Liberty In Peril

                                                                                              formerly,

                                                                                       The Llano Ledger

9-22-17

Pressure exponentially grows on those surrounding the Trump nazi.  NBC News reports:

"Michael G. Flynn, the son of President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, is a subject of the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign, according to four current and former government officials.  The inquiry into Flynn is focused at least in part on his work with his father's lobbying firm, Flynn Intel Group, three of the officials said. It's unclear when the focus on Flynn began.  Barry Coburn, who said he is serving as the younger Flynn's legal counsel, said he couldn't comment on the matter."

Bet he can't.

"Flynn's status as a subject of the Russia investigation widens the publicly known scope of the probe. NBC News has reported that those under investigation have included the elder Flynn and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Others under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller include Carter Page, a Trump campaign ally; Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior White House adviser; and the president's son, Donald Trump Jr."

Noose is certainly figuratively tightening.  Despite best effort of Trump and his sidekick, the AG Sessions nazi, to divert attention.

"Several legal experts with knowledge of the investigation have told NBC News they believe Mueller, following a classic prosecutorial playbook, is seeking to compel key players, including Flynn and Manafort, to tell what they know about any possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia. Mueller has brought onto his team a federal prosecutor known for convincing subjects to turn on associates. Any potential criminal liability for Michael G. Flynn could put added pressure on his father, these legal experts said."

What webs we weave:

"The elder Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was seated at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin during the dinner. Records released by the House Oversight Committee show he was paid nearly $34,000 for his speech; RT also paid for Flynn and his son's airfare to Moscow and lodging at a luxury hotel from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12.  Flynn Intel Group also was paid $530,000 in 2016 for work the Justice Department has said benefited the government of Turkey. The elder Flynn did not register as a foreign lobbyist at the time, but did so retroactively this year. According to his filing with the Justice Department, he was hired by a Turkish businessman to gather information about Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish cleric residing in Pennsylvania whom the Turkish government accuses of orchestrating an attempted coup there in July 2016."

Readers will recall:

"The elder Flynn was fired as Trump's national security adviser in February after it became public that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S."

Hard to believe the Vice President was bamboozled.  Had no clue.

Think Flynn isn't being pressured by Mueller?  Consider the following:

"Any time a family member is identified as a subject that does increase pressure," said Peter Smith, a former federal prosecutor. "In the typical parent-child relationship the last thing any parent would want is for their child to get in trouble for something they initiated."  That pressure appeared to mount Wednesday, when House Democrats released information they said confirmed that the elder Flynn omitted from his security clearance renewal application in 2016 that he had traveled to the Middle East in 2015 to meet with foreign leaders about a proposal to partner with Russia in a plan to build nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia."

Here's where it gets particularly interesting:

"In a letter to Flynn's former business partners who had turned over documents to Congress, Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Eliot Engel of New York also accuse Flynn of concealing the trip from background check investigators who interviewed him during that 2016 process. The congressmen, ranking members on the House Oversight and House Foreign Affairs committees respectively, told the former business partners that because "it appears that General Flynn violated federal law" they are turning over their documents to Mueller."

Think pressure, in turn, is not increasing on Trump?

In follow up to the above, ABC News reports:

"Relatives of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, one of the key subjects of multiple investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, made a rare public statement Monday to call attention to the “tremendous financial burden” the probes are placing on former advisers to President Donald Trump.  “The enormous expense of attorneys’ fees and other related expenses far exceed their ability to pay,” said Michael Flynn’s siblings Joe Flynn and Barbara Redgate."

Doesn't your heart bleed?  Did these Aryan arrogant nazis in the Trump regime truly believe they'd escape scrutiny?  Especially, in whatever is left of our democratic republic?  That their feet wouldn't be held to the fire?

"They made the statement to bring attention to a legal defense fund they have formed to help raise money for their brother, who briefly served as Trump’s first national security adviser, after joining the Trump campaign as an adviser in 2016. Michael Flynn was forced to resign after just 24 days as national security adviser, after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russian officials during the presidential transition."

Be interesting to see if the Trump nazi indeed continues to leave him swinging in the wind after earlier jettisoning the bastard.  What choice does he have?  Trump's sorry ass and that of his family will always come first.  Especially, if the criminal investigation extends not only to family members, but Trump himself.  Not clear yet whether or not Flynn even has anything to offer the prosecutor against higher-ups, family members, and even Trump himself in return for a plea bargain.  At this point, only speculation.

"Flynn, a decorated military officer who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 until his retirement in 2014, was out of the spotlight only briefly. He emerged as an early target of special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to investigate Russian interference in the election. Congress also began pursuing information from Flynn, but he has so far provided only limited information to the House and Senate committees charged with investigating election interference."

Flynn was certainly at point, followed closely by Manafort.  News sources are now reporting Manafort had been wiretapped.  That data, reportedly shared with the special prosecutor.  Amazing how easily the high and mighty let money and power get to their head, supplant all principle, worse, obscure clear conception of right and wrong.

"Rep. Elijah Cummings told ABC News last week that his committee was looking deeply into Flynn’s foreign contacts in 2015 and 2016, which Cummings said Flynn failed to disclosed during reviews of his security clearance. Those communications — which involved high-ranking foreign officials and business executives — were so numerous that they could not have been inadvertent omissions or incidental contacts, Cummings said.  “He has, over and over again, omitted information that he should have disclosed,” Cummings said. “It’s not an aberration, and that’s clear."

This guy is a retired general.  A decorated soldier.  Where did he lose himself?

"The omissions are a serious matter. While Cummings said intentionally omitting foreign contacts when applying for security clearance can carry a five-year prison term, he acknowledged that penalties are rarely that severe. The leverage that those alleged transgressions provide, however, could prove useful to prosecutors seeking to use the threat of prosecution to compel Flynn’s assistance in the broader investigations into Russian interference in the election."

Precisely what remains so inexplicable regarding this entire fiasco.  How is it a U.S. military officer, active or retired, would even consider associating himself in any way with foreign interference in an American election?  Accept money in return for his service in whatever capacity to the Russian government?  Even if it was indeed no more than a speaking fee?  Appearance alone.  Worse, Flynn may have gone much further.  ... Pending the ongoing criminal investigation by Mueller, we just don't know yet.

"His family established the defense fund, his relatives said, “to help ensure that he can defend himself," and this morning he tweeted from his personal account for the first time since late last year to express his gratitude."

Bet he did.

"Referring to his wife, Lori Flynn, Michael Flynn wrote in two tweets, "Lori and I are very grateful to my brother Joe and sister Barbara for creating a fund to help pay my legal defense costs. We deeply appreciate the support of family and friends across this nation who have touched our lives."

Bet he does.  Especially, if this is indeed just the beginning of a prolonged legal battle.  -- Then again, the special prosecutor could very well pressure Flynn to turn on others higher up in the Trump regime in return for a most favorable plea bargain for himself, or his son.  ... Predicated all, however, on whether or not there is indeed any criminal activity found as a result of the Mueller investigation.  All speculation. Currently.  None of the principals involved, though, including up to the Trump nazi himself, can be resting easy.

"Experts told ABC News that such funds are complicated entities, in part because efforts must be made to ensure that they do not become vehicles for outside parties to attempt to influence his willingness to cooperate."

Certainly, can be an issue should the rats jump ship.

"Stephen Gillers, an ethics expert who holds the Elihu Root Chair at New York University School of Law, says defending a felony prosecution can cost as much as $10 million, and he is adamant about a defendant’s right to raise money to offset those expenses.  “It is none of the government’s business about how a defendant funds his case,” Gillers told ABC News. “The only time the government has an interest is if the money is tainted money, the fruits of your crime, [but] I do not think there is an issue of tainted money in the Flynn prosecution.”

The system has indeed become hopelessly perverted, however, when defending a felony prosecution can cost millions.  Founders?  Likely spinning in their graves.  Certain indication our system is dying on the vine.

"His legal defense fund will not accept contributions from foreign nationals, anonymous sources, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization, according to a source close to Flynn."

No kidding.  To do otherwise, would compound the insanity, legal jeopardy Flynn finds himself in.

“Mike devoted 33 years of his life to our country serving in the United States Army, spending years away from his family while he fought this nation’s battles overseas, including the war on terror,” his brother and sister said as part of their plea for financial support."

While the above is true, remains achingly irrelevant to the current fiasco Flynn finds himself in.  Worse?  All his own making.  Yet, there are far larger fry in the Trump regime, including family members who seem to be in even greater legal jeopardy than Flynn.  We'll see.  Again, no more than speculation.  Currently.

9-22-17

Manafort certainly appears to be in legal jeopardy.  CBS News reports:

"A spokesman responding on behalf of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort issued a rare response, after CBS News confirmed Manafort was wiretapped during an investigation of the efforts of Russian operatives to influence the election."

Noose appears to be figuratively tightening on those surrounding Trump.

"If true, it is a felony to reveal the existence of a FISA warrant, regardless of the fact that no charges ever emerged," Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni said in a statement released Tuesday. "The U.S Department of Justice's Inspector General should immediately conduct an investigation into these leaks and to examine the motivations behind a previous administration's effort to surveil a political opponent. Mr. Manafort requests that the Department of Justice release any intercepts involving him and any non-Americans so interested parties can come to the same conclusion as the DOJ – there is nothing there."

Apparently, this occurred well before Mueller:

"The warrant was issued prior to Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel to take over the FBI investigation into Russian election meddling and any ties to the Trump campaign. Since then, Mueller has convened a grand jury in the probe. Federal investigators have told Manafort they plan to indict him, The New York Times reported Tuesday."

Must have sent a chill throughout the Trump camp.

"According to CNN, which first reported the Manafort wiretapping, the U.S. government listened in on the former campaign manager's conversations during the election cycle. The wiretapping, however, was not continuous, CNN reported."

Until the Mueller probe ends, certainly be quite a bit of angst throughout the Trump regime.

9-22-17

Pressure certainly increases on others in the Trump regime.  ABC News reports:

"Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested use of a government jet to take him and his wife on their honeymoon in Scotland, France and Italy earlier this summer, sparking an inquiry by the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General, sources tell ABC News."

Imagine that.  Couldn't be, could it?

"Officials familiar with the matter said the highly unusual ask for a U.S. Air Force jet, which according to an Air Force spokesman could cost roughly $25,000 per hour to operate, was put in writing by the secretary's office but was deemed unnecessary after further consideration by Treasury Department officials."

You think?

"Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview with ABC News that Mnuchin's request for a government jet on his honeymoon defies common sense."

Demonstrates profound Aryan arrogance, unbridled sense of entitlement, another exceptionally wealthy man still firmly planted on the taxpayer tit no matter what.

Gets worse:

"Mnuchin, an independently wealthy former Goldman Sachs banker, has already triggered a review of his travel for using a government jet to travel to Louisville and Fort Knox, Kentucky last month. The inspector general is reviewing whether he improperly used that trip to catch a prime view of the solar eclipse with his wife, Louise Linton, a Scottish actress and model."

Unbridled sense of entitlement.  -- While the bottom of the food chain and the long-suffering middle class languish.

"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky met with Mnuchin during that trip and tweeted a photo of them watching the eclipse together, complete with proper eyewear."

Two peas in a pod?

"The secretary's office denied he took that trip to watch the eclipse and said he was there to attend meetings on a tax code overhaul, and the Treasury Department said the Mnuchins would reimburse the government for Linton's travel costs."

Only after his feet were proverbially held to the fire.

"An official in the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General said that in addition to reviewing the Kentucky trip, it has started an official inquiry into Mnuchin's honeymoon travel request."

Sounds like the fox guarding the chicken coop.

"A spokesman for the Treasury Department told ABC News that Mnuchin requested government travel for his honeymoon out of a concern for maintaining a secure method of communication."

Think an aircraft, like a car or truck, can follow anywhere on the ground to allegedly provide secure communication?  Give me a break.  Does this outrageously clueless son of a bitch believe long-suffering taxpayers that stupid?  Or, is he too Aryan arrogant to care?

Gets worse:

"The secretary is a member of the National Security Council and has responsibility for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence," the spokesman said in a statement. "It is imperative that he have access to secure communications, and it is our practice to consider a wide range of options to ensure he has these capabilities during his travel, including the possible use of military aircraft."

Insult to injury?  Strained credulity?  Get this:

"The spokesman added that the secretary's office decided the use of military aircraft was "unnecessary" after it became apparent that other methods for secure communication were available."

This son of a bitch remains achingly unfit for office:

"Aside from the president and vice president, travel on military aircraft is typically reserved for Cabinet members who deal directly with national security, such as the secretaries of defense and state.  One senior Treasury official who has worked with a number of past secretaries said that military aircraft are used only in "extreme" circumstances — for example, if the secretary has to be rushed back to a meeting in Washington, D.C., with the president."

Aryan arrogance of the high and mighty.

"Adam Stump, a spokesman with the Department of Defense, which oversees and operates all government air travel for the executive branch, declined to comment on the specific request made by Mnuchin's office but cited existing departmental policies regarding the use of government aircraft.  "Generally, when other federal executive agencies request use of military airlift, it is provided on a reimbursable basis pursuant to Title 31 U.S.C., section 1535 and 1536, otherwise known as the Economy Act," Stump said."

Trump's henchmen clearly expect special treatment, consideration.

"Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a D.C.-based ethics watchdog, was critical of Mnuchin's request.  "People can do whatever they want on their own time, on their vacations and in the houses that they live in, but they can't be expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for a Hollywood lifestyle," Bookbinder said."

Indeed.  Exactly, right.

Gets far more convoluted than that.  Secretary Mnuchin's wife is Louise Linton. Think they don't deserve each other?  LOL.  Get this:

"Meanwhile, Linton managed to stir her own controversy surrounding the August trip to Kentucky when she lashed out at a stranger on Instagram — for which she later issued a public apology. She posted a photo of herself and Mnuchin stepping off a government jet and wrote, "Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #beautiful #countryside."  She went on to include hashtags of various luxury designers she was wearing: "#rolandmouret pants #tomford sunnies, #hermesscarf #valentinorockstudheels #valentino #usa," prompting one user to reply, "Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable."

Imagine that.  Couldn't be, could it?  LOL.  Her Most Royal High Ass was clearly not amused:

"Linton responded by belittling the woman in a series of comments and even mentioned her honeymoon.  "Aw!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable! Did you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol."  Two people familiar with the matter say Linton was not aware that her husband had requested government travel for their honeymoon before making that comment."

Think not?  Think so?  Either way, certainly makes her appear to be yet another clueless member of the top 1% with the fervently-embraced philosophy, 'Let 'em eat cake!'

9-22-17

The following is inexplicable.  Further proof positive the Senate remains totally dysfunctional.  CBS News reports:

"The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan push for a new war authorization against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups, electing to let the White House rely on a 16-year-old law passed after the Sept. 11 attacks as the legal basis to send U.S. troops into combat.  Senators voted 61-36 scuttle an amendment to the annual defense policy bill by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have allowed war authorizations, created in the wake of al-Qaida's 9/11 strikes, to lapse after six months. Paul, a leader of the GOP's noninterventionist wing, said Congress would use the time to debate an updated war authority for operations in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere before the old ones expired."

The question to be pointedly asked is why wasn't this done years ago?  The president doesn't constitutionally get to declare war.  Congress does.  Yet, Congress continues to shamelessly shirk this responsibility starting with the Korean fiasco in 1950 to date.  Why?

"Paul criticized his colleagues ahead of the vote, urging them to embrace their war-making responsibility instead of surrendering their power to the White House. He and senators who backed his amendment said former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump have used the war authorizations from 2001 and 2002 for military operations in countries that Congress never voted to support."

That's right.  Why haven't both major political parties long-since resolved this ongoing issue?

"We are supposed to be a voice that debates and says, 'Should we go to war?' It's part of doing our job," Paul said. "It's about grabbing power back and saying this is a Senate prerogative."

That's right, constitutionally so.  Senate and House.

"Opponents of Paul's amendment agreed on the need for a new authorization but warned that that his plan would backfire.  Voting to rescind existing war authorities without a replacement risks leaving U.S. troops and commanders without the necessary legal authority they need to carry out military operations. Opponents said they worried Congress would not approve a new law in the six-month window."

What does that tell you?  Worse?  Beside the point.  Get up off your ass and resolve this issue now.  Not tomorrow, the next day, six months from now.  Now.  Both parties.

