6-30-17
The Senate unveiled its healthcare plan, 6-22-17. Already, four GOP Senators came out swinging. Fox News reports:
"Key Republican senators came out against the Senate Republican health care plan on Thursday, and their opposition is enough to defeat the package before a vote. Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said they would not vote on the Senate Republican plan."
Not draconian enough for the fearsome foursome. The Washington Post reports:
"Senate Republican leadership unveiled their health-care bill Thursday morning, after weeks of crafting it behind closed doors. The bill takes major steps to roll back provisions of the Affordable Care Act but doesn’t go as far as the House’s version. In both bills, the spending cuts made by Medicaid and other programs would go to fund a substantial tax cut for the health-care industry and the rich."
Conveniently, forget? The only way for Republicans to line the pockets of the top 1% through tax breaks is to eviscerate healthcare, particularly Medicaid. NPR reports:
"The GOP's American Health Care Act would cut Medicaid — the public insurance program for many low-income families, children and elderly Americans, as well as people with disabilities — by as much as $834 billion. The Congressional Budget Office has said that would result in 23 million more people being uninsured in the next 10 years. Even more could lose coverage under the budget proposed by President Trump, which suggests an additional $610 billion in cuts to the program."
This latest plan will fail if passed and signed into law by the Trump nazi. Just as Obamacare is failing. Due to the fact provider greed has not been reined in. Should GOP Trumpcare ultimately pass, Republicans will not be returned to office as people are ultimately denied treatment due to inability to pay. Healthcare in the United States remains a privilege, not a right. Indeed, a continuing problem that has not been addressed.
What will ultimately likely happen in years to come will be implementation of a single-payer system similar to what is in effect in Canada and throughout Europe. Unbridled greed is killing our formerly great country. No one seems willing to rein it in. Precisely, why an unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms.
Medical groups are unhappy with the Senate bill. Why wouldn't they be? They know their business income will precipitously drop as people lose coverage. NBC News reports:
"Groups representing pediatricians, cancer specialists, heart doctors and family physicians all agree: Both the House and the Senate offerings for fixing health care in the U.S. would make things worse, not better. Within hours of its release, groups representing medical professionals were denouncing the Senate version, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act or BCRA. “The Senate draft health care bill is literally heartless,” American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown said."
In reality, so is Obamacare. Premiums have skyrocketed, so have co-pays. The number of carriers has markedly shrunk, -- largely due to Trump's concerted effort to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act through executive orders to line the pockets of the top 1% with tax breaks.
Providers are are quite correct women, children, the impoverished, the sick, elderly, disabled have the most to lose under the Senate bill. Precisely, why the GOP is targeting them to line the pockets of their corporate masters and the rest of the top 1%. Forget? They're easy targets for these gutless, hopelessly greedy fascist bastards.
The former President quickly reacted to the Senate bill. The Washington Post reports:
"Former president Barack Obama posted a nearly 1,000-word critique of the Senate health-care bill Thursday on Facebook, warning, “This bill will do you harm.”
Compared to Obamacare, that's indeed true. Yet, the President is reminded the Affordable Care Act is not affordable, remains failing. Worse, is mandated by law. Compulsory. Un-American. Does absolutely nothing to rein in unbridled provider greed.
"While Obama has repeatedly defended the Affordable Care Act, which represents perhaps his most significant domestic legislative achievement, Thursday’s statement was even more pointed than his previous comments. Calling the GOP leadership’s bill “a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America,” he called on Americans to push back against congressional Republicans."
That's also true. Has long been the stated intention of Republican nazis to line the pockets of their corporate masters with massive tax cuts by repealing Obamacare at the expense of the bottom and middle class.
“Simply put, if there’s a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family — this bill will do you harm,” the former president wrote. “And small tweaks over the course of the next couple weeks, under the guise of making these bills easier to stomach, cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation.”
While the Senate plan is indeed worse than Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act is failing, and continues to fail due to unbridled greed. Would have failed of its own weight had Republicans been more patient. Single-payer is the solution to this ongoing issue. If not, the alternative remains the unthinkable, -- socialized medicine. While communism has clearly and miserably failed in Cuba and throughout the rest of the world, the one bright spot is Cuban socialized medicine.
There are now five Republicans opposed to the Senate bill. CBS News reports:
"Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada became the fifth Senate Republican on Friday to announce opposition to the Senate Republican health care plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, putting the legislation's passage in jeopardy ahead of a vote next week."
Interestingly, for reasons exactly opposite those of the fearsome foursome:
"This bill, that's currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer. It's simply not the answer," Heller said at a press conference in Las Vegas with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican. "I'm announcing today that in this form, I will not support it." Heller said he can't support a piece of legislation that likely would take away health care coverage from millions of Americans and tens of thousands of Nevadans."
Will pay a price for his courage:
"As a result of his opposition, pro-Trump organization America First Policies is launching a TV ad against Heller, CBS News has learned. Heller is up for re-election in 2018. He is considered the most vulnerable Republican senator running next year, and a high-profile Democrat is reportedly set to challenge him: Nevada Rep. Jacky Rosen."
Devastating news from the CBO for the Senate Republican healthcare plan. CBS News reports:
"Twenty-two million more people would be without health insurance over the next decade under Senate Republicans' plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."
To provide tax breaks for the top 1% of the food chain.
NPR reports:
"For individuals who purchase health coverage on the exchanges, the CBO says prices will vary — some will see lower premiums, especially in states that opt out of some consumer protections, which will allow insurers to sell plans that offer fewer benefits. However, for people would like to purchase plans that cover the essential health benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act, including mental health coverage, addiction treatment, maternity care and prescription drug coverage, costs could go way up."
Imagine that. Couldn't be, could it? Didn't the 'President' promise otherwise?
"Other provisions in the Senate proposal would reduce subsidies and cause out-of-pocket costs to rise, the CBO says. As a result, starting in 2020, "despite being eligible for premium tax credits, few low-income people would purchase any plan."
By design, to provide the very top of the food chain with tax breaks. Generous of Republican nazis, isn't it? After all, they have to take care of their corporate masters. Forget? At a time of record corporate profits and cash reserves. While the long-suffering public gets the ungreased shaft rammed hard up the ass. The American Way.
Senate Republican national socialists were unable to agree how badly they wished to f--k the masses. Consequently, a vote has been postponed until their royal high asses return from the July 4th recess. Imagine that. After all the hype. Coup de grace? The pending Senate Trumpcare bill reportedly has a public approval rating of 17%.
Not surprisingly, this bill seeks to limit pain and suffering awards. Have no problem with that? Consider the following. NPR reports:
"Last week, a jury awarded a Pennsylvania man $620,000 for pain and suffering in a medical malpractice lawsuit he filed against a surgeon who mistakenly removed his healthy testicle, leaving the painful, atrophied one intact. However, if a bill before the House of Representatives passes, the maximum he would be able to receive for such "non-economic" damages would be $250,000."
Get f--ked over by a medical butcher? Guess what? The Trump nazi, his henchmen, and fellow national socialists in the Republican Party want to limit legal exposure of medical charlatans. How about that?
"Non-economic damages cover losses that are hard to put a dollar amount on — such as suffering, loss of a limb, pain, and loss of companionship. In addition, medical malpractice awards may include monetary damages to cover medical costs and loss of future wages. Sometimes punitive damages may be awarded as well, as punishment for reckless or other harmful behavior."
Yet, Republican nazis remain intent on protecting these bastards, limiting your ability to collect just compensation from these quacks.
"The bill H.R. 1215 is part of a package of proposed reforms that supplement the American Health Care Act, the House measure to replace the Affordable Care Act that was narrowly approved in May. The Trump administration has pledged to support the tort reform legislation."
Get it? Trump and his fellow GOP nazis are protecting quacks, intend to limit your ability to collect just compensation. The Republican 'rationale' for this f--king is based on a ruse:
"The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would lower health care costs by reducing the premiums of medical liability insurance and the use of health care services by providers worried about being sued. This would lead to lower spending on federal health care programs. The likely overall result, the CBO says, would be to reduce deficits by nearly $50 billion over 10 years. Supporters of the bill say caps on medical malpractice awards discourage frivolous lawsuits and reduce the cost of health care because providers no longer need to practice defensive medicine. Yet research shows that costs from medical liability make up just 2 to 2.5 percent of total health care spending."
Take the time to reread the above. Should this bill pass as is, Republicans will have successfully limited your right to sue quacks. Basing that loss of a constitutional right on an achingly faulty 'rationale.' Since medical liability is such a small percentage of healthcare spending, Republicans are using bogus tort reform as a convenient ruse to line the pockets of providers and the insurance cartel. Including quacks.
6-30-17
Here is precisely why Trump and his henchmen need to be extremely careful taking any military action against North Korea. CBS News reports:
"While "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'Donnell and her team were in South Korea, the U.S. Army took CBS News on an aerial tour to give us a first-hand look at what they are doing to counter threats from North Korea. We hitched a ride from Yongsan Army Garrison on a pair of Black Hawk helicopters for a bird's-eye view of Seoul, one of the densest cities in the world that's less than 40 miles from the North Korean border."
People packed in like sardines:
"When you talk about 25 million people, it just goes, I mean, to the horizon," Eighth Army chief of staff Col. William Taylor said.
"It's unbelievable. I mean, it's more packed than New York City," O'Donnell said.
Taylor said it's all within reach of Kim Jong Un's artillery.
"What kind of damage can long-range artillery do?" O'Donnell asked.
"A lot. It's very destructive, you know. Very destructive," Taylor said."
Gets worse. Here is the problem:
"One study estimates about 2,800 people could die in an initial volley of artillery fire, and some 64,000 lives could be lost if it continued for an entire day. Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith said that's one of the reasons the military is moving its headquarters 40 miles south to Camp Humphreys."
Staggering, isn't it? An extremely dangerous situation dating back to 1950. Now, exacerbated by a North Korean dictator willing to use nuclear weapons.
6-30-17
CNN reports:
"Two of the nation's top intelligence officials told Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team and Senate investigators, in separate meetings last week, that President Donald Trump suggested they say publicly there was no collusion between his campaign and the Russians, according to multiple sources. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers described their interactions with the President about the Russia investigation as odd and uncomfortable, but said they did not believe the President gave them orders to interfere, according to multiple sources familiar with their accounts. Sources say both men went further than they did in June 7 public hearings, when they provided little detail about the interactions."
Obstruction. Think the Trump nazi wasn't sending both men a clear message? Wasn't desperately trying to get both to cover his sorry gutless ass?
6-30-17
Trump continues to skirt the law. NPR reports:
"Two government watchdog groups, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive, filed a lawsuit Thursday against President Trump and the Executive Office of the President. The complaint alleges that White House staffers' widely reported use of encrypted messaging apps, such as Signal and Confide, for internal communication violates the Presidential Records Act."
Certainly, appears to, -- considering the fact the media used is designed to destroy messaging:
"In the lawsuit, the groups claim the Trump administration has "failed to adopt adequate policies and guidelines to maintain and preserve presidential records." Encrypted messaging apps automatically delete messages, which would prevent those communications from being archived."
Convenient, isn't it, for a tyrant shielding himself and his henchmen from transparency?
"The American people not only deserve to know how their government is making important decisions, it's the law," CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement. "By deleting these records, the White House is destroying essential historical records."
The mark of a tyrant. A duplicitous tyrant.
"Additionally, the lawsuit draws attention to Trump's use of his personal Twitter account. Under the Obama administration, social media posts were included as a type of communication to be archived under the PRA. Any of Trump's statements made on Twitter are subject to federal record keeping, and the lawsuit argues that any deleted tweets would count as a violation of the PRA as well."
Trump and his henchmen will likely fight this suit tooth and nail. Will likely lose.
Readers are reminded:
"This isn't the first lawsuit CREW has filed against Trump and his administration. The watchdog group filed one in January stating that Trump's failure to fully divest from his businesses allows him to receive favors from foreign governments by their staying at his properties or holding events at his hotel, which the group says violates the Constitution's Emoluments Clause."
Hopefully, the suits will continue unabated. Will supplement investigations by Congress and DOJ Special Counsel.
6-30-17
Pressure grows on Trump's son-in-law. CNN reports:
"President Donald Trump's son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner should "absolutely" have his security clearance suspended, Rep. Mike Quigley told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview Wednesday afternoon. Appearing on "The Situation Room," the Illinois Democrat said Kushner "shouldn't have clearance at this point," echoing a letter from House oversight committee ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings and citing a "whole series of activities," including "concerns about Mr. Kushner's activities prior to the Inauguration."
What makes this particularly interesting, quite salient is the ongoing investigation of Trump and his advisors conducted by Special Counsel.
"Cummings' letter criticized the White House for allowing fired national security adviser Michael Flynn to keep a security clearance despite concerns raised by then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates that he could be vulnerable to blackmail based on intelligence assessments that she reviewed; the letter raised "parallel concerns" about Kushner's security clearance over previously undisclosed calls to Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak and undisclosed meetings Kushner had with Kislyak and the CEO of Vnesheconombank, a state-run Russian bank under US sanctions."
Trump apparently has little concern the appearance alone is a problem:
"In his letter, Cummings cited an executive order requiring employees to have their security clearance preemptively suspended if they are suspected of being a national security risk. "In general, when there are credible allegations that employees may be unfit to continue accessing classified information, security clearances are supposed to be suspended while the allegations are investigated," Cummings wrote in the letter, sent June 21."
Fascinating, isn't it?
Democrats are certainly ratcheting up pressure. NPR reports:
"Democrats on the House Oversight Committee want to see White House records on the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his security clearance and his access to classified information. In a letter to White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, the oversight panel's 18 Democrats question why Kushner's security clearance hasn't been revoked."
Good question. Nepotism rules certainly need to be revisited as well.
"The Democrats say Kushner, one of President Trump's closest advisers, had meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the CEO of a Russian state-owned bank. They say he failed to disclose the meetings as he applied for security clearance and allowed administration officials to say he'd had no such meetings."
If true, needs to be prosecuted.
"It is unclear why Mr. Kushner continues to have access to classified information while these allegations are being investigated," says the letter, which seeks similar records on former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn was asked to resign in February after misleading Vice President Pence about his contacts and conversations with Kislyak during the transition period."
Apparently, Trump and his henchmen are stonewalling.
"This and other investigative efforts put the Oversight Committee Democrats, led by ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., at the center of a brewing battle over congressional oversight. The Trump administration has ignored hundreds of congressional letters of inquiry."
Congress does have constitutional oversight authority. Needs to exercise it. As intended by the Founders. A check and balance. Readers will recall as well the following was substantively covered in the last edition:
"It is also brandishing a legal opinion, crafted by the Justice Department, holding that most of Congress lacks the constitutional power to conduct oversight of the executive branch. It isn't just an attack on Democrats, currently the minority party in both chambers on Capitol Hill. "This is nonsense," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote to Trump earlier this month. Grassley is a champion of strong oversight and has been known to do investigations of executive branch agencies using just his personal staff."
A constitutional crisis in the making as the Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to stonewall.
The Washington Post reports:
"One month before Election Day, Jared Kushner’s real estate company finalized a $285 million loan as part of a refinancing package for its property near Times Square in Manhattan. The loan came at a critical moment. Kushner was playing a key role in the presidential campaign of his father-in-law, Donald Trump. The lender, Deutsche Bank, was negotiating to settle a federal mortgage fraud case and charges from New York state regulators that it aided a possible Russian money-laundering scheme. The cases were settled in December and January. Now, Kushner’s association with Deutsche Bank is among a number of financial matters that could come under focus as his business activities are reviewed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is examining Kushner as part of a broader investigation into possible Russian influence in the election."
What webs we weave:
"The Washington Post has reported that investigators are probing Kushner’s separate December meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, and with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov, the head of Vnesheconombank, a state development bank."
Gets far more convoluted:
"On May 23, the Democratic members asked Deutsche Bank to disclose what it had learned in its internal review about whether Trump may have benefited from the improper Russian money transfers. The bank refused, citing U.S. privacy laws. The Democratic letter also raised the possibility that the bank had conducted a similar review of Kushner — without mentioning his name — by referring to a review of accounts “held by family members, several of whom serve as official advisers to the president.” The Democrats wrote that it was important to learn more about Deutsche Bank loans to Trump and family members to determine whether they were “in any way connected to Russia.”
No question, Special Counsel Mueller and staff have more than their work cut out for them. Getting to the bottom of all this will be an enormous chore.
6-30-17
In an apparent nod to the nazi Alt Right, get this. CBS News reports:
"The State Department's anti-Semitism office will be unstaffed come July 1, CBS News has confirmed. The Trump administration has not named anyone to fill the role of special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, and it isn't clear if the position will remain intact. The vacancy was first reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news outlet, which said the office's two remaining staffers would be reassigned. The State Department declined to comment on the record. An official said the department remains focused on addressing anti-Semitism."
Is that so? Think so?
6-30-17
In follow up to a recent edition of this publication, fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates came out swinging against the Sessions nazi in a searing Washington Post editorial:
"All across the political spectrum, in red states and blue states, from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and the Koch brothers to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and the American Civil Liberties Union, there is broad consensus that the “lock them all up and throw away the key” approach embodied in mandatory minimum drug sentences is counterproductive, negatively affecting our ability to assure the safety of our communities."
The Sessions nazi remains too aggressively stupid to embrace the truth. Prefers to manufacture his own reality along with the Trump nazi.
"But last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rolled back the clock to the 1980s, reinstating the harsh, indiscriminate use of mandatory minimum drug sentences imposed at the height of the crack epidemic. Sessions attempted to justify his directive in a Post op-ed last weekend, stoking fear by claiming that as a result of then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.’s Smart on Crime policy, the United States is gripped by a rising epidemic of violent crime that can only be cured by putting more drug offenders in jail for more time."
Absolute bullshit perpetrated by the Sessions nazi.
"That argument just isn’t supported by the facts. Not only are violent crime rates still at historic lows — nearly half of what they were when I became a federal prosecutor in 1989 — but there is also no evidence that the increase in violent crime some cities have experienced is the result of drug offenders not serving enough time in prison. In fact, a recent study by the bipartisan U.S. Sentencing Commission found that drug defendants with shorter sentences were actually slightly less likely to commit crimes when released than those sentenced under older, more severe penalties."
The Sessions nazi can't, won't be confused with the truth.
"Contrary to Sessions’s assertions, Smart on Crime focused our limited federal resources on cases that had the greatest impact on our communities — the most dangerous defendants and most complex cases. As a result, prosecutors charged more defendants with murder, assault, gun crimes and robbery than ever before. And a greater percentage of drug prosecutions targeted kingpins and drug dealers with guns."
Yet, Sessions can't, won't be confused with the truth.
"During my 27 years at the Justice Department, I prosecuted criminals at the heart of the international drug trade, from high-level narcotics traffickers to violent gang leaders. And I had no hesitation about asking a judge to impose long prison terms in those cases. But there’s a big difference between a cartel boss and a low-level courier. As the Sentencing Commission found, part of the problem with harsh mandatory-minimum laws passed a generation ago is that they use the weight of the drugs involved in the offense as a proxy for seriousness of the crime — to the exclusion of virtually all other considerations, including the dangerousness of the offender. Looking back, it’s clear that the mandatory-minimum laws cast too broad a net and, as a result, some low-level defendants are serving far longer sentences than are necessary — 20 years, 30 years, even mandatory life sentences, for nonviolent drug offenses."
Destroys all faith and trust in the law. Apparently, what the Sessions nazi wants. A fascist police-state where anything goes.
"Under Smart on Crime, the Justice Department took a more targeted approach, reserving the harshest of those penalties for the most violent and significant drug traffickers and encouraging prosecutors to use their discretion not to seek mandatory minimum sentences for lower-level, nonviolent offenders. Sessions’s new directive essentially reverses that progress, limiting prosecutors’ ability to use their judgment to ensure the punishment fits the crime."
Can't have that, can we? Certainly, not in a goddamned fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-30-17
The media needs to step up. Take off the gloves. Stop whining about the Trump nazi, and expose the fascist son of a bitch for precisely whom and what he is. The following is appalling. An embarrassment. NBC News reports:
"The reporter who engaged in a tense exchange with a top White House spokeswoman this week accused the Trump administration on Wednesday of “undermining” journalists and said the media “can’t take the bullying anymore.”
Grow a pair.
“We’ve been called the enemy of the people from that White House, we’ve been told that we’re fake news. We are bullied and brow-beaten every day, and I pretty much have had enough of it,” Brian Karem, a White House correspondent for the Sentinel newspapers, a Washington-area chain of publications, told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Suck it up, jackass. Do your job. Expose the lying son of a bitch for the clueless, misogynist, xenophobic, irrational fascist he truly is. You're not doing your job, bucko.
“There are really only two ways to deal with a bully. You can either turn them into your friend, I don’t think that’s a possibility, or you can let them know exactly what’s up and that you’re not going to take the bullying anymore. And we can’t take the bullying anymore,” added Karem."
Pitiful. Appalling. Gutless whining. Pointless. Do your job.
Consider the following. The Washington Times reports:
"Veteran TV host Phil Donahue says journalists need to learn how to take a punch in the era of President Trump."
Indeed. No question. Good advice. Grow a pair.
“Don’t be so sensitive,” Mr. Donahue said on MSNBC Wednesday morning while discussing the Trump administration’s handling of the press, according to a clip highlighted by Mediaite."
Whining makes a reporter look like an idiot.
“This is a two-way street,” the prominent liberal told host Stephanie Ruhle. “I think they have to all be big boys, big girls, and take the hits. Take the hits and hope that we have an audience that understands this."
The audience knows when it's being bamboozled. Precisely, why newspaper readership has reportedly significantly increased after Trump took office.
“There are a lot of people in the press who can’t take a punch,” he continued. “Maybe I couldn’t either, I don’t remember, but you know, I think it’s important for you to be above this and keep doing what you’re doing. You’re not supposed to be popular. You’re supposed to tell people often what they don’t want to hear. That’s your job.”
Indeed, it is. Donahue did take his punches. Did it gracefully. Routinely, had those who strongly disagreed with him politically on his show. Handled them deftly. Never lost his cool. Never displayed anger or lost his temper.
Carefully consider the following:
"Ms. Ruhle pushed back, asking Mr. Donahue how journalists are supposed to take the high road when the president “is really taking a page from the KGB playbook” and labeling them as “fake news.” Ms. Ruhle claimed it’s “tough to take” for lower-paid journalists to be attacked by “elitists.” Mr. Donahue responded, “I think that the best way to handle this is to just keep working. Don’t be so sensitive. Don’t look like [you] have a glass jaw.” “I think that the press has to be above that,” he added."
Love or hate him, Donahue is a class act. Has always been. He's right. Do your job. No matter the consequences. Stand tall. If your employer fails to back you, find another employer. Better yet, find your niche self-employed.
6-30-17
Once in awhile, the Supreme Court gets it right. NPR reports:
"A naturalized U.S. citizen should not have been stripped of her citizenship for the sole reason that she lied to U.S. officials, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, vacating a lower court's decision. The plaintiff, an ethnic Serb who entered the U.S. as a refugee, had argued that false answers she gave to immigration officials were immaterial to procuring citizenship. "We have never read a statute to strip citizenship from someone who met the legal criteria for acquiring it," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the court's opinion. "We will not start now."
Amazing coming from what is normally a nazi court.
"At oral argument, Chief Justice John Roberts expressed real reservations about stripping citizenship without proof of materiality," NPR's Nina Totenberg reports, "and the court has historically been reluctant to strip citizenship without the government meeting a high bar of proof."
To the point:
"The statute against knowingly procuring naturalization contrary to U.S. law, Kagan wrote, "is not a tool for denaturalizing people who, the available evidence indicates, were actually qualified for the citizenship they obtained."
The lie allegedly told was in regard to her husband's involvement in the Serb military.
6-30-17
Then again, the Supreme Court increasingly gets it achingly wrong. NPR reports:
"In a major property rights decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a decisive victory to state and local governments and environmental groups. By a 5-to-3 vote, the justices made it much harder for property owners to get compensation from the government when zoning regulations restrict the use of just part of landowners' property."
We no longer own property in this country. The government does. Don't pay the 'rent,' that is, taxes, guess what? The government sells the property you never truly owned to another sucker.
6-30-17
Once again, a nazi U.S. Supreme Court took a raucous hard dump on the Constitution. NBC News reports:
"The U.S. Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the go-ahead Monday to begin enforcing part of the president's executive order restricting travel from six predominately Muslim countries. The court also agreed to take up the Trump administration's appeal of lower court rulings that have prevented the government from carrying out the president's policy, which the White House said was necessary to help prevent terrorists from entering the country."
Another outrageous unconstitutional ruling. Nazis on the Court have little to no regard for the First Amendment. There is no exigent terrorist threat, -- other than from the nazi in the Oval Office and his henchmen in law enforcement.
"It was an important legal victory for the White House after a string of defeats over the issue. The Supreme Court's actions mean much [of] the travel ban can be enforced for the next several months, at least until the justices hear the case when their new term begins in the fall."
No surprise coming from a Court dominated by Republican nazis more than willing to legislate their outrageously perverse ideological and religious views from the bench.
"Monday's ruling said the ban cannot be applied to visa applicants who have a close relationship to a family member in the U.S. or who want to come here to study or accept a job offer."
Mighty 'generous' of the outrageously clueless fascist bastards warming their seats on the Court, isn't it?
"But the ban can now be enforced against all other visa applicants in the six affected countries."
Direct violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause, church-state separation, that is, freedom from religion. To say nothing of freedom of religion also protected by this very same Amendment. There is no exigent foreign threat demonstrated by the Trump nazi, yet the fascist bastards on the Court granted him near carte blanche to do as he pleases.
Nazis on the Court have clearly ignored the fact far more than 90 days have passed since the original executive order was signed by the Trump nazi. Where's the exigent threat? Where? No more than religious bigotry against Muslims displayed by the Trump nazi, his henchmen, and sick sycophants.
"The court’s unsigned order was unanimous on granting the administration’s appeal. The only noted dissent came from Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, who said they would have allowed the travel ban to be enforced in full."
Not surprising coming from the latter three Republican bona fide nazis. What about the four other supposedly 'liberal' justices who did not dissent? Went along to get along? These are certainly troubling times as our country progresses from a goddamned fascist police-state to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. ... With a little help, of course, from a nazi U.S. Supreme Court.
6-30-17
Another exceptionally unconstitutional ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. NPR reports:
"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that taxpayer-funded grants for playgrounds available to nonprofits under a state program could not be denied to a school run by a church."
Direct violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause, church-state separation, that is, freedom from religion.
"The consequence is, in all likelihood, a few extra scraped knees. But the exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution all the same, and cannot stand," Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority."
This nazi has his head lodged so far up his ass his eyeballs have turned inside out, clouding vision, eviscerating all judgment. To say nothing of his falsely sworn oath of office.
"In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, "If this separation means anything, it means that the government cannot, or at the very least need not, tax its citizens and turn that money over to houses of worship. The Court today blinds itself to the outcome this history requires and leads us instead to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment."
Indeed. Quite a problem as our formerly great country continues to nazify. Why should taxpayers be looted to pay expenses of religious schools which embrace and teach fascism? Fascism, nazism, national socialism defined as the pernicious blend of government, business, and religion. 'Justified' by perversion and bastardization of the latter.
This ruling is a step backwards. Clearly, a portend of what's to come:
"Two justices, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, refused to sign on to a footnote explicitly stating that the court's approval applied only to playground funding and should not be read as applying to parochial schools in general."
These two nazis certainly have shown their true colors. Are obviously in support of public funding of religious schools. Unacceptable in a supposed democratic republic based on the United States Constitution. These latest rulings coming from this nazi Court don't bode well for our country. Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming as our nation continues to determinedly nazify.
The Washington Post reports:
"The two dissenting votes came from Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor."
Clearly, the camel's nose, now under the tent. ... As the revolution doomsday clock strikes ever closer to midnight.
6-30-17
Another outrageous gutless ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. NPR reports:
"Fifteen-year-old Sergio Hernandez was slain by a Border Patrol agent seven years ago. The lawman was standing on one side of a culvert in El Paso, Texas; the unarmed teenager was on the Juarez, Mexico, side. Federal courts are deciding whether the young man has rights under the U.S. Constitution, and if his mother can sue the agent for damages."
Readers will recall this appalling case from an earlier edition.
"Monday morning, she received a call from her attorney in Texas. "He told me there was some good news, but we're still waiting for victory," she said in Spanish. "I want justice. This officer cannot be allowed to continue, because there'll be another young victim, then another and another."
The gutless nazi bastards on the Court punted:
The High Court called the shooting "a disturbing incident resulting from a heartbreaking loss of life." But it resisted overturning the ruling and instead told the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to reconsider its decision giving Agent Jesus Mesa Jr. "qualified immunity" from civil liability."
Appalling. Gutless. Nazi. Think not? Wake up:
"He claims he shot Hernandez in the head because the boy had been throwing rocks at him and the agent feared for his life. The Justice Dept investigated the shooting and decided there was insufficient evidence for a civil rights violation."
Unsustainable. Continues? This formerly great country cannot, will not, survive.
