October 9, 2016

Atlantic Magazine makes only 3rd endorsement in its history

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/5/1578247/-Atlantic-Magazine-makes-only-3rd-endorsement-in-its-history
"After quoting some more of what Weeks wrote in that endorsement, the editorial pivots to our present day situation, beginning with this paragraph: Today, our position is similar to the one in which The Atlantic’s editors found themselves in 1964. We are impressed by many of the qualities of the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, even as we are exasperated by others, but we are mainly concerned with the Republican Party’s nominee, Donald J. Trump, who might be the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidency. Yes, those are strong words: the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidency The editorial however makes clear that it finds much to admire in the prior service of Mrs. Clinton, noting she is among the most prepared candidates ever to seek the presidency. We are confident that she understands the role of the United States in the world; we have no doubt that she will apply herself assiduously to the problems confronting this country; and she has demonstrated an aptitude for analysis and hard work. By contrast, Donald Trump offers no relevant prior service, and totally lacks qualifications: His affect is that of an infomercial huckster; he traffics in conspiracy theories and racist invective; he is appallingly sexist; he is erratic, secretive, and xenophobic; he expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself. He is easily goaded, a poor quality for someone seeking control of America’s nuclear arsenal. He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he appears not to read."

VP Debate Cold Open - SNL

Here Are 5 Outrageously Offensive Things That Didn't Cause Republicans to Abandon Trump

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/republicans-are-fleeing-trump-after-video-surfaces-him-bragging-about-groping-women
"Trump has welcomed the support of the feverishly racist wing of the conservative movement. Perhaps the best example of this came when he refused for five days to condemn David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, who is supporting him. Not long afterward, Trump's campaign allowed a leader of a white nationalist party to be a delegate for his campaign in California (until the story became national news). Even after these high-profile episodes, the campaign continues to wink and whistle at white supremacists. A white nationalist super PAC is today spending money to help elect him."

Condoleezza Rice Calls On Donald Trump To Drop Out Of The Race

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/condoleeza-rice-donald-trump_us_57f9756ee4b0e655eab50f1e?section
"Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice broke her silence on the presidential election on Saturday and called on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to end his campaign."

Mike Pence enabled Donald Trump. Stop saying he’d make a good president.

http://www.vox.com/2016/10/8/13212310/mike-pence-president-trump-drop-out
"It’s not as if Pence didn’t know what he was doing. By the time Trump picked him as his running mate on July 14, Trump had already: Called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim immigration to the United States, Referred to Mexican immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists”, Mocked a New York Times reporter for his disability, Said that an Indiana-born judge of Mexican descent couldn’t do his job and judge a case fairly because of his heritage (Pence is from Indiana), Lied about his opposition to the Iraq War, Praised Vladimir Putin, Retweeted white supremacists, Tweeted an image of Hillary Clinton with a Star of David superimposed over a pile of money, a symbol widely viewed as anti-Semitic, Suggested Sen. Marco Rubio had a small penis, called Carly Fiornia ugly, and implied that Sen. Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the Kennedy assassination despite no evidence, Claimed, falsely, that “thousands” of Muslims in New York and New Jersey had cheered the 9/11 attacks, Barred the Washington Post from his rallies and threatened to sue because he didn’t like its reporting, Suggested he would pay the legal fees for supporters who attacked protesters at his rallies, Refused to release his tax returns, Nor was Trump’s rampant sexism a secret. His public feuds with celebrities aside, the New York Times had already published a long article on times Trump was accused of crossing boundaries with women in his private life. And, of course, Trump had spent years publicly doubting that President Obama was born in the United States. This is not a complete list. But by the time Trump was picking a running mate, it was clear that he was a man with a history of bigoted, racist, sexist behavior and remarks. This is what Pence agreed to make palatable to the Republican establishment, to social conservatives, and to swing voters."

To the Republican Party: Take your fake outrage over Trump's 'p*ssy' remarks and shove it

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/08/1579360/-To-the-Republican-Party-Take-your-fake-outrage-over-Trump-s-pussy-remarks-and-shove-it
"Suddenly, the Republican Party is outraged. And what does that tell us? First, that the GOP has absolutely no problem with hate speech, racism, bigotry and misogyny. Unless it threatens their jobs, because the only reason Republicans are finally speaking up is because the election is one month away and they are doing whatever they can to distance themselves from his toxic campaign. Period. So they can take their phony outrage and shove it."

