Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Patience and Secrecy in the Kochs' Complex Conspiracy
Patience and Secrecy in the Kochs' Complex Conspiracy:
"In 1933, a handful of wealthy Wall Streeters were upset that the newly elected president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, had dared to tax the rich in order to fund programs to lessen the painful poverty people were experiencing due to the Great Depression. They were so upset that they came up with a ridiculous plan to overthrow Roosevelt and install a military government. Due to their own ineptitude and hubris, their plan failed, and important poverty-busting programs of the New Deal like Social Security, the Works Progress Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority put people to work, pulled them out of desperate poverty and propelled the country into the 20th century. It's tempting to brush off 1933's bumbling fat cats — we can just picture them cloistered in their posh private club, smoking $100 cigars, grumping about Roosevelt and whispering about hiring a private army to overthrow the whole damn democratic process. However, our nation's common good is constantly under attack from plutocrats, kleptocrats and kakistocrats who want to line their pockets at the expense of workaday Americans. But while the 1933 plot was hairbrained, their plutocratic intent is no laughing matter. Their presumption of class privilege — the warped idea that their great wealth entitled them to rule over and even impoverish the many — is not unique. The Wall Street Putsch died and was buried in 1934, but it is just one manifestation of a deadly serious social disease that has infected the history of democratic struggles. And now, that sickness has grown more virulent, confronting us in the form of a complex, sophisticated web of efforts funded by brothers Charles and David Koch and their billionaire buddies who share the same set of extreme, kleptocratic beliefs that guided last century's class-war militants"
"In 1933, a handful of wealthy Wall Streeters were upset that the newly elected president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, had dared to tax the rich in order to fund programs to lessen the painful poverty people were experiencing due to the Great Depression. They were so upset that they came up with a ridiculous plan to overthrow Roosevelt and install a military government. Due to their own ineptitude and hubris, their plan failed, and important poverty-busting programs of the New Deal like Social Security, the Works Progress Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority put people to work, pulled them out of desperate poverty and propelled the country into the 20th century. It's tempting to brush off 1933's bumbling fat cats — we can just picture them cloistered in their posh private club, smoking $100 cigars, grumping about Roosevelt and whispering about hiring a private army to overthrow the whole damn democratic process. However, our nation's common good is constantly under attack from plutocrats, kleptocrats and kakistocrats who want to line their pockets at the expense of workaday Americans. But while the 1933 plot was hairbrained, their plutocratic intent is no laughing matter. Their presumption of class privilege — the warped idea that their great wealth entitled them to rule over and even impoverish the many — is not unique. The Wall Street Putsch died and was buried in 1934, but it is just one manifestation of a deadly serious social disease that has infected the history of democratic struggles. And now, that sickness has grown more virulent, confronting us in the form of a complex, sophisticated web of efforts funded by brothers Charles and David Koch and their billionaire buddies who share the same set of extreme, kleptocratic beliefs that guided last century's class-war militants"
Friday, May 4, 2018
Trump’s lies about Stormy Daniels and his lawyers are a reminder: never trust this White House
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/3/17312558/trump-lie-stormy-daniels-cohen-giuliani
"Giuliani’s admission was shocking because it revealed the lie: Trump’s April claim that he knew nothing about Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels. Compared to that revelation — which has obvious consequences for the ongoing legal battle between Daniels and Trump — the lawyer shake-up and the lies it revealed may seem like small ball. But that’s the point: The president and his administration lie about things big and small alike, simply because they can."
"Giuliani’s admission was shocking because it revealed the lie: Trump’s April claim that he knew nothing about Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels. Compared to that revelation — which has obvious consequences for the ongoing legal battle between Daniels and Trump — the lawyer shake-up and the lies it revealed may seem like small ball. But that’s the point: The president and his administration lie about things big and small alike, simply because they can."
Donald Trump Has Managed To Tell 3,001 Lies As President. Here Are Five Of His Best
https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a20111768/donald-trump-has-managed-to-tell-3001-lies-as-president-here-are-five-of-his-best/
"he's managed to hit 3,000 false or misleading public statements in the 466 days since he took the oath of office! Congrats Donny. That faint popping sound you can hear is either congratulatory champagne corks or beleaguered political hacks' craniums exploding. That figure includes untrue statements, claims that aren't backed up by facts and changes of position on events or policies which aren't acknowledged as such. According to the Washington Post, which has been diligently noting down every single falsehood along with The Fact Checker's database, Trump's 3,001 untrue claims have come at a quicker rate lately. In the first 100 days, he told 4.9 lies, whereas in the last two months he's told an average of nine a day. It isn't just the frequency of his lying that's a surprise either - it's the repetition of old lies. The Washington Post found Trump repeated 113 untrue claims at least three times apiece."
"he's managed to hit 3,000 false or misleading public statements in the 466 days since he took the oath of office! Congrats Donny. That faint popping sound you can hear is either congratulatory champagne corks or beleaguered political hacks' craniums exploding. That figure includes untrue statements, claims that aren't backed up by facts and changes of position on events or policies which aren't acknowledged as such. According to the Washington Post, which has been diligently noting down every single falsehood along with The Fact Checker's database, Trump's 3,001 untrue claims have come at a quicker rate lately. In the first 100 days, he told 4.9 lies, whereas in the last two months he's told an average of nine a day. It isn't just the frequency of his lying that's a surprise either - it's the repetition of old lies. The Washington Post found Trump repeated 113 untrue claims at least three times apiece."
Paul Ryan warns that if Dems win, they’ll hold Trump accountable
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/paul-ryan-warns-if-dems-win-theyll-hold-trump-accountable
"House Speaker Paul Ryan warned that Democratic gains in November’s congressional elections could make it impossible to get anything accomplished and expose President Donald Trump’s administration to more aggressive oversight. Should Republicans lose control of either the House or Senate, “you’ll have gridlock, you’ll have subpoenas,” with the whole legislative system “shutting down,” Ryan said Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California, at the annual Milken Institute Global Conference. This is not a good argument. Just at face value, I don’t imagine many political observers would say the legislative process has worked efficiently and effectively since the GOP took control of the levers of federal power – they’ve passed one big bill, and they did so in a reckless way, rife with mistakes and abuses – which makes dire warnings about “gridlock” difficult to take seriously. For that matter, there have been plenty of times in American history in which the parties have shared power in D.C. For Ryan to assume that the entire system would “shut down” if Republicans had to compromise with Democrats is a mistake. But it’s use of the word “subpoenas” that jumped out at me. What the retiring House Speaker seemed to suggest was that Democrats, if given any meaningful authority in Congress, would take steps to hold the president accountable for his actions. Or put another way, Ryan wants voters to back Republican candidates in order to ensure that the pro-Trump cover-up can continue on Capitol Hill. “Vote GOP in 2018,” the slogan effectively goes, “We’re against oversight and accountability for Republican presidents"."
