Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Republican Party Completely and Utterly Disgraced Itself at Michael Cohen's Hearing
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26558985/republicans-michael-cohen-hearing-disgrace-trump/?fbclid=IwAR1L838fMCRXrErtX-7-6fmeP_nR77mQbwC5xHVJ1d5V5SDuy0kRujzIGF0
"These are the complete creatures of the talk-show culture, the perfect products of two and three generations of gerrymandered in-breeding. These are the monsters from inside The Bubble. You could see this moment coming during the Obama years, in which the country returned the two worst Congresses in American history, full to the gunwales with Bible-banging crazy people. Sooner or later, this was going to be all that was left, and it was going to have to confront a serious crisis with unserious people. That's what Wednesday was about."
"These are the complete creatures of the talk-show culture, the perfect products of two and three generations of gerrymandered in-breeding. These are the monsters from inside The Bubble. You could see this moment coming during the Obama years, in which the country returned the two worst Congresses in American history, full to the gunwales with Bible-banging crazy people. Sooner or later, this was going to be all that was left, and it was going to have to confront a serious crisis with unserious people. That's what Wednesday was about."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Just Expertly Laid a Trap to Get Donald Trump’s Tax Returns
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-just-expertly-laid-a-trap-to-get-donald-trumps-tax-returns/?fbclid=IwAR3w_w--KdgVRvOVhi-8nuWYVdqSVkKRmMzj8l60mpQLAhN9ssz22xba64w
"Her clear and purposeful line of questioning, which appeared to lay the groundwork for the committee to subpoena the president’s tax returns while capturing the names of those in Trump’s inner circle who may know details of his financials, was widely praised"
"Her clear and purposeful line of questioning, which appeared to lay the groundwork for the committee to subpoena the president’s tax returns while capturing the names of those in Trump’s inner circle who may know details of his financials, was widely praised"
Michael Cohen: “Individual 1 is Donald J. Trump”
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/27/18243038/individual-1-cohen-trump-mueller?fbclid=IwAR0CLWbfsGfk3gi8_uXMJv7p0b7ImNnTyFPAT-MexqF4bDJmmbV-akvZxdY
"There was never any doubt that “Individual 1” was President Donald Trump. But now, in his testimony before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, Cohen has confirmed it. “I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with ‘Individual 1,’” Cohen said, reading from his prepared statement. “And for the record: ‘Individual 1’ is Donald J. Trump"."
"There was never any doubt that “Individual 1” was President Donald Trump. But now, in his testimony before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, Cohen has confirmed it. “I pled guilty in federal court to felonies for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in coordination with ‘Individual 1,’” Cohen said, reading from his prepared statement. “And for the record: ‘Individual 1’ is Donald J. Trump"."
Michael Cohen: I threatened Fordham to keep quiet about Trump’s SAT scores and grades
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/27/18243099/michael-cohen-trump-fordham-grades?fbclid=IwAR0XYQsRyQOzS-4C7SS1jBSUwN1yKOv6H_YrPMlv-Pqoi1Rayc5l7xLhul4
"Donald Trump threatened his alma mater with legal action if his college records or SAT scores were released."
"Donald Trump threatened his alma mater with legal action if his college records or SAT scores were released."
Republicans can’t defend Trump against the substance of Cohen’s attacks
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/27/18243233/michael-cohen-testimony-live-republicans?fbclid=IwAR3mq2wdSYUFX_aDefXZSczMdMpqRvOLaCUoR7aD9RR5rukU173zbkZCDMs
"That this is the best Trump’s defenders in the House GOP caucus could up with shows just how brutal Cohen’s testimony is for the White House."
"That this is the best Trump’s defenders in the House GOP caucus could up with shows just how brutal Cohen’s testimony is for the White House."
Michael Cohen’s Scathing Opening Statement Is Littered With Bombshells
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cohen-trump-testimony-800728/?fbclid=IwAR1dMoDhKCcOqGCXQLdt6PZNZkFS-ZG4GSw05EB7mxPXYowdM-gTMA8TzYA
"In addition to the revelations that could have legal implications for Trump, Cohen also paints the president as an insecure, amoral racist who has no regard for the welfare of the United States. He notes how Trump forced him to write letters to his schools threatening legal action if they were to release any of Trump’s grades. He writes of how Trump ran for president strictly to enhance his brand, and that he never even expected to win the primary. He points out how much worse Trump’s private racism is than what he says in public."
"In addition to the revelations that could have legal implications for Trump, Cohen also paints the president as an insecure, amoral racist who has no regard for the welfare of the United States. He notes how Trump forced him to write letters to his schools threatening legal action if they were to release any of Trump’s grades. He writes of how Trump ran for president strictly to enhance his brand, and that he never even expected to win the primary. He points out how much worse Trump’s private racism is than what he says in public."
Operative At Center Of North Carolina Election Fraud Scandal Is Criminally Charged
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mccrae-dowless-north-carolina_n_5c76c925e4b0031d95649247?fbclid=IwAR0iCSKQSsEmL5ZXqwCuuQXzmWbCPP3-KmcrOTxienDoLX0LSCU6lgW9Ki4
"McCrae Dowless worked on behalf of Republican candidate Mark Harris."
"McCrae Dowless worked on behalf of Republican candidate Mark Harris."
Michael Cohen Accuses Republican Lawmakers Of ‘Blindly’ Following Donald Trump
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michael-cohen-republicans-trump_n_5c76c624e4b062b30eba5639?fbclid=IwAR1HLSJx2MIc99H2CFKxd_RScdN0s1ZhDV0Rpm6e0GdQqG6QGazTV3s_p6w
"Michael Cohen, during his explosive testimony before the House oversight committee on Wednesday, accused Republican lawmakers of trying to protect President Donald Trump."
"Michael Cohen, during his explosive testimony before the House oversight committee on Wednesday, accused Republican lawmakers of trying to protect President Donald Trump."
Conservative Expert Privately Warned GOP Donors That a Voting Rights Bill Would Help Democrats
https://theintercept.com/2019/02/27/hr1-bill-voting-rights-republicans/?fbclid=IwAR0MDooqnOqNBN6r4iZd3Wbab-NFqfaY6G-zv_RCpP44IMoE-noRtFVqaJQ
"ON THE FIRST day the new Congress was in session in January, Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat from Maryland, introduced the For the People Act, known in the House of Representatives as H.R.1. The sweeping bill seeks to revamp lobbyist registration, campaign financing, and voting rights. The Brennan Center for Justice said it “would create a more responsive and representative government by making it easier for voters to cast a ballot and harder for lawmakers to gerrymander.” By the end of the month, hearings were held on Capitol Hill. One of the witnesses before the House Judiciary Committee hearings was Hans von Spakovsky, a former Federal Election Commission member who is now a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Von Spakovsky used high-minded and principled language to oppose the bill. In his prepared testimony, he wrote that H.R.1 is “clearly unconstitutional,” complaining that its provisions “come at the expense of federalism.” Just two weeks later, however, as von Spakovsky addressed a private gathering of conservatives, he was considerably more candid about his reason for opposing the bill: It would be bad for Republicans. That’s the message this scholar delivered when he traveled to Orlando, Florida, to brief a Council for National Policy-sponsored meeting of Republican donors and Christian right leaders on the bill. Sitting in the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Ballroom, von Spakovsky explained that expanded voting rights and nonpartisan redistricting could imperil GOP political power."
"ON THE FIRST day the new Congress was in session in January, Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat from Maryland, introduced the For the People Act, known in the House of Representatives as H.R.1. The sweeping bill seeks to revamp lobbyist registration, campaign financing, and voting rights. The Brennan Center for Justice said it “would create a more responsive and representative government by making it easier for voters to cast a ballot and harder for lawmakers to gerrymander.” By the end of the month, hearings were held on Capitol Hill. One of the witnesses before the House Judiciary Committee hearings was Hans von Spakovsky, a former Federal Election Commission member who is now a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Von Spakovsky used high-minded and principled language to oppose the bill. In his prepared testimony, he wrote that H.R.1 is “clearly unconstitutional,” complaining that its provisions “come at the expense of federalism.” Just two weeks later, however, as von Spakovsky addressed a private gathering of conservatives, he was considerably more candid about his reason for opposing the bill: It would be bad for Republicans. That’s the message this scholar delivered when he traveled to Orlando, Florida, to brief a Council for National Policy-sponsored meeting of Republican donors and Christian right leaders on the bill. Sitting in the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Ballroom, von Spakovsky explained that expanded voting rights and nonpartisan redistricting could imperil GOP political power."
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Cohen Gives More Detail On Trump Moscow Tower Briefings
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/cohen-gives-more-detail-on-trump-moscow-tower-briefings?fbclid=IwAR3Qdku0aCtd1Jw2tJ4V-ZePpCRNGvxkrkBUGsbkYjtzV7xjrCzZtWJNhfA
"Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen revealed new details on Wednesday about how he discussed the Russia project with President Trump and his family. Cohen said at a House Oversight Committee hearing that he briefed Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump on the project “approximately 10” times."
"Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen revealed new details on Wednesday about how he discussed the Russia project with President Trump and his family. Cohen said at a House Oversight Committee hearing that he briefed Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump on the project “approximately 10” times."
Republicans are mad that Cohen said Trump is racist. The president’s record speaks for itself.
https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-are-mad-that-cohen-said-trump-is-racist-9a67c5f5f455/?fbclid=IwAR0RaP7k94Tn_t3Lf_nlneqibjZ1A2-JW8-4BMQT31rG1Oc4ekCg5v6BT6E
"President Trump has publicly done or said racist things for decades. Republicans are now studiously avoiding his record."
"President Trump has publicly done or said racist things for decades. Republicans are now studiously avoiding his record."
Sick of Republican grandstanding, Democrat slams the GOP: 'Your side ran away from the truth'
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/27/1838118/-Sick-of-Republican-grandstanding-Democrat-slams-the-GOP-Your-side-ran-away-from-the-truth?fbclid=IwAR3w-D72ka2IIBfezlznLEFWqF8tpNyUfsWsmk4w_qa_r9oymQ84BhECqo4
"Republicans continue to lie in their questioning of Michael Cohen during Wednesday’s hearing. It’s a bizarre thing to watch a bunch of men lie while calling someone a liar."
"Republicans continue to lie in their questioning of Michael Cohen during Wednesday’s hearing. It’s a bizarre thing to watch a bunch of men lie while calling someone a liar."
Chairman Cummings: 'The Days Of This Committee Protecting President At All Costs Are Over'
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/02/chairman-cummings-days-committee?fbclid=IwAR2ogrxN0ppoqSh5t4iJaFtuZB8NNLnGcQJP5GJm_HUTuMr8wzrL0HXxcpw
"The Chairman of the House Oversight Committee made clear Trump's congressional protection racket full of toadies are over. Meanwhile, Republicans on the Committee are acting as Trump's criminal defense attorneys."
"The Chairman of the House Oversight Committee made clear Trump's congressional protection racket full of toadies are over. Meanwhile, Republicans on the Committee are acting as Trump's criminal defense attorneys."
Describing border conditions, Trump creates an alternate reality
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/describing-border-conditions-trump-creates-alternate-reality?fbclid=IwAR34T-_e205NPdRDBpXmVUBl3gIvB2VR6MPVPmnMhBgtzsh28sa_08n_00I
"the larger point isn’t just about fact-checking; it’s also about the nature of the policy debate. If he believes his own rhetoric – a distinct possibility – he’s in a fantasy world of his own creation."
"the larger point isn’t just about fact-checking; it’s also about the nature of the policy debate. If he believes his own rhetoric – a distinct possibility – he’s in a fantasy world of his own creation."
