July 7, 2019
Fox News Reports: William Barr 'Emphatically' Lied To Congress
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/05/fox-news-reports-william-barr-emphatically?fbclid=IwAR2KJ7lucf7hRQb_siNZZdOJfPZfhL2CByoajSHzOTDbEa7fUe9pAAwQLBw
"Robert Mueller's eight-minute statement to the press proved that Trump's newly minted and handpicked attorney general William Barr lied under oath to Congress."
"Robert Mueller's eight-minute statement to the press proved that Trump's newly minted and handpicked attorney general William Barr lied under oath to Congress."
John Dean: Mueller Report Is To Trump What Watergate Report Was To Nixon
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-dean-testimony-trump-mueller-report_n_5cfea16ee4b02ee3477b2e7d?fbclid=IwAR3SZxDJAuLHzCkpz4FakKPLTcys4OKSnCG1bqLuSauB41qKRGa5fXgWSdE
"He testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, saying that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report ― which outlines 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice by the president ― is to Trump what the Watergate grand jury report was to Nixon. “In many ways the Mueller report is to President Trump what the so-called ‘Watergate road map’... was to President Richard Nixon,” Dean said. “Mueller has provided this committee with a road map"."
"He testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, saying that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report ― which outlines 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice by the president ― is to Trump what the Watergate grand jury report was to Nixon. “In many ways the Mueller report is to President Trump what the so-called ‘Watergate road map’... was to President Richard Nixon,” Dean said. “Mueller has provided this committee with a road map"."
Amash’s primary rival hasn’t read the Mueller report, either
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/amashs-primary-rival-hasnt-read-the-mueller-report-either?fbclid=IwAR1Ztaj-xqZkwsoovF0kx34jibf1a6dnIUFmvbAwYIOiVuOJ4A-pMFHbqsk
"The Republican state representative hasn’t read the Mueller report, but he’s confident that Trump’s partisan allies must be right about the document’s findings. That’s problematic, of course, not just because it’s evidence of laziness, but also because some of the White House’s allied Republicans – the ones Amash’s rival is counting on to assess the document for him – haven’t read the Mueller report, either. Indeed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently conceded during a congressional hearing that he hadn’t gotten around to reading the report, despite his official responsibilities. Donald Trump, who’s never expressed much of an interest in the written word, also conceded last month that he hadn’t read the Mueller report, either. Now state Rep. Jim Lower wants to run against Justin Amash in a GOP primary because of Amash’s assessment of the Mueller report, which Lower is certain is wrong, despite not having read the document himself."
"The Republican state representative hasn’t read the Mueller report, but he’s confident that Trump’s partisan allies must be right about the document’s findings. That’s problematic, of course, not just because it’s evidence of laziness, but also because some of the White House’s allied Republicans – the ones Amash’s rival is counting on to assess the document for him – haven’t read the Mueller report, either. Indeed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently conceded during a congressional hearing that he hadn’t gotten around to reading the report, despite his official responsibilities. Donald Trump, who’s never expressed much of an interest in the written word, also conceded last month that he hadn’t read the Mueller report, either. Now state Rep. Jim Lower wants to run against Justin Amash in a GOP primary because of Amash’s assessment of the Mueller report, which Lower is certain is wrong, despite not having read the document himself."
Stepping down, Mueller delivers a message Trump didn’t want to hear
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/stepping-down-mueller-delivers-message-trump-didnt-want-hear?fbclid=IwAR1Gi8cICTLhq6T5y7QsrKLDB3aYhLeqo6jc8WvIA1Lp66q-xRNrmRzahIw
"More important, though, is the fact that Mueller specifically framed the evidence in a way that told us exactly what he considers important. And in this case, what Mueller considers important is the fact that Russia attacked our elections; obstruction of justice is a serious crime; Trump hasn’t been cleared; and Trump wasn’t indicted because he can’t be indicted while in office."
"More important, though, is the fact that Mueller specifically framed the evidence in a way that told us exactly what he considers important. And in this case, what Mueller considers important is the fact that Russia attacked our elections; obstruction of justice is a serious crime; Trump hasn’t been cleared; and Trump wasn’t indicted because he can’t be indicted while in office."
Robert Mueller Wishes You’d Read His Report
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/robert-mueller-sticking-facts/590494/?fbclid=IwAR0RD8uvoXY13SWFIMFQDmZqVJ-cddtoiERtmLZJQZDO0l8RTzUntXUWJgU
"First, Mueller was adamant that his team had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said rather sternly. Mueller also implicitly rebuked those who dismiss obstruction as a mere “process crime” unworthy of attention, saying that it “strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” If he hoped this notion would take root in the Trump administration, it was in vain; Trump immediately claimed that Mueller found insufficient evidence of obstruction. Second, Mueller seemed concerned that Americans have focused on what Trump did rather than on what Russia did. He described his conclusions about overt Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and closed by repeating that “there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.” Mueller’s frustration is justified: Russia’s aggressive misconduct seems to have been lost in the shuffle."
"First, Mueller was adamant that his team had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said rather sternly. Mueller also implicitly rebuked those who dismiss obstruction as a mere “process crime” unworthy of attention, saying that it “strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” If he hoped this notion would take root in the Trump administration, it was in vain; Trump immediately claimed that Mueller found insufficient evidence of obstruction. Second, Mueller seemed concerned that Americans have focused on what Trump did rather than on what Russia did. He described his conclusions about overt Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and closed by repeating that “there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.” Mueller’s frustration is justified: Russia’s aggressive misconduct seems to have been lost in the shuffle."
Robert Mueller Just Told Congress to Do Its Damn Job
https://www.thenation.com/article/robert-mueller-congress-impeachment/?fbclid=IwAR2rc9hlrQ-r4gp1adQ3k2ig47s3wMC_3vVV__LGvRkkYETqeLSz56zryyk
"Mueller came as close as possible to saying that he would have indicted Trump for obstruction of justice, if Justice Department policy allowed him to do so. “Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider,” he said. But then he delivered the most important information in his 10-minute statement: “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not.” Respected intelligence analyst Marcy Wheeler tweeted immediately: “Shorter Mueller: That was an impeachment referral, damnit, now act on it"."
"Mueller came as close as possible to saying that he would have indicted Trump for obstruction of justice, if Justice Department policy allowed him to do so. “Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider,” he said. But then he delivered the most important information in his 10-minute statement: “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not.” Respected intelligence analyst Marcy Wheeler tweeted immediately: “Shorter Mueller: That was an impeachment referral, damnit, now act on it"."
Trump's "no collusion" lie is finally falling apart — but will Americans actually notice?
https://www.salon.com/2019/06/18/trumps-no-collusion-lie-is-finally-falling-apart-but-will-americans-actually-notice/?fbclid=IwAR3YfJa6G1oOcHny_rZXG8E0oH8RIefVnYCM88vli4kdNVsX6ZtQpcouPZU
"Mueller added that Trump campaign officials lied to investigators, which “impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The lies and the cover-up, drawn from mob tactics, flummoxed Mueller’s work. On page 9, Mueller also writes that “the investigation identified numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign.” These “links” are roughly more than 100 clandestine meetings between Trump officials and Russians listed and described in Mueller’s report — meetings nearly all of these officials repeatedly lied about. Despite these findings in the report, when asked whether the meetings took place, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday, “Of course not. Why would there be any contacts between the campaign?” Whoops. Throughout 2017 and 2018, as we devoured bombshell after bombshell about these meetings, most of us defined what we observed as the non-legal term “collusion.” In fact, it’s a fairly reasonable semantic jump from “links” to “collusion,” especially when we factor in Mueller’s reporting on Paul Manafort’s meetings with reputed former Russian GRU agent Konstantin Kilimnik, during which the men discussed everything from influencing the president to backstop Putin on Ukraine, to delivering proprietary internal polling data on “battleground states” Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to Kilimnik — the latter being one of the most shocking items in the report, given that those three states tipped the Electoral College in Trump's favor. Again, there are more than 100 documented episodes of campaign officials (mob-style “buffers”) and Russian operatives participating in secret discussions, during which the Trumpers and Russians remained vague and opaque enough for plausible deniability. Many of the most recognizable Trump-affiliated participants serially lied about the meetings, in some cases to the FBI and other cases on federal disclosure forms."
"Mueller added that Trump campaign officials lied to investigators, which “impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The lies and the cover-up, drawn from mob tactics, flummoxed Mueller’s work. On page 9, Mueller also writes that “the investigation identified numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign.” These “links” are roughly more than 100 clandestine meetings between Trump officials and Russians listed and described in Mueller’s report — meetings nearly all of these officials repeatedly lied about. Despite these findings in the report, when asked whether the meetings took place, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday, “Of course not. Why would there be any contacts between the campaign?” Whoops. Throughout 2017 and 2018, as we devoured bombshell after bombshell about these meetings, most of us defined what we observed as the non-legal term “collusion.” In fact, it’s a fairly reasonable semantic jump from “links” to “collusion,” especially when we factor in Mueller’s reporting on Paul Manafort’s meetings with reputed former Russian GRU agent Konstantin Kilimnik, during which the men discussed everything from influencing the president to backstop Putin on Ukraine, to delivering proprietary internal polling data on “battleground states” Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to Kilimnik — the latter being one of the most shocking items in the report, given that those three states tipped the Electoral College in Trump's favor. Again, there are more than 100 documented episodes of campaign officials (mob-style “buffers”) and Russian operatives participating in secret discussions, during which the Trumpers and Russians remained vague and opaque enough for plausible deniability. Many of the most recognizable Trump-affiliated participants serially lied about the meetings, in some cases to the FBI and other cases on federal disclosure forms."
Shorter Mueller: Just Impeach This Guy Already
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/robert-mueller-statement?fbclid=IwAR0YoKdx7DkGO6jj8RrrkqKhuyzQcHEL-tVxmODq4ZmxlftPkWw5E7OeM14
"Addressing reporters, Mueller effectively objected to the Attorney General’s description of his findings, specifically Barr’s characterization of the report as exonerating Trump on obstruction. “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” Mueller said Wednesday. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” In other words, it’s very possible Trump committed a crime. Mueller went on to note that it was the Justice Department’s legal guidance, which prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, that prevented him from accusing Trump as such. He went on to shame the president, though not by name, noting that “When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government’s effort to find the the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” Perhaps most important, Mueller suggested that if Trump is to be held to account, it must be Congress that takes up the case. “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing,” he said. In other words: Congress, do your job and impeach."