"House Speaker Paul Ryan warned that Democratic gains in November’s congressional elections could make it impossible to get anything accomplished and expose President Donald Trump’s administration to more aggressive oversight. Should Republicans lose control of either the House or Senate, “you’ll have gridlock, you’ll have subpoenas,” with the whole legislative system “shutting down,” Ryan said Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California, at the annual Milken Institute Global Conference. This is not a good argument. Just at face value, I don’t imagine many political observers would say the legislative process has worked efficiently and effectively since the GOP took control of the levers of federal power – they’ve passed one big bill, and they did so in a reckless way, rife with mistakes and abuses – which makes dire warnings about “gridlock” difficult to take seriously. For that matter, there have been plenty of times in American history in which the parties have shared power in D.C. For Ryan to assume that the entire system would “shut down” if Republicans had to compromise with Democrats is a mistake. But it’s use of the word “subpoenas” that jumped out at me. What the retiring House Speaker seemed to suggest was that Democrats, if given any meaningful authority in Congress, would take steps to hold the president accountable for his actions. Or put another way, Ryan wants voters to back Republican candidates in order to ensure that the pro-Trump cover-up can continue on Capitol Hill. “Vote GOP in 2018,” the slogan effectively goes, “We’re against oversight and accountability for Republican presidents"."
Watch: Supercut of all the times Sarah Sanders lied about Stormy Daniels hush-money payout
Watch: Supercut of all the times Sarah Sanders lied about Stormy Daniels hush-money payout:
"The jig is up, thanks to Rudy Giuliani. After months of lying about what the president knew and when he knew it with regards to the hush-money pay-out to Stormy Daniels, the president’s new lawyer went on Fox News last night and admitted that Trump knew about the payment by his attorney Michael Cohen to the porn star."
"The jig is up, thanks to Rudy Giuliani. After months of lying about what the president knew and when he knew it with regards to the hush-money pay-out to Stormy Daniels, the president’s new lawyer went on Fox News last night and admitted that Trump knew about the payment by his attorney Michael Cohen to the porn star."
White House spokesperson: 'We give the very best information that we have' (i.e. lies)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/3/1761788/-White-House-spokesperson-We-give-the-very-best-information-that-we-have-i-e-lies
"So about all that lying: Reporters were curious why anyone should believe her or Trump for that matter, who totally lied aboard Air Force One in March when he said he knew nothing about the payment. "When the president, or the White House, shows what appears to be a blatant disregard for the truth, how are the American people to trust or believe what is said here or what is said by the president?" asked Jon Karl. Sanders again said: "We give the very best information that we have at the time." Apparently the "best information" is lot like Trump’s "best people," many of whom have turned out to be corrupt, power-hungry, incompetent, thieves. Of course, the president didn't give the best information on Air Force One. He lied. And when Sanders was asked directly about the lie Trump peddled on Air Force One that he didn't know about payments, Sanders appeared to lie again."
"So about all that lying: Reporters were curious why anyone should believe her or Trump for that matter, who totally lied aboard Air Force One in March when he said he knew nothing about the payment. "When the president, or the White House, shows what appears to be a blatant disregard for the truth, how are the American people to trust or believe what is said here or what is said by the president?" asked Jon Karl. Sanders again said: "We give the very best information that we have at the time." Apparently the "best information" is lot like Trump’s "best people," many of whom have turned out to be corrupt, power-hungry, incompetent, thieves. Of course, the president didn't give the best information on Air Force One. He lied. And when Sanders was asked directly about the lie Trump peddled on Air Force One that he didn't know about payments, Sanders appeared to lie again."
Health Policy Expert Says Republicans Have 'Secret' Plan to Repeal Obamacare @alternet
Health Policy Expert Says Republicans Have 'Secret' Plan to Repeal Obamacare @alternet:
"former Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum is leading a group of lawmakers and donors to push for repeal."
"former Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum is leading a group of lawmakers and donors to push for repeal."
McConnell remaking the judiciary in Trump's image for the next generation
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/27/1760412/-McConnell-remaking-the-judiciary-in-Trump-s-image-for-the-next-generation
"In addition to those 15 appeals court confirmations, McConnell's pushed through 17 to district courts. And, of course, Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court—all of them in the image of Antonin Scalia, or worse. Consider Wendy Vitter who seems to believe that birth control kills, abortion causes cancer, and that schools should not have been desegrated. In fact, four considered in committee this week—Alan D. Albright, Thomas S. Kleeh, Peter J. Phipps, and Michael J. Truncale—did not raise their hands when Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked which of them believe Brown v. Board of Education was correctly decided. Before leaving for the next week on Thursday, McConnell filed for cloture on six more nominees, all for appeals courts. These votes will occur soon after they return to work on May 7."
"In addition to those 15 appeals court confirmations, McConnell's pushed through 17 to district courts. And, of course, Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court—all of them in the image of Antonin Scalia, or worse. Consider Wendy Vitter who seems to believe that birth control kills, abortion causes cancer, and that schools should not have been desegrated. In fact, four considered in committee this week—Alan D. Albright, Thomas S. Kleeh, Peter J. Phipps, and Michael J. Truncale—did not raise their hands when Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked which of them believe Brown v. Board of Education was correctly decided. Before leaving for the next week on Thursday, McConnell filed for cloture on six more nominees, all for appeals courts. These votes will occur soon after they return to work on May 7."
Most Americans believe Russia has 'kompromat' on Trump
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/27/1760386/-Most-Americans-believe-Russia-has-kompromat-on-Trump
"Just think about that for a second: Most Americans now believe Russia has the type of damaging information, or 'kompromat,' that could be used to effectively turn Trump into a spy for them or, at the very least, get him to do their bidding. In other words, most Americans think Russia has the ability to potentially pressure the president of the United States to act against the best interests of the United States."
"Just think about that for a second: Most Americans now believe Russia has the type of damaging information, or 'kompromat,' that could be used to effectively turn Trump into a spy for them or, at the very least, get him to do their bidding. In other words, most Americans think Russia has the ability to potentially pressure the president of the United States to act against the best interests of the United States."
Before It Stopped Cooperating With Mueller, Ukraine Hired GOP Lobbyists. Hmm.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/ukraine-hired-gop-firm-obstructed-mueller-investigation.html
"(Ukraine had previously supplied investigators with important evidence, like incriminating details of Paul Manafort’s secret payments from a Russian-backed party.) The weapons sale was the stated reason for this turnabout. I suggested the weapons sale might have been, at least in part, a bribe intended to induce Ukraine to withhold cooperation from Mueller. Natasha Bertrand reports out more details on how the deal went down in Ukraine. The Ukrainians hired a Republican lobbying firm: The Ukrainian government hired Haley Barbour, former Republican National Committee chairman and founding partner of BGR Group, to lobby in the United States just after Trump was elected, according to foreign lobbying registration documents filed with the Justice Department. Ed Rogers, the chairman of BGR, was hired for the lobbying work, too. The firm has ties to this White House: The Trump transition team held meetings with lobbyists at BGR Group’s offices, according to the Washington Post. And Rogers is “as inner circle Jeff Sessions as they come,” a source with knowledge of their relationship told me on condition of anonymity, referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (Both men are from Alabama.) BGR also worked with Corey Lewandowski. Ed Rogers! Readers of this space will recognize Rogers as America’s Worst Columnist. In addition to his inability either to present a coherent argument or to write passable prose, Rogers, who somehow has a perch at the Washington Post op-ed page, is also a working lobbyist who brings massive, undisclosed conflicts of interest to virtually every topic he attempts to cover. Rogers has repeatedly argued (or, to put it more accurately, asserted) that Trump has not colluded with the Russian government. I don’t recall any of his columns mentioning the fact that he was lobbying on behalf of the Ukrainian government. And of course, this relationship would seem to make it all the more likely that the arms deal involved a quid pro quo."