6-30-17
While the U.S. Supreme Court continues to solidify its nazi majority, lower courts continue to stand tall despite this growing nazism and increasing uncertainty. NPR reports:
"A federal judge in Michigan has temporarily barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting a group of more than 1,400 Iraqi nationals for at least two weeks, expanding an order that initially applied only to those in the Detroit area."
Especially critical since they would likely be tortured and/or killed upon return. Apparently, what the 'President' and his henchmen are hoping for.
"The Iraqis covered by the injunction have been convicted of crimes in the U.S. — in some cases, decades ago. Since then, they've been allowed to remain in their communities under supervision. They face deportation because Iraq recently agreed to issue travel documents for their repatriation — but the Iraqis say they need a chance to show why they should be allowed to stay in the U.S."
Like being able to stay alive? Avoid torture? Think the Trump nazi and his henchmen give a shit?
"U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled late Monday that the Iraqis at risk of being deported from the U.S. could face "grave consequences" if they're forced to return to their native country — and that the potential for irreparable harm outweighs the government's interest in their immediate removal."
Think so? Trump and his henchmen don't.
"Goldsmith, who was named to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2010, added, "the public interest is served by assuring that habeas rights are not lost before this Court can assess whether it has jurisdiction in this case."
Doesn't look good, but have to commend the judge for trying to do the right thing. Humanitarian concerns? Mean nothing to the Trump nazi, his henchmen, and fellow GOP national socialists.
"Iraqis nationals not just in Detroit but all across the U.S. are at risk of torture and death if deported back to Iraq," said Judy Rabinovitz, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. "The court did the right thing to ensure everyone is protected and has a chance to show that their lives are in jeopardy if forced to return."
Doesn't look good, however, since this issue will likely wind up in an overwhelmingly nazi U.S. Supreme Court. Adolf and Benito? Grinning ear-to-ear on their fiery perches.
"The plaintiffs say they're being denied due process. They also invoke laws on providing asylum for refugees and preventing deportation of foreign nationals to a country where they could face torture."
Apparently, no longer matters in the fascist police-state we now live in. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-30-17
Trump's reputation throughout the world continues to nosedive. Imagine that. Couldn't be, could it? Nazis in the Republican Party take it as a red badge of courage. Do you? The Washington Post reports:
"President Trump has alarmed citizens of the nation’s closest allies and others worldwide, diminishing the standing of the United States in their eyes, according to a wide-ranging international study released Monday."
Come as a surprise? Think insanity bolsters confidence?
"But in the survey of 37 countries, Russia is a bright spot for Trump. As beleaguered as the president is at home, a majority of Russians say they have confidence in him. And Russians’ attitudes toward the United States have improved since Trump took office."
No surprise there, is there? Our nazi 'President' has clearly been in the pocket of Putin since well before the election.
"Elsewhere, though, and with remarkable speed, Trump’s presidency has taken a toll on the United States’ image abroad."
Why wouldn't it? Trump lies on a daily basis. Contradicts himself continually. Distorts reality as it suits him. Has no regard for the truth and/or reality. Why would the rest of the world have any confidence in him? Here is the bottom line:
"What is surprising, said Frank G. Wisner, a former diplomat who served under Democrats and Republicans, is the degree to which Trump has scorned principles the United States has not only long espoused but also helped to define in the previous century. These include democratic governance, free markets, collective security, human rights and the rule of law — commitments that together, Wisner said, delineate the liberal international order."
More ominous?
"Trust in the American president plummeted most in some of the United States’ closest allies in Europe and Asia, as well as in the countries it borders, Canada and Mexico. In only two countries, Russia and Israel, does Trump receive a higher score than Obama."
Surprised?
6-30-17
The insanity of the Trump nazi again rears its ugly head. Forget? For months, Trump denied claims the Russians interfered with the 2016 election. Guess what? NPR reports:
"President Trump took to Twitter to question his predecessor's judgment and actions — at the end of a week characterized by a steady drumbeat of questions about how and when the Obama administration chose to respond to Russian interference in the 2016 election. "Why no action?," the president asked in the first of two tweets Saturday evening that suggested the Obama administration didn't do enough — and soon enough — to stop Russia last year."
Amazing turnaround, isn't it? Obama certainly did drop the ball, apparently afraid of the political consequences:
"On Wednesday, Jeh Johnson, who was Obama's secretary of Homeland Security during last year's election, was asked by members of Congress about the timing of the administration's response — specifically why the voting public was not informed about what Russia was up to until the fall of 2016. One of the candidates, Johnson said, not naming but clearly referring to Donald Trump, "was predicting that the election was going to be rigged," Johnson testified before the House Intelligence Committee, "and so we were concerned that by making the statement, we might in and of itself be challenging the integrity of the election process." Johnson also told the top Democrat on the committee that he had been concerned last year that he would be criticized "for perhaps taking sides" in an ongoing election if he publicly spoke out about the Russian meddling that he knew was going on."
The above was known for quite some time. There are also reports the Obama regime informed Senate Majority Leader Mitch "The Bitch" McConnell of the Russian duplicity. The Senator apparently didn't believe the President, reportedly advised Obama if the President indeed took action, he (the Senator) would expose it as a political stunt to aid Hillary.
Consider the following Trump tweets. The Washington Post reports:
"The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2017
…and did not want to "rock the boat." He didn't "choke," he colluded or obstructed, and it did the Dems and Crooked Hillary no good.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2017"
Where is this guy coming from? What could he possibly be thinking? He's under criminal investigation. Anyone in his right mind would remain silent under the circumstances. Moreover, he's parroting claims made against him, then re-directing them against Obama. Pitiful. Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit.
6-30-17
The FBI seems to be on the move. NBC News reports:
"FBI agents on Tuesday paid visits to at least a dozen employees of Kaspersky Lab, a Russia-based cyber-security company, asking questions about that company’s operations as part of a counter-intelligence inquiry, multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. In a classic FBI investigative tactic, agents visited the homes of the employees at the end of the work day at multiple locations on both the east and west coasts, the sources said. There is no indication at this time that the inquiry is part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling and possible collusion. Kaspersky has long been of interest to the U.S. government."
Hard to believe it's not part of the Special Counsel's investigation. The question to be asked is why was Kaspersky ever allowed to do business in this country considering its Russian ties:
"Its cyber-security software is widely used in the United States, and its billionaire owner, Eugene Kaspersky, has close ties to some Russian intelligence figures, according to U.S. officials. He graduated in 1987 from the Soviet KGB-backed Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications, and Computer Science."
Here is where it gets interesting:
"Kaspersky Lab paid former national security adviser Michael Flynn $11,250 in 2015 for cyber-security consulting, according to public documents, but that was not a focus of the FBI questioning, multiple sources said."
Truth or disingenuous bullshit?
"FBI agents told employees they were not in trouble, and that the bureau was merely gathering facts about how Kaspersky works, including to what extent the U.S. operations ultimately report to Moscow."
Hard to believe that's the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Especially, considering the following:
"Kaspersky sells cyber-security software to businesses and the government in the U.S., although intelligence officials have warned for years that the company has ties to Russia. Kaspersky Labs has sought to raise its American profile with corporate sponsorships, including of National Public Radio. "I wouldn't put their stuff on my computer if you paid me," said a former senior U.S. intelligence official."
Fascinating, isn't it?
In fairness to Kaspersky, take time to read the following:
"In a statement, Kaspersky Lab said it "has no ties to any government, and the company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyberespionage efforts. The company has a 20-year history in the IT security industry of always abiding by the highest ethical business practices, and Kaspersky Lab believes it is completely unacceptable that the company is being unjustly accused without any hard evidence to back up these false allegations. Kaspersky Lab is available to assist all concerned government organizations with any ongoing investigations, and the company ardently believes a deeper examination of Kaspersky Lab will confirm that these allegations are unfounded."
Hopefully, that's indeed true. We'll see.
6-23-17
In follow up to an earlier edition, The Washington Post reports:
"Authorities in the District said Thursday that they have criminally charged a dozen members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security team who authorities say attacked protesters outside the ambassador’s residence in May."
What took so long? Why wait until they left the country? Making it nearly certain there will be no justice since Turkey is already contesting the charges and what went down.
"The charges come nearly a month after the clashes at Sheridan Circle along Massachusetts Avenue’s Embassy Row, outside the residence of the Turkish ambassador. Police and other officials say various members of the visiting Erdogan’s security team, some of them armed, attacked a group protesting his regime as police struggled to restore order and bystanders recorded the scene with phones. In an affidavit to support an arrest warrant, D.C. police wrote that “during the course of the official Turkish visit, Turkish security personnel and others assaulted protesters and U.S. law enforcement officers in at least three separate incidents.”
Clearly, police did not do their job. Should have immediately hauled their asses to jail. Had it been Americans engaging in such criminal behavior, certainly would have happened. Forget? Police take great pleasure in beating the living shit out of protesters. Matters not whether they're guilty or innocent.
The fact they're protesting, police routinely take as carte blanche to get their cookies off inflicting their version of street justice. Yet, when confronted with a foreign goon squad, gutlessly, do squat shit. Sadly, now, the American Way.
"Authorities said they identified the suspects by comparing video of the melee with passport and visa images, using facial recognition techniques."
Again, why didn't police immediately arrest these foreign goons at the time of the violence? Why not? Did not do their sworn duty. Again, why not?
"People injured in the attack and federal lawmakers have criticized the initial response, which was complicated by issues over diplomatic immunity and relations with Turkey. Officials at the Turkish Embassy in Washington declined to comment Thursday."
No more than egregious failure of law enforcement. Readers are reminded these attacks were vicious. Unprovoked.
"Some critics were angry police did not make more arrests on the spot; the State Department ordered a federal police agency to release two presidential guards taken into custody, saying they had diplomatic immunity."
They viciously attack, do so unprovoked, then get excused through diplomatic immunity? Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all? Readers are reminded this was not your usual run of the mill diplomatic motor vehicle scofflaw bullshit that goes on routinely at the UN in New York. This was a brutal savage attack on innocent people protesting the goddamned Turkish dictator.
Why was the son of a bitch allowed into the country by the Trump nazi in the first place? Trump knew what he was dealing with. Knew the sordid history of this jackbooted piece of shit. Yet allowed him into the country. Granted him legitimacy he did not deserve by meeting with the son of a bitch. Again, anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all?
"It is not immediately clear whether those issues had been sorted out. Police said they have been working closely over the past several weeks with the State Department and Secret Service, poring over video clips and trying to decide how to proceed."
Pitiful. Goddamned pitiful.
"Turkish officials have acknowledged that security officers participated in the fracas but said they were acting in self-defense, contending that protesters started the brawl and that D.C. police refused to arrest them. Turkey also alleged that terrorist sympathizers were among the demonstrators who had gathered on Embassy Row in Northwest Washington. Law enforcement and legal experts have said bringing the attackers to justice could be difficult because Turkey is unlikely to extradite people or make them available for interviews."
Precisely, why they should have been arrested at the time of the violence, hauled to jail. Then, let federal authorities sort out the legal ramifications vis a vis diplomatic immunity.
"American officials and members of Congress have condemned the incident as an attack on peaceful demonstrators exercising their Democratic rights. Some called for the ouster of Turkey’s ambassador and a ban on the guards returning to the United States. The State Department summoned the Turkish ambassador to file a protest."
Had the Trump nazi not agreed to allow this goddamned dictator into the country, none of this would have been an issue. Trump's judgment resides up his ass.
"At least 11 people were injured, including a police officer. Police finally separated the two sides and pushed the security personnel back toward the residence. Protesters complained that police were protecting Turkish officials and reacted to the violence with too light a hand. Turkey issued several statements, the first of which blamed D.C. police for allowing the protest and saying its security personnel felt compelled to shut it down absent any action from local authorities against people it called terrorists."
The Turkish dictator and his thugs don't get to make that call in the United States. The First Amendment right to protest guaranties otherwise. Police did not do their jobs. Where is the investigation of that dereliction of duty? Where?
6-23-17
No justice. NPR reports:
"After five days of deliberations, a jury has found a Minnesota police officer not guilty on all counts over his deadly shooting of a black man during a traffic stop last July in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn."
Legalized murder. No equal treatment. Nazi justice in a fascist police-state.
"The system continues to fail black people, and it will continue to fail you all," Valerie Castile, Philando's mother, told reporters after the verdict. "My son loved this city and this city killed my son and the murderer gets away. ...I'm mad as hell right now." Castile's sister Allysza, weeping, said "he didn't deserve to die the way he did, and I will never have faith in this system." Castile family lawyer Glenda Hatchett vowed to continue fighting."
There can be no faith or trust in a kangaroo system of justice.
CBS News reports:
"A jury on Friday found a Minnesota police officer not guilty of manslaughter in the death of a black motorist. Defense attorneys contended the 29-year-old Latino officer was scared for his life and was justified in shooting 32-year-old Philando Castile. Jeronimo Yanez shot Castile five times last July during a traffic stop in a St. Paul suburb, just seconds after Castile informed him he was carrying a gun."
Had a license to carry. Was a law-abiding citizen.
"Prosecutors insisted Yanez never saw a gun and had plenty of options short of shooting Castile, an elementary school cafeteria worker they say was never a threat."
Nazi justice.
"Philando Castile's girlfriend livestreamed the gruesome aftermath of the shooting on Facebook. The video was shared widely, and included Diamond Reynolds' statements that Castile hadn't been reaching for his gun. Castile had a permit for the weapon."
Testimony and facts of this case dictated conviction. Two possibilities. Disingenuous prosecutors may have aided defense counsel loading the jury with 'law and order' nazis. More likely, jurors selected were hopelessly aggressively stupid. -- 'Can fix ignorant, can't fix stupid.'
Despite exoneration of a murderous officer, protest MUST remain peaceful. Otherwise, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue are granted carte blanche to murder on the job. Don't give them the satisfaction.
CNN reports:
"Thousands of protesters gathered Friday night after a jury found a police officer not guilty in last year's fatal shooting of motorist Philando Castile. Minnesota State Patrol said it arrested 18 protesters following demonstrations on Interstate 94 in St. Paul. They were arrested after they failed to comply with orders to disperse, the agency posted on Twitter. St. Paul police estimated that 2,000 people marched peacefully through the streets, including a crowd gathered outside the Minnesota state Capitol. Speakers led chants, sang hymns and urged the protesters not to lose hope."
There can be no hope when police are not held accountable for murdering innocent civilians. Sadly, this is precisely how revolutions spawn. Protesters MUST remain non-violent. Otherwise, police enjoy open season on those protesting. No more than legalized murder.
"Organizers of the Friday protest said on Facebook, "This verdict shows how the system is rigged against justice for victims of police terror."
Indeed, terror perpetrated by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. As repeatedly stated in this publication, the greatest threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties is no foreign power. No terrorist organization. Not even the criminal element. Without question, the greatest threat now comes from government. All branches and levels. Enforced and perpetrated by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Ultimately, on behalf of their corporate masters who now almost own it all.
"Numerous groups castigated the decision. Sherrilyn Ifill, the director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the jury's decision shows how difficult it is to prosecute a police officer in a fatal shooting."
There is no justice. Police are granted carte blanche to murder innocent, unarmed civilians. Protected, coddled by clueless, carefully selected juries, -- and egregiously unjust laws. Worse? Nazi rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.
"This incident seemed so egregious and avoidable that we hoped that this time, it might be different -- that this time, justice might be served," Ifill said."
Not to be. To shamelessly borrow the sentiments of the Trump nazi, the system is indeed rigged. Against, however, the bottom of the food chain and middle class.
"Because if the government can take your life and no one is held responsible, you are a second-class citizen, if not fully dehumanized in the eyes of the law," she said. "That is the devastating message this verdict, along with all those similar acquittals before it, sends to communities of color across the nation."
Not only minorities, however. ... Right, TL? Sheriff? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?
"The ACLU said in a statement: "Two Supreme Court decisions from the 1980s allow officers to use deadly force when a reasonable officer on the scene could reasonably fear for their safety. These two decisions create an atmosphere where police violence is sanctioned based on what we think a hypothetical officer could have felt, even if, in reality, the officer was acting recklessly, had ill motives or was acting based on implicit bias."
The classic bullshit Catch-22. Designed to protect the gutless, criminal jackbooted asses of America's not-so-finest. ... Right, TL? Sheriff? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?
"Taking another person's life is the most extreme action a police officer can take, and consequently new standards are needed to better ensure that police killings happen rarely."
Not likely to occur any time soon. Forget? The system has grown too corrupt, abusive, inept, clueless. Precisely, why violent protest has increased. Why the rumble of an unwanted dreaded second American revolution grows louder and louder. As our formerly great country continues to deteriorate.
Interestingly, the Nazi Right seems to be running scared. Blaming the Left for the growing violence. NPR reports:
"Some conservatives have seized on Wednesday's shooting of Republican Rep. Steve Scalise and three others as the latest example of what they see as rising political violence from the left. Fox News' Sean Hannity accused Democrats of "dehumanizing" Republicans, and the right-leaning Washington Times ran an editorial by a Tea Party activist that called leftist protests "the first skirmishes of the second American civil war."
Think so?
"But those who track extremism say that while there are a few far-left groups that raise red flags, their numbers remain small."
Wouldn't want to confuse the Nazi Right with the truth, would we?
"The far left is very active in the United States, but it hasn't been particularly violent for some time," says Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism. He says the numbers between the groups don't compare."
They don't.
"In the past 10 years when you look at murders committed by domestic extremists in the United States of all types, right-wing extremists are responsible for about 74 percent of those murders," Pitcavage says."
Yet, if you listen to a growing number on the Right, seem to be conveniently out of touch with this reality:
"You have to go back to the 1970s to find the last big cycle of far-left extremism in the U.S. Both Pitcavage and McNabb say we have been in a predominantly far-right extremist cycle since the 1990s — the abortion clinic bombings and Oklahoma City, for example. And, more recently, racially motivated attacks such as the one at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the mass shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C., and last month's stabbings on a commuter train in Portland."
Indeed. All true. Yet, the mass shooting earlier this week in Virginia perpetrated by an extremist on the Left remains outrageous, disturbing. Hopefully, not a portend of what's to come as our formerly great country continues to nazify. Transforms from the fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-23-17
The Border Patrol recently raided a non-profit life saving aid station in the Arizona desert. Fox News reports:
"U.S. Border Patrol agents served a search warrant at a non-profit aid camp in the southern Arizona desert Thursday and arrested four Mexican men suspected of being in the country illegally."
To the credit of the jackbooted bastards, they did have a warrant. Amazing, isn't it?
"The camp, about 11 miles north of the Mexican border, provides medical care for immigrants crossing into the U.S. across the miles-long Sonoran Desert. It has been in operation since 2004, run by the organization No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths)."
Doesn't matter to the jackbooted bastards this could indeed result in more needless deaths in the desert as word gets out BP thugs are conducting heavily-armed raids at the aid station.
"The raid on the medical aid camp is unacceptable and a break in our good faith agreements w/BP to respect the critical work of #NoMoreDeaths," the organization said in a tweet.
"Nogales
#CBP #USBP agents serve warrant and arrest 4 at No More Deaths camp in
Arivaca, Arizona #HonorFirst pic.twitter.com/uw5Eg6MXQB
—
CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) June 16, 2017"
Humanitarian concerns no longer matter to the jackbooted bastards in the Border Patrol. To say nothing of ICE.
"The NGO said in a statement that 30 armed agents entered the camp with 15 trucks and a helicopter searching for the migrants."
Jackbooted storm troopers. Nazi America. A goddamned fascist police-state. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
"Border Patrol said agents reached out to camp representatives before the raid but the talks were unsuccessful."
What did they expect? This is a life saving aid station. What's next? Jackbooted, heavily-armed raids of church sanctuaries by ICE goons?
"In a statement posted on Twitter, the agency said it felt “compelled to seek a search warrant” to question the men and said a similar raid last month resulted in the arrest of eight undocumented men, two of whom had a criminal record."
What criminal record? Spitting on the street? Public intoxication? You jackbooted bastards need to be specific. Again, what criminal record?
"Camp officials said that in the past few weeks, the heavy presence of law enforcement has deterred people from accessing critical humanitarian assistance.
"The
choice to interdict people only after they entered the #NoMoreDeaths camp
is evidence that this was a direct attack on humanitarian aid pic.twitter.com/WIKDGKkUig
—
No More Deaths (@NoMoreDeaths) June 16, 2017"
That's the true aim of these goddamned jackbooted bastards. No sanctuary. Anywhere. Death in the desert of a migrant or refugee? No problem for the criminal jackbooted bastards. ... These, the very same hypocritical pieces of shit who get down on bended knee each Sunday in church. Thanking the Good Lord for their good fortune.
6-23-17
Amazing how politicians routinely rely on achingly simple explanations in search for over simplistic answers to resolve highly complex problems with no easy solutions. The latest is the savage shooting incident in Virginia and explanations for that shooting that hold no water. Politicians at both extremes ludicrously believe heated rhetoric of the other side leads to such violence. Nonsense.
Rhetoric isn't the root cause of violence. Never is, never has been. An unsustainable status quo always is. Doesn't justify violence, however, simply explains it. This country is profoundly divided. Papering over this fact won't change this reality. Will, sadly, exacerbate the problem. Resolve nothing. Consider the following. The Washington Times reports:
"Rep. Joe Crowley said Thursday that President Trump’s policies are in part to blame for the heated rhetoric that led to the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and others this week in Alexandria, Virginia. “I think much of that tone is set by the president himself, and the actions that he’s taken,” Mr. Crowley said on CNN. “Not just the United States but the entire world is unsettled.” “My constituency does feel under duress right now by the president’s actions and so what I’m speaking of is his actions,” the New York Democrat said. But the congressman stipulated, “I’m not attacking the person of the president, but the policies or the actions that he’s taking.”
Readers are encouraged to carefully re-read the above quote. Crowley is quite correct. The actions of the president are at the root of the problem. That is, unacceptable determined nazification of our formerly great country. Precisely, why the only solution to this problem is carefully reasoned rhetoric based on facts that are persuasive, undeniable. To avoid the unthinkable. An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.
Yet, we see no evidence of this rhetoric in the body politic. Quite the opposite. We see the Extreme Right blaming the Extreme Left for the violence. The Extreme Left blaming the Right. Casting blame rather than addressing the problem at hand. What problem? Wake up. Extension of the fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
Unless this is resolved, the chance for further unwanted violence remains high. Culminating in what's already catastrophically looming. An unwanted dreaded second American revolution. Police remain out of control. So do all levels and branches of government. So do their corporate masters who ultimately run and own it all. Unless this is resolved, the doomsday clock strikes ever closer to midnight.
The following quote from The Washington Times is achingly ironic:
"President Trump said Thursday that he hoped the shock and horror over the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who remained in critical condition at a Washington hospital, would bring unity to the painfully divided country."
Ironic due to the fact Trump himself is directly responsible for this growing division.
The following is the take of Texas Rep. Mike Conaway from his most recent newsletter:
"The 2017 Congressional Baseball Game
"Wednesday morning, a gunman opened fire at the GOP's baseball practice. I was unharmed, but five others, including Majority Whip Scalise, were shot.
"I have played in the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity every year since I came to Congress, and it has become one of my favorite traditions. The camaraderie we feel as players transcends party, as we live out our childhood dreams of playing on a major league field.
"Last night, the game went on. We played the game we love in honor of Congressman Steve Scalise, Matt Mika, Zach Barth, Special Agent Crystal Griner, and Special Agent David Bailey. We remain thankful for the heroic actions of Special Agents Griner and Bailey, as well as the other officers who arrived to our aid quickly, without whom the events of Wednesday might have turned drastically worse.
"We took to the field last night, united in our love for this country. The Republicans and Democrats came together at second base to start the evening with a prayer, and then we played ball."
Scalise has been upgraded to fair condition. Hopefully, will fully recover.
6-23-17
Once again, an achingly nazi U.S. Supreme Court disgraced itself and the public it supposedly serves. ABC News reports:
"The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Muslim men detained after the Sept. 11 attacks can't sue top U.S. law enforcement officials."
Why not? Why are top law enforcement officials ruled above both the law and the United States Constitution by the nazis on the Supreme Court? Smacks of the same bullshit suffered by Japanese-Americans removed from their homes and placed under detention in concentration camps after Pearl Harbor.
"The justices by a 4-2 vote ended a long-running lawsuit against former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former FBI Director Robert Mueller and other top Bush administration officials. The suit was filed by Muslim men who were detained for months in harsh conditions in a Brooklyn jail after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon."
Now, we have a nazi U.S. Supreme Court rubber stamping this outrageously unconstitutional bullshit in a nod to political expediency. In a fascist police-state. The Court has once again disgraced itself. Shown its true colors. Rabid nazism.
"They were seeking damages against Ashcroft, Mueller, former immigration chief James Ziglar and the man who ran the federal jail. A lower court still may re-examine claims against the jailer."
Clearly, no justice in a fascist police-state. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
"In his majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy noted that the case arose in the aftermath of the deadly attacks, when U.S. officials wanted to be sure that there were no other potential attackers in the country. The men who were arrested all were in the United States illegally, many having stayed past the expiration of a visa. He also acknowledged that the men were treated badly."
Indeed, no more than a goddamned repeat of history. Remarkably similar, remarkably similarly justified to what happened to Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. Only difference? The Japanese Americans were American citizens. Nazis on the current Supreme Court clearly don't believe constitutional guaranties apply to ALL under U.S. jurisdiction, including, non-citizens.
Here is the non-credible, non-excuse offered by the Kennedy nazi for this appalling ruling:
"There is therefore a balance to be struck, in situations like this one, between deterring constitutional violations and freeing high officials to make the lawful decisions necessary to protect the Nation in times of great peril," Kennedy wrote. But Congress, not the courts, should set when top officials can be sued, Kennedy said."
Apparently, the Kennedy nazi has not read the Bill of Rights. Fails to understand this is supposedly a democratic republic, not a fascist police-state run by a nazi dictator.
Not all were onboard in this outrageously unconstitutional ruling:
"In a dissent joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Stephen Breyer said the ability to hold officials accountable is especially important in a time of war or national security emergency. "History warns of the risk to liberty in times of national crisis," Breyer said in a dissent he summarized aloud from the bench Monday."
The doomsday clock strikes ever closer to midnight. Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming. As the courts continue to raucously shit on the United States Constitution including the Bill of Rights. A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Sieg Heil!, 'Justice' Kennedy, his fellow achingly clueless stooges.
6-23-17
Trump under investigation for obstruction of justice. The Washington Post reports:
"The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said. The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said."
Pressure, indeed, ratcheting up.
"Five people briefed on the interview requests, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said that Daniel Coats, the current director of national intelligence, Mike Rogers, head of the National Security Agency, and Rogers’s recently departed deputy, Richard Ledgett, agreed to be interviewed by Mueller’s investigators as early as this week. The investigation has been cloaked in secrecy, and it is unclear how many others have been questioned by the FBI."
Fascinating turn of events, ostensibly triggered by Comey's firing.
"The NSA said in a statement that it will “fully cooperate with the special counsel” and declined to comment further. The office of the director of national intelligence and Ledgett declined to comment."
Have no choice but to cooperate with a criminal investigation. The White House appears to be circling the wagons:
"The White House now refers all questions about the Russia investigation to Trump’s personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz. “The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal,” said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Kasowitz."
The public has a right to know. The shyster seems to forget the people are the ultimate masters of government. Not the other way around.
"The officials said Coats, Rogers and Ledgett would appear voluntarily, though it remains unclear whether they will describe in full their conversations with Trump and other top officials or will be directed by the White House to invoke executive privilege. It is doubtful that the White House could ultimately use executive privilege to try to block them from speaking to Mueller’s investigators. Experts point out that the Supreme Court ruled during the Watergate scandal that officials cannot use privilege to withhold evidence in criminal prosecutions."
Amazing to think Trump is directly responsible for what will likely be his ultimate undoing. Indeed, aggressive stupidity at its very worst. Repeatedly, figuratively, ludicrously shot himself in the ass. Has only himself to blame for this ongoing fiasco. The following has to send a chill up the 'President's' spine:
"The obstruction-of-justice investigation of the president began days after Comey was fired on May 9, according to people familiar with the matter. Mueller’s office has taken up that work, and the preliminary interviews scheduled with intelligence officials indicate that his team is actively pursuing potential witnesses inside and outside the government."
Trump is no inexperienced kid. Had to have known better having lived through the Nixon debacle. Obstruction of justice, an impending impeachment forced Nixon's resignation. Younger readers are reminded Nixon indeed escaped justice, criminal prosecution when his Nixon-appointed successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him.
Trump certainly has what appears to be severe problems vis a vis his ability to reason. The following example is indeed achingly sad. NPR reports:
"President Trump dismissed a potential obstruction of justice investigation into his conduct, calling allegations of collusion between him, his campaign or people associated with him and Russia a "phony story."
"They
made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so
now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017"
"Of course, it's possible to obstruct justice without colluding."
It is. Yet, Trump conflated the two. Certainly, unbecoming a president. Raises serious questions regarding his mental fitness to serve as president.
What webs we weave. Trump still continues to stupidly tweet. NBC News reports:
"President Donald Trump appeared to confirm in a tweet on Friday that he is under investigation for firing former FBI Director James Comey and blamed what he called a "Witch Hunt" on "the man who told me to fire" Comey — a possible reference to the deputy attorney general. "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt," Trump tweeted. NBC News has reported that federal investigators are examining whether the president attempted to obstruct justice."