Complacency is Not an Option

Dear Republican leaders who endorsed Trump: You own him

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/07/1579182/-Dear-Republican-leaders-who-endorsed-Trump-You-own-him
"He is the candidate of white supremacists, and it’s not just that they like him. He likes them back, if his retweets are anything to go by. Hell, his campaign is being run by a white nationalist. That didn’t clue you in? At the very first Republican presidential primary debate, Megyn Kelly asked Trump about his record of insulting women—so it’s not like that was a secret. He responded by saying she had “blood coming out of her wherever.” That wasn’t a hint you might have a problem?  Khizr and Ghazala Khan. Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Alicia Machado. New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. Trump has based his campaign around the lowest, most personal attacks he could muster, all based around people not being rich white men like him. Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan have squirmed, they’ve pretended not to hear, they’ve occasionally disavowed specific comments, but they’ve stuck with Trump. And that’s on them. McConnell is holding a Supreme Court seat open for Trump to fill, FFS.  You endorsed him, you own him, “grab them by the p*ssy” and all."

White Nationalist Leader Doubles Down on Support for Donald Trump

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2016/10/white-nationalist-super-pac-funds-radio-ads-backing-donald-trump
"Last May, William Johnson stepped down as a delegate for Donald Trump to the GOP national convention after Mother Jones revealed him to be the leader of the white nationalist American Freedom Party. Reluctant to draw negative attention to Trump, Johnson has largely receded from view since then—until yesterday, when the LA Times reported that Johnson's white nationalist super PAC is funding pro-Trump radio ads set to run in more than a half dozen states."

74 Terrible Things Donald Trump Has Done...This Month

Trump boasted of owning Miss USA pageant so he could watch naked contestants backstage: report

Trump boasted of owning Miss USA pageant so he could watch naked contestants backstage: report

"Trump also walked through the dressing rooms at the 2000 Miss USA pageant, where he watched the naked contestants prepare backstage. “I’ll tell you the funniest is that I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed,” Trump tells Howard Stern. The recordings were released by CNN on Saturday. Trump continues, “No men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in, because I’m the owner of the pageant and therefore I’m inspecting it…. ‘Is everyone OK’? You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. ‘Is everybody OK?’ And you see these incredible looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that"."

Dear Republicans: You Don't Get to Bail on Trump Now, You Sold Your Souls Long Ago

Dear Republicans: You Don't Get to Bail on Trump Now, You Sold Your Souls Long Ago

"You don’t get to act as if this isn’t exactly who you knew Trump has been all along simply because you can’t spin this like you have all the other appalling things he’s said and done throughout his career and campaign. If you didn’t run away from Donald Trump when he: Degraded Sen. John McCain’s war record. Called millions of human beings rapists and criminals. Mocked a disabled reporter. Said he wanted to ban an entire religion. Spent nearly eight years using blatant racism claiming that President Obama wasn’t an American. Re-tweeted white supremacist propaganda against African Americans. Implied that Ted Cruz’s wife was ugly. Lied about seeing “thousands and thousands” of Muslims celebrating 9/11 in the streets of New Jersey. Likely avoided paying taxes for nearly two decades. Said Alicia Machado was “disgusting,” her weight “was a real problem,” and tried to slander her with a non-existent sex tape. Blatantly lied about how much money he raised for veterans. Used (as Paul Ryan said it) the textbook definition of racism when he claimed an American-born federal judge couldn’t do his job ethically because of his Mexican heritage. Advocated for committing war crimes. Encouraged the Russian government to commit espionage against Americans. Hired a campaign manager who abruptly resigned after a report linked him to pro-Russian groups trying to undermine U.S. policy in Europe. Sought out former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes as an adviser despite overwhelming evidence that he had been sexually harassing women at the network for years. Then you don’t get to suddenly act like you give a damn about morals or ethics because a video was leaked that’s so revolting that you’re now worried what it might do to your images and careers. If you were with Trump through everything I just listed above (and more), then that’s exactly who you are."

