Friday, September 30, 2016
Trump Is Trying To Divert The Media From His Disastrous Debate, And CNN Just Admitted It’s Working
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/09/28/trump-trying-divert-media-his-disastrous-debate-and-cnn-just-admitted-it-s-working/213412
"Trump seeks to deflect attention from not only his performance, but also from issues raised during the debate such as his taxes, his birtherism, and his attacks on a former Miss Universe. And news outlets have fallen for his manipulation, a media misstep that a CNN panel acknowledged while discussing the matter."
"Trump seeks to deflect attention from not only his performance, but also from issues raised during the debate such as his taxes, his birtherism, and his attacks on a former Miss Universe. And news outlets have fallen for his manipulation, a media misstep that a CNN panel acknowledged while discussing the matter."
Samantha Bee Analyzes 2016's First Presidential Debate And It's Hilarious
Samantha Bee Analyzes 2016's First Presidential Debate And It's Hilarious
"As always, Bee delivers a refreshing and most welcome take on our bizarroland politics."
"As always, Bee delivers a refreshing and most welcome take on our bizarroland politics."
Colbert: Trump flopped because there is only room in his head for ‘ethnic slurs and different wife names’
Colbert: Trump flopped because there is only room in his head for ‘ethnic slurs and different wife names’
"Twenty-four hours after the first of three Presidential debates leading up to the November election, Late Show host Stephen Colbert was still talking about it and ridiculing GOP nominee Donald Trump’s disastrous performance."
"Twenty-four hours after the first of three Presidential debates leading up to the November election, Late Show host Stephen Colbert was still talking about it and ridiculing GOP nominee Donald Trump’s disastrous performance."
#TrumpTrainWreck: The Internet mercilessly slams ‘sniffling’ Trump’s bullying meltdown during debate
#TrumpTrainWreck: The Internet mercilessly slams ‘sniffling’ Trump’s bullying meltdown during debate
"Aside from a basket full of outright lies that will have fact checkers burning the midnight oil, Trump’s demeanor and bullying manner lit up Twitter with many agreeing they were watching a #TrumpTrainWreck."
"Aside from a basket full of outright lies that will have fact checkers burning the midnight oil, Trump’s demeanor and bullying manner lit up Twitter with many agreeing they were watching a #TrumpTrainWreck."
WATCH: Donald Trump slinks back to find safe space on Fox & Friends after debate trouncing
WATCH: Donald Trump slinks back to find safe space on Fox & Friends after debate trouncing
"After getting crushed in Monday night’s debate, Donald Trump slunk back to his safe space on “Fox and Friends,” where he was served a steady diet of softball questions. Interestingly, he still managed to completely whiff on some of them."
"After getting crushed in Monday night’s debate, Donald Trump slunk back to his safe space on “Fox and Friends,” where he was served a steady diet of softball questions. Interestingly, he still managed to completely whiff on some of them."
Trump Doubles Down on Being a Sexist A**hole on Fox and Friends
http://thedailybanter.com/2016/09/trump-doubles-down-a-sexist-ahole
"Trump decided to double down on being a misogynistic neanderthal."
"Trump decided to double down on being a misogynistic neanderthal."
The night Donald Trump couldn’t call Sean Hannity
https://thinkprogress.org/the-night-donald-trump-couldnt-call-sean-hannity-9d286986cf1#.5h22k6kxk
"Trump could rarely string together something that came within a mile of a sentence."
"Trump could rarely string together something that came within a mile of a sentence."
Trump's debate performance was so bad it was ... really bad
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/26/1574763/-Trump-s-debate-performance-was-so-bad-it-was-really-bad
"Trump could rarely string together something that came within a mile of a sentence."
"Trump could rarely string together something that came within a mile of a sentence."
Trump’s breathtaking dishonesty on birtherism
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-breathtaking-dishonesty-on-birtherism-269962302f73#.oeezcqqde
"As recently as January, Trump said he was going to write a book on his theories about Obama’s birthplace."
"As recently as January, Trump said he was going to write a book on his theories about Obama’s birthplace."
Scottie Nell Hughes: Trump’s infidelities don’t count because he’s ‘friends’ with his ex-wives
Scottie Nell Hughes: Trump’s infidelities don’t count because he’s ‘friends’ with his ex-wives
"Donald Trump surrogate Scottie Nell Hughes asserted on Tuesday that the billionaire candidate’s history of adultery was not a negative character trait because he eventually became “friends” with his former wives."
"Donald Trump surrogate Scottie Nell Hughes asserted on Tuesday that the billionaire candidate’s history of adultery was not a negative character trait because he eventually became “friends” with his former wives."
Congressman Steve King Expresses Overt White Supremacist Sympathies, Backs European Fascists @alternet
Congressman Steve King Expresses Overt White Supremacist Sympathies, Backs European Fascists @alternet:
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) appears to be going public as an outright white supremacist."
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) appears to be going public as an outright white supremacist."
Are We Really Arguing Over Whether Journalists Should Fact Check the Debates?
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/of-course-journalists-should-fact-check-the-debates-w441961
"Of course inveterate liar Donald Trump doesn't want anyone checking what he says."
"Of course inveterate liar Donald Trump doesn't want anyone checking what he says."
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Behold the GOP’s not-so-secret plan to dismantle government services: Defund, degrade and then privatize
Behold the GOP’s not-so-secret plan to dismantle government services: Defund, degrade and then privatize
"Social Security and Medicare have both been top targets via various schemes over the years, and this budget cycle is no exception, regardless of what noises Donald Trump may make."
"Social Security and Medicare have both been top targets via various schemes over the years, and this budget cycle is no exception, regardless of what noises Donald Trump may make."
PERRspectives: Trump's Self-Dealing Scam to Raid the U.S. Treasury
PERRspectives: Trump's Self-Dealing Scam to Raid the U.S. Treasury
"David Farenthold of the Washington Post on Tuesday broke a huge story about the rampant wrong-doing at the Trump Foundation. Donald Trump, Farenthold revealed, "spent more than a quarter-million dollars from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire's for-profit businesses." But if the Republican nominee's "self-dealing" as president of the Trump Foundation likely violated the law, the real estate magnate is trying to perpetrate a much larger scam to enrich himself at the expense of American taxpayers. And this other Trump con, a trillion-dollar shell game with the U.S. tax code, is completely legal. Here's how the scheme works. Last week, Donald Trump unveiled the third version of his tax plan in under a year and the second in just the last six weeks. The biggest change from August was the decision to seemingly abandon his proposed 15 percent corporate tax rate for "partnerships, limited liability companies and other businesses known as pass-throughs." But as the New York Times documented on September 16, that announcement represented "Conflicting Policy From Trump: To Keep, and Remove, Tax Cut." A few hours after Donald J. Trump publicly backed away from a $1 trillion tax cut for small businesses, campaign aides on Thursday privately assured a leading small-business group that Mr. Trump in fact remained committed to the proposal -- winning the group's endorsement. The campaign then told the Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning Washington think tank it asked to price the plan, that Mr. Trump had indeed decided to eliminate the tax cut. Call it the trillion-dollar lie: Both assertions cannot be true. But Trump's misdirection wouldn't just cost the United States Treasury an estimated $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Keeping that pass-through payday for plutocrats would also redirect millions of dollars from Uncle Sam to Donald J. Trump and family--every year."
"David Farenthold of the Washington Post on Tuesday broke a huge story about the rampant wrong-doing at the Trump Foundation. Donald Trump, Farenthold revealed, "spent more than a quarter-million dollars from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire's for-profit businesses." But if the Republican nominee's "self-dealing" as president of the Trump Foundation likely violated the law, the real estate magnate is trying to perpetrate a much larger scam to enrich himself at the expense of American taxpayers. And this other Trump con, a trillion-dollar shell game with the U.S. tax code, is completely legal. Here's how the scheme works. Last week, Donald Trump unveiled the third version of his tax plan in under a year and the second in just the last six weeks. The biggest change from August was the decision to seemingly abandon his proposed 15 percent corporate tax rate for "partnerships, limited liability companies and other businesses known as pass-throughs." But as the New York Times documented on September 16, that announcement represented "Conflicting Policy From Trump: To Keep, and Remove, Tax Cut." A few hours after Donald J. Trump publicly backed away from a $1 trillion tax cut for small businesses, campaign aides on Thursday privately assured a leading small-business group that Mr. Trump in fact remained committed to the proposal -- winning the group's endorsement. The campaign then told the Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning Washington think tank it asked to price the plan, that Mr. Trump had indeed decided to eliminate the tax cut. Call it the trillion-dollar lie: Both assertions cannot be true. But Trump's misdirection wouldn't just cost the United States Treasury an estimated $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Keeping that pass-through payday for plutocrats would also redirect millions of dollars from Uncle Sam to Donald J. Trump and family--every year."
Donald Trump either lied to Republicans or broke the law (Exclusive) Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jeb-bush-lie-florida-casino-gambling-502144
"Finally, the lie here matters because it shows how shameless Trump is and how reckless. He told this lie even though he knew he was standing next to a credible witness—Bush—who could contradict him, and gambled that no one would discover his sworn testimony."
"Finally, the lie here matters because it shows how shameless Trump is and how reckless. He told this lie even though he knew he was standing next to a credible witness—Bush—who could contradict him, and gambled that no one would discover his sworn testimony."
Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Trump is a clear and present danger to our country'
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/23/1573456/-Cincinnati-Enquirer-Trump-is-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-our-country
"First up, the Cincinnati Enquirer with a brutal takedown of Trump: The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly. But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst. That’s why there is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton. Think about that—it’s been almost 100 years since they endorsed a Democrat. After talking up Hillary’s credentials as Secretary of State and U.S. Senator, they went after Donald Trump’s inexperience and temperament: Trump is a clear and present danger to our country. He has no history of governance that should engender any confidence from voters. Trump has no foreign policy experience, and the fact that he doesn't recognize it – instead insisting that, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" – is even more troubling. His wild threats to blow Iranian ships out of the water if they make rude gestures at U.S. ships is just the type of reckless, cowboy diplomacy Americans should fear from a Trump presidency. Clinton has been criticized for being overly cautious when it comes to sending our troops into battle, but there is a measured way to react to the world's problems. Do we really want someone in charge of our military and nuclear codes who has an impulse control problem? The fact that so many top military and national security officials are not supporting Trump speaks volumes. Emphasis added. That’s not something the Cincinnati Enquirer editors said lightly. They explained their decision in a video they hosted on Facebook Live. The Los Angeles Times also didn’t pull any punches when it came to their endorsement, saying his election could be "catastrophic for the nation"."
"First up, the Cincinnati Enquirer with a brutal takedown of Trump: The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly. But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst. That’s why there is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton. Think about that—it’s been almost 100 years since they endorsed a Democrat. After talking up Hillary’s credentials as Secretary of State and U.S. Senator, they went after Donald Trump’s inexperience and temperament: Trump is a clear and present danger to our country. He has no history of governance that should engender any confidence from voters. Trump has no foreign policy experience, and the fact that he doesn't recognize it – instead insisting that, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" – is even more troubling. His wild threats to blow Iranian ships out of the water if they make rude gestures at U.S. ships is just the type of reckless, cowboy diplomacy Americans should fear from a Trump presidency. Clinton has been criticized for being overly cautious when it comes to sending our troops into battle, but there is a measured way to react to the world's problems. Do we really want someone in charge of our military and nuclear codes who has an impulse control problem? The fact that so many top military and national security officials are not supporting Trump speaks volumes. Emphasis added. That’s not something the Cincinnati Enquirer editors said lightly. They explained their decision in a video they hosted on Facebook Live. The Los Angeles Times also didn’t pull any punches when it came to their endorsement, saying his election could be "catastrophic for the nation"."
Myths & Facts: A Debate Guide To Donald Trump’s Most Common Lies About The Economy
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/23/myths-facts-debate-guide-donald-trump-s-most-common-lies-about-economy/213284
"Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s penchant for promoting right-wing media myths and other misleading claims presents a unique challenge heading into the first presidential debate of the general election. If the September 26 debate is anything like the opening debates of 2008 and 2012, it will focus heavily on issues relating to the American economy, and both moderator and audience should be prepared for a torrent of misinformation from the GOP standard-bearer."
"Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s penchant for promoting right-wing media myths and other misleading claims presents a unique challenge heading into the first presidential debate of the general election. If the September 26 debate is anything like the opening debates of 2008 and 2012, it will focus heavily on issues relating to the American economy, and both moderator and audience should be prepared for a torrent of misinformation from the GOP standard-bearer."
Trump’s 12 Biggest Lies That Debate Moderators Should Be Prepared To Address
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/21/trump-s-11-biggest-lies-debate-moderators-should-be-prepared-address/213234
"Independent fact-checking services have found that 70 percent of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s statements are “mostly false,” “false,” or “pants on fire” lies. As the candidates prepare to face off in the presidential debates, debate moderators must be aware of, and prepared to address, Trump’s biggest and most common lies that have been debunked time and again."
"Independent fact-checking services have found that 70 percent of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s statements are “mostly false,” “false,” or “pants on fire” lies. As the candidates prepare to face off in the presidential debates, debate moderators must be aware of, and prepared to address, Trump’s biggest and most common lies that have been debunked time and again."
Donald Trump Doesn't Believe in the Constitution
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/donald-trump-doesnt-believe-in-the-constitution-w441344
"It's been clear from other contexts, though, that "virtually meaningless" is how Trump views the First Amendment as a whole. Among other things, he has called for violence against individuals expressing their opinions and advocated for a religious test for those entering the country. These positions fly in the face of the First Amendment's protection of free expression and freedom of religion, as well as its guarantee against an established state religion. Trump is no fan of the rest of the Constitution either. His recently announced maternity leave plan includes no coverage for fathers, which shows his lack of concern for the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause; his insistence that women and doctors should be punished for abortion shows that he doesn't believe in a constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause; he has promised to violate treaties, which are constitutionally recognized sources of law; he doesn’t understand the difference between state and federal authority, the basic principle of federalism which underlies the Constitution; nor does he care about separation of powers, the founding constitutional idea that the president, Congress and the courts have different responsibilities in order to prevent tyranny."