Trump’s Former Acting Attorney General Agrees to Fix His Testimony About Trump Pressure
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/trumps-former-acting-attorney-general-says-he-will-change-his-testimony-about-trump-pressure/?fbclid=IwAR0KmhBmkGwtO3BsVDQCAp3d88TlsDTKDS1cKjlZDRkWyMIyT8M7SaeHebI
"During a hearing earlier this month, Whitaker repeatedly denied media reports that Trump had called him to complain about the advancing investigation by prosecutors working under the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
"During a hearing earlier this month, Whitaker repeatedly denied media reports that Trump had called him to complain about the advancing investigation by prosecutors working under the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
Defending Trump, Sanders lies about his record on promoting violence
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/defending-trump-sanders-lies-about-his-record-promoting-violence?fbclid=IwAR1yUKCRO_HFcCR_h-YKFKm6PUB6ff08CHHA6dUZmtwjj2geY3gXWs9cJ90
"Sometimes, it seems as if Sarah Huckabee Sanders hasn’t even met Donald Trump."
"Sometimes, it seems as if Sarah Huckabee Sanders hasn’t even met Donald Trump."
New York Prosecutors Will Charge Manafort In Bid To Prevent Trump Pardon: Reports
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manafort-state-charges-ny-trump_n_5c7038b7e4b06cf6bb256cf7?fbclid=IwAR1l-7kTyN2QfOZ9NpyS5aQA28HIhvN8xAYtl5QpaUF1oVXmNUDN51LDK0Q
"President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort may soon face New York state criminal charges, multiple outlets reported on Friday. Although Manafort has already been convicted of multiple federal crimes, state criminal cases are not subject to presidential pardons and Trump would not be able to use his executive power to free Manafort if he’s found guilty."
"President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort may soon face New York state criminal charges, multiple outlets reported on Friday. Although Manafort has already been convicted of multiple federal crimes, state criminal cases are not subject to presidential pardons and Trump would not be able to use his executive power to free Manafort if he’s found guilty."
The Grave Threats of White Supremacy and Far-Right Extremism
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/opinion/christopher-hasson-extremism.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR2kv0EbMrYflKVMoK_muwYxYxViZ-ob7_fBI-x7qyGki2j2XrXLcoVtXAE
"Last week, federal agents in Maryland arrested a United States Coast Guard officer and said he was plotting to assassinate Democratic members of Congress, prominent television journalists and others. The officer, Lt. Christopher Hasson, apparently was inspired by a right-wing Norwegian terrorist who slaughtered 77 people in 2011, stockpiled firearms and ammunition and researched locations around Washington to launch his attacks, according to investigators. Fortunately, the F.B.I. arrested him before he could act. This frightening case is just one of several recent reminders that white supremacy and far-right extremism are among the greatest domestic-security threats facing the United States. Regrettably, over the past 25 years, law enforcement, at both the federal and state levels, has been slow to respond. This is in part because of the limited number of enforcement tools available to prosecutors. But there are steps that can be taken to help the police and prosecutors address this growing threat — including, on the federal level, a domestic terrorism law. In 2017, hate crimes, generally defined as criminal acts motivated by the victim’s race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, increased by about 17 percent nationally, to 7,175 from 6,121 (the number of police agencies reporting crimes also rose, by about 6 percent); in my state, Virginia, they were up by nearly 50 percent, to 202 from 137. Killings committed by individuals and groups associated with far-right extremist groups have risen significantly. Seventy-one percent of the 387 “extremist related fatalities in the United States” from 2008 to 2017 were committed by members of far-right and white-supremacist groups, according the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Islamic extremists were responsible for 26 percent. The rising scourge of domestic hate has been underscored by particularly heinous acts in the past few years."
"Last week, federal agents in Maryland arrested a United States Coast Guard officer and said he was plotting to assassinate Democratic members of Congress, prominent television journalists and others. The officer, Lt. Christopher Hasson, apparently was inspired by a right-wing Norwegian terrorist who slaughtered 77 people in 2011, stockpiled firearms and ammunition and researched locations around Washington to launch his attacks, according to investigators. Fortunately, the F.B.I. arrested him before he could act. This frightening case is just one of several recent reminders that white supremacy and far-right extremism are among the greatest domestic-security threats facing the United States. Regrettably, over the past 25 years, law enforcement, at both the federal and state levels, has been slow to respond. This is in part because of the limited number of enforcement tools available to prosecutors. But there are steps that can be taken to help the police and prosecutors address this growing threat — including, on the federal level, a domestic terrorism law. In 2017, hate crimes, generally defined as criminal acts motivated by the victim’s race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, increased by about 17 percent nationally, to 7,175 from 6,121 (the number of police agencies reporting crimes also rose, by about 6 percent); in my state, Virginia, they were up by nearly 50 percent, to 202 from 137. Killings committed by individuals and groups associated with far-right extremist groups have risen significantly. Seventy-one percent of the 387 “extremist related fatalities in the United States” from 2008 to 2017 were committed by members of far-right and white-supremacist groups, according the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Islamic extremists were responsible for 26 percent. The rising scourge of domestic hate has been underscored by particularly heinous acts in the past few years."
58 Former National Security Officials Debunk Trump’s National Emergency Claim
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/national-security-emergency-trump-799721/?fbclid=IwAR2KeNxJCdSArL3egDztNreVXlNYF-xVmkGZCEnVVpt8Kp4RwyY2oQj2BlA
"The 11-page statement claims there is “no factual basis” to justify Trump’s national emergency declaration."
"The 11-page statement claims there is “no factual basis” to justify Trump’s national emergency declaration."
Former RNC Chair Destroys Trump Ally Matt Gaetz: ‘I Can’t Even Refer To Him As A Congressman’
https://www.politicususa.com/2019/02/26/former-rnc-chair-trump-matt-gaetz-congressman-cohen.html?fbclid=IwAR0J_mPbungyqM362toZDtonsWIHHfxeGcD4kcxQDSvYfillVb33lGuZJ9c
"One of Donald Trump’s favorite members of Congress, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, may have just committed a crime by threatening Michael Cohen a day before his public testimony."
"One of Donald Trump’s favorite members of Congress, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, may have just committed a crime by threatening Michael Cohen a day before his public testimony."
A Republican Congressman Just Threatened Michael Cohen on Twitter. Did He Break the Law?
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/matt-gaetz-just-threatened-michael-cohen-on-twitter-witness-tampering/?fbclid=IwAR0u4bWtwAGd9kv0mv7T7Gk5yw18RGFxab2Odqa9hDJjXn8nENgdzruyzM0
"Within minutes, Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, tweeted out the part of the federal criminal code that could apply: See 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b), 1515(a)(1)(B). It notes, “Whoever knowingly uses intimidation, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to…influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” The code’s definition of an “official proceeding” includes congressional proceedings. Gaetz has been one of the most vocal Trump backers in the House, scheming with other Republican legislators to undermine the Trump-Russia investigation by promoting false conspiracy theories about the deep state. But this move goes beyond the deployment of diversionary distraction. It’s a heavy-handed and brazen attempt to intimidate a witness poised to provide explosive testimony about President Donald Trump. And it’s possible it’s a crime—which makes it a very Trumpy way of dealing with the president’s Cohen problem."
"Within minutes, Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, tweeted out the part of the federal criminal code that could apply: See 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b), 1515(a)(1)(B). It notes, “Whoever knowingly uses intimidation, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to…influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” The code’s definition of an “official proceeding” includes congressional proceedings. Gaetz has been one of the most vocal Trump backers in the House, scheming with other Republican legislators to undermine the Trump-Russia investigation by promoting false conspiracy theories about the deep state. But this move goes beyond the deployment of diversionary distraction. It’s a heavy-handed and brazen attempt to intimidate a witness poised to provide explosive testimony about President Donald Trump. And it’s possible it’s a crime—which makes it a very Trumpy way of dealing with the president’s Cohen problem."
Coast Guard officer wanted to kill Democrats, TV hosts, say prosecutors
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/coast-guard-officer-wanted-kill-democrats-msnbc-hosts-say-prosecutors-n973786?fbclid=IwAR3IE4VtBt2sErLs_SFApTucYkEhCoW2he2zumb5mnbWJMFfddhkdllMGrE
"A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant working in the nation's capital lived a secret life as a "domestic terrorist" who aspired to mass murder and compiled a target list of prominent politicians and journalists, federal prosecutors allege in court papers. Christopher Paul Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 on drug and gun charges, but prosecutors said in a detention memo this week that he intended "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." He has espoused extremist views for years, the court papers say, and he read the manifesto of Anders Breivik, the white supremacist Norwegian terrorist who shot and killed 77 people in 2011. From January 2017 to January 2019, "the defendant conducted online searches and made thousands of visits for pro-Russian, neo-fascist, and neo-Nazi literature," the document says."
"A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant working in the nation's capital lived a secret life as a "domestic terrorist" who aspired to mass murder and compiled a target list of prominent politicians and journalists, federal prosecutors allege in court papers. Christopher Paul Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 on drug and gun charges, but prosecutors said in a detention memo this week that he intended "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." He has espoused extremist views for years, the court papers say, and he read the manifesto of Anders Breivik, the white supremacist Norwegian terrorist who shot and killed 77 people in 2011. From January 2017 to January 2019, "the defendant conducted online searches and made thousands of visits for pro-Russian, neo-fascist, and neo-Nazi literature," the document says."
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Koch Network Pushes Deceitful Textbook on Cash-Strapped Schools
https://truthout.org/articles/koch-network-pushes-deceitful-textbook-on-cash-strapped-schools/
"A new Arizona school textbook is an interesting study in dark money advancing libertarian propaganda."
"A new Arizona school textbook is an interesting study in dark money advancing libertarian propaganda."
What Trump doesn’t know about his own trade policy can hurt him
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/what-trump-doesnt-know-about-his-own-trade-policy-can-hurt-him?fbclid=IwAR16-gf-jgoqkscf9hrNuvoAyO2DQ7TMpHBbILTXwhpswWTXK4K12gLLnWc
"Trump is convinced that billions of dollars are flowing into the United States’ coffers from China thanks to his tariffs, but when we include the administration’s farming bailout – aiding farmers hurt by Trump’s tariffs policy – the country is clearly losing money. And while that suggests the White House’s gambit is a counter-productive mistake, that’s only part of the problem. If the president doesn’t accept reality, then he’ll continue to pursue the misguided plan, confident in its success. Indeed, Trump recently boasted, in reference to trade policy, “I understand that issue better than anybody.” He later added, “I know every ingredient. I know every stat. I know it better than anybody knows it.” The president isn’t changing course because he has no idea he’s moving in the wrong direction."
"Trump is convinced that billions of dollars are flowing into the United States’ coffers from China thanks to his tariffs, but when we include the administration’s farming bailout – aiding farmers hurt by Trump’s tariffs policy – the country is clearly losing money. And while that suggests the White House’s gambit is a counter-productive mistake, that’s only part of the problem. If the president doesn’t accept reality, then he’ll continue to pursue the misguided plan, confident in its success. Indeed, Trump recently boasted, in reference to trade policy, “I understand that issue better than anybody.” He later added, “I know every ingredient. I know every stat. I know it better than anybody knows it.” The president isn’t changing course because he has no idea he’s moving in the wrong direction."
Thanks to GOP Tax Scam, Big Banks Made an Extra $28 Billion Last Year
https://truthout.org/articles/thanks-to-gop-tax-scam-big-banks-made-extra-28-billion-last-year/
"The rich and corporations were given an “early Christmas gift” when the Republican tax bill was signed in 2017."