"(Ukraine had previously supplied investigators with important evidence, like incriminating details of Paul Manafort’s secret payments from a Russian-backed party.) The weapons sale was the stated reason for this turnabout. I suggested the weapons sale might have been, at least in part, a bribe intended to induce Ukraine to withhold cooperation from Mueller. Natasha Bertrand reports out more details on how the deal went down in Ukraine. The Ukrainians hired a Republican lobbying firm: The Ukrainian government hired Haley Barbour, former Republican National Committee chairman and founding partner of BGR Group, to lobby in the United States just after Trump was elected, according to foreign lobbying registration documents filed with the Justice Department. Ed Rogers, the chairman of BGR, was hired for the lobbying work, too. The firm has ties to this White House: The Trump transition team held meetings with lobbyists at BGR Group’s offices, according to the Washington Post. And Rogers is “as inner circle Jeff Sessions as they come,” a source with knowledge of their relationship told me on condition of anonymity, referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (Both men are from Alabama.) BGR also worked with Corey Lewandowski. Ed Rogers! Readers of this space will recognize Rogers as America’s Worst Columnist. In addition to his inability either to present a coherent argument or to write passable prose, Rogers, who somehow has a perch at the Washington Post op-ed page, is also a working lobbyist who brings massive, undisclosed conflicts of interest to virtually every topic he attempts to cover. Rogers has repeatedly argued (or, to put it more accurately, asserted) that Trump has not colluded with the Russian government. I don’t recall any of his columns mentioning the fact that he was lobbying on behalf of the Ukrainian government. And of course, this relationship would seem to make it all the more likely that the arms deal involved a quid pro quo."
Recognizing Powerful Interests Running the Joint, More Than 75% of Americans Back Campaign Finance Reform
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/27/recognizing-powerful-interests-running-joint-more-75-americans-back-campaign-finance
"Amidst a widely-shared recognition that the country is effectively being run by powerful special interests, a new poll out Friday shows that more than 3 out of 4 Americans now support serious campaign finance reform as a way to mitigate the corrupting influence of money in the nation's democracy."
"Amidst a widely-shared recognition that the country is effectively being run by powerful special interests, a new poll out Friday shows that more than 3 out of 4 Americans now support serious campaign finance reform as a way to mitigate the corrupting influence of money in the nation's democracy."
After Mulvaney Admitted Selling Access to Lobbyists in Congress, Warren Wants to Know If He's Doing the Same at CFPB
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/27/after-mulvaney-admitted-selling-access-lobbyists-congress-warren-wants-know-if-hes
"White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney has already admitted that he sold access to lobbyists as a member of Congress, but now Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is demanding to know whether he's doing the same as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), given that "almost every major decision he's made" at the agency has rewarded his campaign donors."
"White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney has already admitted that he sold access to lobbyists as a member of Congress, but now Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is demanding to know whether he's doing the same as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), given that "almost every major decision he's made" at the agency has rewarded his campaign donors."
Sen. Warren grills Mulvaney on trading access for campaign cash
https://thinkprogress.org/warren-confronts-mulvaney-on-lobbyist-meetings-5e52fef49d1b/
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is demanding answers from the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney, who also serves as the Director of the Office of Budget and Management, has been under fire in recent days after it was reported he gave the swampiest speech imaginable before a group of banking executives Tuesday. “What you do here matters,” he said, speaking at the American Bankers Association conference in Washington, D.C. “We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. If you came from back home and sat in my lobby, I talked to you without exception regardless of the financial contributions.” Yes, that is a former congressman and current member of the president’s Cabinet admitting that lobbyists who failed to donate to his campaign would have no chance of meeting with him."
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is demanding answers from the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney, who also serves as the Director of the Office of Budget and Management, has been under fire in recent days after it was reported he gave the swampiest speech imaginable before a group of banking executives Tuesday. “What you do here matters,” he said, speaking at the American Bankers Association conference in Washington, D.C. “We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. If you came from back home and sat in my lobby, I talked to you without exception regardless of the financial contributions.” Yes, that is a former congressman and current member of the president’s Cabinet admitting that lobbyists who failed to donate to his campaign would have no chance of meeting with him."
Manafort just lost a case that would have undermined Mueller’s probe
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/4/27/17291900/manafort-mueller-civil-case-lose-berman-jackson
"Manafort still has to face 44 charges and a combined 305 years of jail time."
"Manafort still has to face 44 charges and a combined 305 years of jail time."
Turns out Don Jr.’s meeting at Trump Tower was with a Russian agent
https://thinkprogress.org/don-jr-met-with-russian-informant-1a0e83efc586/
"The Russian lawyer whom Donald Trump Jr. hosted during his infamous meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016 — Natalia Veselnitskaya — has insisted she is not Kremlin spy. The Trump campaign’s allies bought this assertion hook, line, and sinker. But according to newly-released emails from a Russian watchdog group, as well as Veselnitskaya’s own admission in a forthcoming television interview, she has been an informant for the Russian government for years. “I am a lawyer, and I am an informant,” she said in an interview with NBC News to be broadcast on Friday, according to the New York Times. “Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general"."
"The Russian lawyer whom Donald Trump Jr. hosted during his infamous meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016 — Natalia Veselnitskaya — has insisted she is not Kremlin spy. The Trump campaign’s allies bought this assertion hook, line, and sinker. But according to newly-released emails from a Russian watchdog group, as well as Veselnitskaya’s own admission in a forthcoming television interview, she has been an informant for the Russian government for years. “I am a lawyer, and I am an informant,” she said in an interview with NBC News to be broadcast on Friday, according to the New York Times. “Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general"."
