January 17, 2018
Donald Trump and the Rule of Law
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/donald-trump-and-the-rule-of-law
"Also last week, the Times reported more evidence suggesting that the President had obstructed justice in connection with the F.B.I.’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and any possible connection to members of the Trump campaign. In March, according to the Times, Trump sent Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, to urge Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, not to recuse himself from supervising the investigation. Trump did so because he felt that Sessions should be protecting him. “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” Trump asked, referring to the right-wing gargoyle who was one of his early political mentors. Sessions, a key figure in the Trump campaign, recognized the obvious fact that he could not investigate the Trump campaign, and properly rebuffed McGahn, but Trump’s malign obsession with the Russia case remains a touchstone of his Presidency. The Times’ revelation makes an obstruction case stronger. Trump asked for loyalty from James Comey, the F.B.I. director, who was supervising the investigation. When Comey equivocated, Trump fired him, then put out a false story for why he did so, which he promptly undermined by admitting the real reason. And when e-mails emerged over the summer showing that Donald Trump, Jr., had met during the campaign with a Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, the President participated in concocting a bogus story to explain them. (An especially incriminating version of Trump’s role in the e-mail cover story appears in “Fire and Fury,” Michael Wolff’s explosive new book.) Trump’s contempt for the rule of law infects his entire Administration"
"Also last week, the Times reported more evidence suggesting that the President had obstructed justice in connection with the F.B.I.’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and any possible connection to members of the Trump campaign. In March, according to the Times, Trump sent Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, to urge Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, not to recuse himself from supervising the investigation. Trump did so because he felt that Sessions should be protecting him. “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” Trump asked, referring to the right-wing gargoyle who was one of his early political mentors. Sessions, a key figure in the Trump campaign, recognized the obvious fact that he could not investigate the Trump campaign, and properly rebuffed McGahn, but Trump’s malign obsession with the Russia case remains a touchstone of his Presidency. The Times’ revelation makes an obstruction case stronger. Trump asked for loyalty from James Comey, the F.B.I. director, who was supervising the investigation. When Comey equivocated, Trump fired him, then put out a false story for why he did so, which he promptly undermined by admitting the real reason. And when e-mails emerged over the summer showing that Donald Trump, Jr., had met during the campaign with a Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, the President participated in concocting a bogus story to explain them. (An especially incriminating version of Trump’s role in the e-mail cover story appears in “Fire and Fury,” Michael Wolff’s explosive new book.) Trump’s contempt for the rule of law infects his entire Administration"
The Overton Window and Trump's Judges
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/01/06/overton-window-and-trumps-judges
"These men, and the many more inapt Trump nominees to come this year, constitute a clear and present danger to American law. They already have changed our perceptions of what constitutes an acceptable judicial nominee. And it’s unclear whether those perceptions will ever go back to the way they were."
"These men, and the many more inapt Trump nominees to come this year, constitute a clear and present danger to American law. They already have changed our perceptions of what constitutes an acceptable judicial nominee. And it’s unclear whether those perceptions will ever go back to the way they were."
How A Chilean Billionaire Could Poison A Minnesota Wilderness
https://www.dcreport.org/2018/01/03/how-a-chilean-billionaire-could-poison-a-minnesota-wilderness/
"Trump’s Interior Department is reinstating two 1966 leases, written before today’s federal environmental laws, that could allow a Chilean mining company to build a giant copper-and-nickel mine adjacent to the Boundary Waters wilderness area in northern Minnesota. The mining company is controlled by Andrónico Luksic, whose family controls a mining, banking and industrial empire that Forbes estimates is valued at $13.1 billion. Luksic also dabbles in Washington, D.C., residential real estate and has a business relationship with the Trump family. He is First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner’s and First Daughter Ivanka Trump’s landlord. The Boundary Waters is a 1.1 million-acre wilderness beloved by canoeists and hikers in the Superior National Forest along Minnesota’s border with Canada. Mining in the area could result in acid damage that can last for centuries. “There’s a reason that the Boundary Waters is one of the most visited wilderness areas in America: It’s an incredible place,” Sally Jewell, then the Interior Department secretary, said in 2016. Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Antofagasta PLC, sued in federal court over the leases for 4,800 acres on the southwest border of the Boundary Waters even before the Obama administration decided in December 2016 against renewing them. In December 2016, just after Trump’s election, Luksic paid $5.5 million, pocket change for a billionaire, for a six-bedroom home in Washington’s tony Kalorama neighborhood. The house was never advertised for rent, but just a little more than a month after closing on the property, he leased it to Kushner and Trump for $15,000 a month. The rent is not out of line for properties in the neighborhoods, but The Wall Street Journal said it represents a low 2.5% annual return on the purchase price."
"Trump’s Interior Department is reinstating two 1966 leases, written before today’s federal environmental laws, that could allow a Chilean mining company to build a giant copper-and-nickel mine adjacent to the Boundary Waters wilderness area in northern Minnesota. The mining company is controlled by Andrónico Luksic, whose family controls a mining, banking and industrial empire that Forbes estimates is valued at $13.1 billion. Luksic also dabbles in Washington, D.C., residential real estate and has a business relationship with the Trump family. He is First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner’s and First Daughter Ivanka Trump’s landlord. The Boundary Waters is a 1.1 million-acre wilderness beloved by canoeists and hikers in the Superior National Forest along Minnesota’s border with Canada. Mining in the area could result in acid damage that can last for centuries. “There’s a reason that the Boundary Waters is one of the most visited wilderness areas in America: It’s an incredible place,” Sally Jewell, then the Interior Department secretary, said in 2016. Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Antofagasta PLC, sued in federal court over the leases for 4,800 acres on the southwest border of the Boundary Waters even before the Obama administration decided in December 2016 against renewing them. In December 2016, just after Trump’s election, Luksic paid $5.5 million, pocket change for a billionaire, for a six-bedroom home in Washington’s tony Kalorama neighborhood. The house was never advertised for rent, but just a little more than a month after closing on the property, he leased it to Kushner and Trump for $15,000 a month. The rent is not out of line for properties in the neighborhoods, but The Wall Street Journal said it represents a low 2.5% annual return on the purchase price."
The Saga of Donald Trump, Stable Genius
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/6/1730182/-The-Saga-of-Donald-Trump-Stable-Genius
"a defense of his intelligence that reads like it came from a 12-year-old Valley Girl. In 1990."
"a defense of his intelligence that reads like it came from a 12-year-old Valley Girl. In 1990."
Trump goes on an early morning tweetstorm to defend himself as ‘a very stable genius’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-tweets-very-stable-genius-ecd142d2ca6f/
"It appears Trump was starting his day — as he often does — by watching his favorite TV show, Fox & Friends, and live tweeting from his account in direct response to Fox’s programming. About ten minutes before Trump published his tweetstorm, a Fox & Friends panel was engaged in a discussion about the recent questions raised about Trump’s mental health."
"It appears Trump was starting his day — as he often does — by watching his favorite TV show, Fox & Friends, and live tweeting from his account in direct response to Fox’s programming. About ten minutes before Trump published his tweetstorm, a Fox & Friends panel was engaged in a discussion about the recent questions raised about Trump’s mental health."
The Increasing Unfitness of Donald Trump
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/15/the-increasing-unfitness-of-donald-trump
"The West Wing has come to resemble the dankest realms of Twitter, in which everyone is racked with paranoia and everyone despises everyone else."
"The West Wing has come to resemble the dankest realms of Twitter, in which everyone is racked with paranoia and everyone despises everyone else."
A President Who Attempts to Ban Books That Expose Him Should Be Impeached
https://www.thenation.com/article/a-president-who-attempts-to-ban-books-that-expose-him-should-be-impeached/
"Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the First Amendment to the Constitution. The Authors Guild is right: This is what tyrants do, not American presidents. And the proper response to American tyranny is the prompt application of the power of impeachment to a president who has abandoned the duty that extends from his oath of office."
"Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the First Amendment to the Constitution. The Authors Guild is right: This is what tyrants do, not American presidents. And the proper response to American tyranny is the prompt application of the power of impeachment to a president who has abandoned the duty that extends from his oath of office."