"Addressing reporters, Mueller effectively objected to the Attorney General’s description of his findings, specifically Barr’s characterization of the report as exonerating Trump on obstruction. “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” Mueller said Wednesday. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” In other words, it’s very possible Trump committed a crime. Mueller went on to note that it was the Justice Department’s legal guidance, which prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, that prevented him from accusing Trump as such. He went on to shame the president, though not by name, noting that “When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government’s effort to find the the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” Perhaps most important, Mueller suggested that if Trump is to be held to account, it must be Congress that takes up the case. “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing,” he said. In other words: Congress, do your job and impeach."
Trump Declares “Case Is Closed” on Russia Investigation. Mueller Just Hinted at the Exact Opposite.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/trump-declares-case-is-closed-on-russia-investigation-mueller-just-hinted-at-the-exact-opposite/?fbclid=IwAR2T4fCnjH2Ut00pHjn4hA4XjuyBpg-KFw992wW1RA6aLCBuTyMcrCMBm9g
"Trump incorrectly claimed that the Mueller report lacked enough evidence to result in criminal charges—an assertion that appeared to directly contradict the remarks Mueller had given moments earlier. In his statement, Mueller specifically referred to the Justice Department’s longstanding policy that protects sitting presidents from being indicted on federal charges, and not any lack of evidence, as the governing reason for why the investigation did not lead to charges against Trump. Mueller repeated a central line from the special counsel’s report that if investigators had had “confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” The statement, Mueller’s first public remarks in more than two years, rebutted Trump’s persistent claims that the Mueller report was a clear acquittal of his actions and of allegations that he had attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation."
"Trump incorrectly claimed that the Mueller report lacked enough evidence to result in criminal charges—an assertion that appeared to directly contradict the remarks Mueller had given moments earlier. In his statement, Mueller specifically referred to the Justice Department’s longstanding policy that protects sitting presidents from being indicted on federal charges, and not any lack of evidence, as the governing reason for why the investigation did not lead to charges against Trump. Mueller repeated a central line from the special counsel’s report that if investigators had had “confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” The statement, Mueller’s first public remarks in more than two years, rebutted Trump’s persistent claims that the Mueller report was a clear acquittal of his actions and of allegations that he had attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation."
McConnell Is Blocking Any Plan to Prevent a Russian Election Attack in 2020
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/mcconnell-blocking-plans-to-prevent-russian-election-attack.html?fbclid=IwAR1Oy-n_IgPjsxRolEBCSV8qMIUk76IZVKVcBQw6Rz_5a5qTByt54lQrj9I
"There actually are a lot of bills to safeguard the 2020 elections from the next Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is blocking all of them."
"There actually are a lot of bills to safeguard the 2020 elections from the next Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is blocking all of them."
McConnell’s Wife Gave Him a Special Reelection Present: $78 Million in Federal Funding
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/mitch-mcconnell-elaine-chao-kentucky?fbclid=IwAR3AjN3xk507Ym1PwdpGq5UH_g1x_InGbV-SunWVct2NDPu1mNFCVbc-wCs
"Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stonewalled a plan to fix the nation‘s roads, bridges, mass transit, and other crumbling infrastructure, despite the urgency of the issue and the outline of the deal receiving rare support from both Democrats and the White House. But, as it turns out, McConnell isn’t opposed to all infrastructure spending. In fact, he’s quite open to it when it‘s flowing specifically to towns in his home state, thanks to a special arrangement with the Transportation Department set up by his Cabinet secretary wife. Politico reports that Elaine Chao, spouse of Mitch, “designated a special liaison to help with grant applications and other priorities from her husband Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, paving the way for grants totaling at least $78 million for favored projects as McConnell prepared to campaign for reelection.” That liaison, Chao’s current chief of staff, Todd Inman, wrote in an email to McConnell’s office that Chao had “personally asked him to serve as an intermediary”—a benefit bestowed on no other state—and that he should be contacted if there were any “Ky-specific issue[s]” that should be flagged for the secretary’s attention."
"Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stonewalled a plan to fix the nation‘s roads, bridges, mass transit, and other crumbling infrastructure, despite the urgency of the issue and the outline of the deal receiving rare support from both Democrats and the White House. But, as it turns out, McConnell isn’t opposed to all infrastructure spending. In fact, he’s quite open to it when it‘s flowing specifically to towns in his home state, thanks to a special arrangement with the Transportation Department set up by his Cabinet secretary wife. Politico reports that Elaine Chao, spouse of Mitch, “designated a special liaison to help with grant applications and other priorities from her husband Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, paving the way for grants totaling at least $78 million for favored projects as McConnell prepared to campaign for reelection.” That liaison, Chao’s current chief of staff, Todd Inman, wrote in an email to McConnell’s office that Chao had “personally asked him to serve as an intermediary”—a benefit bestowed on no other state—and that he should be contacted if there were any “Ky-specific issue[s]” that should be flagged for the secretary’s attention."
The Sack Of Washington
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/epa-trump-pollution-science_n_5d163910e4b082e5536893ee?fbclid=IwAR1L614Nbrq0i77iBuaHi1dZdmCKEbrC2cAxiAcn_xh4bnFesSg9YdUShw4
"While Donald Trump mouthed populist, blue-collar bombast on the campaign trail, once sworn into office, he immediately put old-school commerce chiefs in position to run his empire. For the last two years, these corporate warriors have been chiseling through the barricade of laws, safety rules, and common-sense agreements that protect us from marauding commercial interests. Reader, beware. Barbarians have entered the city. Washington has been sacked! Journalists have rarely captured the perversity of Trump’s willing soldiers. In February, the Los Angeles Times offered a glimpse as it spotlighted Ed Calabrese, a professor of toxicology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst whose work tobacco and other poison-producers have long touted. Calabrese is now helping Trump appointees rewrite public policy to claim that pollution is good for us. Stop and ponder that for a moment: Pollution is good for us."
"While Donald Trump mouthed populist, blue-collar bombast on the campaign trail, once sworn into office, he immediately put old-school commerce chiefs in position to run his empire. For the last two years, these corporate warriors have been chiseling through the barricade of laws, safety rules, and common-sense agreements that protect us from marauding commercial interests. Reader, beware. Barbarians have entered the city. Washington has been sacked! Journalists have rarely captured the perversity of Trump’s willing soldiers. In February, the Los Angeles Times offered a glimpse as it spotlighted Ed Calabrese, a professor of toxicology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst whose work tobacco and other poison-producers have long touted. Calabrese is now helping Trump appointees rewrite public policy to claim that pollution is good for us. Stop and ponder that for a moment: Pollution is good for us."
New Election Security Bills Face a One-Man Roadblock: Mitch McConnell
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/politics/election-security-mitch-mcconnell.html?login=smartlock&auth=login-smartlock&fbclid=IwAR0syG5iWYTa66JJnHKeZ2HHdUhrtnhaKhW9Yq-FSNQILrQgpOeQMcdIk1w
"A raft of legislation intended to better secure United States election systems after what the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, called a “sweeping and systematic” Russian attack in 2016 is running into a one-man roadblock in the form of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky."
"A raft of legislation intended to better secure United States election systems after what the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, called a “sweeping and systematic” Russian attack in 2016 is running into a one-man roadblock in the form of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky."
Mitch 'The Grim Reaper' McConnell: Meet the Man Who Ruined the Senate
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/06/26/mitch-grim-reaper-mcconnell-meet-man-who-ruined-senate?fbclid=IwAR3abPEm02g8R_YyNmYLlr79vaSH7Stw8kV7GYsajdhw5GFBCVBrbT0RymU
"Senator McConnell built his Senate career and his rise to power on political money — opposing any and all efforts to curb political influence-money while raising massive amounts of campaign funds. During the 1990s, McConnell became his party’s most prolific fundraiser for Senate races. (He remains so today.) This combination of roles placed McConnell on the fast track into the Republican leadership. In 2003, he became Senate Majority Whip. In 2007, he became Senate Minority Leader. And in 2015, he attained the pinnacle of Senate power, becoming Senate Majority Leader. As Senate Minority Leader, McConnell’s use of the filibuster to obstruct Senate action hit full stride during President Obama’s first term. According to The Atlantic, “In 2009, there were a record 67 filibusters in the first half of the 111th Congress — double the number that occurred in the entire 20-year period between 1950 and 1969.” By the time Congress adjourned in December 2010, “the number of filibusters had swelled to 137 for the entire two-year term of the 111th Congress.” According to The Atlantic, during the 111th Congress, “over 400 bills that had been passed by the House of Representatives — many with broad bipartisan support — died in the Senate without ever having been debated or voted on because of the inability to obtain the 60 votes required by Rule XXII.” McConnell turned what in earlier decades had been a little used super majority requirement to end a filibuster into the operating rule for the Senate. A study by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 found that of the 168 cloture motions that had been filed on presidential nominations in all of American history, 82 of them, almost half, were undertaken by McConnell during the Obama presidency. As Majority Leader, McConnell has continued his decades of obstructionism, using his scheduling powers instead of the filibuster rules."
"Senator McConnell built his Senate career and his rise to power on political money — opposing any and all efforts to curb political influence-money while raising massive amounts of campaign funds. During the 1990s, McConnell became his party’s most prolific fundraiser for Senate races. (He remains so today.) This combination of roles placed McConnell on the fast track into the Republican leadership. In 2003, he became Senate Majority Whip. In 2007, he became Senate Minority Leader. And in 2015, he attained the pinnacle of Senate power, becoming Senate Majority Leader. As Senate Minority Leader, McConnell’s use of the filibuster to obstruct Senate action hit full stride during President Obama’s first term. According to The Atlantic, “In 2009, there were a record 67 filibusters in the first half of the 111th Congress — double the number that occurred in the entire 20-year period between 1950 and 1969.” By the time Congress adjourned in December 2010, “the number of filibusters had swelled to 137 for the entire two-year term of the 111th Congress.” According to The Atlantic, during the 111th Congress, “over 400 bills that had been passed by the House of Representatives — many with broad bipartisan support — died in the Senate without ever having been debated or voted on because of the inability to obtain the 60 votes required by Rule XXII.” McConnell turned what in earlier decades had been a little used super majority requirement to end a filibuster into the operating rule for the Senate. A study by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 found that of the 168 cloture motions that had been filed on presidential nominations in all of American history, 82 of them, almost half, were undertaken by McConnell during the Obama presidency. As Majority Leader, McConnell has continued his decades of obstructionism, using his scheduling powers instead of the filibuster rules."