"It's been clear from other contexts, though, that "virtually meaningless" is how Trump views the First Amendment as a whole. Among other things, he has called for violence against individuals expressing their opinions and advocated for a religious test for those entering the country. These positions fly in the face of the First Amendment's protection of free expression and freedom of religion, as well as its guarantee against an established state religion. Trump is no fan of the rest of the Constitution either. His recently announced maternity leave plan includes no coverage for fathers, which shows his lack of concern for the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause; his insistence that women and doctors should be punished for abortion shows that he doesn't believe in a constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause; he has promised to violate treaties, which are constitutionally recognized sources of law; he doesn’t understand the difference between state and federal authority, the basic principle of federalism which underlies the Constitution; nor does he care about separation of powers, the founding constitutional idea that the president, Congress and the courts have different responsibilities in order to prevent tyranny."
Trump's Giant Conflict of Interest Just Got Bigger
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/donald-trump-and-deutsche-bank
"Trump would face a tremendous conflict of interest regarding the hundreds of millions of dollars he owes Deutsche Bank, which is now in the crosshairs of US regulators. The US government has charged that the German banking giant misled investors into buying bad mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, and it is demanding that Deutsche Bank pay $14 billion to settle legal claims. The bank is reported to have planned for a settlement of $2 billion to $3 billion, and negotiations between it and the Department of Justice are likely to be contentious and last for months—possibly well into the next administration."
"Trump would face a tremendous conflict of interest regarding the hundreds of millions of dollars he owes Deutsche Bank, which is now in the crosshairs of US regulators. The US government has charged that the German banking giant misled investors into buying bad mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, and it is demanding that Deutsche Bank pay $14 billion to settle legal claims. The bank is reported to have planned for a settlement of $2 billion to $3 billion, and negotiations between it and the Department of Justice are likely to be contentious and last for months—possibly well into the next administration."
Meet the Horde of Neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and Other Extremist Leaders Endorsing Donald Trump
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/trump-supporters-neo-nazis-white-nationalists-kkk-militias-racism-hate
"since Trump officially announced his bid in June 2015 he has drawn effusive praise and formal backing from some of the country's most virulent neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia supporters, and other extremist leaders. They include the head of the American Nazi Party, three former Ku Klux Klansmen, four people involved in a recent armed standoff against federal authorities at an Oregon wildlife refuge, and at least 15 individuals affiliated with organizations described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups. Trump has disavowed none of them."
"since Trump officially announced his bid in June 2015 he has drawn effusive praise and formal backing from some of the country's most virulent neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia supporters, and other extremist leaders. They include the head of the American Nazi Party, three former Ku Klux Klansmen, four people involved in a recent armed standoff against federal authorities at an Oregon wildlife refuge, and at least 15 individuals affiliated with organizations described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups. Trump has disavowed none of them."
Wells Fargo Scandal Is Reminder: We Can't Afford Trump And GOP
Wells Fargo Scandal Is Reminder: We Can't Afford Trump And GOP
"Even as Republicans were striking poses of outrage during Tuesday's Senate hearing over Wells Fargo's abuses of customers, they were pushing for measures that would terminate the federal government's ability to root out bank abuses - like the ones discovered at Wells Fargo. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, was instrumental to exposing the way that Wells Fargo employees opened unauthorized accounts under customer names in order to meet the company's impossible-to-meet sales goals. The CFPB discovered "that employees opened roughly 1.5 million deposit accounts that may not have been authorized by consumers," according to the agency's press release, and "employees applied for roughly 565,000 credit card accounts that may not have been authorized by consumers." Under the authority of the Dodd-Frank bill, the agency is fining the bank $100 million. But Republicans want to kneecap the agency, even though in its five-year existence it has returned nearly $12 billion to victims of the financial industry's malfeasance."
"Even as Republicans were striking poses of outrage during Tuesday's Senate hearing over Wells Fargo's abuses of customers, they were pushing for measures that would terminate the federal government's ability to root out bank abuses - like the ones discovered at Wells Fargo. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, was instrumental to exposing the way that Wells Fargo employees opened unauthorized accounts under customer names in order to meet the company's impossible-to-meet sales goals. The CFPB discovered "that employees opened roughly 1.5 million deposit accounts that may not have been authorized by consumers," according to the agency's press release, and "employees applied for roughly 565,000 credit card accounts that may not have been authorized by consumers." Under the authority of the Dodd-Frank bill, the agency is fining the bank $100 million. But Republicans want to kneecap the agency, even though in its five-year existence it has returned nearly $12 billion to victims of the financial industry's malfeasance."
Republican senators outraged by Wells Fargo’s fraud want to eliminate the agency that uncovered it
http://www.vox.com/2016/9/20/12989688/wells-fargo-cfpb
"Before she was a senator and before Obama was president, Elizabeth Warren laid out the case for creating what became Dodd-Frank’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, making the point that it’s not good enough for consumer abuses to be against the law — there needs to be an agency charged with specifically enforcing those laws. “Each agency, for example, has some power to control certain forms of predatory lending,” she wrote, describing the old status quo, “but their main mission is to protect the financial stability of banks and other financial institutions, not to protect consumers.” Mainstream bank regulators, in other words, are charged with making sure that banks’ balance sheets don’t get too risky. Protecting consumers from rip-offs was always a secondary mission, which in some ways ended up in conflict with the basic safety-and-soundness mission, since tough enforcement of consumer rules can undermine bank profitability. Historically, the needed consumer protection function was carried out at the state and local level (and indeed, in the Wells Fargo case it appears the LA City Attorney’s Office played an important role), but as modern banks are national in the scope of their activities only a national agency can really get a handle on them. With today’s rhetoric, Shelby, Toomey, Corker, and others confirmed that consumer abuses by major national banking conglomerates are a serious problem. Warren, Obama, and other Democrats have a solution to the problem — a national regulatory agency focused on consumer abuses. Banking committee Republicans want to grandstand when banks get caught, while voting to make it much less likely that banks actually do get caught."
"Before she was a senator and before Obama was president, Elizabeth Warren laid out the case for creating what became Dodd-Frank’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, making the point that it’s not good enough for consumer abuses to be against the law — there needs to be an agency charged with specifically enforcing those laws. “Each agency, for example, has some power to control certain forms of predatory lending,” she wrote, describing the old status quo, “but their main mission is to protect the financial stability of banks and other financial institutions, not to protect consumers.” Mainstream bank regulators, in other words, are charged with making sure that banks’ balance sheets don’t get too risky. Protecting consumers from rip-offs was always a secondary mission, which in some ways ended up in conflict with the basic safety-and-soundness mission, since tough enforcement of consumer rules can undermine bank profitability. Historically, the needed consumer protection function was carried out at the state and local level (and indeed, in the Wells Fargo case it appears the LA City Attorney’s Office played an important role), but as modern banks are national in the scope of their activities only a national agency can really get a handle on them. With today’s rhetoric, Shelby, Toomey, Corker, and others confirmed that consumer abuses by major national banking conglomerates are a serious problem. Warren, Obama, and other Democrats have a solution to the problem — a national regulatory agency focused on consumer abuses. Banking committee Republicans want to grandstand when banks get caught, while voting to make it much less likely that banks actually do get caught."
Elizabeth Warren tells Wells Fargo CEO he should be behind bars
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/09/20/1572335/-Elizabeth-Warren-tells-Wells-Fargo-CEO-he-should-be-behind-bars
"The $185 billion settlement Wells Fargo had to pay for creating customer accounts without customer approval was great for consumers, but how they defrauded customers isn't the whole story, as David Dayen explained last week. No, what it really was was securities fraud, and the "goal of this enterprise was not really to make money through fees on the add-on products," it was "to show steady quarterly growth to investors. The daily sales quotas weren’t plucked from the sky, but designed to maintain industry leadership in cross-selling"."
"The $185 billion settlement Wells Fargo had to pay for creating customer accounts without customer approval was great for consumers, but how they defrauded customers isn't the whole story, as David Dayen explained last week. No, what it really was was securities fraud, and the "goal of this enterprise was not really to make money through fees on the add-on products," it was "to show steady quarterly growth to investors. The daily sales quotas weren’t plucked from the sky, but designed to maintain industry leadership in cross-selling"."
WI-Sen: Russ Feingold (D) Joins Elizabeth Warren's (D. MA) Call For Wells Fargo CEO's Resignation
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/09/22/1573139/-WI-Sen-Russ-Feingold-D-Joins-Elizabeth-Warren-s-D-MA-Call-For-Wells-Fargo-CEO-s-Resignation
"This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren went toe-to-toe with the CEO of Wells Fargo in a committee hearing, shining a light on everything that's wrong with how Wall Street operates. She clearly struck a nerve -- because the video's been watched and shared millions of times."
"This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren went toe-to-toe with the CEO of Wells Fargo in a committee hearing, shining a light on everything that's wrong with how Wall Street operates. She clearly struck a nerve -- because the video's been watched and shared millions of times."
WATCH: Elizabeth Warren owns ‘gutless’ Wells Fargo CEO for firing employees instead of resigning
WATCH: Elizabeth Warren owns ‘gutless’ Wells Fargo CEO for firing employees instead of resigning
"Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) lashed out at Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf on Tuesday over the bank’s practice of opening phony accounts, which cheated customers out of fees while seeing Stumpf’s personal wealth increase by hundreds of millions of dollars."
"Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) lashed out at Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf on Tuesday over the bank’s practice of opening phony accounts, which cheated customers out of fees while seeing Stumpf’s personal wealth increase by hundreds of millions of dollars."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasts Wells Fargo management over ‘cheating’ sales practices
Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasts Wells Fargo management over ‘cheating’ sales practices
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday blasted top management of Wells Fargo & Co. over the aggressive sales tactics of bank employees that led to a $185 million settlement with federal and state regulators."
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday blasted top management of Wells Fargo & Co. over the aggressive sales tactics of bank employees that led to a $185 million settlement with federal and state regulators."
Elizabeth Warren Tells Wells Fargo Chief To Resign
Elizabeth Warren Tells Wells Fargo Chief To Resign
"Warren said that cross selling, the practice of getting customers to sign up for new products from Wells, was designed just to "pump up the stock of Wells Fargo" and increase the value of Stumpf's stock-based compensation. "You should resign, you should give back the money you made while this scam was going on, and you should be criminally investigated by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission," said Warren."
"Warren said that cross selling, the practice of getting customers to sign up for new products from Wells, was designed just to "pump up the stock of Wells Fargo" and increase the value of Stumpf's stock-based compensation. "You should resign, you should give back the money you made while this scam was going on, and you should be criminally investigated by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission," said Warren."
Scam Central: Elizabeth Warren Tells Wells Fargo CEO to Resign and Get It Over With @alternet
Scam Central: Elizabeth Warren Tells Wells Fargo CEO to Resign and Get It Over With @alternet:
"Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf was on the hot seat Tuesday when he faced Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and other angry lawmakers at a Senate Banking Committee hearing designed to investigate the bank’s widespread rip-off of its customers."
"Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf was on the hot seat Tuesday when he faced Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and other angry lawmakers at a Senate Banking Committee hearing designed to investigate the bank’s widespread rip-off of its customers."
Watch: Elizabeth Warren Brutally Rebuffs Wells Fargo CEO and Suggests He Resign @alternet
Watch: Elizabeth Warren Brutally Rebuffs Wells Fargo CEO and Suggests He Resign @alternet:
"Warren pulled no punches at Tuesday's senate hearing."
"Warren pulled no punches at Tuesday's senate hearing."
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Sorry, people: Donnie is a Trumpist, not a populist
Sorry, people: Donnie is a Trumpist, not a populist
"There’s not a single populist muscle in Donnie’s whole plutocratic body. He will sell out wage earners, small-business people and anyone else to serve his own needs or whims, as his lifelong record (as opposed to his recent rhetoric) reveals. Donnie learned from Daddy Fred, who built his son’s inherited fortune by milking federal housing programs in the 1940s and ’50s and then, as the landlord of these New York City apartments, flagrantly discriminated against black applicants. One of Fred’s tenants was Woody Guthrie, who grew so appalled, he wrote about Trump’s greed and racism. Donnie has enhanced his fortune by emulating his father’s business ethics, including engaging in wage theft, outsourcing his clothing line and other brand-name products to such low-wage countries as China and Vietnam and underpaying undocumented immigrants engaged in dangerous construction work on his luxury projects. Also, as of this summer, Trump or his companies were defendants in 1,300 lawsuits — many of which were over stiffing cabinetmakers, plumbers and other small business suppliers. Candidate Trump grandiosely says he’ll lift up the middle class, but his proposed economic policies would do the opposite by expanding the GOP’s old anti-labor agenda: giving massive new tax cuts to corporations and the rich, slashing public spending on programs that working families rely on and embracing the laissez-faire ideological claptrap that Tea Party Republicans mindlessly repeat in their ceaseless efforts to drive down wages."
"There’s not a single populist muscle in Donnie’s whole plutocratic body. He will sell out wage earners, small-business people and anyone else to serve his own needs or whims, as his lifelong record (as opposed to his recent rhetoric) reveals. Donnie learned from Daddy Fred, who built his son’s inherited fortune by milking federal housing programs in the 1940s and ’50s and then, as the landlord of these New York City apartments, flagrantly discriminated against black applicants. One of Fred’s tenants was Woody Guthrie, who grew so appalled, he wrote about Trump’s greed and racism. Donnie has enhanced his fortune by emulating his father’s business ethics, including engaging in wage theft, outsourcing his clothing line and other brand-name products to such low-wage countries as China and Vietnam and underpaying undocumented immigrants engaged in dangerous construction work on his luxury projects. Also, as of this summer, Trump or his companies were defendants in 1,300 lawsuits — many of which were over stiffing cabinetmakers, plumbers and other small business suppliers. Candidate Trump grandiosely says he’ll lift up the middle class, but his proposed economic policies would do the opposite by expanding the GOP’s old anti-labor agenda: giving massive new tax cuts to corporations and the rich, slashing public spending on programs that working families rely on and embracing the laissez-faire ideological claptrap that Tea Party Republicans mindlessly repeat in their ceaseless efforts to drive down wages."