New Reporting Suggests the Trump Presidency Is Even Scarier and More Dysfunctional Than We Realized
https://www.thenation.com/article/new-reporting-suggests-the-trump-presidency-is-even-scarier-and-more-dysfunctional-than-we-realized/
"The takeaway from the latest revelations is that a lot of Republicans who knew better have colluded—and still collude—to cover up Trump’s unfitness for office"
"The takeaway from the latest revelations is that a lot of Republicans who knew better have colluded—and still collude—to cover up Trump’s unfitness for office"
The Supreme Court Case That Could ‘Overturn the Heart of the New Deal’
The Supreme Court Case That Could ‘Overturn the Heart of the New Deal’:
"Argued on October 2, this case could strip foundational safeguards in place for over 80 years, essential to ensuring millions of low-wage and non-union workers of their right to fair pay, job security, workplace safety, nondiscrimination, and other guarantees protected by state and federal law. The case gives the Roberts Court, with its newly reconstituted 5-4 conservative majority, a chance to escalate its pro-corporate activism to levels unmatched even by the famously anti-regulatory pre-New Deal Court of a century ago. If the Court reaches the result sought by business advocates, this would, as elaborated by two Seton Hall professors in a 2014 law review article, “effectively end the labor laws"."
"Argued on October 2, this case could strip foundational safeguards in place for over 80 years, essential to ensuring millions of low-wage and non-union workers of their right to fair pay, job security, workplace safety, nondiscrimination, and other guarantees protected by state and federal law. The case gives the Roberts Court, with its newly reconstituted 5-4 conservative majority, a chance to escalate its pro-corporate activism to levels unmatched even by the famously anti-regulatory pre-New Deal Court of a century ago. If the Court reaches the result sought by business advocates, this would, as elaborated by two Seton Hall professors in a 2014 law review article, “effectively end the labor laws"."
A Hostile Foreign Power and the End of the Republic
A Hostile Foreign Power and the End of the Republic:
"When the history of America’s final days as a republic is written, it may be fairly said that a hostile foreign power helped elect an authoritarian president with no agenda other than plunder, that the majority of America’s white people took the plunderer’s racist, misogynist bait—and that the Congress of the United States helped him loot the public commons and cover up his likely crimes. And that’s just the CliffsNotes version."
"When the history of America’s final days as a republic is written, it may be fairly said that a hostile foreign power helped elect an authoritarian president with no agenda other than plunder, that the majority of America’s white people took the plunderer’s racist, misogynist bait—and that the Congress of the United States helped him loot the public commons and cover up his likely crimes. And that’s just the CliffsNotes version."
Trump’s Interior Department Is Ill-Prepared to Deal with the Next Big Spill
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2018/01/04/444121/trumps-interior-department-ill-prepared-deal-next-big-spill/
"Today, the Trump administration unveiled its vision to radically expand where it allows offshore oil and gas drilling. If implemented as outlined, this move would ensure that spilled oil washes ashore on more American beaches on both coasts. In addition to expanding drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the administration’s draft plan disregards sound science and broad public opposition by proposing to allow oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from Washington to Florida, as well as in dangerous environments in the Arctic Ocean. Importantly, this plan comes while the administration aggressively works to overturn existing safety standards and environmental protections that guard against oil spills and other impacts of energy development. These safety rollbacks come at a time when regulators are finding many offshore drillers unprepared to address disasters. If the Trump administration is successful, offshore drilling will be much riskier—and there will be more of it. Today’s announcement—and the accompanying regulatory rollback effort—demonstrates a willful disregard for the hard-earned lessons that led the government to implement existing environmental and safety standards in the first place."
"Today, the Trump administration unveiled its vision to radically expand where it allows offshore oil and gas drilling. If implemented as outlined, this move would ensure that spilled oil washes ashore on more American beaches on both coasts. In addition to expanding drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the administration’s draft plan disregards sound science and broad public opposition by proposing to allow oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from Washington to Florida, as well as in dangerous environments in the Arctic Ocean. Importantly, this plan comes while the administration aggressively works to overturn existing safety standards and environmental protections that guard against oil spills and other impacts of energy development. These safety rollbacks come at a time when regulators are finding many offshore drillers unprepared to address disasters. If the Trump administration is successful, offshore drilling will be much riskier—and there will be more of it. Today’s announcement—and the accompanying regulatory rollback effort—demonstrates a willful disregard for the hard-earned lessons that led the government to implement existing environmental and safety standards in the first place."
Sessions 'recusal' provided cover for his ongoing efforts to impede Russia investigation
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/5/1730052/-Sessions-recusal-provided-cover-for-his-ongoing-efforts-to-impede-Russia-investigation
"This collaboration between Trump and Sessions to interfere with the Russia investigation isn’t just obstruction, it’s first class corruption."
"This collaboration between Trump and Sessions to interfere with the Russia investigation isn’t just obstruction, it’s first class corruption."
January 12, 2018
January 7, 2018
President Trump has made 1,950 false or misleading claims over 347 days
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/01/02/president-trump-has-made-1949-false-or-misleading-claims-over-347-days/?utm_term=.4ebffb5d4e44
"As of Monday, the total stood at 1,950 claims in 347 days, or an average of 5.6 claims a day."
"As of Monday, the total stood at 1,950 claims in 347 days, or an average of 5.6 claims a day."
Incoherent, authoritarian, uninformed: Trump’s New York Times interview is a scary read
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/29/16829806/trump-interview-new-york-times
"The president of the United States is not well. That is an uncomfortable thing to say, but it is an even worse thing to ignore. Consider the interview Trump gave to the New York Times on Thursday. It begins with a string of falsehoods that make it difficult to tell whether the leader of the free world is lying or delusional. Remember, these are President Donald Trump’s words, after being told a recording device is on"
"The president of the United States is not well. That is an uncomfortable thing to say, but it is an even worse thing to ignore. Consider the interview Trump gave to the New York Times on Thursday. It begins with a string of falsehoods that make it difficult to tell whether the leader of the free world is lying or delusional. Remember, these are President Donald Trump’s words, after being told a recording device is on"
Congressman says House Intel committee has already heard evidence of Trump administration crimes
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/4/1729769/-Congressman-says-House-Intel-committee-has-already-heard-evidence-of-Trump-administration-crimes
"Money laundering, collusion and obstruction of justice. Rep. Castro says the most important thing we can do in 2018 is take back the House and launch a legitimate and thorough investigation into these crimes."
"Money laundering, collusion and obstruction of justice. Rep. Castro says the most important thing we can do in 2018 is take back the House and launch a legitimate and thorough investigation into these crimes."
Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied about Trump’s position on marijuana and we have receipts
https://thinkprogress.org/sarah-huckabee-sanders-lied-about-trumps-position-on-marijuana-and-we-have-receipts-3bff448f9277/
"Sanders’ claim is false — Trump’s position has indeed changed, and in more ways than one. During an interview with a Colorado TV station in the summer of 2016, then-candidate Trump said that as president, he would not use federal power to shut down the sale of recreational cannabis in states like Colorado. “I wouldn’t do that, no,” Trump said, asked if he’d support the federal government intervening. “I think it’s up to the states, yeah. I’m a states person. I think it should be up to the states, absolutely.” Not only does Trump’s support for the DOJ’s power grab contradict his 2016 comments about thinking marijuana laws are best left “up to the states” — his decision to allow Sessions to move forward with the new policy also violates the promise he made not to interfere with states’ rights."
"Sanders’ claim is false — Trump’s position has indeed changed, and in more ways than one. During an interview with a Colorado TV station in the summer of 2016, then-candidate Trump said that as president, he would not use federal power to shut down the sale of recreational cannabis in states like Colorado. “I wouldn’t do that, no,” Trump said, asked if he’d support the federal government intervening. “I think it’s up to the states, yeah. I’m a states person. I think it should be up to the states, absolutely.” Not only does Trump’s support for the DOJ’s power grab contradict his 2016 comments about thinking marijuana laws are best left “up to the states” — his decision to allow Sessions to move forward with the new policy also violates the promise he made not to interfere with states’ rights."