Mitch McConnell making sure that Russia is welcome to screw with the 2020 election
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/12/1864253/-Mitch-McConnell-making-sure-that-Russia-is-welcome-to-screw-with-the-2020-election?fbclid=IwAR0X3j05kb263xm5DjGealQRGLMX1rwyItbvk_194_Pq915FCfZ9-avJuoY
"Back in May, Mitch McConnell passed a milestone: over 100 pieces of legislation that were passed by the Democratic-controlled House have been halted by the Senate majority leader before they ever got a vote. McConnell bragged about turning the Senate into a legislative cemetery, and he’s being a good crypt-keeper by making sure that even the most critical bills are dead on arrival. That includes sorely needed legislation that would provide election security for 2020. As The New York Times reports, McConnell is blocking any vote on a bill that would provide funds to secure state and local election facilities against exactly the sort of attack that Russia carried out successfully in 2016."
"Back in May, Mitch McConnell passed a milestone: over 100 pieces of legislation that were passed by the Democratic-controlled House have been halted by the Senate majority leader before they ever got a vote. McConnell bragged about turning the Senate into a legislative cemetery, and he’s being a good crypt-keeper by making sure that even the most critical bills are dead on arrival. That includes sorely needed legislation that would provide election security for 2020. As The New York Times reports, McConnell is blocking any vote on a bill that would provide funds to secure state and local election facilities against exactly the sort of attack that Russia carried out successfully in 2016."
Opinion | Mitch McConnell, Too, Welcomes Russian Interference
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/opinion/mitch-mcconnell-russian-interference.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR14jGgW68K-cjsry60z6vJoOzdaicX42oWISvlqjLzDAkIx05A3CO03dRo
"McConnell refuses to consider any legislation on election security during this congressional term."
"McConnell refuses to consider any legislation on election security during this congressional term."
Europe Built a System to Fight Russian Meddling. It’s Struggling.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/world/europe/europe-russian-disinformation-propaganda-elections.html?action=click&module=Top+Stories&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR0XS66tnUx1cfcjM-qEu47jVm0qFocC8WVoKN0lyAlevgdYeA_bGAQhKgs
"Europe’s early struggles offer lessons for other nations, including the United States, where intelligence officials expect Russia to try to interfere in next year’s presidential election. In many ways, the European Union has been more aggressive than Washington in demanding changes from social media companies and seeking novel ways to fight disinformation."
"Europe’s early struggles offer lessons for other nations, including the United States, where intelligence officials expect Russia to try to interfere in next year’s presidential election. In many ways, the European Union has been more aggressive than Washington in demanding changes from social media companies and seeking novel ways to fight disinformation."
July 4, 2019
Progressive Patriotism for July 4
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/07/04/progressive-patriotism-july-4?fbclid=IwAR1BY3l_hHaIDNKLsqpwYDS8FiGHdIvUX9_ILxmb_aaCj76osDvRewkOrFw
"Trump’s nativism, xenophobia, racism, selfishness, materialism, and faux patriotism would have appalled Francis Bellamy. Trump may want to require American schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but his vision of America is a far cry from Bellamy’s – or any progressive who fights to push the country to live up to its ideals."
"Trump’s nativism, xenophobia, racism, selfishness, materialism, and faux patriotism would have appalled Francis Bellamy. Trump may want to require American schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but his vision of America is a far cry from Bellamy’s – or any progressive who fights to push the country to live up to its ideals."
The Anti-Entrenchment Agenda
The Anti-Entrenchment Agenda:
"In the 1990s, many of us were talking about an “emerging Democratic majority.” It isn’t emerging anymore; Democrats already have a national majority. They have won the popular vote for the presidency in six out of the last seven elections, going back to 1992. If not for the Electoral College, the entire history of the past two decades would be different. The Senate is a similar story. In all 15 Senates since 1990, according to calculations by Stanford political scientist Jonathan Rodden, the Democrats have won more votes than the Republicans but controlled the Senate only six times. If majority rule had determined control of both the presidency and the Senate, there would be a liberal majority on the Supreme Court too. Remember how Republicans in the 1960s claimed to represent a “silent majority”? Democrats today are a stymied majority—and not merely in the House of Representatives. What is really stymieing Democrats is the structure of institutional power in America. Three distinct challenges confront them. The first is the entrenched power of concentrated wealth, magnified in recent decades by increasing economic inequality. The second is the aggressive use of political incumbency by Republicans to extend and increase their control through such means as voter suppression. The third consists of the advantages that Republicans derive from the structure of government institutions at a time when Democratic voters have become concentrated in cities and in the most urbanized states. The geography of partisan support is closely related to America’s racial and cultural divisions, and it has skewed not only the Senate but also the House and state legislatures in Republicans’ favor. Each of these three distinct sources of conservative power requires a different set of responses."
"In the 1990s, many of us were talking about an “emerging Democratic majority.” It isn’t emerging anymore; Democrats already have a national majority. They have won the popular vote for the presidency in six out of the last seven elections, going back to 1992. If not for the Electoral College, the entire history of the past two decades would be different. The Senate is a similar story. In all 15 Senates since 1990, according to calculations by Stanford political scientist Jonathan Rodden, the Democrats have won more votes than the Republicans but controlled the Senate only six times. If majority rule had determined control of both the presidency and the Senate, there would be a liberal majority on the Supreme Court too. Remember how Republicans in the 1960s claimed to represent a “silent majority”? Democrats today are a stymied majority—and not merely in the House of Representatives. What is really stymieing Democrats is the structure of institutional power in America. Three distinct challenges confront them. The first is the entrenched power of concentrated wealth, magnified in recent decades by increasing economic inequality. The second is the aggressive use of political incumbency by Republicans to extend and increase their control through such means as voter suppression. The third consists of the advantages that Republicans derive from the structure of government institutions at a time when Democratic voters have become concentrated in cities and in the most urbanized states. The geography of partisan support is closely related to America’s racial and cultural divisions, and it has skewed not only the Senate but also the House and state legislatures in Republicans’ favor. Each of these three distinct sources of conservative power requires a different set of responses."
George Washington Would Hate Trump’s July 4 Parade
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/opinion/july-4th-parade-trump.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR3FWRqWVvpVNXVvvx0k2F4lprTwB4WvMST494dLCA2qIkedv75j0O0vEa4
"All Americans should be appalled. Even during an era of extreme hyperbole, the unabashed narcissism driving the parade plans is astonishing. It runs counter to the explicit aims and faith of the ordinary Americans who founded the United States. The focus on a single leader — on the construction of a cult of personality — would have incensed the men and women who sacrificed so much to create a new nation."
"All Americans should be appalled. Even during an era of extreme hyperbole, the unabashed narcissism driving the parade plans is astonishing. It runs counter to the explicit aims and faith of the ordinary Americans who founded the United States. The focus on a single leader — on the construction of a cult of personality — would have incensed the men and women who sacrificed so much to create a new nation."
Jewish Activists Are Protesting ICE Detention Centers Across The Country
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/never-again-action-ice-protests_n_5d1cc0abe4b0f312567d7267?fbclid=IwAR25OSPc4Hz-oR_dU1I5yZbtwrdZxtZBnD53CVHxQdyBAVim0YlqmA6VGoc
"Hundreds of Jewish activists are protesting at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers on the East and West coasts this week, insisting that they have a moral obligation to speak out against the detention of migrants."
"Hundreds of Jewish activists are protesting at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers on the East and West coasts this week, insisting that they have a moral obligation to speak out against the detention of migrants."
Thomas Jefferson Blasted Despotism. Trump’s Holding a Celebration of It.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/thomas-jefferson-declared-us-independent-of-absolute-despotism-trumps-throwing-himself-a-military-parade?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR3GjpuO9-wIA2q2jIIb7XnfevXdWToBQYFzyTltR0DB45Wh4VnY43iRm_8
"We laugh at Trump. We have to laugh at him to stay sane. This military parade is a joke. This speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Is he kidding? Where Martin Luther King summoned our best angels, that buffoon is going to stand there and give a semi-literate lecture about things he knows nothing about? Maybe he’ll mention “Western liberalism” again, which is clearly to blame for all those junkies in L.A. he told Tucker Carlson about. We laugh, but we also know that this is not very funny at all. The situation is without precedent and it is terrifying. A president who has no personal morality and nothing but contempt for democracy. A Senate Republican leader who cares only about party power. A congressional GOP that will disagree with the president here and there, on tariffs, but on the fundamental crimes he commits on a weekly basis—his abuse of power, his destruction of norms, his bending and breaking of the law—not only turns a blind eye but actively cheers him on. The parade (which now appears to be stationary!) is a joke—but it’s not. Who else has military parades? Yes, France. Hilarious, don’t you think, that conservatives now cite France of all places to defend their actions? The Bastille Day Parade dates to 1880, around the dawn of the rise of Social Darwinism, and when France was still licking its wounds from the Franco-Prussian War and the calamities of the Commune. The Third Republic was on shaky ground. So, voila, a military parade! So France—but among civilized democratic nations, basically only France. Other than France, guess where? The number of military parades has increased dramatically in China under Xi Jinping. Of course it has! He named himself president for life. For a big parade in 2015, nearby factories were shut to ensure that the air would be clear. Dogs, falcons, and monkeys were deployed to scare away birds. Who else loves parades? Vladimir Putin. Obviously. The biggest one every year is held on May 9 to celebrate the victory over the Nazis."