"The rich and corporations were given an “early Christmas gift” when the Republican tax bill was signed in 2017."
A Swamp Story: Trump Encouraged a Foreign Official to Back a Donor’s Business Deal
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/a-swamp-story-trump-encouraged-a-foreign-official-to-back-a-donors-business-deal/?fbclid=IwAR1wylb0mxEYuCtn7clBMwMO0REa6Y3QlnYey7qG_GLM-nZs_hhmKXDWiD4
"The president personally encouraged the Qatari government to finance a nuclear power plant project pursued by a top Trump donor. And shortly after Trump’s intervention, this big-money donor, Franklin Haney, a Memphis-based real estate developer who contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, hired Michael Cohen, the president’s longtime personal lawyer, to help land this Qatari investment. This wheeling and dealing was occurring as the Gulf nation was eagerly seeking to gain influence with Trump. It’s a tale of how the Trump swamp works: Trump’s personal and political connections overlap with private business interests that are linked to foreign policy matters."
"The president personally encouraged the Qatari government to finance a nuclear power plant project pursued by a top Trump donor. And shortly after Trump’s intervention, this big-money donor, Franklin Haney, a Memphis-based real estate developer who contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, hired Michael Cohen, the president’s longtime personal lawyer, to help land this Qatari investment. This wheeling and dealing was occurring as the Gulf nation was eagerly seeking to gain influence with Trump. It’s a tale of how the Trump swamp works: Trump’s personal and political connections overlap with private business interests that are linked to foreign policy matters."
Italian Investigators Just Uncovered a Major Russian Election Meddling Plot
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/matteo-salvini-russia-italy/?fbclid=IwAR1o_tm294HahO1i-G8mhKf0LijIUAjZj8zBGBNPGg6muwnuAXoGLYYhR40
"The tale is yet another example of organizations linked to the Kremlin working to advance right-wing politics in the West."
"The tale is yet another example of organizations linked to the Kremlin working to advance right-wing politics in the West."
Saturday, February 23, 2019
An Emergency for the G.O.P.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/opinion/national-emergency-senate-republicans-trump.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR0GxScuWcguROcxcPNu3ckQO6Sq3ZCWQr_AvuRB-jPqN5gEsSUW3ysK1BE
"The Constitution or The Donald? Why is this such a hard choice for congressional Republicans?"
"The Constitution or The Donald? Why is this such a hard choice for congressional Republicans?"
The GOP Keeps Changing The Rules After It Loses Elections
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-gop-keeps-changing-the-rules-after-it-loses-elections_n_5c6f0cede4b0f40774cd7232?fbclid=IwAR23QIZZZnH29eWzUCOGcsYxkefz-7gj8w9vh6mwaFeymkllhat9JuJ8N-E
"Republicans in Utah, Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere didn’t like what voters chose last year, so they’re simply undoing it."
"Republicans in Utah, Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere didn’t like what voters chose last year, so they’re simply undoing it."
Sen. Lindsey Graham Continues to Kiss Trump’s Ass, at the Expense of School Kids
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/lindsey-graham-kentucky-middle-school-796053/?fbclid=IwAR3DAgw0oUVp7dr447BFSsHPH3WKJbDpvkS249E4PcWSVK21vqe0_plgY1s
"the new and not improved version of Graham now resides in the Louie Gohmert camp, and Sunday morning news shows should treat him as such."
"the new and not improved version of Graham now resides in the Louie Gohmert camp, and Sunday morning news shows should treat him as such."
Friday, February 22, 2019
Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation: Inside Trump’s Two-Year War on the Investigations Encircling Him
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/us/politics/trump-investigations.html?fbclid=IwAR04hIrCnhkkCvEIZdLuyGdi2w-IPLmNvJ31ll8OfxiGTZ9TxzyArNpiuLg
"As federal prosecutors in Manhattan gathered evidence late last year about President Trump’s role in silencing women with hush payments during the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump called Matthew G. Whitaker, his newly installed attorney general, with a question. He asked whether Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Trump ally, could be put in charge of the widening investigation, according to several American officials with direct knowledge of the call. Mr. Whitaker, who had privately told associates that part of his role at the Justice Department was to “jump on a grenade” for the president, knew he could not put Mr. Berman in charge, since Mr. Berman had already recused himself from the investigation. The president soon soured on Mr. Whitaker, as he often does with his aides, and complained about his inability to pull levers at the Justice Department that could make the president’s many legal problems go away. Trying to install a perceived loyalist atop a widening inquiry is a familiar tactic for Mr. Trump, who has been struggling to beat back the investigations that have consumed his presidency. His efforts have exposed him to accusations of obstruction of justice as Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, finishes his work investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election."
"As federal prosecutors in Manhattan gathered evidence late last year about President Trump’s role in silencing women with hush payments during the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump called Matthew G. Whitaker, his newly installed attorney general, with a question. He asked whether Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Trump ally, could be put in charge of the widening investigation, according to several American officials with direct knowledge of the call. Mr. Whitaker, who had privately told associates that part of his role at the Justice Department was to “jump on a grenade” for the president, knew he could not put Mr. Berman in charge, since Mr. Berman had already recused himself from the investigation. The president soon soured on Mr. Whitaker, as he often does with his aides, and complained about his inability to pull levers at the Justice Department that could make the president’s many legal problems go away. Trying to install a perceived loyalist atop a widening inquiry is a familiar tactic for Mr. Trump, who has been struggling to beat back the investigations that have consumed his presidency. His efforts have exposed him to accusations of obstruction of justice as Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, finishes his work investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election."
Trump Has Publicly Attacked the Russia Investigation More Than 1,100 Times
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/19/us/politics/trump-attacks-obstruction-investigation.html?fbclid=IwAR1KtKx9swT7NAT5ohC1xMVXdqboVwXjhsleA5RBOFqd3i2IZMRy7cd6idg
"The attacks, which number nearly 1,200, are part of a strategy to beat back the investigations. They have also opened him to possible obstruction of justice charges. They include statements made on Twitter, in official speeches, at rallies and during news media interviews and other press events. While it is highly unusual for anyone — let alone the president of the United States — to comment on continuing criminal investigations, Mr. Trump has done so at least once on 330 days, or more than 43 percent of his time in office as of Feb. 14."
"The attacks, which number nearly 1,200, are part of a strategy to beat back the investigations. They have also opened him to possible obstruction of justice charges. They include statements made on Twitter, in official speeches, at rallies and during news media interviews and other press events. While it is highly unusual for anyone — let alone the president of the United States — to comment on continuing criminal investigations, Mr. Trump has done so at least once on 330 days, or more than 43 percent of his time in office as of Feb. 14."
Trump Seems to Have Made a Habit of Obstructing Justice
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-obstruction-justice-whitaker-796417/?fbclid=IwAR0ADTMeYjvFrG9hVFvbWZLtGsZ_UazIynMOtO2I-Aa6uSw14otraKmsLLc
"The Times also reported on Tuesday that White House lawyers wrote a confidential memo “expressing concern about the president’s staff peddling misleading information in public” regarding Michael Flynn, the national security adviser who resigned after it was revealed that he lied about his contact with a Russian official. According to the report, when Trump and his advisers were searching for a way to explain Flynn’s resignation, the president allegedly instructed then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer to tell the public that Trump asked for the resignation. When Spicer asked if that was true, Trump repeated the directive without elaborating. “That sounds better,” Trump said. When Spicer ultimately took the podium to address the press, White House lawyers included all of his misstatements in a memo. It was a day after Spicer’s press conference that Trump met with Comey to tell him to end the investigation into Flynn. “I hope you can let this go,” Trump said, as Comey noted in a memo he took of the meeting. The fallout from Flynn’s resignation — which Trump believes would bring an end to “the Russia thing” — was only the beginning. The Times details the president’s prolonged campaign to humiliate and oust Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from overseeing Mueller’s investigation. Trump even asked former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to pressure Sessions into resigning. Last September, the Times reported that Mueller was considering Trump’s incessant public harassment and intimidation of Sessions as part of a possible obstruction of justice case. Despite the president’s wishes, “the Russia thing” did not end with Flynn’s resignation, and in an effort to cultivate public skepticism of Mueller’s investigation, Trump reportedly had private conversations with Republicans to strategize about how to discredit the probe."
"The Times also reported on Tuesday that White House lawyers wrote a confidential memo “expressing concern about the president’s staff peddling misleading information in public” regarding Michael Flynn, the national security adviser who resigned after it was revealed that he lied about his contact with a Russian official. According to the report, when Trump and his advisers were searching for a way to explain Flynn’s resignation, the president allegedly instructed then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer to tell the public that Trump asked for the resignation. When Spicer asked if that was true, Trump repeated the directive without elaborating. “That sounds better,” Trump said. When Spicer ultimately took the podium to address the press, White House lawyers included all of his misstatements in a memo. It was a day after Spicer’s press conference that Trump met with Comey to tell him to end the investigation into Flynn. “I hope you can let this go,” Trump said, as Comey noted in a memo he took of the meeting. The fallout from Flynn’s resignation — which Trump believes would bring an end to “the Russia thing” — was only the beginning. The Times details the president’s prolonged campaign to humiliate and oust Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from overseeing Mueller’s investigation. Trump even asked former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to pressure Sessions into resigning. Last September, the Times reported that Mueller was considering Trump’s incessant public harassment and intimidation of Sessions as part of a possible obstruction of justice case. Despite the president’s wishes, “the Russia thing” did not end with Flynn’s resignation, and in an effort to cultivate public skepticism of Mueller’s investigation, Trump reportedly had private conversations with Republicans to strategize about how to discredit the probe."
The war with North Korea that Trump thinks he prevented (but didn’t)
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-war-north-korea-trump-thinks-he-prevented-didnt?fbclid=IwAR2nlf4J9BS1WgDKna1sh7yoBYbD9EnFB6PfiDruhGEFlkrpu3kohkTkqB8
"So what’s driving Trump to lie about this? There are a few angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that he’s desperate for some victories after a series of embarrassing defeats, and if that means exaggerating events beyond recognition, so be it. This president hasn’t accomplished anything of significance with North Korea, so he invented a success story: he prevented a war. On a related note, Trump could also use some kind of rationalization that puts his entire North Korea gambit in a favorable light, especially with another summit with Kim Jong-un coming up. The reality – Trump inherited a longstanding challenge, went out of his way to make it much worse, then eased tensions by giving a communist dictator what he wanted in exchange for nothing – isn’t exactly impressive. But if he can convince people he managed to steer the countries away from the brink, then the hapless diplomatic gambit might appear less pointless. Finally, there’s the broader concern over Trump peddling bogus claims about matters of war and peace. George Conway, a prominent lawyer who happens to be married to one of the president’s top aides, wrote via Twitter over the weekend, “We should highly question the mental stability of a president of the United States who would lie about whether the United States had been on the verge of starting ‘World War III’ with another state possessing nuclear weapons"."
"So what’s driving Trump to lie about this? There are a few angles to this to keep in mind. The first is that he’s desperate for some victories after a series of embarrassing defeats, and if that means exaggerating events beyond recognition, so be it. This president hasn’t accomplished anything of significance with North Korea, so he invented a success story: he prevented a war. On a related note, Trump could also use some kind of rationalization that puts his entire North Korea gambit in a favorable light, especially with another summit with Kim Jong-un coming up. The reality – Trump inherited a longstanding challenge, went out of his way to make it much worse, then eased tensions by giving a communist dictator what he wanted in exchange for nothing – isn’t exactly impressive. But if he can convince people he managed to steer the countries away from the brink, then the hapless diplomatic gambit might appear less pointless. Finally, there’s the broader concern over Trump peddling bogus claims about matters of war and peace. George Conway, a prominent lawyer who happens to be married to one of the president’s top aides, wrote via Twitter over the weekend, “We should highly question the mental stability of a president of the United States who would lie about whether the United States had been on the verge of starting ‘World War III’ with another state possessing nuclear weapons"."