Trump appears to be figuratively shooting himself in the ass with these tweets. Doesn't seem to understand silence is indeed golden when under criminal investigation.
"Trump may have been referring to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who wrote a highly critical memo about Comey. In separate closed-door meetings with the House and the Senate, Rosenstein said his memo was "not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination."
Someone's lying. Guess who?
"Trump's tweet comes as NBC News has learned that staffers on his 2016 campaign have been asked to preserve documents, text messages and electronic devices, and Michael Cohen, the president's lawyer, has hired a private attorney and Michael Caputo, a former communications adviser on the campaign, has been contacted by the FBI."
Plot thickens. Seatbelts on.
Fox News reports:
"Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s role overseeing the special counsel probe of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign came into question Friday as President Trump openly suggested the top DOJ official is conflicted and a new report said Rosenstein has discussed the possibility of recusal. Senior Justice Department officials pushed back on the ABC News report, saying Rosenstein has not at this point requested any official opinion on the matter from career ethics attorneys in the department. "He may have brought up the possibility" in discussions with DOJ colleagues, a senior DOJ official said. “But it's only that, a possibility. ... There is an official process, and it has not started." On the record, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said: "As the Deputy Attorney General has said numerous times, if there comes a time when he needs to recuse, he will. However, nothing has changed."
CNN reports:
"The leaders of the Senate judiciary committee have reached an agreement about the scope of an investigation into political interference at the FBI, with the possibility that the inquiry could explore whether President Donald Trump acted improperly during his interactions with fired FBI Director James Comey. Chairman Chuck Grassley and the panel's top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, plan to move forward on their inquiry, which will look into Russia meddling in the elections as well as whether there was any improper political interference with the FBI under both Trump and former President Barack Obama's administration."
6-23-17
Trump is taking a dangerously hands-off approach to civilian control over the military. CNN reports:
"President Trump has given Secretary of Defense James Mattis full authority to set US troop levels in Afghanistan. Before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Mattis lauded the decision as a way to make managing the war effort more efficient: "This assures the department can facilitate our missions and nimbly align our commitment to the situation on the ground," he said. Fair enough. But there are -- and should be -- honest concerns about the degree to which the President's hands-off approach to the military provides for a proper set of checks and balances and is healthy for civil-military relations in this country."
Forget? Seven Days In May.
6-23-17
The courts continue to rule against the Trump nazi and his henchmen. NPR reports:
"A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration failed to follow proper environmental procedures when it granted approval to the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline project. It's a legal victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and environmentalists, who protested for months against the pipeline. Oil started flowing through it earlier this month. The tribe fears that the pipeline, which crosses the Missouri River just upstream of its reservation, could contaminate its drinking water and sacred lands."
At least some semblance of sanity in the courts.
"This ruling does not order a halt to pipeline operations. But it opens the door to that possibility. The judge writes that the standard remedy in this situation would be to vacate the pipeline's permits and easement, thereby halting pipeline operations until the Army Corps is in compliance with environmental procedures. "Such a move, of course, would carry serious consequences that a court should not lightly impose," Boasberg says. He ordered the parties to submit briefings about the legal question and scheduled a status hearing for next Wednesday."
Be interesting to see where this all goes. ... If anywhere.
6-23-17
The Trump nazi talks out both sides his ass. CBS News reports:
"While President Trump berates Qatar for sponsoring terrorism at the highest levels, he is simultaneously authorizing the country to purchase over $21 billion of U.S. weapons."
Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all? It's the money, stupid.
6-23-17
Think Trump's newly-crowned pick for the Supreme Court, the Gorsuch nazi, is one of the unwashed masses? Fox News reports:
"Newly minted Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch is trading in his three-acre horse farm in Colorado for more metropolitan digs in the nation’s capital — putting his mansion in the Centennial State up for sale. President Donald Trump’s pick for the highest court in the country assumed office on April 10, and this month listed his five-bedroom, pale brick and shake shingle estate for $1.675 million. The property, roughly 10 miles from downtown Boulder, is being marketed as a “horse lover’s paradise” with photos of the animals grazing on or near the three-acre property. Gorsuch, 49, served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals based in neighboring Denver since 2006. He bought the Rocky Mountain mansion with his wife, Louise, in 2007 for $1.03 million, according to property records. Gorsuch declined to comment for this article."
True man of the people, no?
6-23-17
Healthcare remains cash cow for the hopelessly greedy. CNN reports:
"Health insurers made oodles of money in 2016, despite losing millions of dollars on Obamacare. The industry's net income rose to $13.1 billion, up 46% from a year earlier, according to a report from rating company A.M. Best. Companies saw improvements in most of their business lines, but much of the earnings boost came from higher profitability in their Medicare Advantage divisions and smaller losses in their Obamacare exchange products. "They did lose millions and millions" in Obamacare, said Doniella Pliss, associate director at A.M. Best. But "it doesn't contradict the fact that they did very well in other lines of business."
Blood money. Literally.
6-23-17
The Trump nazi appears to be losing support from at least some on the Right. The Washington Times reports:
"Ann Coulter told her 1.5 million social media fans on Friday that her patience with President Donald Trump is running thin. Mr. Trump’s announcement leading into the weekend that he would roll back much of former president Barack Obama’s policy on Cuba coincided with an angry outburst from Ms. Coulter. The “In Trump We Trust” author said in a series of tweets that America’s highest priorities are being ignored."
Make sense? Understand what she's trying to convey?
“Yesterday, the Trump administration kept in place Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty,” she wrote, The Blaze reported. “This daily Trump melodrama is worth it ONLY if he’s really going to build the wall, cut off Muslim refugees and deport illegals. Today’s BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Miles completed yesterday —Zero; Miles completed since Inauguration — Zero.”
Gets worse:
"The conservative pundit then said that Vice President Mike Pence would be president in “about two weeks” if he vocalized the need for a border wall."
Say what?
Coup de grace?
"Ms. Coulter was one of the president’s earliest advocates telling a stunned audience during HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” that he stood the best chance of becoming the 2016 Republican Party presidential nominee.
"I
thought w/ Trump we’d finally have a president helping OUR country. So
far: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, China, N Kor. Today: Cuba!
—
Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) June 16, 2017"
Bless her heart. LOL.
6-23-17
Seems like Ms. Coulter isn't the only Republican losing her mind. CNN reports:
"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Friday that it's impossible for President Donald Trump to obstruct justice because of the fact that he's president."
Say what?
"Technically, the President of the United States cannot obstruct justice," Gingrich said at the National Press Club in an event to promote his new book, "Understanding Trump." "The President of the United States is the chief executive officer of the United States. If he wants to fire the FBI director, all he's got to do is fire him."
What planet does this national socialist live on? Seems to have forgotten this is supposedly a democratic republic, not a fascist police-state run by a nazi dictator.
"However, Gingrich himself has in the past voted to impeach a president over such charges. While speaker of the House, Gingrich voted in 1998 to impeach President Bill Clinton on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury."
Can't confuse a nazi with the truth, right, Newt?
"Now, with a Republican in power, Gingrich has changed his tune. On Friday he called the investigation into Trump a "witch hunt."
Precisely, why no politician, either major political party, can be trusted. All lie like hell. Self-serving, clueless.
"The left right now is engaged in the Salem witchcraft process of, 'We know somebody's evil, we know somebody's bad. I wonder who we should burn at the stake? Maybe it's you, whoever you are,'" Gingrich said. He encouraged the audience to read Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," saying "that's the mentality of the left right now."
Aren't you talking about yourself, Newt? Hard to believe you'd know truth if it figuratively bit you hard on the ass.
6-23-17
Think the following won't add to the Emoluments controversy? The Washington Times reports:
"President Trump reported income of $288 million from his golf courses alone since January 2016, according to financial disclosure forms released Friday by the government. The 98-page form filed at Office of Government Ethics showed that Mr. Trump reported $37.2 million in income from Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida resort that he now refers to as the “Southern White House.” The president also received $19.8 million from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he frequently spends weekends in the summer."
Entertaining foreign heads of state and their cronies who've lined his pockets.
"The president earned $19.7 million in income at his new luxury Washington hotel that’s about three blocks from the White House, and another $17.5 million from his golf club in suburban Potomac Falls, Virginia."
Earned income from foreigners wishing to secure his favor.
"The report covers the period from January 2016 through mid-April of this year. It does not reveal the taxes paid by the president."
Unless and until his taxes are released, this controversy will continue unabated. Certainly, be interesting to see if special counsel forces the issue during his investigation of the president for obstruction of justice.
6-23-17
Following up on the above, pressure is indeed mounting on Trump to release banking records pertinent to the Russian investigation. ABC News reports:
"Senate investigators have been locked in a quiet showdown with the Trump administration over records that they believe could help expose possible hidden dealings between Trump campaign insiders and wealthy Russian or Eastern European business partners."
If there's nothing there, why is Trump stonewalling? Why fan the flames by refusing cooperation?
"The stand-off over records from the Treasury Department’s financial intelligence section led Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden to hold up the nomination of President Trump’s pick for undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, New York attorney Sigal Mandelker, until investigators have access to the federal banking records, which detail suspicious financial transactions around the globe. A vote on her nomination is on the calendar for this week, suggesting the two sides are close to a deal."
Amazing Trump would not wish to quickly resolve the matter, isn't it?
“We’re in talks right now,” Wyden told ABC News on Monday. “I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get what we need.”
Why the delay? Why not have simply subpoenaed the records? Had Trump refused to comply, would have cost him dearly politically, -- at the very least.
"Senate investigators have been in talks with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, since May over access to the banking records."
Are they stonewalling? If so, why?
“I have stated repeatedly that we have to follow the money if we are going to get to the bottom of how Russia has attacked our democracy,” he said in May. “That means thoroughly review any information that relates to financial connections between Russia and President Trump and his associates, whether direct or laundered through hidden or illicit transactions. The office which Ms. Mandelker has been nominated to head is responsible for much of this information.”
Why is this taking so long? Is Trump pressuring the agency not to cooperate?
"A spokesman for FinCen declined to comment, citing a policy “to never confirm or deny or comment on any investigations.”
Called bullshit. This is a request for information between two governmental entities on the federal level. Two co-equal branches of government. Where's the transparency? The stonewalling is inexplicable if the Trump nazi and his henchmen are indeed innocent of any wrongdoing.
"FinCEN, the Treasury agency responsible for tracking the illegal movement of money, maintains a database of millions of transactions that have been flagged by banks as unusual or problematic, known as suspicious activity reports, or SARs. Law enforcement agencies around the country have access to the information, but so far, congressional investigators have not had access."
Why not? Are Trump and his henchmen obstructing justice?
"In addition to tracking bank transactions, FinCEN monitors the suspicious movement of money through real estate and casinos — two sectors that were prominent aspects of Trump’s business empire for many years. In February 2015, Trump Taj Mahal Associates agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty to FinCEN and admitted to having willfully violated reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the federal Bank Secrecy Act from 2010 to 2012. Trump relinquished most of his interest in the casino in 2009, before it declared bankruptcy. The casino was hit with a civil penalty of $477,000 in 1998 for similar reporting violations that dated as far back as 1991, according to records obtained by ABC News through the Freedom of Information Act."
Clearly, from the above, Trump indeed has quite a history with this agency. The following, moreover, is what's truly germane to Russian interference with the 2016 election:
"Senate investigators have been looking for financial ties linking top Trump campaign aides to Russian and Eastern European businessmen, in part to determine whether any of their dealings involved criminals or those subject to U.S. financial sanctions. One of several areas of interest, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News, has been the pool of investors who helped finance construction of the Trump SoHo building in New York City. Several names associated with the financing effort have alleged ties to money laundering or Russian organized crime."
The public has a right to know. If Trump and his henchmen are stonewalling, obstructing justice, the truth needs to come out. Sooner rather than later.
6-23-17
Compounding the above is the fact that Trump, his henchmen, and Republicans in Congress are reacting to increased pressure by determinedly obliterating transparency. The Washington Post reports:
"The Senate bill to scale back the health-care law known as Obamacare is being written in secret by a single senator, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and a clutch of his senior aides."
Not only haughty, but a direct threat to the democratic republic the Founders were so concerned we'd be able to keep.
"Officials at numerous agencies of the Trump administration have stonewalled friendly Republicans in Congress — not to mention Democrats — by declining to share internal documents on sensitive matters or refusing to answer questions."
Our democratic republic remains under dire threat as the fascist police-state we already live in is extended to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
"President Trump, meanwhile, is still forbidding the release of his tax returns, his aides have stopped releasing logs of visitors to the White House and his media aides have started banning cameras at otherwise routine news briefings, as happened Monday."
No question, the mark of a nazi dictator. Adolf and Benito? Grinning ear-to-ear on their fiery perches.
"Trump even refuses to acknowledge to the public that he plays golf during his frequent weekend visits to his private golf courses."
The Imperial Presidency.
"More and more in the Trump era, business in Washington is happening behind closed doors. The federal government’s leaders are hiding from public scrutiny — and their penchant for secrecy represents a stark departure from the campaign promises of Trump and his fellow Republicans to usher in newfound transparency."
The Trump nazi remains a congenital liar, an exigent threat to all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
The following is quite telling, particularly so, because it strikingly comes from a Republican:
“I was very frustrated the Obama administration held things so close to the vest ... but I quite frankly haven’t seen any change with the Trump administration. In some ways I find it worse,” said outgoing Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who chaired the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform before announcing his retirement this spring."
Fascinating, isn't it? Pernicious, as well. Get's worse:
"In an interview Monday, Chaffetz ticked through several controversies, including the transfer of whistleblowers at the Transportation Security Administration, about which he said Trump administration officials have declined to provide key documents to his committee. “I see a bureaucracy that doesn’t want documents and the truth out the door ... and just flipping the middle finger at Congress,” Chaffetz said."
No question, our supposedly democratic republic remains under dire threat. Unlike at no time in recent history. Worse, than under the Nixon nazi well over forty years ago. Although Nixon was pernicious, was not insane. In the end, peacefully resigned, placed welfare of our country ahead of his own narrow interests.
"On Capitol Hill, Democrats are furious with federal agencies and White House offices that have not answered their requests for information on a wide range of subjects — from the role of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, to specific policy changes being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department and other agencies."
Government, clearly, out of control. Unresponsive:
"By early June, House and Senate Democratic aides had compiled lists of more than 400 written requests that they said had been ignored by the White House or federal agencies."
How revolutions spawn. Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming over a country that seems to have lost itself.
The following is extremely dangerous to a democratic republic:
"Still, lawmakers from both parties have been angered by a Justice Department opinion issued in May that instructed agencies not to comply with requests for information from most members of Congress, including Democrats. The May 1 opinion by the Office of Legal Counsel said that individual lawmakers could not make requests of the executive branch unless they are committee chairmen or participating in a request by a full committee or subcommittee."
Raw nazism. Not lost on all Republicans, however:
“This is nonsense,” Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote in seven-page letter excoriating the opinion. He said that the OLC demonstrated a “shocking lack of professionalism and objectivity.”
Worse, than that, Senator? Treason.
6-23-17
Trump is certainly doing all he can to turn back the clock. The Washington Times reports:
"President Trump announced a dramatic reversal Friday of the Obama administration’s Cuba policy, restoring restrictions on U.S. travel to the island and new prohibitions on financial transactions that benefit the communist regime’s military. “We will not be silent in the face of communist oppression any longer,” Mr. Trump said in Miami. “I am moving immediately to cancel the completely one-sided deal with Cuba.”
Okay, however, for the Trump nazi and his henchmen to oppress the bottom and middle class in this country as we progress from the fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich?
"He declared that the new policy will continue to promote prosperity for the Cuban people while cracking down on human-rights abuses by the government in Havana."
How about cracking down on human-rights abuses perpetrated by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue in our formerly great country, Mr. 'President?'
"He demanded Havana release political prisoners, hold free elections and return U.S. fugitives before he would entertain further negotiations."
How about political prisoners held in this country, Mr. 'President? How about the lack of free elections in this country, Mr. 'President?' Goddamned ubiquitous gerrymandering? Callously determined assault on voting rights to exclude voters not likely to vote for GOP nazis through repressive voter ID laws? List can go on and on.
“We will enforce the ban on tourism. We will enforce the embargo. We will take concrete steps to make sure investments flow to the people.” he told the crowd at Miami’s Manuel Artime Theater, a landmark for Cuban exiles."
No more than a crock of shit. Same old, same old. A return to policies that have egregiously failed for nearly sixty years to force change in Cuba. The Trump nazi, however, too damned aggressively stupid to understand or grasp the truth. An anachronism. Out of touch with reality.
6-23-17
Compounding the above, get this. The Washington Post reports:
"The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights voted Friday to investigate federal civil rights enforcement under President Trump, with the majority expressing “grave concerns” about the Trump administration’s proposal to cut spending and staffing on civil rights efforts at multiple agencies. “Along with changing programmatic priorities, these proposed cuts would result in a dangerous reduction of civil rights enforcement across the country, leaving communities of color, LGBT people, older people, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups exposed to greater risk of discrimination,” the commission, an independent watchdog created by Congress, said in a statement of concern approved on a 6 to 2 vote."
Trump would be well-advised to concern himself with what's going on right here, right now. So would communities targeted by the Trump nazi and his henchmen. Don't financially support those fighting for these rights? Get what you deserve.
6-23-17
The Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to do all they can to abrogate the rights of students at for-profit colleges. NPR reports:
"The U.S. Department of Education is rolling back two regulations introduced during the Obama administration and designed to protect students, especially those at for-profit colleges. In a statement, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said previous rulemaking "missed an opportunity to get it right. The result is a muddled process that's unfair to students and schools, and puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs."
Day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet to the Trump nazi and his henchmen. All ass backwards from reality. DeVos conveniently ignores the fact Trump paid $25 million to students he ripped off at his now defunct Trump 'University.'
6-23-17
No question, the fascist police-state we already live in is expanding to the Fourth Reich. CNN reports:
"President Donald Trump's immigration enforcer doubled down Friday on recent comments that undocumented immigrants "should be afraid" under the Trump administration."
A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, traitorous, treacherous, treasonous Sieg Heil!, Mr. Homan. You and your jackbooted goons remain out of uniform. Where are your swastika armbands, you fascist son of a bitch?
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan said in an interview that he has "zero regrets" about his remarks before Congress this week, expanding on them. "It needed to be said," Homan told CNN on the sidelines of a Central American prosperity and security conference."
Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming as this nazi bastard cluelessly talks out his ass.
"Homan's similar words in Congress at a House appropriations subcommittee Tuesday sparked outrage from Democrats and immigration advocates, who have decried what they call fear-mongering in communities. Local law enforcement and officials have complained that the Trump administration's enforcement activities have harmed immigrant communities, making people afraid to go to school, seek medical attention and report crimes for fear of being deported."
What we have here is a growing humanitarian crisis in a fascist police-state. Adolf and Benito? Grinning ear to ear on their fiery perches.
"The constant story about us separating families ... when someone enters this country illegally, or someone overstays their visa, they know they're in this country illegally," Homan said. "If they take it upon themselves to have a child in this country and becomes a US citizen by birth, he put his family in that position, not ICE, not Border Patrol. And to vilify the men and women of ICE as separating families is unfair."
The hell it is. Called the goddamned truth. The above quote sounds remarkably similar to excuses disingenuously made by Hitler's Nazi henchmen at war crimes tribunals at the end of the Second World War. These jackbooted bastards in ICE and throughout all law enforcement in our formerly great country present an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Egregiously, un-American. Traitors.
Coup de grace? Get this:
"Homan also passionately disputed the idea that his policies were heartless, growing visibly emotional as he recounted things he'd seen in the field that still give him nightmares, he said. His argument: The humane thing to do is to deter people from paying the human smugglers and cartels that are the only way to illegally cross the Southwest border. "Why am I so strong in what I'm trying to do?" Homan said. "Because people haven't seen what Tom Homan's seen ... They haven't seen the dead immigrants on a trail that were left stranded."
Outrageously, gallingly, haughtily, disingenuous. If immigration law was not as outrageously draconian as it is, enforced by Border Patrol jackbooted nazi storm troopers, none of this carnage would be occurring on the border. None of it. Homan's head remains securely lodged up his ass. Clouding his vision. Eviscerating his judgment.
6-23-17
Homan is not the only law enforcement nazi with his head lodged securely up a bodily orifice seldom seeing the light of day. In an editorial in The Washington Post, the Sessions nazi opines:
"As U.S. attorney general, I have a duty to protect all Americans and fulfill the president’s promise to make America safe again. Last month, after weeks of study and discussion with a host of criminal-justice participants, I issued a memorandum to all federal prosecutors regarding charging and sentencing policy that once again authorizes prosecutors to charge offenses as Congress intended. This two-page guidance instructs prosecutors to apply the laws on the books to the facts of the case in most cases, and allows them to exercise discretion where a strict application of the law would result in an injustice. Instead of barring prosecutors from faithfully enforcing the law, this policy empowers trusted professionals to apply the law fairly and exercise discretion when appropriate. That is the way good law enforcement has always worked."
Sessions is referring to drug offenders in the above. Yet, this nazi son of a bitch continues to ignore murders of unarmed innocent citizens committed by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue perpetrated all over our formerly great country. As the Trump nazi and his henchmen desperately transform the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.
Sessions has absolutely no interest in bringing these criminal officers to justice. In fact, quite the opposite. His policies are directly intended to protect and coddle them. His change in how drug crimes are prosecuted is not-so-cleverly designed to deliberately deflect attention from this growing cancer in 'law' 'enforcement.'
The prisons are already overloaded with minor drug offenders despite Sessions phony claims to the contrary. This outrageously misogynist, racist nazi continues to lie to impose Trump's agenda. Sessions remains hopelessly ignorant of the fact that just like alcohol prohibition was a massive failure, so is drug prohibition. While alcohol prohibition led to the rise of the Mafia, drug prohibition has corrupted every law enforcement agency in our formerly great country.
The carnage continues unabated despite draconian drug laws and their enforcement the last four decades. So do the deaths. Do drugs? Get what you deserve. Enforcement should be limited to negative ancillary effects of drug usage included but not limited to violence, theft, driving while intoxicated, etc.. To say nothing of selling these substances to minors. Other than that, let nature take its course. Darwinian natural selection. ... Unless users accept treatment.
The Sessions nazi and his fellow national socialists in the Republican Party will not be confused with the truth under any circumstances. Remain an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. As repeatedly stated in this publication, no foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to this country than our government itself. All branches and levels. All law enforcement. Doing the will of their corporate masters who nearly own and control it all.
6-23-17
The noose seems to be figuratively tightening on the Trump regime. The Washington Times reports:
"The FBI on Friday refused to hand over to The Washington Times unclassified memos that former Director James Comey wrote describing his meetings with President Trump because they are part of a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding. The denial of the documents, whose existence was made known and whose release was encouraged by Mr. Comey himself, was a response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Times. It came as CNN and the New York Times filed lawsuits against the FBI after the bureau failed to respond to similar requests within a specified amount of time. “The records responsive to your request are law enforcement records,” states the FBI’s FOIA denial letter sent Friday. “There is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records, and release of the information in these responsive records could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.”
Hopefully, the above is truthful. Not a result of pressure by Trump and his henchmen.
6-23-17
The 'President' is certainly slumming this weekend (6-17-17). 'Ain't' life a bitch? Fox News reports:
"President Trump leaves the White House on Saturday for his first visit to presidential retreat Camp David, a rustic departure from Trump's usual weekend getaways to his resort country clubs. The government-owned retreat is in Maryland’ Catoctin Mountains, just a short helicopter ride from Washington. Trump, a New York real estate mogul whose permanent residence is a guilded penthouse inside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, is not expected to make Camp David a regular getaway. He told foreign newspapers earlier this year that the retreat was "very rustic" and "you know how long you'd like it? For about 30 minutes."
Amazing, isn't it? Think pressure isn't increasing on the Trump nazi?
6-23-17
Why are Americans allowed to travel to North Korea? Fox News reports:
"An American college student imprisoned by North Korea has extensive brain damage and is unresponsive to his surroundings, the doctors treating him said Thursday. A medical team from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center described Otto Warmbier's condition as a "state of unresponsive wakefulness" and did not say -- at the request of his family -- whether the 22-year-old will recover."
Subsequent to writing the above and sadly, Mr. Warmbier's family announced his death.
Seems pressure is increasing on the Trump nazi to retaliate. He's also not-so-subtly placing blame on the Obama regime for its failure to act to rescue Mr. Warmbier. What did he expect Obama to do? Send U.S. Navy SEALS on a suicide mission? Travel of Americans to North Korea should have been banned since 1950. What is Congress waiting for?
6-23-17
ACLU is suing the Department of 'Justice.' CBS News reports:
"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced Wednesday that it is suing the Justice Department to obtain more information about one of the government's surveillance programs. The government only has to tell individuals that it has been spying on them under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act if the evidence gathered is being used in a criminal trial or legal proceeding, the ACLU pointed out in a press release about the lawsuit."
This is a convenient Catch-22 for nazi government:
"The vast majority of Americans surveilled under Section 702 will never be criminally prosecuted, so they will never know that the government has been secretly watching them," the ACLU said in its statement Wednesday. "And without definitive proof that the government spied on them, individuals have an incredibly difficult time challenging the government's spying in court."
The Founders must be spinning in their graves. Duplicity of nazi government unbounded, unchained, unrestrained. No greater threat to liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
"Under the statute, which is set to expire in December unless Congress renews it, the government sweeps up hundreds of millions of communications -- emails and phone calls -- involving Americans, without a warrant."
Outrageously unconstitutional. No probable cause. No warrant. Egregious violation of the Fourth Amendment.
"The Justice Department informed the ACLU, in response to another FOIA request, that it had issued a 31-page memo with its new policy, but it only gave the memo to federal prosecutors. The document has not been publicly released. It is this document that the ACLU is suing to release."
A fascist police-state. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. As repeatedly stated in this publication, no foreign government, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than this government. All levels. All branches. Sadly, owned and operated, paid for by its corporate masters.
6-23-17
Amazing the following remains an issue in 2017. NPR reports:
"The Southern Baptist Convention voted to formally "denounce and repudiate" white nationalism and the alt-right movement at the church's annual meeting Wednesday, but only after the denomination's leadership was criticized for initially bypassing the proposal."
Fascinating, isn't it?
"The resolution decries "every form of racism, including alt-right white supremacy and every form of racial and ethnic hatred as of the devil."
You think?
"There was a standing ovation in the crowded convention room in Phoenix after the resolution was passed. Southern Baptist leaders had declined to consider the resolution the day before, saying they were concerned that the proposed language was too strong. The decision was met with confusion and anger from members of the denomination and the public. And it highlighted divisions in the roughly 15 million member denomination that surfaced during last year's election."
Better late than never.
6-23-17
The 'President' has turned his back on HIV/AIDS. The Washington Post reports:
"The first hints of an uncertain future for the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS came last year, when Donald Trump's presidential campaign refused to meet with advocates for people living with HIV, said Scott Schoettes, a member of the council since 2014. That unease was magnified on Inauguration Day in January, when an official White House website for the Office of National AIDS Policy vanished, Schoettes said."
Stunning, isn't it?
“I started to think, was it going to be useful or wise or would it be possible to work with this administration?” Schoettes told The Washington Post. “Still, I made a decision to stick it out and see what we could do.” Less than six months later, Schoettes said those initial reservations had given way to full-blown frustration over a lack of dialogue with or caring from Trump administration officials about issues relating to HIV or AIDS."
Forget? Not Trump's problem.
"Last week, he and five others announced they were quitting the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, also known as PACHA. According to Schoettes, the last straw — or “more like a two-by-four than a straw” — had come in May, after the Republican-dominated House passed the American Health Care Act, which he said would have “devastating” effects on those living with HIV."
Trump remains clueless.
“The Trump Administration has no strategy to address the on-going HIV/AIDS epidemic, seeks zero input from experts to formulate HIV policy, and — most concerning — pushes legislation that will harm people living with HIV and halt or reverse important gains made in the fight against this disease,” Schoettes wrote in a blistering guest column for Newsweek announcing the resignations."
Don't financially support those fighting this growing nazism? Cowardly get what you deserve.
6-16-17
In follow up to an earlier edition, Trump and his henchmen wage war on a supposedly free press. Think not? Wake up. CNN reports:
"A journalist is set to be arraigned in Washington on Friday over charges stemming from protests on Inauguration Day. The journalist, Aaron Cantú, was indicted last week by US attorney Channing Phillips on eight charges, including two felony violations of the Riot Act, according to court records. Cantú was one of several hundreds at the protests in downtown Washington as President Donald Trump ascended to the nation's highest office."
Apparently, the Trump nazi and his henchmen have no tolerance of lawful dissent. To say nothing of freedom of the press.
"Some of those arrested, including journalists, had their charges dismissed, although a wide-ranging indictment came down in April charging more than 200 people with charges stemming from the protest, including inciting a riot, and several people for assaulting a police officer, expanding on charges laid out in February."
What we're dealing with here is suppression of lawful, constitutionally-protected dissent and freedom of the press by our nazi fuhrer and his henchmen.