Republican Presidents Are a Disaster for the Economy @alternet
Republican Presidents Are a Disaster for the Economy @alternet:
"Princeton economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson found in 2013 that since World War II, the economy performed significantly better under Democratic presidents, regardless of the measurement used. For example, Democratic presidents average 4.35 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. Under Republicans, it was 2.54 percent. Democratic presidents presided over higher stock market returns and corporate profits, greater compensation growth and productivity increases. Economist Steven Stoft analyzed 72 years of jobs data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during which Democrats controlled the White House for 36 years and Republicans for 36 years. He found that 58 million jobs were created under Democrats and 26 million under Republicans. That means Democratic presidents created more than twice as many jobs. Significantly, because Trump is telling African-Americans how horrible their lives and their communities and their schools are, and how great he would be as a Republican president for them, a study published by the American Political Science Association found that that over 35 years of Republican presidents, black unemployment rose 13.7 percent. On the other hand, over 22 years of Democratic presidents, black unemployment fell 7.9 percent. And here’s another noteworthy fact as Trump runs around claiming he’s going to bring manufacturing back, even though he manufactures his own signature suits and ties and shirts offshore in places like China and Mexico and Bangladesh: Democrats create manufacturing jobs; Republicans destroy them. Bloomberg news service analyzed data from the past eight decades and found manufacturing jobs increased under each of the seven Democrats and decreased under the six Republican presidents. Even as employment expanded, manufacturing jobs declined under Republican presidents. The largest losses occurred under Reagan and the two Bushes – an average of 9 percent. Republicans are bad for jobs. They’re bad for manufacturing. They’re bad for the GDP in general."
"Princeton economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson found in 2013 that since World War II, the economy performed significantly better under Democratic presidents, regardless of the measurement used. For example, Democratic presidents average 4.35 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. Under Republicans, it was 2.54 percent. Democratic presidents presided over higher stock market returns and corporate profits, greater compensation growth and productivity increases. Economist Steven Stoft analyzed 72 years of jobs data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during which Democrats controlled the White House for 36 years and Republicans for 36 years. He found that 58 million jobs were created under Democrats and 26 million under Republicans. That means Democratic presidents created more than twice as many jobs. Significantly, because Trump is telling African-Americans how horrible their lives and their communities and their schools are, and how great he would be as a Republican president for them, a study published by the American Political Science Association found that that over 35 years of Republican presidents, black unemployment rose 13.7 percent. On the other hand, over 22 years of Democratic presidents, black unemployment fell 7.9 percent. And here’s another noteworthy fact as Trump runs around claiming he’s going to bring manufacturing back, even though he manufactures his own signature suits and ties and shirts offshore in places like China and Mexico and Bangladesh: Democrats create manufacturing jobs; Republicans destroy them. Bloomberg news service analyzed data from the past eight decades and found manufacturing jobs increased under each of the seven Democrats and decreased under the six Republican presidents. Even as employment expanded, manufacturing jobs declined under Republican presidents. The largest losses occurred under Reagan and the two Bushes – an average of 9 percent. Republicans are bad for jobs. They’re bad for manufacturing. They’re bad for the GDP in general."
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Trump might appoint an oil executive and anti-animal rights activist to head Interior Department
Trump might appoint an oil executive and anti-animal rights activist to head Interior Department
"Lucas would, however, be a natural complement to Trump’s rumored top choice for energy secretary: oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm."
"Lucas would, however, be a natural complement to Trump’s rumored top choice for energy secretary: oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm."
Trump’s tax plan penalizes single parents
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-tax-single-parents-caccee81cdff#.vzvgcfo24
"At the same time, Trump would give huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans"
"At the same time, Trump would give huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans"
Trump’s Riches and the Real-Estate Tax Racket
Trump’s Riches and the Real-Estate Tax Racket:
"Take property taxes. Trump often employs a tricky two-step. In the 1990s, he bought 147 acres in Westchester County and built a pristine 18-hole golf course, complete with a 101-foot-tall waterfall and a $20 million-plus, 75,000-square-foot clubhouse. In his financial disclosure report filed with the Federal Election Commission this year, Trump valued the golf course and palatial clubhouse at more than $50 million and said he made $10.3 million from it last year and early this year. However, when it came time to pay property taxes, he claimed that the property and clubhouse was worth just $1.36 million—a 97 percent cut from his FEC disclosure figure. Right before an ABC News investigative report was set to highlight the discrepancy, Trump’s lawyers bumped up the valuation to $9 million. That’s still far short of the at least $14.3 million the city assessor estimated it at. On top of that, in 2008, Trump even got a 55 percent valuation reduction—from $38 million to $16 million."
"Take property taxes. Trump often employs a tricky two-step. In the 1990s, he bought 147 acres in Westchester County and built a pristine 18-hole golf course, complete with a 101-foot-tall waterfall and a $20 million-plus, 75,000-square-foot clubhouse. In his financial disclosure report filed with the Federal Election Commission this year, Trump valued the golf course and palatial clubhouse at more than $50 million and said he made $10.3 million from it last year and early this year. However, when it came time to pay property taxes, he claimed that the property and clubhouse was worth just $1.36 million—a 97 percent cut from his FEC disclosure figure. Right before an ABC News investigative report was set to highlight the discrepancy, Trump’s lawyers bumped up the valuation to $9 million. That’s still far short of the at least $14.3 million the city assessor estimated it at. On top of that, in 2008, Trump even got a 55 percent valuation reduction—from $38 million to $16 million."
Report: Trump likely violated the law when he used charity money to pay off fines for his for-profit operations
Report: Trump likely violated the law when he used charity money to pay off fines for his for-profit operations
"the Trump Foundation has spent more than a quarter-million dollars “to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire’s for-profit businesses"."
"the Trump Foundation has spent more than a quarter-million dollars “to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire’s for-profit businesses"."
How Donald Trump's Union Busting Is Killing the American Dream in Las Vegas and Beyond @alternet
How Donald Trump's Union Busting Is Killing the American Dream in Las Vegas and Beyond @alternet:
"All of this should give pause to working- and middle-class voters thinking about casting a ballot for the Trump/Pence ticket in November. Trump may talk a good game when it comes to the economic woes facing tens of millions of Americans, but actions speak louder than words. A vote for Trump would be a vote for the privileged class in which he has spent his entire life. What’s happening in Vegas at the Trump Hotel would surely not stay in Vegas."
"All of this should give pause to working- and middle-class voters thinking about casting a ballot for the Trump/Pence ticket in November. Trump may talk a good game when it comes to the economic woes facing tens of millions of Americans, but actions speak louder than words. A vote for Trump would be a vote for the privileged class in which he has spent his entire life. What’s happening in Vegas at the Trump Hotel would surely not stay in Vegas."
Heinz Ketchup proves that Donald Trump is out of his mind
https://thinkprogress.org/heinz-ketchup-proves-that-donald-trump-is-out-of-his-mind-95c8a838a0d0#.gw4kvqw0k
"America has already tested the idea that we can have safe foods without adequate regulation, in other words. As it turns out, the invisible hand of the market delivered moldy, rancid ketchup that used vinegar and spice to cover up the flavor of decay. It took regulation, the very kind of regulation that Trump now seems to be out to get, to enable Americans to trust their food."
"America has already tested the idea that we can have safe foods without adequate regulation, in other words. As it turns out, the invisible hand of the market delivered moldy, rancid ketchup that used vinegar and spice to cover up the flavor of decay. It took regulation, the very kind of regulation that Trump now seems to be out to get, to enable Americans to trust their food."
Maker of Deadly Fentanyl Kicks in Half a Million to Defeat Pot Legalization in Arizona @alternet
Maker of Deadly Fentanyl Kicks in Half a Million to Defeat Pot Legalization in Arizona @alternet:
"Big Pharma has long been accused of trying to block marijuana legalization."
"Big Pharma has long been accused of trying to block marijuana legalization."
Trump's "Dumpster Fire" of an Energy Policy a Roadmap to Climate Calamity
Trump's "Dumpster Fire" of an Energy Policy a Roadmap to Climate Calamity
"His plan includes: slashing corporate tax rates; scrapping regulations, such as the Waters of the U.S. Rule (pdf) and the Clean Power Plan"
"His plan includes: slashing corporate tax rates; scrapping regulations, such as the Waters of the U.S. Rule (pdf) and the Clean Power Plan"
What the ‘sixth extinction’ will look like in the oceans: The largest species die off first
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/09/14/what-the-sixth-extinction-will-look-like-in-the-oceans-the-largest-species-die-off-first/?utm_term=.83f803416880&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1
"We mostly can’t see it around us, and too few of us seem to care — but nonetheless, scientists are increasingly convinced that the world is barreling towards what has been called a “sixth mass extinction” event. Simply put, species are going extinct at a rate that far exceeds what you would expect to see naturally, as a result of a major perturbation to the system."
"We mostly can’t see it around us, and too few of us seem to care — but nonetheless, scientists are increasingly convinced that the world is barreling towards what has been called a “sixth mass extinction” event. Simply put, species are going extinct at a rate that far exceeds what you would expect to see naturally, as a result of a major perturbation to the system."
Trump’s “working moms” con: The GOP candidate’s child-care policy does little for the working class
Trump’s “working moms” con: The GOP candidate’s child-care policy does little for the working class
"the tax code is great for subsidizing day care for the children of rich people, who, despite all the “working moms” rhetoric, still seem to be the chief concern of the Donald Trump child-care policy."
"the tax code is great for subsidizing day care for the children of rich people, who, despite all the “working moms” rhetoric, still seem to be the chief concern of the Donald Trump child-care policy."
NY Magazine Explains Why “Donald Trump’s New Anti-Abortion Letter Should Terrify You”
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/09/16/ny-magazine-explains-why-donald-trump-s-new-anti-abortion-letter-should-terrify-you/213159
"Trump’s announcement also included the news that he had appointed Marjorie Dannenfelser, a longtime anti-abortion leader and president of the anti-choice group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), to lead the recruitment efforts for his new coalition."
"Trump’s announcement also included the news that he had appointed Marjorie Dannenfelser, a longtime anti-abortion leader and president of the anti-choice group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), to lead the recruitment efforts for his new coalition."
Donald Trump’s $14 Billion Conflict Of Interest
Donald Trump’s $14 Billion Conflict Of Interest:
"A story today about Deutsche Bank’s refusal to settle with the U.S. government over claims stemming from it investments in mortgage backed securities in the lead up to the 2008 financial crisis highlights what could perhaps be Trump's largest conflict of interest in the White House. The U.S. government is currently demanding $14 billion from the bank, slightly less than the $16.9 billion settlement Bank of America made in 2014. In response , Deutsche Bank issued a statement saying: Deutsche Bank has no intent to settle these potential civil claims anywhere near the number cited. The negotiations are only just beginning. The bank expects that they will lead to an outcome similar to those of peer banks which have settled at materially lower amounts. It is likely the next president and the Justice Department will ultimately determine how this case is resolved or take it to trial. If Donald Trump is president, this case will become even more complicated since his ties to Deutsche Bank run deep. The Wall Street Journal reported on their ties writing: One of Donald Trump’s closest allies on Wall Street is a now-struggling German bank. While many big banks have shunned him, Deutsche Bank AG has been a steadfast financial backer of the Republican presidential candidate’s business interests."
"A story today about Deutsche Bank’s refusal to settle with the U.S. government over claims stemming from it investments in mortgage backed securities in the lead up to the 2008 financial crisis highlights what could perhaps be Trump's largest conflict of interest in the White House. The U.S. government is currently demanding $14 billion from the bank, slightly less than the $16.9 billion settlement Bank of America made in 2014. In response , Deutsche Bank issued a statement saying: Deutsche Bank has no intent to settle these potential civil claims anywhere near the number cited. The negotiations are only just beginning. The bank expects that they will lead to an outcome similar to those of peer banks which have settled at materially lower amounts. It is likely the next president and the Justice Department will ultimately determine how this case is resolved or take it to trial. If Donald Trump is president, this case will become even more complicated since his ties to Deutsche Bank run deep. The Wall Street Journal reported on their ties writing: One of Donald Trump’s closest allies on Wall Street is a now-struggling German bank. While many big banks have shunned him, Deutsche Bank AG has been a steadfast financial backer of the Republican presidential candidate’s business interests."
Trump Campaign Mocking Media About Tax Returns. Surrogate Says to Media, Release your Tax Returns
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570601/-Trump-Campaign-Mocking-Media-About-Tax-Returns-Surrogate-Says-to-Media-Release-your-Tax-Returns
"The media is a laughing stock when it comes to covering Donald Trump and when it comes to his tax returns, even more so. Now we have Trump surrogate Jeffrey Lord actually mocking the media and telling them they should release their tax returns, then they’ll talk about Trump’s. When you ignore a story that should have had as much coverage as the Clinton Foundation and e-mails, this is exactly what happens. Now you have the Trump campaign laughing at you and challenging you to release your own tax returns. You can blame yourself for their hubris. Report the news, instead of grading on a curve or be prepared to be laughed at by Trump and his people all day long."
"The media is a laughing stock when it comes to covering Donald Trump and when it comes to his tax returns, even more so. Now we have Trump surrogate Jeffrey Lord actually mocking the media and telling them they should release their tax returns, then they’ll talk about Trump’s. When you ignore a story that should have had as much coverage as the Clinton Foundation and e-mails, this is exactly what happens. Now you have the Trump campaign laughing at you and challenging you to release your own tax returns. You can blame yourself for their hubris. Report the news, instead of grading on a curve or be prepared to be laughed at by Trump and his people all day long."
How Donald Trump retooled his charity to spend other people’s money
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-donald-trump-retooled-his-charity-to-spend-other-peoples-money/2016/09/10/da8cce64-75df-11e6-8149-b8d05321db62_story.html
"Instead, Trump had found a way to give away somebody else’s money and claim the credit for himself."
"Instead, Trump had found a way to give away somebody else’s money and claim the credit for himself."
Does Donald Trump Pay Any Income Taxes at All? - The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/does-donald-trump-pay-any-income-taxes-at-all?mbid=nl_TNY+Template+-+With+Photo+%2893%29&CNDID=14867983&spMailingID=9524262&spUserID=MTMzMTc5NjIxMjUwS0&spJobID=1001275899&spReportId=MTAwMTI3NTg5OQS2
"Trump paid no income tax in 1978, 1979, 1992, and 1994."
"Trump paid no income tax in 1978, 1979, 1992, and 1994."
WATCH: Trump Jr. abruptly ends interview after local TV reporter asks about shady family foundation
WATCH: Trump Jr. abruptly ends interview after local TV reporter asks about shady family foundation
"The interviewer noted that Trump Jr. is listed as the official director of the Trump Foundation, and he asked if he signed off on the foundation using $20,000 of other donors’ money to buy his father a portrait of himself. “No, I don’t know anything about that,” responded the younger Trump. “So it happened and you didn’t know?” the interviewer asked. “I’m not involved in it,” he replied. At this point, you can hear an aide in the background asking Trump Jr. to cut off the interview and move on."