We Have a New Lie Associated with Trump Jr.'s Infamous Trump Tower Meeting
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a20084850/russian-lawyer-trump-tower-kremlin/
"Few meetings in a dour modernist skyscraper have led to as much relentless lying as the infamous Trump Tower rendezvous of June 2016. Three senior members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign—Donald Trump, Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner—linked up with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, under the express pretense she would provide them with dirt on Hillary Clinton. Nearly every dimension of the meet-up has been spun, mischaracterized, or straight-up lied about since. Junior first suggested the meeting was about "Russian adoption." Then we learned Junior was promised the dirt in advance, which the president's genius spawn confirmed by tweeting out seemingly incriminating emails when he learned The New York Times had obtained them. Those emails also showed that Junior knew prior to the meeting that Russia was trying to influence the 2016 election to benefit his father's campaign—a suggestion he laughed off in an interview with Jake Tapper two weeks after the meeting. (The subject line of the emails was literally, “Russia - Clinton - private and confidential.") Later, it emerged that five more people were also at the gathering. But all the while, Veselnitskaya maintained she was a private attorney working on the issue of Russian adoption. This hardly passed the laugh test considering she was participating in part of a Kremlin operation to influence the election, but it's always nice to have further proof. So cometh The New York Times on Friday, with the news Veselnitskaya is a lot closer to Kremlin bigwigs than she was willing to admit"
"Few meetings in a dour modernist skyscraper have led to as much relentless lying as the infamous Trump Tower rendezvous of June 2016. Three senior members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign—Donald Trump, Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner—linked up with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, under the express pretense she would provide them with dirt on Hillary Clinton. Nearly every dimension of the meet-up has been spun, mischaracterized, or straight-up lied about since. Junior first suggested the meeting was about "Russian adoption." Then we learned Junior was promised the dirt in advance, which the president's genius spawn confirmed by tweeting out seemingly incriminating emails when he learned The New York Times had obtained them. Those emails also showed that Junior knew prior to the meeting that Russia was trying to influence the 2016 election to benefit his father's campaign—a suggestion he laughed off in an interview with Jake Tapper two weeks after the meeting. (The subject line of the emails was literally, “Russia - Clinton - private and confidential.") Later, it emerged that five more people were also at the gathering. But all the while, Veselnitskaya maintained she was a private attorney working on the issue of Russian adoption. This hardly passed the laugh test considering she was participating in part of a Kremlin operation to influence the election, but it's always nice to have further proof. So cometh The New York Times on Friday, with the news Veselnitskaya is a lot closer to Kremlin bigwigs than she was willing to admit"
Thursday, May 3, 2018
New information shows that Russian lawyer from Trump Tower meeting had top Kremlin connection
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/27/1760302/-New-information-shows-that-Russian-lawyer-from-Trump-Tower-meeting-had-top-Kremlin-connection
"What seemed to be obvious almost a year ago, now appears to be confirmed. The previously undisclosed details about Ms. Veselnitskaya rekindle questions about who she was representing when she met with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and others at Trump Tower in Manhattan during the campaign. The meeting, one focus of the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference, was organized after an intermediary promised that Ms. Veselnitskaya would deliver documents that would incriminate Mrs. Clinton. The Russians stole documents. They promised documents to Trump. They met to discuss those documents. The documents were delivered through WikiLeaks. Trump operatives had advance knowledge of both contents and timing on WikiLeaks releases. Donald Trump Jr. had communications with WikiLeaks to strategize on releases. Donald Trump used that information in his campaign rallies. Both Cambridge Analytica and Russian operatives used the information in stories targeted at key voter districts. They used the Democratic voter-turnout model they had stolen to target voters for suppression. They lied about every step. That’s a conspiracy. And every step of that conspiracy is now public knowledge."
"What seemed to be obvious almost a year ago, now appears to be confirmed. The previously undisclosed details about Ms. Veselnitskaya rekindle questions about who she was representing when she met with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and others at Trump Tower in Manhattan during the campaign. The meeting, one focus of the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference, was organized after an intermediary promised that Ms. Veselnitskaya would deliver documents that would incriminate Mrs. Clinton. The Russians stole documents. They promised documents to Trump. They met to discuss those documents. The documents were delivered through WikiLeaks. Trump operatives had advance knowledge of both contents and timing on WikiLeaks releases. Donald Trump Jr. had communications with WikiLeaks to strategize on releases. Donald Trump used that information in his campaign rallies. Both Cambridge Analytica and Russian operatives used the information in stories targeted at key voter districts. They used the Democratic voter-turnout model they had stolen to target voters for suppression. They lied about every step. That’s a conspiracy. And every step of that conspiracy is now public knowledge."
Fox News poll: Most Americans think Mueller's probe will find Trump committed impeachable offenses
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/26/1760219/-FOX-Poll-Most-Americans-think-Mueller-s-probe-will-find-Trump-committed-impeachable-offenses
"A Fox News poll released this week found that most Americans believe the Russia probe will yield impeachable offenses and a solid two-thirds of the public think completing the probe is important to some extent."
"A Fox News poll released this week found that most Americans believe the Russia probe will yield impeachable offenses and a solid two-thirds of the public think completing the probe is important to some extent."
GOP lawmaker resigns so he can avoid an investigation into sexual harassment settlement
GOP lawmaker resigns so he can avoid an investigation into sexual harassment settlement:
"Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA), a member of the House Ethics Committee who has used taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims made against him, announced on Friday that he would be resigning immediately. Meehan said that, while he believed he would have been cleared of any wrongdoing, he wanted to resign so that he could avoid an Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct."
"Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA), a member of the House Ethics Committee who has used taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims made against him, announced on Friday that he would be resigning immediately. Meehan said that, while he believed he would have been cleared of any wrongdoing, he wanted to resign so that he could avoid an Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct."
Trump’s three magical words: ‘People don’t realize’
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-three-magical-words-people-dont-realize
"In nearly every instance, when Trump says, “People don’t realize” – or its rhetorical cousin, “A lot of people don’t know that” – what he means is, “I recently learned some new detail, and since I wasn’t aware of it, I’m going to assume most people didn’t know it, either.” There are exceptions. Sometimes, for example, he’ll use the phrase to bolster a detail that’s false, but which he wants to be true. As a candidate, he insisted that “nobody knows” that the murder rate is at 45-year high. Of course, in reality, “nobody knows” that because it’s not true. Trump also believes that “a lot of people don’t know” that U.S. taxes are the highest in the world, which would be fascinating, if his point weren’t completely wrong. Other times, the president is more philosophical. “People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why?” he asked a year ago this week. But more often than not, he assumes Americans simply aren’t aware of fairly common details. Last summer, for example, Trump declared, “France is America’s first and oldest ally. A lot of people don’t know that.” Before that, he said, in reference to Abraham Lincoln, “Most people don’t even know he was a Republican. Right? Does anyone know? A lot of people don’t know that"."