"A group of defendants opposing the charges, dubbed DefendJ20, filed a motion to dismiss the felony charges last week. Sam Menefee-Libey, a member of the group of activists and legal support workers helping the defendants, said more than 130 of those charged had pledged not to cooperate with the prosecution in any way that would hurt their co-defendants. "They understand that the charges are political," Menefee-Libey said, accusing the prosecution of seeking an overly harsh sentence due to the nature of the protest."
Why cooperate with your oppressors? Why give them aid and comfort?
"Cantú declined to comment, citing the advice of his lawyers. His lawyers declined to comment on the record. The US attorney's office offered no comment in response to questions from CNN."
The f--king is on.
"According to BuzzFeed News, among those participating in the DefendJ20 non-cooperation pledge is Alexei Wood, a photojournalist who streamed footage of the protests and police on Facebook. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press wrote Phillips, an Obama administration appointee, in late February arguing he should dismiss charges against Cantú, noting other journalists had their charges dropped."
Forget? If there is no freedom of the press, there is no freedom at all. Dictators flourish in darkness. ... Right, Mr. 'President?'
6-16-17
The Trump nazi, his henchmen, and the Abbott nazi lost yet another one in court. The Statesman reports:
"The same San Antonio federal judge who will hear the lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the state's new "sanctuary cities" law ruled this week in a separate case that the Bexar County sheriff violated the constitutional rights of a Mexican citizen when he was held in jail on an immigration "detainer" request after his criminal charges were dismissed."
Doesn't your heart bleed for this gutless jackbooted piece of shit?
"In a summary judgment, U.S District Judge Orlando Garcia found the Bexar County Jail regularly honors U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers, which are requests that the jail hold for 48 hours people who were arrested on state criminal charges and were ordered released but are suspected of violating immigration laws."
No warrant. No court order. Nothing but the whim of the criminal jackbooted bastards at ICE.
"Because immigration violations for the most part are civil matters that don't incur criminal penalties, the Bexar County sheriff's office doesn't have probable cause to hold them, Garcia ruled."
Yet, another judge courageously willing to stand up, rule against the jackbooted bastards, indeed, uphold the Constitution.
"In short, the county's assumption that probable cause must exist to detain any individual for whom it receives an ICE detainer request was unreasonable," Garcia wrote. "Its routine detention of such individuals made it inevitable that it would engage in warrantless detention of individuals who were not suspected of any criminal offense, but who became the subjects if ICE detainer requests either because they fell within a noncriminal ...enforcement priority or because a detainer request was lodged despite their non-priority status."
Inmates illegally held will sue. Count on it. County sheriffs are honoring these outrageously unconstitutional requests afraid they'll lose grant money. No question, they'll lose far, far more successfully sued. The only thing these goddamned thugs, their handlers, government entities involved understand is getting hit hard in the pocketbook.
Sue the living shit out of the bastards. When taxpayers tire of the fleecing, things will change. If not, hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on the horizon. Doomsday clock striking ever closer to midnight.
Texas Standard reports:
"A San Antonio federal judge ruled last week that the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office violated the rights of a Mexican citizen when he was held in jail on an immigration detainer after his criminal charges were dismissed. The importance of this decision will likely go beyond this case, says Geoffrey Hoffman, the director of the University of Houston Law Center Immigration Clinic. “The decision basically says that the ICE detainer was unconstitutional as applied to this particular defendant,” Hoffman says. “It also says that the detention pursuant to an ICE detainer is a Fourth Amendment seizure and it must be supported by probable cause or a warrant.”
The Fourth Amendment is quite clear.
"Hoffman says this case reflects the larger misunderstanding that being in the U.S. without documentation does not equate committing a criminal offense. “The probable cause that’s contained in those detainers is merely a probable cause that you may be removable or deportable from the United States,” he says."
Be interesting to see how this is finally adjudicated in the Supreme Court. Will likely get there sooner rather than later due to several 'show me your papers' SB 4 challenges currently making their way through the system. This outrageously unconstitutional sanctuary cities law was signed by the Abbott nazi and due to go into effect September 1.
6-16-17
The Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to raucously shit on refugees desperately seeking asylum. ABC News reports:
"The Trump administration is shutting down the least restrictive alternative to detention available to asylum-seekers who have entered the U.S. illegally, The Associated Press has learned. Immigration activists consider the move a callous insult to migrants fleeing traumatic violence and poverty — nearly all the program's participants are Central American mothers and children — by a White House that has prioritized deportations that break up families over assimilating refugees."
Aren't Republicans supposed to be the party of the family? Clearly, not:
"This is a clear attempt to punish mothers who are trying to save their children's lives by seeking protection in the United States," said Michelle Brane of the nonprofit Women's Refugee Commission. "I think it's crazy they are shutting down a program that is so incredibly successful."
Wouldn't want to confuse the clueless with the truth, would we? Who? Wake up. Trump's sick sycophants.
"The overwhelming majority of asylum-seekers that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spares confinement at family detention centers — about 70,000 —have been placed in an intrusive "intensive supervision" program as they await court hearings on whether they can stay in the U.S."
Treated like criminals, not refugees. The Ugly American. No end to it. Gets worse:
"GPS ankle monitors are strapped on three in seven. The wearers, mostly women, complain of bruises and public ostracism."
We live in a fascist police-state. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
ABC News reports:
"Civil rights groups are expressing concern that a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment is fueling the growth of right wing extremism across the United States, citing dozens of anti-Sharia demonstrations across the U.S. this weekend and an ongoing uptick in online recruitment. Police in Seattle and St. Paul, Minnesota, made arrests after fighting broke out during a series of marches across the U.S. on Saturday against Sharia, a strict form of Islamic law. The marches, launched by ACT for America, a self-described non-profit national security organization, is run by vocal supporters of President Donald Trump."
Clearly, our formerly great country continues to nazify under the Trump nazi and his henchmen.
"Ibrahim Hooper, the National Communications Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told ABC News in a recent interview that the anti-Sharia rallies were being used by some neo-Nazi and white power groups to recruit new members. "What we are seeing in America right now is the mainstreaming of hate," Hooper said. "Extremists feel empowered now because they think that they have the president on their side."
Wake up. We're losing our country.
6-16-17
The Trump nazi and his henchmen delusionally believe they're above the law. CBS News reports:
"President Trump's social media director violated federal law restricting government officials' political activity when he called for the defeat of a GOP congressman in a tweet, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has concluded."
Called Aryan arrogance.
"White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino, Jr., "violated the Hatch Act" when he called for Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) to be defeated in a primary in an April 1 tweet, OSC said in a June 5 letter to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The nonprofit organization had asked OSC -- an independent investigative and prosecutorial government office -- to look into whether Scavino's tweet constituted a violation of the Hatch Act."
Conclusion?
"OSC has concluded that this activity violated the Hatch Act," OSC's Ana Galindo-Marrone, chief of the office's Hatch Act Unit, said in the letter to CREW's chief counsel, Adam Rappaport. "Accordingly, we issued Mr. Scavino a warning letter. In addition, we note that Mr. Scavino was recently counseled about the Hatch Act by the Office of the White House Counsel. A review of Mr. Scavino's personal Twitter account since that time did not reveal any new violations."
So what? Why, to date, no penalties?
6-16-17
Pharmaceuticals have grown so outrageously expensive physicians are considering titrating dosage. The Washington Post reports"
"A group of prominent cancer doctors is planning a novel assault on high drug costs, using clinical trials to show that many oncology medications could be taken at lower doses or for shorter periods without hurting their effectiveness."
The problem with this strategy is the likelihood the greedy bastards will quickly increase prices to recover the loss. Forget? They never get enough.
6-16-17
Think GOP national socialists aren't in the pockets of the banks? Wake up. NPR reports:
"House Republicans voted Thursday to deliver on their promise to repeal Dodd-Frank — the massive set of Wall Street regulations President Obama signed into law after the 2008 financial crisis. In a near party-line vote, the House approved a bill, dubbed the Financial CHOICE Act, which scales back or eliminates many of the post-crisis banking rules."
Taxpayers have been twice f--ked over by Wall Street. Savings & Loan debacle some two decades ago. More recently, the 2008 financial meltdown. Now, GOP nazis want to facilitate another. To line the pockets of their corporate masters, -- who line theirs.
"Hensarling's nearly 600-page bill would defang Dodd-Frank by repealing the so-called Volcker Rule, which prevents government-insured banks from making risky bets with investments. It would also scrap a requirement that retirement advisers put their clients' interests ahead of their own, which goes into effect on Friday."
Still believe Republicans are populists? Have the best interests of Joe Blow down the block? Sally next door?
6-16-17
Comey's Senate testimony June 8 was devastating. The Washington Post reports:
"Former FBI director James B. Comey on Thursday essentially laid out an obstruction of justice case against President Trump and suggested senior leaders in the bureau might have actually contemplated the matter before Trump removed him as director."
Comey was calm, cool, collected, meticulous, directly answered all questions, remained unflappable.
"Comey did not explicitly draw any legal conclusions. Whether justice was obstructed, he said, was a question for recently appointed special counsel Robert Mueller. But he said Trump’s request to terminate the FBI’s investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn left him “stunned,” and senior FBI officials considered it to be of “investigative interest.”
Called obstruction. May or may not be criminally prosecutable, but doesn't have to be for the House to impeach. Think it couldn't happen in a Republican-controlled House? Sufficient pressure brought to bear? Forget? Job 1 for politicians is being returned to office.
"Of particular concern, Comey said, was that Trump asked other officials to leave him alone with his FBI director in the Oval Office before saying of Flynn: “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” “Why did he kick everybody out of the Oval Office?” Comey said. “That, to me as an investigator, is a very significant fact.”
It is. Speaks to obstruction of justice. Comey's first mistake? Agreeing to talk to Trump alone. Second, not directly asking the 'President' if he was in fact ordering him to end the investigation. Why play games?
"Legal analysts have said previously that there was reason to believe Trump might have obstructed justice — both in asking him to shut down the probe into Flynn and then, later, in firing Comey. Comey’s testimony, they said Thursday, clarified and bolstered the case. Comey testified that he was skeptical of Trump almost from the outset, and he decided to document their interactions because he was “concerned [Trump] might lie about the nature of our meeting.”
Called wisely covering your ass.
"His concerns were realized almost immediately. In a meeting just after Trump took office, Comey said, Trump brought up his job as FBI director and asked for loyalty. Comey said he felt Trump was “looking to get something in exchange for granting my request to stay in the job.” The FBI director is generally appointed to a 10-year term to avoid political influence."
Which Trump clearly tried to abrogate.
"Comey allowed, under questioning from Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho), that Trump did not outright give him an order. “He did not direct you to let it go?” Risch asked. “Not in his words, no,” Comey said. But Comey later said he took the president’s assertion as akin to a command. "I took it as a direction,” Comey said. “This is the president of the United States, with me alone, saying ‘I hope this.’”
How else could it be taken? This is the President of the United States.
"Comey also noted that he was fired — by the president’s own account — because of the Russia investigation. Cornell Law Professor Jens David Ohlin said that he understood “why the Republicans would want to focus on ‘hope’ versus ‘direct,’ but I don’t think it makes any difference.” “Trump made his wishes clear and fired Comey when his wishes weren’t respected,” Ohlin said. “It doesn’t matter whether it was an order or not. What matters is the action that Trump took when it became clear that Comey was continuing the investigation.”
Called obstruction.
Trump's reaction to Comey's testimony? CBS News reports:
"President Trump on Friday accused fired FBI Director James Comey of making untrue statements in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday, but also said he felt vindicated by other parts of Comey's testimony."
Achingly delusional.
"Mr. Trump, in a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, said some of Comey's testimony -- such as Comey's recollection of conversations with the president in which Mr. Trump urged him to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn -- were untrue. The president, in his first press conference since Comey's testimony, called Comey a "leaker," but stopped short of calling him a liar. But, at the same time, the president said other parts of Mr. Comey's testimony confirmed what Mr. Trump had already said, such as that he wasn't under criminal investigation."
'Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit.'
"Mr. Trump said he would "100 percent" be willing to testify under oath and speak with Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor in the FBI's investigation into Russian election meddling and any ties between Russia and the Trump campaign."
Prosecutors would have a field day.
NPR reports:
"Comey admitted to authorizing the leak of a memo he wrote about a meeting with the president that gave him pause. And he did it for an eyebrow-raising reason — "because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel," Comey said."
Was certainly a most interesting part of his testimony. Clearly, Comey believes Trump is guilty of obstruction.
"For as much as Comey wanted to be the indefatigable facts man full of public rectitude, he clearly thought Trump had done something wrong — and he revealed that he had an agenda."
Certainly, did. While not publicly stating so, wanted, and wants, a criminal investigation of the Trump nazi. So do, apparently, a majority of the citizenry. Other than, of course, Trump's sycophants.
"While Comey may not have expressed an overt opinion about whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice, the careful former prosecutor certainly laid out a set of facts that any prosecutor could use to try to prove just that."
Mueller is reportedly a most careful, conscientious investigator and prosecutor. Likely will be no leaks from him or his immediate staff. The public wants the unvarnished truth. Expects no less. If there is nothing there, say so. If not, prosecute. In such a heavily divided country, however, there will be those who will not believe Mueller no matter what. Certainly, a most dangerous ongoing issue as our formerly great country continues to deteriorate.
The Washington Post reports:
"President Trump lambasted former FBI director James B. Comey on Friday as a “leaker” for engineering the release of details of their conversations to a news reporter. But that does not make Comey a criminal, legal analysts said. “He can fairly be criticized for whether that was the best way for him to address his discomfort with his conversation with the president,” said Barry J. Pollack, a white-collar criminal-defense attorney at Miller & Chevalier who has been involved in leak cases. “But that’s all a matter of how he conducts his job, and what his relationship is with the president is not a legal question.”
Buttressing the above is the fact Comey did not release classified material:
"Prosecutors who bring charges against people for sharing information with the public can do so only when classified or other national security material is at issue. Material cannot be classified to conceal legal violations or prevent embarrassment, according to an executive order from President Barack Obama. Telling a reporter nonclassified information of public interest is not only legal, but it’s often the right thing to do."
The public has a right to know. Comey has to be applauded since it hastened appointment of special counsel:
“I think, on balance, this is one of these extraordinary circumstances where the issues are so important, that what Comey did and his acknowledgment that he did it is understandable and in his mind necessary, and he did something that I think is courageous,” said Jeffrey H. Smith, a former CIA general counsel now in private practice at Arnold & Porter."
Indeed, a public service. Must not be forgotten Comey is not the prosecutor. Gained nothing personally from his actions.
"Trump’s lawyer, his supporters and even the president himself have hammered Comey for his admission. The lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, said in a statement that Comey’s talks with Trump were “privileged communications with the President” and referred to their release as “unauthorized disclosures.”
Trump clearly tried to obstruct justice. Tried to shut down the investigation of Flynn. Seems the Kasowitz shyster is the pot calling the kettle black. Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit, Counselor?
"A person close to the president’s legal team said they were preparing to file a “complaint” early next week with the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General — which can investigate criminal matters and also prepare public reports on current or former employees suspected of misconduct. A spokesman for the office declined to comment."
The above? Indeed, proof positive the best defense against the indefensible always remains a raucous achingly bogus offense.
Trump and his henchmen continue to bamboozle the courts. NPR reports:
"A nonprofit group's claim that President Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution should be dismissed because the plaintiffs have no standing to sue, according to a court filing by the Department of Justice. "Those claims falter on threshold grounds: no Plaintiff has alleged an injury" that meets the standing requirement, the DOJ says in a document submitted in federal court."
Standing needs to be revisited by the Supreme Court. Likely will not happen any time soon since five Republican nazis on the Court continue to hold sway.
"The administration's argument is a response to the lawsuit filed in January in the Southern District of New York by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The suit claims Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause whenever foreign entities book rooms at the Trump D.C. hotel or lease Trump office space."
No question, that's true. Also true, the Constitution forbids such via The Emoluments Clause:
"The Emoluments Clause bars presidents from taking money from foreign governments."
The Trump nazi continues to line his pockets unconstitutionally. The DOJ continues to do all it can to support and defend this.
"CREW is asking the court "to stop Trump from violating the Constitution by illegally receiving payments from foreign governments" with ties to Trump business interests."
Can't have that, can we? Certainly, not in a fascist police-state soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
"The lawsuit states:
"These violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause pose a grave threat to the United States and its citizens. As the Framers were aware, private financial interests can subtly sway even the most virtuous leaders, and entanglements between American officials and foreign powers could pose a creeping, insidious threat to the Republic."
Yet, the DOJ continues to defend the indefensible. Particularly, galling since these fascists have falsely sworn an oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution.
Here's what's ultimately at stake:
"It's clear from the government's response that they don't believe anyone can go to court to stop the president from systematically violating the constitution. We heartily disagree and look forward to our day in court," CREW's Communications Director Jordan Libowitz says in a statement about the administration's motion."
We're losing our country. ... The democratic republic the Founders were so afraid we'd not be able to preserve.
Amazing how the Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to figuratively whistle walking past the graveyard in the middle of the night. CNN reports:
"President Donald Trump's lawyer has responded to fired FBI Director James Comey's tell-all to Congress by taking a victory lap. The evening before Comey's testimony, Marc Kasowitz was spotted buying a box of cigars, and sources overheard him saying, "We won. Trump's in the clear. ... It's clear Trump didn't do anything wrong." He continued his celebration the next day, declaring, "The President feels completely vindicated."
Haughty, isn't it? Certainly, Aryan arrogant. Foolhardy, as well. Think not?
"But former prosecutors say it's far too early to pop the champagne. On the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, special counsel Robert Mueller has been quietly and methodically building the equivalent of a small US attorney's office -- a team of formidable legal minds who've worked on everything from Watergate to Enron, unlikely to leave any stone unturned."
Certainly, expected. Get to the truth. No matter what that turns out to be.
"Right out of the gate, Mueller brought on three partners from his former law firm, WilmerHale, with significant litigating experience in high stakes cases: Aaron Zelbey, who previously served as Mueller's chief of staff at the FBI; Jeannie Rhee, a former federal prosecutor and top official at the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel; and James Quarles, who worked on the Watergate investigation as a young prosecutor."
Top guns.
"Mueller has also reportedly recruited skillful prosecutors from within the highest levels at DOJ -- including Andrew Weissmann, chief of the Criminal Division's fraud section, who served as former director of the Enron Task Force and general counsel under Mueller at the FBI."
Certainly, seems like Mueller remains intent on attracting top talent.
"But perhaps the most significant hire to date was reported by the National Law Journal on Friday: deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben, a prolific Supreme Court advocate who oversees the Justice Department's criminal appellate docket. Preet Bharara -- former US attorney of the Southern District of New York, who has had his own tussle with Trump and had a ringside seat to Comey's testimony Thursday -- tweeted that Dreeben is one of the "top legal and appellate minds at DOJ in modern times." "It appears that Bob Mueller is recruiting the smartest and most seasoned professionals who have a long track record of independence and excellence," added Bharara."
Attracting top talent ameliorates unjustified criticism no matter the outcome of the investigation. Smart move by Mueller. Especially since the country remains so divided. Certainly, appears this will wind up a war between legal titans. Those of Mueller vs. those of the Trump nazi. So far, Mueller seems to enjoy the advantage.
Having reviewed the entire transcript of Comey's testimony provided courtesy of NBC News, the following exchange between Sen. Reed and Comey is most striking:
"REED: Thank you. You have testified that you interpret the discussion with the president about Flynn as a direction to stop the investigation. Is that correct?
COMEY: Yes.
REED: You've testified that the president asked you to lift the cloud by essentially making public statement that exonerated him and perhaps others. You refused, correct?
140:00 —
COMEY: I didn't -- I didn't do it. I didn't refuse the -- the president. I told him we would see what we could do, and then the second time he called, I told him, in substance, that's something your lawyer will have to take up with the Justice Department.
REED: All right (ph). And part of the underlying logic was that we've -- we've discussed many times throughout this morning -- is the duty to correct. That is one of -- a theoretical issue, but also a very practical issue. It -- was there -- your feeling that (ph) the direction of the investigation could in fact include the president?
COMEY: Well, in theory. I mean, as I explained, the concern of one of my senior leader colleagues was, if you're looking at potential coordination between the campaign and Russia, the person at the head of the campaign is the candidate. So, logically, this person argued, the -- the candidate's knowledge, understanding, will logically become a part of your inquiry if it proceeds.
And so I understood that argument. My view was that -- that what I said to the president was accurate and fair, and fair to him. I resisted the idea of publicly saying it, although, if the Justice Department had wanted to, that -- I would've done it, because of the duty to correct and the slippery slope problem.
REED: And, again, also, you've testified that the president asked you repeatedly to be loyal to him, and you responded you would be honestly loyal, which is, I think, your way of saying, "I'll be honest, and I'll be the head of the FBI and independent." Is that fair?
COMEY: Correct. I tried "honest" first. And also, I mean, you've -- see it in my testimony -- also tried to explain to him why it's in his interest, and every president's interest, for the FBI to be apart, in a way -- because its credibility is important to a president and to the country.
And so I tried to hold the line, hold the line. It got very awkward, and I then said, "You'll always have honesty from me." He said, "honest loyalty," and then I acceded to that as a way to end this awkwardness.
REED: At the culmination of all these events, you're summarily fired, without any explanation or anything else?
COMEY: Well, there was an explanation. I just don't buy it.
REED: Well, yes. So you're fired. So do you believe that you were fired because you -- you refused to -- to take the president's direction? Is that the ultimate reason?
COMEY: I don't know for sure. I know I was fired. Again, I take the president's words. I know I was fired because of something about the way I was conducting the Russia investigation was, in some way, putting pressure on him, in some way, irritating him. And he decided to fire me because of that.
COMEY: I Was Fired Because Russia Investigation Was 'Irritating' Trump
1:19
REED: Now...
COMEY: I -- I can't go farther than that.
Think the above doesn't suggest obstruction?
6-16-17
The intelligence community remains an unhappy camper. ... So to speak. CNN reports:
"James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, said Wednesday that Watergate "pales" in comparison to the controversy surrounding the Trump administration and Russia. Clapper was speaking to reporters Wednesday at a National Press Club event in Canberra, Australia, carried by Sky News, and offered a stark assessment of the scandal gripping Washington as he recalled living through Watergate."
Don't have to be a member of the intelligence community to fully appreciate this.
"I was on active duty then, in the Air Force, as a young officer, and it was a scary time. But it was against the backdrop of all the post-Vietnam trauma as well, which seemed at least in my memory amplified -- as a backdrop -- amplified the crisis in our system," Clapper said. "I have to say, though, that I think when you compare the two, that Watergate pales really in my view compared to what we're confronting now," he added."
Indeed. While Nixon was exceptionally pernicious, he was not insane. Evil, but not psychotic.
6-16-17
Religious nazis cannot seem to understand practicing medicine or dispensing pharmaceuticals remains a privilege, not a right. Texas Standard reports:
"Pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions based on their religious beliefs may soon be protected from disciplinary action thanks to a bill passed this legislative session."
Goddamned outrageous. Can't fill a prescription in good conscience? Give up your license. Do the right thing. Get the hell out of the profession. You're not qualified.
"Republican Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth added the legislation as an amendment to a bill on the operations of the State Board of Pharmacy. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill."
What nazi wouldn't? Abbott, as all other national socialists, remains determined to force his outrageously perverse religious and ideological views on all by statute. In direct violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause, church-state separation, that is, freedom from religion.
“We’re starting to see, across the country, really, the government penalizing individuals for their religious beliefs or sincerely held beliefs on certain issues,” he said."
Abject bullshit. A lie cleverly embraced by Republican national socialists, fascists. Raw nazism. Aching duplicity. Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on the horizon.
6-16-17
Pressure increases. The Washington Post reports:
"Attorneys general for the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland sued President Trump on Monday, alleging that he has violated anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution by accepting millions in payments and benefits from foreign governments since moving into the White House. The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, centers on the fact that Trump chose to retain ownership of his company when he became president. Trump said in January that he was shifting his business assets into a trust managed by his sons to eliminate potential conflicts of interests."
Violation of The Emoluments Clause.
"But D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D) and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) say Trump has broken many promises to keep separate his public duties and private business interests. For one, his son Eric Trump has said the president would continue to receive regular updates about his company’s financial health."
No more than a sham created to side step The Emoluments Clause.
"The lawsuit, a signed copy of which Racine and Frosh provided to The Washington Post on Sunday night, alleges “unprecedented constitutional violations” by Trump. The suit says Trump’s continued ownership of a global business empire has rendered the president “deeply enmeshed with a legion of foreign and domestic government actors” and has undermined the integrity of the U.S. political system."
Matters not to the Trump nazi, his henchmen, to say nothing of his sick sycophants.
The Washington Times reports:
"Attorneys general in Maryland and Washington, D.C., filed suit on Monday against President Trump, alleging he has violated anti-corruption laws through his continued ownership of companies that have accepted millions of dollars from foreign governments during his time in office. Legal action was needed because “traditional checks and balances are failing us,” said Washington, D.C., Attorney General Karl Racine."
Indeed, that's true. The Trump nazi continues to do as he pleases. Not held constitutionally accountable.
"The president’s continued ownership interest in a global business empire “renders him deeply enmeshed with a legion of foreign and domestic government actors, violates the Constitution and calls into question the rule of law and the integrity of the country’s political system,” the lawsuit states."
Lining his pockets, taking advantage of high office to further his business interests.
"Though the lawsuit notes Mr. Trump previously announced that he was turning the leadership and management of the Trump Organization over to his sons — Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. — it states that the plan “did not include relinquishing ownership of his businesses or establishing a blind trust.”
No more than a sham.
“The appearance and the fact of his taking payments of foreign countries violates the Constitution,” Mr. Frosh said. “It puts democracy at risk if the president is corruptible.” Through the lawsuit, the attorneys general are seeking a declaratory judgment ruling that Mr. Trump violated the Constitution and an order enjoining him from violating the law. Mr. Frosh said it was up to the courts to decide what sort of limits could be imposed. “If the court says you can’t both run these business with all these entanglements … you can’t continue to do that and continue to be president, then he will have to choose,” Mr. Frosh said."
Think it can't get worse? ABC News reports:
"In what ethics experts are calling a glaring direct conflict of interest, a significant business partner of both President Donald Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is pursuing a $2 billion government contract to build new headquarters for the FBI."
Textbook definition of conflict of interest that does not concern Trump's sick sycophants, however.
“It creates a huge conflict,” said Rep. Gerald Connolly, a Virginia Democrat who sits on the House Oversight Committee. “It’s an enormous project. The exposure here for the Trump administration is very real.”
You think?
"Vornado Realty Trust, a giant New York real estate firm whose founder and chairman, Steven Roth, is a longtime friend of and occasional adviser to Trump, is one of three finalists for the rights to develop a new FBI headquarters and campus in the Washington, D.C., region. Roth is helping head up Trump’s infrastructure advisory council and traveled with the president as he rolled out his plans last week, briefly sharing the stage with him in Cincinnati — with Trump introducing him to the crowd as one of “the greatest builders in America.”
Trump doesn't seem to understand he needs to make a choice. Sell his business interests and run the Oval Office. Or, resign and take care of business.
"Through business partnerships with both the Trump Organization and the Kushner Co., Roth’s firm has a level of financial co-dependence with the first family that Connolly said could spark intense debate over the Trump administration’s handling of potential conflicts."
Hard to believe with all the controversy, duplicity, insanity, wheeling dealing, outright lying, this president either won't be impeached, convicted, removed from office, -- or resign in disgrace.
6-16-17
Pressure increases on Trump from the LGBTQ community. NPR reports:
"Crowds stretched for blocks across the parade route near the National Mall, and while Lewis said they anticipated more than 200,000 marchers, she said the number of people who showed up blew their expectations. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, straight, white, black, Latinx Americans and people from across the world all marched in solidarity Sunday to protest how they believe the Trump administration could negatively affect the LGBT community."
The Trump nazi and his henchmen are doing their best to reverse progress, gains made during the Obama Administration.
"And many participants feel as if this time in history is a turning point for the LGBT movement. They see it as an opportunity to note that while LGBT rights increased over the past decade, there's still a long way to go."
Trump and his henchmen continue to do their best to reverse this. Remain intent on turning back the clock.
6-16-17
Trump continues to lose in the courts. The Washington Post reports:
"A West Coast federal appeals court upheld the freeze on President Trump’s travel ban Monday, declaring that Trump had exceeded his lawful authority in suspending the issuance of visas to residents of six Muslim majority countries. A three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled against the administration unanimously. Their ruling is another blow to Trump — though the fate of his travel ban already had been destined to be decided by the Supreme Court after a different federal appeals court ruled against him in a separate case and the administration asked the nation’s top justice to intervene."
6-16-17
Sad to see a most loyal First Daughter suffer, isn't it? The Washington Times reports:
"Ivanka Trump said Monday that she was not expecting this level of “viciousness” toward her father, President Trump, and his administration. “It is hard, and there’s a level of viciousness that I was not expecting. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience,” Ms. Trump said on Fox News."