How Putin's proxies helped funnel millions into GOP campaigns
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns
"McConnell surely knew as a participant in high level intelligence briefings in 2016 that our electoral process was under attack by the Russians. Two weeks after the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement in October 2016 that the Russian government had directed the effort to interfere in our electoral process, McConnell's PAC accepted a $1 million donation from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings. The PAC took another $1 million from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings on March 30, 2017, just 10 days after former FBI Director James Comey publicly testified before the House Intelligence Committee about Russia's interference in the election. And consider Steve Mnuchin, Trump's campaign finance chairman. Could he have known that the Trump Victory Fund, jointly managed by the Republican National Committe and Trump's campaign, took contributions from Intrater and Kukes? Mnuchin owned Hollywood financing company RatPac-Dune with Blavatnik until he sold his stake to accept Trump's appointment as the Treasury secretary. Which PAC officials are making the decisions to accept these donations?"
"McConnell surely knew as a participant in high level intelligence briefings in 2016 that our electoral process was under attack by the Russians. Two weeks after the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement in October 2016 that the Russian government had directed the effort to interfere in our electoral process, McConnell's PAC accepted a $1 million donation from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings. The PAC took another $1 million from Blavatnik's AI-Altep Holdings on March 30, 2017, just 10 days after former FBI Director James Comey publicly testified before the House Intelligence Committee about Russia's interference in the election. And consider Steve Mnuchin, Trump's campaign finance chairman. Could he have known that the Trump Victory Fund, jointly managed by the Republican National Committe and Trump's campaign, took contributions from Intrater and Kukes? Mnuchin owned Hollywood financing company RatPac-Dune with Blavatnik until he sold his stake to accept Trump's appointment as the Treasury secretary. Which PAC officials are making the decisions to accept these donations?"
Internet mocks Fox News after it’s forced to admit job growth was stronger under Obama than Trump
Internet mocks Fox News after it’s forced to admit job growth was stronger under Obama than Trump
"The official monthly jobs report for December 2017 was a disappointment, as the Labor Department estimated that the economy added just 148,000 jobs over the last month. And despite the fact that President Donald Trump has bragged about his first year in office being an unqualified economic success, it turns out that average monthly job growth in 2017 was 171,000 jobs per month — which was down significantly from the 187,000 jobs per month that were added in 2016."
"The official monthly jobs report for December 2017 was a disappointment, as the Labor Department estimated that the economy added just 148,000 jobs over the last month. And despite the fact that President Donald Trump has bragged about his first year in office being an unqualified economic success, it turns out that average monthly job growth in 2017 was 171,000 jobs per month — which was down significantly from the 187,000 jobs per month that were added in 2016."
Banned From the Banking Industry for Life, a Scott Pruitt Friend Finds a New Home at the EPA
https://theintercept.com/2017/12/28/scott-pruitt-failed-banker-running-epa-superfund-program/
"THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Agency has tasked a banker who was banned from the banking industry for life with oversight of the nation’s Superfund program."
"THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Agency has tasked a banker who was banned from the banking industry for life with oversight of the nation’s Superfund program."
‘You don’t respect Trump!’ GOP lawmaker melts down on CNN host when she asks about lying to FBI
‘You don’t respect Trump!’ GOP lawmaker melts down on CNN host when she asks about lying to FBI
"Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) — who has been derisively called “Putin’s favorite congressman” — melted down during a CNN interview on Friday after a reporter corrected false claims he was making on live TV."
"Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) — who has been derisively called “Putin’s favorite congressman” — melted down during a CNN interview on Friday after a reporter corrected false claims he was making on live TV."
3 Important Takeaways From the Latest Mueller Investigation Bombshell
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a14759482/trump-obstruct-justice/
"It is completely clear by now that the president* fired FBI director James Comey because he wanted Comey to shut down the Russia investigation and Comey refused. (The president* even said as much to Lester Holt of NBC.) Schmidt’s piece details the extraordinary lengths that the administration went to force out Comey without having to fire him. It appears that half the White House lawyers were trying to find a way to keep the president* from making a catastrophic blunder. Yeah, good luck with that. White House aides gave updates to Mr. Trump throughout, informing him of Mr. Comey’s refusal to publicly clear him. Mr. Trump unloaded on Mr. Sessions, who was at the White House that day. He criticized him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, questioned his loyalty, and said he wanted to get rid of Mr. Comey. He repeated the refrain that the attorneys general for Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Obama had protected the White House…Two days after Mr. Comey’s testimony, an aide to Mr. Sessions approached a Capitol Hill staff member asking whether the staffer had any derogatory information about the F.B.I. director. The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the episode did not occur. “This did not happen and would not happen,” said the spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores. “Plain and simple.” Earlier that day, Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, had pulled one of Mr. McGahn’s deputies aside after a meeting at the Justice Department. Mr. Rosenstein told the aide that top White House and Justice Department lawyers needed to discuss Mr. Comey’s future. It is unclear whether this conversation was related to the effort to dig up dirt on Mr. Comey."
"It is completely clear by now that the president* fired FBI director James Comey because he wanted Comey to shut down the Russia investigation and Comey refused. (The president* even said as much to Lester Holt of NBC.) Schmidt’s piece details the extraordinary lengths that the administration went to force out Comey without having to fire him. It appears that half the White House lawyers were trying to find a way to keep the president* from making a catastrophic blunder. Yeah, good luck with that. White House aides gave updates to Mr. Trump throughout, informing him of Mr. Comey’s refusal to publicly clear him. Mr. Trump unloaded on Mr. Sessions, who was at the White House that day. He criticized him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, questioned his loyalty, and said he wanted to get rid of Mr. Comey. He repeated the refrain that the attorneys general for Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Obama had protected the White House…Two days after Mr. Comey’s testimony, an aide to Mr. Sessions approached a Capitol Hill staff member asking whether the staffer had any derogatory information about the F.B.I. director. The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the episode did not occur. “This did not happen and would not happen,” said the spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores. “Plain and simple.” Earlier that day, Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, had pulled one of Mr. McGahn’s deputies aside after a meeting at the Justice Department. Mr. Rosenstein told the aide that top White House and Justice Department lawyers needed to discuss Mr. Comey’s future. It is unclear whether this conversation was related to the effort to dig up dirt on Mr. Comey."
A real example of a middle-class tax cut
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/real-example-middle-class-tax-cut
"It’s easy for many to forget, but when President Obama and congressional Democrats approved the Recovery Act – better known at the time as the Dems’ “stimulus” package – they didn’t just rescue the economy from the Great Recession. In the process, they also passed one of the largest middle-class tax cuts in recent memory. Roughly a third of the Recovery Act went toward direct investment, a third went to assist states, and a third went to cut taxes – with a special emphasis on working families."
"It’s easy for many to forget, but when President Obama and congressional Democrats approved the Recovery Act – better known at the time as the Dems’ “stimulus” package – they didn’t just rescue the economy from the Great Recession. In the process, they also passed one of the largest middle-class tax cuts in recent memory. Roughly a third of the Recovery Act went toward direct investment, a third went to assist states, and a third went to cut taxes – with a special emphasis on working families."
Sessions 'recusal' provided cover for his ongoing efforts to impede Russia investigation
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/5/1730052/-Sessions-recusal-provided-cover-for-his-ongoing-efforts-to-impede-Russia-investigation
"This collaboration between Trump and Sessions to interfere with the Russia investigation isn’t just obstruction, it’s first class corruption. "I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.” Trump not only said it, he’s demonstrated he believes it. And Sessions is helping to make it true. Trump claims to have “absolute” control of the Justice Department as an instrument of his will. So it’s not surprising that White House Counsel Don McGahn stepped in to stop Sessions from recusing himself. Mr. McGahn’s argument to Mr. Sessions that day was twofold: that he did not need to step aside from the inquiry until it was further along, and that recusing himself would not stop Democrats from saying he had lied. After Mr. Sessions told Mr. McGahn that career Justice Department officials had said he should step aside, Mr. McGahn said he understood and backed down. But it’s since become abundantly clear that the recusal was not merely a face-saving move by Sessions, but an attempt at misdirection. If there was any actual intent to avoid the topic of the investigation, Sessions soon folded in the face of badgering from Trump. Despite all claims about Trump’s frustration over Sessions’ official recusal, there was not a moment’s hesitation when it came to finding the right person to rid Trump of the FBI director who refused to fold on command."