"The interviewer noted that Trump Jr. is listed as the official director of the Trump Foundation, and he asked if he signed off on the foundation using $20,000 of other donors’ money to buy his father a portrait of himself. “No, I don’t know anything about that,” responded the younger Trump. “So it happened and you didn’t know?” the interviewer asked. “I’m not involved in it,” he replied. At this point, you can hear an aide in the background asking Trump Jr. to cut off the interview and move on."
Ford CEO calls out Trump's lie on Mexico move. Updated with a link to corroborating story.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/16/1571003/-Ford-CEO-calls-out-Trump-s-lie-on-Mexico-move
"Got that Tiny Fisted Emperor? Ford has 85,000 U.S. workers as opposed to 8,000 in Mexico, and the new Mexico development will only add another 2,800 jobs there. No U.S. workers are getting fired or laid off, they’ll just make different cars instead. That simple enough for you?"
"Got that Tiny Fisted Emperor? Ford has 85,000 U.S. workers as opposed to 8,000 in Mexico, and the new Mexico development will only add another 2,800 jobs there. No U.S. workers are getting fired or laid off, they’ll just make different cars instead. That simple enough for you?"
Trump's Own Hotel Shows His Disregard For 'Made In The USA'
Trump's Own Hotel Shows His Disregard For 'Made In The USA'
"Thanks to American Bridge PAC for doing the job of journalists and actually looking into the lies of this dangerous candidate."
"Thanks to American Bridge PAC for doing the job of journalists and actually looking into the lies of this dangerous candidate."
Donald Trump Finally Told the Truth About Barack Obama’s Birth—and Then He Lied Some More
https://www.thenation.com/article/donald-trump-finally-told-the-truth-about-barack-obamas-birth-and-then-he-lied-some-more/
"A candidate cannot energize an extreme segment of the electorate by repeatedly championing discredited claims, and then pretend to have left such views behind when he needs to appeal to more moderate voters."
"A candidate cannot energize an extreme segment of the electorate by repeatedly championing discredited claims, and then pretend to have left such views behind when he needs to appeal to more moderate voters."
Lyin' Donald Trump Still Lying About Obama Birther Conspiracy
http://thedailybanter.com/2016/09/lyin-donald-trump-still-lying-about-obama-birther-conspiracy/
"The only thing about that that was true was that Obama was born here. Hillary's campaign didn't have anything to do with birtherism, and Trump never "ended" anything."
"The only thing about that that was true was that Obama was born here. Hillary's campaign didn't have anything to do with birtherism, and Trump never "ended" anything."
The Birtherism of a Nation
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a48656/trump-birther-statement/
"Trump knows that his whole political persona is built on his racist campaign to delegitimize the first African-American president."
"Trump knows that his whole political persona is built on his racist campaign to delegitimize the first African-American president."
Trump promised to release his taxes if President Obama produced his birth certificate
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/16/1570990/-Trump-promised-to-release-his-taxes-if-President-Obama-produced-his-birth-certificate
"Here’s a tip for the media, to avoid future disasters like the one this morning, any time you get a statement of a new “Major Announcement” from Trump, just ask this: “Are you going to release your taxes?” Think of it as The One Question. If Trump won’t give you a yes to this question, there’s no point in asking anything else."
"Here’s a tip for the media, to avoid future disasters like the one this morning, any time you get a statement of a new “Major Announcement” from Trump, just ask this: “Are you going to release your taxes?” Think of it as The One Question. If Trump won’t give you a yes to this question, there’s no point in asking anything else."
Trump-loving ‘alt-right’ begs for mainstream acceptance at ‘deplorable’ DC meet-and-greet
Trump-loving ‘alt-right’ begs for mainstream acceptance at ‘deplorable’ DC meet-and-greet
"Donald Trump’s “basket of deplorables” includes white nationalists who are eager to ride the Republican presidential nominee’s coattails into the political mainstream."
"Donald Trump’s “basket of deplorables” includes white nationalists who are eager to ride the Republican presidential nominee’s coattails into the political mainstream."
Millennials Arrested at Paul Ryan's Office Denouncing GOP's Politics of Hate
Millennials Arrested at Paul Ryan's Office Denouncing GOP's Politics of Hate
"Decrying the GOP's "dog-whistle racism," which they say has contributed to the rise of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, a group of young people risked arrest during a surprise sit-in at the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday morning."
"Decrying the GOP's "dog-whistle racism," which they say has contributed to the rise of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, a group of young people risked arrest during a surprise sit-in at the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday morning."
Meyers To Trump: 'Obama Was Born In The US, PERIOD? F*ck You!'
Meyers To Trump: 'Obama Was Born In The US, PERIOD? F*ck You!'
"This is how you should treat a dangerous charlatan and madman. Meyers handled Trump the way the rest of the media should. Expose the lies by simply using the man's own words. It's really not quantum physics."
"This is how you should treat a dangerous charlatan and madman. Meyers handled Trump the way the rest of the media should. Expose the lies by simply using the man's own words. It's really not quantum physics."
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
'Bordering on Malpractice': TV Networks Fall for Trump Scheme, Air Uninterrupted Praise of GOP Candidate
'Bordering on Malpractice': TV Networks Fall for Trump Scheme, Air Uninterrupted Praise of GOP Candidate:
"It’s easy to understand why the media covered this event in excess. In short: they were duped. The important point, moving forward, is how to stop this from ever happening again. Every Donald Trump event from here until November needs to be reviewed through the prism of this shameful pro-Trump parade. The news media is an incredible force in the political process; networks need to decide whether they want to use their power to advance hard-hitting journalism, or provide a demagogue a platform for blatant self-promotion."
"It’s easy to understand why the media covered this event in excess. In short: they were duped. The important point, moving forward, is how to stop this from ever happening again. Every Donald Trump event from here until November needs to be reviewed through the prism of this shameful pro-Trump parade. The news media is an incredible force in the political process; networks need to decide whether they want to use their power to advance hard-hitting journalism, or provide a demagogue a platform for blatant self-promotion."
Watch Trump Lie About His Long, Demonstrated History of Birtherism
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/watch-trump-lie-about-his-long-history-of-birtherism-w440239
"Trump's efforts are widely viewed as a racist attempt to delegitimize Obama's presidency."
"Trump's efforts are widely viewed as a racist attempt to delegitimize Obama's presidency."
Trump is trying to rewrite his history of birtherism. This is what really happened.
https://thinkprogress.org/there-is-no-absolution-for-trump-on-birtherism-cfb255591cf9#.s8gm7hdft
"Since 2011, Donald Trump has been the most prominent spokesperson for birtherism — the racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama is not a U.S. citizen."
"Since 2011, Donald Trump has been the most prominent spokesperson for birtherism — the racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama is not a U.S. citizen."
Bernie Sanders: Trump's Campaign Is About Bigotry
Bernie Sanders: Trump's Campaign Is About Bigotry
"Bernie Sanders does the plain-speaking that the so-called "liberal media" [sic] is too cowardly and craven to admit. Trump's campaign is first and foremost about bigotry. That's the foundation his campaign is built upon."
"Bernie Sanders does the plain-speaking that the so-called "liberal media" [sic] is too cowardly and craven to admit. Trump's campaign is first and foremost about bigotry. That's the foundation his campaign is built upon."
Donald Trump Lies Again About Birtherism
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/trump-birther-announcement-lie
"Trump once more falsely claimed that Hillary Clinton had started the conspiracy theory that Obama was born in Kenya. He also falsely stated that it was he who had ended the birther conspiracy."
"Trump once more falsely claimed that Hillary Clinton had started the conspiracy theory that Obama was born in Kenya. He also falsely stated that it was he who had ended the birther conspiracy."
Flashback: How Fox News Promoted Trump's Birtherism
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/16/flashback-how-fox-news-promoted-trumps-birtherism/213152
"Fox News and Fox Business helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s birtherism by giving him a platform to promote his birther beliefs -- which some Fox hosts, analysts, and contributors embraced."
"Fox News and Fox Business helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s birtherism by giving him a platform to promote his birther beliefs -- which some Fox hosts, analysts, and contributors embraced."
News Media Agree: 'We Got Played Again By The Trump Campaign'
News Media Agree: 'We Got Played Again By The Trump Campaign'
"reaction of reporters from Trump's press pool, covering Trump's bogus "birther" press conference."
"reaction of reporters from Trump's press pool, covering Trump's bogus "birther" press conference."
Trump’s new adviser thinks women should be forced to carry rapist’s baby — even at risk of death
Trump’s new adviser thinks women should be forced to carry rapist’s baby — even at risk of death
"Trump’s new domestic policy advisor holds some extreme views on abortion and women’s health."
"Trump’s new domestic policy advisor holds some extreme views on abortion and women’s health."
Why It Makes Total and Terrifying Sense That Donald Trump Wants Peter Thiel on the Supreme Court @alternet
Why It Makes Total and Terrifying Sense That Donald Trump Wants Peter Thiel on the Supreme Court @alternet:
"Thiel has said he was “devastated” in his youth when he was turned away from a clerkship with Scalia. Thiel, who considers himself a libertarian, once wrote that he “no longer [believes] that freedom and democracy are compatible"
"Thiel has said he was “devastated” in his youth when he was turned away from a clerkship with Scalia. Thiel, who considers himself a libertarian, once wrote that he “no longer [believes] that freedom and democracy are compatible"
How Republicans Are Inciting Right-Wing Violence After Election Day
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/republicans-inciting-right-wing-violence-after-election-day-w439871
"The governor wasn't talking to soccer moms when he talked about shedding blood over a Clinton presidency. He was playing dog-whistle politics at a time when our nation's citizenry includes a growing number of resentful, irrational, heavily armed pseudo-patriots – a basket of deplorables, you might say."
"The governor wasn't talking to soccer moms when he talked about shedding blood over a Clinton presidency. He was playing dog-whistle politics at a time when our nation's citizenry includes a growing number of resentful, irrational, heavily armed pseudo-patriots – a basket of deplorables, you might say."
Michael Savage Wants To Run A New HUAC In Donald Trump's Administration
Michael Savage Wants To Run A New HUAC In Donald Trump's Administration:
"On Tuesday, right-wing radio host Michael Savage said he wants Donald Trump to restore the House Un-American Activities Committee or a similar committee focused on “hunting down subversives” and volunteered to lead the inquiry himself. “We need a new HUAC but you can’t call it HUAC,” Savage said, “but we have to unmask the traitors within because we’re facing grave danger from these traitors.” Savage named dozens of supposedly “subversive” groups that he wants investigated, including People For the American Way, the American Civil Liberties Union"
"On Tuesday, right-wing radio host Michael Savage said he wants Donald Trump to restore the House Un-American Activities Committee or a similar committee focused on “hunting down subversives” and volunteered to lead the inquiry himself. “We need a new HUAC but you can’t call it HUAC,” Savage said, “but we have to unmask the traitors within because we’re facing grave danger from these traitors.” Savage named dozens of supposedly “subversive” groups that he wants investigated, including People For the American Way, the American Civil Liberties Union"
BUSTED: Wisconsin GOPers caught plotting with talk radio to spread sham voter fraud claims
BUSTED: Wisconsin GOPers caught plotting with talk radio to spread sham voter fraud claims
"In one 2011 email chain, former Republican legislative staffer Steve Baas asks if “we need to start messaging ‘widespread reports of election fraud’ so we are positively set up for the recount regardless of the final number?” School voucher lobbyist Scott Jensen, who is a former GOP Assembly Speaker, suggested using conservative radio hosts to push the idea."
"In one 2011 email chain, former Republican legislative staffer Steve Baas asks if “we need to start messaging ‘widespread reports of election fraud’ so we are positively set up for the recount regardless of the final number?” School voucher lobbyist Scott Jensen, who is a former GOP Assembly Speaker, suggested using conservative radio hosts to push the idea."
Trump Bombs While Trying To Revive Failed Republican Economic Policies
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/15/trump-bombs-revive-failed-republican-economic-policies.html
"The non-partisan Tax Policy Center analyzed Trump’s plan and found that most of the benefit would go to the wealthy while spending for programs that benefit the middle-class and poor would need to be cut or the debt will grow by 80%. The Center For Budget and Policy Priorities found that Trump’s tax plan contains a massive tax cut for the top one percent, “Mr. Trump, who has proposed a 15 percent corporate tax rate, proposes a pass-through rate of 15 percent as well. The Trump pass-through proposal would be an expensive tax cut that would flow primarily to the wealthiest Americans. That’s because more than two-thirds of pass-through business income flows to the highest-income 1 percent of tax filers.” The rest of Trump’s plan is to slash regulations, kill clean energy, and start a trade war."
"The non-partisan Tax Policy Center analyzed Trump’s plan and found that most of the benefit would go to the wealthy while spending for programs that benefit the middle-class and poor would need to be cut or the debt will grow by 80%. The Center For Budget and Policy Priorities found that Trump’s tax plan contains a massive tax cut for the top one percent, “Mr. Trump, who has proposed a 15 percent corporate tax rate, proposes a pass-through rate of 15 percent as well. The Trump pass-through proposal would be an expensive tax cut that would flow primarily to the wealthiest Americans. That’s because more than two-thirds of pass-through business income flows to the highest-income 1 percent of tax filers.” The rest of Trump’s plan is to slash regulations, kill clean energy, and start a trade war."
Scott Walker, the John Doe files and how corporate cash influences American politics
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2016/sep/14/john-doe-files-scott-walker-corporate-cash-american-politics
"The John Doe files published today open a door onto how modern US elections operate in the wake of Citizens United, the 2010 US supreme court ruling that unleashed a flood of corporate money into the political process"
"The John Doe files published today open a door onto how modern US elections operate in the wake of Citizens United, the 2010 US supreme court ruling that unleashed a flood of corporate money into the political process"
R.I.P. Political Journalism (1440-2016)
http://shareblue.com/r-i-p-political-journalism/
"A candidate who wallows in bigotry, who incites violence, who verbally abuses his critics, who is a self-avowed threat to the free press, who trashes U.S. generals while praising Vladimir Putin, who demeans Gold Star families, gets less negative coverage than his opponent"
"A candidate who wallows in bigotry, who incites violence, who verbally abuses his critics, who is a self-avowed threat to the free press, who trashes U.S. generals while praising Vladimir Putin, who demeans Gold Star families, gets less negative coverage than his opponent"
How the Alt-Right Is Attempting to Hide Its White Supremacist Ties
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37611-how-the-alt-right-is-attempting-to-hide-its-white-supremacist-ties
"Those looking at the Alt Right need to see that its roots are not in the party of William F. Buckley Jr. and its allegiance to Chicago School economics. Rather, the Alt Right is the new name under which the forces of fascism and white supremacy are gathering."
