Repealing the Affordable Care Act would cost jobs in every state:
"Of course, the primary reason to oppose repeal (let alone build upon the ACA to reach a genuinely universal system of health coverage) is to protect the increased health and financial security that the ACA extended to tens of millions of Americans. But the macroeconomic effect of rapidly unraveling it is significant, and some states will suffer more than others."
Saturday, March 4, 2017
10 Things Trump Has Done That Indicate He’s Lying About Having Ties to Russia
https://forwardprogressives.com/10-things-trump-done-indicate-hes-lying-ties-russia/
"6. This is how he always acts when his lies are exposed: He’s attacked a disabled reporter for contradicting his absurd 9/11 conspiracy; said all the woman accusing him of sexual assault were liars; attacked a union leader for calling out the exaggerated number of jobs “saved” from Mike Pence’s deal with Carrier; tried to slander a former Miss Universe by telling his millions of followers on Twitter to seek out her non-existent sex tape; said the media was lying about the size of his inauguration crowd not being the “largest in history”; and has claimed he only lost by 3 million votes because “millions” of people voted illegally. Whenever one of Trump’s lies is debunked, he attacks the person who exposed his lie, while often pushing some sort of ridiculous conspiracy to “justify” whatever nonsense he’s trying to con people into believing. So when I see him acting exactly how he always acts when one of his many lies are debunked, that tells me this information about Russia is almost certainly true — and we haven’t even gotten to the best parts yet. 7. All the people he’s surrounded himself with who’ve had ties to Russia: Here we have the most pro-Russian person to ever get elected to office, during an election where our intelligence agencies have identified Russia as the country that launched a cyber attack to influence our election in his favor, who just happens to be surrounded by a rather high number of people with ties to Russia — this is all not just a coincidence. Hell, he just had his top national security advisor “resign” after lying about calling Russian officials and discussing sanctions President Obama issued against the country because of the cyber attack they launched against us."
"6. This is how he always acts when his lies are exposed: He’s attacked a disabled reporter for contradicting his absurd 9/11 conspiracy; said all the woman accusing him of sexual assault were liars; attacked a union leader for calling out the exaggerated number of jobs “saved” from Mike Pence’s deal with Carrier; tried to slander a former Miss Universe by telling his millions of followers on Twitter to seek out her non-existent sex tape; said the media was lying about the size of his inauguration crowd not being the “largest in history”; and has claimed he only lost by 3 million votes because “millions” of people voted illegally. Whenever one of Trump’s lies is debunked, he attacks the person who exposed his lie, while often pushing some sort of ridiculous conspiracy to “justify” whatever nonsense he’s trying to con people into believing. So when I see him acting exactly how he always acts when one of his many lies are debunked, that tells me this information about Russia is almost certainly true — and we haven’t even gotten to the best parts yet. 7. All the people he’s surrounded himself with who’ve had ties to Russia: Here we have the most pro-Russian person to ever get elected to office, during an election where our intelligence agencies have identified Russia as the country that launched a cyber attack to influence our election in his favor, who just happens to be surrounded by a rather high number of people with ties to Russia — this is all not just a coincidence. Hell, he just had his top national security advisor “resign” after lying about calling Russian officials and discussing sanctions President Obama issued against the country because of the cyber attack they launched against us."
The First 100 Lies: The Trump Team’s Flurry Of Falsehoods
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-administration-lies-100_us_58ac7a0fe4b02a1e7dac3ca6
"To say that President Donald Trump has a casual relationship with the truth would be a gross understatement. He has repeatedly cited debunked conspiracy theories, pushed voter fraud myths, and embellished his record and accomplishments. The barrage of falsehoods has been so furious that journalists have taken to issuing instant fact-checks during press conferences and calling out false statements during cable news broadcasts."
"To say that President Donald Trump has a casual relationship with the truth would be a gross understatement. He has repeatedly cited debunked conspiracy theories, pushed voter fraud myths, and embellished his record and accomplishments. The barrage of falsehoods has been so furious that journalists have taken to issuing instant fact-checks during press conferences and calling out false statements during cable news broadcasts."
Only Two Groups Do NOT Want Independent Russia Probe | Crooks and Liars
Only Two Groups Do NOT Want Independent Russia Probe | Crooks and Liars
"The Republican Party and the Trump White House are the only two groups claiming we don't need an independent probe into Russia."
"The Republican Party and the Trump White House are the only two groups claiming we don't need an independent probe into Russia."
Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr reeling from phone call on behalf of Trump
http://www.salon.com/2017/02/28/senate-intelligence-chairman-richard-burr-reeling-from-compromising-phone-call-on-behalf-of-trump/
"Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., is shying away from publicity after admitting that he talked with the White House about reports that President Donald Trump’s campaign had contacts with Russian officials — and that he worked to discredit unfavorable coverage from CNN and The New York Times."
"Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., is shying away from publicity after admitting that he talked with the White House about reports that President Donald Trump’s campaign had contacts with Russian officials — and that he worked to discredit unfavorable coverage from CNN and The New York Times."
Trump Stupidly Confirms Russia Leaks -- Again
http://thedailybanter.com/2017/03/trump-stupidly-confirms-russia-leaks/
"It's staggering that no one's taken Donald Trump aside to explain how he shouldn't keep talking about the leaks that exposed Mike Flynn's communications with the Russian ambassador, not to mention other leaks connecting Trump's closest advisers to Russian intelligence. But they haven't yet. Or perhaps they have and he's too addled with mental illness and delusions to listen carefully enough."
"It's staggering that no one's taken Donald Trump aside to explain how he shouldn't keep talking about the leaks that exposed Mike Flynn's communications with the Russian ambassador, not to mention other leaks connecting Trump's closest advisers to Russian intelligence. But they haven't yet. Or perhaps they have and he's too addled with mental illness and delusions to listen carefully enough."
New Commerce Secretary Right In The Center Of Russia Scandals | Crooks and Liars
New Commerce Secretary Right In The Center Of Russia Scandals | Crooks and Liars
"Ross is the nexus between a Russian oligarch and Donald Trump. Possible money laundering and more."
"Ross is the nexus between a Russian oligarch and Donald Trump. Possible money laundering and more."
Intelligence experts: Trump’s adherence to ‘alternative facts’ could spark another Iraq — or worse
Intelligence experts: Trump’s adherence to ‘alternative facts’ could spark another Iraq — or worse
"Intelligence experts are warning that Pres. Donald Trump and his administration’s refusal to acknowledge truths that don’t align with their worldview could have serious geopolitical consequences — a situation that is made even more complicated by the “fundamental ignorance and inexperience of Trump’s inner circle"."
"Intelligence experts are warning that Pres. Donald Trump and his administration’s refusal to acknowledge truths that don’t align with their worldview could have serious geopolitical consequences — a situation that is made even more complicated by the “fundamental ignorance and inexperience of Trump’s inner circle"."