"We laugh at Trump. We have to laugh at him to stay sane. This military parade is a joke. This speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Is he kidding? Where Martin Luther King summoned our best angels, that buffoon is going to stand there and give a semi-literate lecture about things he knows nothing about? Maybe he’ll mention “Western liberalism” again, which is clearly to blame for all those junkies in L.A. he told Tucker Carlson about. We laugh, but we also know that this is not very funny at all. The situation is without precedent and it is terrifying. A president who has no personal morality and nothing but contempt for democracy. A Senate Republican leader who cares only about party power. A congressional GOP that will disagree with the president here and there, on tariffs, but on the fundamental crimes he commits on a weekly basis—his abuse of power, his destruction of norms, his bending and breaking of the law—not only turns a blind eye but actively cheers him on. The parade (which now appears to be stationary!) is a joke—but it’s not. Who else has military parades? Yes, France. Hilarious, don’t you think, that conservatives now cite France of all places to defend their actions? The Bastille Day Parade dates to 1880, around the dawn of the rise of Social Darwinism, and when France was still licking its wounds from the Franco-Prussian War and the calamities of the Commune. The Third Republic was on shaky ground. So, voila, a military parade! So France—but among civilized democratic nations, basically only France. Other than France, guess where? The number of military parades has increased dramatically in China under Xi Jinping. Of course it has! He named himself president for life. For a big parade in 2015, nearby factories were shut to ensure that the air would be clear. Dogs, falcons, and monkeys were deployed to scare away birds. Who else loves parades? Vladimir Putin. Obviously. The biggest one every year is held on May 9 to celebrate the victory over the Nazis."
Trump's Militaristic Exploitation of Independence Day Reflects His Insecurity and Impotence
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/7/4/1869492/-Trump-s-Militaristic-Exploitation-of-Independence-Day-Reflects-His-Insecurity-and-Impotence?utm_campaign=recent&fbclid=IwAR25HpqNcAbelY0VpSmHeuTKuW66XXSmpWvhwMP8r2-Be8lfRO-q7jfAf0M"The degradation of the Fourth of July into what most resembles the autocratic parades of the brutal, warmongering dictators that Trump admires (Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, etc.) is a depressing development. But it's also a fallacy that attempts to portray Trump as a patriot. His own words and deeds are proof that he and his promoters are lying. After all, Trump displays his alleged appreciation for the troops by maligning POWs for having been captured, insulting Gold Star families who are not Trump sycophants, terminating healthcare and other services for vets, and deporting veterans who served in combat despite not being citizens. Trump is shamelessly politicizing the Fourth by offering preferred seating for Republican bigwigs and donors. Meanwhile, he is forcing the military to abandon plans to be with their families in order to participate in Soviet-style parades of weaponry. He even declined to invite the service chiefs for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Trump, on the other hand, is forcing his staff to spend the day trying to come up with ways to get around the Supreme Court's rejection of his racist Census question on citizenship. Meanwhile, he's golfing and, later, presenting himself as the star attraction of yet another one of his partisan campaign cult rallies. What makes all of this even worse is that Trump's affinity for the pageantry of war is really just over-compensation for his own inadequacies. His behavior is consistent with that of malignant narcissists who must have everything their way, no matter who suffers. It's a cowardly display that defines his whole presidency - and life. And it reveals his pitiful insecurity and obsession with magnifying his own perception of his paltry and phony machismo. The bastardization of patriotism by Cadet Bone Spurs has been an obvious facade from the start."
"Happy 4th Mr. President" trends on Twitter—for Barack Obama
https://www.newsweek.com/fourth-july-messages-president-obama-1447616?fbclid=IwAR2YZy68QXC-r2rPgRWsLE_ripIIWbcxOf533gQoDDSgByucuXWtkbyoXVU
"In fact, as "Happy 4th Mr. President" trended on Twitter, it was messages aimed at Trump's predecessor, former President Barack Obama, that flooded the social media platform."
"In fact, as "Happy 4th Mr. President" trended on Twitter, it was messages aimed at Trump's predecessor, former President Barack Obama, that flooded the social media platform."
Little Rocket Man
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/donald-trump-independence-day-little-rocket-man?fbclid=IwAR2_8H3_L4JYstroJPiMGuWUrIAu6pu6sIo7ayzIxHNSLZN1qmKC3GWx2EE
"The increased military display on Independence Day is hardly the most significant piece in the miserable jigsaw that is the Trump Administration. In recent weeks, we have seen so many pieces: A credible charge of rape. The imminent collapse of Iran’s nuclear restraint, thanks to the President’s foolish abrogation of the Iran nuclear deal. Trump’s airy dismissal of the climate emergency at the recent G-20 meetings in Osaka. (“We have the cleanest water we’ve ever had. . . .”) Perhaps the most significant event at the G-20 session came when Vladimir Putin used the occasion to declare, in a run-up interview with the Financial Times, that “the liberal idea has become obsolete.” Sounding much like Trump at his fearmongering worst, Putin said, “The liberal idea presupposes that nothing needs to be done. The migrants can kill, plunder, and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants must be protected.” Leaders including Emmanuel Macron of France and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, stood up to Putin and the idea that Russian-style authoritarianism was the wave of the future. By contrast, Trump voiced not a word of objection. Why would he? He is in total agreement with Putin. And, in Osaka, he stood with the Russian President and mocked both the idea of a free press and the notion that Russia had ever interfered in the 2016 elections on his behalf. And so, on the Fourth, we will watch Trump, who evaded military service by pleading phantom bone spurs, spend millions of dollars of public funds in order to enact a fantasy of martial leadership."
"The increased military display on Independence Day is hardly the most significant piece in the miserable jigsaw that is the Trump Administration. In recent weeks, we have seen so many pieces: A credible charge of rape. The imminent collapse of Iran’s nuclear restraint, thanks to the President’s foolish abrogation of the Iran nuclear deal. Trump’s airy dismissal of the climate emergency at the recent G-20 meetings in Osaka. (“We have the cleanest water we’ve ever had. . . .”) Perhaps the most significant event at the G-20 session came when Vladimir Putin used the occasion to declare, in a run-up interview with the Financial Times, that “the liberal idea has become obsolete.” Sounding much like Trump at his fearmongering worst, Putin said, “The liberal idea presupposes that nothing needs to be done. The migrants can kill, plunder, and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants must be protected.” Leaders including Emmanuel Macron of France and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, stood up to Putin and the idea that Russian-style authoritarianism was the wave of the future. By contrast, Trump voiced not a word of objection. Why would he? He is in total agreement with Putin. And, in Osaka, he stood with the Russian President and mocked both the idea of a free press and the notion that Russia had ever interfered in the 2016 elections on his behalf. And so, on the Fourth, we will watch Trump, who evaded military service by pleading phantom bone spurs, spend millions of dollars of public funds in order to enact a fantasy of martial leadership."
America the Desecrated
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/trumps-july-4-an-endorsement-of-cruelty.html?fbclid=IwAR18tOnsJ-V6mbINNH0L-kDGjK600cs_BiMb81t8Ku7r_szyIyVQnfQGJIk
"The president, who stakes his legitimacy on demonizing the majority of the country that doesn’t support him, is putting tanks on America’s streets on its most patriotic holiday in an effort to yoke love of country to love of himself. Presidents have not historically played an active role in Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall; most people thought using America’s symbols to burnish the reputation of one of its public servants was inadvisable. For that servant to spend public money and reward his donors with special access is illegal. The last time the president tried to turn a holiday into a militaristic display with himself as drum major, the $92 million price tag provoked public outrage and sank the effort. This time, the administration is refusing to say what Trump’s circus of vanity will cost. We do know bits and pieces. For instance: The administration is diverting $2.5 million from America’s underfunded national parks—entrance fees that families paid—to an event to which the president’s re-election campaign and political allies get special VIP passes. Draping the event in star-spangled streamers won’t disguise the fact that Donald Trump is turning the anniversary of the nation’s founding into one more tawdry campaign event, or that his “Salute to America” is a salute to himself. And note: He is doing so after posing with not one but three autocrats in gleeful photo-ops. He is doing so after a trip whose most prominent American representative was his daughter, a woman whose company just obtained five valuable Chinese trademarks thanks to her father’s negotiations with China. While the president bragged about his daughter’s beauty, the country reeled in grief at a photograph of a drowned father and his toddler daughter. While Trump posed with authoritarian leaders who murder their political enemies, Americans saw footage of camps where migrants, asylum-seekers, and children are sleeping on concrete floors, sick and trapped."
"The president, who stakes his legitimacy on demonizing the majority of the country that doesn’t support him, is putting tanks on America’s streets on its most patriotic holiday in an effort to yoke love of country to love of himself. Presidents have not historically played an active role in Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall; most people thought using America’s symbols to burnish the reputation of one of its public servants was inadvisable. For that servant to spend public money and reward his donors with special access is illegal. The last time the president tried to turn a holiday into a militaristic display with himself as drum major, the $92 million price tag provoked public outrage and sank the effort. This time, the administration is refusing to say what Trump’s circus of vanity will cost. We do know bits and pieces. For instance: The administration is diverting $2.5 million from America’s underfunded national parks—entrance fees that families paid—to an event to which the president’s re-election campaign and political allies get special VIP passes. Draping the event in star-spangled streamers won’t disguise the fact that Donald Trump is turning the anniversary of the nation’s founding into one more tawdry campaign event, or that his “Salute to America” is a salute to himself. And note: He is doing so after posing with not one but three autocrats in gleeful photo-ops. He is doing so after a trip whose most prominent American representative was his daughter, a woman whose company just obtained five valuable Chinese trademarks thanks to her father’s negotiations with China. While the president bragged about his daughter’s beauty, the country reeled in grief at a photograph of a drowned father and his toddler daughter. While Trump posed with authoritarian leaders who murder their political enemies, Americans saw footage of camps where migrants, asylum-seekers, and children are sleeping on concrete floors, sick and trapped."
A Boost for Trump’s Ego Is a Loss for America’s National Parks
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/a-boost-for-trumps-ego-is-a-loss-for-americas-national-parks-855535/?fbclid=IwAR2wR002W7wfkNnN0hyrztrAH7X-afFJkb8_kxc_3TtOhxwXiuhilP0W-hY
"Trump’s address on the Fourth of July will come less than a week after the president praised Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un — three of the world’s most prominent opponents of the tenets of liberal democracy on which America was founded."
"Trump’s address on the Fourth of July will come less than a week after the president praised Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un — three of the world’s most prominent opponents of the tenets of liberal democracy on which America was founded."
VA Privatization Bill Threatens Closure of Key Facilities
VA Privatization Bill Threatens Closure of Key Facilities:
"Veterans service organizations like the DAV, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) are opposed to any acceleration of the AIR Commission. In written testimony for the hearing, the Deputy National Legislative Director of the DAV, Adrian Atizado, stated that “if H.R. 3083 were enacted, and Secretary Wilkie were to accelerate the AIR process as he has repeatedly indicated his desire to do, it would fundamentally undermine the dynamic structure of the VA MISSION Act by forcing premature decisions on infrastructure before decisions on health care delivery have been finalized"."