This Is Count After Count on a Bill of Impeachment
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26414814/donald-trump-obstruction-russia-investigation-new-york-times/?fbclid=IwAR0F1SKZMxHNjKAOhsdaNIgl49IuTNJcbMGf7gORDSJvjP1CsxTFRp31WuM
"The running of the rats is becoming a bit frenzied around Camp Runamuck these days. Roger Stone has put in a bid to overtake Paul Manafort in the in-house competition for Dumbest Thing Done While Under Indictment, something I didn't think was humanly possible. (Lying while under a plea agreement or appearing to threaten the federal judge overseeing your case while under indictment? You make the call.) And The New York Times was out on Tuesday with a massive report about the White House efforts to submarine Robert Mueller's investigation, a feat of reporting that is impossible to imagine without sources within the administration* who are desperate to have careers after the plague passes. Whatever the sources for the Times report, it's a series of explosive revelations that illustrate nothing more than a criminal presidency* knowing that all its alibis and cover stories are disintegrating."
"The running of the rats is becoming a bit frenzied around Camp Runamuck these days. Roger Stone has put in a bid to overtake Paul Manafort in the in-house competition for Dumbest Thing Done While Under Indictment, something I didn't think was humanly possible. (Lying while under a plea agreement or appearing to threaten the federal judge overseeing your case while under indictment? You make the call.) And The New York Times was out on Tuesday with a massive report about the White House efforts to submarine Robert Mueller's investigation, a feat of reporting that is impossible to imagine without sources within the administration* who are desperate to have careers after the plague passes. Whatever the sources for the Times report, it's a series of explosive revelations that illustrate nothing more than a criminal presidency* knowing that all its alibis and cover stories are disintegrating."
Numb to corruption: How Republicans trained their base to ignore Trump's criminality
https://www.salon.com/2019/02/20/numb-to-corruption-how-republicans-trained-their-base-to-ignore-trumps-criminality/?fbclid=IwAR2EGnnNXnGrLJ4Fe3H0fOu6Ez-Vorb-Gc2txKYEwTliYV4dszhi4j5qfBQ
"First, Republicans normalized the idea that all politicians are corrupt by electing a series of deeply corrupt politicians themselves. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have all been warm-up acts to Trump. Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, falsified intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion: Every one of those presidents helped train their voters to defend political corruption if it was conducted for supposedly meritorious ends. With Watergate -- a bush-league burglary gone wrong -- the training wheels hadn't come off. But by the time Bush administration lies had led us into the disastrous quagmire in Iraq, your average conservative had not only become adept at making excuses for political corruption, but had fully accepted that doing so is a normal and expected aspect of supporting the Republican Party. It's honestly not that big a leap from defending the corrupt Bush administration to defending the corrupt Trump administration."
"First, Republicans normalized the idea that all politicians are corrupt by electing a series of deeply corrupt politicians themselves. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have all been warm-up acts to Trump. Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, falsified intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion: Every one of those presidents helped train their voters to defend political corruption if it was conducted for supposedly meritorious ends. With Watergate -- a bush-league burglary gone wrong -- the training wheels hadn't come off. But by the time Bush administration lies had led us into the disastrous quagmire in Iraq, your average conservative had not only become adept at making excuses for political corruption, but had fully accepted that doing so is a normal and expected aspect of supporting the Republican Party. It's honestly not that big a leap from defending the corrupt Bush administration to defending the corrupt Trump administration."
Setting Necessary Boundaries on Trump’s Misconduct
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/02/17/setting-necessary-boundaries-trumps-misconduct?fbclid=IwAR2JdWTtoT_6-tP1Q9TcRChDdV6L-LGFzL764UHBTevVLq2fVQ7c3Lz8QeI
"The Senate need only find in its own judgment that the claimed emergency does not actually exist and that Trump’s fake emergency declaration was made in bad faith. With these findings, Trump's action may be conclusively deemed an attempt to subvert the legislative process in violation of the Constitution, which certain amounts to a High Crime. The president does not get to declare an emergency as a substitute for a bill the legislature refused to pass. This is a blatant overthrow of the constitutional framework distributing power across three branches of government. Our founding leaders created this constitutional framework explicitly to prevent an individual who gains access to power in our democracy from becoming a tyrant who might overthrow the system from within. In the history of our nation, there are few, if any, moments in which a sitting President has threatened to defy this constitutional framework at such an elementary level. This moment is more important than the issue of the Wall, the money used to build it, the problems it creates, and the falsely represented problems it does not solve. This moment is about the three-branch system of government that protects our democracy from tyranny and oligarchy."
"The Senate need only find in its own judgment that the claimed emergency does not actually exist and that Trump’s fake emergency declaration was made in bad faith. With these findings, Trump's action may be conclusively deemed an attempt to subvert the legislative process in violation of the Constitution, which certain amounts to a High Crime. The president does not get to declare an emergency as a substitute for a bill the legislature refused to pass. This is a blatant overthrow of the constitutional framework distributing power across three branches of government. Our founding leaders created this constitutional framework explicitly to prevent an individual who gains access to power in our democracy from becoming a tyrant who might overthrow the system from within. In the history of our nation, there are few, if any, moments in which a sitting President has threatened to defy this constitutional framework at such an elementary level. This moment is more important than the issue of the Wall, the money used to build it, the problems it creates, and the falsely represented problems it does not solve. This moment is about the three-branch system of government that protects our democracy from tyranny and oligarchy."
A quote Trump may come to regret: ‘I didn’t need to do this’
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/quote-trump-may-come-regret-i-didnt-need-do?fbclid=IwAR1IPA-baMKMQqRfIj2ENWEpdNA08N6nhtejXPA7vgeFfX1K8EA2mUziphs
"The president’s own explanation left little doubt that there’s no pressing “emergency” demanding unprecedented emergency action. Trump effectively admitted that he sees this as a matter of convenience: the American policymaking process would take time, and he’d “rather do it much faster"."
"The president’s own explanation left little doubt that there’s no pressing “emergency” demanding unprecedented emergency action. Trump effectively admitted that he sees this as a matter of convenience: the American policymaking process would take time, and he’d “rather do it much faster"."
Trump Is Trying to Hollow Out the Constitutional System of Checks and Balances
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/national-emergency-tragedy-trump-wall.html?fbclid=IwAR039-PfHj06aP58eGmOHry3rc7ZjwpcwsyXYmVQ47cz1X_3diH47OhcFpw
"Playing out these arguments in court will take years—all in addition to the inevitable lawsuits should the government try to condemn through eminent domain the private property it needs to build the wall. And even if the challengers prevail, all of this energy will have been necessary only because of a presidential determination to treat as an “emergency” a set of circumstances that is anything but. Congress could—and should—put a stop to this nonsense now. Under the National Security Act, it can nullify a declaration of national emergency. It can also just pass a statute providing that, for purposes of building a border wall, no funds shall be reallocated pursuant to whatever statutes Trump cites. Any self-respecting legislative branch would stand up to Trump’s aggression by a vote so overwhelming as to overcome any veto threat. Such resistance, unfortunately, is altogether unlikely."
"Playing out these arguments in court will take years—all in addition to the inevitable lawsuits should the government try to condemn through eminent domain the private property it needs to build the wall. And even if the challengers prevail, all of this energy will have been necessary only because of a presidential determination to treat as an “emergency” a set of circumstances that is anything but. Congress could—and should—put a stop to this nonsense now. Under the National Security Act, it can nullify a declaration of national emergency. It can also just pass a statute providing that, for purposes of building a border wall, no funds shall be reallocated pursuant to whatever statutes Trump cites. Any self-respecting legislative branch would stand up to Trump’s aggression by a vote so overwhelming as to overcome any veto threat. Such resistance, unfortunately, is altogether unlikely."
Here’s why Trump’s move to declare a state of emergency is unconstitutional
https://thinkprogress.org/adam-schiff-emergency-cnn-interview-f121ec4cc9b1/?fbclid=IwAR0ujIAhF-_SwRzhM1fPj4EmugMrWmziq-LlQNVQPtKpP-Wr6PqBLOOkRNE
"President Donald Trump’s move to declare a state of emergency is unconstitutional because lawmakers have repeatedly rejected funding for the very project Trump intends to use emergency funds to complete, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) explained on CNN Sunday morning. “This is the first time a president has tried to declare an emergency when Congress explicitly rejected funding for the particular project that the president is advocating,” Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence, said on CNN’s State of the Union. “And in saying just the other day that he didn’t really need to do this — he just wanted to do it because it would help things go faster — he’s pretty much daring the court to strike this down. So it’s hard to imagine a poorer case.” Schiff said he sees this moment as a test for Republicans in Congress and whether they will stand up to Trump and deny him the ability to circumvent the legislative branch’s power."
"President Donald Trump’s move to declare a state of emergency is unconstitutional because lawmakers have repeatedly rejected funding for the very project Trump intends to use emergency funds to complete, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) explained on CNN Sunday morning. “This is the first time a president has tried to declare an emergency when Congress explicitly rejected funding for the particular project that the president is advocating,” Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence, said on CNN’s State of the Union. “And in saying just the other day that he didn’t really need to do this — he just wanted to do it because it would help things go faster — he’s pretty much daring the court to strike this down. So it’s hard to imagine a poorer case.” Schiff said he sees this moment as a test for Republicans in Congress and whether they will stand up to Trump and deny him the ability to circumvent the legislative branch’s power."
A Trump-Made Emergency
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/opinion/trump-national-emergency-border-wall.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR1dGK-6R91RhEcJ4IXv9mmDnnIYqxXb3YL8TQAzkP5cJTOv5mAMniGz12E
"The poison cherry atop this sundae is that Mr. Trump is subverting American democracy for a cause opposed by a majority of the public. Polls show that most Americans do not want a wall at the southern border. And most definitely do not approve of Mr. Trump’s faking a national emergency to make an end run around Congress. Two recent polls showed that two-thirds of Americans opposed it. Not that any of this seems of interest to the president. “I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want,” he insisted to reporters last month, sounding more like a huffy kindergartner than a world leader. This administration is forever coming up with creative new ways to disturb and dismay the nation. Mr. Trump’s eagerness to undermine the Constitution to serve his short-term political gain remains among the most outrageous."
"The poison cherry atop this sundae is that Mr. Trump is subverting American democracy for a cause opposed by a majority of the public. Polls show that most Americans do not want a wall at the southern border. And most definitely do not approve of Mr. Trump’s faking a national emergency to make an end run around Congress. Two recent polls showed that two-thirds of Americans opposed it. Not that any of this seems of interest to the president. “I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want,” he insisted to reporters last month, sounding more like a huffy kindergartner than a world leader. This administration is forever coming up with creative new ways to disturb and dismay the nation. Mr. Trump’s eagerness to undermine the Constitution to serve his short-term political gain remains among the most outrageous."
Trump's 'National Emergency' Is a Purely Dictatorial Action
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26345673/trumps-national-emergency-is-a-purely-dictatorial-action/?fbclid=IwAR3h37A6EWMr34yTgir3XsU2OAqrZq6Z6hmkaDxaGuwRvDKMonlReIdN-j0
"This is a clear and present danger to the constitutional order. Without the power of the purse, Congress has no power at all. Mitch McConnell knows this. He even has been warning against this very power grab for a couple of weeks now. But he seems determined to neuter his own institution in order to curry favor with a failed president* and a bunch of idiot pundits from Fox News. He is abandoning his own responsibilities in the hopes that the courts will bail him out. And, again, there is no national emergency to be declared. Not outside of the Oval Office, anyway."