"In nearly every instance, when Trump says, “People don’t realize” – or its rhetorical cousin, “A lot of people don’t know that” – what he means is, “I recently learned some new detail, and since I wasn’t aware of it, I’m going to assume most people didn’t know it, either.” There are exceptions. Sometimes, for example, he’ll use the phrase to bolster a detail that’s false, but which he wants to be true. As a candidate, he insisted that “nobody knows” that the murder rate is at 45-year high. Of course, in reality, “nobody knows” that because it’s not true. Trump also believes that “a lot of people don’t know” that U.S. taxes are the highest in the world, which would be fascinating, if his point weren’t completely wrong. Other times, the president is more philosophical. “People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why?” he asked a year ago this week. But more often than not, he assumes Americans simply aren’t aware of fairly common details. Last summer, for example, Trump declared, “France is America’s first and oldest ally. A lot of people don’t know that.” Before that, he said, in reference to Abraham Lincoln, “Most people don’t even know he was a Republican. Right? Does anyone know? A lot of people don’t know that"."
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
What Trump really means when he cries “fake news!”
https://www.salon.com/2018/04/28/what-trump-really-means-when-he-cries-fake-news/
"It’s particularly disconcerting to witness the way conservatives yell “fake news” at every unfavorable news story with an unmitigated glee. They know that cavalierly dismissing obviously factual stories as “fake” really aggravates liberals, and trolling the left is, for right-wingers circa 2018, an activity more pleasurable than sex. Calling obviously true news “fake news” is gaslighting, a form of manipulation where the manipulator tells blatant lies to the victim and, when called out, stands by the lies, often blaming the target’s supposed mental damage if the target insists that the truth is true. Gaslighting people, especially women, by calling them “crazy” for rejecting his lies is a favorite practice of Trump’s. He’s questioned the sanity of Mika Brzezinski, Megyn Kelly, Maureen Dowd and Bernie Sanders, among others, for the high crime of saying things about him that happened to be true. “In authoritarian governments,” Brian Klaas writes in "The Despot’s Apprentice," gaslighting “aims to force citizens to question their own sanity, rather than the government’s narrative. Winston’s experience in '1984' was an example of systematic gaslighting.” Most authoritarian governments go about gaslighting with the utmost seriousness, using the power of the state and social pressure to get citizens to agree, like Winston in "1984," that 2+2=5. The “fake news” gambit, however, is something different and possibly new. Rather than trying to induce insanity by making liberals question reality itself, conservatives are trying to make liberals go crazy by trolling them. All conservatives need to do is keep a straight face while insisting that they believe that 2+2=5, and liberals will exhaust all their mental and emotional reserves trying to explain that no, really, 2+2=4. Eventually, conservatives will point to the frazzled, distraught state of liberals begging people to believe that 2+2=4 and laugh and say, “What a nutjob!” What are conservatives thinking when they call something “fake news”? What is Trump thinking?
"It’s particularly disconcerting to witness the way conservatives yell “fake news” at every unfavorable news story with an unmitigated glee. They know that cavalierly dismissing obviously factual stories as “fake” really aggravates liberals, and trolling the left is, for right-wingers circa 2018, an activity more pleasurable than sex. Calling obviously true news “fake news” is gaslighting, a form of manipulation where the manipulator tells blatant lies to the victim and, when called out, stands by the lies, often blaming the target’s supposed mental damage if the target insists that the truth is true. Gaslighting people, especially women, by calling them “crazy” for rejecting his lies is a favorite practice of Trump’s. He’s questioned the sanity of Mika Brzezinski, Megyn Kelly, Maureen Dowd and Bernie Sanders, among others, for the high crime of saying things about him that happened to be true. “In authoritarian governments,” Brian Klaas writes in "The Despot’s Apprentice," gaslighting “aims to force citizens to question their own sanity, rather than the government’s narrative. Winston’s experience in '1984' was an example of systematic gaslighting.” Most authoritarian governments go about gaslighting with the utmost seriousness, using the power of the state and social pressure to get citizens to agree, like Winston in "1984," that 2+2=5. The “fake news” gambit, however, is something different and possibly new. Rather than trying to induce insanity by making liberals question reality itself, conservatives are trying to make liberals go crazy by trolling them. All conservatives need to do is keep a straight face while insisting that they believe that 2+2=5, and liberals will exhaust all their mental and emotional reserves trying to explain that no, really, 2+2=4. Eventually, conservatives will point to the frazzled, distraught state of liberals begging people to believe that 2+2=4 and laugh and say, “What a nutjob!” What are conservatives thinking when they call something “fake news”? What is Trump thinking?
A Couple Republican Elites Just Admitted Their Agenda Is Built on Lies
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/tom-price-admits-his-case-against-obamacare-was-full-of-lies.html
"In an interview with The Economist last week, Rubio confessed that the official rationale for his party’s corporate tax cut was bogus."
"In an interview with The Economist last week, Rubio confessed that the official rationale for his party’s corporate tax cut was bogus."
The Essential Trump Question: How Stupid Does He Think We Are?
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a20115732/trump-mueller-questions-leak/
"The leak was incredibly damaging to the president*’s case anyway. (Because he is not a fool, Mueller had to know the questions would leak from somewhere as soon as he threw them into the maw of the president*’s crack legal team.) If nothing else, it’s almost certain that Mueller knows the answer to all the questions on the list and a helluva lot more. In any case, if this slick move was supposed to make the president* look like the victim of Deep State hocus-pocus, it did exactly the opposite. Which is to be expected."
"The leak was incredibly damaging to the president*’s case anyway. (Because he is not a fool, Mueller had to know the questions would leak from somewhere as soon as he threw them into the maw of the president*’s crack legal team.) If nothing else, it’s almost certain that Mueller knows the answer to all the questions on the list and a helluva lot more. In any case, if this slick move was supposed to make the president* look like the victim of Deep State hocus-pocus, it did exactly the opposite. Which is to be expected."
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims so far
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/01/president-trump-has-made-3001-false-or-misleading-claims-so-far/?utm_term=.93535ddc997c
"In the 466 days since he took the oath of office, President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That’s an average of nearly 6.5 claims a day. When we first started this project for the president’s first 100 days, he averaged 4.9 claims a day. Slowly, the average number of claims has been creeping up. Indeed, since we last updated this tally two months ago, the president has averaged about 9 claims a day."
"In the 466 days since he took the oath of office, President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. That’s an average of nearly 6.5 claims a day. When we first started this project for the president’s first 100 days, he averaged 4.9 claims a day. Slowly, the average number of claims has been creeping up. Indeed, since we last updated this tally two months ago, the president has averaged about 9 claims a day."
Trump tweets about obstruction of justice, doesn’t understand criminal law
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-is-very-confused-about-obstruction-of-justice-f6304ea3a993/
"Trump’s latest tweet reveals that he has a very poor understanding of how the criminal law works, or what sort of actions constitute obstruction of justice."
"Trump’s latest tweet reveals that he has a very poor understanding of how the criminal law works, or what sort of actions constitute obstruction of justice."
Trump Celebrates 3,000 False Claims in Office With an Impressively False Claim
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a20111322/trump-3000-false-claims-no-collusion-questions/
"Apparently, in the last two months, Mr. 3,000 has stepped it up to nine false claims a day. Some days, the president really lets loose: Not every day is filled with falsehoods, but the president makes up for his slow days with days that offer an extraordinary number of misleading claims — such as 53 on July 25, 2017, or 49 on Nov. 29, 2017."