"This collaboration between Trump and Sessions to interfere with the Russia investigation isn’t just obstruction, it’s first class corruption. "I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.” Trump not only said it, he’s demonstrated he believes it. And Sessions is helping to make it true. Trump claims to have “absolute” control of the Justice Department as an instrument of his will. So it’s not surprising that White House Counsel Don McGahn stepped in to stop Sessions from recusing himself. Mr. McGahn’s argument to Mr. Sessions that day was twofold: that he did not need to step aside from the inquiry until it was further along, and that recusing himself would not stop Democrats from saying he had lied. After Mr. Sessions told Mr. McGahn that career Justice Department officials had said he should step aside, Mr. McGahn said he understood and backed down. But it’s since become abundantly clear that the recusal was not merely a face-saving move by Sessions, but an attempt at misdirection. If there was any actual intent to avoid the topic of the investigation, Sessions soon folded in the face of badgering from Trump. Despite all claims about Trump’s frustration over Sessions’ official recusal, there was not a moment’s hesitation when it came to finding the right person to rid Trump of the FBI director who refused to fold on command."
The CFPB’s mission statement gets a Trumpian makeover
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-cfpbs-mission-statement-gets-trumpian-makeover
"The point of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pretty easy to figure out: the agency’s name offers a pretty big hint. The CFPB was created to protect consumers’ interests against unfair financial industry practices. At least, that was its intended purpose."
"The point of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pretty easy to figure out: the agency’s name offers a pretty big hint. The CFPB was created to protect consumers’ interests against unfair financial industry practices. At least, that was its intended purpose."
‘Katy, come on!’: GOP lawmaker’s attempt to bluster through MSNBC interview turns into train wreck TV
‘Katy, come on!’: GOP lawmaker’s attempt to bluster through MSNBC interview turns into train wreck TV
"Freedom Caucus congressman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) struggled through an awkward interview with MSNBC’s Katy Tur on Friday as he furiously avoided answering whether he believes Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions’ job is to protect President Donald Trump from legal jeopardy. “Do you think it’s Jeff Sessions’ job to protect the president?” asked Tur. Rep. Jordan responded with a non-answer, saying Jeff Sessions should not have recused himself from the Russia investigation — in spite of getting caught lying about multiple meetings with Russian officials."
"Freedom Caucus congressman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) struggled through an awkward interview with MSNBC’s Katy Tur on Friday as he furiously avoided answering whether he believes Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions’ job is to protect President Donald Trump from legal jeopardy. “Do you think it’s Jeff Sessions’ job to protect the president?” asked Tur. Rep. Jordan responded with a non-answer, saying Jeff Sessions should not have recused himself from the Russia investigation — in spite of getting caught lying about multiple meetings with Russian officials."
Trumpian Philosophy: Any Regulation Is Bad, Even If It Protects Sick Old People
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a14504814/trump-nursing-home-regulations/
"Wednesday’s example comes to us from The New York Times, and isn’t this decision going to be a lovely one when they come for Medicare because of the “unexpected” explosion of the deficit due to the abomination of a tax bill they just passed. The Trump administration is scaling back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury, part of a broader relaxation of regulations under the president. The shift in the Medicare program’s penalty protocols was requested by the nursing home industry. The American Health Care Association, the industry’s main trade group, has complained that under President Barack Obama, federal inspectors focused excessively on catching wrongdoing rather than helping nursing homes improve. That last sentence is a real keeper, isn’t it? If you keep punishing us for our substandard practices, we won’t be able to improve our substandard practices. Punishment for breaking laws is a hindrance to our abiding by them. Thousands of criminal defense lawyers are wondering why they didn’t think of that one first."
"Wednesday’s example comes to us from The New York Times, and isn’t this decision going to be a lovely one when they come for Medicare because of the “unexpected” explosion of the deficit due to the abomination of a tax bill they just passed. The Trump administration is scaling back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury, part of a broader relaxation of regulations under the president. The shift in the Medicare program’s penalty protocols was requested by the nursing home industry. The American Health Care Association, the industry’s main trade group, has complained that under President Barack Obama, federal inspectors focused excessively on catching wrongdoing rather than helping nursing homes improve. That last sentence is a real keeper, isn’t it? If you keep punishing us for our substandard practices, we won’t be able to improve our substandard practices. Punishment for breaking laws is a hindrance to our abiding by them. Thousands of criminal defense lawyers are wondering why they didn’t think of that one first."
Representative Adam Schiff: New evidence makes obstruction case against Trump even stronger
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/5/1730157/-Representative-Adam-Schiff-New-evidence-makes-obstruction-case-against-Trump-even-stronger
"On the one hand, the crystal clear evidence that Trump, multiple members of his administration, and now members of the Congress are working to impede and obstruct the Russia investigation is stacked high enough that no one should be able to ignore it. On the other hand, the people are who supposed to do something about that are increasingly not just looking the other way, but involving themselves in the obstruction. Nunes, Ryan, Grassley, Graham—they’re not just whistling on the sidelines. They’re actively working to make things worse. At some point, when there are enough people supporting the effort, it ceases to be obstruction. It also ceases to be democracy."
"On the one hand, the crystal clear evidence that Trump, multiple members of his administration, and now members of the Congress are working to impede and obstruct the Russia investigation is stacked high enough that no one should be able to ignore it. On the other hand, the people are who supposed to do something about that are increasingly not just looking the other way, but involving themselves in the obstruction. Nunes, Ryan, Grassley, Graham—they’re not just whistling on the sidelines. They’re actively working to make things worse. At some point, when there are enough people supporting the effort, it ceases to be obstruction. It also ceases to be democracy."
Trump boasts of an achievement that’s entirely made up
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-boasts-achievement-thats-entirely-made
"Last week, Donald Trump adopted a new talking point, which the president apparently sees as proof of his greatness: he “broke “Harry Truman’s Record,” Trump wrote, for “Legislative Approvals.” The phrasing was awkward – in the United States, we don’t usually refer to “legislative approvals” – but I think he was trying to say he’s signed more bills into law than any president since Truman left office 65 years ago. Later that day, Trump repeated the claim when signing the Republican tax plan into law. “We have more legislative victories than any other president, not including this,” he said. “But this is the capper because this is, again, the biggest tax cut, the biggest reform of all time.” It’s actually the eighth biggest since 1918, and Trump doesn’t have more legislative victories than any other president. But he keeps repeating the line anyway."
"Last week, Donald Trump adopted a new talking point, which the president apparently sees as proof of his greatness: he “broke “Harry Truman’s Record,” Trump wrote, for “Legislative Approvals.” The phrasing was awkward – in the United States, we don’t usually refer to “legislative approvals” – but I think he was trying to say he’s signed more bills into law than any president since Truman left office 65 years ago. Later that day, Trump repeated the claim when signing the Republican tax plan into law. “We have more legislative victories than any other president, not including this,” he said. “But this is the capper because this is, again, the biggest tax cut, the biggest reform of all time.” It’s actually the eighth biggest since 1918, and Trump doesn’t have more legislative victories than any other president. But he keeps repeating the line anyway."
Sen. Blumenthal predicts multiple convictions and indictments of WH staff "early in New Year"
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/5/1730255/-Sen-Blumenthal-predicts-multiple-convictions-and-indictments-of-WH-staff-early-New-Year
"This would explain the recent Republican rush to hinder Mueller’s investigation, shut down the congressional investigations, start up more Hillary kangaroo courts, push to fire Sessions, etc. It sounds, basically, as if they’re fighting like cornered rats, because they are."
"This would explain the recent Republican rush to hinder Mueller’s investigation, shut down the congressional investigations, start up more Hillary kangaroo courts, push to fire Sessions, etc. It sounds, basically, as if they’re fighting like cornered rats, because they are."
The presidential golf Americans aren’t supposed to see
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-presidential-golf-americans-arent-supposed-see
"To be sure, this isn’t entirely new. Earlier this year, White House officials, apparently feeling a little embarrassed, routinely tried to pretend Trump wasn’t playing golf when he was. At one point in February, administration officials went so far as to make an AP reporter “wait in a room with black plastic over the windows while the president played golf.” In other words, the introduction of a big truck to shield Trump from public view may have been a new tactic, but taking steps to keep the president’s golf habit away from the cameras is an ongoing effort. The question, of course, is why. I suspect the answer is that Trump World and its allies believe that if Americans don’t see images of the president playing golf, then we simply won’t believe he golfs as often as he does."