"White House legislative director Marc Short said Tuesday that the Trump administration has adequate legal authority to combat terrorist groups and did not support a new war authorization."

Regarding the former, the hell it does.  Regarding the latter, what nazi fuhrer needs any authorization to do anything?  Time for Congress to step up.

"Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Relations Committee, said he agreed that the White House has proper authority, but said his committee intends to take up legislation for a new war authority soon. He opposed Paul's amendment.  "I agree that we need to take action," said Corker, R-Tenn."

This Republican nazi continues to talk out both sides his national socialist ass.

"To fight IS, the Trump administration, as did the Obama administration, relies on an authorization for the use of military force that was approved by Congress in 2001, shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks.  But the White House's use of an authorization from a decade and half ago is a legal stretch at best, according to critics who long have argued that Congress needs to pass a new one to account for how the dynamics of the battlefield have changed. For example, American troops are today battling an enemy - IS militants - that didn't exist 16 years ago, and are fighting in Syria, a country where the U.S. forces didn't expect to be."

All the above is true, but continues to miss the point.  No president should be free to prosecute an undeclared war for as long as he pleases only subject to funding requirements.  The Constitution remains abundantly clear.  Congress declares war. Not the president.  The president's authority to initiate military action is limited to exigent threat and short term.

"The War Powers Resolution, enacted in 1973, requires the president to tell Congress he is sending U.S. troops into combat and prohibits those forces from remaining for more than 90 days unless Congress has approved an authorization for military force."

Not good enough.  Abrogates the power of 535 in Congress to declare war, then unconstitutionally rest on the judgment of one person who winds up being issued a blank check by a hopelessly gutless Congress.  Have we learned nothing from Korea, Vietnam, Gulf 1, Gulf 2, and Afghanistan?

9-22-17

Trump continues to talk out the ass.  NBC News reports:

"In a move likely to raise the profile of a Democratic plan for single-payer health care, President Donald Trump picked a fight with Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday, calling his legislation for expanded coverage a "curse."  Trump said single-payer health care — which would replace private health insurance with a government-run program — would be "a terrible thing for our country" and in a tweet called it a "curse on the U.S. & its people."

Certainly, no curse in Canada and throughout Europe.  Where the cost of treatment is far less than in the United States.  Where everyone gets truly affordable care.  Unlike here, where the insurance cartel shamelessly loots policy holders, and equally important, there is no reining in of greed among healthcare providers.

"The president blamed Republicans for allowing the idea to gain traction among Democrats because the GOP failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act."

Re-write of reality and history.  LOL.  Republicans themselves were unable to agree on the extent of the f--king they were willing to impose on their constituents.  Equally pointedly, the Trump nazi and his henchmen determinedly did all they could, and continue to do, to ensure the failure of Obamacare.

"We got very poorly treated on the healthcare plan, and now you see what's happening where people are going single-payer — exactly what I said would happen," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to Florida to tour the damage from Hurricane Irma. "So the Republicans have to stick together better."

Trump remains achingly delusional.  The only alternative to single payer is full-fledged socialized medicine.  What is so remarkable about the ubiquitous failure of communism throughout the world, despite a few remaining communist states, is the success of socialized medicine in Cuba.  Likely due to the fact the Cubans were able to rein in profound, bottomless provider greed.

"In a tweet, the president added that he would veto the legislation, "because I love our country & its people."

    "Bernie Sanders is pushing hard for a single payer healthcare plan - a curse on the U.S. & its people...
    — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

"Sanders hit back at Trump quickly, tweeting, "No Mr. President, providing health care to every man, woman and child as a right is not a curse..."

    "No Mr. President, providing health care to every man, woman and child as a right is not a curse, it's exactly what we should be doing. https://t.co/sNeq6YZHDw
    — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 14, 2017"

Status quo remains unsustainable.  Time for the Republican nazis in Congress to wake up.  Healthcare is as much a national security issue as the military.

9-22-17

While uncertainty vis a vis the future of DACA rages, Trump's supporters are in a tizzy regarding their fuhrer's contradictory statements.  The Washington Post reports:

"Staunch conservative allies of President Trump have erupted in anger and incredulity after Democrats late Wednesday announced that the president had agreed to pursue a legislative deal that would protect thousands of young undocumented immigrants from deportation but not secure Trump’s signature campaign promise: building a massive wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  Nearing midnight and into Thursday, social media accounts came alive as elected officials and activists on the right dashed off tweets and posts to share their shock.  And in between those posts, there was a flurry of fuming calls and text messages — a blaring political fire alarm among Trump’s die-hard supporters.  “The reality is sinking in that the Trump administration is on the precipice of turning into an establishment presidency,” Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign adviser, said in an interview early Thursday morning."

Needn't worry.  Think Trump can't, won't turn on a dime as suits his fancy?

The indicted Paxton nazi continues to lie his sorry ass off.  The Statesman reports:

"Texas' attorney general hailed President Donald Trump's move to rescind President Barack Obama's executive action affording young unauthorized immigrants protection from deportation.

"Moreover, Attorney General Ken Paxton charged in a recent press release, Obama "used that lawful-presence dispensation to unilaterally confer citizenship.

"A reader asked us to put that statement to the Texas Truth-O-Meter.

"Our ruling:

"Paxton said Obama used the executive action creating DACA "to unilaterally confer U.S. citizenship."

"It's incorrect to say that Obama via DACA conferred citizenship on anyone.  That's not how the system works, and the attorney general should know better.  This unsupported characterization traces to a few DACA recipients - about a tenth of 1 percent - who gained citizenship in part by returning from abroad with a clean slate in accord with existing laws not amended by DACA.

"We find the claim incorrect and ridiculous.  Pants on Fire!"

9-22-17

Think the Trump nazi doesn't continue to line his pockets in direct violation of the Emoluments Clause? The Washington Post reports:

"The bedroom suites at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, available only to members and their guests, feature hand-painted Moorish ceilings, antique Spanish-tiled mosaics and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.  On a weekend in early March, during one of seven trips by Trump and his White House entourage to the posh Palm Beach property since the inauguration, the government paid the Trump-owned club to reserve at least one bedroom for two nights.  The charge, according to a newly disclosed receipt reviewed by The Washington Post, was $1,092.  The amount was based on a per-night price of $546, which, according to the bill, was Mar-a-Lago’s “rack rate,” the hotel industry term for a standard, non-discounted price.  The receipt, which was obtained in recent days by the transparency advocacy group Property of the People and verified by The Post, offers one of the first concrete signs that Trump’s use of Mar-a-Lago as the “Winter White House” has resulted in taxpayer funds flowing directly into the coffers of his private business."

This is, and remains, a continuing problem.

9-22-17

The vetting process in the White House does not appear all it's cracked up to be.  NBC News reports:

"After the sudden withdrawal this week of President Donald Trump's nominee for a top post at the Federal emergency Management Agency, Senate Democrats are raising concerns about the White House's vetting process.  "The White House may have thought, 'Well, no one will pay any attention to this — this will be ignored.' Obviously, it was not ignored," said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., a member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which had been considering Daniel A. Craig's nomination for the No. 2 spot at FEMA.  Craig withdrew his nomination on Wednesday after NBC News questioned him about the findings of an unreleased 2011 federal investigation, which concluded that he had submitted a fraudulent travel voucher and falsified timekeeping records during his time in the administration of President George W. Bush."

Fascinating, isn't it?

9-22-17

More push back in the courts to the Sessions nazi, and his fuhrer, the Trump nazi.  Fox News reports:

"A federal judge in Chicago has ruled Attorney General Jeff Sessions can't withhold public grant money from so-called sanctuary cities for refusing to follow federal immigration policies.  U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber made the ruling Friday, in which he granted Chicago's request for a temporary "nationwide" injunction.  The ruling means the Justice Department cannot deny grant money requests until Chicago's lawsuit against the agency is concluded. Leinenweber wrote that Chicago has shown a "likelihood of success" in its arguments that Sessions overstepped his authority with the requirements."

How about that?  Couldn't be, could it?

The Washington Post reports:

"A federal judge on Friday blocked the Justice Department from withholding grant funds from places that do not provide immigration authorities access to local jails or give advance notice when suspected illegal immigrants are to be released — dealing a major blow to the Trump administration’s vowed crackdown on sanctuary cities."

Certainly, another blow against nazism.

"U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber in Illinois wrote in a 41-page opinion that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had probably exceeded his lawful authority when he imposed new conditions on particular law enforcement grants, requiring recipients to give immigration authorities access to jails and notice when suspected illegal immigrants were to be released."

Outrageously, unconstitutional.

"The judge blocked Sessions from implementing the conditions not just on the city of Chicago — which had sued over the matter — but across the nation, writing that there was “no reason to think that the legal issues present in this case are restricted to Chicago or that the statutory authority given to the Attorney General would differ in another jurisdiction.”

Equally important?

"His ruling follows an order from another federal judge in California blocking Trump’s executive order on sanctuary cities."

NPR reports:

"California is poised to become a so-called "sanctuary state" after its legislature passed a bill Saturday that would establish new protections for people who are in the country illegally and send a clear signal of defiance against the Trump administration's tough approach to immigration enforcement.  The California Values Act would forbid state and local law enforcement agencies from providing information to or acting as the deputies for federal immigration authorities. The bill also prohibits police and sheriff officers from inquiring about a person's immigration status."

The above certainly has the Sessions nazi's panties in a wad.  The Washington Times reports:

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday singled out California Governor Jerry Brown and urged him not to sign into law a bill that would further restrict local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.  The legislation was approved by lawmakers over the weekend after the governor helped draft a series of amendments. Mr. Sessions called it a public safety risk and encouraged California and other jurisdictions that have sanctuary laws or policies shielding illegal immigrants to change their ways."

There is no exigent public safety threat.  Sessions remains a congenital liar.  No more than a racist national socialist in the mold of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini.  Again disgraced himself.  It is the attorney general who needs to change his ways.  Protect an increasingly at risk public from the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who continue to abuse, criminally assault, shake down, and murder innocent unarmed victims across our formerly great country.

“Such policies undermine the moral authority of law and undermine the safety of the jurisdictions that adopt them,” Mr. Sessions said as he spoke before a group of federal law enforcement officials in Oregon."

That's a crock of shit embraced by a racist nazi determined to transform the goddamned de facto fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  The threat posed by murderous police far outweighs that from the undocumented.  Sessions remains a congenital liar.  He knows damn well the vast majority of the undocumented live law-abiding lives, do all they can not to attract attention of law enforcement.  Remain productive members of society.  Do jobs citizens won't do.

"The California Values Act, passed Saturday by state lawmakers, is expected to be signed by the governor. The law prohibits local police and sheriffs from asking a person about his or her immigration status or from participating in immigration enforcement efforts. Under the law, local law enforcement agencies, including those that oversee jails, will be able to share information with federal immigration agents and transfer people into their custody if they have previously been convicted of one of some 800 crimes, mostly felonies and misdemeanors that can be charged as felonies. Cooperation will be banned if the person has only minor offense convictions on his or her record."

Hat's off to California.  Hope the Governor quickly signs the bill as expected.

“The bill risks the safety of good law enforcement officers and the safety of the neighborhoods that need their protection the most,” Mr. Sessions said in his appeal to Mr. Brown. “There are lives and livelihoods at stake.”

The Attorney General remains a congenital liar, an anachronism, a throwback to the days of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy.  Continues to falsely cry wolf.

9-22-17

The following, if true, is outrageous.  Carefully, consider ultimate ramifications.  NPR reports:

"The federal ethics agency may be opening the door for anonymous donors to pay legal fees for White House staffers.  It could happen just as special counsel Robert Mueller draws closer to the White House in his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump campaign.  Several conservative and pro-Trump groups are said to be considering creating such funds to help White House staffers who may be interviewed by investigators, but who can't afford Washington's high-priced ethics lawyers.  If anonymous donors were allowed, a legal defense fund could become a conduit for check-writers seeking to show their loyalty to President Trump, or to gain influence in the White House, but privately."

Certainly be hellacious.  No more than legalized bribery.  The Trump regime denies it's under consideration.  We'll see.

9-22-17

Day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet in the world of the Trump nazi.  ABC News reports:

"President Donald Trump is calling on ESPN to apologize days after one of the sports network's anchors called him a "white supremacist" and "bigot."

For telling the truth?

"ESPN said Thursday it had accepted the apology of its "SportsCenter" host Jemele Hill for her tweets about Trump Monday. Hill said Thursday she was sorry for causing her employer trouble."

ESPN remains achingly gutless.

"ESPN has repeatedly said Hill's comments don't reflect the view of the network. But that apparently hasn't satisfied Trump. He demanded on Twitter early Friday that ESPN "Apologize for untruth!"

F--k the nazi. Forget?  ... The truth, the whole truth, the unvarnished truth, certainly nothing but the truth.  LOL.

9-22-17

The Nazi Right certainly has its shorts in a wad.  Consider the following.  The Washington Times reports:

"A Georgia high school teacher who was yanked from the classroom after comparing President Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” to a swastika is speaking out for the first time since video of the exchange went viral.  Lyn Orletsky, a teacher of five years at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, was seen on video kicking two students out of her class after they refused to turn their shirts bearing the pro-Trump slogan inside out. She was also heard saying it had nothing to do with Mr. Trump, but the slogan itself, which she compared to a swastika."

The slogan and "America First" trace their roots back to the Hitler era, 1930s.  Deutschland Uber Alles.  Germany Above All.  "America First" dates back to the Charles "Lucky" Lindbergh era in this country prior to Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.  Lindbergh, the American aviator who daringly, heroically made the first transatlantic trip in 1927, was also an ardent supporter of Adolf Hitler.  As were other Americans at the time.

"Ms. Orletsky told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview Thursday morning that she thought the shirts would be offensive to minority students in the class."

You think?  Why wouldn't they be?  Conveniently forget? Trump and his AG sidekick, the Sessions nazi, have repeatedly shown their hostility to minorities.

“I told the boys, in light of everything that has happened [in Charlottesville, Virginia], I don’t think this is an appropriate slogan to be wearing at school. Could they please go to the restroom and turn the shirt inside out?” she said."

Not an unreasonable request considering the circumstances.

"The video went viral and the Cherokee County School District reportedly became the target of threatening emails. The district apologized for the teacher’s behavior and announced that she would be placed on administrative leave indefinitely."

For what?  Doing the right thing?  The District is gutless.  Kowtows to the Trump nazi and his henchmen.

"Ms. Orletsky said the backlash has been a “nightmare.”  “I’ve been teaching calculus for about 15 years, and this class is the strongest class I’ve ever had for BC calculus. These students are being punished in a sense, because people have chosen to politicize this whole issue,” she told the Journal-Constitution. “Since I’ve been removed from my classroom, I just feel incredibly saddened that one of my classes in particular will not be getting the math training and learning they should be getting."

Need to sue.

“I want students and parents in my class to understand that this was not political at all; this was my wanting a safe environment for my students,” she said. “Unfortunately, since Charlottesville, the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ has been appropriated by a number of hate groups, a number of Neo-Nazi groups.  “I want everybody in that classroom to feel they are respected, and each should have their dignity,” she said. “People can wear President Trump T-shirts, it’s the statement, ‘Make America Great Again’ that’s the problem.”

Will certainly get worse, far worse, as the goddamned fascist police-state we now live in gets transformed to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

9-22-17

Carefully consider the following.  Fox News reports:

"A Detroit-area teacher was put on leave after an 11-year-old boy said he was physically pushed out his chair to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance.  Stone Chaney, 11, a sixth-grader at East Middle School in Farmington Hills, said he makes a pledge to God and family - not a flag – and has skipped participation since second grade.   "God said don't worship anything other than me, don't worship any idols, and pledging to a flag would kind of be like worshiping it," Stone told Fox 2 Detroit. "It's not if I have a reason or not, it's my right."  Stone said he was doing homework during the pledge on Sept. 7 when a teacher “snatched” him out of his chair.  "A teacher just comes up, puts her arms under my armpits and snatches me out of my chair."

If true, called assault.

"I say I don't stand for the pledge, she just glares at me and walks away," Stone said. "I just feel like my rights were violated. And she was the teacher consultant; the person who teaches other people not to put their hands on students. So who knows what other teachers she's taught her way of thinking."