"Apparently, in the last two months, Mr. 3,000 has stepped it up to nine false claims a day. Some days, the president really lets loose: Not every day is filled with falsehoods, but the president makes up for his slow days with days that offer an extraordinary number of misleading claims — such as 53 on July 25, 2017, or 49 on Nov. 29, 2017."
Better Call Cohen: The Shady Cases of a Trump Lawyer's Personal Injury Practice
https://www.rollingstone.com/shady-cases-michael-cohen-personal-injury-practice-w519679
"Cohen represented numerous clients who were involved in deliberate, planned car crashes as part of an attempt to cheat insurance companies. Furthermore, investigations by insurers showed that several of Cohen's clients were affiliated with insurance fraud rings that repeatedly staged "accidents." And at least one person Cohen represented was indicted on criminal charges of insurance fraud while the lawsuit he had filed on her behalf was pending. Cohen also did legal work for a medical clinic whose principal was a doctor later convicted of insurance fraud for filing phony medical claims on purported "accident" victims. Taken together, a picture emerges that the personal attorney to the president of the United States was connected to a shadowy underworld of New York insurance fraud, a pervasive problem dominated by Russian organized crime that was costing the state's drivers an estimated $1 billion a year."
"Cohen represented numerous clients who were involved in deliberate, planned car crashes as part of an attempt to cheat insurance companies. Furthermore, investigations by insurers showed that several of Cohen's clients were affiliated with insurance fraud rings that repeatedly staged "accidents." And at least one person Cohen represented was indicted on criminal charges of insurance fraud while the lawsuit he had filed on her behalf was pending. Cohen also did legal work for a medical clinic whose principal was a doctor later convicted of insurance fraud for filing phony medical claims on purported "accident" victims. Taken together, a picture emerges that the personal attorney to the president of the United States was connected to a shadowy underworld of New York insurance fraud, a pervasive problem dominated by Russian organized crime that was costing the state's drivers an estimated $1 billion a year."
In Bonkers Interview, Trump Threatens to Seize Control of Justice Department
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/trump-threatens-to-seize-control-of-justice-department.html
"Trump is making his intentions perfectly clear. He wants the Department of Justice to lock up his political opponents and witnesses to his misbehavior. And he wants it to stop investigating his own misdeeds. The Department of Justice is constructed around restraints designed to prevent any such interference, because the power to use federal law enforcement as a weapon to protect the president and his party, and to harass the opposition, is so terrifying it has to be prevented at all costs. Trump is, on national television, making existential threats to the rule of law."
"Trump is making his intentions perfectly clear. He wants the Department of Justice to lock up his political opponents and witnesses to his misbehavior. And he wants it to stop investigating his own misdeeds. The Department of Justice is constructed around restraints designed to prevent any such interference, because the power to use federal law enforcement as a weapon to protect the president and his party, and to harass the opposition, is so terrifying it has to be prevented at all costs. Trump is, on national television, making existential threats to the rule of law."
In 'Bonkers' Fox & Friends Tirade, Trump Blatantly 'Threatens to Obstruct Justice'
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/26/bonkers-fox-friends-tirade-trump-blatantly-threatens-obstruct-justice
"Legal experts and commentators immediately reacted with alarm to Trump's rant, which was widely interpreted as a blatant threat to obstruct an ongoing investigation."
"Legal experts and commentators immediately reacted with alarm to Trump's rant, which was widely interpreted as a blatant threat to obstruct an ongoing investigation."
Trump’s Insane Fox & Friends Interview Proves He’s Scared and Losing It More Every Day (Video)
https://forwardprogressives.com/trumps-insane-fox-friends-interview-proves-hes-scared-and-losing-it-more-every-day-video/
"it seems clear as time goes on that the closer Robert Mueller and the FBI get to him, the more he’s beginning to crack under the pressure. Such as the absolutely bonkers interview he did on Fox & Friends that even seemed to render the very Trump-friendly hosts rather dumbfounded. Though I hesitate to call this an “interview” considering almost no one on Fox News has the guts to ask him tough questions and it was really nothing more than Trump ranting and raving about many of the same things he constantly whines about on Twitter. I’ve always said I couldn’t care less what Trump says when he’s reading something someone in his administration wrote for him to read off a teleprompter — that’s not what he really thinks. If you want to see the real Donald Trump, just read what he says on Twitter, or listen to one of his unscripted rants/interviews, and that’s what this “president” really thinks. That’s exactly what we got on Thursday when this buffoon ranted on everything from Michael Cohen, James Comey, his own Department of Justice, and, of course, the “fake media.” For example, after initially ranting a few days ago about the FBI’s raid on Cohen being a huge breach of “attorney/client privilege,” Trump downplayed his involvement with his lawyer, suggesting that they mostly had a “business relationship” — an argument that clearly contradicts his ramblings from before. Trump even admitted that Cohen handled the Stormy Daniels situation, all but confirming he paid the former adult film star for her silence about their affair, something he said never happened. His rant on his own Department of Justice was so absurd it prompted co-host Steve Doocy to remind Trump that the DOJ is staffed by his people. Trump admitted that was true, yet it still didn’t stop him from continuing to whine about “witch hunts” and complain that they’re not targeting his political enemies."
"it seems clear as time goes on that the closer Robert Mueller and the FBI get to him, the more he’s beginning to crack under the pressure. Such as the absolutely bonkers interview he did on Fox & Friends that even seemed to render the very Trump-friendly hosts rather dumbfounded. Though I hesitate to call this an “interview” considering almost no one on Fox News has the guts to ask him tough questions and it was really nothing more than Trump ranting and raving about many of the same things he constantly whines about on Twitter. I’ve always said I couldn’t care less what Trump says when he’s reading something someone in his administration wrote for him to read off a teleprompter — that’s not what he really thinks. If you want to see the real Donald Trump, just read what he says on Twitter, or listen to one of his unscripted rants/interviews, and that’s what this “president” really thinks. That’s exactly what we got on Thursday when this buffoon ranted on everything from Michael Cohen, James Comey, his own Department of Justice, and, of course, the “fake media.” For example, after initially ranting a few days ago about the FBI’s raid on Cohen being a huge breach of “attorney/client privilege,” Trump downplayed his involvement with his lawyer, suggesting that they mostly had a “business relationship” — an argument that clearly contradicts his ramblings from before. Trump even admitted that Cohen handled the Stormy Daniels situation, all but confirming he paid the former adult film star for her silence about their affair, something he said never happened. His rant on his own Department of Justice was so absurd it prompted co-host Steve Doocy to remind Trump that the DOJ is staffed by his people. Trump admitted that was true, yet it still didn’t stop him from continuing to whine about “witch hunts” and complain that they’re not targeting his political enemies."
