HewSLDT1L8saSOxIPQ9raY
"Examining records for the Trump domain, Max’s group discovered D.N.S. lookups from a pair of servers owned by Alfa Bank, one of the largest banks in Russia. Alfa Bank’s computers were looking up the address of the Trump server nearly every day. There were dozens of lookups on some days and far fewer on others, but the total number was notable: between May and September, Alfa Bank looked up the Trump Organization’s domain more than two thousand times. “We were watching this happen in real time—it was like watching an airplane fly by,” Max said. “And we thought, Why the hell is a Russian bank communicating with a server that belongs to the Trump Organization, and at such a rate?” Only one other entity seemed to be reaching out to the Trump Organization’s domain with any frequency: Spectrum Health, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spectrum Health is closely linked to the DeVos family; Richard DeVos, Jr., is the chairman of the board, and one of its hospitals is named after his mother. His wife, Betsy DeVos, was appointed Secretary of Education by Donald Trump. Her brother, Erik Prince, is a Trump associate who has attracted the scrutiny of Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump’s ties to Russia. Mueller has been looking into Prince’s meeting, following the election, with a Russian official in the Seychelles, at which he reportedly discussed setting up a back channel between Trump and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. (Prince maintains that the meeting was “incidental.”) In the summer of 2016, Max and the others weren’t aware of any of this. “We didn’t know who DeVos was,” Max said. The D.N.S. records raised vexing questions. Why was the Trump Organization’s domain, set up to send mass-marketing e-mails, conducting such meagre activity? And why were computers at Alfa Bank and Spectrum Health trying to reach a server that didn’t seem to be doing anything?"
"Examining records for the Trump domain, Max’s group discovered D.N.S. lookups from a pair of servers owned by Alfa Bank, one of the largest banks in Russia. Alfa Bank’s computers were looking up the address of the Trump server nearly every day. There were dozens of lookups on some days and far fewer on others, but the total number was notable: between May and September, Alfa Bank looked up the Trump Organization’s domain more than two thousand times. “We were watching this happen in real time—it was like watching an airplane fly by,” Max said. “And we thought, Why the hell is a Russian bank communicating with a server that belongs to the Trump Organization, and at such a rate?” Only one other entity seemed to be reaching out to the Trump Organization’s domain with any frequency: Spectrum Health, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spectrum Health is closely linked to the DeVos family; Richard DeVos, Jr., is the chairman of the board, and one of its hospitals is named after his mother. His wife, Betsy DeVos, was appointed Secretary of Education by Donald Trump. Her brother, Erik Prince, is a Trump associate who has attracted the scrutiny of Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump’s ties to Russia. Mueller has been looking into Prince’s meeting, following the election, with a Russian official in the Seychelles, at which he reportedly discussed setting up a back channel between Trump and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. (Prince maintains that the meeting was “incidental.”) In the summer of 2016, Max and the others weren’t aware of any of this. “We didn’t know who DeVos was,” Max said. The D.N.S. records raised vexing questions. Why was the Trump Organization’s domain, set up to send mass-marketing e-mails, conducting such meagre activity? And why were computers at Alfa Bank and Spectrum Health trying to reach a server that didn’t seem to be doing anything?"
Manafort, Suffering ‘Significant’ Health Issues In Jail, Gets Virginia Sentencing Date
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/manafort-significant-health-issue-jail?fbclid=IwAR2wMnoslWAcc0eTWb0DYvfPNbzvhw2LAdUK_Fx8rZQ25s9T1gHjjhzFNlU
"Kevin Downing, Manafort’s attorney said that the former Trump campaign chair was suffering “significant issues” with his health in the Alexandria jail where he is being detained. He said the issues had to do with the terms of his confinement needed to guarantee his safety. Downing was seeking to expedite Manafort’s sentencing, suggesting that moving him to the prison where he’d be detained long term would help him with his health condition."
"Kevin Downing, Manafort’s attorney said that the former Trump campaign chair was suffering “significant issues” with his health in the Alexandria jail where he is being detained. He said the issues had to do with the terms of his confinement needed to guarantee his safety. Downing was seeking to expedite Manafort’s sentencing, suggesting that moving him to the prison where he’d be detained long term would help him with his health condition."