"This is a clear and present danger to the constitutional order. Without the power of the purse, Congress has no power at all. Mitch McConnell knows this. He even has been warning against this very power grab for a couple of weeks now. But he seems determined to neuter his own institution in order to curry favor with a failed president* and a bunch of idiot pundits from Fox News. He is abandoning his own responsibilities in the hopes that the courts will bail him out. And, again, there is no national emergency to be declared. Not outside of the Oval Office, anyway."
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Republicans’ Cynical Excuses for Trump’s Power Grab
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/trump-national-emergency-power-grab.html?fbclid=IwAR2nwgNxrw2RWc11_v6m7bOjaOP5MUyObD9rmMeHmgkJ52Sd4duGk7exvCM
"when a president overrides the will of Congress by asserting emergency powers, he’s not saving America. He’s destroying what makes it America. A party that offers excuses like these isn’t republican. It’s authoritarian."
"when a president overrides the will of Congress by asserting emergency powers, he’s not saving America. He’s destroying what makes it America. A party that offers excuses like these isn’t republican. It’s authoritarian."
Trump’s Followers Believe His Lies About the Wall
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/trump-followers-believe-lies-wall.html?fbclid=IwAR3VhxO0nnJpItTl8Cm0JBus-d4z_olJng62H7pmPohHiOdRanAmVF-Fgro
"So when Trump told the folks at that rally in El Paso to trust him over all contrary evidence—law enforcement data, the local Republican mayor, fact checks by Fox News—he wasn’t brainwashing them. He was telling them what they already believed. Trumpism isn’t about a border wall, any more than it’s about patriotism or conservatism. It’s about unshakeable faith in one man. A liar."
"So when Trump told the folks at that rally in El Paso to trust him over all contrary evidence—law enforcement data, the local Republican mayor, fact checks by Fox News—he wasn’t brainwashing them. He was telling them what they already believed. Trumpism isn’t about a border wall, any more than it’s about patriotism or conservatism. It’s about unshakeable faith in one man. A liar."
With emergency declaration, Trump ignores public will (among other things)
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/emergency-declaration-trump-ignores-public-will-among-other-things?fbclid=IwAR1S4iED2wGHrB4WkneyEMD9MaEdAAqooNtq3qjzBUA5UM0nEHDkkb2FRuY
"It appears the only folks the president isn’t ignoring work for conservative media."
"It appears the only folks the president isn’t ignoring work for conservative media."
“I Didn’t Need to Do This”: Trump Uses Emergency Declaration Speech to Make Case Against Himself
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/i-didnt-need-to-do-this-trump-uses-emergency-declaration-speech-to-make-case-against-himself/?fbclid=IwAR1z6goaCbn0O6xpsEfVRBu3_5dsAl8AdXTReaSpXGlnIFuvwx2kmKU0apY
"President Donald Trump used the speech announcing his decision to invoke emergency powers to fund border wall construction to strengthen the legal arguments against that decision. “I didn’t need to do this,” Trump said on Friday about the emergency declaration."
"President Donald Trump used the speech announcing his decision to invoke emergency powers to fund border wall construction to strengthen the legal arguments against that decision. “I didn’t need to do this,” Trump said on Friday about the emergency declaration."
Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Action: Unlawful and Unconstitutional
Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Action: Unlawful and Unconstitutional:
"President Trump’s attempt to spend money for building a wall without congressional appropriation of funds for this purpose directly violates the Constitution."
"President Trump’s attempt to spend money for building a wall without congressional appropriation of funds for this purpose directly violates the Constitution."
Trump Admits He ‘Didn’t Need To’ Declare National Emergency
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-national-emergency-didnt-need_n_5c66e76ce4b05c889d1ed6bf?fbclid=IwAR1HxMlHNy560Vt-JshJS_cXShFdnfQxUEutkZS7de6DgRi0jb_SxoxjXLk
"Following his announcement Friday, Trump is heading to his golf club in Florida for the weekend, further underscoring the dubious nature of his “national emergency"."
"Following his announcement Friday, Trump is heading to his golf club in Florida for the weekend, further underscoring the dubious nature of his “national emergency"."
‘I Didn’t Need to Do This’ Sums Up the Entire Trump Presidency
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-national-emergency-details-795290/?fbclid=IwAR10j-S9JyU6PCefq8pzMpqHOHh3cawYvfwxLZkOrRwQnTWEowz_YFr31os
"He essentially admitted on Friday that the declaration wasn’t actually an emergency."
"He essentially admitted on Friday that the declaration wasn’t actually an emergency."
Stephen Miller Just Went on Fox News to Discuss Trump’s National Emergency. It Went Poorly.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/stephen-miller-fox-news-donald-trump-national-emergency-omg-yikes/?fbclid=IwAR1mNdKkUeuADvPSTxJ4wckhBUv_LzVbQ2W0cLUJ3G-fGc8_QIL5tLmvbtE
"White House senior adviser Stephen Miller went on Fox News Sunday and tried to defend Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to secure funding for his border wall. He did not do a very good job."
"White House senior adviser Stephen Miller went on Fox News Sunday and tried to defend Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to secure funding for his border wall. He did not do a very good job."
Trump's 'National Emergency' Doesn't Exist, Except as an Assault on the Constitution
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26355766/donald-trump-national-emergency-act-explained/?fbclid=IwAR3Z6EY33cBGGFFF4LsXOeekVDid9rvDk-WhX9ux1MRPHTS1yZL6tiXKg90
"The Tangerine Generalissimo already shut down the government in an attempt to force the Legislative Branch to fund his Big, Beautiful Wall, which for years he promised, in no uncertain terms, that Mexico would pay for. He also said it would be concrete and 30 feet high and stretch from sea to shining sea. Instead, the Artful Dealmaker got 55 miles of steel "barrier" as his side got walloped in negotiations, and U.S. taxpayers are fronting the bill. (Whether Democrats should even have given that much up, even to keep the government open, is another question.) But Congress did not exercise its power of the purse—outlined in Article 1 of that "Constitution" we hear so much about—in a way that Trump liked, so he has decided to seize the funds by declaring a national emergency when there is none."
"The Tangerine Generalissimo already shut down the government in an attempt to force the Legislative Branch to fund his Big, Beautiful Wall, which for years he promised, in no uncertain terms, that Mexico would pay for. He also said it would be concrete and 30 feet high and stretch from sea to shining sea. Instead, the Artful Dealmaker got 55 miles of steel "barrier" as his side got walloped in negotiations, and U.S. taxpayers are fronting the bill. (Whether Democrats should even have given that much up, even to keep the government open, is another question.) But Congress did not exercise its power of the purse—outlined in Article 1 of that "Constitution" we hear so much about—in a way that Trump liked, so he has decided to seize the funds by declaring a national emergency when there is none."
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Donald Trump’s long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2019
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racist-racism-history?fbclid=IwAR17x_9te10gKzT8oAASRWTog1B9ohgPmIQ4K0BWzgixmHJHsIcWrrVg25I
"In fact, the very first time that Trump appeared in the pages of the New York Times, back in the 1970s, was when the US Department of Justice sued him for racial discrimination. Since then, he has repeatedly appeared in newspaper pages across the world as he inspired more similar controversies. This long history is important. It would be one thing if Trump simply misspoke one or two times. But when you take all of Trump’s actions and comments together, a clear pattern emerges — one that suggests that bigotry is not just political opportunism on Trump’s part but a real element of Trump’s personality, character, and career."
"In fact, the very first time that Trump appeared in the pages of the New York Times, back in the 1970s, was when the US Department of Justice sued him for racial discrimination. Since then, he has repeatedly appeared in newspaper pages across the world as he inspired more similar controversies. This long history is important. It would be one thing if Trump simply misspoke one or two times. But when you take all of Trump’s actions and comments together, a clear pattern emerges — one that suggests that bigotry is not just political opportunism on Trump’s part but a real element of Trump’s personality, character, and career."
Republicans Trying, Failing to Come Up With Good Reasons to Conceal Trump Taxes
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/republicans-trump-taxe-returns-hide-congress.html?fbclid=IwAR0fkLe4WVAkkoMfbmbwz7ndyH6R5Ghb-H59Lzwb-eyeRV8g_1Kk63ZCOwY
"Reporters have found evidence of Trump engaging in corruption, fraud, money laundering, and lots and lots of covert dealings with Russia. That’s just the stuff journalists have managed to suss out so far. The tax returns may well also turn up other crimes, because Trump is a crook."
"Reporters have found evidence of Trump engaging in corruption, fraud, money laundering, and lots and lots of covert dealings with Russia. That’s just the stuff journalists have managed to suss out so far. The tax returns may well also turn up other crimes, because Trump is a crook."
Coalition of the Unwilling
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/trump-warsaw-conference-iran-pence-giuliani-pompeo.html?fbclid=IwAR2J6ONPyPAmsHDaKywfIX1LYzIhB6_pKByBarm9je6idn8pWEeYTtuMftM
"another sign of the shallow thinking and clueless incompetence that has marked U.S. foreign policy since Donald Trump entered the White House."
"another sign of the shallow thinking and clueless incompetence that has marked U.S. foreign policy since Donald Trump entered the White House."
Trump's DHS has cut task forces set up after 2016 to guard elections against foreign interference
https://www.salon.com/2019/02/15/dhs-will-cut-task-forces-set-up-after-2016-to-guard-elections-against-foreign-interference/?fbclid=IwAR1HxIDxzHkzHgUFv1x5W5rTjgWjs6AhMFcEFfw71satsxO6Hf9ZXBcStpY
"Two Homeland Security task forces created to combat foreign election meddling in the wake of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election have been gutted ahead of the 2020 race"
"Two Homeland Security task forces created to combat foreign election meddling in the wake of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election have been gutted ahead of the 2020 race"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Under Fire Because She’s Right
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/02/12/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-under-fire-because-shes-right?fbclid=IwAR1wp0ORbnapcObZdLsmcSVPtAlkjjsFeblqcbBPayAexEz9qHVl5oZaqQk
"Ocasio-Cortez is exactly right. Schultz may think calls for Medicare for all are “un-American,” but the vast majority of Americans support it. Consider the following: Reuters poll: 70 percent support Medicare for all, including 52 percent of Republicans. Fox News poll: 70 percent support raising taxes on those making over $10 million a year. Bloomberg poll: 62 percent support tuition-free college. Kaiser Foundation poll: 92 percent support having Medicare negotiate with drug companies to lower drug prices. Hart poll: 63 percent support $15 minimum wage. Yale/George Mason poll: 81 percent support the Green New Deal plan. There is a wide gulf between the political center and the moral center. Dr. Martin Luther King used to teach that “cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.” Politicians worry about donors. They hear from lobbyists, from special interests, from corporations that can spend unlimited money in political campaigns without revealing it. The moral center is concerned with what is right — and what can work. What is different now is that the moral center — what is right — is also increasingly popular. The political class is running scared because more and more people understand that the rules have been rigged to benefit only the few. So Trump and Republicans and billionaires like Schultz yell “socialism,” “Venezuela,” “extremism,” “radicalism.” They need to spread fear to protect a discredited political center. Don’t fall for it. Medicare for all isn’t socialism; it’s common sense. A living wage isn’t radical; it’s a moral imperative. We now suffer an extreme inequality not witnessed since before the Great Depression. It is time for the moral center to make itself heard."