Indeed.  Students have the constitutional right to either participate or not.  First Amendment.  Readers are reminded this kid did not verbally or physically disrupt the Pledge.  Sat quietly.

"Stone said another teacher the next day yelled at him to stand up. Stone’s parents demanded the teachers be reprimanded for their actions at a school board meeting.  Farmington Public Schools Superintendent George Heitsch said one teacher has been placed on leave while the district investigates.  He said students have the right to skip the Pledge of Allegiance.  The district expects every child and adult "to be treated with dignity and respect," Heitsch said."

Do they?

9-22-17

Gutlessness runs rampant in the education system, including colleges.  NPR reports:

"The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School announced Wednesday that Chelsea Manning would be one of its visiting fellows, but less than two days later, the school's dean withdrew the invitation."

Abject cowardice.  Unbecoming Harvard or any other school.  Caved in to Nazi Right political correctness.

"Manning, a 29-year-old transgender woman, formerly known as Bradley Manning, was convicted of leaking classified information."

Indeed, she was.  Convicted of what was no more than an act of uncommon valor, exposing this outrageously corrupt, abusive, achingly inept government for whom and what it is.

"Manning was released from a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in May after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence, which was commuted by former President Barack Obama. Before leaving office in January, Obama said he felt justice had been served."

For whom, Mr. President?  Manning did the country a favor.  At great personal risk and expense.  Did not deserve incarceration.

"Early Thursday, Michael Morell, former deputy director and acting director of the CIA, resigned his senior fellowship post at Harvard over the school's decision to include Manning as a visiting fellow."

Good riddens.

"Morell said he could not be part of an organization that "honors a convicted felon and leaker of classified information."

Far more complicated, nuanced than that, -- and this nazi son of a bitch knows it.

"A short time later, CIA Director Mike Pompeo canceled an appearance at the school, where he was scheduled to discuss such topics as Russian involvement in the presidential election and the nuclear standoff with North Korea."

Equally ferociously pointedly?   F--k the nazi son of a bitch.  Readers are reminded these CIA jackbooted bastards tortured and murdered on the job.

The following is abject cowardice:

"In a statement released late Thursday, Elmendorf said the school did not intend to honor Manning in any way or to endorse any of her words or deeds.

    "We are withdrawing the invitation to her to serve as a Visiting Fellow — and the perceived honor that it implies to some people — while maintaining the invitation for her to spend a day at the Kennedy School and speak in the Forum.

    "I apologize to her and to the many concerned people from whom I have heard today for not recognizing upfront the full implications of our original invitation."

Unbecoming.  Galling.  A portend of what's to come as the goddamned fascist police-state we already live in transforms to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  Clear indication Harvard prioritizes financial endowment over academic freedom.  Appalling.

Egregious hypocrisy?  Political correctness?  Get this:

"Harvard also announced this week that it had invited former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to be visiting fellows."

American Dream?  Clearly, dying on the vine.  Freedom?  Liberty?  What's that?

9-22-17

Haven't seen the new documentary regarding the Vietnam War, but those who have seen clips of it certainly consider it epic.  The Washington Post reports:

"Hundreds of Washington insiders gathered last night in the Kennedy Center Opera House for an advance screening of Ken Burns’s new documentary on Vietnam."

Consider creative savvy, -- immense breath and depth of Burns, profound wisdom displayed just before the viewing:

"Before he showed half a dozen choice clips from his 10-part, 18-hour film, which premieres Sunday, the director asked everyone who served in the military during the war to stand so they could be recognized.  John McCain and John Kerry were among those who rose, along with other famous veterans like Bob Kerrey and Mike Mullen.  Burns then asked anyone who protested Vietnam to also stand. Dozens did.  “I couldn’t tell the difference,” the director said, referring to the two groups.  The veterans, including McCain, joined the audience in applauding the antiwar demonstrators."

Stunning, isn't it?  Especially, in light of the following:

"That moment set a tone of reconciliation and harmony for a discussion about one of the darkest and most divisive chapters in American history."

Indeed, it was, -- up to that point in our history.  Doesn't hold a candle, however, to what is now occurring as our formerly great country continues to nazify.

Sen. McCain again stood tall, remains a class act:

"-- Forty-two years after the fall of Saigon, McCain believes “it is the right time to take notes.” “There has to be a period of time after a conflict where the passion cools,” he said during a panel that followed the screening. “Maybe we can look back at the Vietnam conflict and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes that we did before.”

Too late, sadly, already done so.  Gulf 1, Gulf 2, Afghanistan.

"The 81-year-old, who is undergoing chemotherapy as he battles an aggressive form of brain cancer, said that watching “the magnificent work” reminded him of just how young so many of the Americans were who died. With sorrow in his voice, he talked about “the 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids who had no idea what they were getting into.”

Died fighting to line the pockets of corporate war profiteers.

“Their leaders didn’t lead, whether they were military or civilian,” said the Arizona Republican, who spent 5½ years as a prisoner of war after getting shot down on a bombing mission over Hanoi in 1967. “By telling the American people one thing, which was not true, about the progress in the war and the body counts, it caused a wave of pessimism to go across this country, which bolstered the antiwar movement. We can learn lessons today because the world is in such turmoil: Tell the American people the truth!”

Truth continues to remain a moving target.  Especially, now, during the Trump regime.  Lies told during the Vietnam debacle, however, were and are, no explanation or excuse for our failure to win that war, a war that was not winnable.

Exceptionally poignant:

"McCain said he visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as often as he can to take in the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who died. “Depends on the weather,” he said. “Sometimes once a week. Sometimes once every couple of weeks. I try to go very early in the morning or when it’s near sunset. … It’s really an incredibly emotional experience. … These young men died because of inadequate or corrupt leadership.”

While the above indeed has great truth to it, certainly contributed to the debacle, the war was not winnable.  We had no business there.  The French got their asses kicked long before we did.  We learned nothing from their experience.  Just like we don't seem to understand Afghanistan is unwinnable for exactly the same reason.  Why no one for centuries defeated the Afghans.

“We need to be able to have leaders who will lead and who will be able to give (the troops) a path to victory so that we will not sacrifice them ever again in a lost cause,” McCain said."

The cause was lost due to infinite determination of the enemy.  Their country, their turf, their willingness to fight a guerilla war for however long it took, no matter the cost.  As will happen in this country if the de facto fascist police-state we already live in transforms into the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  This government will lose here for precisely the same reason it lost in Vietnam.  Think not? Wake up.

While there are indeed some who believe the government would win due to overwhelming military superiority and weapons systems, it would be a colossal mistake to underestimate the determination of a well-armed citizenry who would never ever accept the imposition of nazism in this country.  The unwanted war would be extremely bloody, costly, long-term, and employ guerilla tactics to level the playing field.

9-22-17

In follow up to the last edition, two Equifax officials 'retired,' apparently bailed courtesy of a golden parachute financed by egregiously f--ked consumers.  CBS News reports:

"Equifax (EFX) says its chief information officer and chief security officer are leaving the company, following the enormous breach of 143 million Americans' personal information.  The credit data company said Friday that Susan Mauldin, who had been the top security officer, and David Webb, the chief technology officer, are retiring from Equifax immediately. Mauldin, a college music major, had come under media scrutiny for her qualifications in security. Equifax did not say in its statement what retirement packages the executives would receive."

What they desperately need is immediate vigorous criminal investigation, then prosecution as warranted.

NPR reports:

"After the revelation that a cybersecurity breach at the international credit reporting agency Equifax exposed personal information of 143 million people, the company has confirmed an additional security incident with a payroll-related service in the months prior. It says the two are unrelated."

9-22-17

Ruse continues.  Unabated.  CBS News reports:

"President Donald Trump's inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $107 million for a ceremony that officials promised would be "workmanlike," and the committee pledged to give leftover funds to charity. Nearly eight months later, the group has helped pay for redecorating at the White House and the vice president's residence in Washington.  But nothing has yet gone to charity."

Couldn't be, could it?  'Let 'em eat cake,' right, Donny Boy?

"What is left from the massive fundraising is a mystery, clouded by messy and, at times, budget-busting management of a private fund that requires little public disclosure. The Associated Press spoke with eight people — vendors, donors and Trump associates — involved in planning and political fundraising for the celebration, an event that provides an early look at the new president's management style and priorities. The people described a chaotic process marked by last-minute decisions, staffing turnover and little financial oversight."

The Trump Way.  Forget?

9-22-17

Ruse continues vis a vis voter fraud.  The Washington Post reports:

"As President Trump’s voter fraud commission prepared to convene in New Hampshire this week, it already faced questions about its seriousness of purpose and whether it was a hopelessly biased endeavor.  Then things got worse."

Did they ever.  LOL.

"An email surfaced in which the Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, one of the commission’s most conservative members, lamented that Trump was appointing Democrats and “mainstream” Republicans to the bipartisan panel."

Can't have that, can we?  After all, how could the fix be in?  LOL.

"Its vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), drew rebukes from voting rights advocates — and a couple of fellow commissioners — for an article he wrote for the hard-right Breitbart News website. The article asserted, without proof, that voter fraud had likely changed the result in New Hampshire’s most recent U.S. Senate race."

Forget?  Truth is irrelevant to a nazi.

"A third Republican on the panel, J. Christian Adams of Virginia, later feuded on Twitter with a journalist, questioning whether she had lied about her academic credentials. She had not."

One thing for damned sure.  Republican nazis remain remarkably adept at lying.  Not that Democrats are any better.  They're all goddamned liars.  How do you know they're lying?  Their lips move.

"The fresh controversies angered some Democratic commissioners already feeling heat from their party for taking part in Trump’s commission, which critics say is really aimed at making it more difficult to vote. Even some Republicans following the commission and sympathetic to its mission said it may now face an even tougher job of selling any recommendations it crafts."

9-22-17

Some sanity.  Not much, some.  CBS News reports:

"New guidance released Friday by the Pentagon makes it clear that any transgender troops currently in the military can re-enlist in the next several months, even as the department debates how broadly to enforce a ban on their service ordered by President Donald Trump.  In a memo to top military leaders, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said a high-level panel will determine how to implement Mr. Trump's ban on transgender individuals in the military. Mr. Trump directed the military to indefinitely extend the ban on transgender individuals enlisting in the service, but he left it up to Mattis to decide if those currently serving should be allowed to stay."

All this is outrageously anti-LGBTQ.  An appalling affront to the community that's served its country with distinction.

"Members of Congress have already sent a letter to Mr. Trump calling on him to reconsider the ban.  Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Friday he backed legislation that would bar the Trump administration from forcing transgender troops out of the armed forces.  McCain of Arizona said in a statement that any service member, including those who are transgender, who meets the standards for military readiness and medical fitness should be permitted to serve."

No question.

"When less than 1 percent of Americans are volunteering to join the military, we should welcome all those who are willing and able to serve our country," McCain said."

Indeed.

"The bill is an attempt to establish protections for transgender troops in law, cutting off Mr. Trump's efforts to kick service members out based on their gender identity."

Time both major political parties put aside partisanship, do the right thing.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk?  Get what you truly deserve.

9-22-17

Republicans in the Senate continue to take a raucous hard dump on the LGBTQ community.  NBC News reports:

"In a hearing that lasted only a few minutes, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced the nomination of Stephen S. Schwartz to the Senate floor for confirmation. Schwartz, nominated to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, is one of several of Trump’s judicial picks to garner harsh criticism from LGBTQ advocates."

For damned good reason.

"In fact, 28 LGBTQ organizations — including Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign and National Center for Transgender Equality — sent a letter to the Committee opposing his nomination and citing what they consider to be his lack of qualifications and a “niche” legal practice of defending anti-transgender policies."

Clearly, what nazis in the Republican Party not only demand, but crave in the judiciary.  To force their outrageously perverse ideological and religious views on all.  Direct violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause, church-state separation, that is, freedom from religion.

“The combination of Mr. Schwartz’s approach to important legal issues affecting the LGBT community, his history of seeking out opportunities to oppose the civil rights of LGBT and other marginalized people, and his relative inexperience in areas of the law within the jurisdiction of the Court of Federal Claims, render him unqualified for this position,” the letter states."

If civil and constitutional rights and liberties are denied to any segment of the population, the rights of the rest of us remain in jeopardy.  Question to be asked, who's next?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk?  Get what you truly deserve.

9-22-17

Republican nazis remain achingly disingenuous, duplicitous, hopelessly dishonest.  Like all politicians, both parties.  ABC News reports:

"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could have fined Wells Fargo in excess of $10 billion for its illegal sales practices but instead settled for $100 million, according to the agency's internal documents released by Congressional Republicans this week."

Think these GOP nazis disclosed this as a public service?  Truly wish to rein in their achingly corrupt, abusive, criminal corporate masters?  Think again.  Not a f--king chance.  Snowball's chance in Hell.  In fact, quite the opposite.  These clueless bastards wish to loosen regulations designed to protect consumers.

"The CFPB also had evidence that the bank's sales problems went back to at least 2006 — far earlier than the 2011 to 2016 timetable that Wells Fargo originally admitted to, the documents show.  "The bank knew since at least 2006 that its employees were gaming its incentive compensation program, yet failed to take actions sufficient to stop it," CFPB employees wrote in a 2016 confidential memo."

No question, that's true.  Readers will recall the ongoing effort of this publication to expose Well Fargo for the criminals they are, continue to be.  Since 2013.  The fact, as well, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau refused to investigate the criminal activities of the Kingsland Wells Fargo Branch reported to them by this writer.

So, while Republican nazis in Congress wish to put the CFPB out of the regulation business to aid and abet the banks, quite obvious this worthless agency was, and is, in bed with the banks it's chartered to regulate.  Achingly ironic, isn't it?  Clearly, Republicans ultimately want absolutely no regulation of their corporate masters.  None at all.  Certainly, absolutely no meaningful, effective regulation.

Here's the bottom line for GOP partisans:

"The documents were released as part of a politically-charged report by the staff of House Financial Services Committee Chairman, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, a critic of the CFPB who along with other House Republicans has called for the firing of its director, Richard Cordray, an appointee of President Barack Obama, as well as new laws to curtail the bureau's authority over the financial services industry."

You've been bamboozled by Trump and his fellow nazis in the Republican Party.  Not that the Democrats have done anything since the assassination of JFK.  -- Other than talk.  ... Line their pockets and those of their corporate masters.  Only difference?  Democrats don't take the f--king imposed on their constituents quite as far as do Republicans.  Aren't we 'lucky?'

9-15-17

The sixteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack brings back sad, heartrendingly poignant memories of the catastrophe.  Worse, gallingly, remains a haunting reminder of all civil and constitutional rights and liberties forfeited, lost, intentionally, determinedly, concertedly abrogated by the gutless, sniveling bastards of both major political parties.

Readers are reminded the Bush "The Tush" and "Slick Dick" Cheney Administration egregiously failed to do full background checks on the 9/11 hijackers.  Worse, failed to heed warnings by the flight schools the terrorist bastards wished only to learn how to fly straight and level, not take off and land.  Not one head rolled.  Not one.  No one held accountable for this egregious failure to act.

Instead, both Democrats and Republicans chose to abrogate all civil and constitutional rights and liberties in a phony effort to 'protect' the American public.  Homeland 'Security' Act, USA 'Patriot' Act, 'Real' ID Act, etc..  Sadly, the list can go on and on.  The terrorists won that day.  The American public lost constitutional protections and guaranties wisely intended by the Founders.  All falsely, in the name of 'security.'

As Franklin shrewdly opined well over 200 years ago, anyone willing to trade liberty for security deserves and winds up with neither.  Precisely, what happened after 9/11 at the hands of the traitorous bastards in Congress.  Both parties.  Now, egregiously exacerbated by election and inauguration of an unfit, unqualified, national socialist narcissist to the highest office of the land, the Presidency, now occupied by the Trump nazi.

As this clueless, insane, fascist bastard continues to reek havoc, our formerly great country continues to deteriorate, transform from the de facto fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  This man and his henchmen present an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

Again, as repeatedly stated in this publication ad nauseum, no foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to our way of life, life itself, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all levels and branches of government including their criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.  The revolution doomsday clock indeed strikes ever closer to midnight, -- as our formerly great country continues to nazify.  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

While there are indeed some who believe the government would win due to overwhelming military superiority and weapons systems, it would be a colossal mistake to underestimate the determination of a well-armed citizenry who would never accept the imposition of nazism in this country.  The unwanted war would be extremely bloody, costly, long-term, and employ guerilla tactics to level the playing field.