"Those looking at the Alt Right need to see that its roots are not in the party of William F. Buckley Jr. and its allegiance to Chicago School economics. Rather, the Alt Right is the new name under which the forces of fascism and white supremacy are gathering."
Donald Trump's foreign ties may conflict with U.S. national security interests - NEWSWEEK
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/donald-trump-foreign-business-deals-national-security-498081.html
"Never before has an American candidate for president had so many financial ties with American allies and enemies, and never before has a business posed such a threat to the United States."
"Never before has an American candidate for president had so many financial ties with American allies and enemies, and never before has a business posed such a threat to the United States."
The Post Office Costs Taxpayers Nothing, and Gives Us So Much in Return @alternet
The Post Office Costs Taxpayers Nothing, and Gives Us So Much in Return @alternet:
"A cabal of corporate predators and Koch-headed ideologues have been scheming for years to take "public" out of this public agency and strip "service" out of the U.S. Postal Service. The most effective ploy of these price-gouging privatizers has been a diabolical Big Lie—a massive PR hoax to depict this essential public service as a hopeless money loser, sucking billions from taxpayers every year. Unfortunately, our lazy media establishment keeps spreading their lie. Here's an August New York Times article falsely asserting that "the Postal Service has sunk deeper underwater—net losses for the second quarter of 2016 were $2 billion." Bovine excrement! In fact, our Post Offices earned $1.3 billion in profit so far this year, making this year the fourth straight that it has operated in the black. The discrepancy stems from phony paper losses manufactured by corporate lobbyists and right-wing lawmakers who've insisted since 2006 that the Postal Service must prefund retiree health benefits for 75 years in the future. No other agency and no corporation operates under this absurd and totally unnecessary burden, which adds billions of dollars in fictional costs to the agency's balance sheet. Here's another reality the sloppy corporate media ignores: Our postal network costs taxpayers zero, for we consumers finance its operations by purchasing those stamps and other services. It's time to put a Forever stamp on this public jewel."
"A cabal of corporate predators and Koch-headed ideologues have been scheming for years to take "public" out of this public agency and strip "service" out of the U.S. Postal Service. The most effective ploy of these price-gouging privatizers has been a diabolical Big Lie—a massive PR hoax to depict this essential public service as a hopeless money loser, sucking billions from taxpayers every year. Unfortunately, our lazy media establishment keeps spreading their lie. Here's an August New York Times article falsely asserting that "the Postal Service has sunk deeper underwater—net losses for the second quarter of 2016 were $2 billion." Bovine excrement! In fact, our Post Offices earned $1.3 billion in profit so far this year, making this year the fourth straight that it has operated in the black. The discrepancy stems from phony paper losses manufactured by corporate lobbyists and right-wing lawmakers who've insisted since 2006 that the Postal Service must prefund retiree health benefits for 75 years in the future. No other agency and no corporation operates under this absurd and totally unnecessary burden, which adds billions of dollars in fictional costs to the agency's balance sheet. Here's another reality the sloppy corporate media ignores: Our postal network costs taxpayers zero, for we consumers finance its operations by purchasing those stamps and other services. It's time to put a Forever stamp on this public jewel."
Dear Journalists, It was your Duty to be ready for Trump
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570367/-Dear-Journalists-It-was-your-Duty-to-be-ready-for-Trump
"If you are unable to hold to account Trump as your revenue benefactor, how will you hold him to account under threat of imprisonment or death? Of course this would seem like a hyperbolic question, if it weren’t for the fact that we have Trump’s stated admiration for Machiavellian leaders on record on several occasions. You may feel that he is simply playing to an existing authoritarian populist sentiment, but how is that different from any other despot’s rise to power?"
"If you are unable to hold to account Trump as your revenue benefactor, how will you hold him to account under threat of imprisonment or death? Of course this would seem like a hyperbolic question, if it weren’t for the fact that we have Trump’s stated admiration for Machiavellian leaders on record on several occasions. You may feel that he is simply playing to an existing authoritarian populist sentiment, but how is that different from any other despot’s rise to power?"
Republicans hope huge amounts of dark money will save their Senate majority
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570436/-Republicans-see-huge-amounts-of-dark-money-saving-their-Senate-majority
"We knew this was coming months ago—Republican donors dreading a Trump candidacy were going to pour everything they had into keeping the Senate, or keeping Democratic gains to a minimum so that retaking it in 2018 would be easier."
"We knew this was coming months ago—Republican donors dreading a Trump candidacy were going to pour everything they had into keeping the Senate, or keeping Democratic gains to a minimum so that retaking it in 2018 would be easier."
Koch Star State: the Kochs Flood Texas with Campaign Cash
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/09/13138/koch-star-state-kochs-flood-texas-campaign-cash
"The billionaire brothers are backing 15 Texans for the U.S. House of Representatives, three candidates for the Texas Supreme Court, 31 candidates for the Texas House of Representatives, 16 candidates for the Texas State Senate, and one candidate for the State Railroad Commission."
"The billionaire brothers are backing 15 Texans for the U.S. House of Representatives, three candidates for the Texas Supreme Court, 31 candidates for the Texas House of Representatives, 16 candidates for the Texas State Senate, and one candidate for the State Railroad Commission."
As Trump Visits Flint, Media Should Remember His Anti-Clean Water Agenda
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/14/trump-visits-flint-media-should-remember-his-anti-clean-water-agenda/213075
"given his plans to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rescind the EPA’s Clean Water Rule, as well as his energy adviser’s reported statement that the Clean Water Act would likely be “rolled back" by a Trump administration."
"given his plans to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rescind the EPA’s Clean Water Rule, as well as his energy adviser’s reported statement that the Clean Water Act would likely be “rolled back" by a Trump administration."
Jason Kander releases two blockbuster ads, putting Roy Blunt to shame
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570192/-Jason-Kander-releases-two-blockbuster-ads-putting-Roy-Blunt-to-shame
"This follows up a longer ad released earlier this week, again talking about his military service, contrasting the "men and women serving our country overseas who never ask what's in it for them" with politicians "who put their party, their pay raises, and their political careers ahead of doing what's right for the country," concluding that it's time for a new generation of political leaders "who've come of age in a time of unprecedented challenges and threats to our country, who will do what's right, no matter the personal cost"."
"This follows up a longer ad released earlier this week, again talking about his military service, contrasting the "men and women serving our country overseas who never ask what's in it for them" with politicians "who put their party, their pay raises, and their political careers ahead of doing what's right for the country," concluding that it's time for a new generation of political leaders "who've come of age in a time of unprecedented challenges and threats to our country, who will do what's right, no matter the personal cost"."
Dallas Morning News Endorses Hillary Clinton
http://www.motherjones.com/media/2016/09/dallas-morning-news-endorses-hillary-clinton-president
"Breaking with more than seven decades of tradition, the Dallas Morning News announced on Wednesday that it is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president. The last time the historically conservative newspaper did not back a Republican was in 1940."
"Breaking with more than seven decades of tradition, the Dallas Morning News announced on Wednesday that it is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president. The last time the historically conservative newspaper did not back a Republican was in 1940."
Dallas Morning News breaks 75-year tradition to endorse Clinton
http://www.latimes.com/la-na-trailguide-updates-dallas-morning-news-breaks-75-year-1473249063-htmlstory.html
"The Dallas Morning News has not endorsed a Democrat for president since before World War II. Nearly 20 elections have come and gone since then and the paper has stuck with the Republican nominee in every one of them, its editorial board notes, saying the party more closely shares its values of free markets and strong national defense. This election, it is going in another direction. The Texas paper has endorsed Hillary Clinton."
"The Dallas Morning News has not endorsed a Democrat for president since before World War II. Nearly 20 elections have come and gone since then and the paper has stuck with the Republican nominee in every one of them, its editorial board notes, saying the party more closely shares its values of free markets and strong national defense. This election, it is going in another direction. The Texas paper has endorsed Hillary Clinton."
Donald Trump Jr Blames the American People for His Dad’s Refusal to Release His Tax Returns
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/15/donald-trump-jr-blames-people-father-refusing-release-tax-returns.html
"The Tribune noted, “Trump Jr.’s father has not had a great track record in telling the truth on the campaign trail, according to the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check website PolitiFact. The website has investigated about 250 claims Trump and Clinton each made. The website found that his claims, 70 percent of the time, were found to be at least mostly false or worse, while hers were false or mostly false 28 percent of the time"."
"The Tribune noted, “Trump Jr.’s father has not had a great track record in telling the truth on the campaign trail, according to the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check website PolitiFact. The website has investigated about 250 claims Trump and Clinton each made. The website found that his claims, 70 percent of the time, were found to be at least mostly false or worse, while hers were false or mostly false 28 percent of the time"."
Now is the time to pile on in defense of the idea that journalism requires a commitment to truth
Now is the time to pile on in defense of the idea that journalism requires a commitment to truth
"If ever there was a need to pile on in defense of the old-fashioned idea that journalism requires a commitment to truth (not equal time for flat-earthers but truth), this was the time."
"If ever there was a need to pile on in defense of the old-fashioned idea that journalism requires a commitment to truth (not equal time for flat-earthers but truth), this was the time."
Wash. Post's Dave Weigel Explains How Trump's Extraordinarily Brief Policy Statements Exploit A Media Vulnerability
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/09/15/wash-posts-dave-weigel-explains-how-trumps-extraordinarily-brief-policy-statements-exploit-media/213106
"The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel pointed to a massive media vulnerability that Donald Trump regularly exploits, writing that even though the Republican nominee for president “has offered less policy detail than any candidate for president in my lifetime,” Trump is able to game the media because he “has never failed to offer enough detail to fit in a headline or cable news chyron"."
"The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel pointed to a massive media vulnerability that Donald Trump regularly exploits, writing that even though the Republican nominee for president “has offered less policy detail than any candidate for president in my lifetime,” Trump is able to game the media because he “has never failed to offer enough detail to fit in a headline or cable news chyron"."
Trump's 'family friendly' policies have holes you could drive a yacht through
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/14/1570150/-Trump-s-family-friendly-policies-have-holes-you-could-drive-a-yacht-through
"This isn’t a plan really meant to pass—it’s a plan meant to help Trump appeal to Republican women who’d been turned off by his insults and vicious policies. But if it did become law, it would be a good fit for Trump, helping well-to-do families and leaving low-income families out."
"This isn’t a plan really meant to pass—it’s a plan meant to help Trump appeal to Republican women who’d been turned off by his insults and vicious policies. But if it did become law, it would be a good fit for Trump, helping well-to-do families and leaving low-income families out."
WATCH: Keith Olbermann takes Trump’s deplorable campaign to the woodshed — and it’s awesome
WATCH: Keith Olbermann takes Trump’s deplorable campaign to the woodshed — and it’s awesome
"In a new video posted on Thursday, Olbermann names names when listing off all the ways that both Trump’s campaign and his official surrogates are truly deplorable."
"In a new video posted on Thursday, Olbermann names names when listing off all the ways that both Trump’s campaign and his official surrogates are truly deplorable."
Donald Trump Jr.: releasing the taxes would lead to too many questions
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570415/-Donald-Trump-Jr-releasing-the-taxes-would-lead-to-too-many-questions
"Remember when Eric Trump said people are too ignorant to understand his dad's taxes?"
"Remember when Eric Trump said people are too ignorant to understand his dad's taxes?"
NPR reporter says Trump 'misstates key facts' (he lied) about Flint church visit
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/15/1570432/-NPR-reporter-says-Trump-misstates-key-facts-he-lied-about-Flint-church-visit
"The Donald did NOT like being interrupted and he ran to Fox News this morning to say Pastor Timmons was a "nervous mess" and essentially said he thought it was planned sabotage. NPR reporter Scott Detrow was at the event and says Donald Trump "misstated key facts" about the visit: "The audience was saying let him speak, let him speak," Trump told Fox and Friends. That isn't true. In fact, several audience members began to heckle Trump, asking pointed questions about whether he racially discriminated against black tenants as a landlord. And that's when Timmons — who Trump said Thursday had planned to ambush him — stepped in to defend Trump, saying the Republican nominee was "a guest of my church, and you will respect him." "Thank you. Thank you, pastor," Trump responded. The pointed questions for Trump continued as Trump wrapped up his remarks, though — and that's the moment when the press traveling with Trump was hastily escorted out of the room. Although the questions being shouted from the crowd are difficult to make out in the video below, you can clearly see Pastor Timmons step out from the curtain to chastise audience members and ask them to be respectful. Never mind that though, Trump has already lied to his core audience at Fox News ... and who are you going to believe anyway? Donald Trump or your lying eyes?"
"The Donald did NOT like being interrupted and he ran to Fox News this morning to say Pastor Timmons was a "nervous mess" and essentially said he thought it was planned sabotage. NPR reporter Scott Detrow was at the event and says Donald Trump "misstated key facts" about the visit: "The audience was saying let him speak, let him speak," Trump told Fox and Friends. That isn't true. In fact, several audience members began to heckle Trump, asking pointed questions about whether he racially discriminated against black tenants as a landlord. And that's when Timmons — who Trump said Thursday had planned to ambush him — stepped in to defend Trump, saying the Republican nominee was "a guest of my church, and you will respect him." "Thank you. Thank you, pastor," Trump responded. The pointed questions for Trump continued as Trump wrapped up his remarks, though — and that's the moment when the press traveling with Trump was hastily escorted out of the room. Although the questions being shouted from the crowd are difficult to make out in the video below, you can clearly see Pastor Timmons step out from the curtain to chastise audience members and ask them to be respectful. Never mind that though, Trump has already lied to his core audience at Fox News ... and who are you going to believe anyway? Donald Trump or your lying eyes?"
Watch: Pastor at Black Church Interrupts Trump's Clinton Bashing @alternet
Watch: Pastor at Black Church Interrupts Trump's Clinton Bashing @alternet:
"Trump was heckled by several members of the small crowd before being chided by Rev. Faith Green Timmons for turning his policy speech into a political attack on his opponent Hillary Clinton."