"To be sure, this isn’t entirely new. Earlier this year, White House officials, apparently feeling a little embarrassed, routinely tried to pretend Trump wasn’t playing golf when he was. At one point in February, administration officials went so far as to make an AP reporter “wait in a room with black plastic over the windows while the president played golf.” In other words, the introduction of a big truck to shield Trump from public view may have been a new tactic, but taking steps to keep the president’s golf habit away from the cameras is an ongoing effort. The question, of course, is why. I suspect the answer is that Trump World and its allies believe that if Americans don’t see images of the president playing golf, then we simply won’t believe he golfs as often as he does."
Trump Sets A Shocking Record For Laziness By Taking 4 Times More Vacation Days Than Obama
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/12/26/trump-sets-shocking-record-laziness-5-times-vacation-days-obama.html
"Donald Trump has blown the record for presidential first year vacation days out of the water. Trump spent nearly one-third (111 days) of his first year in office on vacation. In contrast, Barack Obama took 26 vacation days during the first year of his presidency."
"Donald Trump has blown the record for presidential first year vacation days out of the water. Trump spent nearly one-third (111 days) of his first year in office on vacation. In contrast, Barack Obama took 26 vacation days during the first year of his presidency."
Six far-right conspiracy theories that reached Congress and the White House in 2017
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/12/27/six-far-right-conspiracy-theories-reached-congress-and-white-house-2017/218870
"During the past year, there were two major developments on the political and media landscape. The first, which started before 2017 but picked up steam during the past year, was that traditional conservative media, already a conduit for conspiracy theories, became increasingly open to amplifying misinformation from the far-right. The second was that Donald Trump was inaugurated as president -- a man who would embrace conspiracy theories to an extent that no high-ranking public official, much less the president, had ever done. When combined, these developments led to some conspiracy theories, which started off in far corners of the internet, reaching members of the House of Representatives and the White House -- sometimes within a matter of days."
"During the past year, there were two major developments on the political and media landscape. The first, which started before 2017 but picked up steam during the past year, was that traditional conservative media, already a conduit for conspiracy theories, became increasingly open to amplifying misinformation from the far-right. The second was that Donald Trump was inaugurated as president -- a man who would embrace conspiracy theories to an extent that no high-ranking public official, much less the president, had ever done. When combined, these developments led to some conspiracy theories, which started off in far corners of the internet, reaching members of the House of Representatives and the White House -- sometimes within a matter of days."
‘There is a lot of anxiety’: NBC reporter explains why plan to smear Flynn shows Trump may be doomed
‘There is a lot of anxiety’: NBC reporter explains why plan to smear Flynn shows Trump may be doomed
"The Trump legal team reportedly plans to slur former national security adviser Mike Flynn as a liar if the retired general implicates the president or his senior aides in the Russia probe — but that could potentially backfire."
"The Trump legal team reportedly plans to slur former national security adviser Mike Flynn as a liar if the retired general implicates the president or his senior aides in the Russia probe — but that could potentially backfire."
Ex-FBI agent warns that Russia hasn’t stopped cyber attacks — and the US is doing nothing about it
Ex-FBI agent warns that Russia hasn’t stopped cyber attacks — and the US is doing nothing about it
"Watts said that what’s really scary is that governments from across the globe are looking at the way Russia is using social media to influence American politics and are employing those techniques on their own people. “They’re saying, ‘This is extremely cheap, I can manipulate any audience,'” Watts explained. Even more disturbing, he said, is that the United States government isn’t doing anything to counter these efforts."
"Watts said that what’s really scary is that governments from across the globe are looking at the way Russia is using social media to influence American politics and are employing those techniques on their own people. “They’re saying, ‘This is extremely cheap, I can manipulate any audience,'” Watts explained. Even more disturbing, he said, is that the United States government isn’t doing anything to counter these efforts."
Trump tells Mar-a-Lago friends ‘You all just got a lot richer’ after he signs GOP tax bill
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-tells-mar-a-lago-friends-you-all-just-got-a-lot-richer-after-he-signs-gop-tax-bill-0a0c4c0edd5a/
"President Donald Trump began the holiday break by telling friends he invited to Mar-a-Lago for dinner that “You all just got a lot richer,” referring to the Republican tax bill — which largely benefits the wealthy."
"President Donald Trump began the holiday break by telling friends he invited to Mar-a-Lago for dinner that “You all just got a lot richer,” referring to the Republican tax bill — which largely benefits the wealthy."
'You All Just Got A Lot Richer' Trump Tells Rich Guests @alternet
'You All Just Got A Lot Richer' Trump Tells Rich Guests @alternet: Mar-a-lago's exclusive dinner guests would have paid a $200,000 initiation fee and $14,000 in annual dues. President Donald Trump joined his family at their 'Winter White House' for the holidays Friday night after signing the GOP Tax Bill into Law, and reportedly told wealthy friends dining at Mar-a-Lago 'you all just got a lot richer.' Days before heading away for the holidays, Trump told White House reporters that the tax bill would…
Mike Pence gets trolled by Dictionary.com as a 'sycophant'
http://www.newsweek.com/mike-pence-donald-trump-prayer-twitter-dictionary-756401
"On Thursday, the official Twitter account for Dictionary.com tweeted a jab at Pence for fawning over President Donald Trump for three straight minutes, dishing out a compliment every 12 seconds on average, during a prayer session at Trump's last cabinet meeting of the year Wednesday. "There's a word for a person who would praise someone every 12 seconds," tweeted the 22-year-old online dictionary, which is based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Below the text was a link to the noun "sycophant," defined as "a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite"."
"On Thursday, the official Twitter account for Dictionary.com tweeted a jab at Pence for fawning over President Donald Trump for three straight minutes, dishing out a compliment every 12 seconds on average, during a prayer session at Trump's last cabinet meeting of the year Wednesday. "There's a word for a person who would praise someone every 12 seconds," tweeted the 22-year-old online dictionary, which is based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Below the text was a link to the noun "sycophant," defined as "a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite"."
The Republican Party Has Bowed, Completely, to the Mad King
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a14478536/republican-party-trump-russia/
"there’s more to it than the revolting spectacle to which we were treated after the Loot the Joint Act of 2017 was passed. Over the past week, there has been a staggering welter of reporting about back-channels, hidden agendas, and covert shenanigans that makes the opaque creation of the tax bill look like a town meeting in Vermont. The phrase, “a small group of influential Republicans” has come to mean something very dark and crooked. The inevitable assault on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is hardly a secret anymore. It’s the second stage of Paul Ryan’s grand plan, and everybody knows it. But there is a general effort now to prop up the administration*, especially as Robert Mueller and his hounds get to baying more audibly outside the wrought-iron fence."
"there’s more to it than the revolting spectacle to which we were treated after the Loot the Joint Act of 2017 was passed. Over the past week, there has been a staggering welter of reporting about back-channels, hidden agendas, and covert shenanigans that makes the opaque creation of the tax bill look like a town meeting in Vermont. The phrase, “a small group of influential Republicans” has come to mean something very dark and crooked. The inevitable assault on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is hardly a secret anymore. It’s the second stage of Paul Ryan’s grand plan, and everybody knows it. But there is a general effort now to prop up the administration*, especially as Robert Mueller and his hounds get to baying more audibly outside the wrought-iron fence."
Welcome to The Trump Family Swamp
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/12/19/welcome-trump-family-swamp
"The presidency was never meant to be a profit center for a nepotistic, money-grubbing family. But that was before the Trumps moved in."
"The presidency was never meant to be a profit center for a nepotistic, money-grubbing family. But that was before the Trumps moved in."
Trump has the lowest approval of any modern president at the end of his first year
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/21/16798432/trump-low-approval-december-first-year
"A majority of Americans don’t think too highly of the job Donald Trump is doing as president. It has propelled him to a singular accomplishment: the lowest approval rating of any modern president in December of his first year in office."
"A majority of Americans don’t think too highly of the job Donald Trump is doing as president. It has propelled him to a singular accomplishment: the lowest approval rating of any modern president in December of his first year in office."
America hates the GOP’s tax bill, and the Koch Brothers are spending millions to change that
https://thinkprogress.org/koch-brothers-tax-bill-education-b01c066da024/
"Not satisfied with Republicans passing a tax bill that is hugely beneficial to them, the billionaire Koch brothers are planning to invest millions in an advertising campaign designed to sell the hugely unpopular bill to the American people."