‘Be careful’: GOP Intel chair warns reporters could face investigation for persisting on Sessions
‘Be careful’: GOP Intel chair warns reporters could face investigation for persisting on Sessions
"Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, warned reporters on Thursday that they could find themselves under investigation if they continued to ask questions about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ ties to Russia."
"Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, warned reporters on Thursday that they could find themselves under investigation if they continued to ask questions about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ ties to Russia."
Recusal is not enough for Jeff Sessions
https://thinkprogress.org/recusal-is-not-enough-for-jeff-sessions-5e7afe6879b3#.gxpu60f24
"Even if Sessions is technically recused from the Russia investigation, he still has significant power to pressure the investigators and to impact their future within the Justice Department. He also supervises the deputy attorney general, who will now be the senior-most Justice Department official tasked with reviewing whether Attorney General Sessions committed a crime."
"Even if Sessions is technically recused from the Russia investigation, he still has significant power to pressure the investigators and to impact their future within the Justice Department. He also supervises the deputy attorney general, who will now be the senior-most Justice Department official tasked with reviewing whether Attorney General Sessions committed a crime."
Campaign adviser changes story and now contradicts Trump, says Donald ordered Ukraine change at RNC
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/3/1639775/-Campaign-advisor-changes-story-and-now-contradicts-Trump-says-Donald-ordered-Ukraine-change-at-RNC
"Members of the Trump campaign interfered with an RNC delegate proposal to attach language to the official Republican Party platform that would back Ukraine, militarily and otherwise, if Russia tried to invade. You can read the backstory here. It was the only issue the Trump campaign intervened on while delegates were voting on the party’s platform."
"Members of the Trump campaign interfered with an RNC delegate proposal to attach language to the official Republican Party platform that would back Ukraine, militarily and otherwise, if Russia tried to invade. You can read the backstory here. It was the only issue the Trump campaign intervened on while delegates were voting on the party’s platform."
5 Trump Cabinet Members Who’ve Made False Statements To Congress | Crooks and Liars
5 Trump Cabinet Members Who’ve Made False Statements To Congress | Crooks and Liars
"Sessions isn’t the only one. At least four other cabinet members made statements during their nomination hearings that are contradicted by actual facts: EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. The statements were all made under oath, except those of DeVos."
"Sessions isn’t the only one. At least four other cabinet members made statements during their nomination hearings that are contradicted by actual facts: EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. The statements were all made under oath, except those of DeVos."
120 U.S. Generals and Admirals Just Sent Trump a Dire Warning About Diplomacy @alternet
120 U.S. Generals and Admirals Just Sent Trump a Dire Warning About Diplomacy @alternet:
"a group of “former three- and four-star generals” led by “Retired Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander,” pled with lawmakers and yet another general, new National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, to preserve State Department funding."
"a group of “former three- and four-star generals” led by “Retired Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander,” pled with lawmakers and yet another general, new National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, to preserve State Department funding."
Trump, Putin, and the New Cold War
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/06/trump-putin-and-the-new-cold-war
"A study led by Philip N. Howard, a specialist in Internet studies at Oxford University, found that, during the second debate of the general election, automated Twitter accounts, known as “bots,” generated four tweets in favor of Trump for every one in favor of Clinton, driving Trump’s messages to the top of trending topics, which mold media priorities. Internet researchers and political operatives believe that a substantial number of these bots were aligned with individuals and organizations supported, and sometimes funded, by the Kremlin."
"A study led by Philip N. Howard, a specialist in Internet studies at Oxford University, found that, during the second debate of the general election, automated Twitter accounts, known as “bots,” generated four tweets in favor of Trump for every one in favor of Clinton, driving Trump’s messages to the top of trending topics, which mold media priorities. Internet researchers and political operatives believe that a substantial number of these bots were aligned with individuals and organizations supported, and sometimes funded, by the Kremlin."
Friday, March 3, 2017
Hey, Look, Another Russian Connection in Trump's Cabinet
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53475/trump-cabinet-russia-business/
"The essential folks at McClatchy have raised some questions about the ownership stake in a Cyprus bank held by Wilbur Ross, who by eight o'clock tonight likely will be your Secretary of Commerce. The bank that does a lot of business with various Russian oligarchs, including, it is alleged, as a spin cycle for money that the Russian kleptocracy would like to have cleaned. More recently, he led a rescue of Bank of Cyprus in September 2014 after the Cypriot government — in consultation with Russian President Vladimir Putin — first propped up the institution. "Cyprus banks have a long and painful history of laundering dirty money from Russians involved with corruption and criminality," said Elise Bean, a former Senate investigator who specialized in combating money laundering and tax evasion. "Buying a Cyprus bank necessarily raises red flags about suspect deposits, high-risk clients and hidden activities." The Russian business and government elite have often sought financial security in the Mediterranean island's banking system. Oligarch Dmitry Ryvoloviev took a nearly 10 percent stake in Bank of Cyprus in 2010. Two years earlier, amid the U.S. financial crisis when real-estate prices were softening, Ryvoloviev purchased Donald Trump's Palm Beach mansion for $95 million. The transaction generated questions because of its inflated market price, about $60 million more than Trump had paid for the Florida property four years earlier. When Europe's debt crisis spread and affected Cyprus in 2012 and 2013, that nation's second biggest bank, Laiki Bank, was closed. The government imposed losses on uninsured deposits, many belonging to Russians."
"The essential folks at McClatchy have raised some questions about the ownership stake in a Cyprus bank held by Wilbur Ross, who by eight o'clock tonight likely will be your Secretary of Commerce. The bank that does a lot of business with various Russian oligarchs, including, it is alleged, as a spin cycle for money that the Russian kleptocracy would like to have cleaned. More recently, he led a rescue of Bank of Cyprus in September 2014 after the Cypriot government — in consultation with Russian President Vladimir Putin — first propped up the institution. "Cyprus banks have a long and painful history of laundering dirty money from Russians involved with corruption and criminality," said Elise Bean, a former Senate investigator who specialized in combating money laundering and tax evasion. "Buying a Cyprus bank necessarily raises red flags about suspect deposits, high-risk clients and hidden activities." The Russian business and government elite have often sought financial security in the Mediterranean island's banking system. Oligarch Dmitry Ryvoloviev took a nearly 10 percent stake in Bank of Cyprus in 2010. Two years earlier, amid the U.S. financial crisis when real-estate prices were softening, Ryvoloviev purchased Donald Trump's Palm Beach mansion for $95 million. The transaction generated questions because of its inflated market price, about $60 million more than Trump had paid for the Florida property four years earlier. When Europe's debt crisis spread and affected Cyprus in 2012 and 2013, that nation's second biggest bank, Laiki Bank, was closed. The government imposed losses on uninsured deposits, many belonging to Russians."