Poor little rich girl. Doesn't your heart bleed? Forget? Her old man is determinedly egregiously f--king the bottom and middle class. Doing all he can to maintain an unsustainable status quo, that is, the zero-sum, winner-take-all, poorly-controlled laissez-faire f--king unbridled capitalism has become.
"She did say that she wasn’t expecting the job to be easy, however, since the administration was trying to “change the status quo.”
Say what? The nazi son of a bitch is doing all he can to extend the goddamned fascist police-state we already live in the Fourth Reich, and his daughter expects no ferocious resistance? Give me a break.
“This isn’t supposed to be easy. My father and this administration intends to be transformative, and we want to do big, bold things and we’re looking to change the status quo,” Ms. Trump said."
Delusional non-sequitur. Achingly divorced from reality. Clearly, this woman and her family do not live on the same planet as the rest of us.
Coup de grace? Get this:
"Ms. Trump also said her father felt “vindicated” by former FBI Director James B. Comey’s testimony on Thursday. “My father felt very vindicated in all the statements he’d been making, and he feels incredibly optimistic, but at the White House and throughout the administration, we were incredibly focused on the reason we went to Washington,” she said."
Ms. Trump obviously suffers the same delusions of grandeur dear old dad does.
6-16-17
The following is highly demonstrative of how truly perverse the atmosphere has grown in the White House. CBS News reports:
"As President Trump held his first official full Cabinet meeting at the White House on Monday, the on-camera portion of the meeting showed the members of his Cabinet lavishing praise on the president."
Groveling would be a far more accurate description.
"After Mr. Trump summed up his administration's ongoing efforts and goals, amid a flurry of investigations and probes into Trump associates' ties to Russian meddling in the election, he invited his Cabinet to introduce themselves. Vice President Pence started by calling it the "privilege of his life" to be vice president."
That the case? Must have led quite a socially impoverished life, Mr. Vice President.
"U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this: "It's a new day at the United Nations. We now have a very strong voice. People know what the United States is for, they know what we're against and they see us leading across the board."
Readers are reminded Haley was recently laughed at during a speech she gave at the UN praising the human rights record of the Israelis.
"On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you've given us to serve your agenda and the American people," Priebus said. "And we're continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals."
Appalling. Truly galling, as the Trump nazi and his henchmen transform the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.
Coup de grace? Icing on the cake? Get this:
"Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who's no fan of the president, said in one tweet that he had "never seen this kind of collective sycophancy," and in another drew a comparison with the kind of meeting that might be held in authoritarian North Korea.
"Dennis
Rodman going to North Korea to inform Supreme Leader of success of Donald
Trump's experiment in North Korean-style Cabinet meetings.
—
Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 12, 2017"
Pitiful. No question, Trump has dragged the presidency straight down, right into the toilet. Ferociously pointedly, brown-nosed Cabinet members are well advised to promptly remove their beaks from Trump's achingly corpulent ass. -- Apparently forgotten butt hole stinks.
6-16-17
The Sessions nazi came out swinging. The Washington Post reports:
"Attorney General Jeff Sessions opened his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Community Tuesday with a fiery assertion that he never had any conversations with Russians about “any type of interference” in the 2016 presidential election. “The suggestion that I participated in any collusion … is an appalling and detestable lie,” Sessions said."
Is it? How do we know, Mr. Attorney General? Conveniently, forget? You and the Trump nazi have lied so many times how could, how would, either of you know the truth? How?
"Sessions took particular aim at news reports about a possible meeting he had with a Russian official during an April 2016 event at the Mayflower hotel, where Trump gave a pro-Russian speech. He acknowledged being at the event and said he had conversations with those there, but did not remember any with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak."
How goddamned convenient. A lapse in memory. Who'd 'a 'thunk' it?
“If any brief interaction occurred in passing with the Russian ambassador during that reception, I do not remember it,” Sessions said."
No question, the achingly disingenuous, conniving Sessions nazi certainly knows how to legally cover his ass vis a vis perjury by claiming no memory of any of it. Especially useful, if at some point in the future there happens to be proof he did in fact converse with the Russian. Just continue to claim, "I do not remember it."
Equally, if not more, disturbing?
"In his opening statement, Sessions also said he is bound to protect private communications with the president, suggesting he will not answer some questions about the firing of FBI director James B. Comey. “I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect the confidential communications I have with the president,” he said."
Called stonewalling, no more than obstruction of justice.
Gets worse. In another article, The Washington Post reports:
"Jeff Sessions repeatedly declined to answer senators’ questions in testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee — particularly on the question of his conversations with President Trump. He has given two reasons for doing so. First, he has said the Justice Department encourages robust debates, and revealing internal conversations might chill those conversations. Second, he maintained it would be inappropriate for him to reveal details of his talks with the president, because those conversations could infringe on the notion of executive privilege."
Stonewalling. Obstruction. Sessions is protecting the Trump nazi's sorry ass:
"That did not sit well with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). “There is no appropriateness bucket,” Heinrich said. “It is not a legal standard.”
Doesn't matter to Trump and his henchmen. Do as they please. Are not accountable.
“It’s my judgment that it would be inappropriate for me to answer and reveal private conversations with the president when he has not had an opportunity to review the questions and make a decision on whether to approve such an answer,” Sessions said."
Egregious stonewalling. If there's nothing to hide, come clean. Answer the questions. The people have a right to know the unvarnished truth.
Gets worse:
"Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) pressed Sessions to explain how he could decline to answer questions about his talks with the president without the White House asserting executive privilege. “I am protecting the right of the president to assert it if he chooses, and there may be other privileges that apply,’’ Sessions responded. “At this point, I believe it’s premature for me to deny the president a full and intelligent choice about executive privilege.’’
Stonewalling. Egregious stonewalling. Obstruction. Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit, Mr. Attorney General? Blatant obstruction.
"King noted that Sessions was willing to say that Trump asked him and his deputy, Rod J. Rosenstein, to write up their concerns about Comey’s perceived flaws as leader of the FBI. Sessions said that was different, because the president had already disclosed that discussion. “You’re being selective,’’ King said. “No, I’m not intentionally,’’ Sessions said."
Day is night, night is day, and shit smells sweet in the perverse world of Republican nazis.
In another article, The Washington Post reports:
"One of the tensest exchanges of the day was between Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Sessions as lawmakers probed the former senator about the Justice Department’s investigation into Russia’s alleged meddling in the election and about ousted FBI director James B. Comey. The attorney general became angry when Wyden suggested he was ducking questions on an array of subjects. “I believe the American people have had it with stonewalling. Americans don’t want to hear that answers to relevant questions are privileged or off limits,’’ Wyden said. “We are talking about an attack on our democratic institutions, and stonewalling of any kind is unacceptable.’’
The Sessions nazi certainly did not appreciate being confronted with the truth:
"Sessions shot back: “I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice.’’
The policies are called stonewalling.
"Wyden noted that Comey had said it was “problematic’’ for Sessions to oversee the Russia probe, for reasons he did not explain in a public setting. Sessions got angry again when Wyden pressed Sessions to explain what facts might be problematic about his involvement in the Russia probe."
Wyden certainly hit a raw nerve:
“Why don’t you tell me? There are none, Senator Wyden. There are none. This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don’t appreciate it, and I’ve tried to give my best and truthful answers,” Sessions said. “People are suggesting through innuendo that I have been not honest . . . and I’ve tried to be honest.”
A liar, a bullshitter, a misogynist, a racist, a fascist cannot be trusted under any circumstances to tell the truth. The fascist bastard continues to shamelessly stonewall, then disingenuously, falsely labels it telling the 'truth,' embracing 'honesty.' Stonewalling deserving of a contempt of Congress citation.
In another article, The Washington Post reports:
"Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that he did not know whether President Trump records conversations."
Say what? That assertion's not credible.
"Trump suggested he does in a tweet not long after firing FBI Director James B. Comey last month. The White House — and Trump — have repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether he does record conversations. Such recordings would clarify Trump’s claims that Comey lied under oath. When asked by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) whether Trump records conversations, Sessions said he did not know. Sessions also said he did not know whether Trump would have any obligation to preserve those records, adding, “Probably so.”
You think?
6-16-17
In follow up to an earlier edition here and elsewhere, CNN reports:
"Unapologetic and blunt, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has won legions of supporters on the right with his frequent commentary that slams Black Lives Matter and other liberal groups."
As repeatedly reported earlier, this man is delusional. An exigent threat to all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
"Now the controversial lawman is back in the news, telling WISN radio he has accepted a position in the Trump administration as an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security. The department, however, won't say if the sheriff was offered a job."
Has been an ongoing issue for at least the last several weeks. Why won't the nazis in Homeland Security confirm or deny Clarke's claim? Doesn't the public have the right to know who is or is not employed in this exceptionally abusive agency? Is this piece of jackbooted shit that much of an embarrassment to them, -- if he is indeed now employed there? If employed there, doesn't the public have the right to know the identity of those oppressing them?
"Clarke's appointment, real or imagined, has drawn criticism."
Bet it has. This guy is a dangerous, unstable wing nut. An exigent threat to all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
"Sheriff David Clarke's unconscionable record makes him unfit to serve," Sen. Kamala Harris, a California Democrat, tweeted. "This appointment is a disgrace."
You think? Get this:
"CNN contributor Margaret Hoover, a former adviser to the department, said: "I actually worked in the Department of Homeland Security with people who took the job and the post incredibly seriously, and this ... man also argued for suspending habeas corpus on his radio show, he is representative of a kind of government that believes in reality TV and in entertaining and not the responsibility of governing. This is concerning."
6-16-17
At time of posting, The Washington Post is reporting the President is under investigation for obstruction of justice.
6-9-17
The Trump nazi grows increasingly impatient, -- and desperate. NPR reports:
"President Trump's administration filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday night seeking to reverse rulings by lower courts in Hawaii and Maryland that blocked a temporary ban on travel to the United States from six majority-Muslim countries."
Clearly, the nazi and his henchmen are in a rush. Regardless of the fact there is no legitimate exigent threat to national security despite Trump's lies to the contrary. No more than the mark of an insane dictator. Gutlessly unwilling to patiently allow the suits to pass through the system. Forget? The will of the nazi dictator is ferociously challenged not only peacefully on the streets, but in the courts as well. Can't have that, can we?
"The Trump administration says the Constitution gives the president "broad authority to prevent aliens abroad from entering this country when he deems it in the nation's interest."
Currently challenged in the courts. No exigent threat. Simply, intention of the Trump nazi and his henchmen to violate the First Amendment by egregiously discriminating against Muslims because they're Muslims. No more complicated than that. More than enough evidence of Trump's true intentions displayed in all their 'grandeur' during the campaign.
--When he psychotically promised to block Muslims from entering the country. Looked to the Rudy Guilliani nazi and others for guidance as how to 'legally' do so. -- His ranting and raving during the campaign finally coming back to figuratively bite him hard on the ass. Seems to have conveniently forgotten the office of president in a democratic republic is not that of a fascist dictator.
"Federal judges issued a nationwide temporary restraining order and injunction that blocked the travel ban in March, after separate legal challenges were mounted by the International Refugee Assistance Project, which filed its suit in Maryland, and by the state of Hawaii."
Rightfully, so. Nazism must be ferociously, but peacefully challenged.
"Last month, the Maryland District Court's preliminary injunction was upheld by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with the chief judge writing that the travel ban "drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination."
Certainly, does.
"The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the administration's request for a stay pending appeal to lift the Hawaii injunction on May 15, but it has not ruled."
Court action to date highly indicative of the Founders intention to wisely have all three branches of government act as check and balance against the other. To prevent a fascist dictator like the Trump nazi from eviscerating the United States Constitution including the Bill of Rights.
Despite the above, Trump is still not obeying the courts. The Washington Times reports:
"Despite a court order halting most of his extreme vetting policy, President Trump’s administration has quietly been working toward his goal of a drastic cut in the number of refugees the U.S. will accept this fiscal year. President Obama had set a target of up to 110,000 on his way out the door, but Mr. Trump tried to reset that number to 50,000. If the pace continues, the final tally is likely to be about 60,000 when the fiscal year ends in September — well below the level Mr. Obama wanted to lock in."
The Ugly American. We're not doing our share. Leaving it to Europe and others to pick up the slack. Achingly gutless cowardice perpetrated by the Trump nazi, his henchmen, and GOP fascists.
The Trump nazi's petulance extends to the Senate. The Washington Times reports:
"President Trump accused Senate Democrats Monday of blocking his nominees — particularly ambassadorships — from confirmation, issuing yet another Twitter challenge to Capitol Hill."
Tough, isn't it? Called advise and consent. Certainly, not palatable to a fascist dictator, is it?
"But Democrats fired back, saying the problem is that Mr. Trump has been slow in sending nominees over to Capitol Hill for action, and it’s up to him to get the ball rolling."
No question, Trump remains unusually slow sending his nominations to the Senate for confirmation. Apparently, remains too busy with other matters, -- such as extending the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.
“Dems are taking forever to approve my people, including Ambassadors. They are nothing but OBSTRUCTIONISTS! Want approvals,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter amid an outburst that spanned everything from the latest London terror attack to gun control to criticizing how his own Justice Department has mounted the legal defense of his extreme vetting policies."
That's also true. Democrats are simply doing to Trump what Republicans did to Obama for eight years. What's good for the goose not good for the gander? Equally to the point, it is the duty of the Senate to act as check and balance against the president as intended by the Founders. Precisely, why this procedure is constitutionally required. Especially salient since we now have our first bona fide, achingly psychotic, nazi president. Worse? Government now run by nazi oligarchs in all three branches of federal government.
"Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer fired back, saying Mr. Trump has been the problem. He said there are more than 500 positions that require Senate confirmation, and Mr. Trump has only nominated 63. Another 15 have been announced but not formally nominated."
That's also true. Time for the president to get up off his ass.
6-9-17
Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. The Washington Post reports:
"President Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he is withdrawing the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement, a move that honors a campaign promise but risks rupturing global alliances and disappointing both environmentalists and corporate titans."
Trump and his fellow nazis in the GOP believe climate change, that is global warming, to be a hoax. Supposedly invented by the Chinese. Despite the fact the scientific community believes it to be real. Certainly, won't be confused with evidence of decreasing ice caps at both poles, increasing sea level, more violent weather, etc.. Reaction both in this country and around the world was swift, highly critical.
CBS News reports:
"The former chief of United Nations climate negotiations is slamming the White House for, in her words, having "no understanding of the legal underpinning" of the Paris Agreement. "I would call it a vacuous political melodrama," Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said of President Trump's Rose Garden announcement that the U.S. would turn its back on the Paris Agreement, a landmark international accord to reduce carbon emissions and build global capacity for clean energy. The president's announcement misrepresented how withdrawal from the Paris Agreement actually works, Figueres said. In actuality, she explained, the process for withdrawing from the agreement signed by 195 nations is complex and lengthy, taking four years to complete. "Apparently the White House has no idea how an international treaty works," she said."
That's true. Yet, Figueres neglects to mention this treaty is non-binding. Yet, the Trump nazi still chose to back out of it. Interesting, isn't it? While other countries including China have claimed they will continue to honor it. Here is where it gets interesting:
"Speaking alongside Figueres in a conference call for reporters, California Governor Jerry Brown said his state remains "all in" in its commitment to reducing carbon emissions regardless of the federal government's decision. "California will resist because his effort is misguided," Brown told reporters after the president's announcement. "I will even say this is an insane move by the president." Brown pledged to continue his state's momentum towards a clean economy. California has a goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030."
Also, much of the corporate world intends to continue to back the agreement. Makes sense economically since fossil fuels are becoming increasingly passé, not competitive with wind, solar, other forms of alternative energy. Already, major corporations such as ExxonMobil and others see the handwriting on the wall.
"In withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, the U.S. puts itself in the company of Syria and Nicaragua — the only two countries in the world who refused to sign the accord. The U.S. is the biggest carbon polluter in the world, according to data compiled by the United Nations."
The Ugly American. Once again, the Trump nazi disgraced himself, embarrassed the country.
"Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said fighting climate change is a "global consensus" and an "international responsibility" and reaffirmed China's commitment to the deal. "It's not invented by China," he said of climate change. It was a pointed reference to a 2012 tweet by Mr. Trump falsely claiming that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Sadly, China got the best of the nazi. Trump's psychotic assertion the Chinese invented the concept of global warming speaks volumes of his egregious unfitness for office.
NBC News reports:
" President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement will endanger human health and make it hard to prevent even more damage from global warming, medical groups said Thursday. Many studies clearly lay out the risks from climate change — including respiratory and heat-related illnesses, insect-borne infections, water-borne diseases, and threats to safe food and water. "The elderly, the sick, and the poor are especially vulnerable," the American College of Physicians said. "Climate change needs to be aggressively addressed on a global level, and the Paris accord is central to this effort," said ACP president Dr. Jack Ende."
Then again, the Trump nazi, his henchmen, and most Republicans do not believe in science. ... Only, the bottom line.
In another article, CBS News reports:
"President Donald Trump's move to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord will, critics of the global treaty say, spur job growth and lower Americans' energy costs. Are they right? Most experts think not. Indeed, shifting to a clean-energy economy has greater potential to boost employment, economists say. In a sign of how far along the U.S. is in that transformation, more than twice as many people were employed in the solar sector last year than in coal mining, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The only energy sector with more workers is oil."
Equally to the point, again, the Paris climate change agreement is not binding. Has no teeth. Strictly voluntary. Speaks volumes of the Trump nazi. Especially, when he lied claiming the agreement gave China an advantage. Not so. Forget? The agreement is not binding, imposes no penalties for non-compliance.
In another article, CBS News reports:
"Former President Obama, without mentioning his successor's name, criticized President Trump for deciding to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, which his administration helped negotiate, and which he signed. "Even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I'm confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got," the former president said in a statement."
Abject insanity? Get this:
"In his announcement Thursday afternoon that the U.S. would formally withdraw from the Paris pact, Mr. Trump claimed that the landmark climate agreement is "very unfair, at the highest level, to the United States" and expressed concern that the international deal would hinder U.S. economic growth and energy markets, like the coal industry."
The agreement is non-binding. No teeth. Voluntary. In view of this, Trump's assertions are nonsense. Regarding coal, Trump remains delusional. Market forces render coal passe. Natural gas is cheaper. So are wind and solar. Trump continues to pander to his sick sycophants who still believe every word he utters out both sides his ass.
In another article, The Washington Post reports:
"Thirty states and scores of companies said Thursday that they would press ahead with their climate policies and pursue lower greenhouse gas emissions, breaking sharply with President Trump’s decision to exit the historic Paris climate accord. In a pointed rebuttal to Trump’s announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) unveiled a plan Thursday to invest $1.65 billion in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the largest procurement of renewable energy by an American state. Meanwhile, more than two dozen big companies — including Apple, Morgan Stanley and Royal Dutch Shell — urged Trump not to exit the Paris agreement on Thursday."
No question, resistance grows.
6-9-17
In follow up to the last edition, the noose draws figuratively tighter around Trump and his inner circle. NBC News reports:
"The FBI and Congress are examining a campaign event last spring during which Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions and Jared Kushner were in a small gathering with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak and other diplomats at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, multiple U.S. officials told NBC News. Five current and former U.S. officials said they are aware of classified intelligence suggesting there was some sort of private encounter between Trump and his aides and the Russian envoy, despite a heated denial from Sessions, who has already come under fire for failing to disclose two separate contacts with Kislyak. Kushner also denied through a spokesman that he met privately with Kislyak that day."
If all was on the up and up, why wouldn't the Trump regime come clean? Quickly put this matter to rest by fully answering all questions regarding this matter? Instead of stonewalling every step of the way? Appearance alone? Horrendous. Why not set the record straight if there's nothing to hide?
The Washington Post reports:
"The White House and a Russian state-owned bank have very different explanations for why the bank’s chief executive and Jared Kushner held a secret meeting during the presidential transition in December."
All the more reason for Trump and his henchmen to set the record straight. ... If, indeed, there's nothing to hide.
"The bank maintained this week that the session was held as part of a new business strategy and was conducted with Kushner in his role as the head of his family’s real estate business. The White House says the meeting was unrelated to business and was one of many diplomatic encounters the soon-to-be presidential adviser was holding ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration."
Which is it, Mr. 'President?'
"The contradiction is deepening confusion over Kushner’s interactions with the Russians as the president’s son-in-law emerges as a key figure in the FBI’s investigation into potential coordination between Moscow and the Trump team."
Gets more convoluted:
"A business meeting between an international development bank and a real estate executive, coming as Kushner’s company had been seeking financing for its troubled $1.8 billion purchase of an office building on Fifth Avenue in New York, could raise questions about whether Kushner’s personal financial interests were colliding with his impending role as a public official."
Certainly, politically, can cause severe problems for Trump and those closest to him. Possibly, far worse.
ABC News reports:
"Congressional investigators are seeking to determine whether President Trump’s son-in-law was vulnerable to Russian influence during and after the campaign because of financial stress facing his family firm’s signature real estate holding – a Manhattan skyscraper purchased at the height of the real estate boom. And they are focused, officials told ABC News, on a December meeting Jared Kushner held with executives from a Russian bank."
At the very least, raises questions about the judgment of all involved.
“It's very peculiar that of all the people he could be talking to in a transition period where you've got lots of balls in the air, that you end up talking to a Russian banker who is under sanction and who is related to Putin and has a KGB background,” said Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. “I think the question has to be asked, was this about you trying to get financing for your troubled real estate that you have in New York City?”
What could Kushner possibly have been thinking? Get this:
"The timing of Kushner’s December meeting with executives from VneshEconomBank, or VEB, at the suggestion of the Russian ambassador, has also raised concerns from government watchdog groups across the political spectrum."
Trump's sick sycophants refuse to question any and/or all of this. Why?
In another article, ABC News reports:
"A top Russian bank official who met privately with Jared Kushner shortly after Donald Trump’s election brushed off questions Thursday about the purpose of the meeting, which was scheduled at the request of Russia’s U.S. ambassador and came at a time Kushner’s real estate business was confronting significant financial stress."
To date, the Russians continue to stonewall:
“We have absolutely nothing to add,” said Sergey Gorkov, who heads the U.S. office of VneshEconomBank, or VEB, when questioned by reporters at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “We have a lot of meetings.”
Gets worse, more convoluted:
"Gorkov and Kushner have provided conflicting accounts of the meeting, and congressional sources tell ABC News that the episode raised red flags for investigators, in part because the United States has imposed economic sanctions on the bank due to its political ties in Russia. “The question is … why [meet with] a Russian bank that is sanctioned, and has been sanctioned since 2014?” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. “Why is this the first priority, or one of the first priorities that Mr. Kushner is taking on as a member of the President's staff?”
Certainly, at the very least, appears self-serving. At worst, were the Trump nazi and his henchmen desperately trying to use high office to solve business problems?
"The White House confirmed in March that Kushner met in December with Gorkov at the suggestion of the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, following a report on the meeting in The New York Times. A senior White House official told ABC News at that time that Kushner’s conversation with Gorkov was "general and inconsequential" and that Kushner took the meeting as part of his campaign role of interfacing with foreign dignitaries." The bank, however, described the meeting differently, charactering the discussions as "negotiations" in a statement provided to ABC News."
Someone's lying. Guess who?
6-9-17
Trump remains all talk. No action. Regarding phony claims he'd 'drain the swamp.' The Washington Post reports:
"The White House disclosed Wednesday evening that it has granted ethics waivers to 17 appointees who work for President Trump and Vice President Pence, including four former lobbyists. The waivers exempt the appointees from certain portions of ethics rules aimed at barring potential conflicts of interest. In letters posted on the White House website, the White House counsel's office wrote that the waivers were in the public interest because the administration had a need for the appointees' expertise on certain issues."
The nazi son of a bitch, in direct violation of a campaign promise, is hiring lobbyists. Think they'll 'drain the swamp?'
"Among the high-profile figures who received waivers: White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, who were both permitted to engage with their former employers or clients. In addition, a blanket waiver was given to all executive office appointees to interact with news organizations — a move that gives chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon permission to communicate with Breitbart News, the conservative website he used to run."
Convenient, isn't it? Certainly, useful to promulgate the Trump nazi's national socialist agenda. Eviscerate whatever civil and constitutional rights and liberties still remain. As the Trump nazi extends the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.
"The rate at which the Trump White House has handed out waivers is far faster than that of the Obama administration, which issued 17 exemptions for White House appointees over eight years."
Nothing quite like 'draining the swamp,' is there? Most pointedly, get this:
"The waiver information — which was requested of all federal agencies by the Office of Government Ethics in April — provides a window into how far the Trump administration is willing to bend on its “drain the swamp” pledge. As a candidate, Trump vowed to take a hard line on lobbyists, which he promised would not shape his administration."
Already have. The fascist son of a bitch lied. Yet, his sick sycophants continue to buy his bullshit, lies, distortion of reality, outright deception. Won't be confused with the truth.
"White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said in a statement Wednesday that the voluntary release of the ethics waivers is “part of the president's commitment to the American people to be transparent.”
The above? More outrageously galling bullshit. Simply, untrue. Another egregious bald-faced lie. Must not be forgotten tremendous pressure was placed on the Trump nazi and his henchmen:
"Earlier in the month, Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, questioned the ethics office's legal jurisdiction and asked the Office of Government Ethics to suspend its collection of waiver information. Office director Walter M. Shaub Jr. issued a forceful letter defending the office's legal standing and asserting his intention to implement ethics rules “with independence, free from political pressure.” As the showdown escalated, the White House announced Friday that it would release the waiver information."
No question, the Trump nazi, his henchmen stonewalled every step of the way. Caved in only as his political problems escalated, special counsel appointed to investigate the Russia fiasco.
6-9-17
Hypocrisy of the Trump nazi and his henchmen remains unabated. The Washington Post reports:
"The Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee asked U.S. spy agencies late last year to reveal the names of U.S. individuals or organizations contained in classified intelligence on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, engaging in the same practice that President Trump has accused the Obama administration of abusing, current and former officials said. The chairman of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), has since cast the practice of “unmasking” of U.S. individuals and organizations mentioned in classified reports as an abuse of surveillance powers by the outgoing Obama administration.
In the perverse world of Republican nazis, what's good for the goose is certainly not good for the gander. The hypocrisy reeks. The Nunes nazi was supposed to have recused himself from all this due to his egregious lack of impartiality displayed when he huddled with "The Donald" to inform the nazi of the ongoing investigation of the regime. Clearly, the equally fascist son of a bitch lied vis a vis 'unmasking.' Remains in the pocket of his fuhrer. Indeed, Nunes is a quintessential company man.
6-9-17
Once again, the Trump nazi disgraced himself. Additional proof, remains achingly unfit for office. Deliberately distorted comments made by London Mayor Sadiq Khan regarding the latest terror attack. ABC News reports:
"President Trump today doubled down on his attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan in the wake of this weekend’s terrorist attack in London that left seven people dead and dozens more injured. "Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his 'no reason to be alarmed' statement," Trump wrote on Twitter this morning. Trump had first criticized Khan Sunday, tweeting, "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"
Utter fabrication, distortion of reality, of what actually happened by the Trump nazi:
"A spokesperson for Khan Sunday called Trump's remark "ill-informed" and said it took the mayor's words out of context. "Just like terrorists are constantly evolving and finding new ways to disrupt us, harm us, attack us, the police and experts and all of us are finding new ways to keep us safe," Khan said in a Sunday statement. "Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. No reason to be alarmed."
Trump made an absolute jackass of himself. Was contradicted by his own ambassador:
"After Trump's tweet Sunday, the acting U.S. ambassador to the U.K., Lewis Lukens, issued a statement commending Khan for his response to the attacks."
More astounding? Get this:
"Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president, also stressed today that Trump's tweets were not administration policy."
Raises the question who the hell is dictating administration policy?
"President Trump this morning also blasted out a series of tweets reinforcing his calls for the "travel ban" in the wake of the London attack. Trump posted that the U.S. Department of Justice should have pushed his "original" travel ban, or sought a tougher version of the executive order intended to temporarily bar citizens of six predominately Muslim countries from entering the United States, and not the "watered down, politically correct version" now in front of the Supreme Court."
Readers are reminded Trump signed the revised executive order. Then, blames the 'Justice' Department for defending it now in the Supreme Court? Sound like a president in full control of his faculties? Think so?
"Trump's tweets this morning are an attack on his Justice Department and that executive order, which he signed.
"The
Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the
watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
"The
Justice Dept. should ask for an expedited hearing of the watered down Travel
Ban before the Supreme Court - & seek much tougher version!
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
"In
any event we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to
help keep our country safe. The courts are slow and political!
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017"
No problem with the above? None at all? How about the fact the latest attacks in Britain were all home grown?
"People, the lawyers and
the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we
need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017"
This man is delusional. His statements make no sense. Don't match reality. Remains in his own psychotically insane world. Bad enough we're already living in a goddamned fascist police-state. Now, this sadly deluded national socialist, fascist, nazi intends to extend it to the Fourth Reich.
Even Fox News, usually in the pocket of the Trump nazi, obviously felt compelled to report the truth:
“Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement. MSM is working hard to sell it!” Trump tweeted. Khan’s “no reason to be alarmed” line was in the context of a broader quote regarding a bolstered police presence. “You will see an increased police presence today, including armed officers and uniformed officers,” Khan said Sunday. “There is no reason to be alarmed by this.”