"Ocasio-Cortez is exactly right. Schultz may think calls for Medicare for all are “un-American,” but the vast majority of Americans support it. Consider the following: Reuters poll: 70 percent support Medicare for all, including 52 percent of Republicans. Fox News poll: 70 percent support raising taxes on those making over $10 million a year. Bloomberg poll: 62 percent support tuition-free college. Kaiser Foundation poll: 92 percent support having Medicare negotiate with drug companies to lower drug prices. Hart poll: 63 percent support $15 minimum wage. Yale/George Mason poll: 81 percent support the Green New Deal plan. There is a wide gulf between the political center and the moral center. Dr. Martin Luther King used to teach that “cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right? There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.” Politicians worry about donors. They hear from lobbyists, from special interests, from corporations that can spend unlimited money in political campaigns without revealing it. The moral center is concerned with what is right — and what can work. What is different now is that the moral center — what is right — is also increasingly popular. The political class is running scared because more and more people understand that the rules have been rigged to benefit only the few. So Trump and Republicans and billionaires like Schultz yell “socialism,” “Venezuela,” “extremism,” “radicalism.” They need to spread fear to protect a discredited political center. Don’t fall for it. Medicare for all isn’t socialism; it’s common sense. A living wage isn’t radical; it’s a moral imperative. We now suffer an extreme inequality not witnessed since before the Great Depression. It is time for the moral center to make itself heard."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Exposes The Dark Side Of Politics In 5 Incredible Minutes
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-campaign-finance_us_5c5d246be4b03afe8d6637ff?fbclid=IwAR3jpQgwK6Cr9KLeFkR8uBHKJSXSZdAu0e9cD0mL9cehs_l24jOEa_ymTu0
"The freshman lawmaker reveals how easy it is for pols to get rich at your expense."
"The freshman lawmaker reveals how easy it is for pols to get rich at your expense."
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Following the Money: Trump and Russia-Linked Transactions From the Campaign to the Presidential Inauguration
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2018/12/17/464235/following-the-money/?fbclid=IwAR1VqoNc78n4YGJw3C8uElKx-1BOBk4UVrrrr4Mbx6447ztrGcH3QYkfJUI
"The Kremlin’s present-day use of money to influence European democracies is well-documented, and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has made analysis of financial transactions, including those related to the Trump presidential campaign, a pillar of his investigation into Russian interference."
"The Kremlin’s present-day use of money to influence European democracies is well-documented, and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has made analysis of financial transactions, including those related to the Trump presidential campaign, a pillar of his investigation into Russian interference."
Trump’s foreign policy isn’t based in reality
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/29/18202179/trump-intelligence-north-korea-iran-russia-china?fbclid=IwAR1-fMfNiAXBNl-8WBMf1zcWVO6Bo7aZD3qrTUdGJgVhAvnA_gIGJwF9PUs
"President Donald Trump says ISIS is defeated in Syria. He’s said North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat” and that Kim Jong Un is committed to giving up his country’s nuclear weapons. He’s repeatedly bought Russia’s claim that it didn’t interfere in the 2016 presidential election. He regularly mocks the idea that climate change is a threat and has called it a hoax. And he said staying in the Iran nuclear deal would lead to that country acquiring nuclear weapons in “just a short time.” But according to Trump’s own senior intelligence officials, none of that is true. Zero. Zilch."
"President Donald Trump says ISIS is defeated in Syria. He’s said North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat” and that Kim Jong Un is committed to giving up his country’s nuclear weapons. He’s repeatedly bought Russia’s claim that it didn’t interfere in the 2016 presidential election. He regularly mocks the idea that climate change is a threat and has called it a hoax. And he said staying in the Iran nuclear deal would lead to that country acquiring nuclear weapons in “just a short time.” But according to Trump’s own senior intelligence officials, none of that is true. Zero. Zilch."
Trump doesn’t just disagree with US intel leaders, he also mocks them
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-doesnt-just-disagree-us-intel-leaders-he-also-mocks-them?fbclid=IwAR3PXtj7jb3g-46UU5DGBZZc1vWGwsrEVfyXPQlC7-fptVwKT5S_XU6cTjw
"The nation’s top intelligence officials have reported to Congress that Iran, at least for now, is not trying to develop a nuclear weapon. In fact, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testified to senators yesterday that Iranian officials appear to be complying with the Obama-era international nuclear agreement, which Donald Trump has taken steps to destroy, despite its efficacy."
"The nation’s top intelligence officials have reported to Congress that Iran, at least for now, is not trying to develop a nuclear weapon. In fact, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testified to senators yesterday that Iranian officials appear to be complying with the Obama-era international nuclear agreement, which Donald Trump has taken steps to destroy, despite its efficacy."
This Administration* Is Playing Russian Roulette for Idiots
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26112390/nuclear-arms-control-treaty-russia-trump-administration/?fbclid=IwAR17xkV0jZfqqAWRPWqxZkBPfVq7bL1wvCIQhkdT98QTLhLT_H5ePqUvrzA
"(Can we pause here for a moment and remember that Mike Pompeo is a jumped-up Tea Party congressman from Kansas who is in the upper levels of the national executive only because he climbed aboard the Trump Train and was standing there when it was determined that Rex Tillerson needed to go? He has enabled all of the president*'s worst instincts on foreign policy, and this move is only the latest example. There is no "good" member of this Cabinet—only fools, grifters, and incompetents. It is quite striking in its uniformity in this regard.) I'm not sure how giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants is supposed to hurt him, but I am not the Secretary of State. This is an odds-on decision to start another nuclear arms race in Europe, which can only hype up the ambitious Russian ganglord's dreams of a gangster-capitalist new USSR. The INF Treaty was one of the Reagan Administration's shining accomplishments, and one of the first indications that Mikhail Gorbachev was a real reformer. It was the first arms-control agreement that required a reduction in nuclear weapons rather than simply freezing the number of them in place. It brought Europe out from under a dark shadow. (These were the days in which nuclear war was again thought to be feasible, if not imminent.) It allowed people in Europe to breathe a little easier. For all his faults, Reagan made the INF Treaty a landmark in nuclear diplomacy, and it led directly to President George H.W. Bush's START treaty which cut in half the nuclear arsenals of both countries."
"(Can we pause here for a moment and remember that Mike Pompeo is a jumped-up Tea Party congressman from Kansas who is in the upper levels of the national executive only because he climbed aboard the Trump Train and was standing there when it was determined that Rex Tillerson needed to go? He has enabled all of the president*'s worst instincts on foreign policy, and this move is only the latest example. There is no "good" member of this Cabinet—only fools, grifters, and incompetents. It is quite striking in its uniformity in this regard.) I'm not sure how giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants is supposed to hurt him, but I am not the Secretary of State. This is an odds-on decision to start another nuclear arms race in Europe, which can only hype up the ambitious Russian ganglord's dreams of a gangster-capitalist new USSR. The INF Treaty was one of the Reagan Administration's shining accomplishments, and one of the first indications that Mikhail Gorbachev was a real reformer. It was the first arms-control agreement that required a reduction in nuclear weapons rather than simply freezing the number of them in place. It brought Europe out from under a dark shadow. (These were the days in which nuclear war was again thought to be feasible, if not imminent.) It allowed people in Europe to breathe a little easier. For all his faults, Reagan made the INF Treaty a landmark in nuclear diplomacy, and it led directly to President George H.W. Bush's START treaty which cut in half the nuclear arsenals of both countries."
Trump and His Associates Had More Than 100 Contacts With Russians Before the Inauguration
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/26/us/politics/trump-contacts-russians-wikileaks.html?smid=tw-share&mtrref=t.co&fbclid=IwAR2qXZa8s1dk53HkArvKNTwu8PSHMQjJrqwIomuQFnAW48YWSxd-dAYhoJg
"Among these contacts are more than 100 in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails and private messages on Twitter. Mr. Trump and his campaign repeatedly denied having such contacts with Russians during the 2016 election."
"Among these contacts are more than 100 in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails and private messages on Twitter. Mr. Trump and his campaign repeatedly denied having such contacts with Russians during the 2016 election."
Mitch McConnell, Enemy of the Vote
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/mitch-mcconnell-enemy-of-the-vote-787596/?fbclid=IwAR1PMl7XDvX3DpyCwpbCzvI7S7HmdE0dYw57P6DwGYeuFzbJ58YPw6Me13Q
"Suppressing votes is not merely a racist act, nor it is simply the last resort for a party out of ideas. Voter suppression is traitorous. Intentionally restricting access to the ballot is a violation of the ideals that we have been told are inherently American."
"Suppressing votes is not merely a racist act, nor it is simply the last resort for a party out of ideas. Voter suppression is traitorous. Intentionally restricting access to the ballot is a violation of the ideals that we have been told are inherently American."
Climate-change denier President Trump has rolled back numerous environmental regulations in first two years
https://www.newsweek.com/epa-trump-two-years-environment-regulations-climate-change-1298652?fbclid=IwAR0BT2tJeTAS9zLYIsnhgBNqLe9P3iS3ez30XM0GB2e68d-GXHpL7gravc8
"The president, who also believes that the dangers of asbestos are exaggerated, and that exercise depletes the human body like a battery, has worked alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Interior to roll back environmental and scientific regulations that limit pollutants put into the environment and the toxins workers can be exposed to."
"The president, who also believes that the dangers of asbestos are exaggerated, and that exercise depletes the human body like a battery, has worked alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Interior to roll back environmental and scientific regulations that limit pollutants put into the environment and the toxins workers can be exposed to."
Mitch McConnell calls House Democrats’ anti-corruption bill a “power grab”
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/18/18188150/mitch-mcconnell-house-democrats-anti-corruption-bill-hr1?fbclid=IwAR3t9nPIiTO68EfXuxTO69Wfy7K2gnSNmcXgHHCMKNvaBr5xtVRSXrrLZM8
"The legislative package, known as HR 1, has three main ideas at its core: reforming campaign finance, strengthening the government’s ethics laws, and expanding voting rights. The aim is to get more information on how lobbyists and Super PACs are spending their money, make it easier to vote, and restructure the current campaign finance system to allow for public financing of elections. The ideas behind the bill are extremely popular. A vast majority of Americans want to get the influence of money out of politics, and want Congress to pass laws to do so. Recent polling from the PAC End Citizens United found that 82 percent of all voters and 84 percent of independents said they support a bill of reforms to tackle corruption. But McConnell painted a far different picture, characterizing HR 1 as a nefarious attempt to silence free speech and turn US democracy into one-party rule."
"The legislative package, known as HR 1, has three main ideas at its core: reforming campaign finance, strengthening the government’s ethics laws, and expanding voting rights. The aim is to get more information on how lobbyists and Super PACs are spending their money, make it easier to vote, and restructure the current campaign finance system to allow for public financing of elections. The ideas behind the bill are extremely popular. A vast majority of Americans want to get the influence of money out of politics, and want Congress to pass laws to do so. Recent polling from the PAC End Citizens United found that 82 percent of all voters and 84 percent of independents said they support a bill of reforms to tackle corruption. But McConnell painted a far different picture, characterizing HR 1 as a nefarious attempt to silence free speech and turn US democracy into one-party rule."