While Mueller Stays Quiet, Suspicious Trump–Russia Clues Keep Popping Up
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/muellers-quiet-but-suspicious-russia-clues-keep-popping-up.html?gtm=bottom&fbclid=IwAR1hEW6TiVd25j84iLcIE5VofwwVpcSiDfF-Gf-TVeSiHUhRdww-M47NUSk
"The final and perhaps most intriguing development is last week’s explosive New York Times account of Donald Trump’s fraudulent tax schemes. What makes this report so extraordinary is that it breaks new ground on a figure who has been in the public eye for four decades, on matters at the very center of the source of his fame. It has not been known that Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from his father, nor that his methods included (according to the Times) outright criminality. What does this have to do with the Russia investigation? Quite a bit, actually. It shows that Trump is willing not merely to skirt the law but to blatantly violate it. It reveals that he has been able to harbor enormous secrets even in the face of constant media coverage. And, most directly, it raises unanswered questions about his mysterious financial methods. Trump is and always has been a bad businessman who relies on regular, large cash infusions from his father to stay afloat. Washington Post reporters David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell, piggybacking on the Times revelations, have raised another curiosity: it was about the time that Fred Trump’s payment stream dried up that Trump’s way of financing his operations took a sharp and sudden turn. Whereas before he financed his purchases with debt — he had called himself the “king of debt” — he began buying properties with cash. It is unusual for real estate developers to make cash purchases, given the incentives they normally have to finance with borrowing. It’s especially unusual that Trump started doing this right after he lost his father’s continuous cash spigot. This was also the time in his career he started working closely with Michael Cohen and Felix Sater, both of whom had links to the Russian underworld. It might feel like the Russia scandal is slowing down, as the stream of indictments halts before the midterm elections. In reality, the conclusion might not be anywhere close."
"The final and perhaps most intriguing development is last week’s explosive New York Times account of Donald Trump’s fraudulent tax schemes. What makes this report so extraordinary is that it breaks new ground on a figure who has been in the public eye for four decades, on matters at the very center of the source of his fame. It has not been known that Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from his father, nor that his methods included (according to the Times) outright criminality. What does this have to do with the Russia investigation? Quite a bit, actually. It shows that Trump is willing not merely to skirt the law but to blatantly violate it. It reveals that he has been able to harbor enormous secrets even in the face of constant media coverage. And, most directly, it raises unanswered questions about his mysterious financial methods. Trump is and always has been a bad businessman who relies on regular, large cash infusions from his father to stay afloat. Washington Post reporters David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell, piggybacking on the Times revelations, have raised another curiosity: it was about the time that Fred Trump’s payment stream dried up that Trump’s way of financing his operations took a sharp and sudden turn. Whereas before he financed his purchases with debt — he had called himself the “king of debt” — he began buying properties with cash. It is unusual for real estate developers to make cash purchases, given the incentives they normally have to finance with borrowing. It’s especially unusual that Trump started doing this right after he lost his father’s continuous cash spigot. This was also the time in his career he started working closely with Michael Cohen and Felix Sater, both of whom had links to the Russian underworld. It might feel like the Russia scandal is slowing down, as the stream of indictments halts before the midterm elections. In reality, the conclusion might not be anywhere close."
How Gerrymandering Reform Can Win in the States
How Gerrymandering Reform Can Win in the States:
"Through local action, Democrats this November have a chance to untilt the playing field in every state that now has an extreme partisan gerrymander."
"Through local action, Democrats this November have a chance to untilt the playing field in every state that now has an extreme partisan gerrymander."
Republicans Are Now Running as the Defenders of Healthcare—While Simultaneously Trying to Gut It
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23835562/republicans-health-care-preexisting-conditions-donald-trump/?fbclid=IwAR22vtfbmnO8moh7Na84lB5seue_6prH0OgzJH18cF4ZkgTJ2K74dEECOjQ
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
Republicans try to rewrite history and paint themselves as the real defenders of Medicare
https://thinkprogress.org/ahead-of-midterms-republicans-suddenly-pretend-they-havent-opposed-medicare-for-decades-d4026a87c684/?fbclid=IwAR3ENkgAy2B6H2b_vUKqgcOL3Glg_Mp534HJj2J1PBoxNuZi8dgqNAHl4AE
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
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