Lies are clearly catching up with the Trump nazi:
"Trump on Sunday night suggested the mayor was downplaying the terror attack itself. “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’” Trump wrote. In a statement, the mayor’s office said Khan “has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police — including armed officers — on the streets.” British Prime Minister Theresa May defended Khan on Monday. “I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it’s wrong to say anything else – he’s doing a good job,” May said."
Last two quotes above, -- both from the same Fox News article. So, also, is the following:
"The acting U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom – an Obama administration pick – also praised Khan, in apparent defiance of Trump’s statements. “I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack,” Lewis Leukens tweeted from the official embassy Twitter account."
Interesting, isn't it? How much longer will Trump's lies, deception, deliberate distortion of reality continue?
CBS News reports:
"Senators Mark Warner, D-Virginia, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, both called into question President Donald Trump's renewed call for a travel ban, made in the wake of Saturday night's deadly terror attack in London."
The terrorism is home grown. A travel ban wouldn't have stopped it in London, or more recently (since 9/11), here. Trump is delusional.
"One of the things that concerns me about the president's tweets this morning, where he in effect is calling for a Muslim travel ban again, even though the courts have continued to turn that down, if the president wanted 90 days to re-examine how individuals from certain countries would enter the United States, he's had more than 90 days," said Warner, speaking on "Face the Nation."
Indeed, he has. His continued insistence remains proof positive the original intent was, and is, false. A ruse.
"Warner continued, "If there's new procedures put in place, put those procedures in place. Don't continue to call for this travel ban, which is frankly all of the leaders in the intelligence community have said would be in effect, a slap in the face to Muslim Americans and others, and in many ways, might actually incite more incidents."
The Trump nazi, cannot, will not be confused with the truth. Lives in his own achingly delusional reality.
Trump's tweets will certainly make it increasingly difficult for the DOJ to defend the travel ban in court. NPR reports:
"Trump's tweets Monday morning could give fresh ammunition to those who argue the revised travel ban still has constitutionally suspect motives, and hedges on Trump's stated desire to reinstate the original version. Neal Katyal, an attorney for the state of Hawaii in its challenge to the executive order, embraced the president's tweets on Monday morning.
"Its
kinda odd to have the defendant in Hawaii vTrump acting as our co-counsel.We
don't need the help but will take it! pic.twitter.com/8ehqkLkOY2
—
Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) June 5, 2017"
Amusingly, Trump seems to be figuratively shooting himself in the ass with his ongoing tweets. Must be extremely difficult, increasingly frustrating for lawyers to continue defending his bullshit in court.
6-9-17
The military community apparently has increasing reservations about Trump. NBC News reports:
"In a politically unsettled nation, military communities have long been a rock for the Republican Party, solid and true. But new polling data suggest those places have developed some concerns about President Donald Trump. An analysis of Gallup polling data comparing the first 100 days of Trump's presidency to the month of May shows that Trump's job approval in military counties dropped sharply in the last month — from an average 51 percent approval and 41 percent disapproval in the first 100 days to 43 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval for May."
6-9-17
Trump and his henchmen remain clueless as ever. Determinedly divorced from reality. NPR reports:
"The Trump administration is warning that the U.S. might leave the U.N. Human Rights Council, arguing that it displays anti-Israel bias and ignores violations by certain countries. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said in a speech to the council Tuesday that the United States is "looking carefully at this council and our participation in it. We see some areas for significant strengthening." "It's hard to accept that this council has never considered a resolution on Venezuela, and yet it adopted five biased resolutions in March against a single country, Israel," Haley told the 47 member states gathered in Geneva. "It is essential that this council address its chronic anti-Israel bias, if it is to have any credibility."
It is you and the Trump nazi who have no credibility, Madam Ambassador. The Israeli aggressor invaded Palestine in 1948, has been stealing additional territory ever since. No problem with that, Ms. Haley? None at all? How about all the human rights abuses by the Israeli aggressor continuing right up to this very day? How about the violation of U.S. export law by the Israelis? That is, using American-supplied F-16s to drop 2,000 lb. bombs in highly-populated civilian neighborhoods? No problem with that, Madam Ambassador?
"Haley also blasted a standing agenda item to discuss human rights violations by Israel, referring it as a "central flaw" in the council. She described Israel as having a "strong human rights record," phrasing that drew scattered laughter from the crowd at the institute."
Made a buffoon of herself. At behest of the Trump nazi. Further embarrassed our formerly great country.
"Israel regularly draws criticism from human rights groups for its occupation of territory seized in 1967, and for continuing to build settlements that the U.N. says are counter to international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized the council as an "anti-Israeli circus," as the BBC reported."
Mr. Netanyahu remains an unprosecuted war criminal. So are his henchmen. Coup de grace?
"Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU's human rights program, criticized Haley's stance in a statement to Reuters. "It's hard to take Ambassador Haley seriously on U.S. support for human rights in light of Trump administration actions like the Muslim ban and immigration crackdowns," he said."
Indeed. The hypocrisy reeks.
The Washington Post reports:
"Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Program, attended the council session. “It’s hard to take Ambassador Haley seriously on U.S. support for human rights in light of Trump administration actions like the Muslim ban and immigration crackdowns,” he said in a statement. “Regardless of the party in power, the U.S. needs to lead by example and practice what it preaches on human rights.”
We don't. Have not for decades.
"Before she spoke, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein had criticized Israel for the 50-year occupation of land the Palestinians claim for a future state. He invoked the Holocaust while saying that Israel’s actions now are not comparable. “The Holocaust was so monstrous and so mathematically planned and executed it has no parallel, no modern equal,” Zeid said. “Yet it is also undeniable that today, the Palestinian people mark a half-century of deep suffering under an occupation imposed by military force.”
Wouldn't want to confuse the Trump nazi and his henchmen with the truth, would we?
6-9-17
Despite all the blow hard bullshit coming from Trump, the economy is not cooperating with the ongoing ruse. The Washington Post reports:
"U.S. job growth came in below expectations in May, with employers adding just 138,000 jobs while the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent, the lowest it has been in more than 16 years, federal economists reported Friday morning. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected an increase of 180,000 in non-farm payrolls, which would have been in line with average monthly gains seen over the past year."
Clearly, Trump, his henchmen, fellow Republican nazis are too busy lining not only their pockets, but the bottomless coffers of their corporate masters, the top 1% of the food chain. While the unwashed masses 'eat cake.'
6-9-17
On a lighter note. NBC News reports:
"This could send international relations straight into the toilet."
Indeed.
"Antonio Battaglia, a lawyer from Mexico, is reportedly planning to launch a Trump toilet paper brand in his home country later this year. A prototype of the packaging shows a caricature of the President of the United States' face on a toilet paper roll, along with his gold locks and signature thumbs up."
Imagine that. Mexicans will be able to wipe their ass with the Trump nazi brand. LOL. Doesn't your heart break? Think Trump will sue? Think Battaglia cares?
"The toilet paper, which is said to be starting in a limited run later this year, will be marketed using the slogans "Softness without borders" and "This is the wall that, yes, we will pay for," the Associated Press reported. Battaglia has also told several media outlets he plans to donate 30 percent of the proceeds to organizations helping migrants entering the United States. There's no word yet on whether the idea has caused a covfefe — err, kerfuffle — with the Trump Organization."
Think it will? LOL.
"The former New York businessman has been known to carefully protect his brand and has several trademarks on the word "Trump" around the world. An email to the Trump Organization was not immediately returned."
Breaks your heart?
6-9-17
The Trump nazi and his henchman in the Department of 'Justice,' the Sessions nazi, are apparently making an example of a whistle blower. The Washington Post reports:
"A 25-year-old government contractor has been charged with mishandling classified information after authorities said she gave a top-secret National Security Agency document to a news organization. Reality Leigh Winner was accused of gathering, transmitting or losing defense information — the first criminal charge filed in a leak investigation during the Trump administration."
The Trump nazi and his stooge, the Sessions nazi, have apparently been waiting for this opportunity, salivating at the prospect of finally getting some revenge against the continual leaking. Only problem? She's not one of theirs.
"Winner was arrested Saturday and the case was revealed Monday, shortly after the website the Intercept posted a redacted version of a U.S. intelligence document describing Russian government efforts to use hacking techniques against employees of a company that provides technical support to states’ voting agencies."
Old news, but still a magnificent opportunity for Trump and his henchmen.
"Documents filed in federal court against Winner in Georgia did not identify the news outlet or the document in question, although both the Intercept and the court papers say the document in question was dated May 5. A person familiar with the case said the charges stem from the document given to the Intercept."
Consider the last quote very, very carefully. The timing is critical. Could it be the government waited to act until the material was published? Not clear yet. Consider the ramifications if that is indeed true.
"Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein said investigators’ fast work “allowed us quickly to identify and arrest the defendant. Releasing classified material without authorization threatens our nation’s security and undermines public faith in government. People who are trusted with classified information and pledge to protect it must be held accountable when they violate that obligation.”
If that's indeed the case, why did the government apparently wait until the material was published?
This case is highly convoluted. NPR reports:
"Now, Reality Leigh Winner, a 25-year-old contractor and an Air Force veteran, is accused of the latest bombshell leak from the NSA. Winner, who was working in the Georgia office of contractor Pluribus International, allegedly printed out a top secret document last month and mailed it to an online news outlet, which was not named in court documents. However, The Intercept broke a story Monday with details on Russian attempts to penetrate U.S. election systems. At roughly the same time, the Justice Department announced that it has charged Winner with mishandling classified information on national defense. She was arrested Saturday at her home in Augusta, Ga., but the case was not announced until Monday."
The timing is stunning. Seems highly convenient to the Trump nazi and his henchmen considering the mounting crisis in the regime. Not yet clear whether or not this woman is being used as a convenient distraction and scapegoat by both the Trump and Sessions nazis.
ABC News reports:
"Reality Winner, a government contractor accused of leaking top secret National Security Agency intelligence on Russia’s alleged interference in last year’s election, was arrested on Monday, according to court documents filed in the case. Within hours of the arrest, the Department of Justice announced she had been charged with removing classified material from the government facility where she worked and mailing it to a news outlet. She could now face 10 years in prison. A source with knowledge of the matter later confirmed to ABC News that the charges stemmed from a May 5, 2017, intelligence document published on Monday by The Intercept, an online news organization best known for its publication and coverage of leaked documents on government activities provided by Edward Snowden."
The timing appears too convenient. Be interesting to see if the government in fact has anything. -- Anything more than unsubstantiated claims she allegedly confessed to FBI agents.
ABC News reports:
"While condemning the leak of classified information, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee today said that because a secret NSA document was posted online yesterday "we now have verified information" showing that Russian intelligence services were in fact behind last year's cyber-assault on the U.S. election."
That's right. Confirmation of an allegation the government has apparently been sitting on. Heretofore, refused to confirm.
"In any other circumstances this would be an earthquake," but because of "everything" going on in Washington it is a matter that has not received the attention it deserves, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, said at the start of a committee hearing. "This was Russia ... this was an international attempt to impact the elections of the United States of America."
The Trump nazi and his henchmen seem more concerned with making an example of this young woman than addressing any possible collusion they may have had with the Russians to throw the election.
"Her comments come one day after the FBI arrested a 25-year-old government contractor, Reality Winner of Augusta, Georgia, for allegedly leaking the document to reporters at the online publication The Intercept. The document, posted online just hours before the announcement of Winner's arrest, laid out in stark detail how Russian hackers allegedly "executed cyber espionage operations" against outside vendors dealing with voter-related information."
Interesting, isn't it? Sadly, to date, the approach of the Trump nazi and his henchmen remains achingly simple: Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit. Egregious stonewalling.
NPR reports:
"Russia's military intelligence agency launched an attack days before Election Day on a U.S. company that provides election services and systems, including voter registration, according to a top secret report posted Monday by The Intercept. The news site published a report, with redactions, by the National Security Agency that described the Russian spear-phishing scheme, one it described as perpetrated by the same intelligence agency — the GRU — that the Obama administration imposed sanctions on for the 2016 cyber mischief."
Think Trump and his henchmen are doing no more than throwing up a smoke screen with the arrest of this young woman? To distract attention of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians to interfere with the election. Hopefully, Mueller isn't bought and paid for. Will get at the truth, to the bottom of precisely what happened.
Here is what's so pernicious about this. NBC News reports:
"There is another dimension, another former NSA official said: Too much information is classified, and everyone working in intelligence knows it. Indeed, the document Winner allegedly leaked did not seem, on its face, to be terribly sensitive. The U.S. government, after all, was perfectly willing to acknowledge its authenticity by charging Winner barely an hour after the story broke on The Intercept, as if to send a message. The charging documents don’t link the case to The Intercept, but officials quickly did so in background comments to reporters."
The above is precisely why this government is no longer trusted by an increasing number of its citizens.
The following is an interesting take by Fox Insider:
"On "Varney & Co." today, Judge Andrew Napolitano said that Winner leaking the report the The Intercept is probably an act of espionage. "It's the same espionage that some of us said Hillary Clinton committed by failure to safeguard state secrets," Napolitano said. He argued, however, that the information in the report is important and the American people have a right to know about it."
We do. Appears the majority of classified material has no business being classified at all. Remains classified to cover government criminal activity, malfeasance, waste, lies, deception, etc..
"He explained that an important revelation to emerge from the leaked report is that Russian hackers attacked at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent so-called "spear-phishing" emails to more than 100 local election officials at the end of October or beginning of November. "We now know that the Russians materially and substantially attempted to affect the outcome of local state and national elections," Napolitano said. "In this instance, it had nothing to do with the Trump campaign."
Not clear the last sentence of the above quote is true. At least, not yet. Worse? Not apparent as to how Napolitano reached that conclusion.
"To me, she's closer to Snowden than she is to being a traitor," he said. "She revealed a level of Russian interference with our democratic system and our incompetence in keeping the Russians out that is so substantial we the voters and the people have a right to know about it."
No question, the lost quote is spot on. Be interesting to see if this prosecution is anything more than revenge for embarrassing the government.
6-9-17
Stonewalling by Trump's henchmen continues in Congress. The Washington Post reports:
"Two of the nation’s top intelligence officials said in a hearing Wednesday they would not discuss specifics of private conversations with President Trump, declining to say whether they had been asked to push back against an FBI probe into possible coordination between his campaign and the Russian government. Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats refused to say whether it was true, as The Washington Post reported Tuesday, that Trump asked Coats if he could reach out to then-FBI Director James B. Comey and dissuade him from pursuing the Flynn matter."
The public has a right to this information. Both officials refused to disclose it in open session.
"Similarly, National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers declined to directly answer Sen. Mark R. Warner’s (D-Va) question of whether Trump sought his aid in downplaying the investigation. The Post last month reported Trump had appealed to Rogers, if he could, to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election. “I’m not going to discuss the specifics of any conversations with the president of the United States,” Rogers said."
Stonewalling. To protect the sorry ass of the Trump nazi.
NBC News reports:
"Two of the nation's top intelligence officials refused to confirm or deny allegations that they had been asked by President Trump to state publicly they had seen no Trump campaign collusion with Russia."
6-9-17
Trump intends to nominate former DOJ official Christopher Wray to be FBI Director.
6-9-17
Courtesy of NBC News, here is the text of Comey's written statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee released by the Committee the day before testimony was to begin:
Statement for the Record
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
James B. Comey
June 8, 2017
Chairman Burr, Ranking Member Warner, Members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. I was asked to testify today to describe for you my interactions with President-Elect and President Trump on subjects that I understand are of interest to you. I have not included every detail from my conversations with the President, but, to the best of my recollection, I have tried to include information that may be relevant to the Committee.
January 6 Briefing
I first met then-President-Elect Trump on Friday, January 6 in a conference room at Trump Tower in New York. I was there with other Intelligence Community (IC) leaders to brief him and his new national security team on the findings of an IC assessment concerning Russian efforts to interfere in the election. At the conclusion of that briefing, I remained alone with the President-Elect to brief him on some personally sensitive aspects of the information assembled during the assessment.
The IC leadership thought it important, for a variety of reasons, to alert the incoming President to the existence of this material, even though it was salacious and unverified. Among those reasons were: (1) we knew the media was about to publicly report the material and we believed the IC should not keep knowledge of the material and its imminent release from the President-Elect; and (2) to the extent there was some effort to compromise an incoming President, we could blunt any such effort with a defensive briefing.
The Director of National Intelligence asked that I personally do this portion of the briefing because I was staying in my position and because the material implicated the FBI’s counter-intelligence responsibilities. We also agreed I would do it alone to minimize potential embarrassment to the President-Elect. Although we agreed it made sense for me to do the briefing, the FBI’s leadership and I were concerned that the briefing might create a situation where a new President came into office uncertain about whether the FBI was conducting a counter-intelligence investigation of his personal conduct.
It is important to understand that FBI counter-intelligence investigations are different than the more-commonly known criminal investigative work. The Bureau’s goal in a counter-intelligence investigation is to understand the technical and human methods that hostile foreign powers are using to influence the United States or to steal our secrets. The FBI uses that understanding to disrupt those efforts. Sometimes disruption takes the form of alerting a person who is targeted for recruitment or influence by the foreign power. Sometimes it involves hardening a computer system that is being attacked. Sometimes it involves “turning” the recruited person into a double-agent, or publicly calling out the behavior with sanctions or expulsions of embassy-based intelligence officers. On occasion, criminal prosecution is used to disrupt intelligence activities.
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power. When the FBI develops reason to believe an American has been targeted for recruitment by a foreign power or is covertly acting as an agent of the foreign power, the FBI will “open an investigation” on that American and use legal authorities to try to learn more about the nature of any relationship with the foreign power so it can be disrupted.
In that context, prior to the January 6 meeting, I discussed with the FBI’s leadership team whether I should be prepared to assure President-Elect Trump that we were not investigating him personally. That was true; we did not have an open counter-intelligence case on him. We agreed I should do so if circumstances warranted. During our one-on-one meeting at Trump Tower, based on President-Elect Trump’s reaction to the briefing and without him directly asking the question, I offered that assurance.
I felt compelled to document my first conversation with the President-Elect in a memo. To ensure accuracy, I began to type it on a laptop in an FBI vehicle outside Trump Tower the moment I walked out of the meeting. Creating written records immediately after one-on-one conversations with Mr. Trump was my practice from that point forward. This had not been my practice in the past. I spoke alone with President Obama twice in person (and never on the phone) – once in 2015 to discuss law enforcement policy issues and a second time, briefly, for him to say goodbye in late 2016. In neither of those circumstances did I memorialize the discussions. I can recall nine one-on-one conversations with President Trump in four months – three in person and six on the phone.
January 27 Dinner
The President and I had dinner on Friday, January 27 at 6:30 pm in the Green Room at the White House. He had called me at lunchtime that day and invited me to dinner that night, saying he was going to invite my whole family, but decided to have just me this time, with the whole family coming the next time. It was unclear from the conversation who else would be at the dinner, although I assumed there would be others.
It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.
The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.
My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch.
I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not “reliable” in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.
A few moments later, the President said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner.
At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because “problems” come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.
Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, “I need loyalty.” I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.
During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.
As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.
February 14 Oval Office Meeting
On February 14, I went to the Oval Office for a scheduled counter-terrorism briefing of the President. He sat behind the desk and a group of us sat in a semi-circle of about six chairs facing him on the other side of the desk. The Vice President, Deputy Director of the CIA, Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and I were in the semi-circle of chairs. I was directly facing the President, sitting between the Deputy CIA Director and the Director of NCTC. There were quite a few others in the room, sitting behind us on couches and chairs.
The President signaled the end of the briefing by thanking the group and telling them all that he wanted to speak to me alone. I stayed in my chair. As the participants started to leave the Oval Office, the Attorney General lingered by my chair, but the President thanked him and said he wanted to speak only with me. The last person to leave was Jared Kushner, who also stood by my chair and exchanged pleasantries with me. The President then excused him, saying he wanted to speak with me.
When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the President began by saying, “I want to talk about Mike Flynn.” Flynn had resigned the previous day. The President began by saying Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the Vice President. He added that he had other concerns about Flynn, which he did not then specify.
The President then made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information – a concern I shared and still share. After he had spoken for a few minutes about leaks, Reince Priebus leaned in through the door by the grandfather clock and I could see a group of people waiting behind him. The President waved at him to close the door, saying he would be done shortly. The door closed.
The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”
The President returned briefly to the problem of leaks. I then got up and left out the door by the grandfather clock, making my way through the large group of people waiting there, including Mr. Priebus and the Vice President.
I immediately prepared an unclassified memo of the conversation about Flynn and discussed the matter with FBI senior leadership. I had understood the President to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December. I did not understand the President to be talking about the broader investigation into Russia or possible links to his campaign. I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls. Regardless, it was very concerning, given the FBI’s role as an independent investigative agency.
The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one-on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role.
After discussing the matter, we decided to keep it very closely held, resolving to figure out what to do with it down the road as our investigation progressed. The investigation moved ahead at full speed, with none of the investigative team members – or the Department of Justice lawyers supporting them – aware of the President’s request.
Shortly afterwards, I spoke with Attorney General Sessions in person to pass along the President’s concerns about leaks. I took the opportunity to implore the Attorney General to prevent any future direct communication between the President and me. I told the AG that what had just happened – him being asked to leave while the FBI Director, who reports to the AG, remained behind – was inappropriate and should never happen. He did not reply. For the reasons discussed above, I did not mention that the President broached the FBI’s potential investigation of General Flynn.
March 30 Phone Call
On the morning of March 30, the President called me at the FBI. He described the Russia investigation as “a cloud” that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country. He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia. He asked what we could do to “lift the cloud.” I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well. He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.
Then the President asked why there had been a congressional hearing about Russia the previous week – at which I had, as the Department of Justice directed, confirmed the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. I explained the demands from the leadership of both parties in Congress for more information, and that Senator Grassley had even held up the confirmation of the Deputy Attorney General until we briefed him in detail on the investigation. I explained that we had briefed the leadership of Congress on exactly which individuals we were investigating and that we had told those Congressional leaders that we were not personally investigating President Trump. I reminded him I had previously told him that. He repeatedly told me, “We need to get that fact out.” (I did not tell the President that the FBI and the Department of Justice had been reluctant to make public statements that we did not have an open case on President Trump for a number of reasons, most importantly because it would create a duty to correct, should that change.)
The President went on to say that if there were some “satellite” associates of his who did something wrong, it would be good to find that out, but that he hadn’t done anything wrong and hoped I would find a way to get it out that we weren’t investigating him.
In an abrupt shift, he turned the conversation to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, saying he hadn’t brought up “the McCabe thing” because I had said McCabe was honorable, although McAuliffe was close to the Clintons and had given him (I think he meant Deputy Director McCabe’s wife) campaign money. Although I didn’t understand why the President was bringing this up, I repeated that Mr. McCabe was an honorable person.
He finished by stressing “the cloud” that was interfering with his ability to make deals for the country and said he hoped I could find a way to get out that he wasn’t being investigated. I told him I would see what we could do, and that we would do our investigative work well and as quickly as we could.
Immediately after that conversation, I called Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente (AG Sessions had by then recused himself on all Russia-related matters), to report the substance of the call from the President, and said I would await his guidance. I did not hear back from him before the President called me again two weeks later.
April 11 Phone Call
On the morning of April 11, the President called me and asked what I had done about his request that I “get out” that he is not personally under investigation. I replied that I had passed his request to the Acting Deputy Attorney General, but I had not heard back. He replied that “the cloud” was getting in the way of his ability to do his job. He said that perhaps he would have his people reach out to the Acting Deputy Attorney General. I said that was the way his request should be handled. I said the White House Counsel should contact the leadership of DOJ to make the request, which was the traditional channel.
He said he would do that and added, “Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know.” I did not reply or ask him what he meant by “that thing.” I said only that the way to handle it was to have the White House Counsel call the Acting Deputy Attorney General. He said that was what he would do and the call ended.
That was the last time I spoke with President Trump.
More on this in the next edition.
6-9-17
The Aryan arrogance of GOP nazis remains unsurpassed. Texas Standard reports:
"The Republican Party of Texas elected a new chairman over the weekend after their former chairman, Tom Mechler, stepped down just a few weeks ago. It wasn’t exactly what you’d call a quiet exit."
New guy? Achingly, clueless.
"Mechler ultimately cited personal reasons for his resignation, but also issued a warning to his party, saying that it needed to work harder to come together and represent more of the diversity of Texas if it wants to remain in power. The newly elected chair for the Republican Party of Texas, James Dickey, was most recently chair of the Travis County Republican Party in Austin. He agrees with Mechler that the Texas GOP needs to reach beyond its traditional base of support."
Not likely in view of the following unadulterated bullshit:
"Dickey says Republicans need to reach out not only to minorities, but to millennials and others he says the press have said will be hurt by GOP policies. He says the way to counter such criticism is to argue that conservative policies are best for all Texans."
First. Republicans are no longer conservative in their policies. Not at all. Lining the pockets of their corporate masters who line theirs is certainly not conservative. It's nazi. Lining the pockets of corporate war profiteers when the United States spends more on defense than the next seven countries combined is not conservative. It's nazi.
Second. Republican policies benefit the top 1% of the food chain at expense of the bottom 99. Precisely, why the middle class is a vanishing breed. The game is now zero-sum, winner-take-all. Golden Goose strangled to line corporate coffers. No such thing as trickle down. Quite the contrary, all trickle up. -- Poorly-regulated laissez-faire capitalism cleverly designed to keep their human chattel under control, worse, permanent indentured servants.
“People are moving to Texas because conservative policies, as championed by conservative Republican legislators and elected officials, have made Texas a great environment,” Dickey says."
Achingly, delusional. Unadulterated horse shit. A mirage. Unsustainable. Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on the horizon. As the doomsday clock strikes ever closer to midnight.
6-9-17
Not only does the U.S Supreme Court refuse to uphold workers rights, fails to enforce the First Amendment Establishment Clause. The AP reports:
"Religious hospitals don't have to comply with federal laws protecting pension plans, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday in a case that affects retirement benefits for roughly a million workers nationwide. The justices sided with three church-affiliated nonprofit hospital systems being sued for underfunding their employee pension plans. The hospitals - two with Catholic affiliation and one with Lutheran ties - had argued that their pensions are "church plans" that are exempt from the law and have been treated as such for decades by federal officials."
Amazing, isn't it? This decision in effect legalizes religious hospitals to financially f--k their employees. Legally steal from them. With impunity. Legalized theft.
"Workers asserted that Congress never meant to exempt massive hospital systems that employ tens of thousands of workers. They said the hospitals are dodging legal safeguards that could jeopardize their benefits. Pension plans are required to be fully funded and insured under federal law, but Congress carved out narrow exemptions for churches and other religious organizations. The hospitals claimed the law also exempts plans associated with or controlled by a church, whether or not it was created by a church in the first place. Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan said a pension plan operated by a religiously affiliated hospital is exempt from the law "regardless of who established it."
An orchestrated f--king of labor, -- which remains no more than human chattel. Indentured servitude. Owned.
"The federal government has long agreed with the hospitals' understanding of the law. Agencies including the IRS and the Labor Department have assured them for more than 30 years that they are exempt from traditional pension rules."
All the more reason this injustice should have been finally, justly reversed. Ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Was not.
"But three federal appeals courts had ruled against the hospitals -Illinois-based Advocate Health Care Network, California-based Dignity Health and New Jersey-based Saint Peter's Healthcare System. The hospitals appealed, warning that the rulings could expose them to billions of dollars in liability."
Tough shit. Had the responsibility to do right by their employees. Did not.
"Together, the three hospitals employ about 100,000 workers. But about a million workers around the country work for similar nonprofits that have been exempt from pension funding requirements."
Being f--ked over by religious hospitals, rubber stamped by the Supreme Court. Raw nazism. Think the Creator a happy camper?
Coup de grace?
"In one of the cases, workers allege that Dignity Health - the fifth-largest provider of health care in the country - has underfunded its pension plan by $1.2 billion."
Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on the horizon.
6-2-17
Despite the current racist, misogynist insanity prevalent in our country, there are heroes willing to sacrifice their lives fighting this scourge. CBS News reports:
"Police say two people died and another was hurt in a stabbing on a Northeast Portland light-rail train after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was wearing a hijab. "
... No greater love. No greater courage:
"Witnesses told CBS affiliate KOIN the suspect was yelling about hating Muslims and other things for several minutes before people confronted him and that's when things became physical. Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson says the man on MAX, the train system, was ranting on many topics, using "hate speech or biased language," and turned his focus on the women. According to KOIN, those two women left the scene. Simpson says passengers intervened and were "attacked viciously." Witnesses told KOIN one of the victims was stabbed in the neck and passengers rushed to help them. Simpson says one person died at the scene and another at a hospital. The third victim is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said."
The killer is in custody. Has not been identified. Not yet clear whether he has mental, drug, alcohol issues, etc..
In follow up to the above, The Washington Post reports:
"Portland police on Saturday identified the two slain victims as 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche. A third victim, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher, is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said."
Uncommon valor.
"Police identified the suspect early Saturday morning as 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian, of north Portland. Christian is being held without bail on two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of intimidation in the second degree and one count of possession of a restricted weapon as a felon."