"Trump was heckled by several members of the small crowd before being chided by Rev. Faith Green Timmons for turning his policy speech into a political attack on his opponent Hillary Clinton."
‘Bull f*cking sh*t’: Trump gets a taste of his own fat-shaming as Twitter rips claim he’s 236 lbs
‘Bull f*cking sh*t’: Trump gets a taste of his own fat-shaming as Twitter rips claim he’s 236 lbs
"Twitter users savagely mocked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump this week after he released a letter from his doctor claiming he weighed 236 pounds."
"Twitter users savagely mocked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump this week after he released a letter from his doctor claiming he weighed 236 pounds."
White Nationalist Wonders If Trump Will Drive Jews Out Of Power
White Nationalist Wonders If Trump Will Drive Jews Out Of Power:
"The Traditionalist Youth Network is led by Matthew Heimbach, who believes the United States should be divided into ethnically homogenous regions. Heimbach has praised Donald Trump for “speaking to white interests” and celebrated the way Trump’s campaign has provided fertile ground for his group’s recruiting. Trump, says Heimbach, “has opened this floodgate that I don’t think can be restrained regardless of what happens in the 2016 elections"."
"The Traditionalist Youth Network is led by Matthew Heimbach, who believes the United States should be divided into ethnically homogenous regions. Heimbach has praised Donald Trump for “speaking to white interests” and celebrated the way Trump’s campaign has provided fertile ground for his group’s recruiting. Trump, says Heimbach, “has opened this floodgate that I don’t think can be restrained regardless of what happens in the 2016 elections"."
Chuck Grassley tries to pin blame for SCOTUS obstruction on Iowa voters
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/14/1569832/-Chuck-Grassley-tries-to-pin-blame-for-SCOTUS-obstruction-on-Iowa-voters
"Sen. Chuck Grassley is not impressing the local media either with his behavior in blockading Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, or with his excuses for that behavior."
"Sen. Chuck Grassley is not impressing the local media either with his behavior in blockading Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, or with his excuses for that behavior."
The Small Business Owners Trump Stiffed Issue Blistering Revelations (VIDEO)
http://addictinginfo.org/2016/09/14/the-small-business-owners-trump-stiffed-issue-blistering-revelations-video/
"thanks to a group of creditors that Trump stiffed while he was busy destroying Atlantic City’s economy we are now privy to a very different story than the one Trump’s been peddling on the campaign trail."
"thanks to a group of creditors that Trump stiffed while he was busy destroying Atlantic City’s economy we are now privy to a very different story than the one Trump’s been peddling on the campaign trail."
‘Normalizing’ Trump
https://www.thenation.com/article/normalizing-trump/
"The media deserve a good deal of blame here, not only because of the billions of dollars’ worth of free airtime television networks have given to Trump but also because of their insistence—against all evidence—that he is someone other than the person he clearly presents himself to be."
"The media deserve a good deal of blame here, not only because of the billions of dollars’ worth of free airtime television networks have given to Trump but also because of their insistence—against all evidence—that he is someone other than the person he clearly presents himself to be."
Why the Government's Top Campaign Finance Watchdogs Have No Teeth
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37582-why-the-government-s-top-campaign-finance-watchdogs-have-no-teeth
"To this day, all of these questions remain unanswered, and the commission is currently facing lawsuits from independent watchdog groups demanding action on complaints over dark money and other campaign finance violations dating as far back as 2010. Almost every time a potentially precedent-setting case comes before the FEC, voting ends with a 3-3 split, leaving the commission paralyzed in deadlock."
"To this day, all of these questions remain unanswered, and the commission is currently facing lawsuits from independent watchdog groups demanding action on complaints over dark money and other campaign finance violations dating as far back as 2010. Almost every time a potentially precedent-setting case comes before the FEC, voting ends with a 3-3 split, leaving the commission paralyzed in deadlock."
Jeffrey Lord: Fact Checkers 'Don't Count' Because 'They Are Basically Liberal'
Jeffrey Lord: Fact Checkers 'Don't Count' Because 'They Are Basically Liberal'
"Trump-backing CNN contributor Jeffrey Lord on Monday doubled down on his candidate's call to ban moderators and fact checking from upcoming debates."
"Trump-backing CNN contributor Jeffrey Lord on Monday doubled down on his candidate's call to ban moderators and fact checking from upcoming debates."
America's Religious Right's Cult-Like Attraction to Vladimir Putin @alternet
America's Religious Right's Cult-Like Attraction to Vladimir Putin @alternet:
"It seems even more remarkable that the Republican Party’s presidential nominee has been lavishing praise on Putin even as Russia maneuvers to diminish America’s influence in the world. As president, Putin has consolidated his power through attacks on the independent media, the persecution of political opponents, and restrictions on civil society. He has annexed Crimea, supported violent separatists in Ukraine, fostered anti-democratic right-wing forces in Europe, and made the weakening of NATO a major strategic imperative. None of that has kept Donald Trump from praising Putin and welcoming Putin’s praise for him."
"It seems even more remarkable that the Republican Party’s presidential nominee has been lavishing praise on Putin even as Russia maneuvers to diminish America’s influence in the world. As president, Putin has consolidated his power through attacks on the independent media, the persecution of political opponents, and restrictions on civil society. He has annexed Crimea, supported violent separatists in Ukraine, fostered anti-democratic right-wing forces in Europe, and made the weakening of NATO a major strategic imperative. None of that has kept Donald Trump from praising Putin and welcoming Putin’s praise for him."
On Monday, Donald Trump Cemented His Status as the Biggest Coward in All of Politics (Video)
On Monday, Donald Trump Cemented His Status as the Biggest Coward in All of Politics (Video)
"What this really boils down to is Trump is terrified that his lies are going to be fact-checked to a huge, national audience with direct quotes and/or video proving what he’s saying is untrue. It makes absolutely no sense to have a presidential debate without moderators. What also makes this so ridiculous is we’ve never seen a candidate whine about this stuff like Trump has."
"What this really boils down to is Trump is terrified that his lies are going to be fact-checked to a huge, national audience with direct quotes and/or video proving what he’s saying is untrue. It makes absolutely no sense to have a presidential debate without moderators. What also makes this so ridiculous is we’ve never seen a candidate whine about this stuff like Trump has."
Friday, September 16, 2016
Donald Trump’s new economic policy plan would be devastating to the climate
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-economic-plan-climate-dangers-4b685b8bb576#.dpxbu3bie
"It includes things like completely eliminating the Clean Power Plan, the United States’ most robust attempt at curbing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions from power sources. It would also eliminate the Waters of the United States rule, a rule that would protect millions of Americans from water pollution. Trump would also slash the EPA’s new standards for ground-level ozone, meant to combat public health issues like asthma"
"It includes things like completely eliminating the Clean Power Plan, the United States’ most robust attempt at curbing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions from power sources. It would also eliminate the Waters of the United States rule, a rule that would protect millions of Americans from water pollution. Trump would also slash the EPA’s new standards for ground-level ozone, meant to combat public health issues like asthma"
Donald Trump filled out a survey about science and it is amazing
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-science-survey-fe56662669ea#.3r7svn16b
"Science is hard. At least, it seems to be for Donald Trump, who this week gave contradictory, off-topic, and sometimes garbled answers to a science questionnaire distributed by Science Debate, a non-profit that urges scientific literacy and accountability from political candidates."
"Science is hard. At least, it seems to be for Donald Trump, who this week gave contradictory, off-topic, and sometimes garbled answers to a science questionnaire distributed by Science Debate, a non-profit that urges scientific literacy and accountability from political candidates."
'Full Frontal' Takes On False Equivalence And Trumpites' Racism
'Full Frontal' Takes On False Equivalence And Trumpites' Racism
"Samantha Bee returned from hiatus last night to this remarkable diatribe against false equivalency in cable news coverage of the election."
"Samantha Bee returned from hiatus last night to this remarkable diatribe against false equivalency in cable news coverage of the election."
Keith Olbermann Is Back!
Keith Olbermann Is Back!
"In the debut episode of his new series, "The Closer," GQ's Keith Olbermann tallies the most outrageous of Donald Trump's offenses in what is now his 15-month assault on American democracy. It's called "176 Reasons Donald Trump Shouldn't Be President"."
"In the debut episode of his new series, "The Closer," GQ's Keith Olbermann tallies the most outrageous of Donald Trump's offenses in what is now his 15-month assault on American democracy. It's called "176 Reasons Donald Trump Shouldn't Be President"."
Huge Trump Supporter Makes Fool Out of Himself Defending Call to Ban Debate Moderators (Video)
Huge Trump Supporter Makes Fool Out of Himself Defending Call to Ban Debate Moderators (Video)
"We’ve seen conspiracies go from an underlying theme believed by many on the right, to becoming “legitimate news stories” for tens of millions of conservative voters. I really never thought I’d see the day where a site like InfoWars, a conspiracy organization that claimed Sandy Hook never happened, would become a go-to “news” site for a Republican presidential candidate and his followers. It’s actually quite terrifying. A great example of what I mean happened on Monday when I saw CNN contributor (and huge Trump supporter) Jeffrey Lord make an absolute fool out of himself when he literally advocated for letting Trump lie during the presidential debates. “You know, some of these fact checking — quote, unquote — sites are basically liberal,” Lord said. “And they have a bias going into it. So, I really don’t count them much as fact checkers.” Again, that’s rhetoric directly from the conspiracy theory handbook. If the truth debunks your lies, claim that the truth is “part of the conspiracy"."
"We’ve seen conspiracies go from an underlying theme believed by many on the right, to becoming “legitimate news stories” for tens of millions of conservative voters. I really never thought I’d see the day where a site like InfoWars, a conspiracy organization that claimed Sandy Hook never happened, would become a go-to “news” site for a Republican presidential candidate and his followers. It’s actually quite terrifying. A great example of what I mean happened on Monday when I saw CNN contributor (and huge Trump supporter) Jeffrey Lord make an absolute fool out of himself when he literally advocated for letting Trump lie during the presidential debates. “You know, some of these fact checking — quote, unquote — sites are basically liberal,” Lord said. “And they have a bias going into it. So, I really don’t count them much as fact checkers.” Again, that’s rhetoric directly from the conspiracy theory handbook. If the truth debunks your lies, claim that the truth is “part of the conspiracy"."
Republicans Warn Trump: 'Putin Is Not Our Friend'
Republicans Warn Trump: 'Putin Is Not Our Friend'
"I don't know what is more frightening, that a vicious foreign leader is trying to undermine our election process, or that one of the candidates is so stupid and vain that he welcomes our new Russian overlord."
"I don't know what is more frightening, that a vicious foreign leader is trying to undermine our election process, or that one of the candidates is so stupid and vain that he welcomes our new Russian overlord."
Here's Proof that Hillary Clinton was 100% Right About "Deplorable" Trump Supporters
Here's Proof that Hillary Clinton was 100% Right About "Deplorable" Trump Supporters
"Let’s run down some of the facts, shall we? The categories she listed in that comment were: Racist, Sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic. Here’s a poll from back in February showing that 37 percent of Trump supporters either disapproved of, or weren’t sure if they supported Abraham Lincoln freeing over three million slaves. Now, that’s not “half” – it’s only nearly 4 out of every 10. Then there’s always this poll where two-thirds of people backing Donald Trump think President Obama is a Muslim. I would say that falls into the categories of racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic. But that wasn’t all. In that very same poll, 61 percent of people supporting Trump didn’t believe President Obama was an American citizen. A poll from March showed that 84 percent of his supporters backed banning Muslims from entering the United States Here’s this Reuters poll that found: Just over 30 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “less intelligent” than whites. 40 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “more lazy” than whites. Nearly 45 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “more rude” than whites. 48 percent of Trump supporters view blacks as “more violent” than whites. 46 percent of Trump supporters view blacks as “more criminal” than whites. For the record, supporters for Ted Cruz and John Kasich were also included in that poll and those supporting Trump were found to be much more racist than both of the other Republican candidates — and it wasn’t even close. Then there’s this eye-opening PPP poll from South Carolina that found among Trump supporters: 38 percent wished the South had won the Civil War. 76 percent either wished the South had won or weren’t sure if they would have rather seen the North or South win. 31 percent supported banning homosexuals from the United States, while 16 percent weren’t sure if they support banning homosexuals from coming to this country."
"Let’s run down some of the facts, shall we? The categories she listed in that comment were: Racist, Sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic. Here’s a poll from back in February showing that 37 percent of Trump supporters either disapproved of, or weren’t sure if they supported Abraham Lincoln freeing over three million slaves. Now, that’s not “half” – it’s only nearly 4 out of every 10. Then there’s always this poll where two-thirds of people backing Donald Trump think President Obama is a Muslim. I would say that falls into the categories of racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic. But that wasn’t all. In that very same poll, 61 percent of people supporting Trump didn’t believe President Obama was an American citizen. A poll from March showed that 84 percent of his supporters backed banning Muslims from entering the United States Here’s this Reuters poll that found: Just over 30 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “less intelligent” than whites. 40 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “more lazy” than whites. Nearly 45 percent of Trump supporters viewed blacks as “more rude” than whites. 48 percent of Trump supporters view blacks as “more violent” than whites. 46 percent of Trump supporters view blacks as “more criminal” than whites. For the record, supporters for Ted Cruz and John Kasich were also included in that poll and those supporting Trump were found to be much more racist than both of the other Republican candidates — and it wasn’t even close. Then there’s this eye-opening PPP poll from South Carolina that found among Trump supporters: 38 percent wished the South had won the Civil War. 76 percent either wished the South had won or weren’t sure if they would have rather seen the North or South win. 31 percent supported banning homosexuals from the United States, while 16 percent weren’t sure if they support banning homosexuals from coming to this country."
Donald Trump Jr. Has Got A White Supremacist Problem
Donald Trump Jr. Has Got A White Supremacist Problem:
"This isn’t Trump Jr.’s first, second or even third time associating himself with white supremacists. In March, he appeared on a radio show with James Edwards, host of the white supremacist radio show Political Cesspool. In July, it was noted he followed several white supremacists on Twitter. Less than two weeks ago, he retweeted a prominent white supremacist. And that wasn’t even the first time he’s done so: Trump Jr. once retweeted a white supremacist’s false claim that a Trump supporter pictured giving the Nazi salute was actually a Bernie Sanders fan in disguise. Any of these individual instances can be explained away. However, the most charitable interpretation of this pattern of behavior is that it once again demonstrates that the Trump family and campaign have no qualms about associating with known and prolific racists."