Obama: Trump's insecurity not presidential

Donald Trump’s Apology Sounds Like a Rapist Saying 'She Asked for It' @alternet

Donald Trump’s Apology Sounds Like a Rapist Saying 'She Asked for It' @alternet:

"Trump’s voters have little to no respect for non-whites, Muslims, women, gays and lesbians, or any other group that they feel are their social and political inferiors. Trumpthuglicans are authoritarians possessed of social dominance behavior."

Another Very Sexist Donald Trump Story Broke on Friday That Needs More Attention

Another Very Sexist Donald Trump Story Broke on Friday That Needs More Attention

"Seriously, are there still people out there who actually think Trump has even a shred of respect for women? What’s funny is that it’s fairly common for his supporters to tell me how “amazing his children are,” as “proof” that he’s a good man and father. Except, as Ivana just pointed out — and he’s more or less admitted — Trump has had almost nothing to do with the actual raising of his children. Aside from providing financial support, which he probably would have avoided doing (like he did paying taxes) if he felt he could have gotten away with it legally and from a personal relations standpoint, he doesn’t seem to have done a thing when it came to the day-to-day functions of being an actual parent. After all, if a man does that — then that’s the husband trying to “act like the wife"."

‘He was relentless’: Former business partner tells horrific story about Trump’s attempt to rape her

‘He was relentless’: Former business partner tells horrific story about Trump’s attempt to rape her

"In a deposition she gave in a sexual harassment lawsuit"

Ex-Trump policy chief jumps ship: I regret working for him and ‘under no circumstances will I support him’

Ex-Trump policy chief jumps ship: I regret working for him and ‘under no circumstances will I support him’

"GOP nominee Donald Trump is watching former supporters abandon ship at an alarming rate."

Jerry Springer: Trump Belongs On My Show

At This Point, If You're Still a Donald Trump Supporter, Here's What You Really Are

At This Point, If You're Still a Donald Trump Supporter, Here's What You Really Are

"He is essentially the textbook definition of a sociopath. However, despite the fact that he exhibits all of these signs without shame, millions of people support him. So, at this point, after all that Donald Trump has said and done, if you still support him, you’ve done nothing more than carved out your place in U.S. history as someone we will all look back upon with disgust and humiliation that there were so many people like you who eagerly supported one of the most shameful embarrassments in United States history."

Irony alert: Pence’s weekend fundraiser is in a house owned by a man who went down with the Titanic

Irony alert: Pence’s weekend fundraiser is in a house owned by a man who went down with the Titanic

"Pence hopped on a plane and headed to Beechwood, Rhode Island for a fundraiser in the mansion of John Jacob Astor, who died on the Titanic in 1912."

Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton Debate Cold Open - SNL

October 8, 2016

A Donald Trump presidency would bring shame on this country

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/7/13206528/donald-trump-leaked-assault-audio
"Here is the compliment I can pay Donald Trump, and I pay it with real gratitude: He never hid who he was. Perhaps he lacked the self-control, or the self-awareness, but whatever the mechanism, he never obscured his cruelty, or his misogyny, or his greed, or his dishonesty. He is not a clever demagogue but a crude one. He mocked a disabled reporter while the cameras were rolling. He accused his opponent’s father of conspiring to kill John F. Kennedy. He attacked the parents of a fallen war hero. He retweeted white supremacists. He accused a judge of bias because of his “Mexican heritage.” He directed the world to watch a nonexistent sex tape of a woman he body-shamed a decade ago. He lies, constantly, fluently, and shamelessly. He insults his opponents with schoolyard nicknames while retweeting slavish sycophants. Trump knows nothing about policy and has learned nothing about it. He has incited violence at his rallies, joked about the assassination of the Democratic nominee, and casually thrown the NATO alliance into doubt. He has proven himself a man of little discipline and less grace, incapable of either forgiving or forgetting, and completely unable to control his own reactions. He believes only what he wants to believe, trusts only the polls that show him ahead, listens only to the people who flatter his ego. He has done all this in public, and he has done all of it repeatedly, almost gleefully. If we elect him, there will be no excusing our actions to future generations, no pleading ignorance in the face of threat. It was all here. It was all obvious. It will all be visible to our children, and to historians. Trump told us who he was, showed us who he was, again and again. The test here is not of his decency, but of our own."