"Not satisfied with Republicans passing a tax bill that is hugely beneficial to them, the billionaire Koch brothers are planning to invest millions in an advertising campaign designed to sell the hugely unpopular bill to the American people."
Trump administration is trying to hide the $5.8 billion its tip-stealing plan would cost workers
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/21/1726581/-Trump-administration-is-trying-to-hide-the-5-8-billion-its-tip-stealing-plan-would-cost-workers
"That’s the Trump administration three-step for you: decide to do a bad thing, lie about what its effects will be, and skirt the law to avoid transparency. At potentially huge cost to workers, in this case."
"That’s the Trump administration three-step for you: decide to do a bad thing, lie about what its effects will be, and skirt the law to avoid transparency. At potentially huge cost to workers, in this case."
This TV interview with Trump’s Ambassador to the Netherlands is the ultimate self-own
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-ambassador-to-the-netherlands-caught-lying-about-his-own-conspiracy-claims-dc493bb385d7/
"During his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan Republican Pete Hoekstra earned a reputation for xenophobia and racism, for attempting to capitalize on terrorist attacks to advance his political career, and for spreading false information. Nearly seven years since he vacated his House seat, little has changed. A month ago, Hoekstra was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, on a voice vote, to be Donald Trump’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, his birthplace. Already, he has been caught in multiple lies by a Dutch journalist."
"During his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan Republican Pete Hoekstra earned a reputation for xenophobia and racism, for attempting to capitalize on terrorist attacks to advance his political career, and for spreading false information. Nearly seven years since he vacated his House seat, little has changed. A month ago, Hoekstra was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, on a voice vote, to be Donald Trump’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, his birthplace. Already, he has been caught in multiple lies by a Dutch journalist."
Trump's New Year's gift to the steelworkers who supported him: More layoffs!
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/22/1726876/-Trump-s-New-Year-s-gift-to-the-steelworkers-who-supported-him-more-layoffs
"The New York Times has a depressing article about the fait accompli of steel jobs in America under Trump. The realities of the evolving economy have meant that steel jobs and coal jobs, are disappearing as we become more and more of a service industry country. Of course, white supremacist in chief Donald Trump promised that he would turn back the clocks to a time that never really existed, with benefits for people he had no interest in. Since taking office, Trump has done nothing."
"The New York Times has a depressing article about the fait accompli of steel jobs in America under Trump. The realities of the evolving economy have meant that steel jobs and coal jobs, are disappearing as we become more and more of a service industry country. Of course, white supremacist in chief Donald Trump promised that he would turn back the clocks to a time that never really existed, with benefits for people he had no interest in. Since taking office, Trump has done nothing."
Forget Christmas, Republicans Have Taken Christ Out of Christianity
https://forwardprogressives.com/forget-christmas-republicans-have-taken-christ-out-of-christianity/
"Currently, Donald Trump, a man who couldn’t be further from a real Christian, sits atop the GOP. I’m sorry, but you can’t be a party that supports a greedy, petty, self-admitted sexual predator who likes to bully those he feels are weaker than he is, mocks people with disabilities, and conducts himself in a disgraceful manner nearly every day of his life — then claim you care about “Christian values.” Then there’s that “little thing” recently where the vast majority of Republican voters tried to get a credibly accused child molester elected in Alabama. To any Republican reading this, please, tell me, what’s “Christian” about your party or anything it supports? Do you really believe Jesus Christ would support someone like Donald Trump? I’m not saying if Christ were alive he’d be a Democrat, but I can promise you that he damn sure wouldn’t be a Republican. Considering the GOP just celebrated passing a tax bill that’s going to give the rich a massive tax break, add trillions to our debt, and ultimately raise taxes on many middle class Americans — oh, all while continuing to try to strip health care away from millions — let’s look at a few passages from the Bible about greed"
"Currently, Donald Trump, a man who couldn’t be further from a real Christian, sits atop the GOP. I’m sorry, but you can’t be a party that supports a greedy, petty, self-admitted sexual predator who likes to bully those he feels are weaker than he is, mocks people with disabilities, and conducts himself in a disgraceful manner nearly every day of his life — then claim you care about “Christian values.” Then there’s that “little thing” recently where the vast majority of Republican voters tried to get a credibly accused child molester elected in Alabama. To any Republican reading this, please, tell me, what’s “Christian” about your party or anything it supports? Do you really believe Jesus Christ would support someone like Donald Trump? I’m not saying if Christ were alive he’d be a Democrat, but I can promise you that he damn sure wouldn’t be a Republican. Considering the GOP just celebrated passing a tax bill that’s going to give the rich a massive tax break, add trillions to our debt, and ultimately raise taxes on many middle class Americans — oh, all while continuing to try to strip health care away from millions — let’s look at a few passages from the Bible about greed"
Intolerable cruelty: Kansas Medicaid leaves elderly to die without care
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/22/1726888/-Intolerable-cruelty-Kansas-Medicaid-leaves-elderly-to-die-without-care
"Governor Brownback, a man who considers himself someone of significant faith, working to transition to the position of Ambassador to Religious Freedom, may need to learn a few things from the book he professes. The Kansas City Star revealed that the policy in Kansas has left many families struggling to figure out care for their loved ones."
"Governor Brownback, a man who considers himself someone of significant faith, working to transition to the position of Ambassador to Religious Freedom, may need to learn a few things from the book he professes. The Kansas City Star revealed that the policy in Kansas has left many families struggling to figure out care for their loved ones."
Good ol’ lyin’ Pete Hoekstra perfect addition to Trump diplomatic corps
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/23/1727111/-Good-ol-Pete-Hoekstra-perfect-addition-to-Trump-diplomatic-corps
"Watch the video from the BBC featuring Pete Hoekstra, former Republican congressman from Michigan and newly-named ambassador to the Netherlands. Pete Hoekstra lies. Then lies about his lies. He’s a natural fit for this administration."
"Watch the video from the BBC featuring Pete Hoekstra, former Republican congressman from Michigan and newly-named ambassador to the Netherlands. Pete Hoekstra lies. Then lies about his lies. He’s a natural fit for this administration."
WATCH: Trump ambassador shouts ‘fake news’ at reporter — and gets immediately busted with damning video
WATCH: Trump ambassador shouts ‘fake news’ at reporter — and gets immediately busted with damning video
"Pete Hoekstra, the man chosen by President Donald Trump to be America’s ambassador to the Netherlands, was busted blatantly lying about his past statements by a Dutch journalist this week."
"Pete Hoekstra, the man chosen by President Donald Trump to be America’s ambassador to the Netherlands, was busted blatantly lying about his past statements by a Dutch journalist this week."
What did Trump know? That Flynn lied. When did he know it? January.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/21/1726601/-What-did-Trump-know-That-Flynn-lied-When-did-he-know-it-January
"When it comes to Michael Flynn, Trump knew he was lying from the beginning. And so did a lot of other people in the White House—people who have since gotten a fresh chance to lie in interviews with Robert Mueller’s team."
"When it comes to Michael Flynn, Trump knew he was lying from the beginning. And so did a lot of other people in the White House—people who have since gotten a fresh chance to lie in interviews with Robert Mueller’s team."
Nicolle Wallace: ‘I can’t get my brain around’ GOP attacks on ‘Republican-led law enforcement agencies’
Nicolle Wallace: ‘I can’t get my brain around’ GOP attacks on ‘Republican-led law enforcement agencies’
"Former communications director to President George W. Bush’s White House Nicolle Wallace expressed her incredulity on Thursday that Republicans are now attacking “Republican-led law enforcement agencies” in their zeal to protect President Donald Trump from the Russia probe by discrediting the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller."
"Former communications director to President George W. Bush’s White House Nicolle Wallace expressed her incredulity on Thursday that Republicans are now attacking “Republican-led law enforcement agencies” in their zeal to protect President Donald Trump from the Russia probe by discrediting the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller."
Taking a page from Trump's book, U.S. ambassador lies, gets caught, and lies about having lied.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/22/1726823/-Taking-a-page-from-Trump-s-book-U-S-ambassador-lies-gets-caught-and-lies-about-having-lied
"Donald Trump is apparently assembling an entire government of pathological liars. Check out this clip of Pete Hoekstra, a former member of Congress and now ambassador to Netherlands, lying about something he said and then, when confronted with the truth, lying about how he denied it in the first place. It’s an ouroboros of lying."