Precisely, why this ongoing issue must be resolved before too late.  Well before the point of no return.  Few countries make it two hundred years before a revolution.  Ours came dangerously close during the Vietnam debacle fifty years ago.  Our country remains far more divided today.  Precisely, why the status quo remains unsustainable.  There must be change.  The alternative?  Unwanted.  Dreaded.

NBC News reports:

"President Donald Trump observed the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks Monday, his first presidential remembrance of the attack that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.  The president, joined by the First Lady, called the occasion "extraordinary."  "Our values will endure. Our people will thrive," Trump said, speaking at the Pentagon paying tribute to those who perished there on 9/11. "Our nation will prevail and the memory of our loved ones will never, ever die."

The problem remains, "our values" clearly have not.  Been perverted, lost to systemic cowardice, rise of the Nazi Right.

"The terrorists who attacked us thought they could incite fear and weaken our spirit but America cannot be intimidated," Trump said. "And those who try will soon join the long list of vanquished enemies who dared to test our mettle."

False bravado.  Achingly, empty rhetoric.  Forget?  The cowardly leadership of our formerly great country deliberately succumbed to the 9/11 terrorists by abrogating all civil and constitutional rights and liberties in response to the catastrophe.  Both parties.  USA 'Patriot' Act, Homeland 'Security' Act, 'Real' ID Act, etc..  List can go on and on.

Sadly, these traitorous gutless bastards in government to this day fail to acknowledge their abject cowardice, the fact they deliberately caved in to the enemy vis a vis this determined evisceration of constitutional principles heretofore held inviolable.  No longer in a de facto fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

Again and ad nauseum, as Franklin wisely opined well over two hundred years ago, anyone willing to trade liberty for security deserves and winds up with neither.  Current unsustainable status quo remains proof positive.  Founders?  Spinning in their graves.  Adolf and Benito?  Wildly cheering on their fiery perches.  Doomsday clock striking ever closer to midnight. Hear the rumble?  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

The following remains symptomatic of what has gone so terribly wrong in our formerly great country.  NPR StoryCorps reports:

"Salman Hamdani was a 23-year-old Muslim-American on Sept. 11, 2001. He was an emergency medical technician and police cadet, and that morning as terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City, he rushed to the scene to help."

Heroically. Uncommon valor.

"Talat Hamdani says her son Salman, pictured here in 1983, was so proud to be an American. Salman died responding to the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City.  Like thousands of others, Salman never came home that night.  "We went searching for him in different hospitals and his name was not there," says his mother, Talat Hamdani."

Here's what's so terribly un-American, -- gallingly, outrageously, bigoted nazi in nature vis a vis the untimely loss of this truly selfless hero:

"In the weeks after Sept. 11, Salman was wrongfully linked as an accomplice to the attacks.  "I remember there was a flyer circulating about Salman," Talat recalls. "It said 'Wanted by Terrorist Task Force.' Reporters printed his picture and published an article that said 'Missing or Hiding?'"

Think this heroic patriot deserved this?  Because of the color of his skin?  His name?

"Talat says her son was proud to be an American all his life."

Died for his country.

"She also says her son was caring from a young age.  "He was just a different soul," Talat says. "I remember there was this sparrow and its wing was damaged or something, so we tried to nurse it. Then he went to school and when he came back he asked me 'What happened to the bird?' I said, 'The bird died. I threw it in the trash bin.' "Talat says her son was upset by this, so he went to the backyard and buried the bird.   "That was him — helpful, loving," she says. "He probably saw the towers burning and then ran to help that day."  Salman's remains were found near the North Tower.  "They gave us a bag, with his jeans and his belt," Talat says. "They said his body parts were in 34 pieces."  A couple weeks after Salman's remains were found, he finally had a hero's burial in April 2002. His casket was draped in an American flag and hundreds of people attended his funeral, including the city commissioner and then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  "There's a vacuum in life when you lose a child," Talat says. "It's a sense of incompleteness and you always feel it. He gave me the joys of motherhood and the pains of motherhood."

Time to wake up.

9-15-17

In follow up to the last edition, ABC News reports:

"Prosecutors have asked the FBI to join an investigation into the rough arrest of a Utah nurse after video of her being dragged screaming from a hospital drew widespread condemnation, authorities said Thursday.  Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill is overseeing a criminal investigation into officers involved in the handcuffing of nurse Alex Wubbels. He is asking for FBI help in part because his office can't prosecute possible civil rights violations like wrongful arrest, Gill said."

Why weren't the officer and his supervisor fired, arrested, charged?  Had it been a civilian, his or her sorry ass wouldn't have been coddled and protected.

"This is a very important issue, and it's of great concern in our community," he said. A federal probe could also look for any larger systematic problems that contributed to the arrest, Gill said."

Hopefully, it will not be simply a whitewash, colossal waste of time.  Forget?  We already live in a goddamned fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  No question, Trump's sidekick in the 'Justice' Department, the Sessions nazi, ludicrously, insanely believes police do no wrong.

"The FBI opened its own civil rights review after the video surfaced last week and has agreed to assist the county investigation, FBI spokeswoman Sandra Yi Barker said."

Symbolism over substance?  No more than a ruse?

"Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Payne insisted on drawing the blood, maintaining in his report that he wanted the sample to protect the man rather than prosecute him. He was supported by his supervisor, Lt. James Tracy, who said the nurse could be arrested if she didn't agree."

Apparently, a second officer was involved in the incident who still has not been identified.  Why not?

"Payne, who has worked for the department for over 20 years, was put on paid leave by Salt Lake City police after the video emerged. A second officer also put on leave has not been identified, but police have said Tracy's actions are also under review."

In update to the above, police are indeed changing their story.  Get this.  NBC News reports:

"A Utah police officer whose rough arrest of a hospital nurse has drawn condemnation put the woman in handcuffs even after investigators told him not to worry about getting a blood sample he was seeking from a patient, the chief whose department asked for it said Friday."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Why did it take this long to amend the record?  Appears the department is attempting damage control at the expense of justice.

"Officers initially wanted the sample as a routine part of a car crash investigation, said Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen. But after Salt Lake City Police detective Jeff Payne was told he'd need a warrant or formal consent to get it, colleagues told him that they would pursue another strategy.  "He simply said, 'Don't worry about it. We'll go another way,'" Jensen said."

Is that right?  Why wasn't this immediately disclosed to the public?

"Payne nevertheless insisted. When nurse Alex Wubbels held her ground based on the University of Utah hospital's policy, Payne dragged her screaming from the hospital in handcuffs. Salt Lake City police apologized and put Payne on paid leave after dramatic video of the July 26 arrest surfaced.  Police spokeswoman Christina Judd said an internal review will look at the directions Payne received and how he responded."

Think these bastards aren't 'winging' it as they go?  Desperate to explain the inexplicable?  Worse and inexcusable?  Get this:

"Payne was supported by his supervisor, Lt. James Tracy, who is shown on the body-camera video continuing to insist that police have the right to get the blood after Wubbels was handcuffed in a police car.  Tracy's lawyer told the Deseret News that he's been the target of multiple online threats and had to shut down his social media pages since the video was released. Attorney Ed Brass said Tracy has served Salt Lake City for nearly 30 years, and judgment should be withheld until a full investigation is complete. Tracy has also been placed on paid leave."

While this bastard's judgment remains highly in question, any threats to this man online or elsewhere are inexcusable, criminal.  Counterproductive.  Police need to quickly get to the bottom of what happened in that emergency room, why it happened, take appropriate action to ensure it never happens again.  Prosecute the officer for criminal assault of the nurse as well as false arrest.

9-15-17

Think we don't live in a goddamned fascist police-state?  Wake up.  The Washington Times reports:

"The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday challenging the government’s policy permitting searching cellphones of travelers entering the U.S., calling it a violation of privacy rights."

No probable cause.  No warrant.

"The ACLU filed on behalf of 11 people who had their electronic devices searched without probable cause. In four cases, the government kept the plaintiffs’ cellphones for weeks or even months, the lawsuit says."

No probable cause.  No warrant.  A goddamned fascist police-state.

"The lawsuit comes at a time when Homeland Security is stepping up border searches, but has struggled to explain exactly what officers are looking for. Only a tiny fraction of travelers — less than a hundredth of one percent — actually face a search, but the numbers have been growing, reaching a rate of 82 searches a day as of earlier this year — more than three times the rate in 2015."

These goddamned criminal jackbooted bastards are on an egregiously unconstitutional fishing trip.

"Customs and Border Protection officials say they’re trying to “enforce the nation’s laws in this digital age,” and say they’ve found information on potential terrorist plots, child pornography, visa fraud and violations of export laws."

No probable cause.  No warrant.  No more than goddamned jackbooted liars.

"But CBP has been unable to say how many terrorist plots have been disrupted by the searches."

Because they're liars. Have absolutely no regard for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Remain in the mold of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini.

"The ACLU, in the new lawsuit, said the searches mark a major breach of faith with privacy protections."

Egregious violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments at the very least.

“The volume and detail of personal data contained on these devices provides a comprehensive picture of travelers’ private lives, making mobile electronic devices unlike luggage or other items that travelers bring across the border,” the lawsuit said."

Doesn't matter to jackbooted nazi government.

"CBP and another immigration agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — both part of Homeland Security — have policies allowing border searches of electronic devices without first needing to obtain a warrant or demonstrate probable cause."

Outrageously unconstitutional breech by Congress that supposedly allows this bullshit by statute.

"In most cases the search is instantaneous, but sometimes officers will hold the device — which can be a smart phone, laptop, tablet or other electronic storage medium — to do a more thorough check."

No probable cause.  No warrant.  Nazi America.  A fascist police-state soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  As repeatedly stated in this publication, no foreign power, 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 and branches, -- and its criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

9-15-17

Then again, calamity can also bring out the worst.  Gouging.  We certainly saw it vis a vis Hurricane Harvey with an increase in the price of gas in excess of a half dollar a gallon in some locations.  Despite laws against gouging in the midst of a catastrophe, the Abbott and Paxton nazis don't seem eager to hold the feet of the oil industry to the proverbial fire.

Consequently, consumers are being royally f--ked over by these hopelessly greedy bastards in the corporate management suite.  The same bullshit appears to be happening in Florida vis a vis the airlines and people desperately trying to escape Hurricane Irma.  NBC News reports:

"Some airlines sent empty planes to Florida and the Caribbean to bring passengers home ahead of the hurricane, while others issued change waivers and capped ticket prices.  After spiking demand for domestic flights out of Miami drove prices as high as $3,000 on some websites, the airlines faced a flurry of online criticism and moved to address the issue."

This is the price to be paid by consumers when corporations fail to be properly regulated, controlled to prevent this bullshit.  Called laissez-faire capitalism where anything goes as long as it lines corporate coffers.

"A tweet from an Arizona public relations professional who spotted a soaring ticket price on Expedia racked up tens of thousands of retweets and likes.

    "Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute responsibly? #IrmaHurricane pic.twitter.com/O2nfPHQUAh
    — Leigh (@LeighDow) September 5, 2017

"The woman later tweeted that Delta had reached out to her and resolved the issue — but she wasn't the only one spotting eye-popping fares.

    "Hey @united this is price gouging. There was word you were going to add flights to help people get out of Miami, but this is ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/0qtEDKtEYb
    — Cindi Avila (@ChefCindi) September 6, 2017

    "I'm trying to get my mom out of Miami, hoping to avoid #HurricaneIrma @AmericanAir thanks for price gouging. Despicable. pic.twitter.com/Gw5zuMsFIo
    — Liza Lago (@LizaALago) September 5, 2017"

None of this matters to these hopelessly greedy assholes until the bad publicity causes the shit to hit the fan.  Can you imagine the nerve of these bastards raising the price of a ticket as much as approximately ten times what it normally is just prior to the arrival of a deadly hurricane?

9-15-17

The following ongoing debacle indeed has its roots in the egregious failure of law enforcement to properly do its job.  NPR reports:

"The Department of Education will change its approach to campus sexual misconduct and begin a public notice and comment process to issue new regulations, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced today. In a speech at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, DeVos decried "a system run amok," "kangaroo courts" and repeatedly emphasized the plight of the accused. "One rape is one too many ... one person denied due process is one too many," she said. Outside, protesters yelled, "Stop protecting rapists!"

If law enforcement properly investigated and treated sexual assault victims compassionately, none of the above would be an issue.  Instead, officers across this country have a history of not believing sexual assault victims, questioning their credibility, not following through with analysis of rape kits, etc..

"Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972, prohibits sex discrimination in education. It has been best known for driving the expansion of girls' and women's sports.  The Office of Civil Rights, or OCR, under President Obama took the position that Title IX protects girls and women from the threat of sexual assault, harassment or a hostile environment while pursuing their educations.  In letters and official guidance, OCR told colleges and K-12 schools to investigate complaints more aggressively. Some of the consequences have been controversial across the political spectrum.  They were told to adopt a "preponderance of the evidence" standard, a lower burden of proof than is typically required in a court of law.  And, OCR stepped up its own investigations of campuses over Title IX complaints. If colleges didn't comply, they stood to lose access to federal student aid, which almost no school can afford to do."

Apparently, Obama imposed this since law enforcement was failing to properly do its job.  Sexual assault investigation and prosecution should remain the province of law enforcement, prosecutors, and the judiciary.  Not the schools.  Precisely, for the reasons cited in the above quote.

While DeVos indeed has a point, she's egregiously, gutlessly failed to stand up.  Place blame where it truly belongs.  On police, prosecutors, and the courts.  Won't do so likely due to the fact she's a member of an administration that is desperately trying to transform the goddamned fascist police-state we already live in to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

Here is the take of The Washington Times:

"Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Thursday an initiative to overhaul the Obama administration’s campus sexual-assault guidelines, accusing the “shameful” system of failing both the accused and accuser by creating what have been decried as “kangaroo courts.”

Sadly, there is great truth to that.  Also, to the fact sexual assault victims are being denied justice.  A double-edged sword.

"She said she would issue a public notice aimed at reforming the regulatory framework created by the department’s Office for Civil Rights in its 2011 Title IX guidance, which compelled universities to take a harder line on campus sexual assault or face a federal civil rights investigation."

At the same time, she concertedly ignores the failure of law enforcement, prosecutors, and the courts to do their job.

“This unraveling of justice is shameful, it is wholly un-American, and it is anathema to the system of self-governance to which our Founders pledged their lives over 240 years ago,” Ms. DeVos said in a speech at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. “There must be a better way forward.”

There is.  Hold the feet of law enforcement proverbially to the fire.  Hold the failed justice system accountable for that failure.  Instead of gutlessly ignoring that failure.  Nor courageously, publicly criticizing the Trump nazi, and his sidekick, the AG Sessions nazi for that failure.

"She said the Obama administration “weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students,” producing a system in which “unelected and unaccountable political appointees” have ruled from their desks by sending letters to universities.  “The era of ‘rule by letter’ is over,” she said. “Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach.”

That's no more than hyperbolic, egregiously partisan bullshit promulgated by a shamelessly national socialist Education Secretary who remains achingly, determinedly clueless.

The Washington Post reports:

"DeVos spoke to about 100 invited guests at George Mason University, where protesters had gathered outside, worried that she would announce changes to the way sexual violence cases are handled on campuses across the country.  “One rape is one too many,” DeVos said firmly, and “not one more survivor will be silenced. We will not abandon anyone.” As a mother, she said she has sympathy for parents whose children are victims of sexual misconduct. “I cannot imagine receiving that call.”

DeVos has no credibility.  None.  If truly concerned with sexual assault, she would have held the failed system of justice accountable.  Failed to do so for achingly partisan reasons.  Precisely, why she has no credibility.

"Outside, protesters shouted, “Stop supporting rapists!” and “Shame on you! Not on us!”  Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center  called the speech “a blunt attack on survivors of sexual assault. . . .  It sends a frightening message to all students: your government does not have your back if your rights are violated.”

There's great truth to that, but not for the reasons implied, that is, abrogation of Obama's Title 9 interpretation by the Trump nazi and his henchmen.  Rather, directly due to the ongoing failure of the system of justice in our formerly great country, now exacerbated by the Trump nazi and his AG sidekick, the Sessions nazi.