Here’s Why the Sessions Scandal is a Huge Deal & His Excuse Makes No Sense
https://forwardprogressives.com/heres-sessions-scandal-huge-deal-excuse-makes-no-absolutely-sense/
"Not only did Sessions have contact with Russian officials, he did so twice. According to justice department officials, Sessions met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak once in July during the GOP convention and again at his office in September. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Kislyak is considered to be one of Russia’s top spies and spy-recruiters. Sessions is claiming he didn’t lie because there’s nothing wrong with a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee meeting with a Russian official. However, as the Washington Post found out, apparently no other members of that committee met with Kislyak last year. So why out of all 26 senators who serve on that committee does it seem as if Sessions was the only person to meet with Kislyak? It goes back to what I’ve been saying for months now, these ties Trump has to Russia aren’t all “a coincidence.” Think about this. We now know that two top people close to Trump lied about their contact with Russian officials. This all comes on the heels of an election where the most pro-Russian candidate in history, a man who staunchly refuses to say a single negative word about Russia, was helped by a Russian cyber attack clearly aimed at helping elect him president. This also goes along with the infamous dossier put together by a former MI6 spy that not only seems to have been accurate when it said some individuals within Trump’s circle had contact with Russian officials, but also alleges Vladimir Putin has information he’s using to compromise our current Commander-in-Chief. But all is well, right? Sessions has now agreed to recuse himself from any potential investigation into ties between Donald Trump and Russia. You see, that proves how shady he is. For weeks there have been calls for Sessions to recuse himself from any potential investigation into these Russian allegations against Trump, yet he seemed unwilling to do so — until now."
"Not only did Sessions have contact with Russian officials, he did so twice. According to justice department officials, Sessions met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak once in July during the GOP convention and again at his office in September. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Kislyak is considered to be one of Russia’s top spies and spy-recruiters. Sessions is claiming he didn’t lie because there’s nothing wrong with a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee meeting with a Russian official. However, as the Washington Post found out, apparently no other members of that committee met with Kislyak last year. So why out of all 26 senators who serve on that committee does it seem as if Sessions was the only person to meet with Kislyak? It goes back to what I’ve been saying for months now, these ties Trump has to Russia aren’t all “a coincidence.” Think about this. We now know that two top people close to Trump lied about their contact with Russian officials. This all comes on the heels of an election where the most pro-Russian candidate in history, a man who staunchly refuses to say a single negative word about Russia, was helped by a Russian cyber attack clearly aimed at helping elect him president. This also goes along with the infamous dossier put together by a former MI6 spy that not only seems to have been accurate when it said some individuals within Trump’s circle had contact with Russian officials, but also alleges Vladimir Putin has information he’s using to compromise our current Commander-in-Chief. But all is well, right? Sessions has now agreed to recuse himself from any potential investigation into ties between Donald Trump and Russia. You see, that proves how shady he is. For weeks there have been calls for Sessions to recuse himself from any potential investigation into these Russian allegations against Trump, yet he seemed unwilling to do so — until now."
The ultimate case for a special prosecutor and the eventual resignation of Donald Trump
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/2/1639388/-The-ultimate-case-for-a-special-prosecutor-and-the-eventual-resignation-of-Donald-Trump
"Donald Trump appears to have a number of people around him that have extremely close ties to Russian billionaires and Vladimir Putin. Let’s start with the curious real estate deal between Donald Trump and shadowy Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. In 2006, Donald Trump purchased a Florida mansion and estate for $40 million. Only two years later, along comes Dmitry Rybolovlev to buy the estate for 250% more than Trump paid for it. It was the most expensive home in America. This week it was completely torn down and it appears Rybolovlev never set foot in it. Why?"
"Donald Trump appears to have a number of people around him that have extremely close ties to Russian billionaires and Vladimir Putin. Let’s start with the curious real estate deal between Donald Trump and shadowy Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. In 2006, Donald Trump purchased a Florida mansion and estate for $40 million. Only two years later, along comes Dmitry Rybolovlev to buy the estate for 250% more than Trump paid for it. It was the most expensive home in America. This week it was completely torn down and it appears Rybolovlev never set foot in it. Why?"
Sessions lied to Congress about his contacts with Russia during the Trump campaign. Here’s the tape.
https://thinkprogress.org/sessions-lied-to-congress-about-his-contacts-with-russia-during-the-trump-campaign-733180c7b910#.pxvvx7rs0
"During his confirmation hearings in January, Sessions was asked directly about whether he was aware of any contacts between Trump surrogates and the Russian government during the campaign. Sessions acknowledged that he was a surrogate of the Trump campaign. But he definitively said that he had no contacts with Russia. “I did not have communications with the Russians,” he told Sen. Al Franken (D-MN). He was testifying under oath."
"During his confirmation hearings in January, Sessions was asked directly about whether he was aware of any contacts between Trump surrogates and the Russian government during the campaign. Sessions acknowledged that he was a surrogate of the Trump campaign. But he definitively said that he had no contacts with Russia. “I did not have communications with the Russians,” he told Sen. Al Franken (D-MN). He was testifying under oath."
Almost Every Single Word of Trump's Speech to Congress Was a Lie @alternet
Almost Every Single Word of Trump's Speech to Congress Was a Lie @alternet:
"The speech itself was the usual mixture of poison and BS to which we have grown sadly accustomed. By now the only people who must watch a Trump speech with even a vague glimmer of a hope that he will start acting “presidential” – that he will finally achieve that long-hoped-for “pivot” – must be the cable pundits and columnists who have airtime and column inches to fill. The rest of us have long since moved on if we know what’s good for us. Because inside that overripe cantaloupe of a head, Donald Trump’s world remains a frightening place detached from reality with the sheerness and severity of a sawed-off tree limb."
"The speech itself was the usual mixture of poison and BS to which we have grown sadly accustomed. By now the only people who must watch a Trump speech with even a vague glimmer of a hope that he will start acting “presidential” – that he will finally achieve that long-hoped-for “pivot” – must be the cable pundits and columnists who have airtime and column inches to fill. The rest of us have long since moved on if we know what’s good for us. Because inside that overripe cantaloupe of a head, Donald Trump’s world remains a frightening place detached from reality with the sheerness and severity of a sawed-off tree limb."
Trump just bragged about jobs he didn’t create
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-address-congress-jobs-3fba86ed6655#.c2gwypjkg
"The problem is that none of these jobs have anything to do with his administration. All of them are thanks to plans that were in the works before he was even elected."
"The problem is that none of these jobs have anything to do with his administration. All of them are thanks to plans that were in the works before he was even elected."