Mitch McConnell Has Open Disdain for Democracy
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26090966/mitch-mcconnell-power-grab-election-day-holiday/?fbclid=IwAR2qNdtW2Gmt0czPia-hv5ziEp4FNJbJlQBLR3jKLUO_JG5cCGrfCP4EKnQ
"There was on Wednesday one of those moments in Mitch McConnell's guardianship of the United States Senate when the least excusable man in government decides, what the hell, I'll just say what everybody knows anyway. It has been conservative Republican political strategy since the mid-1970s to suppress the votes of the classes of voters to which conservatism declines to appeal. This had the added benefit of rolling back the hard-won achievements of the civil-rights movement, an episode in history that modern conservative Republicanism came to consider an aberration to the natural order of things. On Wednesday, while the Senate was debating a House bill aimed at making voting easier, as well as rolling back Republican voter-suppression laws, Mitch was particularly exercised over a proposal to make federal election day a national holiday."
"There was on Wednesday one of those moments in Mitch McConnell's guardianship of the United States Senate when the least excusable man in government decides, what the hell, I'll just say what everybody knows anyway. It has been conservative Republican political strategy since the mid-1970s to suppress the votes of the classes of voters to which conservatism declines to appeal. This had the added benefit of rolling back the hard-won achievements of the civil-rights movement, an episode in history that modern conservative Republicanism came to consider an aberration to the natural order of things. On Wednesday, while the Senate was debating a House bill aimed at making voting easier, as well as rolling back Republican voter-suppression laws, Mitch was particularly exercised over a proposal to make federal election day a national holiday."
Mitch McConnell Admits He’s Against High Voter Turnout Because He Suspects People Will Vote for Democrats
https://www.gq.com/story/mcconnell-voter-turnout-bad?fbclid=IwAR3Dy2pvZwHlAcjWM_5DKZhIO9cHjGFFrbaZxmm8HRUZOJueN9_Lm8zowJM
"Republicans have long had an election problem. The more people vote, the worse they tend to get beaten. So the solution, since at least the 1970s, has been pretty cut and dry: figure out who's likely to vote against them, and prevent them from voting. It may be a more circuitous approach than falsifying votes or straight up hacking an election, but it gives them an air of democratic legitimacy even though they're actively fighting against the foundations of democracy."
"Republicans have long had an election problem. The more people vote, the worse they tend to get beaten. So the solution, since at least the 1970s, has been pretty cut and dry: figure out who's likely to vote against them, and prevent them from voting. It may be a more circuitous approach than falsifying votes or straight up hacking an election, but it gives them an air of democratic legitimacy even though they're actively fighting against the foundations of democracy."
In 745 days, President Trump has made 8,459 false or misleading claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?utm_term=.d1826c2079d6
"The Fact Checker’s ongoing database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump since assuming office."
"The Fact Checker’s ongoing database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump since assuming office."
Mitch McConnell Admits That Republicans Lose When More People Vote
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/mitch-mcconnell-admits-that-republicans-lose-when-more-people-vote/?fbclid=IwAR23fqF2wDIeMmZeqlkSUiRdmKESJQGIWTIvzRrROxO7kSHvSRc-QJ61_J4
"Democrats have long accused Republicans of restricting access to the ballot because Republicans are likelier to win when fewer people vote. On Wednesday, the GOP leader in the Senate appeared to admit that they’re right."
"Democrats have long accused Republicans of restricting access to the ballot because Republicans are likelier to win when fewer people vote. On Wednesday, the GOP leader in the Senate appeared to admit that they’re right."
President Trump made 8,158 false or misleading claims in his first two years
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/21/president-trump-made-false-or-misleading-claims-his-first-two-years/?fbclid=IwAR0hlZF1h7H2JmG-8jYsjIINR5Fozh5Lzeu0P5loYKOexnKPfnwI_gZHWfg&utm_term=.71c7b5f6dbe9
"Two years after taking the oath of office, President Trump has made 8,158 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That includes an astonishing 6,000-plus such claims in the president’s second year. Put another way: The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. But he hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year, almost triple the pace."
"Two years after taking the oath of office, President Trump has made 8,158 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That includes an astonishing 6,000-plus such claims in the president’s second year. Put another way: The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. But he hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year, almost triple the pace."
The World Is on the Brink of Widespread Water Wars
https://truthout.org/articles/the-world-is-on-the-brink-of-widespread-water-wars/
"As planetary temperatures continue to increase and rainfall patterns shift due to human-caused climate disruption, our ability to grow crops and have enough drinking water will become increasingly challenged, and the outlook is only going to worsen. The most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned of increasingly intense droughts and mass water shortages around large swaths of the globe."
"As planetary temperatures continue to increase and rainfall patterns shift due to human-caused climate disruption, our ability to grow crops and have enough drinking water will become increasingly challenged, and the outlook is only going to worsen. The most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned of increasingly intense droughts and mass water shortages around large swaths of the globe."
Trump Quietly Put a Koch Official in Charge of America’s Drinking Water
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/trump-put-a-koch-official-in-charge-of-americas-drinking-water?fbclid=IwAR3enfxq2KW81sm3GZfYO3uNWm34-pYpvXI8wMl8PMLdOVEZBTEiQ367ZYU
"Currently, Koch subsidiary Georgia-Pacific, a paper and pulp conglomerate, is facing at least one class-action suit related to chemicals now under Dunlap’s purview. Koch’s various environmental crimes against humanity are laid out in several high-profile lawsuits over the past 20 years. According to Bloomberg, “Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties, and judgments” between 1999 and 2003, such as for dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of aviation fuel into a Minnesota wetland. “You want an independent, hardheaded scientific review of these issues; you don’t want somebody who is already taking the industry party line,” Erik Olson, who heads up the Natural Resources Defense Council’s public health work, told Politico. “There’s a legitimate threat there and, from my perspective, the conflicts of interest that [Dunlap] has having worked as a regulatory compliance director at Georgia-Pacific raises questions about whether he can make those objective decisions or should be recused.” Dunlap, of course, is unlikely to be replaced by someone without a host of conflicts of interest given that the guy currently running the E.P.A., Andrew Wheeler, is a walking, talking conflict of interest, having served as a coal-lobbyist prior to taking over the top job from departed Grift King Scott Pruitt. It is, in other words, par for the course."
"Currently, Koch subsidiary Georgia-Pacific, a paper and pulp conglomerate, is facing at least one class-action suit related to chemicals now under Dunlap’s purview. Koch’s various environmental crimes against humanity are laid out in several high-profile lawsuits over the past 20 years. According to Bloomberg, “Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties, and judgments” between 1999 and 2003, such as for dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of aviation fuel into a Minnesota wetland. “You want an independent, hardheaded scientific review of these issues; you don’t want somebody who is already taking the industry party line,” Erik Olson, who heads up the Natural Resources Defense Council’s public health work, told Politico. “There’s a legitimate threat there and, from my perspective, the conflicts of interest that [Dunlap] has having worked as a regulatory compliance director at Georgia-Pacific raises questions about whether he can make those objective decisions or should be recused.” Dunlap, of course, is unlikely to be replaced by someone without a host of conflicts of interest given that the guy currently running the E.P.A., Andrew Wheeler, is a walking, talking conflict of interest, having served as a coal-lobbyist prior to taking over the top job from departed Grift King Scott Pruitt. It is, in other words, par for the course."
EPA Rollbacks: Hurting Americans Where They Live
EPA Rollbacks: Hurting Americans Where They Live:
"From the outset, Pruitt unabashedly sabotaged the agency’s stated mission “to protect human health and the environment” by severely curtailing the scope of scientific investigations and regulatory enforcement. Pruitt resigned in July under a cloud of ethics scandals. The acting administrator is Andrew Wheeler, formerly a major coal lobbyist. In September, The New York Times reported that Wheeler is dissolving the top office advising him on the science that guides decisions about proposed health and pollution regulations. The EPA also placed Ruth Etzel, the head of the agency’s Office of Children’s Health, on a mysterious administrative leave. Both offices report directly to Wheeler."
"From the outset, Pruitt unabashedly sabotaged the agency’s stated mission “to protect human health and the environment” by severely curtailing the scope of scientific investigations and regulatory enforcement. Pruitt resigned in July under a cloud of ethics scandals. The acting administrator is Andrew Wheeler, formerly a major coal lobbyist. In September, The New York Times reported that Wheeler is dissolving the top office advising him on the science that guides decisions about proposed health and pollution regulations. The EPA also placed Ruth Etzel, the head of the agency’s Office of Children’s Health, on a mysterious administrative leave. Both offices report directly to Wheeler."
Trump’s EPA Is Undermining New Law to Regulate Chemicals
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-epa-is-undermining-new-law-to-regulate-chemicals/
"Just recently, a former Koch Industries executive was tapped to head the scientific research arm of the EPA. Nancy Beck hopscotched from the American Chemistry Council (ACC)—an industry organization with powerful political clout—to a top deputy position in the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. According to The New York Times, Beck subsequently weakened rules designed to track the health consequences of legacy chemicals."
"Just recently, a former Koch Industries executive was tapped to head the scientific research arm of the EPA. Nancy Beck hopscotched from the American Chemistry Council (ACC)—an industry organization with powerful political clout—to a top deputy position in the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. According to The New York Times, Beck subsequently weakened rules designed to track the health consequences of legacy chemicals."
'Absolutely Unconscionable': Trump EPA Refuses to Limit Toxic Chemicals That Contaminate Drinking Water of Millions
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/29/absolutely-unconscionable-trump-epa-refuses-limit-toxic-chemicals-contaminate?fbclid=IwAR3x5pMvhRNN3KLFySrwnZCCSROaxeoLUHnaOIeNmgXZ8bDK60GxCuWAE3c
"In a decision deemed by critics unsurprising but also "absolutely unconscionable," the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reportedly plans to refrain from regulating a pair of toxic chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, even though they are contaminating millions of Americans' drinking water."
"In a decision deemed by critics unsurprising but also "absolutely unconscionable," the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reportedly plans to refrain from regulating a pair of toxic chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, even though they are contaminating millions of Americans' drinking water."
New Trump Probe Looks a Lot Like a RICO Investigation
https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-trump-probe-looks-a-lot-like-a-rico-investigation?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR1LQfUDZR9f79MsvtSAR395N0DwcYvZkrqtMGcTupU7bf2NuGPCfesb8po
"Referring to a cooperator as a “rat,” President Trump sometimes sounds like a mob boss. He may ultimately be prosecuted like one, too."
"Referring to a cooperator as a “rat,” President Trump sometimes sounds like a mob boss. He may ultimately be prosecuted like one, too."
Donald Trump has been compromised by Russia
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/01/15/donald-trump-has-been-compromised-russia/V66kiNZWtOE8T9UrfNYJwK/story.html?fbclid=IwAR06RXI7cvdtl4oAYYnYhkRoxv-jV69h3_ZyLd0E4TywY8JM1Y1YP8HCN9I
"Every day that he remains president will mean that he is putting Russia’s interests ahead of America’s. The latest revelations that emerged this weekend in the Trump/Russia investigation only bolstered this notion. First, via The New York Times, we found out that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation after he fired FBI Director Jim Comey to determine if he was working on behalf of the Russian government. Then, the next day, The Washington Post revealed that Trump has gone to “extraordinary lengths” to keep the substance of his talks with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, hidden from his own aides, “including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials.” Both stories are, of course, blockbusters — but they aren’t all that surprising. After all, as former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and, currently, lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Juliette Kayyem said to me, “Everything Trump has done to date is consistent with the notion that he is compromised by the Russians, and the corollary to that is that he has done nothing to convince us otherwise.” The evidence that Trump has acted as an agent of the Russians — either wittingly or unwittingly — is overwhelming. We can start with the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump not only refused to criticize Russia or Putin directly, but also openly and publicly asked for their assistance in finding Hillary Clinton’s missing e-mails. There is also the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., the dalliance with WikiLeaks, and the 101 contacts between Trump’s campaign team and individuals linked to Russia. But perhaps even more telling is Trump’s consistent refusal to acknowledge Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election — which of course continues to this day."