Trump’s leaked comments aren’t just “lewd.” They describe sexual assault.

http://www.vox.com/identities/2016/10/7/13206174/trump-leaked-lewd-pussy-comments-women-rape-sexual-assault
"During the worst part of the tape, published by the Washington Post Friday, Trump brags about what his star power lets him do with women. After Trump and Bush start gawking at Days of Our Lives actress Arianne Zucker, this happens: “I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump says. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” “And when you’re a star they let you do it,” Trump says. “You can do anything.” “Whatever you want,” says another voice, apparently Bush’s. “Grab them by the pu**y,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

"We All Knew About the Trafficking"-The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1)

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/6/1578544/-The-Untold-Story-of-Trump-Model-Management-A-Daily-Kos-Exclusive-Part-1
"the results would be nothing short of devastating for many of the young lives caught in the balance, girls from Iowa to Slovenia and Brazil. And Donald Trump was in the center of it, just as one might expect he would be, all too willing to reap the rewards."

Video Reveals Trump Bragging about Sexual Assault. Update: Paul Ryan Disinvites Trump from Event

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/7/1578988/-Just-Released-Video-Reveals-Trump-Making-Lewd-Comments-About-Women
"In a just released video, the audio reveals Trump making extremely vulgar comments about women referring to them as “b*tches” and stating that he can “do anything” to women, boasting, 'Grab them by the pu**y'."

Nasty Trump audio emerges: 'You're a star they let you do anything you want. Grab them by the p*ssy'

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/7/1578998/-Donald-Trump-Just-as-vulgar-as-you-think-he-is
"Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone—saying that "when you're a star, they let you do it"—according to a video obtained by The Washington Post. The video captures Trump talking with Billy Bush of "Access Hollywood" on a bus with Access Hollywood written across the side. They were arriving on the set of "Days of Our Lives" to tape a segment about Trump's upcoming cameo on the soap opera. […] In that audio, Trump discusses a failed attempt to seduce a woman, whose full name is not given in the video. "I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it," Trump is heard saying. It was unclear when the events he was describing took place. The tape was recorded several months after he married his third wife, Melania. "Whoa," another voice said. "I did try and f--- her. She was married," Trump says. Upon seeing Arianne Zucker, the actor who will accompany them onto the set: "I've gotta use some tic tacs, just in case I start kissing her," Trump says. "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait." "And when you're a star they let you do it," Trump says. "You can do anything"."

Trump Says He Fat-shamed Women As Pigs And Dogs 'For The Purpose Of Entertainment'

Trump Says He Fat-shamed Women As Pigs And Dogs 'For The Purpose Of Entertainment'

"Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump this week defended his history of insulting women by insisting that he had only done it for the "purpose of entertainment"."

Audio Shows Trump's Crude Remarks About Women

A young woman candidly shares the humiliation of waiting on Donald Trump every day

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/3/1577197/-A-young-woman-candidly-shares-the-humiliation-of-waiting-on-Donald-Trump-everyday
"Her memories are painful and reminiscent of what many girls and women go through."

Heartbreaking: 15-year-old girl tells Clinton how Trump foments body-image shaming at her school

Heartbreaking: 15-year-old girl tells Clinton how Trump foments body-image shaming at her school

"At a rally in Haverford, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, a 15-year-old girl named Brennan explained to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton that Donald Trump’s view on women was already having an increasing body-image shaming at her school."

Why is No One Talking About Trump’s Cuba Crime?

I'm from Atlantic City. I've seen how Donald Trump's false promises devastate a community

http://www.vox.com/first-person/2016/10/3/13120514/donald-trump-atlantic-city
"Trump defaulted on his loans to open the Taj within six months of its opening"

30 former Republican lawmakers denounce Donald Trump: “Manifestly unqualified to be president”

30 former Republican lawmakers denounce Donald Trump: “Manifestly unqualified to be president”

"Former Republican lawmakers harshly denounce the front-runner"

The Trump Taj Mahal is closing: did it make Atlantic City great? | US Election 2016

Russia says the UN shouldn't pick on their friend, Donald Trump

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/7/1578906/-Russia-says-the-UN-shouldn-t-pick-on-their-friend-Donald-Trump
"Okay. UN human rights commissioner calls on people not to fall for authoritarian jerkwads who espouse racial purity. That sounds right. But somebody didn't like it. Russia's government lodged a formal complaint last month with the United Nations over a top U.N. official's condemnations of Donald Trump and some European politicians, diplomats told The Associated Press, an intervention that underscores the unusual links between the Republican presidential nominee and the Kremlin. So, there you go, Donnie. Big brother Vlad is looking out for you. He won’t let those bullies who are out to protect human rights pick on his little sidekick."