12 Glaring Omissions, Contradictions and Lies Bernie Sanders Spotted in Trump's Address @alternet
12 Glaring Omissions, Contradictions and Lies Bernie Sanders Spotted in Trump's Address @alternet:
"12 glaring omissions, contradictions and lies Sanders spotted in Trump's address"
"12 glaring omissions, contradictions and lies Sanders spotted in Trump's address"
Trump’s address to Congress was riddled with falsehoods about the energy industry
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-address-to-congress-was-riddled-with-falsehoods-about-the-energy-industry-47d9b93d4b8d#.khy6v1ypl
"During his first joint address to Congress as president, Donald Trump did not linger on energy or the environment, but offered up falsehoods about the coal industry and tar sands oil pipelines. He also completely ignored the clean energy industry."
"During his first joint address to Congress as president, Donald Trump did not linger on energy or the environment, but offered up falsehoods about the coal industry and tar sands oil pipelines. He also completely ignored the clean energy industry."
Fact-Checking Donald Trump's First Presidential Address to Congress @alternet
Fact-Checking Donald Trump's First Presidential Address to Congress @alternet:
"From foreign policy to immigration, the facts and his statements were at odds."
"From foreign policy to immigration, the facts and his statements were at odds."
Paul Ryan's Next Attack on Workers' Retirement a Win for Wall Street
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/02/24/paul-ryans-next-attack-workers-retirement-win-wall-street
"These are the same people who are trying to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and working to eliminate the fiduciary rule, requiring investment advisers to act on behalf of their clients. The only common principle in these actions is giving more money to the banks."
"These are the same people who are trying to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and working to eliminate the fiduciary rule, requiring investment advisers to act on behalf of their clients. The only common principle in these actions is giving more money to the banks."
Experts on authoritarianism say Trump’s presidency ‘has gotten scarier’
https://thinkprogress.org/experts-on-authoritarianism-say-trumps-presidency-has-gotten-scarier-b9b5c12f647#.7j1j8q5ll
"Trump’s relationship with the truth is deeply troubling."
"Trump’s relationship with the truth is deeply troubling."
Cancer survivors' message to Republicans: 'We literally live and die by insurance'
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/24/1637305/-Cancer-survivors-message-to-Republicans-We-literally-live-and-die-by-insurance
"Nearly 1 in 4 Americans has a pre-existing health condition—that's 52 million people under the age of 65. It's 52 million people who for the past three years had the peace of mind of knowing that they could not be denied health insurance. Among them are more than 15 million who are cancer patients or survivors, who are at the forefront of people speaking out against Republican efforts to repeal the law."
"Nearly 1 in 4 Americans has a pre-existing health condition—that's 52 million people under the age of 65. It's 52 million people who for the past three years had the peace of mind of knowing that they could not be denied health insurance. Among them are more than 15 million who are cancer patients or survivors, who are at the forefront of people speaking out against Republican efforts to repeal the law."
Congressman who wants to kill the EPA gets blasted at his town hall
https://thinkprogress.org/rep-who-wants-to-kill-epa-gets-blasted-79e95fe6cfa0#.1uxihxp4p
"Turns out, people really like clean air and water."
"Turns out, people really like clean air and water."
Trump’s efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation may have finally gone too far
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-efforts-to-obstruct-the-russia-investigation-may-have-finally-gone-too-far-1513e5d9f3a4#.5rhzo4i7h
"The efforts of the White House to preempt the FBI investigation of contacts closely mirrors some of the conduct described in the Articles of Impeachment against Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal. Paragraph 4 of Article I of the Articles of Impeachment adopted by House Judiciary Committee alleges that Nixon was: interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Congressional Committees… In this case, we do not know all the details of Priebus’ communications with the FBI. But we do know that he was in contact with the FBI regarding an ongoing investigation and the purpose those contacts was to secure a public ending to an ongoing FBI investigation of top Trump advisers."
"The efforts of the White House to preempt the FBI investigation of contacts closely mirrors some of the conduct described in the Articles of Impeachment against Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal. Paragraph 4 of Article I of the Articles of Impeachment adopted by House Judiciary Committee alleges that Nixon was: interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Congressional Committees… In this case, we do not know all the details of Priebus’ communications with the FBI. But we do know that he was in contact with the FBI regarding an ongoing investigation and the purpose those contacts was to secure a public ending to an ongoing FBI investigation of top Trump advisers."
Bannon Admits Trump's Cabinet Nominees Were Selected To Destroy Their Agencies.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/23/1637009/-Bannon-Reveals-His-Intention-To-Deconstruct-The-Administrative-State-i-e-Destroy-The-Country
"The crippling or wholesale elimination of Federal agencies that ensure we receive such things as clean air, clean water, fair labor laws, fair housing standards, anti-discrimination laws, financial protections, food and drug safety, national education standards and the like, has been a goal of far-right “thinkers" for decades."
"The crippling or wholesale elimination of Federal agencies that ensure we receive such things as clean air, clean water, fair labor laws, fair housing standards, anti-discrimination laws, financial protections, food and drug safety, national education standards and the like, has been a goal of far-right “thinkers" for decades."
REVEALED: Top Trump aide Gorka worked with anti-Semitic and racist groups in Hungary
REVEALED: Top Trump aide Gorka worked with anti-Semitic and racist groups in Hungary
"Former Breitbart.com editor turned senior White House aide Sebastian Gorka worked with anti-Semitic and openly racist far-right political groups in Hungary before becoming a U.S. citizen. Forward.com reported Friday that an in-depth look at the British-born Gorka’s time in Hungary from 2002 to 2007 shows that he was heavily involved with the far right, including writing and editing for a newspaper known for its racist, anti-Jew content. “Gorka’s involvement with the far right includes co-founding a political party with former prominent members of Jobbik, a political party with a well-known history of anti-Semitism; repeatedly publishing articles in a newspaper known for its anti-Semitic and racist content; and attending events with some of Hungary’s most notorious extreme-right figures,” wrote Forward’s Lili Bayer. When asked about his connections to Hungary’s far-right, Bayer said, Gorka — whose parents are Hungarian — “instead pivoted to talk about his family’s history"."
"Former Breitbart.com editor turned senior White House aide Sebastian Gorka worked with anti-Semitic and openly racist far-right political groups in Hungary before becoming a U.S. citizen. Forward.com reported Friday that an in-depth look at the British-born Gorka’s time in Hungary from 2002 to 2007 shows that he was heavily involved with the far right, including writing and editing for a newspaper known for its racist, anti-Jew content. “Gorka’s involvement with the far right includes co-founding a political party with former prominent members of Jobbik, a political party with a well-known history of anti-Semitism; repeatedly publishing articles in a newspaper known for its anti-Semitic and racist content; and attending events with some of Hungary’s most notorious extreme-right figures,” wrote Forward’s Lili Bayer. When asked about his connections to Hungary’s far-right, Bayer said, Gorka — whose parents are Hungarian — “instead pivoted to talk about his family’s history"."