"Donald Trump is apparently assembling an entire government of pathological liars. Check out this clip of Pete Hoekstra, a former member of Congress and now ambassador to Netherlands, lying about something he said and then, when confronted with the truth, lying about how he denied it in the first place. It’s an ouroboros of lying."
Ivanka Trump tries to boost tax scam, shows off her privileged ignorance instead
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/21/1726535/-Ivanka-Trump-tries-to-boost-tax-scam-shows-off-her-privileged-ignorance-instead
"Ivanka Trump is on the TV talking about taxes, but that does not mean she knows about taxes. Certainly not how they work for people without armies of accountants."
"Ivanka Trump is on the TV talking about taxes, but that does not mean she knows about taxes. Certainly not how they work for people without armies of accountants."
8.8 million people signed up for Obamacare coverage despite Trump’s sabotage
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/21/16807348/obamacare-enrollment-2018
"About 8.8 million Americans enrolled in health coverage through Healthcare.gov, the Trump administration announced Thursday, a slight dip from last year after the Trump administration cut spending and outreach but far from a dramatic drop. Last year, about 9.2 million people signed up through Healthcare.gov, which serves more than 30 states. A dozen states run their own marketplaces and several of those states have not yet closed their open enrollment."
"About 8.8 million Americans enrolled in health coverage through Healthcare.gov, the Trump administration announced Thursday, a slight dip from last year after the Trump administration cut spending and outreach but far from a dramatic drop. Last year, about 9.2 million people signed up through Healthcare.gov, which serves more than 30 states. A dozen states run their own marketplaces and several of those states have not yet closed their open enrollment."
Samantha Bee Has the Perfect Description for Trump's Evangelical Base @alternet
Samantha Bee Has the Perfect Description for Trump's Evangelical Base @alternet:
"The president is actively fueling the religious right's apocalyptic fantasies."
"The president is actively fueling the religious right's apocalyptic fantasies."
Bob Corker Files Dozens Of Financial Statement 'Corrections' Before Tax Scam Vote
Bob Corker Files Dozens Of Financial Statement 'Corrections' Before Tax Scam Vote:
"The #CorkerKickback will continue to haunt Bob Corker, despite his mewling that he is innocent. Take it away, Fortune: Tennessee Senator Bob Corker has reportedly failed to disclose millions of dollars in income from various investments since taking office in 2007. While Senators often amend financial-disclosure forms, Corker filed dozens of corrections on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal following an inquiry by the paper over regarding irregularities in his original forms. And what are these various investments? The Republican Senator had failed to disclose $2 million in income from three hedge fund investments and additional millions from real-estate investments as well as other assets and financial transactions, the Journal reports. The fully amended filings show at least $3.8 million in additional income between 2007 and 2014 from commercial real-estate holdings. Why, what a coinkydink! Those are exactly the things that the #CorkerKickback will give tax breaks to! And what makes it even more coinkydinky is that those amended financial disclosures were on the same day he flipped from a Nay to a Yay vote, without reading the legislation."
"The #CorkerKickback will continue to haunt Bob Corker, despite his mewling that he is innocent. Take it away, Fortune: Tennessee Senator Bob Corker has reportedly failed to disclose millions of dollars in income from various investments since taking office in 2007. While Senators often amend financial-disclosure forms, Corker filed dozens of corrections on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal following an inquiry by the paper over regarding irregularities in his original forms. And what are these various investments? The Republican Senator had failed to disclose $2 million in income from three hedge fund investments and additional millions from real-estate investments as well as other assets and financial transactions, the Journal reports. The fully amended filings show at least $3.8 million in additional income between 2007 and 2014 from commercial real-estate holdings. Why, what a coinkydink! Those are exactly the things that the #CorkerKickback will give tax breaks to! And what makes it even more coinkydinky is that those amended financial disclosures were on the same day he flipped from a Nay to a Yay vote, without reading the legislation."
Republican Attacks on Robert Mueller Are Absurd. But the GOP Has Been Lawless for Decades.
https://theintercept.com/2017/12/20/republican-attacks-on-robert-mueller-are-absurd-but-the-gop-has-been-lawless-for-decades/
"It’s simply the logical endpoint of decades of effort by the Republican Party and its media penumbra to shield the GOP from the rule of law or any small-D democratic norms. Today’s GOP sees any and all rules just as billionaire New York real estate developer Leona Helmsley saw taxes – they’re only for “the little people.” There’s always been a significant faction of the U.S. right, rooted mostly in large corporations, that’s similar to the right in Latin America, in that it genuinely sees democracy as illegitimate. The success of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s was a gigantic shock to their system, and there were two small scale efforts by Wall Street and big business to overthrow Roosevelt via military coup. Meanwhile, John Foster Dulles, a powerful corporate lawyer who later became secretary of state during the Eisenhower administration, told his clients facings new government restrictions: “Do not comply. Resist the law with all your might, and soon everything will be all right.” Dulles was wrong. From the viewpoint of conservatives, things did not get “all right” anytime soon. The New Deal was such a stunning political success that, starting with Roosevelt’s election in 1932, Democrats held the majority in the House of Representatives for 58 of the next 62 years until 1994. Democrats controlled the more-aristocratic Senate almost as firmly during the same period, for 52 years, and even managed to gain the presidency for a majority of that time. They provided an imperfect but real check on the right’s dream of rolling back the 20th century and returning the U.S. to the late 1800s. But Dulles and company handed their commitment to massive resistance down to their ideological descendants. And soon enough it erupted spectacularly during the presidency of Richard Nixon."
"It’s simply the logical endpoint of decades of effort by the Republican Party and its media penumbra to shield the GOP from the rule of law or any small-D democratic norms. Today’s GOP sees any and all rules just as billionaire New York real estate developer Leona Helmsley saw taxes – they’re only for “the little people.” There’s always been a significant faction of the U.S. right, rooted mostly in large corporations, that’s similar to the right in Latin America, in that it genuinely sees democracy as illegitimate. The success of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s was a gigantic shock to their system, and there were two small scale efforts by Wall Street and big business to overthrow Roosevelt via military coup. Meanwhile, John Foster Dulles, a powerful corporate lawyer who later became secretary of state during the Eisenhower administration, told his clients facings new government restrictions: “Do not comply. Resist the law with all your might, and soon everything will be all right.” Dulles was wrong. From the viewpoint of conservatives, things did not get “all right” anytime soon. The New Deal was such a stunning political success that, starting with Roosevelt’s election in 1932, Democrats held the majority in the House of Representatives for 58 of the next 62 years until 1994. Democrats controlled the more-aristocratic Senate almost as firmly during the same period, for 52 years, and even managed to gain the presidency for a majority of that time. They provided an imperfect but real check on the right’s dream of rolling back the 20th century and returning the U.S. to the late 1800s. But Dulles and company handed their commitment to massive resistance down to their ideological descendants. And soon enough it erupted spectacularly during the presidency of Richard Nixon."
Dear Trump Supporters: When You Keep Denying Reality, Of Course Everything Seems ‘Liberally Biased’
https://forwardprogressives.com/dear-trump-supporters-when-you-keep-denying-reality-of-course-everything-seems-liberally-biased/
"That’s essentially where we’re at with Trump supporters. To talk to most of them, practically anything they hear negative about him is part of a “conspiracy against him,” not because that’s actually true, but because they don’t want to believe in facts and reality. It’s common sense. The more truth someone denies is real, the more “biased” those telling it are going to seem. Since Trump’s rise among the GOP, we’ve gone from “the media is liberally biased” to “there’s a deep state conspiracy involving the media, the FBI, U.S. intelligence agencies, the Department of Justice, Congress, our allies, and election officials in all 50 states to bring down Trump — but Russia is totally trustworthy.” Most of Trump’s supporters trust a serial-killing Russian tyrant like Vladimir Putin more than they do the the FBI, DOJ, U.S. intelligence, Congress, or our allies. Why? Well, simply because he says things that they want to hear. They don’t want to believe Trump colluded with Russia, or that the Russians were behind a cyber attack that helped him “win.” To believe that would force them to admit that he probably wouldn’t have “won” without the help of a foreign enemy who launched an attack aimed at undermining our democracy. They would have to admit that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democrats, and the “liberal media” that they hate were right — while the sources they trust to give them “information” such as Sean Hannity, Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh, and Alex Jones were wrong. And they’re damn sure not going to do that. The thing is, the truth doesn’t become “biased” simply because they don’t want to believe in it. This is not rocket science. The more the people backing Donald Trump continue to deny facts and reality are true, the more those telling the truth are going to appear to have some sort of nefarious bias or agenda to those people."