Another Donald Trump adviser has Kremlin connections: GOP lobbyist for Russian pipeline crafted Trump’s major foreign policy speech

Another Donald Trump adviser has Kremlin connections: GOP lobbyist for Russian pipeline crafted Trump’s major foreign policy speech

"A few months after firing his second campaign manager following revelations that he had ties to Russian interests, Donald Trump is facing a report of yet another top adviser with considerable connections to the Kremlin. Richard Burt, a top Republican lobbyist, earned hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top domestic priorities at the same time that he helped craft the Republican presidential nominee’s first major foreign policy speech."

Atmospheric Scientist: Donald Trump & Mike Pence are a Climate Change Denial Dream Team

Even Donald Trump’s lawyers think he’s a habitual liar

Even Donald Trump’s lawyers think he’s a habitual liar

"It takes a lot for a lawyer to call one of his own clients a liar. But that’s how Donald Trump’s attorneys felt about him."

Humane Society Warns: Trump Presidency is a 'Threat to Animals Everywhere'

Humane Society Warns: Trump Presidency is a 'Threat to Animals Everywhere'

"Among them are oil tycoon Forrest Lucas, rumored front-runner for Interior Secretary, whose organization Protect the Harvest specifically opposes measures meant to protect animals involved with farming, ranching, or exhibitions, like rodeos and circuses. The new campaign also features Iowa factory farmer Bruce Rastetter, reportedly the top contender for Trump's Agriculture Secretary. According to the Post's Kathleen Parker, Rastetter's brother "is the chief executive of a company that builds large-scale hog facilities as well as gestation crates for breeding sows"."

Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado on Trump: 'I know what he can do'

WATCH: Ex-nuclear missile launch officer says Trump with nukes scares him to death in brutal new ad

WATCH: Ex-nuclear missile launch officer says Trump with nukes scares him to death in brutal new ad

"Should we really give someone with as little impulse control as Donald Trump the power to launch nuclear weapons? Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer who is now a a research scholar at the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton, doesn’t think so at all. In fact, he’s filmed a brutal new ad for the Clinton campaign outlining why the thought of a President Trump absolutely terrifies him."

The Kansas Experiment Continues Collapse: Revenue Off By Nearly $45M. Pay Attention, America.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/3/1577453/-The-Kansas-Experiment-Continues-Collapse-Revenue-Off-By-Nearly-45M-Pay-Attention-America
"The crisis for the state of Kansas may be worse than we recognize, as the Associated Press reported that the state may have less than 2 days of cash reserves. The story of Kansas revenues seems to write itself every month here in Kansas. Since the governor conducted his economic experiment, the state has seen little job creation, but tons of red ink."

Donald Trump’s no good, very bad week: “Economic genius” revealed as tax scammer who lost $916 million in a boom market

Donald Trump’s no good, very bad week: “Economic genius” revealed as tax scammer who lost $916 million in a boom market

"The idea that a man whose business has gone bankrupt four times, who has stiffed thousands of small business owners, who has been sued all over the country for fraud, who used his charity as a slush fund and who now has been revealed to have reported to the government that he lost more than $915 million — in a year in which the stock market gained 37 percent! — is an economic genius could only be true in Bizarro World."

October 7, 2016

Mike Pence pledged to limit gambling — then helped casinos after he got campaign donations

Mike Pence pledged to limit gambling — then helped casinos after he got campaign donations

"This look at Pence’s relationship with the gaming industry is the first in an IBT/MapLight series on how companies are circumventing longstanding anti-corruption laws designed to restrict their election spending and political influence. The trend has occurred just as court decisions deregulating the nation’s campaign finance laws have let a torrent of cash into state and local races."