The Simple Truth is Most Republicans Believe in a ‘Reality’ That Doesn’t Actually Exist
https://forwardprogressives.com/simple-truth-republicans-believe-reality-doesnt-actually-exist/
"We’re no longer dealing with a situation where Republicans simply differ ideologically from Democrats when it comes to dealing with key issues. Now we’re faced with a scenario where the majority of conservatives believe in a “reality” that’s simply not real — which is why con artists like Donald Trump can thrive among Republicans. He doesn’t need to prove any of the lies he spews. All he has to do is keep pandering to this non-existent “reality” conservatives want to believe is real — even though the only place it exists is in their own minds."
"We’re no longer dealing with a situation where Republicans simply differ ideologically from Democrats when it comes to dealing with key issues. Now we’re faced with a scenario where the majority of conservatives believe in a “reality” that’s simply not real — which is why con artists like Donald Trump can thrive among Republicans. He doesn’t need to prove any of the lies he spews. All he has to do is keep pandering to this non-existent “reality” conservatives want to believe is real — even though the only place it exists is in their own minds."
The Manchurian President
http://billmoyers.com/story/the-manchurian-president/
"The Republicans, aside from a few voices like John McCain’s and Lindsey Graham’s, seem in lockstep with his Russia love, their historical anti-communism notwithstanding. That means ordinary Republicans too. Trump may appeal to only 35 percent of Americans, but those 35 percent are the rank-and-file of the Republican Party, which now has a monopoly on government. And they don’t seem to be terribly lathered by Trump’s Russia love either. In fact, polls show Republicans’ views of Russia more closely resemble those of Russians themselves than of their fellow Americans. Something has gone so terribly wrong in America that The Manchurian Candidate seems more like a docudrama than an absurd thriller. An American government possibly controlled by a Russian puppet, a major political party turning a blind eye to what may be treasonous conduct, an FBI that cooperated by refusing to sound the alarm and the majority of the American people helpless to do anything about it. That’s not Hollywood anymore, that’s Washington."
"The Republicans, aside from a few voices like John McCain’s and Lindsey Graham’s, seem in lockstep with his Russia love, their historical anti-communism notwithstanding. That means ordinary Republicans too. Trump may appeal to only 35 percent of Americans, but those 35 percent are the rank-and-file of the Republican Party, which now has a monopoly on government. And they don’t seem to be terribly lathered by Trump’s Russia love either. In fact, polls show Republicans’ views of Russia more closely resemble those of Russians themselves than of their fellow Americans. Something has gone so terribly wrong in America that The Manchurian Candidate seems more like a docudrama than an absurd thriller. An American government possibly controlled by a Russian puppet, a major political party turning a blind eye to what may be treasonous conduct, an FBI that cooperated by refusing to sound the alarm and the majority of the American people helpless to do anything about it. That’s not Hollywood anymore, that’s Washington."
Trump's Strategic Vision of Chaos: Inventing a Nonexistent Crisis So He Can 'Solve' It @alternet
Trump's Strategic Vision of Chaos: Inventing a Nonexistent Crisis So He Can 'Solve' It @alternet:
"The president depicts a failing America that's more like 2009 than 2017—so he can take credit for doing nothing."
"The president depicts a failing America that's more like 2009 than 2017—so he can take credit for doing nothing."
The Perennial GOP Tax Scam @alternet
The Perennial GOP Tax Scam @alternet:
"Meanwhile, the larger effect of tax cuts defunding government will see the power of corporations and billionaires grow, while the ability of government to do things will shrink. We’ve gone from NASA sending men to the moon to having to rely on private corporations to send rockets up to refill the space station. Starting with Reagan’s government-defunding billionaire-friendly tax-cuts in the 1980s we stopped building and even repairing much of our infrastructure, causing the deterioration of our nation to nearly developing-world status in many parts of the country. So, with the GOP in power, get ready to see working people’s pay start dropping again, as it did starting in the 1980s after Reagan’s tax cut and in the early 2000s after Bush’s. Also get ready to see income inequality grow even worse, as the truly rich see a big boost in their take-home pay and thus their overall wealth, while working people and our nation’s infrastructure get screwed. And get ready for voters who have no idea how this all works to get totally behind the GOP “we’ll cut your taxes” rhetoric, not realizing that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump/Mike Pence view us all as merely useful idiots."
"Meanwhile, the larger effect of tax cuts defunding government will see the power of corporations and billionaires grow, while the ability of government to do things will shrink. We’ve gone from NASA sending men to the moon to having to rely on private corporations to send rockets up to refill the space station. Starting with Reagan’s government-defunding billionaire-friendly tax-cuts in the 1980s we stopped building and even repairing much of our infrastructure, causing the deterioration of our nation to nearly developing-world status in many parts of the country. So, with the GOP in power, get ready to see working people’s pay start dropping again, as it did starting in the 1980s after Reagan’s tax cut and in the early 2000s after Bush’s. Also get ready to see income inequality grow even worse, as the truly rich see a big boost in their take-home pay and thus their overall wealth, while working people and our nation’s infrastructure get screwed. And get ready for voters who have no idea how this all works to get totally behind the GOP “we’ll cut your taxes” rhetoric, not realizing that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump/Mike Pence view us all as merely useful idiots."
What We Learned From Scott Pruitt's Emails to the Fossil Fuel Industry
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39587-what-we-learned-from-scott-pruitt-s-emails-to-the-fossil-fuel-industry
"The emails verify that Pruitt worked hand in hand with the industry his state was supposed to regulate. In 2013, a coal lobbyist suggested Pruitt's office "cut and paste" talking points from an industry white paper when encouraging other states to file comments opposing new EPA air pollution requirements for states. The lobbyist, Rod Hastie, even met with Pruitt personally to discuss a white paper covering Pruitt's work on energy issues. Pruitt's office also discussed regulations with Devon Energy, major oil and gas producer, as well as various industry attorneys and lobbyists."
"The emails verify that Pruitt worked hand in hand with the industry his state was supposed to regulate. In 2013, a coal lobbyist suggested Pruitt's office "cut and paste" talking points from an industry white paper when encouraging other states to file comments opposing new EPA air pollution requirements for states. The lobbyist, Rod Hastie, even met with Pruitt personally to discuss a white paper covering Pruitt's work on energy issues. Pruitt's office also discussed regulations with Devon Energy, major oil and gas producer, as well as various industry attorneys and lobbyists."
Why Kansas' Fiscal Implosion Is Bad News for Trump
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/sam-brownback-kansas-tax-cuts-donald-trump
"Trump and Brownback share a tax guide: Reaganomics guru Art Laffer. Laffer is best known for the Laffer curve, a diagram of his hypothesis that lowering tax rates could increase tax revenue by boosting economic output. Kansas paid $75,000 for Laffer to spend three days consulting with lawmakers on the state's tax plans. Laffer also visited Trump Tower to consult on tax reform last year, and in December he called Trump's campaign tax plans "terrific." When Trump's treasury secretary nominee went before the Senate last month, Trump's transition press office emailed reporters a list of endorsements that started with glowing praise from Laffer. "Steven Mnuchin is a wonderful choice for Treasury Secretary," Laffer said. "He has a great understanding of finance, markets, and housing. He is committed to tax reform that will get our economy growing, create jobs, and make America the best place to do business." By now, it's clear that Brownback's tax experiment hasn't produced the growth he promised. But that hasn't put an end to Republican efforts to replicate it on the national level. In December, Brownback suggested to the Wall Street Journal that Kansas' tax reforms could offer a model for Trump. And on Thursday morning, Brownback is scheduled to speak—almost certainly about his taxation model—at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC, on a panel titled "How Governors are Reclaiming America's Promise"."