"Veterans service organizations like the DAV, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) are opposed to any acceleration of the AIR Commission. In written testimony for the hearing, the Deputy National Legislative Director of the DAV, Adrian Atizado, stated that “if H.R. 3083 were enacted, and Secretary Wilkie were to accelerate the AIR process as he has repeatedly indicated his desire to do, it would fundamentally undermine the dynamic structure of the VA MISSION Act by forcing premature decisions on infrastructure before decisions on health care delivery have been finalized"."
Trump’s celebration of himself is the perfect reminder of why he must leave
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/02/trumps-celebration-himself-is-perfect-reminder-why-he-must-go/?fbclid=IwAR0YMiiuaRkdugi8K28wBSVcfrjHXpSRRAjos4QJudJKxFAOhFrR-NfdM-I&utm_term=.4259dfe5f93a
"There is the cringe-worthy ignorance. (“Abrams tanks — which Trump referred to as ‘Abram’ tanks in his remarks — weigh more than 60 tons and are usually transported over long distances by heavy rail,” The Post reports. “Trump also said ‘we have the brand-new Sherman tanks,’ which have not been in use by the U.S. military since the 1950s.”) There is the misuse of the military as props for his own partisan ends and personal glorification (especially demanding that service commanders to stand at his side during the flyovers, as any tinpot dictator would insist upon). His incessant desire to ingratiate himself (he imagines) with the military while lacking any sense of its code of honor and values (e.g. considering pardons for war criminals, extolling police brutality) is a pathetic attempt to “make up” for draft avoidance. There is the raiding of the Treasury for his personal aggrandizement. “The F-35 costs about $30,000 per hour to fly, according to Pentagon estimates. Each Blue Angel jet costs at least $10,000 per hour to operate, and the cost of flying an Air Force One jet is more than $140,000 per hour,” The Post reports. Moreover, “Two major fireworks firms have donated a pyrotechnic show valued at $750,000, for example, but the Park Service will have to pay employees overtime to clean up the remnants of that display.” There is the misconstruing of American traditions. What should be a commemoration of human rights ("All men ... ") and the unwavering faith in the rule of law and in democratic governance in Trump’s hands becomes a caffeinated Armed Services Day. He manages to transform a holiday about the greatest experiment in civilian self-government into a garish military Mardi Gras. There is the invasion of Americans’ nonpolitical lives, the peace and relaxation free people enjoy from the dictates of the Great Leader."
"There is the cringe-worthy ignorance. (“Abrams tanks — which Trump referred to as ‘Abram’ tanks in his remarks — weigh more than 60 tons and are usually transported over long distances by heavy rail,” The Post reports. “Trump also said ‘we have the brand-new Sherman tanks,’ which have not been in use by the U.S. military since the 1950s.”) There is the misuse of the military as props for his own partisan ends and personal glorification (especially demanding that service commanders to stand at his side during the flyovers, as any tinpot dictator would insist upon). His incessant desire to ingratiate himself (he imagines) with the military while lacking any sense of its code of honor and values (e.g. considering pardons for war criminals, extolling police brutality) is a pathetic attempt to “make up” for draft avoidance. There is the raiding of the Treasury for his personal aggrandizement. “The F-35 costs about $30,000 per hour to fly, according to Pentagon estimates. Each Blue Angel jet costs at least $10,000 per hour to operate, and the cost of flying an Air Force One jet is more than $140,000 per hour,” The Post reports. Moreover, “Two major fireworks firms have donated a pyrotechnic show valued at $750,000, for example, but the Park Service will have to pay employees overtime to clean up the remnants of that display.” There is the misconstruing of American traditions. What should be a commemoration of human rights ("All men ... ") and the unwavering faith in the rule of law and in democratic governance in Trump’s hands becomes a caffeinated Armed Services Day. He manages to transform a holiday about the greatest experiment in civilian self-government into a garish military Mardi Gras. There is the invasion of Americans’ nonpolitical lives, the peace and relaxation free people enjoy from the dictates of the Great Leader."
RNC Giving Out Tickets To Trump’s Hijacked Fourth Of July Celebration
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-fourth-hijacking-rnc-tickets_n_5d1a6e06e4b07f6ca5821251?fbclid=IwAR2F77jbcYkTlfJxe7keQqP_HJvchjKCedqGWpw-rngBQrGjoEF9fAT8_sM
"What had been a nonpolitical, nonpartisan celebration on the National Mall will now likely be a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-financed political rally, critics worry."
"What had been a nonpolitical, nonpartisan celebration on the National Mall will now likely be a multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-financed political rally, critics worry."
Open Letter: To my Trump-supporting family.
http://mydaughtersarmy.org/open-letter-to-my-trump-supporting-family/?fbclid=IwAR3E2_tyrfNYZuKLD3xer7dFEYlV3-KbyI6B4Uky1m4nc2u93Z3bwSPxQ0M
"America didn’t elect a leader who represents any of those principles. America didn’t elect a leader with any principles. And you did that. You can say you held your nose and voted for the “lesser of two evils,” or that you only voted for Trump because you knew he’d further the policies with which you agreed, even if you found him personally detestable. But when you and all of the other Trump voters pulled that lever, you weren’t just selecting your preferred presidential candidate. You were selecting what America was. And it is nothing like the America I grew up believing in. To say that your choice and the result it brought about triggered an existential crisis would be an understatement. My whole life, I’d been an unquestioning, patriotic servant of America because of what I’d believed it stood for. But in a single night, everything it stood for was revealed as a fraud. Everything I stood for was a fraud. So now, two and half years into the alternative reality, I’ve come to grips that this isn’t some insane nightmare. This is reality. And seeing how Trump supporters (yourselves included) have behaved since then, I really was a fool for ever believing America stood for anything else. I won’t bore you with my journey to “wokeness” or why the things you tolerate literally sicken me. Sexual predator? “They’re not hot enough to sexually assault.” Racist bully? “Fake news.” Uncompassionate bigot? “They should stay in their own damn countries.” Even if I had the capacity and patience to expound on every deviation from the America I thought existed, you wouldn’t care. Why? Because you’ve stopped listening. The rise of Fox News means you’ve stopped reading the papers. And even if you did, you wouldn’t be intrigued or inquisitive about what they say because you’ve bought into the idea that the press is the enemy of the people (except for Fox News and the National Review, which get passes because, well, why?). You’ve stopped paying attention to anyone who doesn’t agree with your crystallized view of the world."
"America didn’t elect a leader who represents any of those principles. America didn’t elect a leader with any principles. And you did that. You can say you held your nose and voted for the “lesser of two evils,” or that you only voted for Trump because you knew he’d further the policies with which you agreed, even if you found him personally detestable. But when you and all of the other Trump voters pulled that lever, you weren’t just selecting your preferred presidential candidate. You were selecting what America was. And it is nothing like the America I grew up believing in. To say that your choice and the result it brought about triggered an existential crisis would be an understatement. My whole life, I’d been an unquestioning, patriotic servant of America because of what I’d believed it stood for. But in a single night, everything it stood for was revealed as a fraud. Everything I stood for was a fraud. So now, two and half years into the alternative reality, I’ve come to grips that this isn’t some insane nightmare. This is reality. And seeing how Trump supporters (yourselves included) have behaved since then, I really was a fool for ever believing America stood for anything else. I won’t bore you with my journey to “wokeness” or why the things you tolerate literally sicken me. Sexual predator? “They’re not hot enough to sexually assault.” Racist bully? “Fake news.” Uncompassionate bigot? “They should stay in their own damn countries.” Even if I had the capacity and patience to expound on every deviation from the America I thought existed, you wouldn’t care. Why? Because you’ve stopped listening. The rise of Fox News means you’ve stopped reading the papers. And even if you did, you wouldn’t be intrigued or inquisitive about what they say because you’ve bought into the idea that the press is the enemy of the people (except for Fox News and the National Review, which get passes because, well, why?). You’ve stopped paying attention to anyone who doesn’t agree with your crystallized view of the world."
Vets To Give Out Thousands Of USS John McCain Shirts At Trump’s July 4 Event
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/veterans-john-mccain-donald-trump-july-4_n_5d1a43ace4b07f6ca581c21e?fbclid=IwAR10A9otmOw24S-BrhxLkITdkknU5rS92FKMGVQwUmz5TBLfbMPSCtAW_jA
"Irked by President Donald Trump’s plan to hold his own July Fourth event on the National Mall, veterans plan to give out thousands of USS John S. McCain T-shirts to make the president face a crowd of people honoring the McCain family’s legacy and the idea of putting one’s country before oneself."
"Irked by President Donald Trump’s plan to hold his own July Fourth event on the National Mall, veterans plan to give out thousands of USS John S. McCain T-shirts to make the president face a crowd of people honoring the McCain family’s legacy and the idea of putting one’s country before oneself."
Trump's Fourth of July Military Parade Is Out-and-Out Authoritarian Performance Art
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a28261884/president-trump-military-parade-fourth-of-july-authoritarian/?fbclid=IwAR2H92XvNOQMz8sx1YklwofWpqhiFGnlk5K2q2IrUB2gBDC04cxgIqTmsDI
"Oh, and in case you thought the sheer grift had been neglected, fear not. This is a taxpayer-funded, self-promoting campaign wankfest, just like all of those that get him so turgid out in airplane hangars and vacant arenas across this great republic."
"Oh, and in case you thought the sheer grift had been neglected, fear not. This is a taxpayer-funded, self-promoting campaign wankfest, just like all of those that get him so turgid out in airplane hangars and vacant arenas across this great republic."
Trump Is Packing the July 4 Fireworks Because He’s Afraid of Getting Booed
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/trump-july-4th-fireworks-washington-mall-afraid-booed.html?fbclid=IwAR0dYtMSgjmBhXUoLQiZY2JuxFIlbDPA87ObdMdUQ6BSrdea6ogoWon20qQ
"Trump ventures out in public far less than his predecessors. He rarely dines out, and when he does, it is usually at a property he owns. His speeches are almost always held in controlled spaces, and — violating the tradition of cleanly separating campaigning from serving as president — are often political rallies. He is the only president in more than a century not to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, a venue that would expose him to a booing crowd. The Fourth of July celebration exposes Trump to the sort of crowd from which he has been traditionally insulated. The event is held in Washington, which (along with its surrounding suburbs) is heavily Democratic. It is also drawing protesters who will fly the famous Baby Trump blimp. Trump is also alienating nonpolitical attendees who might resent him turning a hallowed ritual that is a traditional venue for unity and a respite from politics into another divisive spectacle. Trump’s efforts to control the rally should be seen in the context of his fear that the crowd will boo him. He is advertising the event on his Twitter feed, cordoning off the immediate area around his speech for ticket holders, and giving tickets away to Republican donors. Trump has “requested that the chiefs for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines stand next to him.” Get it? The service chiefs have to stand next to Trump as human patriotism bodyguards. Trump has spent his presidency representing his supporters, without even bothering with the pretense of representing the majority that voted against him. He is attempting to conscript patriotic rituals into this effort. He deserves the reception he fears: loud, merciless boos."