Sinclair and the midterms: New York edition
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/04/26/sinclair-and-midterms-new-york-edition/219983
"If you live in a midsize city or battleground state, you are now more likely than ever to see pro-Trump propaganda and conservative spin on your local news -- just in time for the 2018 election season -- thanks to conservative media giant Sinclair Broadcast Group."
"If you live in a midsize city or battleground state, you are now more likely than ever to see pro-Trump propaganda and conservative spin on your local news -- just in time for the 2018 election season -- thanks to conservative media giant Sinclair Broadcast Group."
Cambridge Analytica was suppressing Democratic votes, and promoting Putin, all on Bannon's orders
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/26/1760137/-Cambridge-Analytica-was-suppressing-Democratic-votes-and-promoting-Putin-all-on-Bannon-s-orders
"Two years before the election—and at the same time as Russian operatives were setting up their cyber-warfare operation to interfere in the upcoming American election—Donald Trump’s campaign CEO Steve Bannon was using Cambridge Analytica’s social media tools to test American receptiveness to messages promoting Russian president Vladimir Puttin and “Russian expansion.” Cambridge Analytica and the firm’s relationship with Steve Bannon has largely drifted out of the headlines, replaced by more recent outrages. But information continues to appear showing that Steve Bannon had a very special reason for creating the US company in the first place: Under Bannon’s instruction, the firm discussed Putin with focus groups and was “also testing images of Vladimir Putin and asking questions about Russian expansion in Eastern Europe,” [Christopher] Wylie said. Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee who helped implement the tools that made the company invaluable to the Trump campaign, spoke to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee. He was one of several witnesses Democrats had asked to call, before Republicans leading the committee abruptly shut down the House investigation and pushed out their memo saying that they had found no evidence of collaboration between the Trump campaign and Russia. It was Wylie who previously revealed Cambridge Analytica’s use of stolen Facebook data. He also highlighted how, in addition to Putin, the company had been testing Trump’s test phrases, like “build the wall” and “drain the swamp” a year before Trump announced as a candidate. In addition to laying the groundwork for the Trump agenda, and spreading the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, Bannon had one other big task for Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie told House Democrats that former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon used the firm's research to discourage Democrats from voting in the 2016 election, according to testimony released Wednesday."
"Two years before the election—and at the same time as Russian operatives were setting up their cyber-warfare operation to interfere in the upcoming American election—Donald Trump’s campaign CEO Steve Bannon was using Cambridge Analytica’s social media tools to test American receptiveness to messages promoting Russian president Vladimir Puttin and “Russian expansion.” Cambridge Analytica and the firm’s relationship with Steve Bannon has largely drifted out of the headlines, replaced by more recent outrages. But information continues to appear showing that Steve Bannon had a very special reason for creating the US company in the first place: Under Bannon’s instruction, the firm discussed Putin with focus groups and was “also testing images of Vladimir Putin and asking questions about Russian expansion in Eastern Europe,” [Christopher] Wylie said. Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee who helped implement the tools that made the company invaluable to the Trump campaign, spoke to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee. He was one of several witnesses Democrats had asked to call, before Republicans leading the committee abruptly shut down the House investigation and pushed out their memo saying that they had found no evidence of collaboration between the Trump campaign and Russia. It was Wylie who previously revealed Cambridge Analytica’s use of stolen Facebook data. He also highlighted how, in addition to Putin, the company had been testing Trump’s test phrases, like “build the wall” and “drain the swamp” a year before Trump announced as a candidate. In addition to laying the groundwork for the Trump agenda, and spreading the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, Bannon had one other big task for Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie told House Democrats that former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon used the firm's research to discourage Democrats from voting in the 2016 election, according to testimony released Wednesday."
With Tax Scam Complete, GOP Caucus Unveils Insane Budget Blueprint to Attack Safety Net
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/26/tax-scam-complete-gop-caucus-unveils-insane-budget-blueprint-attack-safety-net
"An ultraconservative Republican House caucus on Wednesday put forth its spending plan that represents a draconian wishlist of attacks on the social safety net and consumer and environmental protections while including a plan to further enrich the wealthy by making making permanent parts of the GOP tax plan."
"An ultraconservative Republican House caucus on Wednesday put forth its spending plan that represents a draconian wishlist of attacks on the social safety net and consumer and environmental protections while including a plan to further enrich the wealthy by making making permanent parts of the GOP tax plan."
Mick Mulvaney Tells Bankers to Pay Up If They Want Favors From Trump
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/mulvaney-tells-bankers-pay-up-if-you-want-favors-from-trump.html
"Mick Mulvaney, the budget director and director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has gutted the latter agency’s role in preventing consumer fraud. Tuesday, he met with lobbyists and executives from the banking industry, promising further steps to gut regulations to prevent them from cheating customers. That’s not even the scandalous part! The scandalous part is that Mulvaney asked the executives and lobbyists to donate more money, and told them the more they donated, the more influence they would have. Mulvaney didn’t offer this as a sad concession to reality but an actual principle of governance he had personally abided: “We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress,” Mr. Mulvaney, a former Republican lawmaker from South Carolina, told 1,300 bankers and lobbyists at an American Bankers Association conference in Washington. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.” The levels of corruption in this administration are simply staggering, and they range from open self-enrichment to openly selling policy to the highest bidder. The completely accurate sense that Trump and his party are out to get themselves and their friends rich is the administration’s gaping vulnerability. What’s especially odd is that nobody in the administration seems to have taken even cursory steps to address or paper over this weakness. They’re all just grabbing as much cash for themselves and their allies as they can, while they can."
"Mick Mulvaney, the budget director and director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has gutted the latter agency’s role in preventing consumer fraud. Tuesday, he met with lobbyists and executives from the banking industry, promising further steps to gut regulations to prevent them from cheating customers. That’s not even the scandalous part! The scandalous part is that Mulvaney asked the executives and lobbyists to donate more money, and told them the more they donated, the more influence they would have. Mulvaney didn’t offer this as a sad concession to reality but an actual principle of governance he had personally abided: “We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress,” Mr. Mulvaney, a former Republican lawmaker from South Carolina, told 1,300 bankers and lobbyists at an American Bankers Association conference in Washington. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.” The levels of corruption in this administration are simply staggering, and they range from open self-enrichment to openly selling policy to the highest bidder. The completely accurate sense that Trump and his party are out to get themselves and their friends rich is the administration’s gaping vulnerability. What’s especially odd is that nobody in the administration seems to have taken even cursory steps to address or paper over this weakness. They’re all just grabbing as much cash for themselves and their allies as they can, while they can."
Scott Pruitt Takes All the Credit and None of the Blame for His Scandal-Filled Time at the EPA
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/04/scott-pruitt-takes-all-the-credit-and-none-of-the-blame-for-his-scandal-filled-time-at-the-epa/
"Pruitt spent much of the remainder of the three-hour hearing shifting the blame to EPA career employees, his environmental critics, and the media. He distanced himself from all of the controversies on his watch. “I am not aware,” became his favorite refrain."