"Trump and Brownback share a tax guide: Reaganomics guru Art Laffer. Laffer is best known for the Laffer curve, a diagram of his hypothesis that lowering tax rates could increase tax revenue by boosting economic output. Kansas paid $75,000 for Laffer to spend three days consulting with lawmakers on the state's tax plans. Laffer also visited Trump Tower to consult on tax reform last year, and in December he called Trump's campaign tax plans "terrific." When Trump's treasury secretary nominee went before the Senate last month, Trump's transition press office emailed reporters a list of endorsements that started with glowing praise from Laffer. "Steven Mnuchin is a wonderful choice for Treasury Secretary," Laffer said. "He has a great understanding of finance, markets, and housing. He is committed to tax reform that will get our economy growing, create jobs, and make America the best place to do business." By now, it's clear that Brownback's tax experiment hasn't produced the growth he promised. But that hasn't put an end to Republican efforts to replicate it on the national level. In December, Brownback suggested to the Wall Street Journal that Kansas' tax reforms could offer a model for Trump. And on Thursday morning, Brownback is scheduled to speak—almost certainly about his taxation model—at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC, on a panel titled "How Governors are Reclaiming America's Promise"."
Email Dump Reveals EPA Chief Pruitt's Cozy Ties With Fossil Fuels Industry
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/22/email-dump-reveals-epa-chief-pruitts-cozy-ties-fossil-fuels-industry
"Thousands of pages of emails between newly confirmed EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and fossil fuel companies during his time as Oklahoma attorney general—released per court order on Tuesday night—confirm "a close and friendly relationship" between the man now charged with protecting the U.S. environment and entities seeking to hamper those efforts. The Oklahoma Attorney General's office on Tuesday released a batch of more than 7,500 pages of emails and other records, after a judge last week found Pruitt in violation of the state's Open Records Act for improperly withholding public records requested by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). The group made the documents public on Wednesday. They show that Pruitt—who sued the EPA more than a dozen times as attorney general—"closely coordinated with major oil and gas producers, electric utilities, and political groups with ties to the libertarian billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch to roll back environmental regulations," according to the New York Times."
"Thousands of pages of emails between newly confirmed EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and fossil fuel companies during his time as Oklahoma attorney general—released per court order on Tuesday night—confirm "a close and friendly relationship" between the man now charged with protecting the U.S. environment and entities seeking to hamper those efforts. The Oklahoma Attorney General's office on Tuesday released a batch of more than 7,500 pages of emails and other records, after a judge last week found Pruitt in violation of the state's Open Records Act for improperly withholding public records requested by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). The group made the documents public on Wednesday. They show that Pruitt—who sued the EPA more than a dozen times as attorney general—"closely coordinated with major oil and gas producers, electric utilities, and political groups with ties to the libertarian billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch to roll back environmental regulations," according to the New York Times."
These Documents Are Damning, and the Senate Knows It
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53329/scott-pruitt-epa-documents/
"The second-most preposterous thing about putting Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency was the fact that the Senate hustled to install him in the job, because they knew that a court-ordered document dump was coming this week that would make his appointment even more absurd than the most preposterous thing about putting him in charge—which is that Pruitt was suing the very agency he'd been picked to lead. Well, the other shoe dropped on Wednesday. According to The New York Times, the document dump was pretty much what everybody figured was coming."
"The second-most preposterous thing about putting Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency was the fact that the Senate hustled to install him in the job, because they knew that a court-ordered document dump was coming this week that would make his appointment even more absurd than the most preposterous thing about putting him in charge—which is that Pruitt was suing the very agency he'd been picked to lead. Well, the other shoe dropped on Wednesday. According to The New York Times, the document dump was pretty much what everybody figured was coming."
Former Trump campaign chief blackmailed over meeting between Trump and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/23/1636862/-Paul-Manafort-blackmailed-over-meeting-between-Trump-and-pro-Russian-forces-in-Ukraine
"Paul Manafort was hired to install pro-Russian strongman Yanukovych using a campaign of deceptive propaganda and staged protests. He not only put Yanukovych in a position to gift Russia with a sweetheart treaty and push Ukraine away from the West, but also provided Vladimir Putin with an excuse to invade Crimea. For his work, Manafort collected millions in overt pay, and possibly many millions more under the table."
"Paul Manafort was hired to install pro-Russian strongman Yanukovych using a campaign of deceptive propaganda and staged protests. He not only put Yanukovych in a position to gift Russia with a sweetheart treaty and push Ukraine away from the West, but also provided Vladimir Putin with an excuse to invade Crimea. For his work, Manafort collected millions in overt pay, and possibly many millions more under the table."
Thousands of Scott Pruitt's Emails Just Hit the Internet. Here Are the Wildest, Scariest Bits.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/02/new-epa-head-scott-pruitts-emails-reveal-close-ties-fossil-fuel-interests
"The close relationship between Scott Pruitt, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and fossil fuel interests including the billionaire Koch brothers has been highlighted in more than 7,500 emails and other records released by the Oklahoma attorney general's office on Wednesday. The documents show that Pruitt, while Oklahoma attorney general, acted in close concert with oil and gas companies to challenge environmental regulations, even putting his letterhead to a complaint filed by one firm, Devon Energy. This practice was first revealed in 2014, but it now appears that it occurred more than once. The emails also show that American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, an oil and gas lobby group, provided Pruitt's office with template language to oppose ozone limits and the renewable fuel standard program in 2013. AFPM encouraged Oklahoma to challenge the rules, noting: "This argument is more credible coming from a state." Later that year, Pruitt did file opposition to both of these regulations. The letters also show the cozy relationship between Pruitt and the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), the influential US lobbying network of Republican politicians and big businesses, and other lobby groups sponsored by the Koch brothers, the billionaire energy investors who have spent decades fighting against environmental regulation."