"Trump ventures out in public far less than his predecessors. He rarely dines out, and when he does, it is usually at a property he owns. His speeches are almost always held in controlled spaces, and — violating the tradition of cleanly separating campaigning from serving as president — are often political rallies. He is the only president in more than a century not to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, a venue that would expose him to a booing crowd. The Fourth of July celebration exposes Trump to the sort of crowd from which he has been traditionally insulated. The event is held in Washington, which (along with its surrounding suburbs) is heavily Democratic. It is also drawing protesters who will fly the famous Baby Trump blimp. Trump is also alienating nonpolitical attendees who might resent him turning a hallowed ritual that is a traditional venue for unity and a respite from politics into another divisive spectacle. Trump’s efforts to control the rally should be seen in the context of his fear that the crowd will boo him. He is advertising the event on his Twitter feed, cordoning off the immediate area around his speech for ticket holders, and giving tickets away to Republican donors. Trump has “requested that the chiefs for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines stand next to him.” Get it? The service chiefs have to stand next to Trump as human patriotism bodyguards. Trump has spent his presidency representing his supporters, without even bothering with the pretense of representing the majority that voted against him. He is attempting to conscript patriotic rituals into this effort. He deserves the reception he fears: loud, merciless boos."
Drug prices in 2019 are surging, with hikes at 5 times inflation
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-prices-in-2019-are-surging-with-hikes-at-5-times-inflation/?fbclid=IwAR3c7ZzW7J2waP1gO1mqJJf40_85lkmHx055i1xACvbXm0hsTuWN3XxG_Cg
"Drug prices are rising because of a combination of pressure from shareholders to deliver higher profits and what Rea calls an "inelastic market." "It's a good that people need, in many cases in order to stay alive," he says. "You have a lot of flexibility to drive prices higher and higher." That's an issue with insulin, which Type 1 diabetics require to stay alive. Even though the medication was discovered nearly a century ago, its price has more than doubled over 5 years, causing financial hardship for many diabetics and prompting some to ration the medication to cut costs. In some cases, those decisions have proved fatal."
"Drug prices are rising because of a combination of pressure from shareholders to deliver higher profits and what Rea calls an "inelastic market." "It's a good that people need, in many cases in order to stay alive," he says. "You have a lot of flexibility to drive prices higher and higher." That's an issue with insulin, which Type 1 diabetics require to stay alive. Even though the medication was discovered nearly a century ago, its price has more than doubled over 5 years, causing financial hardship for many diabetics and prompting some to ration the medication to cut costs. In some cases, those decisions have proved fatal."
Trump’s July 4th event is costing taxpayers millions. We made a payment plan for him.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-fourth-of-july-celebration-cost-salary-donation-national-park-service-b4d34161295c/?fbclid=IwAR0iTE_CHsf2Ssd3tq69PbvczUZrvwT9kFMnAgLEHUxsuDbeZ7-oAxtIc7o
"The Washington Post reported that the National Park Service (NPS) transferred $2.5 million away from a fund devoted to improving and maintaining parks around the country in order to pay for Trump’s Fourth of July extravaganza on the National Mall. Normally a nonpartisan, unifying birthday celebration for America, Trump will be the first president to host his own Fourth of July celebration there, even setting aside a VIP section with a good view of the Lincoln Memorial for his special guests."
"The Washington Post reported that the National Park Service (NPS) transferred $2.5 million away from a fund devoted to improving and maintaining parks around the country in order to pay for Trump’s Fourth of July extravaganza on the National Mall. Normally a nonpartisan, unifying birthday celebration for America, Trump will be the first president to host his own Fourth of July celebration there, even setting aside a VIP section with a good view of the Lincoln Memorial for his special guests."
Trump’s hijacking of the Fourth of July just got a lot uglier
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/03/trumps-hijacking-july-th-just-got-lot-uglier/?fbclid=IwAR22f_Jj_Gw5Dw9CTENVHAxLgLYWmUmRqE7tlxvDxBbcgltX0MB74SeFZ2k&utm_term=.ddfc1e0688c1
"The authoritarian nationalist leader typically rewrites the story of the nation in his own image, in a very particular way. Our own homegrown authoritarian nationalist has proved particularly devoted to this fusion of national mythmaking and self-hagiography, often delivered in his own unique language of crass, gaudy spectacle. The historians tell us that this is what authoritarian nationalists do. As Harvard’s Jill Lepore puts it, they replace history with tried-and-true fictions — false tales of national decline at the hands of invented threats, melded to fictitious stories of renewed national greatness, engineered by the leader himself, who is both author of the fiction and its mythic hero. This is what we will be seeing in one form or another on the Fourth of July, no matter what Trump says in his planned Independence Day speech from the Lincoln Memorial. The very act of taking over the proceedings in the manner he has cooked up itself accomplishes this feat. New details are emerging about Trump’s plans. The Post reports that the National Park Service will now divert millions of dollars previously earmarked to improve parks across the country to fund Trump’s celebration on the Mall. Meanwhile, a White House official tells The Post that the plans include a plane from Air Force One’s fleet soaring overhead at precisely the moment that Trump takes the stage. Tanks will take part in the display. Finally, the White House is handing out tickets to the event to GOP donors and political appointees. Passes are being distributed by the Republican National Committee and Trump’s reelection campaign. As many critics have pointed out, by politicizing the Fourth of July so nakedly, Trump has inevitably transformed the celebration into a campaign event. It remains to be seen whether he will do so explicitly in his speech, but either way, that conversion has already been implicitly accomplished. It’s the melding of that fact with the particular display Trump is putting on that makes this so ugly."
"The authoritarian nationalist leader typically rewrites the story of the nation in his own image, in a very particular way. Our own homegrown authoritarian nationalist has proved particularly devoted to this fusion of national mythmaking and self-hagiography, often delivered in his own unique language of crass, gaudy spectacle. The historians tell us that this is what authoritarian nationalists do. As Harvard’s Jill Lepore puts it, they replace history with tried-and-true fictions — false tales of national decline at the hands of invented threats, melded to fictitious stories of renewed national greatness, engineered by the leader himself, who is both author of the fiction and its mythic hero. This is what we will be seeing in one form or another on the Fourth of July, no matter what Trump says in his planned Independence Day speech from the Lincoln Memorial. The very act of taking over the proceedings in the manner he has cooked up itself accomplishes this feat. New details are emerging about Trump’s plans. The Post reports that the National Park Service will now divert millions of dollars previously earmarked to improve parks across the country to fund Trump’s celebration on the Mall. Meanwhile, a White House official tells The Post that the plans include a plane from Air Force One’s fleet soaring overhead at precisely the moment that Trump takes the stage. Tanks will take part in the display. Finally, the White House is handing out tickets to the event to GOP donors and political appointees. Passes are being distributed by the Republican National Committee and Trump’s reelection campaign. As many critics have pointed out, by politicizing the Fourth of July so nakedly, Trump has inevitably transformed the celebration into a campaign event. It remains to be seen whether he will do so explicitly in his speech, but either way, that conversion has already been implicitly accomplished. It’s the melding of that fact with the particular display Trump is putting on that makes this so ugly."
Trump's Own Government Could Not Resist His Tank Parade. Can the Republic?
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a28278183/trump-tank-video-nationals-game-authoritarianism/?fbclid=IwAR3p7JetnNYk06_USjRTvSn-yzht8Gr69ZcDjOdRXCLafWEA2puENwNuPVo
"Often when we discuss the rise of American authoritarianism, it can feel a bit abstract. The president is attacking the Constitution's separation of powers, say, circumventing Congress's power of the purse to seize taxpayer money to use however he might wish. He is flouting the Senate's advise-and-consent powers on his Cabinet appointments. His lawyers have repeatedly argued in court that, essentially, Congress has no oversight authority over the Executive Branch. He is almost certainly in violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, as he accepts millions in payments from foreign governments. He is meddling with the independent system of justice and the rule of law. He is waging war on the free press, characterizing any independent source of information that contradicts his narrative as The Enemy of the People. He lies, constantly and blatantly and about everything. He does this less to persuade anyone than to, in the words of Masha Gessen, "assert power over truth itself"."
"Often when we discuss the rise of American authoritarianism, it can feel a bit abstract. The president is attacking the Constitution's separation of powers, say, circumventing Congress's power of the purse to seize taxpayer money to use however he might wish. He is flouting the Senate's advise-and-consent powers on his Cabinet appointments. His lawyers have repeatedly argued in court that, essentially, Congress has no oversight authority over the Executive Branch. He is almost certainly in violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, as he accepts millions in payments from foreign governments. He is meddling with the independent system of justice and the rule of law. He is waging war on the free press, characterizing any independent source of information that contradicts his narrative as The Enemy of the People. He lies, constantly and blatantly and about everything. He does this less to persuade anyone than to, in the words of Masha Gessen, "assert power over truth itself"."