"Every day that he remains president will mean that he is putting Russia’s interests ahead of America’s. The latest revelations that emerged this weekend in the Trump/Russia investigation only bolstered this notion. First, via The New York Times, we found out that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation after he fired FBI Director Jim Comey to determine if he was working on behalf of the Russian government. Then, the next day, The Washington Post revealed that Trump has gone to “extraordinary lengths” to keep the substance of his talks with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, hidden from his own aides, “including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials.” Both stories are, of course, blockbusters — but they aren’t all that surprising. After all, as former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and, currently, lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Juliette Kayyem said to me, “Everything Trump has done to date is consistent with the notion that he is compromised by the Russians, and the corollary to that is that he has done nothing to convince us otherwise.” The evidence that Trump has acted as an agent of the Russians — either wittingly or unwittingly — is overwhelming. We can start with the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump not only refused to criticize Russia or Putin directly, but also openly and publicly asked for their assistance in finding Hillary Clinton’s missing e-mails. There is also the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., the dalliance with WikiLeaks, and the 101 contacts between Trump’s campaign team and individuals linked to Russia. But perhaps even more telling is Trump’s consistent refusal to acknowledge Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election — which of course continues to this day."
Conspiracy Against the United States: The Story of Trump and Russia
https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/democracy/reports/2018/11/27/172558/conspiracy-united-states-story-trump-russia/?fbclid=IwAR2uJG-TiQZPWp9nVEt5_oWSeBv0FAZFy1YVCAM7x33RO_o6TVL0EIVRyxU
"In an administration largely defined by the constant churn of controversy, the Russia investigation has become one of the largest scandals in American political history. As it has unfolded, President Donald Trump and his accomplices in Congress have not only attacked the investigation but also sought to repeatedly shift the goal posts. First, they asserted there had been no meetings with Russia. Next, they acknowledged their meetings with Kremlin-linked operatives, but denied that any collusion had taken place. Then, they claimed that even if collusion had taken place, collusion isn’t a crime. And finally, they argued the scandal is meaningless because Russian interference didn’t change the outcome of the election. All of these assertions are false. There were dozens of contacts and meetings between the two campaigns to elect Trump, each of which the Trump campaign, transition team, and administration sought to hide. Their steadfast obfuscation amid the flood of revelations suggests there are still more to come. In those secret contacts and meetings, the participants colluded, sharing and coordinating plans to undermine the legitimacy of American democracy. That collusion almost certainly constitutes a criminal conspiracy, which, given Trump’s long history of corrupt behavior and reputation for micromanagement, very well may implicate the president himself."
"In an administration largely defined by the constant churn of controversy, the Russia investigation has become one of the largest scandals in American political history. As it has unfolded, President Donald Trump and his accomplices in Congress have not only attacked the investigation but also sought to repeatedly shift the goal posts. First, they asserted there had been no meetings with Russia. Next, they acknowledged their meetings with Kremlin-linked operatives, but denied that any collusion had taken place. Then, they claimed that even if collusion had taken place, collusion isn’t a crime. And finally, they argued the scandal is meaningless because Russian interference didn’t change the outcome of the election. All of these assertions are false. There were dozens of contacts and meetings between the two campaigns to elect Trump, each of which the Trump campaign, transition team, and administration sought to hide. Their steadfast obfuscation amid the flood of revelations suggests there are still more to come. In those secret contacts and meetings, the participants colluded, sharing and coordinating plans to undermine the legitimacy of American democracy. That collusion almost certainly constitutes a criminal conspiracy, which, given Trump’s long history of corrupt behavior and reputation for micromanagement, very well may implicate the president himself."
Everything We Know About Russia and President Trump
https://www.newsandguts.com/trump-russia/?fbclid=IwAR1pavfQwZFc87TqKodyJxm_S0HojRCERc65sqLyyQCYPSwLYt9CUC-FTsY
"Trump’s connections to Russia began more than 35 years ago and didn’t end on Election Day 2016. Attorney Steven J. Harper and the producers at BillMoyers.com launched the Trump-Russia Timeline in February 2017 with 25 entries. It now has more than 1,500 and is updated regularly. Readers can browse entries chronologically, focus on a particular date range, or use the name filter to click on one or more individuals to see where they fit in the overall narrative."
"Trump’s connections to Russia began more than 35 years ago and didn’t end on Election Day 2016. Attorney Steven J. Harper and the producers at BillMoyers.com launched the Trump-Russia Timeline in February 2017 with 25 entries. It now has more than 1,500 and is updated regularly. Readers can browse entries chronologically, focus on a particular date range, or use the name filter to click on one or more individuals to see where they fit in the overall narrative."
How Trump’s EPA is letting environmental criminals off the hook, in one chart
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/16/18183998/epa-andrew-wheeler-environmental-policy-enforcement?fbclid=IwAR2XA9h7vWZlt0IzpJYqueineYZAzw02s6G8YitISZ5N0izh_upvfMQI0t4
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
Trump's EPA refuses to regulate pair of chemicals linked to cancer and multiple illnesses
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/30/1830891/-Trump-s-EPA-refuses-to-regulate-pair-of-chemicals-linked-to-cancer-and-multiple-illnesses?utm_campaign=recent&fbclid=IwAR2Ql4-HzN1F6KfhC1wf7_E7b64UflcmmDZhQ01PQuZReEUr8KwJBn6NAYs
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
Congress Must Stop USDA’s Animal Experiments, Says Whistleblower
https://truthout.org/articles/congress-must-stop-usdas-animal-experiments-says-whistleblower/
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
Felix Sater, the spy, criminal, and mafia-linked executive tied to Trump Tower Moscow, explained
https://www.vox.com/2018/12/6/18127229/trump-felix-sater-tower-moscow-spy?fbclid=IwAR1Fvjxt1BLloDANhOA7qV8FdFvxCkpekmGxcSn8CZn_4JAw7Ly6DQ5dOEw
"Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, knows about Sater. He’s featured in the court document where Cohen admitted to lying to Congress as “Individual 2.” It’s possible that he will feature more prominently as the probe continues. For now, Sater still talks to the press about his exploits. For example, he recently told BuzzFeed News that there were plans to offer Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow — the one Trump had Cohen lie about — if it got built. All of this puts Trump’s praise of Putin and his country in a whole new light — that perhaps what most animated Trump’s warmth was personal profit. Sater would be among the best-positioned people to know, if that’s the case. Mueller, for sure, is interested."
"Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, knows about Sater. He’s featured in the court document where Cohen admitted to lying to Congress as “Individual 2.” It’s possible that he will feature more prominently as the probe continues. For now, Sater still talks to the press about his exploits. For example, he recently told BuzzFeed News that there were plans to offer Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow — the one Trump had Cohen lie about — if it got built. All of this puts Trump’s praise of Putin and his country in a whole new light — that perhaps what most animated Trump’s warmth was personal profit. Sater would be among the best-positioned people to know, if that’s the case. Mueller, for sure, is interested."
Donald Trump's Mafia Connections: Decades Later, Is He Still Linked to the Mob?
https://www.newsweek.com/2019/01/18/donald-trump-mafia-connections-decades-later-linked-mob-1285771.html?fbclid=IwAR2D87EOoolEerEzByKmQsu61_GmBP9DzhMq9dNInIJMpEAny6lyVN4bJcI
"Russia’s intelligence services, oligarchs and gangsters are seamlessly connected, according to multiple news accounts through the years. And since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian mob has made huge inroads into the American underworld, sometimes forming alliances of convenience with La Cosa Nostra. As a teenager, Trump’s future lawyer Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, “frequented Brooklyn’s ethnic Russian neighborhoods and married into a Ukrainian family.” At a friend’s wedding, he “bragged to another guest that he belonged to the Russian mob.” The friend didn’t believe it, but when Trump pursued a hotel deal in Moscow, Cohen was dispatched to seal the deal, working through shady characters to offer Putin a top-floor penthouse, according to BuzzFeed News. The Trump Organization had long been awash in illicit Russian money, author Craig Unger claimed in a 2018 book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia. “It started out as a simple money-laundering operation at Trump Tower in 1984, when a Russian mobster came to Trump Tower with $6 million in cash and bought five condos. This is the template for what begins to unfold. At least 1,300 Trump condos in the United States have been sold similarly. All cash purchases through anonymous sources,” Unger told Newsweek last August."
"Russia’s intelligence services, oligarchs and gangsters are seamlessly connected, according to multiple news accounts through the years. And since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian mob has made huge inroads into the American underworld, sometimes forming alliances of convenience with La Cosa Nostra. As a teenager, Trump’s future lawyer Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, “frequented Brooklyn’s ethnic Russian neighborhoods and married into a Ukrainian family.” At a friend’s wedding, he “bragged to another guest that he belonged to the Russian mob.” The friend didn’t believe it, but when Trump pursued a hotel deal in Moscow, Cohen was dispatched to seal the deal, working through shady characters to offer Putin a top-floor penthouse, according to BuzzFeed News. The Trump Organization had long been awash in illicit Russian money, author Craig Unger claimed in a 2018 book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia. “It started out as a simple money-laundering operation at Trump Tower in 1984, when a Russian mobster came to Trump Tower with $6 million in cash and bought five condos. This is the template for what begins to unfold. At least 1,300 Trump condos in the United States have been sold similarly. All cash purchases through anonymous sources,” Unger told Newsweek last August."
‘Build the Wall and Crime Will Fall’: Trump’s New Rhyming Slogan Is Not True
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/build-the-wall-and-crime-will-fall-trumps-dumb-new-slogan.html?fbclid=IwAR2-qHOjClH2WeVG7D42QswdGzzDKERH6yxpWdjXqTHsNDhGicfGrG_J4k0
"Studies show that states with more immigration have less crime and that an influx in undocumented immigrants does not lead to an increase in DUIs and drug arrests."
"Studies show that states with more immigration have less crime and that an influx in undocumented immigrants does not lead to an increase in DUIs and drug arrests."
Jared Kushner: Blackmail and Witness Tampering Are “Family Matters”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/01/jared-kushner-chris-christie-book?fbclid=IwAR2RGYVGyH1_gpEHovLlxi9KTqY3bnaUpvFj7WMAiX_320RfzLZ1Ca6Dd6A
"For those not up to speed on the criminal history of the president’s in-laws, in 2005, Kushner the Elder pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, following an investigation by then–U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. The witness-tampering charge was a result of Chuck’s decision to retaliate against his sister’s husband, William Schulder, who was cooperating with the feds, by hiring a sex worker to seduce him, filming the encounter, and sending the tape to his sister. Jared, unsurprisingly, had bad feelings about his father going to prison for 14 months, though his anger didn’t lie with his (extremely guilty) dad but rather prosecutors, who a man now working in the upper echelons of the U.S. government believed had overstepped their bounds."
"For those not up to speed on the criminal history of the president’s in-laws, in 2005, Kushner the Elder pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, following an investigation by then–U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. The witness-tampering charge was a result of Chuck’s decision to retaliate against his sister’s husband, William Schulder, who was cooperating with the feds, by hiring a sex worker to seduce him, filming the encounter, and sending the tape to his sister. Jared, unsurprisingly, had bad feelings about his father going to prison for 14 months, though his anger didn’t lie with his (extremely guilty) dad but rather prosecutors, who a man now working in the upper echelons of the U.S. government believed had overstepped their bounds."
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