"The close relationship between Scott Pruitt, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and fossil fuel interests including the billionaire Koch brothers has been highlighted in more than 7,500 emails and other records released by the Oklahoma attorney general's office on Wednesday. The documents show that Pruitt, while Oklahoma attorney general, acted in close concert with oil and gas companies to challenge environmental regulations, even putting his letterhead to a complaint filed by one firm, Devon Energy. This practice was first revealed in 2014, but it now appears that it occurred more than once. The emails also show that American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, an oil and gas lobby group, provided Pruitt's office with template language to oppose ozone limits and the renewable fuel standard program in 2013. AFPM encouraged Oklahoma to challenge the rules, noting: "This argument is more credible coming from a state." Later that year, Pruitt did file opposition to both of these regulations. The letters also show the cozy relationship between Pruitt and the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), the influential US lobbying network of Republican politicians and big businesses, and other lobby groups sponsored by the Koch brothers, the billionaire energy investors who have spent decades fighting against environmental regulation."
Instead of Russia, Rep. Jason Chaffetz launches investigation of new National Park (seriously)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/22/1636596/-Instead-of-Russia-Rep-Jason-Chaffetz-launches-investigation-of-new-National-Park-seriously
"The chair of the House Oversight committee hasn’t been able to find the strength or time to investigate the clearly alarming conflicts of interest between Trump or any number of Trump’s cabinet and foreign leaders, but he knows how badly he wants to sell off public land."
"The chair of the House Oversight committee hasn’t been able to find the strength or time to investigate the clearly alarming conflicts of interest between Trump or any number of Trump’s cabinet and foreign leaders, but he knows how badly he wants to sell off public land."
Donald Trump’s Assault On Clean Water Laws Has Already Begun
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-stream-protection-rule-clean-water_us_58add04ee4b03d80af717914?evakpx0fuz6m3g14i
"Last week, Trump signed a resolution that voided the Stream Protection Rule, a Department of the Interior regulation finalized during the Obama administration. The rule would have required coal mining companies to avoid practices that pollute streams and threaten drinking water supplies, monitor and report any pollution, and return waterways to their previous condition after mining operations are completed. Both the Senate and House voted in favor of it. On the heels of the confirmation of new Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, Trump is now expected to take executive action this week to undo the EPA’s Clean Water Rule."
"Last week, Trump signed a resolution that voided the Stream Protection Rule, a Department of the Interior regulation finalized during the Obama administration. The rule would have required coal mining companies to avoid practices that pollute streams and threaten drinking water supplies, monitor and report any pollution, and return waterways to their previous condition after mining operations are completed. Both the Senate and House voted in favor of it. On the heels of the confirmation of new Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, Trump is now expected to take executive action this week to undo the EPA’s Clean Water Rule."
Wow, Paul Manafort Sure Knows a Lot of People in Ukraine
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53327/paul-manafort-ukraine/
"Mr Firtash was first detained in 2014 in Vienna, but was released after posting a record Austrian bail of €125m (£102m). During the lower court hearing, Mr Firtash's team raised the issue of political motive. At the time, Mr Yanukovych had just indicated he would not sign a deal bringing Ukraine closer to the EU, despite US pressure. The judge said there may have been a US desire to remove his ally, Mr Firtash, from the scene. "The aim was clearly to prevent [Firtash] from undermining the political interests of the US," he wrote. Austrian police insisted the arrest was not related to political events and the US justice department appealed. Do tell. With the administration of Donald Trump coming to power, the Firtash case now falls into the realm of possible links between the new president's team and Russia. This has already claimed one scalp - national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired after misleading Vice-President Mike Pence about his talks with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition. Mr Firtash gained much of his wealth through arrangements with Russian energy giant Gazprom. His business flourished after Mr Yanukovych came to power. A key paid adviser in the president's campaign was Paul Manafort, who later became Mr Trump's election campaign adviser. Mr Manafort and Mr Firtash were linked in a real estate project to redevelop the Drake Hotel site in Manhattan. Mr Yanukovych's opponent, Yulia Tymoshenko, argued this was a money-laundering project to siphon huge amounts of cash out of Ukraine. Mr Firtash denies this, telling Bloomberg that although he was initially interested in the project, he changed his mind. He said he "always had clean money" and called Ms Tymoshenko a liar. Last August, the New York Times reported finding ledgers pledging $12.7m (£9.8m) in undisclosed cash payments from the former Russian-backed Ukrainian government to Mr Manafort between 2007 and 2012."
"Mr Firtash was first detained in 2014 in Vienna, but was released after posting a record Austrian bail of €125m (£102m). During the lower court hearing, Mr Firtash's team raised the issue of political motive. At the time, Mr Yanukovych had just indicated he would not sign a deal bringing Ukraine closer to the EU, despite US pressure. The judge said there may have been a US desire to remove his ally, Mr Firtash, from the scene. "The aim was clearly to prevent [Firtash] from undermining the political interests of the US," he wrote. Austrian police insisted the arrest was not related to political events and the US justice department appealed. Do tell. With the administration of Donald Trump coming to power, the Firtash case now falls into the realm of possible links between the new president's team and Russia. This has already claimed one scalp - national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired after misleading Vice-President Mike Pence about his talks with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition. Mr Firtash gained much of his wealth through arrangements with Russian energy giant Gazprom. His business flourished after Mr Yanukovych came to power. A key paid adviser in the president's campaign was Paul Manafort, who later became Mr Trump's election campaign adviser. Mr Manafort and Mr Firtash were linked in a real estate project to redevelop the Drake Hotel site in Manhattan. Mr Yanukovych's opponent, Yulia Tymoshenko, argued this was a money-laundering project to siphon huge amounts of cash out of Ukraine. Mr Firtash denies this, telling Bloomberg that although he was initially interested in the project, he changed his mind. He said he "always had clean money" and called Ms Tymoshenko a liar. Last August, the New York Times reported finding ledgers pledging $12.7m (£9.8m) in undisclosed cash payments from the former Russian-backed Ukrainian government to Mr Manafort between 2007 and 2012."
Trump Has Lied Every Day Of His Presidency | Crooks and Liars
Trump Has Lied Every Day Of His Presidency | Crooks and Liars
"Trump lies, and with complete abandon. He doesn't just exaggerate, but tells complete and utter falsehoods, knowingly."
"Trump lies, and with complete abandon. He doesn't just exaggerate, but tells complete and utter falsehoods, knowingly."
Good God, We're Ruled by a Giant Toddler
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53338/trump-dangerous-twitter/
"The key to keeping Trump's Twitter habit under control, according to six former campaign officials, is to ensure that his personal media consumption includes a steady stream of praise. And when no such praise was to be found, staff would turn to friendly outlets to drum some up — and make sure it made its way to Trump's desk. "If candidate Trump was upset about unfair coverage, it was productive to show him that he was getting fair coverage from outlets that were persuadable," said former communications director Sam Nunberg. "The same media that our base digests and prefers is going to be the base for his support. I would assume the president would like see positive and preferential treatment from those outlets and that would help the operation overall." Little Lord Fauntleroy, with nuclear bombs."