Trump Awards Kook Art Laffer for Inventing Fake Curve
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/art-laffer-curve-trump-medal-freedom-tax-cuts.html?fbclid=IwAR32zEYx_V4ktxDj2OU-enWj4-pyZ7QGEspPOcip79Iw0Cmx6B2zoXgbdKw
"In the real world, Laffer’s contributions have built a streak of unbroken wrongness over a time and scale few policy entrepreneurs in history can match. Laffer predicted Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts would pay for themselves. When they instead produced historic deficits, Laffer continued to claim he was right. He predicted Bill Clinton’s attempt to reduce the deficit by raising taxes on the rich would backfire (“I think the plan will fail. It entails price controls, which have never worked. It calls for tax increases, and that’s exactly the wrong way to go. It makes no sense to raise taxes on people who work and pay more to those who don’t work. This is the Reagan revolution in reverse”). Instead, revenue growth exceeded projections. He likewise predicted President Obama’s plan would “destroy the economy” (it did not) and that President Trump’s tax cut would “pay for itself many times over” (it did not pay for itself at all), among many other failed predictions. Not content to botch his analysis of the federal budget, he has parachuted into several state governments and prodded Republicans into adopting his utterly false worldview. In Kansas and Louisiana, Republican governors listened to Laffer and produced fiscal catastrophe so comprehensive and undeniable Republicans in their state revolted. Economists do not take Laffer’s claims seriously. This has not reduced his influence whatsoever. Laffer has elevated his curve to metaphysical status within the party, which treats the skepticism of economists as more evidence of their own correctness. “Economists still ridicule the Laffer Curve,” boasted Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Robert Bartley, “but policymakers pay it careful heed.” A dozen years ago, I wrote a book attempting to explain the mystery of how Laffer’s kook theory took hold of a major political party and could not be dislodged even after multiple high-profile failures."
"In the real world, Laffer’s contributions have built a streak of unbroken wrongness over a time and scale few policy entrepreneurs in history can match. Laffer predicted Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts would pay for themselves. When they instead produced historic deficits, Laffer continued to claim he was right. He predicted Bill Clinton’s attempt to reduce the deficit by raising taxes on the rich would backfire (“I think the plan will fail. It entails price controls, which have never worked. It calls for tax increases, and that’s exactly the wrong way to go. It makes no sense to raise taxes on people who work and pay more to those who don’t work. This is the Reagan revolution in reverse”). Instead, revenue growth exceeded projections. He likewise predicted President Obama’s plan would “destroy the economy” (it did not) and that President Trump’s tax cut would “pay for itself many times over” (it did not pay for itself at all), among many other failed predictions. Not content to botch his analysis of the federal budget, he has parachuted into several state governments and prodded Republicans into adopting his utterly false worldview. In Kansas and Louisiana, Republican governors listened to Laffer and produced fiscal catastrophe so comprehensive and undeniable Republicans in their state revolted. Economists do not take Laffer’s claims seriously. This has not reduced his influence whatsoever. Laffer has elevated his curve to metaphysical status within the party, which treats the skepticism of economists as more evidence of their own correctness. “Economists still ridicule the Laffer Curve,” boasted Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Robert Bartley, “but policymakers pay it careful heed.” A dozen years ago, I wrote a book attempting to explain the mystery of how Laffer’s kook theory took hold of a major political party and could not be dislodged even after multiple high-profile failures."
Heavy medal
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/23/1865989/-Heavy-medal?fbclid=IwAR1pJJBhckE4JjhytRpArqXB86Zso9C8j0ODuH27w0GpZ-C9N1hNDuxyVz8
"[The] debt explosion has resulted not from big spending by the Democrats, but instead the Republican Party's embrace, about three decades ago, of the insidious doctrine that deficits don't matter if they result from tax cuts. The history of the Bush years, too, shows that the arc of the Laffer Curve is short but bends toward fiscal catastrophe. After Ronald Reagan tripled the national debt, George W. Bush nearly doubled it again. Inheriting a federal budget in the black and a CBO forecast for a $5.6 trillion surplus over 10 years, Bush quickly set about dismantling the progress made under Bill Clinton. In 2001, Bush signed a $1.4 trillion tax cut, followed by another $550 billion round in 2003, the first war-time tax cut in modern American history. (It is more than a little ironic that Paul Ryan at the time called the tax cuts "too small" because he believed the estimated surplus Bush would later eviscerate would be even larger than predicted.) In keeping with Republican orthodoxy that "tax cuts pay for themselves," Bush confidently proclaimed: “You cut taxes and the tax revenues increase.” As it turned out, not so much. Federal revenue did not return to its pre-Bush tax cut level until 2006. As a share of American GDP, tax revenues peaked in 2000—that is, before the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. Analyses in 2010 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concluded that the Bush tax cuts accounted for half of the deficits during his tenure and if made permanent, over the next decade would cost the U.S. Treasury more than Iraq, Afghanistan, the recession, TARP, and the stimulus—combined. By the time he shuffled out of the Oval Office in January 2009, Bush bequeathed a $3.5 trillion budget and a $1.2 trillion annual deficit to his successor, Barack Obama."
"[The] debt explosion has resulted not from big spending by the Democrats, but instead the Republican Party's embrace, about three decades ago, of the insidious doctrine that deficits don't matter if they result from tax cuts. The history of the Bush years, too, shows that the arc of the Laffer Curve is short but bends toward fiscal catastrophe. After Ronald Reagan tripled the national debt, George W. Bush nearly doubled it again. Inheriting a federal budget in the black and a CBO forecast for a $5.6 trillion surplus over 10 years, Bush quickly set about dismantling the progress made under Bill Clinton. In 2001, Bush signed a $1.4 trillion tax cut, followed by another $550 billion round in 2003, the first war-time tax cut in modern American history. (It is more than a little ironic that Paul Ryan at the time called the tax cuts "too small" because he believed the estimated surplus Bush would later eviscerate would be even larger than predicted.) In keeping with Republican orthodoxy that "tax cuts pay for themselves," Bush confidently proclaimed: “You cut taxes and the tax revenues increase.” As it turned out, not so much. Federal revenue did not return to its pre-Bush tax cut level until 2006. As a share of American GDP, tax revenues peaked in 2000—that is, before the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. Analyses in 2010 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concluded that the Bush tax cuts accounted for half of the deficits during his tenure and if made permanent, over the next decade would cost the U.S. Treasury more than Iraq, Afghanistan, the recession, TARP, and the stimulus—combined. By the time he shuffled out of the Oval Office in January 2009, Bush bequeathed a $3.5 trillion budget and a $1.2 trillion annual deficit to his successor, Barack Obama."
Pentagon Warns That America Is Enabling Putin’s Plan for Global Dominance
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pentagon-warns-america-enabling-putin-plan-global-dominance-854009/?fbclid=IwAR1D9CbT26IbvsXjFzdAY6mit05MDw6V6Z7--iL5oDb7eh2Z_zzXlUO4NPg
"Donald Trump is a fan of Vladimir Putin. The president praised him effusively during the 2016 campaign, when a deal was in the works to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and has continued to praise him while in office. Though the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered in America’s electoral process (and is continuing to do so), Trump has refused to acknowledge these efforts, instead deferring to Putin’s denials. At the recent G-20 summit in Japan, he even joked with the Russian leader about election meddling. “Yes, of course I will,” Trump said when asked on Friday whether he would bring up the attacks on democracy. He then turned to Putin. “Don’t meddle in the election, president,” he said, wagging a finger. Don’t meddle in the election.” The two shared a laugh. But Russia’s continued push to undermine America’s institutions is no laughing matter, as the Pentagon detailed in a 150-page assessment provided to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in May. The paper, which was obtained by Politico, describes the ways in which the United States is failing to combat — and thus enabling — Russia’s far-reaching “grand strategy” to establish itself as a dominant global superpower."
"Donald Trump is a fan of Vladimir Putin. The president praised him effusively during the 2016 campaign, when a deal was in the works to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and has continued to praise him while in office. Though the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered in America’s electoral process (and is continuing to do so), Trump has refused to acknowledge these efforts, instead deferring to Putin’s denials. At the recent G-20 summit in Japan, he even joked with the Russian leader about election meddling. “Yes, of course I will,” Trump said when asked on Friday whether he would bring up the attacks on democracy. He then turned to Putin. “Don’t meddle in the election, president,” he said, wagging a finger. Don’t meddle in the election.” The two shared a laugh. But Russia’s continued push to undermine America’s institutions is no laughing matter, as the Pentagon detailed in a 150-page assessment provided to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in May. The paper, which was obtained by Politico, describes the ways in which the United States is failing to combat — and thus enabling — Russia’s far-reaching “grand strategy” to establish itself as a dominant global superpower."
Alaska Governor’s “Unprecedented” Higher Education Cuts Could Shutter Entire Departments
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/alaska-governor-guts-state-higher-education-funding.html?fbclid=IwAR0g6tpWke9IlritGGXJ3LCwRmg_3zG9ChZ9a5T-uC_12Xm1c4EHACJXjD8
"In a move that shocked education leaders across the U.S., Gov. Mike Dunleavy cut nearly 41 percent of the state’s higher education operating budget on Monday. Dunleavy’s line-item veto of the state appropriations bill will impact the University of Alaska System the most, where cuts could add up to $130 million. And that’s on top of $5 million in cuts already approved by the Legislature."
"In a move that shocked education leaders across the U.S., Gov. Mike Dunleavy cut nearly 41 percent of the state’s higher education operating budget on Monday. Dunleavy’s line-item veto of the state appropriations bill will impact the University of Alaska System the most, where cuts could add up to $130 million. And that’s on top of $5 million in cuts already approved by the Legislature."
Trump’s EPA May Be About to Screw Over America’s Biggest Wild Salmon Run
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/06/bristol-bay-salmon-pebble-mine-scott-pruitt-trump-mining/?fbclid=IwAR3wPAPBI_oVgClXfFslobDLuUfViD4xHOhI9YrN85N9sf7f1ClNM5R5xH4
"On one side is Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., a Canadian mining company eyeing a deposit of millions of tons of gold, copper, and molybdenum ore located near the headwaters of two rivers that drain into Bristol Bay, in southwest Alaska.* In its way stand conservationists, Alaska Natives, and fishing operators, who say the company’s proposed Pebble Mine could contaminate the two river systems, endangering the ecosystem for the 40 million salmon that migrate into the pristine bay each summer. The public has until July 1 to comment on the US Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental impact statement issued for Northern Dynasty’s mining project. The United Tribes of Bristol, a consortium of 15 tribes in the Bristol Bay Area, released a statement calling the assessment “completely inadequate,” and said that it “ignores the many valid concerns about the devastating impacts this project will bring.” The American Fisheries Society, a group of more than 8,000 scientists and academics, wrote in its public comment that the Army Corp’s evaluation “fails to meet basic standards of scientific rigor,” underestimating impacts and risks to fish and their habitats while drawing conclusions unsupported by data or other evidence."