"That’s essentially where we’re at with Trump supporters. To talk to most of them, practically anything they hear negative about him is part of a “conspiracy against him,” not because that’s actually true, but because they don’t want to believe in facts and reality. It’s common sense. The more truth someone denies is real, the more “biased” those telling it are going to seem. Since Trump’s rise among the GOP, we’ve gone from “the media is liberally biased” to “there’s a deep state conspiracy involving the media, the FBI, U.S. intelligence agencies, the Department of Justice, Congress, our allies, and election officials in all 50 states to bring down Trump — but Russia is totally trustworthy.” Most of Trump’s supporters trust a serial-killing Russian tyrant like Vladimir Putin more than they do the the FBI, DOJ, U.S. intelligence, Congress, or our allies. Why? Well, simply because he says things that they want to hear. They don’t want to believe Trump colluded with Russia, or that the Russians were behind a cyber attack that helped him “win.” To believe that would force them to admit that he probably wouldn’t have “won” without the help of a foreign enemy who launched an attack aimed at undermining our democracy. They would have to admit that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democrats, and the “liberal media” that they hate were right — while the sources they trust to give them “information” such as Sean Hannity, Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh, and Alex Jones were wrong. And they’re damn sure not going to do that. The thing is, the truth doesn’t become “biased” simply because they don’t want to believe in it. This is not rocket science. The more the people backing Donald Trump continue to deny facts and reality are true, the more those telling the truth are going to appear to have some sort of nefarious bias or agenda to those people."
Here Are The 3 Biggest Myths That Republicans Want You To Believe About Their Tax Cuts For The Rich
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/12/20/3-biggest-myths-republicans-tax-cuts-rich.html
"It is all a web of lies designed to fool people who are getting nothing into thinking that they are getting something, while those who already have the most will get 83% of the benefits from this tax cut."
"It is all a web of lies designed to fool people who are getting nothing into thinking that they are getting something, while those who already have the most will get 83% of the benefits from this tax cut."
William Rivers Pitt | They Cheered When This Tax Bill Passed: Always Remember That
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/42973-they-cheered-when-this-tax-bill-passed-always-remember-that
"When the president of the United States of America signs this bill into law, he will, among many other things, be signing a check to himself and men like Bob Corker. That check has a great many zeroes to the left of the decimal. These are the people the Evangelicals embrace as "theirs," though their pockets will be picked and their futures plundered, once again. They cheered. It would be bad enough if they did this with their heads hung low in shame, knowing as we all know that this is only happening because the big GOP donors demanded the key to the Treasury and refused to donate again until they got it. We're sorry, they could (but would never) say, but they made us do it. We had to, we're sorry. Instead, they cheered. They actually cheered. For the record: The people who will take this tax bill in the teeth reject and repudiate it out of hand. Only 33 percent of those polled by CNN think the tax bill is anything other than a smash-and-grab looting of the Treasury, and that number correlates exactly with the ever-dwindling number of people who think Donald J. Trump is himself the golden calf, beyond reproach, a shining orange beacon on a hill. If Trump threw out the first pitch at a ballgame and hit a grandmother behind third base with the ball, that 33 percent would call it a strike and denounce videotape footage to the contrary as "fake news." I remember the quaint days of summer and fall, when the Republican Party could be counted on to be its worst enemy. Remember those attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act, when GOP "heroes" like John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins thwarted the president and majority leader McConnell? That was only a few hundred billion dollars going to other people. This thing is a trillion dollars and more, all going directly to the wealthy and the corporations they control."
"When the president of the United States of America signs this bill into law, he will, among many other things, be signing a check to himself and men like Bob Corker. That check has a great many zeroes to the left of the decimal. These are the people the Evangelicals embrace as "theirs," though their pockets will be picked and their futures plundered, once again. They cheered. It would be bad enough if they did this with their heads hung low in shame, knowing as we all know that this is only happening because the big GOP donors demanded the key to the Treasury and refused to donate again until they got it. We're sorry, they could (but would never) say, but they made us do it. We had to, we're sorry. Instead, they cheered. They actually cheered. For the record: The people who will take this tax bill in the teeth reject and repudiate it out of hand. Only 33 percent of those polled by CNN think the tax bill is anything other than a smash-and-grab looting of the Treasury, and that number correlates exactly with the ever-dwindling number of people who think Donald J. Trump is himself the golden calf, beyond reproach, a shining orange beacon on a hill. If Trump threw out the first pitch at a ballgame and hit a grandmother behind third base with the ball, that 33 percent would call it a strike and denounce videotape footage to the contrary as "fake news." I remember the quaint days of summer and fall, when the Republican Party could be counted on to be its worst enemy. Remember those attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act, when GOP "heroes" like John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins thwarted the president and majority leader McConnell? That was only a few hundred billion dollars going to other people. This thing is a trillion dollars and more, all going directly to the wealthy and the corporations they control."
Why Republicans Love Debt
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/12/20/why-republicans-love-debt
"One of the most successful deceits of modern times is that Republicans oppose government debt. In fact, Republicans love government debt and expand it whenever they can. It’s important to understand this fact. It’s even more important to understand why it is so and why Trump’s tax cut is a classic case of self-interested Republican budget busting. The last Republican president to produce a balanced budget was Richard Nixon, in 1969, almost 50 years ago. Since then, not a single Republican administration has produced a balanced budget. Not one. All have produced debt. Mountains of it. Ronald Reagan was the King of Debt. When he came into office, in 1981, the national debt stood at $1 trillion. Twelve years later, when his Vice President, George H. W. Bush, left office, the national debt stood at $4 trillion. Think about that for a moment. Over the span of 204 years, from 1776 to 1980, the nation fought the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, built out the continent, fought World War I, survived the Great Depression, fought and won World War II and the better part of the Cold War. And through all of that it only created $1 trillion of debt. Then, in a single 12-year period of relative peace and prosperity, Reagan and Bush I quadrupled it. Bill Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy. The result was not only the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history, but the first budget surpluses in 30 years. He handed George W. Bush a $128 billion surplus. Bush immediately enacted Reagan-esque tax cuts where 50% of the gains went to the top 1% of income earners. He turned the Clinton surplus into a $158 billion deficit in his first year, a staggering swing of $286 billion in only two years. Bush more than doubled the national debt in only eight years, fom $5.8 trillion to $11.9 trillion. So, the FACT of Republicans producing debt is indisputable. It is even more important to understand why they do so with such relentless intensity."
"One of the most successful deceits of modern times is that Republicans oppose government debt. In fact, Republicans love government debt and expand it whenever they can. It’s important to understand this fact. It’s even more important to understand why it is so and why Trump’s tax cut is a classic case of self-interested Republican budget busting. The last Republican president to produce a balanced budget was Richard Nixon, in 1969, almost 50 years ago. Since then, not a single Republican administration has produced a balanced budget. Not one. All have produced debt. Mountains of it. Ronald Reagan was the King of Debt. When he came into office, in 1981, the national debt stood at $1 trillion. Twelve years later, when his Vice President, George H. W. Bush, left office, the national debt stood at $4 trillion. Think about that for a moment. Over the span of 204 years, from 1776 to 1980, the nation fought the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, built out the continent, fought World War I, survived the Great Depression, fought and won World War II and the better part of the Cold War. And through all of that it only created $1 trillion of debt. Then, in a single 12-year period of relative peace and prosperity, Reagan and Bush I quadrupled it. Bill Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy. The result was not only the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history, but the first budget surpluses in 30 years. He handed George W. Bush a $128 billion surplus. Bush immediately enacted Reagan-esque tax cuts where 50% of the gains went to the top 1% of income earners. He turned the Clinton surplus into a $158 billion deficit in his first year, a staggering swing of $286 billion in only two years. Bush more than doubled the national debt in only eight years, fom $5.8 trillion to $11.9 trillion. So, the FACT of Republicans producing debt is indisputable. It is even more important to understand why they do so with such relentless intensity."
January 6, 2018
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