The following is particularly outrageous.  Especially, coming from an attorney who should indeed know better.  Worse, egregiously counterproductive.  The Washington Times reports:

"A lawyer in Texas who disagrees with the Trump administration’s plan to reform how accusations of of sexual assault are adjudicated on campus said he would “be ok” if Education Secretary Betsy DeVos were sexually assaulted."

Sadly, this lawyer's head figuratively remains securely lodged up his ass.

"Rob Ranco, a partner at the Carlson Law Firm, suggested Mrs. DeVos does not fully grasp how serious of a crime rape is, and that she might come to a different policy conclusion if she did."

DeVos has a severe problem with aching, determined ignorance.  To say nothing of deaf, dumb, and blind partisanship.  Mr. Ranco, yours is severe lack of judgment.

“I’m not wishing for it… but I’d be ok if #BetsyDevos was sexually assaulted,” Mr. Ranco said in a tweet on Friday evening."

As an officer of the court, having sworn to uphold the law and Constitution, how can you possibly make such a statement?

“Perhaps Betsy doesn’t understand how horrible rape is,” Mr. Ranco said in another tweet. “She’s made the world more dangerous for my daughters. I need her to understand.”

That's disingenuous, condescending, patronizing bullshit, worse, misses the point.  The failure of the system of justice is the issue here.  An issue, as an attorney, you're certainly painfully aware of.

“Make the world more dangerous for my daughters — intentionally — and your well being is not my concern,” he continued. “Full stop.”

You've disgraced yourself, sir.  Demonstrated profound ignorance, aggressive stupidity.  Worse?  Haven't a clue.

In follow up, KVUE.com reports:

"KVUE's Jenni Lee has confirmed that Robert Ranco resigned after his tweet from Friday about Betsy DeVos received significant backlash.

Carlson Law Firm released the following statement to KVUE after Ranco's resignation:

For those of you who are wondering why this took so long, let me start by saying that this firm is a family and believe it's up to me to show the same loyalty that I ask of my people. I wasn't going to make a rash decision about a member of this family just to appease people on social media.

That said, I considered the health of everyone in our organization, promised my partners and my employees that we would act according to the values of our firm, and sat down to speak with Mr. Ranco.

In the end, we came to the same two conclusions:

With over 150 employees - 75% or whom are women - anyone in our company advocating or even expressing apathy towards sexual assault is affront to all victims and a line that simply cannot be uncrossed.

This has been an enormous distraction that has taken us away from the mission of our firm, which is to care for and help people.  Understanding and accepting this, Rob is taking full responsibility and choosing to resign.

As a man of faith, believer in forgiveness, and longtime friend, it is my sincere hope that Rob with learn from this experience and go on to have a very successful career."

9-15-17

The Trump nazi continues to get his sorry ass figuratively kicked in court.  Doesn't your heart bleed for the achingly clueless bastard?  NPR reports:

"A federal appeals court ruled Thursday evening that the Trump administration can't ban grandparents and other family members of citizens and legal residents from coming to the U.S. from six mainly Muslim countries.  The Justice Department downplayed the ruling, looking ahead to a higher-ranking court considering the case: "The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the Executive Branch's duty to protect the Nation."

This nation is not at risk from properly vetted foreign visitors.  The greatest risk to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties is not from any foreign power, terrorist organization, not even the criminal element.  It is, and remains, all levels and branches of this government and its criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who enforce its will.

9-15-17

The Trump nazi continues to talk out both sides his ass regarding the DACA fiasco.  CBS News reports:

"President Trump on Thursday appeared to reassure beneficiaries of the Deferred Action in Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that they shouldn't worry about their future.  Mr. Trump tweeted that DACA recipients have "nothing to worry about" despite the fact that his administration is phasing out the program and a series of talking points advised them to self-deport.

    "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!
    — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017"

This achingly inept, delusional nazi has absolutely no credibility.

"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, told her colleagues at a whip meeting Thursday that she spoke to Mr. Trump in the morning on the phone and "asked him to tweet this to make clear DREAMers won't be subject to deportation" in the six-month window, a Democratic aide said."

Incredible.  Especially, in light of the following:

"A set of White House talking points that circulated around Washington Tuesday about DACA said that current recipients should be prepared to self-deport. The document, shared with CBS News, said that "The Department of Homeland Security urges DACA recipients to use the time remaining on their work authorizations to prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States -- including proactively seeking travel documentation -- or apply for other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible."

In follow up to the last edition and continuing GOP cluelessness regarding DACA, carefully consider the following.  CBS News reports:

"Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas applauded the Trump administration's move toward ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but warned if Congress were to award legal status to young immigrants, it would have "negative consequences."  "If we're going to give legal status to these young people in their 20's and 30's, who are here through no fault of their own, we have to recognize that's going to have negative consequences," Cotton said on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday."

Is that right?  What negative consequences?  Enlighten us almighty nazi:

"Cotton said that if Congress crafts new legislation that would allow for the so-called "Dreamers" to be granted legal status, it would "open up a whole new category of people who could get legal status, namely their parents who violated the law by bringing them here, and it's going to encourage other people to bring their children here across the border in the future, which is a very dangerous thing to do."

Does this asshole similarly believe our forebears who arrived in this continent centuries ago, then stole this land from Native Americans, should have similarly been so advised?

"You can't dispute just as a logical matter if we give legal status that it's going to encourage more immigration," Cotton, who added, "we should have an open, common sense discussion about that."

Jesus Christ, Senator.  Remove your head from your ass, fool.  Clearly, 'can fix ignorant, can't fix stupid.'  -- How does one effectively confront nazism in an achingly narrow minded myopic jackass who has no ability to see beyond the tip of his nose?

Gets worse.  Far worse.  CNN reports:

"Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King, an immigration hardliner, said Wednesday that Congress does not have to do anything to protect young immigrants who came to the country illegally as children. Instead, King said they can "live in the shadows."  "They continue to live the objective that they sought to achieve when they illegally entered America," King told reporters. "Live in the shadows."

This goddamned jackass is ferociously reminded the median age of these kids when they were brought into this country by their parents is reportedly six.  Equally pointedly, ferociously, is this this goddamned asshole's definition of Christian charity?

"King's comments came after the Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would end the Obama-era program known as DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, in six months. The delayed deadline is meant to give Congress time to find a legislative solution to protect DACA recipients from deportation, but some, like King, say that the group shouldn't expect Congress to act.  In an interview with CNN, King said that forcing young immigrants to live in the shadows was "justice."

Justice?  This goddamned Republican nazi wouldn't know justice if it figuratively bit him hard on his appallingly clueless ass.

"Live in the shadows and if you get crossways with the law, then the law requires they be placed in criminal proceedings and go home. I think there's justice there, but we need to provide justice," King said."

How about justice for our long-since departed forebears who arrived in this continent centuries ago, then stole this land from Native Americans?  Where's the goddamned justice for the original inhabitants of this country who continue to be f--ked over by clueless nazi assholes like you, Senator?  Mr. King, you remain unfit to be a United States Senator.  A disgrace.

The Washington Post reports:

"Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump's former chief strategist, lashed out at leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States who condemned the president's recent decision to phase out an Obama-era program that has allowed nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children to gain temporary legal status.  Bannon, who is Catholic, accused the church of wanting a steady flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country to fill its church pews and make money.  “Unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the Church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches,” Bannon said in an interview with Charlie Rose that will air on "60 Minutes” on CBS on Sunday. “It's obvious on the face of it.”

To whom, Mr. Bannon?  ... A nazi in the mold of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini?

"Bannon added: “They have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.”

What planet do you live on, Mr. Bannon?  You're talking out your psychotic, national socialist, achingly nazi ass, sir.  Remain a congenital liar with no proof of what you falsely claim.  Ferociously pointedly, think the Catholic Church would go broke even if it lost every American Catholic?

Fox News reports:

"Former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon says he is opposed to President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and ask Congress to come up with a solution."

Unlike Bannon, Trump understands he and his fellow Republicans will not be returned to office if there is no legislative solution.

Unsurprisingly, Catholic bishops did not take this shit from the Bannon nazi lying down.  CNN reports:

"Bannon's comments larded insult on top of injury, Catholic leaders said. On Tuesday, Trump announced the end of a program known as DACA that had protected from deportation nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Many Catholic bishops strongly opposed the move, calling it "heartless" and "reprehensible"  Their reaction to Bannon's comments was just as unequivocal."

The only way to effectively fight nazism is to quickly confront it rhetorically.

"Catholic bishops, and particularly their American umbrella group, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, like to position themselves above the partisan fray, rarely responding to political jabs. But in this case, they quickly counter-punched."

They had no choice.  The Church remembers quite well its failure to adequately challenge Hitler and Mussolini.

"James Rogers, the USCCB's chief spokesman, called Bannon's comments "preposterous" and accused the conservative agitator of presenting a false choice between compassion and security."

No question, that's true.  A national socialist cannot comprehend this.

"Our pro-immigration stance is based on fidelity to God's word and honors the American dream. For anyone to suggest that it is out of sordid motives of statistics or financial gain is outrageous and insulting."

All these nazi f--kers in the Trump regime remain determinedly detached from reality.

"In an interview on Sirius Radio, Dolan responded in kind. "I don't really care to go into what I think is a preposterous and rather insulting statement that the only reason we bishops care for immigrants is for the economic because we want to fill our churches and get more money."

Coup de grace?  Carefully consider the following:

"But in one regard, Bannon is correct, Dolan said. Immigration is not necessarily a matter of Catholic doctrine. In some ways, it's deeper than that. It comes from the Bible and Jesus himself.  "And the Bible is so clear, so clear, that to treat the immigrant with dignity and respect, to make sure that society is just in its treatment of the immigrant is Biblical mandate," Dolan said.  "It's clear in the Old Testament -- my Jewish neighbors remind me of that all the time -- and it's clear from the lips of Jesus when he said, 'Whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do to me. When I was a stranger -- meaning an immigrant or a refugee -- you welcomed me.'"

Indeed.  The Nazi Right can't, won't be confused with the truth.

The Washington Times reports:

"The woman who created the 2012 deportation amnesty for Dreamers filed a lawsuit Friday protesting the Trump administration’s move to phase out the program, saying the decision was done on President Trump’s executive “whim.”  Janet Napolitano, who created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as President Obama’s homeland security secretary, is now the president of the University of California and is leading the school system’s lawsuit demanding the program be reinstated."

Good luck.  Not likely to happen.

"She said her school system stands to lose money and the chance to educate some of its 4,000 illegal immigrant students, as well as perhaps having to let go its illegal immigrant staff.  “We really support our DACA students and part of the reason we’re filing this lawsuit it to help protect their rights,” Ms. Napolitano said.  She created the DACA program by memo in 2012, issuing guidance to immigration agencies to have them create an application process that has allowed hundreds of thousands of young adult illegal immigrants to be granted a stay of deportation, work permits, access to some taxpayer benefits and a deeper place in U.S. society."

Not to be under the Trump nazi and his henchmen.

"Ms. Napolitano also defended her decision not to go through the rule-making process for DACA in 2012, saying she had only intended to set up a case-by-case processing of applications. She said in canceling the entire program categorically, Mr. Trump’s decision is bigger, and so it needed to go through the rules process.  That’s likely to be a tricky sell to judges. The courts that struck down the DAPA program cited the lack of rule-making as one of the reasons DAPA was illegal. And they used DACA’s operations as a model for ruling DAPA illegal."

We'll certainly see.  A far more likely outcome is congressional Republicans come to their senses, pass legislation providing a long-term solution.  ... In enlightened self-interest.  Forget?  Prime directive of all politicians, both parties, is to be returned to office.

The Pope has also had his say.  The Washington Post reports:

"Weighing in on two areas of disagreement with a U.S. president with whom he has already clashed, Pope Francis said Monday that climate science is clearly true and that President Trump should allow young immigrants to stay in the United States if he is truly “pro-life.”  “I have heard it said that the president of the United States presents himself as a man who is pro-life, and if he is a good pro-life [man], then he will understand that the family is the cradle of life and that it must be defended as a unit,” Francis said, in response to a question about Trump’s decision to discontinue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows immigrants brought to the United States as children to live and work or study in the U.S. The pope’s comments were reported by America magazine."

Be interesting to see if Trump responds by Tweet.

CBS News had the following take:

"The Pope voiced his opposition to President Trump's decision to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that offered protections to young immigrants.  According to Reuters news service, Pope Francis, who has criticized President Trump's policies in the past, was asked by journalists aboard the papal plane returning from his overseas trip to Colombia about his reaction to the latest policy shift.   "One hopes that is re-thought somewhat," replied the Pontiff.   Francis also tied DACA to the president's claim that he's "pro-life."

Fascinating, isn't it?

"[President Trump] presents himself as a pro-life man," Francis said. "If he is a good pro-lifer, he should understand that the family is the cradle of life and you must defend its unity."  Francis told reporters that it was important for young people to have roots, referring to the program's previous rulings that deferred deportations for those who arrived to the U.S. before the age of sixteen."

The pressure remains enormous on the Trump nazi.

Sen. McCain also remains critical.  The Washington Times reports:

"Sen. John McCain says it would be “unconscionable” to send Dreamers back to their native countries, urging Congress to pass an amnesty program as a part of comprehensive immigration reform.  “It is not conscionable to tell young people who came here as children that they have to go back to a country that they don’t know,” Mr. McCain said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And, by the way, there’s 900 of these Dreamers that are serving in uniform in the United States military. Now, are we going to go to the young men or women serving in Afghanistan or Iraq today and say, ‘By the way, you’re a Dreamer, get back to fill in the blank.’ We’re not going to do that to these young men and women who are serving in uniform.”

Hopefully, not.  Will be up to you, Senator and your non-nazi Republican colleagues in Congress to rein in the Trump nazi.

"The Arizona Republican said replacing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program ought to be part of broader immigration package that includes reforming work permits and ramping up border security.  “I think it ought to be done in a comprehensive fashion,” Mr. McCain said. A few years ago, we passed through the Senate with a vote of 68 votes, comprehensive immigration reform, that STEM, science, technology and engineering people, guest workers, a number of other provisions that makes it comprehensive, border security, etc. — we need to do that, and make that part of the Dreamers part.”

There is desperate need for bipartisan cooperation to force desperately-needed change.  Status quo, unsustainable.

Sen. McCain also came out swinging in another Washington Times article regarding the North Korean fiasco:

"Sen. John McCain says the United States must “seriously consider” redeploying nuclear weapons in South Korea due to the threat posed by North Korea and its expanding nuclear capabilities.  “By the way, the Korean defense minister just a few days ago called for nuclear weapons to be redeployed,” Mr. McCain said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We had them once in South Korea.”  “Do you think the U.S. should do that?” anchor Jake Tapper asked.  “I think it ought to be seriously considered,” Mr. McCain responded.  He said the U.S. should expand its missile defense capabilities in South Korea and Japan.  In other words, make sure that if Kim Jong Un acts in an aggressive fashion, the price will be extinction.”

Hard to believe, if the dictator continues on the path he's chosen, North Korea won't wind up obliterated.

The Senator continues to courageously confront his health issues.  CNN reports:

"Sen. John McCain acknowledged the severity of his cancer prognosis Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," saying in his first national interview since receiving the diagnosis that it is the latest test in a lifetime of tough fights.  "I'm facing a challenge, but I've faced other challenges," McCain said. "And I'm very confident about getting through this one as well."

The following is exquisitely poignant:

"Although McCain said he hoped to beat the disease and live as long as possible, he seemed to be at peace.  "Every life has to end one way or another," McCain said. Asked how he wanted to be remembered, McCain responded: "He served his country, and not always right -- made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of errors -- but served his country, and I hope we could add, honorably."

9-15-17

ABC News reports:

"A conservative Kansas legislator says he would give money to North Korea before he'd support Kansas Public Radio."

This jackass is no conservative, rather, a clueless Republican national socialist.

"The Lawrence Journal-World reported that Republican Rep. J.R. Claeys of Salina expressed disdain for public radio Wednesday in a tweet responding to a fundraising tweet by KPR Statehouse reporter Stephen Koranda.  Claeys tweeted that he'd sooner give to "DPRK News" because its propaganda is "under duress." DRPK is the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea."

Sounds like a GOP traitor, doesn't it?