"This isn’t Trump Jr.’s first, second or even third time associating himself with white supremacists. In March, he appeared on a radio show with James Edwards, host of the white supremacist radio show Political Cesspool. In July, it was noted he followed several white supremacists on Twitter. Less than two weeks ago, he retweeted a prominent white supremacist. And that wasn’t even the first time he’s done so: Trump Jr. once retweeted a white supremacist’s false claim that a Trump supporter pictured giving the Nazi salute was actually a Bernie Sanders fan in disguise. Any of these individual instances can be explained away. However, the most charitable interpretation of this pattern of behavior is that it once again demonstrates that the Trump family and campaign have no qualms about associating with known and prolific racists."
Ohio reporter shares ‘deplorable’ messages some of Trump’s basket-case fans have sent him
Ohio reporter shares ‘deplorable’ messages some of Trump’s basket-case fans have sent him
"In particular, Gomez notes that many Trump supporters who email him point to his Hispanic heritage as a major reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to report on Trump’s campaign."
"In particular, Gomez notes that many Trump supporters who email him point to his Hispanic heritage as a major reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to report on Trump’s campaign."
Donald Trump lays out his education plan: Gut public schools
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/9/1568374/-Donald-Trump-lays-out-his-education-plan-Gut-public-schools
"Donald Trump believes in private profit and in destroying public education as a public good."
"Donald Trump believes in private profit and in destroying public education as a public good."
The New, Old Authoritarianism of Donald Trump @alternet
The New, Old Authoritarianism of Donald Trump @alternet:
"a glimpse of what Trump has in common with the new authoritarianism and its deeply racist, anti-immigration, and neo-Nazi tendencies."
"a glimpse of what Trump has in common with the new authoritarianism and its deeply racist, anti-immigration, and neo-Nazi tendencies."
Trump and the Truth: The Unemployment-Rate Hoax - The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/trump-and-the-truth-the-unemployment-rate-hoax
"That, within a six-month span, Trump’s estimates ranged from twenty, or “close to twenty,” per cent all the way up to forty-two per cent suggest he’s not using an overly rigorous model. His are statistics verified by gut feeling and bold, bald assertion."
"That, within a six-month span, Trump’s estimates ranged from twenty, or “close to twenty,” per cent all the way up to forty-two per cent suggest he’s not using an overly rigorous model. His are statistics verified by gut feeling and bold, bald assertion."
Alt-Right Movement Presents Its Vision for an All-White Society With Trump Paving the Way
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/alt-right-makes-its-main-stream-debut
"The alt-right movement, reveling in the spotlight cast upon it by the Donald Trump campaign, made its debut to the mainstream media on Friday with a press conference to lay out its goal of an all-white society and its love for Trump."
"The alt-right movement, reveling in the spotlight cast upon it by the Donald Trump campaign, made its debut to the mainstream media on Friday with a press conference to lay out its goal of an all-white society and its love for Trump."
Grand Old Putin: Donald Trump delivers the Republican Party to the Russian Federation
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/9/1568307/-Grand-Old-Putin-Donald-Trump-delivers-the-Republican-Party-to-the-Russian-Federation
"Despite being frequently reminded that Putin is a murderous, dictatorial ruler who holds the singular dishonor of being the first leader to invade a European country since Adolph Hitler, Donald Trump just can't stop praising him."
"Despite being frequently reminded that Putin is a murderous, dictatorial ruler who holds the singular dishonor of being the first leader to invade a European country since Adolph Hitler, Donald Trump just can't stop praising him."
John Birch Society Ascendant in Trump’s Speech to Evangelical Christians @alternet
John Birch Society Ascendant in Trump’s Speech to Evangelical Christians @alternet:
"Today, after years of exile for its extremist teachings and opposition to civil rights legislation, John Birch Society is back in the fold, with an exhibit booth at the annual gathering of right-wing evangelicals, and a speech delivered by Republican standard-bearer Donald J. Trump that echoed many of the society’s ideas."
"Today, after years of exile for its extremist teachings and opposition to civil rights legislation, John Birch Society is back in the fold, with an exhibit booth at the annual gathering of right-wing evangelicals, and a speech delivered by Republican standard-bearer Donald J. Trump that echoed many of the society’s ideas."
GOP Strategist Calls Donald Trump ‘The Most Dangerous Politician I’ve Ever Encountered’
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/09/gop-strategist-calls-donald-trump-the-dangerous-politician-encountered.html
"Donald Trump is not a thinking man. He is a dangerous demagogue who cares more about how he looks and the praise he seeks than he does anything else, including this country– a fact he’s made obvious by letting Putin play him for a fool."
"Donald Trump is not a thinking man. He is a dangerous demagogue who cares more about how he looks and the praise he seeks than he does anything else, including this country– a fact he’s made obvious by letting Putin play him for a fool."
Forget the ‘Aleppo’ gaffe: What’s really wrong with Gary Johnson is his Ayn Randian worldview
Forget the ‘Aleppo’ gaffe: What’s really wrong with Gary Johnson is his Ayn Randian worldview
"The reality of fiscal conservatism in the United States is not cautious, evidence-based attention to which government programs do and don’t work."
"The reality of fiscal conservatism in the United States is not cautious, evidence-based attention to which government programs do and don’t work."
Roger Ailes is Donald Trump's new wingman—er, debate coach
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/8/1567995/-Roger-Ailes-is-Donald-Trump-s-new-wingman-er-debate-coach
"Ailes is an old hand at Republican debate prep, having served in similar capacities for multiple past candidates. He also has an inside track into the third and most crucial debate moderator, Fox News host Chris Wallace, who stuck up for the longtime perv during the perv's darkest days."
"Ailes is an old hand at Republican debate prep, having served in similar capacities for multiple past candidates. He also has an inside track into the third and most crucial debate moderator, Fox News host Chris Wallace, who stuck up for the longtime perv during the perv's darkest days."
Donald Trump Says He Supports Chris Wallace Not Fact Checking Him
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/09/09/donald-trump-supports-chris-wallace-fact-checking.html
"Chris Wallace is a professional propagandist, not a journalist, as he himself has admitted by saying it’s not his role to fact check when in fact, that is precisely his role."
"Chris Wallace is a professional propagandist, not a journalist, as he himself has admitted by saying it’s not his role to fact check when in fact, that is precisely his role."
Donald Trump will not stop lying about his Iraq record
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/9/1568303/-Donald-Trump-will-not-stop-lying-about-his-Iraq-record
"Matt Lauer may not have pushed back when Donald Trump claimed that a 2004 quote criticizing the Iraq war showed that he had been opposed to the war before it started in 2003, but Lauer’s failure has nonetheless put the spotlight on Trump’s lie. With the media finally talking about how Trump habitually lies on this subject—and Esquire magazine having added an editor's note to the 2004 story Trump likes to point to—Trump is trying to find new ways to claim he opposed invading Iraq before it happened."
"Matt Lauer may not have pushed back when Donald Trump claimed that a 2004 quote criticizing the Iraq war showed that he had been opposed to the war before it started in 2003, but Lauer’s failure has nonetheless put the spotlight on Trump’s lie. With the media finally talking about how Trump habitually lies on this subject—and Esquire magazine having added an editor's note to the 2004 story Trump likes to point to—Trump is trying to find new ways to claim he opposed invading Iraq before it happened."
Dear U.S. media: Do you WANT a President Trump?
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/7/1567576/-Dear-U-S-media-Do-you-WANT-a-President-Trump
"George W. Bush received easy media treatment and thus graced us with Iraq, Katrina, and an economic meltdown. In my opinion, the eight years of an awful Bush presidency would pale in comparison to the disaster a Trump presidency would bring. Is that what you in the media really want? Have you thought outside your hermetic bubble in the Beltway about how a Trump presidency would affect the rest of us in not only the U.S., but the world at large? The lives of real people—actual mothers, fathers, children, families, workers, working poor, unemployed, your own neighbors—could and most certainly will be ruined as a result of your malfeasance, intentional or unintentional. Yes, I’m laying the blame for a potential Trump presidency—and the certain and colossal ruin that it would leave in its wake—squarely on YOU."
"George W. Bush received easy media treatment and thus graced us with Iraq, Katrina, and an economic meltdown. In my opinion, the eight years of an awful Bush presidency would pale in comparison to the disaster a Trump presidency would bring. Is that what you in the media really want? Have you thought outside your hermetic bubble in the Beltway about how a Trump presidency would affect the rest of us in not only the U.S., but the world at large? The lives of real people—actual mothers, fathers, children, families, workers, working poor, unemployed, your own neighbors—could and most certainly will be ruined as a result of your malfeasance, intentional or unintentional. Yes, I’m laying the blame for a potential Trump presidency—and the certain and colossal ruin that it would leave in its wake—squarely on YOU."
Dozens of North Carolina counties slash early voting weeks before Election Day
https://thinkprogress.org/dozens-of-north-carolina-counties-slash-early-voting-weeks-before-election-day-d0fe1b54da38#.ll3llpjjm
"Lenoir County near North Carolina’s eastern shore is more than 40 percent black, and there are more than double the number of registered Democrats than Republicans. But its Board of Elections is controlled by white Republicans, who recently voted to slash the number of early voting sites from four to one, and only open that location during weekday businesses hours and a couple of hours on Saturday morning. The Republican board members said cutting the number of early voting hours by more than three-quarters would save the county money and allow them to “monitor voter fraud more effectively,” though extensive studies in North Carolina and across the country have found in-person voter fraud to be nearly non-existent. Lenoir County is one of dozens of Republican-controlled counties effectively defying a July court ruling that blocked North Carolina’s plan to cut early voting on the grounds the move intentionally targeted black voters — who depend on early voting — with “surgical precision"."
"Lenoir County near North Carolina’s eastern shore is more than 40 percent black, and there are more than double the number of registered Democrats than Republicans. But its Board of Elections is controlled by white Republicans, who recently voted to slash the number of early voting sites from four to one, and only open that location during weekday businesses hours and a couple of hours on Saturday morning. The Republican board members said cutting the number of early voting hours by more than three-quarters would save the county money and allow them to “monitor voter fraud more effectively,” though extensive studies in North Carolina and across the country have found in-person voter fraud to be nearly non-existent. Lenoir County is one of dozens of Republican-controlled counties effectively defying a July court ruling that blocked North Carolina’s plan to cut early voting on the grounds the move intentionally targeted black voters — who depend on early voting — with “surgical precision"."
Republican State AGs Met With Coal, Electricity Companies Before Filing Against The EPA’s Carbon Rule
https://thinkprogress.org/republican-ags-coal-companies-epas-carbon-rule-de76ac047edf#.v6o44siik
"Coal and electricity companies paid to meet with Republican state attorneys general just weeks before those top law enforcement officials joined in suing the federal government over the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, new documents show."
"Coal and electricity companies paid to meet with Republican state attorneys general just weeks before those top law enforcement officials joined in suing the federal government over the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, new documents show."
Obama Finally Calls Out The Real Problem With Trump: The Press
Obama Finally Calls Out The Real Problem With Trump: The Press
"We are finally to the point where "folks are noticing" to paraphase the President, that the political media in the United States has taken it upon themselves to legitimize Donald Trump's candidacy for the Presidency. This, in spite of all evidence pointing to Trump's total inability to understand policy, his disqualifying lack of temperament, and his constant lying. Constant, constant, lying."
"We are finally to the point where "folks are noticing" to paraphase the President, that the political media in the United States has taken it upon themselves to legitimize Donald Trump's candidacy for the Presidency. This, in spite of all evidence pointing to Trump's total inability to understand policy, his disqualifying lack of temperament, and his constant lying. Constant, constant, lying."
Donald Trump Keeps Saying Things That Would Destroy Any Other Presidential Candidate
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-veterans_us_57d16e09e4b03d2d4598a87f?auxtdibl9qqia4i
"expectations for Donald Trump have been set so exceedingly low that there is virtually nothing he could do to imperil his candidacy."
"expectations for Donald Trump have been set so exceedingly low that there is virtually nothing he could do to imperil his candidacy."
Why is the New York Times political section massively altering articles after release?
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/8/1567913/-Why-is-the-New-York-Times-political-section-massively-altering-articles-after-release
"The level of Trump-praise in the articles included painting the Republican candidate as audacious, bold, and a risk-taker while still being measured, diplomatic."
"The level of Trump-praise in the articles included painting the Republican candidate as audacious, bold, and a risk-taker while still being measured, diplomatic."
Matt Lauer Ignores Trump’s Lies
https://thinkprogress.org/lauer-trump-lies-6be9af21fee0#.kemu7d4kw
"By not holding Trump accountable for his past statements, Lauer left millions of potential voters who tuned in with the impression that the Republican nominee had prescient judgment with regard to American involvement in both Iraq and Libya
"By not holding Trump accountable for his past statements, Lauer left millions of potential voters who tuned in with the impression that the Republican nominee had prescient judgment with regard to American involvement in both Iraq and Libya
Thursday, September 15, 2016
The Trump Organization’s Secretive Global Financial Web
The Trump Organization’s Secretive Global Financial Web
"Never before has an American candidate for president had so many financial ties with American allies and enemies, and never before has a business posed such a threat to the United States."
"Never before has an American candidate for president had so many financial ties with American allies and enemies, and never before has a business posed such a threat to the United States."
Police hunt for Trump supporter who sucker-punched 69-year-old woman outside NC rally
Police hunt for Trump supporter who sucker-punched 69-year-old woman outside NC rally
"Police in Asheville, North Carolina have issued a warrant for a South Carolina man after he allegedly sucker-punched a 69-year-old woman outside GOP nominee Donald Trump’s rally Monday night, reports WLOS. Police state that they arrested five people outside of the rally, and have issued a warrant for Richard Campbell of Edisto Island, South Carolina for assault on the woman."
"Police in Asheville, North Carolina have issued a warrant for a South Carolina man after he allegedly sucker-punched a 69-year-old woman outside GOP nominee Donald Trump’s rally Monday night, reports WLOS. Police state that they arrested five people outside of the rally, and have issued a warrant for Richard Campbell of Edisto Island, South Carolina for assault on the woman."