"Pruitt spent much of the remainder of the three-hour hearing shifting the blame to EPA career employees, his environmental critics, and the media. He distanced himself from all of the controversies on his watch. “I am not aware,” became his favorite refrain."
Scott Pruitt lied—and leaked—in an effort to justify his first class flights and security costs
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/26/1760184/-Scott-Pruitt-lied-and-leaked-in-an-effort-to-justify-his-first-class-flights-and-security-costs
"In a pair of hearings, EPA chief Scott Pruitt has gotten the kid glove treatment from Republicans and some solid kicks from Democrats. Throughout the course of the day, Pruitt has contradicted his earlier statements. This includes admitting that he did know about requests for raises for his two Oklahoma friends (though he now claims he didn’t know the amount of those raises) and saying that what he previously characterized as a $43,000 SCIF (Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility) for receiving classified calls was not actually a SCIF, and blaming its purchase on “career individuals” at the EPA. But as Pruitt skated around questions on his lobbyist-provided townhouse in DC and his lobbyist-provided real estate flip back in Oklahoma, one topic that he kept pushing back on was his inordinate spending on security. Again and again through the first hearing, Pruitt defended his first class travel and $2 million a year personal security detail as required by an “extraordinary level” of threats. Threats far higher than those faced by previous cabinet officials. Though FOIA requests had failed to turn up this massive stack of threats, Pruitt claimed that this personal risk had been verified by a report from the Inspector General. In two separate hearings Thursday, Pruitt presented to lawmakers a “threat assessment” that he said came from Inspector General Arthur Elkins detailing various death threats against him. But at the start of the second hearing, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum asked Pruitt again about his first class flights, and when she got the same response as those who asked earlier, she was ready. McCollum: We reached out to the Inspector General’s office. We asked Inspector General Elgins if he made such comments. And he disputed your claim. Please explain yourself, administrator. Do you need to correct the record? In response, Pruitt held up a report he said “came from the Inspector General.” McCollum pressed and asked to see the paper, insisting that it be entered into the record."
"In a pair of hearings, EPA chief Scott Pruitt has gotten the kid glove treatment from Republicans and some solid kicks from Democrats. Throughout the course of the day, Pruitt has contradicted his earlier statements. This includes admitting that he did know about requests for raises for his two Oklahoma friends (though he now claims he didn’t know the amount of those raises) and saying that what he previously characterized as a $43,000 SCIF (Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility) for receiving classified calls was not actually a SCIF, and blaming its purchase on “career individuals” at the EPA. But as Pruitt skated around questions on his lobbyist-provided townhouse in DC and his lobbyist-provided real estate flip back in Oklahoma, one topic that he kept pushing back on was his inordinate spending on security. Again and again through the first hearing, Pruitt defended his first class travel and $2 million a year personal security detail as required by an “extraordinary level” of threats. Threats far higher than those faced by previous cabinet officials. Though FOIA requests had failed to turn up this massive stack of threats, Pruitt claimed that this personal risk had been verified by a report from the Inspector General. In two separate hearings Thursday, Pruitt presented to lawmakers a “threat assessment” that he said came from Inspector General Arthur Elkins detailing various death threats against him. But at the start of the second hearing, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum asked Pruitt again about his first class flights, and when she got the same response as those who asked earlier, she was ready. McCollum: We reached out to the Inspector General’s office. We asked Inspector General Elgins if he made such comments. And he disputed your claim. Please explain yourself, administrator. Do you need to correct the record? In response, Pruitt held up a report he said “came from the Inspector General.” McCollum pressed and asked to see the paper, insisting that it be entered into the record."
More on the Michael Cohen Money Trail
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/more-on-the-michael-cohen-money-trail
"Yesterday we noted that Michael Cohen grew up around the Brooklyn social club that served as the headquarters of the bosses of the Russian mob from the 1970s to the 1990s. Today we discussed the role of Cohen’s father-in-law Fima Shusterman, an immigrant from Ukraine. Shusterman had been in the taxi business for decades before Cohen got into the business and it was with loans and medallions from Shusterman that Cohen got his start. According to a former federal investigator who spoke to Seth Hettena, Cohen “was given the job with the Trump Org as a favor to Shusterman.” Shusterman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to defraud the IRS the year before Michael Cohen married Shusterman’s daughter Laura in 1994. As we’ve discussed many times, Cohen got his role in the Trump Organization because he was a conduit for Russian and Ukrainian money. Shusterman appears to have been the one who really controlled a lot of that cash or had the connections to make it available to him. Now, let’s fast forward to the events of recent days. Cabs have come up a number of times in the wake of the Cohen raids on April 9th. We noted that Cohen was once heavily involved in the taxicab business and still owns over 30 medallions in New York City and more than 20 in Chicago. Most of those are now managed by the man who was once the biggest player in the New York City taxicab business, Evgeny “Gene” Friedman. Cohen used to be in business with another taxi magnate, Simon Garber, another Soviet emigre who was also once loaned money by Shusterman. Cohen and Garber had a rough falling out in 2011. The key thing to understand about the taxicab business is that it was phenomenally lucrative until it peaked around 2014. Medallions have collapsed in value since then. They’re now worth only about a third or less what they were worth only four years ago. All the current transactions must be seen in that light."
"Yesterday we noted that Michael Cohen grew up around the Brooklyn social club that served as the headquarters of the bosses of the Russian mob from the 1970s to the 1990s. Today we discussed the role of Cohen’s father-in-law Fima Shusterman, an immigrant from Ukraine. Shusterman had been in the taxi business for decades before Cohen got into the business and it was with loans and medallions from Shusterman that Cohen got his start. According to a former federal investigator who spoke to Seth Hettena, Cohen “was given the job with the Trump Org as a favor to Shusterman.” Shusterman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to defraud the IRS the year before Michael Cohen married Shusterman’s daughter Laura in 1994. As we’ve discussed many times, Cohen got his role in the Trump Organization because he was a conduit for Russian and Ukrainian money. Shusterman appears to have been the one who really controlled a lot of that cash or had the connections to make it available to him. Now, let’s fast forward to the events of recent days. Cabs have come up a number of times in the wake of the Cohen raids on April 9th. We noted that Cohen was once heavily involved in the taxicab business and still owns over 30 medallions in New York City and more than 20 in Chicago. Most of those are now managed by the man who was once the biggest player in the New York City taxicab business, Evgeny “Gene” Friedman. Cohen used to be in business with another taxi magnate, Simon Garber, another Soviet emigre who was also once loaned money by Shusterman. Cohen and Garber had a rough falling out in 2011. The key thing to understand about the taxicab business is that it was phenomenally lucrative until it peaked around 2014. Medallions have collapsed in value since then. They’re now worth only about a third or less what they were worth only four years ago. All the current transactions must be seen in that light."
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