"Asked about the tweet, Claeys questioned in a message why anyone would be surprised that a Republican would balk at funding what he called a "democratic radio station."

This determinedly ignorant son of a bitch has clearly not listened to NPR.  NPR remains in the center politically.  As opposed to Fox on the Right, CNN on the Left.  Moreover, NPR broadcasts hours and hours of BBC programming.

As opposed to newscasting in our formerly great country, the BBC asks pointed questions of everyone  it interviews from Left to Right.  Across the entire political spectrum.   Ferociously pointed questions.  Compared to American broadcasters who generally ask fluff.

Epitome of profound ignorance, aching aggressive stupidity, worse, raging insanity?

"As for North Korea, Claeys retweeted a message suggesting that the U.S. has no reason not to launch a nuclear strike on that nation."

9-15-17

Finally, some desperately needed bipartisanship.  NBC News reports:

"President Donald Trump signed a $15 billion disaster relief package into law Friday afternoon, just hours after it passed the House with a broad bipartisan majority.  With the cleanup efforts from Hurricane Harvey running out of money and Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, Congress acted quickly, taking only three days to move the measure through both legislative bodies. But the bill, which includes a deal struck between the president and Democratic leaders to include short-term extensions of overall government funding and the nation's debt ceiling, saw sizable defections among Republicans in both chambers."

Indeed, that's true.  Trump's GOP cronies are certainly not happy campers:

"One day after the Senate passed it with 17 GOP defections, 90 Republicans voted against it in the House, including four from storm-ravaged Texas.  The updated version of the bill includes $7.4 billion for direct assistance for victims of Hurricane Harvey; $450 million for the Small Business Administration to help small businesses get back on their feet; and an additional $7.4 billion in community development block grants for all disasters this year. The added money could be used for Hurricane Irma or other natural disasters this year. It also extends the flood insurance program until December."

Think Trump won't pay the piper come December when the shit again hits the fan?

"Ninety House Republicans voted against the measure, despite a pre-vote sales pitch from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. But Republicans opposed to lifting the debt ceiling, especially for only three months, forcing them to vote on it twice before the end of the year, expressed their disappointment in that meeting."

Bet they did.  Think Trump won't pay the price?

Need a laugh?  Get this:

"Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., stood up during the closed-door meeting, according to a source in the room, and asked how many openings Mulvaney had at OMB because he had 42 of his old colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus to remind him of his fiscal principles. The room laughed while Mulvaney turned red, one member said."

... Just the beginning.

Think the following won't give Republicans a severe case of acid reflux?  The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have agreed to pursue a deal that would permanently remove the requirement that Congress repeatedly raise the debt ceiling, three people familiar with the decision said.  Trump and Schumer discussed the idea Wednesday during an Oval Office meeting. The two, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.), agreed to work together over the next several months to try to finalize a plan, which would need to be approved by Congress.  One of the people familiar described it as a “gentlemen’s agreement.”

Think Trump's a 'gentleman?'

Think Trump's new-found bipartisanship has a snowball's chance?  Consider the following.  ABC News reports:

"President Donald Trump made an overt pitch for Democrats to support his tax overhaul plan, singling out a North Dakota Democratic senator whose vote would be prized by the White House."

Did he ever.  LOL.

"Delivering an outdoor speech to a crowd of hundreds at an oil refinery Wednesday, Trump called for the state's governor and congressional delegation to join him on stage, including Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, the only statewide elected Democrat in heavily Republican North Dakota.  "Everybody's saying: What's she doing up here?" Trump said of the first-term senator, adding: "I hope we'll have your support" and calling her "a good woman."

Think Trump a charmer?  ... Or, a charlatan.

"Heitkamp, up for re-election next year, flew in with Trump aboard Air Force One as he sought to frame the tax overhaul as a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to cut taxes and simplify the tax code."

Amazing, isn't it?  Think it'll go anywhere?  Apparently, not if the GOP congressional leadership has anything to say about it:

"But while Trump's White House is talking hopefully about bipartisanship, GOP leaders in Congress have made clear they're pursuing a go-it-alone strategy on taxes that has shut Democrats out of the negotiations."

What webs we weave.

Trump continues to deliberately irritate congressional Republicans.  Concertedly fails to understand how the legislative process works.  ABC News reports:

"President Donald Trump is criticizing Republican lawmakers amid a rapprochement with Democrats.  On Twitter Friday, Trump referenced the GOP's failure to pass health care legislation. He tweeted, "Republicans, sorry, but I've been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn't happen!"  Trump complained about the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes to pass major legislation. He tweeted that the rule will "never allow the Republicans to pass even great legislation. 8 Dems control - will rarely get 60 (vs. 51) votes. It is a Repub Death Wish!"

Think so?  ... Or, more of the same.  Here's the kicker:

"The comment ignores the fact that Senate Republicans trying to pass the health care bill were working under rules that required a simple majority, not 60 votes."

Trump certainly continues to have problems in the Senate.  CBS News reports:

"The Senate Appropriations Committee tore into the Trump administration's approach to foreign policy in a new report, criticizing the White House's proposed State Department budget as reflective of an "apparent doctrine of retreat" abroad.   The unusually harsh language appeared in the report attached to spending legislation for the State Department and foreign operations that totals $51 billion, about $11 billion more in funding than the administration had requested. The Trump administration had proposed a budget that slashed State Department spending for fiscal year 2018 by about 30 percent from the previous year."

Sen. Graham is certainly not a happy camper:

"Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, chairman of the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee, submitted the report. The spending bill was approved by the full Appropriations Committee 31-0 on Friday. Graham's report suggested the administration's budget request flies in the face of the president's stated goals of American greatness."

Ouch.

"On May 23, 2017, President Donald Trump submitted to the Congress the fiscal year 2018 budget of the United States government entitled, 'A New Foundation for American Greatness,' and asserted in 'The Budget Message of the President' that '[i]n these dangerous times, our increased attention to public safety and national security sends a clear message to the world -- a message of American strength and resolve,'" the report said. "This message is not reflected in the International Affairs budget request of $40,521,826,000, a 30 percent cut below the fiscal year 2017 enacted level."

The following is indeed poignant, achingly true:

"The lessons learned since September 11, 2001, include the reality that defense alone does not provide for American strength and resolve abroad," the report continued. "Battlefield technology and firepower cannot replace diplomacy and development. The administration's apparent doctrine of retreat, which also includes distancing the United States from collective and multilateral dispute resolution frameworks, serves only to weaken America's standing in the world."

Not only that, dangerous, short-sighted.

The RNC is certainly not a happy camper.  LOL.  Consider the following.  CBS News reports:

"A new Republican National Committee ad for President Trump assails Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as "career politicians" who are "trying to stop him," a day after Mr. Trump snubbed his own party to cut a deal with those same Democrats on the debt ceiling."

The day after.  LOL.

"The ad, "Finish the Job," released Thursday, shows "career politicians" including Schumer and Pelosi, saying Democratic leaders and the media are trying to stop the president. "But President Trump is fighting for America," the ad says, touting jobs numbers, a crackdown on MS-13 and other administration priorities. Yet only a day earlier, Mr. Trump undercut Republicans, who wanted an 18-month debt limit hike, making a deal instead with Schumer and Pelosi to extend the debt limit for three months."

As sad as it is, have to laugh at the folly, continuing dysfunction in Congress.

Adding to the list of states suing the Trump nazi, California recently filed suit.  CBS News reports:

"California has filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump over its decision to end a program that protects young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children from deportation.  Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra's lawsuit filed Monday makes similar legal arguments to a suit filed last week by 15 states and the District of Columbia. He's joined in his separate suit by attorney generals from Maryland, Maine and Minnesota.  The California lawsuit alleges the Trump Administration violated the Constitution and other laws when it rescinded the program."

Hopefully, state after state will continue to do the same.

The 'President's' henchmen are not happy campers.  CBS News reports:

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is firing back at Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, for an explosive statement he released shortly after President Trump's roll-back of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was laid out.   "General Kelly is a hypocrite who is a disgrace to the uniform he used to wear. He has no honor and should be drummed out of the White House along with the white supremacists and those enabling the President's actions by 'just following orders,'" said Gutierrez in a statement on Tuesday."

Indeed.  No shit.  About time someone in Congress had the balls to call it like it is, instead of all the lame bullshit coming from both parties.

"In an email sent to Fox News on Sunday, Kelly responded directly to those claims, saying Congress has the "luxury" of doing nothing.  "As far as the congressman and other irresponsible members of congress are concerned, they have the luxury of saying what they want as they do nothing and have almost no responsibility," Kelly wrote in the email.  He added, "During my time at DHS - from 20 Jan until this moment - I have met with hundreds of members on both sides of the hill … My [message] always was 'I have bought you time to do something on DACA.'  I begged and pleaded with them. They did exactly nothing."

Hey, General?  Wake up.  It's your own goddamned party, populated with Republican nazis who've chosen to do nothing.  For years.  Phony bullshit to imply Democrats are responsible for the stonewalling.  While Democrats are indeed responsible for their share of all the ongoing bullshit, this is not something they're responsible for.  Just the GOP.

"As Kelly noted that Gutierrez had a "right to his opinion," he maintained that the blame should not lay on Mr. Trump's shoulders, but instead on the unconstitutionality of the policy, which was implemented by former President Obama in 2012."

More goddamned irrelevant bullshit promulgated by the General to cover the failure of his fuhrer, the Trump nazi.  Hey, General?  What about all the goddamned unconstitutional immigration executive orders shot down on a continuous basis by the judiciary?  No problem with that, Mr. Kelly?  None at all?  When your fuhrer does it, no problem?  When a Democrat does it, a different story?  Your hypocrisy?  Stunning.  Unbecoming a retired military officer.

The General seems to have gotten lost in the weeds.  Seems to have conveniently forgotten these are 800,000 of our best and brightest, highly productive young people who have made something of themselves.  Were brought here at a reportedly median age of six by their parents.  Know no other country than this one.  Yet, the Trump nazi and his henchmen wish to ultimately deport them.  Continue to urge them to self-deport.

Dreamers provided their personal information to our hopelessly nazi government, assured by the former commander in chief that information would not be used against them.  To deport them.  Now, your goddamned nazi fuhrer wishes to do precisely that?  Should no legislation pass your nazi Republican majority in both houses of Congress?  No more than a disgrace.  Precisely, what you need to concern yourself with, not your phony bruised ego.

Fox News reports:

"House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is calling on Illinois Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez to apologize for saying White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine general, is “a disgrace to the uniform.”

Apologize for what?  The truth?  An uncomfortable truth the Nazi Right continues to conveniently, gutlessly ignore?

“What is disgraceful is to attack the character of such an honorable man, who has dedicated his life to serving this country and whose family gave the ultimate sacrifice. I believe Rep. Gutierrez owes General Kelly and his family an apology,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday."

He owes the General nothing.  Any honor the General had after retirement was forfeited when he went to work for the Trump nazi.

"McCarthy noted how Kelly, whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, is the highest-ranking servicemember to lose a child in Afghanistan or Iraq."

That's true.  Achingly irrelevant, however, to his current employment for the Trump nazi.   Especially galling as the goddamned de facto fascist police-state we now live in is transformed to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

“General Kelly has served his country in the Marines,” McCarthy said."

He did.  No question.  Irrelevant, however, to his service now for the Trump nazi, and Trump's determined effort to transform the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.

“He is serving his country again in this administration."

The hell he is.  He's serving a nazi fuhrer.

"He is truly an American patriot.”

No longer.  Has disgraced himself, the uniform he proudly wore.

"But Gutierrez isn’t backing down."

Nor should he.  About time someone had the cajones to stand up to this nazi bullshit.

"He doubled down on his attack at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute event on Tuesday."

Uncommon valor. Especially, in a fascist police-state soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

“He’s a politician, okay, not a general,” Gutierrez said, according to the Washington Post. “I don’t see a uniform. He’s a politician who works for Donald Trump.”

Goddamned right.  For a delusional narcissistic nazi fuhrer.

9-15-17

More evidence the Trump nazi and his Attorney General sidekick, the Sessions nazi will not enforce all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.  NBC News reports:

"Federal officials decided not to punish United Airlines for dragging a passenger off an overcrowded plane.  The Transportation Department said it had found no evidence that the airline violated David Dao's civil rights in the now-infamous April 9 incident in Chicago. There was also not enough evidence that the airline had violated rules regarding bumping passengers, the department said."

A crock of shit.  Unadulterated bullshit.

"A lawyer for the department told United about the decision in a May 12 letter but didn't make the matter public. An advocacy group, Flyers Rights, released the letter on Wednesday after obtaining it through an open-records request."

Why wasn't this information publicly released without someone having to obtain it through an open records request?  Why were they hiding this information?  Sitting on it?  Afraid of public reaction?

"Paul Hudson, the president of Flyers Rights, criticized the decision and questioned how the Transportation Department could conduct an investigation so quickly. He called the manhandling of the 69-year-old Dao "egregious in every sense of the word."

Yet, these bought and paid for government bastards on the taxpayer tit do nothing about this atrocity?  Ferociously pointedly, could United have paid them off? To finally make it all go away?

"In the two-page letter to United, the Transportation Department's assistant general counsel, Blane Workie, said the agency takes action when an airline repeatedly or egregiously violates consumer-protection laws. She said United fixed one mistake in calculating compensation for another passenger, and failed to give Dao and his wife a required written notice of their rights only because they had left the airport to seek medical help.  "Therefore, we conclude that enforcement action is not warranted in this matter," Workie concluded."

Outrageous Catch-22.  Unadulterated blatant bullshit.  Were they bribed?

"She said the agency found no evidence that United discriminated against Dao, who is Asian-American, on the basis of race.  United avoided a lawsuit by reaching a settlement with Dao a few weeks after the incident. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed."

Think the fix wasn't in?  Don't think so?   -- Some oceanfront in Arizona and a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in.

Think corporations don't run and own it all?  Wake up:

"The CEO of United Continental Holdings Inc., Oscar Munoz, apologized for initially defending the airline's handling of the incident and blaming Dao, who lost teeth and suffered a broken nose and a concussion.  The airline apologized for the incident again Wednesday and said it has made changes to reduce overbooking.  "This incident should never have happened, and we are implementing all of the improvements we announced in April," spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said in a statement. "While we still have work to do, we have made meaningful strides" and have reduced the bumping of passengers nearly 90 percent since May 1, compared with the same period last year."

Ever wonder why airlines are allowed to overbook by their bought and paid for government lackeys in the first place?  No clue?

9-15-17

Fallout continues from Hurricane Harvey.  NPR reports:

"The Sosa family's has become a typical story in the days since Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Texas's Gulf Coast region. Houston is home to some 600,000 immigrants without legal status — 1 in 10 Houstonians does not possess the right to live in the U.S. — and in the storm's aftermath, many of them now find themselves teetering on the edge of destitution.  Unlike other victims of the storm, immigrants in the U.S. illegally do not qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The exception are those, like Roxana Sosa, who are allowed to submit an application in the name of a U.S.-born child. Even so, advocates say, many who qualify have not done so out of fear that asking for help might alert immigration authorities to their presence and ultimately lead to deportation.  "We're afraid," Sosa said, standing in the gutted living room that has been overcome by the odor of dampness and mold. "That's why we don't declare our losses. We haven't even gone to the management office here at the apartment complex."

Think this won't wind up to be a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions?

9-15-17

An achingly gutless public, willing to put up with the intolerable, always gets what it truly deserves.  NPR reports:

"Equifax, an international credit reporting agency, has announced that a cybersecurity breach exposed the personal information of 143 million U.S. consumers. In a statement released Thursday, the Atlanta-based agency acknowledged that "criminals exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files."  Those files include data such as Social Security numbers, birthdates and addresses — and, Equifax adds, "in some instances, driver's license numbers."

Why do you compliantly provide these bastards this information?  Why do you stupidly subject yourselves to this ongoing bullshit?  Where is your rugged individualism so disingenuously, falsely championed by Republicans?

"For a span of roughly two months — from mid-May through July 29, when Equifax says it uncovered the breach — hackers had access to this information, as well as the credit card numbers of about 209,000 consumers and "certain dispute documents with personal identifying information" of about 182,000.  All told, the number of American consumers affected constitutes about 44 percent of the U.S. population.  Equifax did not explain why more than two months passed before it discovered the hack, which also affected an unspecified number of consumers from Canada and the U.K."