Here is the issue:
"The Portland Mercury, a local newspaper, reported that Christian was a “known right wing extremist and white supremacist” who had attempted to assault protesters at local demonstrations in the past. Video from April 29, shot by Mercury reporter Doug Brown, showed Christian arriving at a “March for Free Speech” draped in an American flag and carrying a baseball bat. While there, Christian yelled to the crowd that he was a “nihilist,” shouted the n-word at people and gave Nazi salutes, Brown reported."
Coup de grace? Took days for the Trump nazi to condemn the attack. The cancer grows as Trump extends the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.
In update, CBS News reports:
"One of the girls who was targeted in the tirade Friday, Destinee Mangum, 16, said that she and her 17-year-old friend were riding the train when Christian approached them yelling what is described as hate speech. She said her friend is Muslim, but she's not. "He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia, and he told us we shouldn't be here, to get out of his country," Mangum said. "He was just telling us that we basically weren't anything and that we should kill ourselves."
Then, the unspeakable:
"The girls were scared and moved to the back of the train while a stranger jumped in to help. "Then they just all started arguing," Mangum told KOIN. "He just started stabbing people, and it was just blood everywhere, and we just started running for our lives." Mangum thanked the men that came to her aid. "They lost their lives because of me and my friend, and the way we looked," Mangum said."
In another article, CBS News reports:
"Muslims in Portland, Oregon, thanked the community for its support and said they were raising money for the families of two men who were killed when they came to the defense of two young women -- one wearing a hijab -- who were targeted by an anti-Muslim rant. "I am very thankful as a Muslim, I am very thankful as a Portlander... that we stand together here as one," Muhammad A. Najieb, an imam at the Muslim Community Center, said Saturday. He said the two young women "could have been the victims, but three heroes jumped in and supported them." Najieb said a fundraising page launched by his group for the families of the dead men, a surviving victim and the two young women had raised $50,000 in its first hours."
Best way to fight racism, defeat bigotry of Trump and his henchmen? Come together as a community as Portland clearly has:
"Harris Zafar with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Portland said while the events Friday were shocking, he was inspired by the actions of these men, CBS affiliate KOIN reports.
"….knowing that innocent people who were complete strangers stood up to defend these terrified two teenage girls," Zafar said. "They had nothing to gain out of it but they stood up to help them and to do what was right. That level of honor and valor and courage, we don't see."
Called Uncommon Valor. No question, best defense against bigotry of Trump and his equally racist henchmen.
6-2-17
Think our politicians any better? CBS News reports:
"Republican multimillionaire Greg Gianforte won Montana's only U.S. House seat Thursday despite being charged a day earlier with assault after witnesses said he grabbed a reporter by the neck and threw him to the ground."
Body slammed the reporter. ... Can't make this stuff up. Won the election. Despite having committed a crime the day before:
"Gianforte cruised to victory after weathering a political firestorm, observes CBS Billings affiliate KTVQ-TV. He won 48 of Montana's 56 counties, the station notes."
This nazi son of a bitch emulates behavior Hitler's Brownshirts were exceptionally well known for, yet gets elected to office. Tell you anything?
"Gianforte was a strong favorite throughout the campaign and that continued even after authorities charged him with misdemeanor assault Wednesday. Witnesses said he grabbed Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian newspaper, and slammed him to the ground after being asked about the Republican health care bill."
How dare a reporter question the nazi fuhrer in the White House, his goddamned henchmen, equally fascist Republican compadres in the House and Senate, to say nothing of Gianforte himself? F--k this asshole. Speaks volumes of his equally fascist GOP colleagues in the House who intend to welcome this piece of trash as one of their own.
Here is what apparently angered the Gianforte nazi:
"Jacobs reported in April that Gianforte has financial ties to Russian companies that have been sanctioned by the U.S.."
Tough shit. Jacobs heroically did the public a great service. Too bad voters were too aggressively stupid to not only appreciate that service, but act on it as well. That is, they ignored the warning. Elected the son of a bitch. Consequently, get what they deserve.
"Gianforte urged Montana voters to send him to help Mr. Trump "drain the swamp," brought in Vice President Mike Pence and first son Donald Trump Jr. to campaign for him and was supported by millions of dollars of ads and mailers paid for by Republican groups."
A congressman with ties to sanctioned Russian companies can be expected to 'drain the swamp?' Think so?
"But the theme of the election shifted Wednesday night when Jacobs walked into Gianforte's office as he was preparing for an interview with Fox News. Jacobs began asking the candidate about the health care bill passed by the House when the crew and Jacobs say Gianforte slammed him to the floor, yelling "Get out of here!"
A nazi thug reminiscent of Hitler's Brownshirts and the Nazi Third Reich. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
"Gianforte's campaign issued a statement Wednesday blaming the incident on Jacobs. But on Thursday night, Gianforte apologized both to Jacobs and to the Fox News crew for having to witness the attack. "I should not have treated that reporter that way and for that I'm sorry, Mr. Jacobs."
Sorry? Think so? Sorry he got caught. The House now has a bona fide thug. Jacobs needs to sue the living shit out of Gianforte. Intensify his effort to expose this goddamned piece of crap for precisely whom and what he is.
The following is the take of this nazi courtesy of CNN:
"Tonight, as Greg was giving a separate interview in a private office, The Guardian's Ben Jacobs entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face, and began asking badgering questions," the campaign said. "Jacobs was asked to leave. After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ."
What aggressive behavior? There was none. Confirmed by the Fox News team:
"Late Wednesday, Fox News correspondent Alicia Acuna reported that she and her crew witnessed the incident and saw Gianforte grab Jacobs "by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him." "To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte," Acuna wrote."
Somebody's lying. Guess who?
"The Republican candidate for Congress not only lost the endorsement of this newspaper Wednesday night when, according to witnesses, he put his hands around the throat of a reporter asking him about his health care stance, threw him to the ground and punched him — he should lose the confidence of all Montanans," the Missoulian said in an editorial. The paper went on to say Gianforte "lacks the experience, brains and abilities to effectively represent Montana in any elected office."
That's right. Doesn't. Yet, the son of a bitch won the election. He'll fit right in with the Trump nazi and his henchmen.
"The Billings Gazette said it was "at a loss for words." "If what was heard on tape and described by eye-witnesses is accurate, the incident in Bozeman is nothing short of assault," the newspaper wrote. "We wouldn't condone it if it happened on the street. We wouldn't condone it if it happened in a home or even a late-night bar fight. And we couldn't accept it from a man who is running to become Montana's lone Congressional representative."
Yet, this piece of shit is now a congressman. Courtesy, of the idiots who elected him. Worse? Justify the violent assault.
Money trumps principle:
"Late last month, Jacobs reported that Gianforte had nearly $250,000 in shares in two index funds that had investments in Russian companies which were under U.S. sanctions. The Guardian reported that a Gianforte spokesman said the candidate did not oversee his portfolio daily, but looked at its "overall performance."
No excuse. Just another GOP fascist unwilling to take personal responsibility.
Here is the take of CBS News:
"The Guardian reporter who authorities say was assaulted by a Montana Republican candidate for a U.S. House seat says he never touched the politician before he was thrown to the ground. Ben Jacobs told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was doing his job and asking a question of candidate Greg Gianforte as part of covering Thursday's special election. Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault late Wednesday. He's accused of grabbing Jacobs by the throat and throwing him to the ground in his campaign office earlier Wednesday night."
Think this violent out of control fascist son of a bitch fit to be congressman?
"I approached the congressman. I asked him about the CBO score and he shortly thereafter sort of, you know, repeated the question," Jacobs said, referring to the Congressional Budget Office's assessment of the effects of the Republican health care bill passed by the House. "He grabbed my recorder, and next thing I knew I had gone from being vertical to being horizontal." Gianforte would face a maximum $500 fine or 6 months in jail if convicted. A statement by Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin added that Jacobs' injuries did not meet the legal definition of felony assault. The sheriff's office said Gianforte has until June 7 to appear in court on the charge."
Why not an attempted murder charge? Grabbed him by the neck. Threw him to the ground. Could have killed him.
"Hours after the incident, Gianforte's campaign blamed Jacobs, saying the reporter was being aggressive and grabbed Gianforte. In a statement, spokesman Shane Scanlon said Gianforte asked Jacobs to lower his recorder, an exchange that does not appear in Jacobs' audio recording of the encounter. Scanlon also dubbed Jacobs a "liberal reporter" who "created this scene."
Think this piece of shit fit to serve in the House?
"The only thing in the Gianforte statement that is factually correct is my name and place of employment," Jacobs said of Gianforte's account on "Good Morning America" Thursday. An account by a Fox News reporter who was in the room and witnessed the encounter corroborates Jacobs' recollection."
6-2-17
The Texas Legislature run and owned by GOP nazis again disgraced itself. Texas Public Radio reports:
"A heated exchange on the Texas House floor led one state lawmaker to threaten to shoot another in the head, on the last day of 85th legislative session. The scuffle began with a protest by groups unhappy about the legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 4, the sanctuary cities law, which led DPS Troopers to escort the protesters out."
Deteriorated from that point on.
"But on the floor, a different type of fight was happening between Republican members of the Freedom Caucus and Hispanic lawmakers."
Comes as no surprise, does it? Resistance to Republican national socialists exponentially grows as our formerly great country continues to nazify under Trump and his henchmen.
"Rep. Justin Rodriguez, a San Antonio Democrat, was one of the lawmakers involved in the scuffle. “There is a Republican lawmaker who made a disparaging comment about the folks in gallery who are predominantly Hispanic, by the way, that he was going to be calling ICE on them,” Rodriguez said."
No surprise coming from an outrageously fascist GOP bigot, is it?
"That comment was made by Rep. Matt Rinaldi, a Dallas-area Republican. “They said some things to me, I said some things back to them. Both of it was designed to incite each other, obviously, as sometimes happens in these passionate issues,” Rinaldi said."
Here is the problem:
"Rinaldi confirmed that he threatened to shoot Eagle Pass Democrat Pancho Nevarez related to the fight on the House floor."
If this is indeed true, why hasn't this legislator been arrested for making a terroristic threat? Instead, he's reportedly under protection from DPS troopers.
The Washington Post reports:
“There was a threat made from Representative Rinaldi to put a bullet in one of my colleagues’ heads,” state Rep. Justin Rodriguez said during the news conference. “That kind of threatening language, he needs to be called out and held accountable for.”
Why haven't any of these legislators been arrested? Joe Blow on the street gets his ass hauled to jail. These pieces of shit in the Legislature are coddled, protected.
CBS News reports:
"Hundreds of protesters opposing Texas' tough new anti-"sanctuary cities" law launched a raucous demonstration from the public gallery in the Texas House on Monday, briefly halting work and prompting lawmakers on the floor below to scuffle - and even threaten gun violence - as tense divides over hardline immigration policies boiled over."
Resistance to the Trump nazi and his fellow fascists in the GOP is ferocious, but must remain peaceful. Otherwise, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue are granted carte blanche to murder on the job.
"Activists wearing red T-shirts reading "Lucha," or "Fight," quietly filled hundreds of gallery seats as proceedings began. After about 40 minutes, they began to cheer, drowning out the lawmakers below. Protesters also blew whistles and chanted: "Here to stay!" and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, SB4 has got to go," referring to the bill that Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law this month."
This outrageously unconstitutional bill signed into law by the Abbott nazi will certainly be vigorously challenged in court.
"State House leadership stopped the session and asked state troopers to clear the gallery. The demonstration continued for about 20 minutes as officers led people out of the chamber peacefully in small groups. There were no reports of arrests."
Troopers wisely displayed restraint. So did protesters. Not so, legislators on the floor.
"But even after the protest ended, tensions remained high. Rep. Ramon Romero, a Democrat from Fort Worth, said he was standing with fellow Democratic Rep. Cesar Blanco of El Paso when Republican colleague Matt Rinaldi came over and said: "This is BS. That's why I called ICE."
What else would be expected from an asshole Republican nazi? This apparently set off the ruckus on the floor:
"Rinaldi, of Irving in suburban Dallas, and Blanco then began shouting at each other. A scuffle nearly ensued before other lawmakers separated the two. Later, a group of Democratic lawmakers held a press conference to accuse Rinaldi of threatening to "put a bullet in the head" of someone on the House floor during a second near scuffle. They said the comment was made in the direction of Democratic Rep. Poncho Nevarez, from the border town of Eagle Pass. In a subsequent Facebook statement, Rinaldi admitted saying he'd called federal authorities and threatened to shoot Nevarez - but said his life was in danger, not the other way around."
Rinaldi seems to have instigated the melee. NPR reports:
"GOP state Rep. Matt Rinaldi says he called Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the protesters, several of whom carried signs proclaiming "I am illegal and here to stay." Later, he told the Texas Tribune he did it "to incentivize them to leave the House." He added: "They were disrupting. They were breaking the law." After he placed the call, he says he simply told his Democratic colleagues he did so."
Informative of the Republican nazi, isn't it? Indeed, a man for all seasons.
"Those Democratic colleagues, however, remember that conversation very differently. "He came up to us and said, 'I'm glad I just called ICE to have all these people deported,'" state Rep. César Blanco said at a news conference after the incident, according to the Tribune. State Rep. Ramon Romero recalls blunter language: "He said, 'I called ICE — f*** them.' " At this point, Rinaldi says that Romero "physically assaulted" him, and that another Democratic lawmaker, Poncho Nevarez, threatened to "get" Rinaldi on his way to his car. "I made it clear," Rinaldi said in a statement posted on Twitter, "that if he attempted to, in his words, 'get me,' I would shoot him in self defense." In the midst of the scuffle, which was recorded on video by several bystanders, Democratic Rep. Justin Rodriguez says he heard Rinaldi say something rather different to his colleague: "I'll put a bullet in his head."
Needs to be a criminal investigation. Let the chips fall where they may. No matter the political party. Appalling behavior by all involved.
ABC News reports:
"A Texas lawmaker said his office received racist phone calls on Monday evening, just hours after a fight broke out on the floor of the state's House of Representatives. Democratic Texas Rep. Cesar Blanco said the scuffle between lawmakers -- which reportedly occurred after state Rep. Matt Rinaldi, a Republican, told House Democrats that he had called immigration services on a group of Hispanic protesters -- had incited “hate and racism.” Blanco shared audio on Twitter of what appeared to phone call from a Rinaldi supporter. In the audio, a male caller says "I stand with Matt Rinaldi" before going on to make racist comments towards “illegal alien[s]” in the state."
Clearly, racism, bigotry, nazism remain alive and well in Texas.
6-2-17
Racism will worsen across our formerly great country as the Trump nazi determinedly forces agencies to ignore civil rights enforcement across the board. The Washington Post reports:
"The Trump administration is planning to disband the Labor Department division that has policed discrimination among federal contractors for four decades, according to the White House’s newly proposed budget, part of wider efforts to rein in government programs that promote civil rights."
Proof positive the Trump nazi and his henchmen are bona fide racists, bigots, homophobes, etc..
"The proposal to dismantle the compliance office comes at a time when the Trump administration is reducing the role of the federal government in fighting discrimination and protecting minorities by cutting budgets, dissolving programs and appointing officials unsympathetic to previous practices."
This mirrors action taken across the board vis a vis LGBTQ issues, education, the environment, DOJ investigation of the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue, etc.. The list can go on and on. All a step backwards to the not-so-good old days of unbridled bigotry, racism, homophobia, etc.. Transition from the fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-2-17
Good reason why attorneys remain so despised. Here is one of the most despicable examples of shyster lawyering. NBC News reports:
"A Baltimore defense attorney was caught on tape telling a rape victim that she could be deported under President Donald Trump's immigration policies if she showed up in court to testify against his client, according to court documents filed Wednesday. "You know how things are with Trump's laws now. Someone goes to court and, boom, they get taken away," Christos Vasiliades allegedly told the victim and her husband during a May 18 hearing."
Gets worse. Far worse. Get this:
"Instead of courtroom justice, he offered the couple $3,000, a second-hand apology and advice that they find the defendant and assault him, the indictment alleged. The charges come amid a climate of fear in immigrant communities. Law enforcement and advocates across the country have expressed concern that the undocumented are not reporting crimes because they fear being deported under new policies. Vasiliades — who boasts of a "stellar reputation" on his website — could not be reached for immediate comment on the allegation he used those policies to threaten a crime victim. He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon."
No honor among thieves.
6-2-17
The Trump nazi's immigration policies are indeed causing problems for police. NPR reports:
"Jason Cisneroz, a community service officer in Houston, is troubled. His job in the nation's fourth largest city is to forge good relations between the police and Hispanic immigrants, a population typically wary of blue uniforms. "A couple of days ago there was a witness to a burglary of a motor vehicle," he said. "She saw the suspects run to a certain place and with items they stole from a car, but she was afraid to come to police, she was in fear they would ask for her papers."
Just the beginning.
"Police officials have been warning about the unintended consequences of Trump's immigration dragnet. They caution it will further isolate immigrants who are in the country illegally and are victims of crimes like sexual assault. In Houston and in other U.S. cities, police and immigrant advocates say: it's already happening."
Here's the problem:
"Cisneroz's partner, Officer Jesus Robles, has a unique perspective. Robles came to Texas from Mexico as a child without papers, and later got citizenship. He also notices the chill. "People are afraid to talk to the police, and how does that help us as police do our job?" Robles asked."
Makes the job impossible. Needlessly, so.
"Their boss, Chief Art Acevedo, citing Houston Police Department data, says Hispanics reporting sexual assault have dropped nearly 43 percent in the first three months of this year, compared to last year. And the number of Hispanic-reported robberies and aggravated assaults are each down 12 percent. "What we've created is a chilling effect that we're already starting to see the beginning of," Acevedo said. "They're afraid that we're more interested as a society in deporting them than we are in bringing justice to the victims of crime."
Wouldn't want to confuse goddamned Republican 'law and order' nazis with the truth, would we?
6-2-17
Another glaring example of the effects of Trump's nazism on law enforcement. CBS News reports:
"A man whose interaction with Metro Transit Police went viral after an officer asked him about his immigration status is being deported, reports CBS Minneapolis."
Raw nazism in a fascist police-state.
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say Ariel Vences-Lopez was detained for immigration violations on May 15. The day before, Vences-Lopez was captured on cellphone video being questioned by a transit officer aboard a light rail train. The officer asks Vences-Lopez if he is in the country illegally. The man who shot the video, Minneapolis artist Ricardo Levins Morales, interrupts the officer and questions his authority in terms of immigration matters."
None of the goddamned officer's business.
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took Vences-Lopez into custody on May 16."
Jackbooted bastards in blue.
"Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington said in a statement posted on the department's Facebook page that the officer who questioned Vences-Lopez had been terminated."
Belated, achingly insufficient justice.
6-2-17
Trump continues to be rebuffed in the courts. NPR reports:
"The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that President Trump's controversial travel ban should be kept on hold, maintaining a nationwide preliminary injunction that blocks key elements of the executive order from being enforced. A 13-judge panel of the court heard arguments over the ban earlier this month. In Thursday's decision, the chief judge writes that the travel ban "drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination."
Will likely wind up in the Supreme Court.
The Washington Times reports:
"A federal appeals court upheld a block on President Trump’s extreme vetting executive order, in a ruling Thursday that said the president’s policy, while cloaked in national security concerns, “drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination” toward Muslims. “Congress granted the President broad power to deny entry to aliens, but that power is not absolute. It cannot go unchecked when, as here, the President wields it through an executive edict that stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this nation,” Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory said in the controlling opinion for the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals."
At least, we see some measure of sanity in the courts.
“EO-2 cannot be divorced from the cohesive narrative linking it to the animus that inspired it. In light of this, we find that the reasonable observer would likely conclude that EO-2’s primary purpose is to exclude persons from the United States on the basis of their religious beliefs,” Judge Gregory wrote."
Direct violation of the First Amendment.
CBS News reports:
"The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit is the first appeals court to rule on the revised travel ban, which Mr. Trump's administration had hoped would avoid the legal problems that the first version encountered. "Congress granted the president broad power to deny entry to aliens, but that power is not absolute. It cannot go unchecked when, as here, the president wields it through an executive edict that stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this nation," the chief judge of the circuit, Roger L. Gregory wrote."
A check and balance by the court on a nazi chief executive. As intended by the Founders. Precisely, why we have three separate but equal branches of government.
6-2-17
Infighting. Stonewalling. CNN reports:
"The Department of Justice declined for now to provide documents to House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz related to former FBI Director James Comey's communications with President Donald Trump."
Called stonewalling:
"Citing the hiring of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the FBI said Thursday the agency is "undertaking appropriate consultation to ensure all relevant interests implicated by your request are properly evaluated. We will update this response as soon as possible."
Bullshit non-rationale. ... Think the FBI hasn't been pressured by the White House? The chairman stood his ground:
"Chaffetz responded to FBI Thursday, saying his committee has a "Constitutionally-based prerogative to conduct investigations" and does not want to interfere with the Special Counsel's probe. Instead, Chaffetz said, his committee work "will complement the work of the Special Counsel" and shed light on matters of "high public interest."
The public, indeed, has a right to know:
"Chaffetz included another request for materials related to Comey and communications with the White House and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, with a deadline of June 8."
6-2-17
Noose grows tighter. CNN reports:
"The FBI's criminal probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election is increasingly touching on the multiple roles of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner on both the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team. Points of focus that pertain to Kushner include: the Trump campaign's 2016 data analytics operation; his relationship with former national security adviser Michael Flynn; and Kushner's own contacts with Russians, according to US officials briefed on the probe. There is no indication Kushner is currently a target of the probe and there are no allegations he committed any wrongdoing."
Not yet. Maybe, not ever.
"Federal investigators have been taking a closer look at the Trump campaign's data analytics operation, which was supervised by Kushner, officials say, and are examining whether Russian operatives used people associated with the campaign -- wittingly or unwittingly -- to try to help Russia's own data targeting. Kushner, the president's son-in-law, worked with and helped oversee the campaign's data operation contractors based in San Antonio, Texas."
Moreover, and to the point:
"Kushner has acknowledged meeting during the transition with Russia's ambassador and separately with the head of a Russian bank. According to a source familiar with what transpired, neither meeting discussed sanctions but instead focused on establishing a backchannel to Russia's president. Those meetings are of interest to the FBI."
To the public as well, -- which certainly has a right to know.
Pressure grows on Kushner. The Washington Post reports:
"Jared Kushner and Russia’s ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports."
Why would anyone consider doing something like this? The Russians are not allies. Have not been since the Second World War in the fight against Hitler. The optics alone call into question the judgment of the Trump nazi and his henchmen. What could they possibly have been thinking?
"Ambassador Sergey Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that Kushner, son-in-law and confidant to then-President-elect Trump, made the proposal during a meeting on Dec. 1 or 2 at Trump Tower, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by U.S. officials. Kislyak said Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications."
If there is no conspiracy, no collusion, what is the explanation for this?
"The meeting also was attended by Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser."
Readers are reminded Flynn was paid by the Russians. Why would a retired general accept money under such circumstances? Optics alone. Also, he would have needed permission from the Pentagon to do so. Not clear yet whether or not he received permission.
"The White House disclosed the meeting only in March, playing down its significance. But people familiar with the matter say the FBI now considers the encounter, as well as another meeting Kushner had with a Russian banker, to be of investigative interest."
Certainly, would be. Unless, of course, you're a Trump sycophant.
"Kislyak reportedly was taken aback by the suggestion of allowing an American to use Russian communications gear at its embassy or consulate — a proposal that would have carried security risks for Moscow as well as the Trump team."
Precisely, why none of this makes any sense.
"Neither the meeting nor the communications of Americans involved were under U.S. surveillance, officials said."
Why weren't they? The fact they weren't also makes no sense. Seems this would have been considered a national security issue.
"The White House declined to comment. Robert Kelner, a lawyer for Flynn, declined to comment. The Russian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment."
Not surprising, is it? Here is where it gets far more interesting:
"Russia at times feeds false information into communication streams it suspects are monitored as a way of sowing misinformation and confusion among U.S. analysts. But officials said that it’s unclear what Kislyak would have had to gain by falsely characterizing his contacts with Kushner to Moscow, particularly at a time when the Kremlin still saw the prospect of dramatically improved relations with Trump."
Must not be forgotten this is a Republican administration. The GOP has a well-earned, well-known reputation for anti-Soviet, anti-Russian, anti-communist sentiment for decades. Why place yourself in such a questionable position that you know full well will, at the very least, raise suspicion? Especially, since Putin has turned out to be a ruthless, murderous dictator.
Here is what appears to be the bottom line issue at the moment:
"Kushner’s apparent interest in establishing a secret channel with Moscow, rather than relying on U.S. government systems, has added to the intrigue surrounding the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia."
Precisely, why Kushner needs to be questioned under oath in front of Congress. -- Unless, of course, this would in any way interfere with Mueller's criminal investigation. No matter what, the American public is ultimately entitled to know the truth.
Adding to the intrigue, NBC News reports:
"The Russian banker Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner met with in December is viewed by U.S. intelligence as a "Putin crony" and a graduate of a "finishing school" for spies who was often tasked with sensitive financial operations by Putin, according to multiple U.S. officials and documents viewed by NBC News."
More self-serving convoluted bullshit coming from the 'Justice' Department. CBS News reports:
"The Department of Justice claims Attorney General Jeff Sessions was "instructed" not to disclose meetings with foreign dignitaries."
Say what? Where does this shit come from? Where?
"Sessions, who met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at least twice last year, didn't list those interactions on his security clearance application because he was told he didn't need to, according to the DOJ. The forms require applicants to list any contacts with a foreign government or its representatives."
Forget? The Sessions nazi runs and owns DOJ.
"The statement did not say exactly who told Sessions' staff not to list the contacts."
Of course, not. No more than a self-serving goddamned ruse. Precisely, why there is no trust in government.
Noose grows even tighter on the Trump nazi's inner circle. ABC News reports:
"One of President Donald Trump’s closest confidants, his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, has now become a focus of the expanding congressional investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 campaign. Cohen confirmed to ABC News that House and Senate investigators have asked him “to provide information and testimony” about any contacts he had with people connected to the Russian government, but he said he has turned down the invitation."
Called stonewalling. Increases determination of investigators. As well as public distrust. Enhances appearance of the Trump regime under siege.
“I declined the invitation to participate, as the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered,” Cohen told ABC News in an email Tuesday."
Imagine that.
"After Cohen rejected the congressional requests for cooperation, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to grant the chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, and ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, blanket authority to issue subpoenas as they deem necessary."
Think the following indicative of character?
"While much of the media focus in recent days has fallen on Russian contacts made by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, there are few people closer to the president than his longtime lawyer. Insiders consider Cohen to be Trump’s “pitbull” or “consigliere” for his role in threatening legal action against Trump critics, gaining notoriety for threatening and browbeating reporters investigating Trump’s background."
Far more interesting? Get this:
"He was quoted in 2015 telling Daily Beast reporters “I will take you for every penny you still don’t have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know … So I’m warning you, tread very f---ing lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be f---ing disgusting.”
Senate investigators need to make a point of thoroughly exposing this outrageous piece of barrister shyster shit for precisely whom and what he is.
6-2-17
Had to have been too good to be true. Trump finally made an absolute jackass of himself overseas. NBC News reports:
"President Donald Trump slammed fellow NATO leaders for not meeting financial obligations in a public broadside Thursday that surprised seasoned observers. "
Didn't surprise Americans who knew this was coming. While condescending, patronizing in his rebuke, it's what the Trump nazi didn't do that's of great concern:
"After the September 11, 2001, attacks, the U.S. triggered NATO's collective defense clause, known as Article Five, prompting alliance members to rally around their ally. It is the first and only time the clause has been invoked."
The 'President' callously failed to acknowledge this at the meeting:
"The unveiling of the World Trade Center memorial was meant to be symbolic of the United States' commitment to the alliance — but Trump's failure to mention Article Five left commentators doubtful.
"Trump's
trip had been a relative success until now. It is now a failure. Close
to a disaster unless he fixes it later today 3/3
—
Tom Wright (@thomaswright08) May 25, 2017
"Seasoned journalists were openly surprised at his failure to highlight his commitment to the alliance, while Thomas Wright, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, tweeted "Trump's trip had been a relative success until now. It is now a failure. Close to disaster unless he fixes it later today."
Insult to injury? The 'President' again demonstrated his boorishness:
"Another moment from the ceremony quickly went viral, after a video captured Trump appearing to shove another NATO leader, Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic, out of the way."
Trump remains an embarrassment. Unfit for office.
ABC News reports:
"Talk about power politics. President Donald Trump isn't afraid to mix it up in the boardroom, and today in Brussels he showed he could throw some proverbial elbows. One of the more surprising moments caught on camera today at the NATO summit in Belgium came when Trump pushed aside Prime Minister Dusko Markovic of Montenegro to get to the front of the group of leaders. Markovic appeared to smile and turn toward Trump as if for a conversation, but none ensued."
A boor and a bore.
The Trump nazi did meet his match, and then some at the meeting. CBS News reports:
"U.S. President Donald Trump met his match in a handshake showdown with France's new president, Emmanuel Macron. At their first meeting, ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, the two men locked hands for so long that knuckles started turning white. Trump finally seemed ready to pull away — but Macron evidently wasn't. The French leader held the shake for a few seconds more. Both men's jaws seemed to clench."