"On one side is Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., a Canadian mining company eyeing a deposit of millions of tons of gold, copper, and molybdenum ore located near the headwaters of two rivers that drain into Bristol Bay, in southwest Alaska.* In its way stand conservationists, Alaska Natives, and fishing operators, who say the company’s proposed Pebble Mine could contaminate the two river systems, endangering the ecosystem for the 40 million salmon that migrate into the pristine bay each summer. The public has until July 1 to comment on the US Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental impact statement issued for Northern Dynasty’s mining project. The United Tribes of Bristol, a consortium of 15 tribes in the Bristol Bay Area, released a statement calling the assessment “completely inadequate,” and said that it “ignores the many valid concerns about the devastating impacts this project will bring.” The American Fisheries Society, a group of more than 8,000 scientists and academics, wrote in its public comment that the Army Corp’s evaluation “fails to meet basic standards of scientific rigor,” underestimating impacts and risks to fish and their habitats while drawing conclusions unsupported by data or other evidence."
William Barr Laughs at Homer—but He Doesn’t Get the Joke
https://www.thedailybeast.com/william-barr-laughs-at-homerbut-he-doesnt-get-the-joke?ref=scroll&fbclid=IwAR3zdPdp0XwibfKoH5Wz6ljCJE80SgA97-nXxCGjDngl-DDhHQDRMkAmCB8
"It was surprising on Friday to hear Attorney General William Barr use the heroic ethos to explain his decision to spend the twilight of his career obstructing justice. Asked in a CBS interview if he minded very much that a lot of people have come to think a lot less of him, Barr noted philosophically: I am at the end of my career. Everyone dies, and I am not, you know, I don’t believe in the Homeric idea that, you know, immortality comes by, you know, having odes sung about you over the centuries. Barr was laughing by the time he got to the part about Homer—genuinely mirthful, unselfconscious laughter, the sort you expect other people to join in with because they’re in on the joke. Up to that point, though, his demeanor had been somber if not downright grave, sitting there up in Alaska, where he was being filmed before a crackling fire in his plaid dress shirt and fleecy vest (the thinking-person's Christmas catalogue model) and speaking in hushed tones carefully laced with vocal fry. Observing that at his time of life and in this partisan climate he didn’t care what people thought, he seemed almost sad, or like a man trying to appear almost sad. The subtext, anyway, was that he was taking one for the team."
"It was surprising on Friday to hear Attorney General William Barr use the heroic ethos to explain his decision to spend the twilight of his career obstructing justice. Asked in a CBS interview if he minded very much that a lot of people have come to think a lot less of him, Barr noted philosophically: I am at the end of my career. Everyone dies, and I am not, you know, I don’t believe in the Homeric idea that, you know, immortality comes by, you know, having odes sung about you over the centuries. Barr was laughing by the time he got to the part about Homer—genuinely mirthful, unselfconscious laughter, the sort you expect other people to join in with because they’re in on the joke. Up to that point, though, his demeanor had been somber if not downright grave, sitting there up in Alaska, where he was being filmed before a crackling fire in his plaid dress shirt and fleecy vest (the thinking-person's Christmas catalogue model) and speaking in hushed tones carefully laced with vocal fry. Observing that at his time of life and in this partisan climate he didn’t care what people thought, he seemed almost sad, or like a man trying to appear almost sad. The subtext, anyway, was that he was taking one for the team."
Attorney General William Barr dining at the Trump hotel is a bad look
https://www.vox.com/2019/5/23/18637013/william-barr-trump-international-hotel-patronage?fbclid=IwAR1EkkZsz-EZmAiPuBoPK5WXeuSn_L0HmIA_gHAJinwIYcSGLyXVFbn903M
"Attorney General William Barr was photographed dining at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night — a business his boss, President Donald Trump, still owns and profits from, and one that has become something of a de facto clubhouse for businesspeople and government officials looking to curry favor with the president. Zach Everson, who reports on conflicts of interest stemming from the Trump International Hotel, tweeted that it was his “first time seeing Barr” at the hotel. Trump was also at the hotel for an event hosted by America First Action, the Super PAC supporting his reelection. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reported that the plan was for Trump to address “high-dollar donors” who have contributed to his reelection effort. ABC’s Ali Dukakis snapped a photo of Barr dining at a restaurant in the hotel."
"Attorney General William Barr was photographed dining at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night — a business his boss, President Donald Trump, still owns and profits from, and one that has become something of a de facto clubhouse for businesspeople and government officials looking to curry favor with the president. Zach Everson, who reports on conflicts of interest stemming from the Trump International Hotel, tweeted that it was his “first time seeing Barr” at the hotel. Trump was also at the hotel for an event hosted by America First Action, the Super PAC supporting his reelection. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reported that the plan was for Trump to address “high-dollar donors” who have contributed to his reelection effort. ABC’s Ali Dukakis snapped a photo of Barr dining at a restaurant in the hotel."
Mueller Just Invited Congress To Do Its Job: Impeach Trump
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/05/29/mueller-just-invited-congress-do-its-job-impeach-trump?fbclid=IwAR3RUfGf2qZgkxd4QFzUXqYKWEyspF2SDYgp5XKWcBaziXnX3Zxvo32K7eQ
"Mueller essentially reiterated what has already been clear: (1) his investigation was a professional endeavor warranted by overwhelming evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and was the farthest thing from a “witch hunt” or a “coup”; (2) the report which resulted from the probe contains substantial evidence of Trump campaign cooperation with the Russian effort, even if not “criminal conspiracy”; (3) the report contains more substantial evidence of Trump’s obstruction of justice, but it did not recommend criminal indictment for one simple reason: such a recommendation was inconsistent with Justice Department rules, and thus with Mueller’s charge as a Justice employee; (4) it is for Congress to decide whether and how to act on the evidence contained in the report."
"Mueller essentially reiterated what has already been clear: (1) his investigation was a professional endeavor warranted by overwhelming evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and was the farthest thing from a “witch hunt” or a “coup”; (2) the report which resulted from the probe contains substantial evidence of Trump campaign cooperation with the Russian effort, even if not “criminal conspiracy”; (3) the report contains more substantial evidence of Trump’s obstruction of justice, but it did not recommend criminal indictment for one simple reason: such a recommendation was inconsistent with Justice Department rules, and thus with Mueller’s charge as a Justice employee; (4) it is for Congress to decide whether and how to act on the evidence contained in the report."
Amash doubles down on accusing Barr of 'deliberately' misleading the public on Mueller report
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/445786-amash-accuses-barr-of-deliberately-misleading-the-public-on-mueller-report?fbclid=IwAR3dkZeFtDZtRySYBBdlYWe0SNTw3_6GMxLgEh4_0NTWf1dDpvVOfnGeRNg
"The letter also noted that Mueller had not reached a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice by interfering with the probe itself and that Barr had decided not to indict Trump on it. “Mueller’s report says he chose not to decide whether Trump broke the law because there’s an official DoJ opinion that indicting a sitting president is unconstitutional,” Amash noted Tuesday. “Barr’s letter doesn’t mention those issues when explaining why Mueller chose not to make a prosecutorial decision. He instead selectively quotes Mueller in a way that makes it sound—falsely—as if Mueller’s decision stemmed from legal/factual issues specific to Trump’s actions.” In the report, Mueller detailed 10 "episodes" of potential obstruction, leaving the decision on whether to pursue those issues to Congress. “Mueller finds considerable evidence that several of Trump’s actions detailed in the report meet the elements of obstruction, and Mueller’s constitutional and prudential issues with indicting a sitting president would preclude indictment regardless of what he found,” Amash explained. The Michigan lawmaker argued that Barr's letter misled Congress and the public and that in statements and testimony Barr continued to misrepresent the report. “Barr used further misrepresentations to help build the president’s false narrative that the investigation was unjustified,” Amash wrote. “This will continue if those who have read the report do not start pushing back on his misrepresentations and share the truth"."
"The letter also noted that Mueller had not reached a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice by interfering with the probe itself and that Barr had decided not to indict Trump on it. “Mueller’s report says he chose not to decide whether Trump broke the law because there’s an official DoJ opinion that indicting a sitting president is unconstitutional,” Amash noted Tuesday. “Barr’s letter doesn’t mention those issues when explaining why Mueller chose not to make a prosecutorial decision. He instead selectively quotes Mueller in a way that makes it sound—falsely—as if Mueller’s decision stemmed from legal/factual issues specific to Trump’s actions.” In the report, Mueller detailed 10 "episodes" of potential obstruction, leaving the decision on whether to pursue those issues to Congress. “Mueller finds considerable evidence that several of Trump’s actions detailed in the report meet the elements of obstruction, and Mueller’s constitutional and prudential issues with indicting a sitting president would preclude indictment regardless of what he found,” Amash explained. The Michigan lawmaker argued that Barr's letter misled Congress and the public and that in statements and testimony Barr continued to misrepresent the report. “Barr used further misrepresentations to help build the president’s false narrative that the investigation was unjustified,” Amash wrote. “This will continue if those who have read the report do not start pushing back on his misrepresentations and share the truth"."
What the Mueller Report Actually Said
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/mueller/590467/?fbclid=IwAR2HXUXYlmVH6MZnIDZgxDgiQmrSaus3aznx7IJX1Y30D-78sY8m5ooL6BM
"Robert Mueller has advised Americans to go back and actually read his report if we want to understand what happened in 2016. “We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself,” he said on Wednesday morning, speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment. But the words of the report are damning. “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion,” Mueller wrote. This help “favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.” The Trump campaign “expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts,” and it “welcomed” this help."
"Robert Mueller has advised Americans to go back and actually read his report if we want to understand what happened in 2016. “We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself,” he said on Wednesday morning, speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment. But the words of the report are damning. “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion,” Mueller wrote. This help “favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.” The Trump campaign “expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts,” and it “welcomed” this help."
Fox News’ Andrew Napolitano: Mueller Believes Trump ‘Committed A Crime’
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-andrew-napolitano-mueller-is-saying-he-believed-trump-committed-a-crime_n_5ceed3f5e4b05a62233805cb?fbclid=IwAR3jvnhjN_UcXKt43o3t1Pd9oGFvpwgmCTqzn74FS9TvI7lMDMslqsgM3JA
"Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano said special counsel Robert Mueller made it clear during his Wednesday morning news conference that he believed President Donald Trump had committed a crime."
"Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano said special counsel Robert Mueller made it clear during his Wednesday morning news conference that he believed President Donald Trump had committed a crime."
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