"The key to keeping Trump's Twitter habit under control, according to six former campaign officials, is to ensure that his personal media consumption includes a steady stream of praise. And when no such praise was to be found, staff would turn to friendly outlets to drum some up — and make sure it made its way to Trump's desk. "If candidate Trump was upset about unfair coverage, it was productive to show him that he was getting fair coverage from outlets that were persuadable," said former communications director Sam Nunberg. "The same media that our base digests and prefers is going to be the base for his support. I would assume the president would like see positive and preferential treatment from those outlets and that would help the operation overall." Little Lord Fauntleroy, with nuclear bombs."
President Trump’s hiring freeze is forcing two Army bases to suspend their child-care programs
http://www.salon.com/2017/02/22/president-trumps-hiring-freeze-is-forcing-two-army-bases-to-suspend-their-child-care-programs/
"Officials at Army bases in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, have had to indefinitely suspend services that they provided to children who reside at their bases, according to Military.com."
"Officials at Army bases in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, have had to indefinitely suspend services that they provided to children who reside at their bases, according to Military.com."
Donald Trump's hiring freeze takes preschool from military families in Germany
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/22/1636520/-Donald-Trump-s-hiring-freeze-takes-preschool-from-military-families-in-Germany
"Getting rid of federal jobs is a top Republican priority, and it’s one of Donald Trump’s big early achievements. Federal jobs like providing preschool for the children of military families stationed in Germany"
"Getting rid of federal jobs is a top Republican priority, and it’s one of Donald Trump’s big early achievements. Federal jobs like providing preschool for the children of military families stationed in Germany"
Tea Party Gov. Brownback suffers humiliating tax defeat at hands of Kansas House
Tea Party Gov. Brownback suffers humiliating tax defeat at hands of Kansas House
"Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback suffered a major defeat on Wednesday after the Kansas House of Representatives voted to override his veto of the legislature’s tax hikes aimed at filling massive gaps in the state budget."
"Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback suffered a major defeat on Wednesday after the Kansas House of Representatives voted to override his veto of the legislature’s tax hikes aimed at filling massive gaps in the state budget."
To keep Donald happy, Trump's staff has to ensure he's always receiving praise and adulation
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/22/1636626/-To-keep-Donald-happy-Trump-s-staff-has-to-ensure-he-s-always-receiving-praise-and-adulation
"The key to keeping Trump’s Twitter habit under control, according to six former campaign officials, is to ensure that his personal media consumption includes a steady stream of praise. And when no such praise was to be found, staff would turn to friendly outlets to drum some up — and make sure it made its way to Trump’s desk. So whenever there were negative stories about Trump, which has been All The Damn Time, they'd go to outlets like "Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Fox News, Infowars and the Daily Caller" with alternative story ideas for how freakin' swell Donald Trump was, and then once they got one of those friendly (Infowars!) outlets to take the bait, the staff would tweet those stories out, then print out, for Trump, that friendly coverage to make the idiot manchild feel like he was getting sufficient praise for his little pronouncements and wars and fits. That, and only that, would calm him."
"The key to keeping Trump’s Twitter habit under control, according to six former campaign officials, is to ensure that his personal media consumption includes a steady stream of praise. And when no such praise was to be found, staff would turn to friendly outlets to drum some up — and make sure it made its way to Trump’s desk. So whenever there were negative stories about Trump, which has been All The Damn Time, they'd go to outlets like "Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Fox News, Infowars and the Daily Caller" with alternative story ideas for how freakin' swell Donald Trump was, and then once they got one of those friendly (Infowars!) outlets to take the bait, the staff would tweet those stories out, then print out, for Trump, that friendly coverage to make the idiot manchild feel like he was getting sufficient praise for his little pronouncements and wars and fits. That, and only that, would calm him."
‘Leaving him alone can prove damaging’: Staffers warn Trump needs constant praise and limit on TV
‘Leaving him alone can prove damaging’: Staffers warn Trump needs constant praise and limit on TV
"To curb his urge to tweet, campaign officials said that they showed Trump positive coverage from friendly outlets like Breitbart, Fox News, the Daily Caller and the conspiracy theory website Infowars. “He saw there was activity so he didn’t feel like he had to respond,” one former campaign official pointed out. “He sends out these tweets when he feels like people aren’t responding enough for him"."
"To curb his urge to tweet, campaign officials said that they showed Trump positive coverage from friendly outlets like Breitbart, Fox News, the Daily Caller and the conspiracy theory website Infowars. “He saw there was activity so he didn’t feel like he had to respond,” one former campaign official pointed out. “He sends out these tweets when he feels like people aren’t responding enough for him"."
Robert Reich: 7 Signs American Democracy Is Sliding into Tyranny @alternet
Robert Reich: 7 Signs American Democracy Is Sliding into Tyranny @alternet:
"As tyrants take control of democracies, they typically do 7 things"
"As tyrants take control of democracies, they typically do 7 things"
Thursday, March 2, 2017
President Trump’s Coming War on Science: Environment Edition
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/21/426648/president-trumps-coming-war-on-science-environment-edition/
"On February 17, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Observers can now expect the Trump administration—with Congress providing the wind at Administrator Pruitt’s back—to charge ahead with an aggressive agenda to weaken or nullify a decade’s worth of progress on pollution reduction."
"On February 17, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Observers can now expect the Trump administration—with Congress providing the wind at Administrator Pruitt’s back—to charge ahead with an aggressive agenda to weaken or nullify a decade’s worth of progress on pollution reduction."
Five Ways to End CEO Pay Subsidies
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39549-five-ways-to-end-ceo-pay-subsidies
"A recent Institute for Policy Studies analysis has found that America's top 20 banks paid out more than $2 billion in fully deductible performance bonuses to their top five executives between 2012 and 2015, a windfall that translates into a taxpayer subsidy worth more than $725 million, or $1.7 million per executive per year."
"A recent Institute for Policy Studies analysis has found that America's top 20 banks paid out more than $2 billion in fully deductible performance bonuses to their top five executives between 2012 and 2015, a windfall that translates into a taxpayer subsidy worth more than $725 million, or $1.7 million per executive per year."
Trump Administration Toying With Alternative Economic Facts
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/21/trump-administration-toying-alternative-economic-facts
"The Trump administration's hallmark "alternative facts" may infiltrate U.S. economic data. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the White House "is considering changing the way it calculates U.S. trade deficits, a shift that would make the country's trade gap appear larger than it had in past years." People familiar with the matter told the Journal that employees of the U.S. Trade Representative's office were asked to tweak trade data by excluding re-exports, or goods that are first imported to the U.S. and then exported unchanged to a country such as Canada or Mexico."
"The Trump administration's hallmark "alternative facts" may infiltrate U.S. economic data. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the White House "is considering changing the way it calculates U.S. trade deficits, a shift that would make the country's trade gap appear larger than it had in past years." People familiar with the matter told the Journal that employees of the U.S. Trade Representative's office were asked to tweak trade data by excluding re-exports, or goods that are first imported to the U.S. and then exported unchanged to a country such as Canada or Mexico."
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