NPR reports:

"Three executives of the credit-reporting agency Equifax sold nearly $2 million worth of company stock within days of a massive data breach potentially affecting 143 million Americans — one that wasn't publicly disclosed until more than a month later."

When will the hopelessly corrupt bastards in the corporate management suite be criminally prosecuted for their crimes instead of being protected, coddled by their bought and paid for government lackeys?

"In a statement, Equifax says the executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares."

Not credible.  If, in fact, they had no knowledge, are egregiously unfit for the jobs they hold.

"Equifax revealed the security breach late Thursday. On Friday, its stock price went sliding by double digits as millions of Americans struggled to get answers from the company about whether they were affected and what to do next. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has opened an investigation into the hack."

Not good enough.  Same old goddamned bullshit.  Nothing ever changes.  Designedly.  Why would it?  The bastards in government, at all levels and branches, remain bought and paid for.

"The credit reporting company has said that it discovered "unauthorized access" to its systems on July 29. The intrusion potentially jeopardized sensitive details including names, birthdates, Social Security and driver's license numbers. The hackers also stole credit card numbers for 209,000 consumers."

The gutless citizenry is the problem.  Put up with this bullshit to get a loan, credit card, an apartment?  Get what you richly deserve.  Why ever agree to share this information with these unprincipled, outrageously corrupt, abusive, inept pieces of shit?  Where's your self-reliance, rugged individualism supposedly championed by Republican Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged nazis?

"Regulatory filings show the three Equifax executives — Chief Financial Officer John Gamble, U.S. Information Solutions President Joseph Loughran and Workforce Solutions President Rodolfo Ploder — completed stock sales on Aug. 1 and 2.  Bloomberg, which first located the filings, reports that "none of the filings lists the transactions as being part of 10b5-1 scheduled trading plans."

Put up with this shit?  Fail to courageously stand up?  Remain part of the ongoing problem.

Initial response from Equifax was appalling:

"In order to learn whether a specific user's information is breached, the website asks people to type in a name and the last six digits of a Social Security number — "the kind of information they're often warned not to reveal online," as Bloomberg notes.  Once users get through, the website doesn't automatically enroll them in TrustedID credit monitoring — instead, the site issues a date, about a week in the future, when the user would have to return to complete the enrollment.  Equifax also drew fire for the several restrictive clauses it included in the legal terms that applied to its customer-help website and the free credit-monitoring service.  Users and experts had started pointing out that the company was imposing a so-called arbitration clause on the users, which essentially restricted their right to sue the company or be part of a class action in the future."

Think the following credible?  Get this:

"After pressure from consumer advocates and New York's attorney general, Equifax on Friday afternoon added a new line to its FAQ section: "The arbitration clause and class action wavier included in the TrustedID Premier Terms of Use applies to the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection products, and not the cybersecurity incident."  On its face, this line might suggest that Equifax would not restrict people's ability to hold the company legally accountable for potential damages specifically from the data breach.  "But when rubber meets the road," Rheingold says, "we'll see."

F--k these assholes.  Stand up.  Refuse to hand over personal information they don't need, won't protect.  Forget?  They get theirs, you get f--ked. The American Way.

This breach may be far worse than these assholes are owning up to.  Wake up. The Washington Post reports:

"But before people can sign up and find out whether their personal information was compromised, consumers are prompted to enter their last name and the last six digits of their Social Security number.  “This is very unusual — most security systems are hard-wired only to reveal the last four digits of an SSN for identification purposes,” said Satya Gupta, co-founder & chief technology officer at Virsec Systems, a cybersecurity firm. “This strongly implies that the typical four digits may have been compromised, and they need additional, previously ‘secret’ information to positively identify customers. This reinforces the conundrum of these breaches — with more information exposed, how do you now prove a person’s identity?”  Equifax did not immediately respond to queries about why its website asks for such information."

Wake up.  You're being f--ked.  Sold a bill of goods.

Some are smartening up:

"On Twitter, many expressed their exasperation with Equifax's approach. Others took a sarcastic route.

    "I can't believe that @Equifax has the audacity to ask for 2/3rds of your SSN and your last name to verify if you're part of the data breach

    — Anita Knapp (@GayRobot_) September 7, 2017

    "If you're worried about your personal data being breached due to Equifax hacking, then send me your name & social security # so I can check

    — Sam Z Comedy (@SamZComedy) September 7, 2017"

No excuse.  Gets worse:

“Right now, the wound is raw,” said Jeff Kagan, a Georgia-based telecommunications industry analyst. “For Equifax to pour more salt on that wound today by asking to put your information on another website that they promise will be secure doesn’t make sense. Why Equifax doesn’t understand this before it put up this website raises another question — it’s a big, embarrassing mistake.”  Several people who took the leap and submitted their information to Equifax said on Twitter and elsewhere that after signing up, Equifax did not disclose whether their personal data was impacted by the massive breach. Instead they received an enrollment date for the credit monitoring program."

You're being shamelessly bamboozled.  F--ked.

"Equifax also said that the credit card numbers of about 209,000 U.S. consumers, and credit dispute documents of roughly 182,000 U.S. consumers, were also accessed by hackers. The company will be mailing out notices to those individuals, but it will not be contacting everyone who was affected in the data breach."

Time for these criminal pieces of shit in the corporate management suite to be aggressively prosecuted, convicted, do serious prison time.  ... And not in a 'country club' for white collar criminals.

CBS News reports:

"Equifax revealed Thursday that hackers earlier this year stole personal information on as many as 143 million Americans.  The company keeps track of the credit ratings of American consumers, which means its database is a massive treasure trove of personal information including birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses.  "This is basically the Irma of data breaches. It's a 10 on a scale of one to 10," said cybersecurity analyst Avivah Litan.  For the hackers it's like finding a gold mine.  "They can take out a mortgage, they can file tax refunds, they can file for Social Security benefits, you name it. They can take all your benefits away," Litan said.  She says consumers "need to be hyper vigilant and monitor their accounts."

The bastards at Equifax need to be aggressively prosecuted.

CBS News reports in another post:

"When a company tries to fix a security breach, it's never a good sign when consumers feel less secure because of its remedies."

This corporation and the others couldn't care less.

"That's the fix Equifax (EFX) finds itself in after bungling its response to its massive breach, which is fueling consumer outrage and calls for greater regulation over credit-reporting agencies, which include Experian (EXPGY) and TransUnion (TRU). Four days after Equifax said 143 million Americans had been affected by the breach, many consumers remain confused about whether their data was stolen and how to protect themselves."

This company continues to stonewall.

"A site created by Equifax where consumers can check whether their data was stolen asks them to enter their last names and the last 6 digits of their Social Security numbers. But the site provides responses even for bogus names and numbers (such as "Trump" and "123456"), leading to questions about its accuracy."

Still think you should provide these bastards your personal information?  Trust them?

"Consumer advocates pointed out that Equifax's terms of use for the credit-monitoring service it's offering free for one year required the breach victims to sign away their legal rights. On Monday, the company said it had backed away from that requirement."

Did it?  Truly, do so?

"Some consumers said Equifax needs to take more steps to make amends, such as offering free credit monitoring services for several years or longer, not just one year. The hackers stole Social Security numbers, which have no expiration date."

What consumers need to do is stop providing these assholes personal information they don't need, won't protect.  Just handsomely profit from.

"You need to take more action," one consumer wrote on Twitter to Equifax. "Free credit freezes for those affected. Lifetime credit monitoring. Reimbursement for all other freezes."

Keep dreaming.  Smarten up.  Refuse to cooperate.  Learn to become self-sufficient.

It's all about looting the public it certainly does not serve, only the corporate management suite:

"Security experts are recommending consumers whose data was stolen place credit freezes on their accounts. That restricts access to your credit information, which makes it more difficult for hackers to open accounts in your name.  But credit freezes aren't free: They typically cost between $5 to $10 each. It's important to place freezes at the major credit-reporting bureaus in order to halt scammers, which means consumers may need to shell out up to $30 for the service.  "Will we be reimbursed for having to pay for credit freezes?" one consumer wrote to Equifax on Twitter "I did 4 over the weekend, I do not think that I should have to pay for it!"

You shouldn't.  Wake up.  Smell the coffee.  Stop complying en masse.  F--k these assholes.

"Adding to the frustration was the news that three Equifax senior executives, including its chief financial officer, sold $1.8 million worth of company stock just days after the company discovered the breach but weeks before it was made public.  That stock sale, plus the company's response that has been roundly criticized as inadequate and questions about why Equifax delayed informing the public about the breach for several weeks are creating a perfect storm of controversy. Chief among the questions lawmakers and consumer regulators are raising is whether the credit-reporting bureaus are subject to enough oversight."

They need to be put out of business.  Serve only themselves and their corporate masters.  Not the public.  Quite the opposite.

"The bureaus store sensitive financial data on about 200 million Americans, which the companies provide to banks and other financial institutions that need to check into consumers' creditworthiness. Employers, landlords and utilities also use the bureaus' data to check up on consumers."

It's an abusive invasion of privacy.  Used to discriminate.  None of the business of an employer, landlord, utility, etc.., -- anyone other than a money lender.  Any utility, landlord, etc., can and does charge a deposit.  Outrageous abuse of authority unbecoming a democratic republic.  The people are gutless sheep.  Will put up with nearly anything.

"While their services are essential to the U.S. economy, the credit-reporting bureaus don't have the same regulatory oversight as the financial industry."

"Essential" only to the corporate management suite.  What oversight?  Do as they please.  With impunity.  While the public continues to get royally f--ked.

"Before Equifax announced the breach, some lawmakers last week were considering whether to lower penalties for credit-reporting bureaus whose inaccurate information hurts consumers, according to The Wall Street Journal.  Equifax's initial offer for free credit-monitoring services required consumers to agree to mandatory arbitration, a tactic that's a favorite of the financial industry because consumers give up their rights to join class actions. Arbitration is slated to be barred in the financial industry next year by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, but Republicans have sought to reverse that ruling."

Nazi Republicans remain at the heart of the problem.  Their pockets are being lined.  Their corporate masters always come first.  Not that Democrats are any better, but the GOP is indeed leading the charge to f--k consumers.

9-15-17

The Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to take a raucous hard dump on the LGBTQ community.  Carefully consider ramifications of the following.  CNN reports:

"The Trump administration is backing a Colorado baker who refused to create a cake for the wedding of a same-sex couple.  The case -- one of the most important to be heard this term -- pits advocates for religious liberty against supporters of LGBT rights."

Sadly, disingenuously, that's a poor assessment of what's at stake.  Don't think so? Wake up.  What it does is attempt to legalize discrimination against the LGBTQ community.  The question must always be asked, who's next?

"In a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the Supreme Court, the Justice Department urged the court to side with Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, who says making a cake for a same-sex couple violates his religious liberty."

The hell it does.  He's free to believe what he wishes, worship where he chooses.  He's not free, however, to force his perverse religious views on others by discriminating against them.

"Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights," Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall wrote for the Justice Department."

How?  Would this shyster bastard similarly defend a racist who claimed the same in refusing to serve someone of color?

"The government may not enact content-based laws commanding a speaker to engage in protected expression: An artist cannot be forced to paint, a musician cannot be forced to play, and a poet cannot be forced to write," the brief adds."

An egregious, achingly disingenuous non-sequitur.  Providing a public service is not the same as artistic expression.  Apples and oranges.

"It's not unusual for the federal government to file an amicus brief in such an important constitutional case," said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law.  "What makes this brief unusual is its substance. It's practically unheard of for the Justice Department to argue in favor of a constitutional exemption to antidiscrimination laws -- a constitutional right to discriminate. But that's exactly what this brief is doing," Vladeck said."

What it also does is open the door to creation of a theocracy in direct violation of the The First Amendment Establishment Clause.

"The ACLU, which is representing the couple, responded with a statement blasting the administration.  "This Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear," said Louise Melling, ACLU's deputy legal director. "But this brief was shocking, even for this administration. What the Trump Administration is advocating for is nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate."

Who's next?

NPR reports:

"The Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear," said Louise Melling, deputy legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union. "But this brief was shocking, even for this administration. What the Trump administration is advocating for is nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate."

That's precisely what it does.

"Sharon McGowan is a former official in the Obama Justice Department's civil rights division. Now, she works on strategy issues at Lambda Legal, a group that advocates for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.  "The brief filed yesterday is just the latest example of how Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions have placed a target on the backs of LGBT people in order to score political points with a shrinking base of supporters, and, for Pence and Sessions in particular, to impose their religious views on the rest of the country," McGowan said."

The mark of a nazi dictator and his henchmen.

NBC News reports:

"For the second time in less than three months, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted an amicus brief that puts it at odds with supporters of LGBTQ civil rights. This time, the department's brief was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission involves Christian baker Jack Phillips, who refused — due to his religious beliefs — to make a wedding cake for same-sex couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig.  Lower courts sided with the couple, stating that Philips' refusal violated Colorado’s non-discrimination law (Colorado is one of 21 states that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation). However, Phillips appealed these rulings to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the case this fall."

Sadly, should never have gotten that far.  A portend, however, of far worse to come as the Trump nazi transforms the de facto fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.  Indeed, the worst is yet to come.

"Last month, the DOJ submitted another amicus brief in the case of Zarda v. Altitude Express. There, the DOJ sided with the defendant to argue that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not entitle lesbians, gays and bisexuals to workplace non-discrimination protections.  Some advocates are calling the DOJ’s position on Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission a “license to discriminate” and citing a pattern of anti-LGBTQ actions by the Trump administration."

Precisely, that.  Again, raises the question, who's next?

"Once again, the Trump-Pence Administration has taken direct aim at our nation’s progress on LGBTQ equality, this time urging the Supreme Court to grant a potentially sweeping license to discriminate against same-sex couples," Sarah Warbelow, legal director for LGBTQ advocacy organization Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement."

When any segment of the population is deliberately denied civil and constitutional rights and liberties, the rest of us are placed in jeopardy.  Again, who's next?

"Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is representing Mullins and Craig, agreed.  “This Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear," Melling said. "But this brief was shocking, even for this administration. What the Trump Administration is advocating for is nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate."  Melling added, however, that she and her team are "confident that the Supreme Court will rule on the side of equal rights just as the lower courts have."

Wouldn't count on it.  Especially, in light of the recent edition of the Gorsuch nazi to the court.  Then again, hope the court carefully considers the dire ramifications should it rule in favor of the Trump nazi:

"According to Anthony Kreis, a law professor specializing in LGBTQ rights, the DOJ's brief argues “the right to free expression trumps the right to equal access in this particular public accommodation.” This, he explained, is what makes the submission particularly troublesome.  “The thrust of the argument is that cakes — wedding cakes — are inherently expressive items,” he said. “Because they are so inextricably linked to the expressive rights of the baker as an artist, there is a First Amendment right to decline service.”  “It’s tempting to fall for this as a very narrow, minor exception to the general rule ... but it doesn’t make sense," Kreis added. He said the idea that cakes are somehow special is not supported by any general principle. So by this logic, he noted, “a vendor could claim anything is expressive it they wanted to.”  Therein lies the problem for LGBTQ advocates, Kreis continued: The DOJ’s position “opens up a hole in anti-discrimination law with no foreseeable end in sight."

The revolution doomsday clock indeed strikes ever closer to midnight, -- as our formerly great country continues to nazify.  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.  While there are some who believe the government would win due to overwhelming military superiority and weapons systems, it would be a mistake to underestimate the determination of a well-armed citizenry who would never accept the imposition of nazism in this country.  The war would be extremely bloody, costly, long-term, and employ guerilla tactics to level the playing field.  Precisely, why this issue must be resolved before too late.  Well before the point of no return.

9-15-17

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties?  Get what you truly deserve.

9-15-17

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  CBS/AP reports:

"Former pharmaceuticals company CEO Martin Shkreli has had his bail revoked and is going to jail in New York while he awaits sentencing for a securities fraud conviction.  A judge heard arguments about whether the provocative online antics of Shkreli, dubbed the Pharma Bro, were bad enough to put him behind bars and decided to have him taken into custody immediately."

For damned good reason.

"A defense attorney had argued in court papers that Shkreli's recent offer to pay a $5,000 bounty for securing a Hillary Clinton hair with a follicle while she's on a book tour was merely a tasteless joke comparable to some of President Donald Trump's derisive comments, not a threat worthy of putting him behind bars."