Amusingly, Macron had been forewarned of Trump's penchant for an alpha male handshake. Apparently, the Trump nazi got a bit more than bargained for. LOL.
"Macron won France's election this month by positioning himself as the anti-Trump, embracing globalization and immigration. But as a 39-year-old who has never held elected office, Macron clearly was excited about the appearance with the U.S. president, which cemented his status as a new global player — and as a formidable hand-shaker."
Indeed.
"Later, Mr. Trump extended his hand to Mr. Macron while the leaders gathered prior to the remarks at the unveiling of NATO's Article 5 and Berlin Wall memorials. The presidents shook hands momentarily before Mr. Trump quickly pulled back and they shared a laugh."
Former President Obama took a rhetorical swing at his successor. The Washington Times reports:
"With President Trump meeting European leaders nearby, former President Barack Obama took a veiled swipe at him Thursday, telling an audience in Germany that modern nations “can’t hide behind a wall.” “In this new world we live in, we can’t isolate ourselves. We can’t hide behind a wall,” Mr. Obama said in Berlin at a forum with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Obama made the comment as Mr. Trump, who plans to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, was meeting NATO and other European leaders across the border in Brussels, Belgium. Mrs. Merkel is set to have dinner with Mr. Trump later Thursday night."
The former President was remarkably poignant:
"Mr. Obama attended the event, sponsored by the Protestant church, at Mrs. Merkel’s invitation. He also warned the audience of young people to be wary of leaders who don’t question themselves."
Indeed. They're dictators.
“If I become so convinced that ‘I’m always right,’ ” Mr. Obama said, “the logical conclusion of that often ends up being great cruelty and great violence.”
Hitler's Third Reich. Soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
In a follow up article, The Washington Times reports:
"Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly pushed back Friday against comments made by former President Barack Obama about constructing a border wall. “We’re not hiding behind a wall. We’re constructing physical barriers backed up by technology, and of course the great men and women of customs and border protection, to simply safeguard our Southern border,” Mr. Kelly said on Fox News. “We’re not hiding behind a wall, and you can’t defend anything by hiding behind something.”
Non-sequitur. Abject bullshit. The Mexican border needs no more protection than what it's already getting. Has been receiving for years, now. The Homeland 'Security' Secretary chooses to ignore the number of undocumented has drastically dropped since the Trump nazi took office. Equally to the point, the Obama regime was already deporting record numbers of people.
The Border Patrol abuses authority. Murders with impunity. Not held legally accountable for its crimes. -- As reported repeatedly in this publication and elsewhere. Equally pointedly? ICE goons break up families. Deport spouses married to American citizens. Break up families. No more than outrageously abusive jackbooted criminal bastards clearly out of uniform. Forget? No swastika armbands. Remain no more than an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
The Border Patrol invades privacy of American citizens with no probable cause, no warrant up to a hundred miles from the border. These criminal jackbooted sons of bitches, like ICE goons, remain no more than an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Routinely, abrogate their oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution. Worse? Both BP and ICE have little to no regard for human rights. Traitors. Out of control nazis.
6-2-17
In follow up to an earlier story in this publication and elsewhere, CBS News reports:
"President Trump praised the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, during a phone call between the two leaders in late April, according to a transcript published by The Intercept. "I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem" Mr. Trump said. "Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that." Thanking Mr. Trump, Duterte said it was what he had to do "to preserve the Filipino nation." Mr. Trump then said, "I understand that and fully understand that, and I think we had a previous president who did not understand that, but I understand that we have spoken about this before."
Readers are reminded Duterte is responsible for the murder of some seven thousand of his own people. The Trump nazi clearly approves of the murder of drug users, and/or those believed to be drug users, as a useful tool in the war against drugs. Then, proceeds to talk out both sides his ass:
"A Trump administration official didn't dispute the authenticity of the transcript, CBS News White House correspondent Margaret Brennan reported. While the president did not criticize Duterte for the thousands of extrajudicial killings carried out in his drug war, the official said that the administration has had private conversations with the Filipinos about the human rights issues. The transcript, which was first published by The Intercept, appears to have originated from the Philippine government."
6-2-17
A long, long time ago, back in the Stone Age circa 1969, a young 22-year-old firebrand named Hillary Rodham delivered Wellesley's first-ever student graduation address. Kicked ass. Ferociously. Courageously. Uncommon valor. Cost her dearly, yet stood tall. NBC News reports:
"Before delivering her prepared speech at that ceremony, Clinton paused to criticize remarks made by Edward Brooke, a Republican senator from Massachusetts, who discouraged students from getting involved in the anti-Vietnam protests."
Did she ever. Rightfully, so.
"We feel that for too long our leaders have viewed politics as the art of the possible," she said. "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible."
Took enormous flak for her comments. Then, cowardly forgot who she was and where she came from for the next 48 years. ... Until delivering the commencement speech at Wellesley College, 5-26-17.
"Clinton lashed out at what she described as the "unimaginable cruelty" of Trump's budget proposal and the pervasiveness of conspiracy theories and internet trolls. But when she talked about the mood on campus in 1969, the year she graduated, she got her biggest reception. "We were furious about the past presidential election, of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with impeachment for obstruction of justice — after firing the person running the investigation into him at the Department of Justice!" she said. "But here's what I want you to know: We got through that tumultuous time."
The country did survive, but went backwards as the Baby Boomer generation gave up. Became part of the problem. Not the solution. As Mrs. Clinton herself all these decades since. What makes this particularly poignant is the remarkable similarity between then and now:
"Clinton was referring to President Richard Nixon, who left office after resigning while facing the threat of impeachment in August 1974. The FBI is currently probing whether Trump associates coordinated with the Russian campaign to interfere with the 2016 presidential contest. Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was heading up the investigation, earlier this month."
This certainly disturbs those of us who lived through the Nixon fiasco. History seems to be repeating itself. This time, however, far more insanely. Dangerously.
"You are graduating at a time when there is a full-fledged assault on truth and reason," she said. "The future of America depends on brave, thoughtful people insisting on truth and integrity right now, every day."
Where did you lose yourself, Senator?
"You didn't create these circumstances, but you have the power to change them."
So did you, Senator, all those years ago. The young at the time failed to follow through. Failed to force change. Gutlessly, capitulated to political expediency. Became part of the problem. Embraced an unsustainable status quo. Placed money, its equivalent, power, above all. Principle? What's that? Gone.
CBS News reports:
"Hillary Clinton on Friday encouraged 2017 college graduates to stand up for "truth and reason" as she suggested President Trump has launched a "full-fledged" assault on those ideals."
He did that during the campaign, Mrs. Clinton. Yet, you failed to effectively combat his bullshit, outright lies. Were more concerned with securing the election then challenging his lies, distortion of reality, endless contradictions, etc..
"When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee warned in a commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts."
Should have followed your own advice during the campaign instead of cowardly concentrating on making no mistakes, doing nothing to compromise an election you wound up losing anyway. Precisely, due to this very inauthenticity. Result of which? No one trusted you.
"That's not hyperbole -- "It is what authoritarian regimes throughout history have done," she said."
Precisely, what you should have repeatedly, pointedly challenged the Trump nazi with every opportunity you had. Ad nauseum. You did not.
"You are graduating at a time when there is a full-fledged assault on truth and reason," Clinton told the class of 2017."
Indeed. Was also true during the campaign. Yet neither you or your surrogates effectively challenged this insanity. Your silence signified acquiescence. Certainly, one of the reasons why you lost.
6-2-17
This country is failing to take care of its elderly. NPR reports:
"People complain about nursing homes a lot: the food's no good or there's not enough staff, and so on. It's a long list. But the top complaint, according to the federal government, is eviction from a nursing home. Technically, it's known as involuntary discharge, and in 2015 it brought in more than 9,000 complaints. Now, a couple of states are looking for ways to hold nursing homes accountable for unnecessary evictions."
Money trumps all. Treatment of the elderly will certainly grow worse as the Trump nazi transforms the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich. Think Medicare and Social Security aren't ultimate targets?
Trump, his henchmen, and the Republican Party already wage war on Medicaid. The Washington Post reports:
"Wisconsin is preparing to recast its Medicaid program in ways that no state has ever done, requiring low-income adults to undergo drug screening to qualify for health coverage and setting time limits on assistance unless they work or train for a job."
Most on Medicaid throughout this country already work. Others remain too disabled to work or train for work. Seems to be lost on the Trump nazi, his henchmen, and the states. No more than the GOP mantra 'Let 'em eat cake.' Precisely, why Republicans won't force by statute a livable wage. Their corporate masters in the corporate management suite come first. The people? Take it hard in the ass without the Vaseline. When will every goddamned government official, elected or not, be forced on a regular basis to piss in a jar under supervision? That is, drug tested. Just like they're forcing on the unwashed masses.
"From Maine to Arizona, some states are seizing on an invitation by the Trump administration to redesign a program that was created as part of the 1960s Great Society and now covers 69 million Americans. Although President Trump and his advisers talk of tailor-made innovation to match need, the states’ strategies draw on a similar repertoire — monthly premiums for people below the poverty line, time limits for coverage and fees for emergency room visits, among others. All are influenced by more conservative values that long ago filtered into welfare and other anti-poverty programs."
Totally ignores the core reason why people are on Medicaid in the first place. Don't earn enough to survive without enormous suffering, paralyzing uncertainty. Certainly, not enough to buy health insurance. While both major political parties refuse to rein in obscene profits of providers.
Forget? Corporate and shareholder profits come first. Precisely, why employees are no more than indentured servants to the corporate management suite. Not sustainable. Only a matter of time before the masses rise up. Break their chains.
Here is the fallacious, achingly disingenuous mantra of Republican Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged national socialists, bona fide nazis:
“The philosophy is: We want to move people up the economic ladder,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said."
Phony, disingenuous, unadulterated horse shit. They don't. If they did, Republicans would mandate by statute a livable wage. Don't. Refuse to. The reason remains achingly simple. In a designedly, poorly regulated laissez faire capitalistic system the top 1% of the food chain line their pockets fabulously off stolen labor. No more complicated than that. Or, pernicious.
Wealth is not, will not, be shared with those that ultimately generate it. Who? Wake up. Who do you think? The work force. The system is no more than a legalized Ponzy scheme. Zero-sum, winner-take-all. Cleverly designed ruse.
Precisely, why an unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms on the horizon. Fixing to get far worse as the Trump nazi extends the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich. Won't be tolerated. Country more divided than ever.
While condescending, patronizing, clueless idiots in the Republican Party delusionally talk out their ass. The Washington Post reports:
"In an interview released Wednesday, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said that a "certain mindset" contributes to people living in poverty, pointing to habits and a "state of mind" that children take from their parents at a young age."
Where does this delusional, achingly insane bullshit come from?
"I think poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind. You take somebody that has the right mindset, you can take everything from them and put them on the street, and I guarantee in a little while they'll be right back up there," he said during an interview on SiriusXM Radio with Armstrong Williams, a longtime friend."
Ayn Rand of Atlas Shrugged fame is the original source of this false, condescending, patronizing, phony bullshit. Interestingly, before she died, reportedly disavowed all of it. With damned good reason. Not sustainable. Not the truth. No more than a rationale for keeping the unwashed masses in permanent involuntary servitude. Bondage. Not sustainable since such self-serving principles ultimately lead to revolution.
In light of all the above, Republicans still refuse to take responsibility for the failure of Trumpcare to deliver on its promises. The Washington Post reports:
"The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the Republican health-care bill had just been made public Wednesday, and Rep. Mark Meadows was standing off the House floor, 15 minutes into a sparring session with reporters over its significance when he suddenly paused. “Listen,” Meadows (R-N.C.) said, his voice cracking. “I lost my sister to breast cancer. I lost my dad to lung cancer. If anybody is sensitive to preexisting conditions, it’s me. And I’m not going to make a political decision today that affects somebody’s sister or father because I wouldn’t do it to myself. So I tell you that in the most earnest of ways that we’re going to get this right.”
Haven't. Not by a long shot. Due to corporate greed. Doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
"The burst of emotion from the House Freedom Caucus chairman, a man who played a crucial role in shepherding the American Health Care Act to passage, was a poignant reaction to an uncomfortable fact: According to the nonpartisan CBO, the GOP bill broke a fundamental promise GOP leaders made to the public. Repeatedly, top Republicans said, people with preexisting medical conditions would still be able to purchase affordable insurance under the AHCA."
Can't. Won't be affordable. How could it be? Bottomless greed has not been reined in. By design.
6-2-17
This problem runs rampant throughout the entire nazi GOP mindset. Another glaring example is the DeVos nazi. NBC News reports:
"LGBTQ advocacy groups are sounding the alarm over Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' comments before a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, where she defended the Trump administration's education budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year. In an exchange with Democratic Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts over the proposed budget, which includes $250 million in public funds to send students to private schools, DeVos did not rule out giving federal funds to private schools that discriminate."
This is precisely how revolutions spawn. This woman took an oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution. Yet, she abrogates that very same oath. Ignores the First Amendment Establishment Clause, church-state separation, that is, freedom from religion. Has a nazi agenda. Intends to force her outrageously perverse ideological and religious views on all. Determinedly deaf to the rumble. An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming on the horizon.
6-2-17
Trump nazi's lies are beginning to catch up with him. ABC News reports:
"The lead Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has “grave concerns” that the Trump Organization is failing to keep its promise to turn over profits from foreign governments to the United States Treasury in order to avoid potentially violating the Constitution. In January, then President-elect Trump volunteered to donate Trump hotel profits gained from foreign governments to the Treasury in order not to run afoul of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits U.S. officials from profiting from foreign officials."
Why hasn't Trump been held accountable? Why does he continue to skate? Line his pockets courtesy of high office?
"At the time, company lawyer Sheri Dillon, said Trump "wants to do more than what the Constitution requires.”
She lied. He hasn't.
"But Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. complained Wednesday that the Trump Organization’s current explanation of its policy, which it provided as a response to congressional inquiry, falls short of the constitutional requirements."
Has from day one. Yet, the nazi continues to skate.
Here is the problem, an ongoing issue:
"Trump resigned from his position in the Trump Organization and hundreds of associated companies, but did not divest as a number of ethics experts and others had called for."
The nazi clearly believes he's above the law, as well as the Constitution.
"Control of his businesses was handed over to his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, and a longtime executive, Alan Weisselberg, but Trump maintained a financial stake through a trust established for the "exclusive benefit" of the president."
No more than a meaningless sham the nazi has gotten away with to date.
“Unfortunately, your meager response does not include the vast majority of documents we requested in our letter,” Cummings wrote in a letter dated today to a senior executive at the Trump Organization. “Instead, you provided only a single document -- a glossy, eight-page pamphlet that contains a total of 40 sentences -- and an email forwarding this pamphlet to various Trump Organization entities." "This pamphlet raises grave concerns about the President’s refusal to comply with the Constitution merely because he believes it is ‘impractical’ and could ‘diminish the guest experience of our brand," said Cummings."
This is a problem. A raging constitutional issue needing to be resolved. Lack of resolution sends the message the Trump nazi is indeed above the law, as well as the Constitution. Unacceptable in a supposedly democratic republic.
NPR reports:
"The Trump Organization appears to be making only a limited effort to live up to President Trump's promise to give the U.S. Treasury all foreign profits from his hotels and resorts, according to documents released in recent days. Trump made the promise in mid-January as a way to avoid violating the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause, which prohibits a president from accepting gifts and payments from foreign governments."
Has egregiously failed to live up to his bogus promise.
"The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has pushed the Trump Organization to say how foreign-sourced profits would be identified, calculated, tracked and reported."
Certainly, nowhere near hard enough since the bastard and his henchmen continue to stonewall.
"What the committee got in response was a copy of a glossy nine-page brochure that lays out the Trump Organization's policy. The pamphlet had been distributed to senior Trump employees worldwide, and it stated that it would be impractical to identify every foreign guest. It says that asking guests whether they're representing a foreign government would "impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand."
Egregious stonewalling. If Trump's business interests take priority over his duties as president, the nazi should do the honorable thing. Resign in disgrace. Trump seems to have conveniently forgotten being president is not a right, only a privilege.
"Many ethics experts agree the only way for Trump to avoid violations of the emoluments clause is to completely divest from all his businesses. Some have filed a lawsuit, arguing that payments by foreign governments to Trump-owned businesses violate the Constitution."
6-2-17
Trump continues to lie out the ass. The Washington Post reports:
“Just arrived in Italy
for the G7. Trip has been very successful. We made and saved the USA many
billions of dollars and millions of jobs.”
— President Trump, in
a tweet, May 26
"All presidents like to claim their foreign travels are a success. But this tweet by President Trump sets a record for bravado — in less than a week, he’s already made and saved “millions of jobs” for the United States."
Empty crock of shit.
You're being duped. Dopes duped:
"The Pinocchio Test
"In claiming job savings from trade deals not yet concluded, Trump is counting his chickens before they hatch. Even if he succeeds in reorienting U.S. trade policy, jobs gains are still likely to be illusionary. That’s all the more reason to be cautious about such pronouncements. Ultimately any gain in jobs under Trump’s presidency will be recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the reality may not live up to the hype.
"Four Pinocchios"
Nothing Trump says can be trusted. Lies, distortion of reality, hype, bullshit.
6-2-17
While the Trump nazi falsely claims his foreign junket a success, fallout continues. NPR reports:
"On the heels of last week's G7 summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a wake-up call for European Union nations on Sunday. At a Munich stop on the campaign trail, Merkel told supporters that Europe can no longer count on the U.S. and the U.K. as reliable allies. The days that Europe could completely rely on others are "over to a certain extent," Merkel warned at a rally in a packed Bavarian beer tent, Reuters reports. "I've experienced this in the last few days." Her impassioned comments indicate her disappointment with the past week's contentious meetings of NATO in Brussels and the Group of 7 in Italy. Merkel had described the climate change talks at the G7 meeting as "very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying."
Sad, isn't it? Germany is one of our closest allies.
NBC News reports:
"Angela Merkel's weekend speech stating that Europe could no longer "fully count on others" was a sign of the widening cracks in the relationship between Germany and the U.S. — an alliance that has defined the post-World War II global order, experts and analysts said."
Quite true.
"All I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," the German leader told the crowd of some 2,500 during a campaign event at a beer tent in Bavaria. "The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days."
Stunning rhetoric from a Chancellor well-known for restraint.
"While Merkel never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, her blunt remarks followed a bruising series of meetings with the U.S. president at the NATO summit in Belgium and then at the G-7 gathering in Italy. On Thursday, Trump did not explicitly promise to protect America's NATO allies if they came under attack, instead alleging 23 out of the 28-member nations owed "massive amounts of money" to U.S. taxpayers. The U.S.-led NATO alliance made up mainly by European countries has for decades been a bulwark against the Soviet and then Russian aggression."
The Trump nazi continues to determinedly damage long-term relationships with our closest allies.
"At the G-7 summit, European and other diplomats were frustrated that Trump refused to endorse a global climate change accord and said he needed more time to decide. Trump was also quoted as calling Germany "very bad" on trade — but the White House denied it."
Long-term consequences of all this could be staggering:
"Merkel's comments were made on the election trail and therefore directed at a domestic audience as much as to an international one. Michael van Hulten, a fellow at the London School of Economics, called Merkel's speech "huge — German chancellor signaling the end of the post-WW2 Western consensus." Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper stated that Sunday's comments showed "Merkel no longer regards the USA as reliable."
The United States, under the Trump nazi, is no longer reliable. Cannot be trusted. Forget? An insane nazi runs the Oval Office.
"Elmar Thevessen, the deputy editor-in-chief at German public broadcaster ZDF, said that "Merkel sent a very important signal" from Europe. Thevessen suggested that they offered insight into Trump's approach to foreign affairs, which he summed up as "'America first' and 'only,' responsibility for the world, no chance." "Solidarity for Donald Trump is a commodity, only available with advance payment," Thevessen added. "I am not a psychologist, but am judging as a political scientist and journalist: this U.S. president is dangerous. We Europeans can do nothing against it."
Frightening, isn't it? Yet, Trump's sick sycophants in this country remain clueless. Oblivious to reality. Determinedly, perniciously ignorant to the growing threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties as our formerly great country continues to nazify. From the fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-2-17
Exceptionally pernicious? Foreign policy seems to be dictated now by retired military personnel rather than the State Department. The Washington Post reports:
"When President Trump’s top foreign policy advisers gathered recently at the White House to discuss plans to revamp the administration’s Afghanistan strategy, the makeup of those in the room was indicative of a significant turn in U.S. foreign policy. Seated front and center at the Situation Room table were four current or retired generals who dominate just about every big national security decision Trump makes."
Extremely dangerous turn of events. Civilians are supposed to determine foreign policy in a democratic republic. Moreover, run the Defense Department. Seems to be changing under Trump and his henchmen.
"The debate, however, was most notable for the voices that were absent. Intended as a crucial final debate session before the plan went to the president, the meeting took place on a day in which Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the president’s top diplomat, was in New York. His acting deputy attended in his place."
Apparently, Trump devalues diplomacy in favor of military action. Troubles many in the military community who understand diplomacy key to avoiding unnecessary, costly military ventures. Blood, treasure squandered.
"According to a review by The Washington Post, at least 10 out of 25 senior policy and leadership positions on the National Security Council (NSC) are held by current or retired military officials, up from two at the end of the Obama administration. The shift in staffing reflects Trump’s faith in the nation’s warriors and his delight in shows of military force. On the campaign trail and in office, he has promised to “knock the hell” out of the Islamic State and take a harder line against an array of adversaries, including North Korea to Iran."
Think this change in approach could not lead to a Seven Days In May catastrophe?
Equally troubling? Achingly, pernicious?
"Since January, that attitude has rippled across U.S. foreign policy and the NSC itself. In the Middle East, Trump has emphasized support for Arab allies, prioritizing a desire to contain Iran and pound extremist groups over the Obama administration’s advocacy for human rights and changes designed to improve life in closed and repressive societies. That shift is one that has long been advocated by the U.S. military."
Who runs this country? Civilians or the military?
Another egregious example of high military retiree unfitness to govern? The Washington Times reports:
"Immigrant-rights groups were left steaming after Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said most of the illegal immigrant children who streamed into the U.S. in recent years were “a huge scam,” abusing lax policies to gain a foothold here."
The retired general talks out his ass. Doesn't know what he's talking about. Precisely, why he works at behest of the Trump nazi, not the American public.
"Mr. Kelly also said the families in Central America and here in the U.S. who orchestrated the dangerous journeys were guilty of “human trafficking” of their own children."
Egregious distortion of reality by a national socialist retired general regurgitating the Trump nazi's perverse agenda.
“Their families are actually involved in human trafficking at this point,” the tough-talking retired Marine general told the Senate Appropriations Committee last week, suggesting that the families are abusing the generosity of U.S. laws and having the tab for part of the children’s trip picked up by American taxpayers."
He should talk. Why is he still firmly planted on the taxpayer tit? Will it ever be enough, General?
Reaction swift, pointed:
“When Gen. Kelly was nominated to head DHS, we had hope that he would bring intelligence, balance and discipline to his new job. Unfortunately, our hopes have been dashed,” said Frank Sharry, executive director at America’s Voice. “He has turned out to be an expert at throwing sand in the faces of Congress and the public, good at defending his undisciplined agents, and excellent at advancing Trump’s mass deportation strategy.”
Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit. Right, General?
"Mr. Kelly responded that his remarks grew out of frustration with the tenor of criticism, which has seen Democrats on Capitol Hill accuse his agents and officers of being “Nazis” or showing “prejudice” in the way they do their jobs."
They are jackbooted nazis, General. Storm troopers. Wake up, you fascist son of a bitch.
"The former general said he never saw that vitriol aimed at his troops, but says it’s routine in his new job."
Such vitriol was not aimed at your former troops because they weren't corrupt, abusive nazi storm troopers. Unlike the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who now work for you and your goddamned out of control department. -- A department that continually shits on all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.
“Criticize me, criticize the Trump policies, but please recognize that my men and women are doing the same kind of thing day in and day out as our military men and women are,” Mr. Kelly said. “Give them a break.”
False equivalency, you clueless piece of crap. Your goons are doing your bidding and that of your fuhrer, the Trump nazi. Are all ferociously criticized. No more than jackbooted storm troopers. All present a growing threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Worse? You and the Trump nazi, as well as your goons, have falsely sworn to protect the United States Constitution. Disgraced yourselves. Egregiously unfit to run this government.
6-2-17
The Abbott nazi and his fellow Republican fascists in the Texas Legislature continue to protect and coddle the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue no matter what they do. Including murdering innocent unarmed people on the job. Insult to injury? Outrageously galling? Hopelessly, Aryan arrogant? Intend to give the criminal jackbooted bastards protected class status.
The Washington Times reports:
"Police will become a protected class in Texas after legislators agreed to broaden the state’s hate crime law following an ambush in Dallas last year that left five officers dead. The state House and Senate both approved House Bill 2908 Tuesday, sending the legislation to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott for his final stamp of approval. Mr. Abbott, a first-term Republican and the state’s former attorney general, highly touted the bill in the past and is expected to lend his signature imminently, setting the stage for the legislation to take effect Sept. 1."
Our achingly fascist Governor has once again shown his true national socialist bona fides.
"Known as the Police Protection Act, the bill enhances penalties for crimes committed against on-duty law enforcement officers and judges. It makes restraining, assaulting or threatening either a second degree felony punishable by up to 20 years behind bars, and makes causing serious bodily harm to an officer or judge a first degree felony carrying a maximum sentence of 99 years."
Our nazi Governor and his Republican henchmen in the Legislature have once again delivered a swift boot to the ass to all the families who have had innocent, unarmed family members murdered by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Sieg Heil!, Governor. You're out of uniform, you fascist son of a bitch. Where is your swastika armband?
“At a time when law enforcement officers increasingly come under assault simply because of the job they hold, Texas must send a resolute message that the state will stand by the men and women who serve and protect our communities,” Mr. Abbott said when the bill was introduced in July."
A crock of shit. Abject distortion of reality. Re-write of history. Nearly, a thousand people each year are killed in this country by the jackbooted bastards in blue. How many of them are innocent and unarmed? Who cries for them? Murdered simply because officers supposedly believed they were in danger. In reality, these gutless murderous pieces of shit opened fire for no legitimate reason at all due to abject cowardice.
Then, falsely claimed they believed they were in danger to cover their achingly gutless asses. This new bill, soon to be law, reinforces legalized murder by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. These pieces of shit are not being killed simply because they're officers as falsely implied by the Governor. They're being killed in retaliation because they're murdering innocent unarmed citizens. The Governor knows this, yet fails to rein in his criminal jackbooted bastards.
No excuse, however, for either side to be murdering anyone. No justification. None at all. Officers or their innocent unarmed victims. This new law will further enrage the community every time an officer murders on the job. Will drastically worsen police-community relations. Sadly, lead to more violence by both sides. No one wants this. Continues to tear our formerly great country apart.
“The men and women in uniform risk their lives every day to protect the public, and it is time we show them the State of Texas has their back,” the governor said."
Abject bullshit. Galling distortion of reality. Appalling showboating. By a Governor who gallingly placed his hand on a Bible falsely swearing to protect and defend a Constitution the achingly fascist bastard clearly has no intention of upholding. Has egregiously abrogated not only as Governor, but as former Texas Attorney General.
Once again, showing his true colors, the Abbott nazi disgraced himself. CBS News reports:
"Two days after a GOP House candidate from Montana was charged with assaulting a journalist, Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, joked about shooting reporters, according to the Texas Tribune. The comment followed Abbott's Friday signing of a bill that reduces the licensing fee to carry a handgun in the state of Texas from $70 to $40. The governor then made his way upstairs to the shooting range for some target practice, and once he was finished, he held up his target sheet to show off his marksmanship, joking to the reporters and photographers present that, "I'm gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters."
Had it been the other way around, truly think this fascist piece of shit wouldn't have sicked his dogs in law enforcement on a reporter who cracked a similar joke against a public official? The Governor's judgment remains in question. His fitness for office? You decide.
Think this remains limited only to the Governor? Get this:
"Jokes about threatening the press have become more common recently. At the United States Coast Guard commencement ceremony on May 17th, 2017, DHS Secretary John Kelly joked with President Trump after he'd been presented with a ceremonial sword, saying, "Use that on the press, sir." President Trump chuckled, responding, "Yeah, that's right."
Again, had it been the other way around, the jokester would have promptly received a visit from the Secret Service. Once again, further proof positive one level of justice for the elite, another for the rest of the unwashed masses. Then again, to be expected in a goddamned fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.
6-2-17
Republicans are apparently beginning to get the message. Fear not being returned to office. In follow up to an earlier edition here and elsewhere, The Washington Times reports:
"Lobbyists representing Google, Facebook and other online titans are voicing concerns with a Republican-backed bill that would strengthen privacy protections by making internet service providers, websites and apps obtain permission from customers prior to sharing their information with advertisers. The Internet Association is monitoring a bill introduced in the House last week by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, prohibiting companies from sharing user data without their explicit approval and instead requiring customers to “opt-in” to such arrangements, the trade group said Tuesday."
Imagine that. Doesn't your heart bleed for the hopelessly greedy bastards?
Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
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