Here’s why it’s not surprising Trump wants to put the tycoon who killed Gawker on the Supreme Court
Here’s why it’s not surprising Trump wants to put the tycoon who killed Gawker on the Supreme Court
"Donald Trump, who has threatened to loosen libel laws to intimidate reporters, is reportedly considering appointing the billionaire who killed Gawker to the U.S. Supreme Court. Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist who founded PayPal and the CIA-backed data analysis firm Palantir, has been telling friends that Trump plans to nominate him to fill the vacancy left when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February"
"Donald Trump, who has threatened to loosen libel laws to intimidate reporters, is reportedly considering appointing the billionaire who killed Gawker to the U.S. Supreme Court. Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist who founded PayPal and the CIA-backed data analysis firm Palantir, has been telling friends that Trump plans to nominate him to fill the vacancy left when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February"
The B.S. I Witnessed on Wednesday is Exactly Why Trump Might Become Our Next President
The B.S. I Witnessed on Wednesday is Exactly Why Trump Might Become Our Next President
"The media is doing its best to make the 2016 presidential election as close as possible because they need drama to drive ratings. And with Hillary Clinton approaching double-digit leads over Donald Trump just a few weeks ago, I knew the media was going to desperately try to bring these polling results closer together."
"The media is doing its best to make the 2016 presidential election as close as possible because they need drama to drive ratings. And with Hillary Clinton approaching double-digit leads over Donald Trump just a few weeks ago, I knew the media was going to desperately try to bring these polling results closer together."
Obama Warns Media To Stop Covering Election Like A Reality Show
Obama Warns Media To Stop Covering Election Like A Reality Show
"During his rally in Philadelphia earlier today, President Obama took a few minutes to give the press hell for the way they've covered this campaign."
"During his rally in Philadelphia earlier today, President Obama took a few minutes to give the press hell for the way they've covered this campaign."
The Normalization of Evil in American Politics @alternet
The Normalization of Evil in American Politics @alternet:
"The racist, misogynist, authoritarian strain has always been there, but Trump’s candidacy has brought it into the mainstream. And media have helped."
"The racist, misogynist, authoritarian strain has always been there, but Trump’s candidacy has brought it into the mainstream. And media have helped."
176 Reasons Donald Trump Shouldn't Be President
http://www.gq.com/story/176-reasons-donald-trump-shouldnt-be-president-olbermann
"Every few generations, we Americans are called upon to defend our country. To defend it not so much from foreign dictators or war or terrorism, but from those here who have no commitment to progress or democracy or representative government—no commitment to anything except their own out-of-control minds and the bottomless pits of their egos. Our society has thrown up these people before: Joseph McCarthy. George Wallace. Father Coughlin. Jefferson Davis. Aaron Burr. The Know-Nothings. The Blacklisters. The America-Firsters. And we have always thrown them out. And now our generation has its own: the most dangerous individual ever nominated by a major party for the highest office in this country. His base wants few details and fewer facts; they just want to burn it down and blame their failures on the collective other. And Donald John Trump is their demonic messiah in Oompa Loompa's clothing. We must stop him. It is not pleasant. It is not fair that we have to do this. But it is our turn."
"Every few generations, we Americans are called upon to defend our country. To defend it not so much from foreign dictators or war or terrorism, but from those here who have no commitment to progress or democracy or representative government—no commitment to anything except their own out-of-control minds and the bottomless pits of their egos. Our society has thrown up these people before: Joseph McCarthy. George Wallace. Father Coughlin. Jefferson Davis. Aaron Burr. The Know-Nothings. The Blacklisters. The America-Firsters. And we have always thrown them out. And now our generation has its own: the most dangerous individual ever nominated by a major party for the highest office in this country. His base wants few details and fewer facts; they just want to burn it down and blame their failures on the collective other. And Donald John Trump is their demonic messiah in Oompa Loompa's clothing. We must stop him. It is not pleasant. It is not fair that we have to do this. But it is our turn."
He’s back: Keith Olbermann’s premiere episode absolutely eviscerates ‘demonic messiah’ Donald Trump
He’s back: Keith Olbermann’s premiere episode absolutely eviscerates ‘demonic messiah’ Donald Trump
"the 176 most egregious things Trumps had done since his campaign began last year."
"the 176 most egregious things Trumps had done since his campaign began last year."
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Dallas Morning News Endorses Dem Candidate For First Time Since WWII
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/dallas-morning-news-endorse-clinton-serious-candidate
"The endorsement marks the first time since World War II that the conservative-leaning newspaper has backed a Democratic candidate for commander in chief."
"The endorsement marks the first time since World War II that the conservative-leaning newspaper has backed a Democratic candidate for commander in chief."
Secret Meeting Reveals Trump Camp’s REAL Economic Plan, And It’s NOTHING Like What We’ve Heard
http://addictinginfo.org/2016/09/07/secret-meeting-reveals-trump-camps-real-economic-plan-and-its-nothing-like-what-weve-heard/
"Eliminating the entire department will probably cost us every national laboratory we have that deals with energy research and development. This includes the famous Los Alamos National Laboratory"
"Eliminating the entire department will probably cost us every national laboratory we have that deals with energy research and development. This includes the famous Los Alamos National Laboratory"
Trump's Insane Nondisclosure Agreement Forbids All Volunteers From Saying Anything Bad About Him, Ever @alternet
Trump's Insane Nondisclosure Agreement Forbids All Volunteers From Saying Anything Bad About Him, Ever @alternet:
"The Trump campaign now requires online volunteers who want to just make phone calls on behalf of the candidate to sign a wide-ranging 2,271 word non-disclosure agreement promising not to say anything disparaging about Trump, his family, or any related company, “and to prevent [their] employees from doing so.” The non-disparagement clause covers the duration of the volunteers’ service “and all times thereafter"."
"The Trump campaign now requires online volunteers who want to just make phone calls on behalf of the candidate to sign a wide-ranging 2,271 word non-disclosure agreement promising not to say anything disparaging about Trump, his family, or any related company, “and to prevent [their] employees from doing so.” The non-disparagement clause covers the duration of the volunteers’ service “and all times thereafter"."
Donald Trump's Senior Economic Adviser is a F*cking Idiot
http://thedailybanter.com/2016/09/trumps-senior-economic-adviser-is-a-fcking-idiot/
"Despite being a Fox News personality, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and Wall St Journal columnist, Moore appears to know absolutely nothing about how real economies work -- a fact not lost on other real economists."
"Despite being a Fox News personality, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and Wall St Journal columnist, Moore appears to know absolutely nothing about how real economies work -- a fact not lost on other real economists."
Trump Legally Prohibits Volunteers From Saying Anything Bad About Him — Forever
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-requires-volunteers-sign-nondisclosure-agreement-bb240eb080f6#.k1xc2oey9
"Corey Lewandowski is a CNN contributor even though he’s subject to a nondisclosure agreement legally prohibiting him from criticizing Trump, his family, or any of his businesses. Suffice it to say Trump’s former campaign manager has lived up to his end of the bargain — Lewandowski basically serves as a paid Trump campaign source during his CNN appearances. On the other side of the spectrum, Trump recently filed a $10 million lawsuit against former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg for allegedly violating that same NDA."
"Corey Lewandowski is a CNN contributor even though he’s subject to a nondisclosure agreement legally prohibiting him from criticizing Trump, his family, or any of his businesses. Suffice it to say Trump’s former campaign manager has lived up to his end of the bargain — Lewandowski basically serves as a paid Trump campaign source during his CNN appearances. On the other side of the spectrum, Trump recently filed a $10 million lawsuit against former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg for allegedly violating that same NDA."
CNN's Corey Lewandowski Flat-Out Lies About Trump's History Of Using Undocumented Workers
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/09/07/cnns-corey-lewandowski-flat-out-lies-about-trumps-history-using-undocumented-workers/212892
"Lewandowski has received criticism recently for his continued ties to the Trump campaign including prepping Trump for the debates and travelling with the candidate to campaign stops while continuing to being paid to shill for Trump on CNN."
"Lewandowski has received criticism recently for his continued ties to the Trump campaign including prepping Trump for the debates and travelling with the candidate to campaign stops while continuing to being paid to shill for Trump on CNN."
Texas official: Donald Trump a 'scam artist' who was 'protected by politics' in Trump U scandal
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/6/1567191/-Texas-official-Donald-Trump-a-scam-artist-who-was-protected-by-politics-in-Trump-U-scandal
"The Trump University case would seem to have all the ingredients of not just a media sensation, but a genuine someone-goes-to-jail scandal. It includes defrauding people down on their luck, a fake “university” using cheaply produced plagiarized materials, and high-pressure sales techniques from “instructors” who were actually salesmen. Their job was to tease that the real secrets were just ahead, so that students would keep paying. The case even includes Donald Trump’s numerous racist attacks on a judge because of his Mexican heritage."
"The Trump University case would seem to have all the ingredients of not just a media sensation, but a genuine someone-goes-to-jail scandal. It includes defrauding people down on their luck, a fake “university” using cheaply produced plagiarized materials, and high-pressure sales techniques from “instructors” who were actually salesmen. Their job was to tease that the real secrets were just ahead, so that students would keep paying. The case even includes Donald Trump’s numerous racist attacks on a judge because of his Mexican heritage."
Today In Trump Supporters Behaving Badly - Candidate Wishes Rape On Reporter
Today In Trump Supporters Behaving Badly - Candidate Wishes Rape On Reporter
"Mike had a disagreement with Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi and like any reasonable intelligent person.... Oh wait, he's a Trump supporter!"
"Mike had a disagreement with Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi and like any reasonable intelligent person.... Oh wait, he's a Trump supporter!"
Rudy Giuliani Fixed Trump's Little Mob Problem
Rudy Giuliani Fixed Trump's Little Mob Problem
"Rudy and Donald first got together in the late 1980s shortly before Donald became a co-chair of Giuliani's first fundraiser for his 1989 mayoral campaign, sitting on the Waldorf dais and steering $41,000 to the campaign. A year earlier, Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump's role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city's largest gambling ring."
"Rudy and Donald first got together in the late 1980s shortly before Donald became a co-chair of Giuliani's first fundraiser for his 1989 mayoral campaign, sitting on the Waldorf dais and steering $41,000 to the campaign. A year earlier, Tony Lombardi, the federal agent closest to then-U.S. Attorney Giuliani, opened a probe of Trump's role in the suspect sale of two Trump Tower apartments to Robert Hopkins, the mob-connected head of the city's largest gambling ring."
Donald Trump’s Connections To Florida’s Attorney General Just Got Shadier (Updated)
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-bondi-gets-shadier-902eba59e15b#.uy3i4ux3v
"Bondi dropped her state’s investigation into the now-defunct Trump University in October 2013, shortly after Trump made the sizable and likely illegal donation to her campaign."
"Bondi dropped her state’s investigation into the now-defunct Trump University in October 2013, shortly after Trump made the sizable and likely illegal donation to her campaign."
Seth Meyers Hilariously Lambasts Trump's Attempt to Capture the Black Vote @alternet
Seth Meyers Hilariously Lambasts Trump's Attempt to Capture the Black Vote @alternet:
"Among Trump's biggest problems in recuiting black voters is his persistence as a birther. After publicly doubting for years that President Obama was born in America and repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of his Hawaiian birth certificate, Trump's new position that he "doesn't talk about it anymore," just isn't going to cut it."
"Among Trump's biggest problems in recuiting black voters is his persistence as a birther. After publicly doubting for years that President Obama was born in America and repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of his Hawaiian birth certificate, Trump's new position that he "doesn't talk about it anymore," just isn't going to cut it."
Trump says his tax plan is 'going to cost me a fortune'—and he’s lying
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/08/14/1558971/-Trump-says-his-tax-plan-is-going-to-cost-me-a-fortune-and-he-s-lying
"President Trump would give himself and his children a massive tax cut now, and a huge windfall later. Last year, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated Donald Trump's tax plan (table above) would blow a $9.5 trillion hole in federal revenue between 2017 and 2026. While his revised August 8, 2016 scheme would lower than price tag somewhat (due to his higher 12/25/33 income tax rates), the overall impact is little changed. The rich would reap the lion's share of the tax cuts. Trump's plan is going to cost Uncle Sam a fortune. But Donald Trump? Not so much."
"President Trump would give himself and his children a massive tax cut now, and a huge windfall later. Last year, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated Donald Trump's tax plan (table above) would blow a $9.5 trillion hole in federal revenue between 2017 and 2026. While his revised August 8, 2016 scheme would lower than price tag somewhat (due to his higher 12/25/33 income tax rates), the overall impact is little changed. The rich would reap the lion's share of the tax cuts. Trump's plan is going to cost Uncle Sam a fortune. But Donald Trump? Not so much."
Hillary Clinton leads among business economists, Trump comes in third
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/23/1562820/-Hillary-Clinton-leads-among-business-economists-Trump-comes-in-third
"Six out of 10 of the business economists surveyed say that his presence in the election and uncertainty surrounding it "is holding back economic growth at least somewhat." There goes the Republican brand."
"Six out of 10 of the business economists surveyed say that his presence in the election and uncertainty surrounding it "is holding back economic growth at least somewhat." There goes the Republican brand."
Business Bashes Trump While Warning That His Presidency Could Cause a Global Recession
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/25/citigroup-warns-trump-presidency-global-recession.html
"Reports showing that the economy would “weaken significantly” under Trump’s policies aren’t new. In June, a Moody’s analysis warned that during Trump’s first term we would reduce employment by 3.5 million jobs and a heavy recession would hit the nation."
"Reports showing that the economy would “weaken significantly” under Trump’s policies aren’t new. In June, a Moody’s analysis warned that during Trump’s first term we would reduce employment by 3.5 million jobs and a heavy recession would hit the nation."
Fox's Chris Wallace: Not My Job To Be A 'Truth Squad' While Moderating Debate
Fox's Chris Wallace: Not My Job To Be A 'Truth Squad' While Moderating Debate
"Trump's efforts to influence the debate moderator selection seem to have paid off."
"Trump's efforts to influence the debate moderator selection seem to have paid off."
Former models for Donald Trump's agency say they violated immigration rules and worked illegally
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/donald-trump-model-management-illegal-immigration
"Foreigners who visit the United States as tourists are generally not permitted to engage in any sort of employment unless they obtain a special visa, a process that typically entails an employer applying for approval on behalf of a prospective employee. Employers risk fines and possible criminal charges for using undocumented labor."
"Foreigners who visit the United States as tourists are generally not permitted to engage in any sort of employment unless they obtain a special visa, a process that typically entails an employer applying for approval on behalf of a prospective employee. Employers risk fines and possible criminal charges for using undocumented labor."
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