Think not?

"The attorney was responding to government filings last week that argued Shkreli's behavior was threatening enough to jail him while he awaits sentencing for his securities fraud conviction. Prosecutors said the posting prompted the Secret Service to use more resources because it ran the risk that many of Shkreli's social media followers would think he was serious."

This piece of crap is no choir boy:

"Shkreli, who is best known for hiking up the price of a life-saving drug and for trolling his critics on social media, was found guilty last month on charges, unrelated to the price-fixing scandal, that he cheated investors in two failed hedge funds he ran. The defense had argued that investors got their original investments back and even made hefty profits."

No remorse:

"Shkreli has said he feels "exonerated" despite his conviction and thinks there's a "50-50 chance" he won't face any punishment. He chatted with fans on his YouTube channel and sparred with a reporter after last month's verdict.  "In sum and substance," he said, "I feel exonerated."

9-8-17

The Sessions nazi is unfit to be U.S. Attorney General.  CBS News reports:

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions welcomed the restoration of the practice of asset forfeiture Friday in a speech at a law enforcement conference in Alabama.   "I love that program," Sessions said. "We had so much fun doing that, taking drug dealers' money and passing it out to people trying to put drug dealers in jail. What's wrong with that?"

This is one sick, clueless nazi son of a bitch.  Three quick reasons in answer to this piece of shit.  First, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue do not get to be judge, jury, and executioner in a democratic republic.  Second, remains outrageously unconstitutional to seize property without due process of law.  Third, it is legalized theft to seize assets from someone not convicted, but allegedly suspected of a crime.

Here is precisely why it is legalized theft.  Grants the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue carte blanche to steal with impunity:

"Sessions, reviewing some of the steps the DOJ has taken recently under his watch, went off script from his prepared remarks to express his excitement about the restoration of the controversial practice. Asset forfeiture allows law enforcement to seize property suspected to be connected to a crime, even without an indictment. During former President Barack Obama's administration, then-Attorney General Eric Holder restricted the ability of the federal government to share in the assets local authorities seized. But Sessions in July brought the program back in full swing, allowing police to seize assets, even in states that have outlawed asset forfeiture, if they give some of the proceeds to the federal government. That practice of "adoption" has been used to seize $1 billion in assets over the last decade."

The profound ignorance of this clueless racist jackbooted nazi  is appalling:

"Sessions' decision to reinstate the program triggered bipartisan backlash, but his mention of the program's return to law enforcement personnel Friday elicited applause. Sessions recognized that some critics don't like the program, although he said he didn't understand why."

What racist nazi in the mold of Adolf Hitler would?

"Well, they don't like it. I'm amazed, these people don't get it. We had a reform in early 2001," Sessions said, mentioning he reached a legislative deal for some reforms to the program with Sen. Chuck Schumer when he was also a senator."

It's the Sessions nazi who fails to understand he falsely swore an oath to uphold the Constitution he now takes a raucous hard dump on.

"That legislation, "made some things that tightened it up, relieved some of the concerns from our libertarians, I thought," Sessions added. "But here they're back again, and actually curtailed this program for the last several years, but we're going to keep it out there and as long as we can, we will be doing it."

The Sessions nazi remains a delusional congenital liar.  This needs to be ferociously challenged in courts across the country.  Galling coup de grace?

"And I know you'll do it in an honorable and effective way and not abuse the system," Sessions added. "But taking ill-gotten gains from drug dealers is the right thing, as far as I'm concerned, and we're going to emphasize that in every way that's appropriate."

The direct opposite is, and has been, the truth for years.  Sessions is a liar.  The jackbooted bastards in blue are thieves:

"Asset forfeiture has long been criticized by civil liberties advocates on constitutional grounds. The program is also criticized because people who have their homes, cars or cash seized wrongly have a difficult time getting those assets back. The DOJ's own watchdog also recently found that many local police departments depend on the funding from seized assets."

There is no due process.  Intentionally.  Forget?  It's legalized theft. Hear the rumble?  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

9-8-17

In follow up to the last edition, NPR reports:

"Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled late Wednesday that Texas officials may not implement Senate Bill 4, a controversial measure designed to crack down on so-called "sanctuary cities" in that state.  The law, set to go into effect on September 1, would have given local law enforcement the authority to ask about a person's immigration status during routine interactions such as a traffic stop.  It also required local officials to comply with requests from federal immigration authorities to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Local law enforcement officials could be fined and removed from office if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities."

Here is the problem with this nazi law:

"Critics of the law said it would encourage racial profiling and violate the First and Fourth Amendments. The cities of San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Austin had joined a lawsuit brought by the city of El Cenizo against SB 4, arguing that the law would undermine any cooperation between local police and immigrant communities in dealing with crime.  In his 94-page ruling, the judge said that there is overwhelming evidence from local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 would "erode public trust and many communities less safe."

No question, certainly true.

"Gov. Greg Abbott promised to appeal the ruling. Attorney General Ken Paxton echoed that call in a statement."

What nazi wouldn't?

9-8-17

Apparently, the Trump nazi succumbed to intense pressure vis a vis Hurricane Harvey. The Washington Post reports:

"A couple of weeks ago President Trump scrapped Obama-era rules, intended to reduce the risks posed by flooding, that established new construction standards for roads, housing and other infrastructure projects that receive federal dollars."

Can't have that, can we?  Corporate management suite must always be supported no matter consequences or impact to taxpayers and the citizenry.

"Trump derided these restrictions, which were written in response to growing concerns over the impact of climate change, and other federal rules as useless red tape holding back the economy."

Translation?  Corporate bottom line remains Prime Directive.  The public be damned.

“This overregulated permitting process is a massive, self­inflicted wound on our country — it’s disgraceful — denying our people much-needed investments in their community,” he said in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York during an event to tout his infrastructure policies."

Unadulterated bullshit.  A lie.  Cleverly designed to maximize corporate profits at public expense.  Then, reality figuratively bites the Trump nazi hard on the ass:

"But now, in the wake of the massive flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey along the Gulf Coast, the Trump administration is considering whether to issue similar requirements to build higher in flood-prone areas as the government prepares to spend billions of dollars in response to the storm."

Doesn't your heart bleed for Trump and his henchmen?

"This potential policy shift underscores the extent to which the reality of this week’s storm has collided with Trump officials’ push to upend President Barack Obama’s policies and represents a striking acknowledgment by an administration skeptical of climate change that the government must factor changing weather into some of its major infrastructure policies."

Remains amazing how Republicans continue to challenge science and scientific consensus when both run counter to corporate bottom line.

9-8-17

Amazing how the Red Cross still can't get its house in order.  CBS News reports:

"As the federally-designated co-lead for mass care during disasters, the American Red Cross is tasked with providing shelters, food, and emergency supplies. Amid the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, it has helped put more than 32,000 people in shelters and served more than 180,000 meals and snacks since the storm began."

Hopefully, the above is true.

"However, some are urging people on social media not to donate to the Red Cross, citing concerns about how the organization spends its funds. The Red Cross was criticized in 2013 for still not having spent more than a third of the money it raised seven months after Superstorm Sandy.  "We are going to make sure that every designated dollar that is going to this storm is used appropriately," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, on "CBS This Morning" Thursday."

Hopefully, that's also true.

"The Red Cross currently has more than 1,500 volunteers on the ground in Texas. McGovern says they're using high-water vehicles from the Defense Department to get supplies to evacuees in shelters that were overwhelmed in the first days after the storm.  "The need is enormous and we've had an outpouring of support and a lot of people that are interested in volunteering," McGovern said. "The challenges have been incredible. Just getting supplies in when all these roads have been flooding have been unbelievable."

The latter is certainly true.  Hopefully, the former will ameliorate with time.

"Asked what portion of the money people donate will actually go to Harvey victims, she said, "On average, 91 cents of every dollar" goes to Red Cross services. She defined Red Cross services as things like food, supplies and cleanup kits."

That percentage remains difficult to believe.  Hopefully, it's true.

Here is where it gets dicey.  NPR reports:

"As Americans are opening their wallets and donating to relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, one of the most prominent charities is the American Red Cross.  But donors might be surprised to learn the Red Cross won't, or can't say, what percentage of their dollars will go directly to helping the victims of the storm.  Dating back to 2014, NPR and Pro Publica have reported that the Red Cross misstated how donor dollars are spent."

Certainly, previously, the Red Cross was more concerned with image than reality.  Had been repeatedly a figurative target in this publication.  Click on the icons on the homepage to see for yourself.

"A study released by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, concluded that the Red Cross had spent $124 million — one-quarter of the money donors gave for earthquake relief in Haiti in 2010 — on internal expenses.  In an interview with Morning Edition host Ailsa Chang, Red Cross executive Brad Kieserman was asked about reports that the charity has unusually high administrative costs.  "We are committed, I am committed, my team is committed to using our resources and donor dollars in a way that best helps the people of Texas," said Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations and logistics."

Certainly, not a direct, cogent answer to the question.

"Kieserman said that as of Wednesday morning the Red Cross had spent $50 million on Harvey relief, mainly on 232 shelters for 66,000 people.

"Chang: Through donations, how much of every dollar goes to relief?

"Kieserman: Yeah, I don't think I know the answer to that any better than the chief fundraiser knows how many, how much it costs to put a volunteer downrange for a week and how many emergency response vehicles I have on the road today. So I think if he was on this interview and you were asking how many relief vehicles in Texas, I don't think he'd know the answer and I don't know the answer to the financial question I'm afraid."

That's simply not credible.  Either lying or egregiously unfit for the job.

"Ailsa pressed on. She said that NPR had reported that 25 percent of the money donated for Haiti to the American Red Cross after the 2010 earthquake went to internal spending.

"Chang: Is that still happening? Such a substantial percentage of donations going to internal administrative costs, rather than to relief?

"Kieserman: It's not something I would have any visibility on. I can talk about what it costs to deliver certain relief services."

Abject, bullshit.  Unbecoming.  Gets worse:

"Chang: Yeah.

"Kieserman: But the way the internal revenue stream works, uhh ...

"Chang: You don't know what portion of that amount.

"Kierserman: Not really.

"Chang: You don't know what portion of that total amount is for relief.

"Kieserman: No, I really don't. I wish I could answer your question, but it's not something I have visibility on in the role that I play in this organization.

"She asked him if he has "visibility" on any efforts by the Red Cross to reduce the amount of money spent solely on internal costs.

"The folks I work for are very, very attentive to cost effectiveness and cost efficiencies in making sure that as much as every dollar that we spend on an operation is client-facing," said Kieserman."

Non answer.  Abject bullshit.

9-8-17

Trump continues to lie. The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump clearly and unmistakably exaggerated the “horror and devastation” he witnessed in Texas. The White House's response? To pretend words don't mean what they mean."

To Trump and his henchmen, day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet.  All ass backwards:

"Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he had seen this horror and devastation “first hand.”

    "After witnessing first hand the horror & devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey,my heart goes out even more so to the great people of Texas!

    "— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2017"

Truth can't, won't be denied.  Certainly, not in the 24/7/365 world we all now live in:

"But reporters quickly took issue with that. This is from the Dallas Morning News:

    "Our reporting does not match claim that @POTUS witnessed any horror or devastation first hand. #harvey https://t.co/KP4ejyLVpF @dallasnews https://t.co/HBObIh9Tgt

    "— Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) August 30, 2017"

What could Trump possibly be thinking?

"And this is from Agence France-Presse's Andrew Beatty, who traveled with Trump:

    "I traveled with the President yesterday. Personally, I would not claim to have seen Harvey's horror and devastation first hand. https://t.co/Zb7bsF5CW5

    "— Andrew Beatty (@AndrewBeatty) August 30, 2017"

Icing on the cake?  Epitome of unadulterated bullshit?  Get this:

"A reporter asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders about this later Wednesday, and her answer was … something:

    "He met with a number of state and local officials who are eating, sleeping, breathing the Harvey disaster. He talked extensively with the governor, who certainly is right in the midst of every bit of this, as well as the mayors from several of the local towns that were hit hardest. And detailed briefing information throughout the day yesterday talking to a lot of the people on the ground. That certainly is a firsthand account."

Think so?

In update, Trump finally got it right, succumbing to enormous pressure.  The Washington Times reports:

"President Trump met Saturday with survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, on his second trip this week to the storm-ravaged region and praised Texans for their determination to bounce back.

"Earlier at a hurricane relief center, Mr. Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted families, hugged children and helped to serve lunch to those displaced by massive flooding. The president promised that nearly $7.9 billion in federal aid will be approved quickly for the devastated Gulf coast."

9-8-17

The Trump nazi is not the only congenital liar in the Trump regime.  The Washington Post reports:

“After decreasing for nearly 20 years because of the hard but necessary work our country started in the 1980s, violent crime is back with a vengeance.”
— Attorney General Jeff Sessions, remarks at the 63rd Biennial Conference of the National Fraternal Order of Police, Aug. 28, 2017"

Simply, not true.  Abject bullshit.

"The Pinocchio Test

"Sessions claims about crime across the country are a distortion of the facts. Nationwide, the violent crime rate and the murder rate are lower than they have been in almost 45 years. Violent crime and the murder rate increased slightly from 2014-2015, but the one-year increase does not qualify as a national trend."

Nazis remain abject masters of deception, distortion of reality.

"Sessions applies the same distortion in his spotlighting of crime in major cities. Sessions routinely highlights an increase in violence in Chicago as evidence of the rising crime wave, but when viewed in conjunction with the national data, Chicago stands out as an outlier that is out of sync with national trends. In major cities across the country, violent crime has also dropped to historic lows. When Sessions lauds Miami-Dade County, he is implicitly acknowledging that crime rates actually have dropped dramatically since the 1980s."

As Hitler and Mussolini distorted reality, outright lied, so does the Sessions nazi, and his fuhrer, the Trump nazi:

"Yet Sessions claims violent crime is “back with a vengeance,” and that it is “surging,” which is the result of a “staggering increase,” in crime in urban areas. With every dramatic assertion, Session is stoking American’s fears about crime and safety to advance a political agenda of “law and order.” Sessions earns Four Pinocchios."

No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all levels and branches of government, and their criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

9-8-17

At least, the courts are standing up to the Trump nazi and his henchmen.  NBC News reports:

"A federal judge scolded President Donald Trump's Election Integrity Commission on Wednesday for failing to fully disclose information ahead of its first meeting this past July.  U.S. District Judge Colleen ­Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., called out the panel for releasing few documents to the public ahead of its July 19 meeting and not disclosing reams of material presented at the meeting — possibly flouting federal disclosure laws.  Kollar-Kotelly told administration lawyers that she found it "hard to believe" that both panel members and staff didn't know voluminous documents would be presented and discussed even though members of the public had never seen them, according to a transcript of the hearing."

All a ruse.  Blatant distortion of reality and the truth to advance a nazi agenda.

"The hearing was a part of a lawsuit brought by the Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, one of several suits the commission is trying to beat back after it sent out a request for mountains of sensitive voter data in June.   The panel has been met with swift bipartisan backlash for its work — and the judge's critical comments come as the commission gears up for its second meeting on September 12 in New Hampshire."

Here's where it gets interesting:

"The judge noted Commission Vice Chair Kris Kobach, who is also the Kansas secretary of state, brought a typed list of possible topics for the panel as well as an election survey from the federal Election Assistance Commission on the day of the first meeting.  Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky brought a 381-page report produced specifically for the meeting by the conservative non-profit The Heritage Foundation, which claimed to have a "database" of 1,100 proven "cases of voter fraud."  Commissioner Ken Blackwell also discussed an article from Yale Law & Policy Review.  None of those materials was made available to the public before the meeting."

Why not?

"The judge needled the panel's lawyers as to why the documents were not disclosed, as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which covers the work of the commission and others like it.  "They obviously showed up with a bunch of material that wasn't provided in advance," the judge said, according to the transcript.  A lawyer representing the administration tried to cut in to address the judge, who snapped back, "If it's an argument, I don't want to hear it right now."

Clearly, the judge was being bullshitted.  Rightfully, had no patience with, or tolerance for it.

9-8-17

Trump remains achingly delusional, hopelessly detached from reality.  NPR reports:

"President Trump says he has a fix to the deep racial divide in America, blatantly exposed in the clashes between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va.  "I think if we continue to create jobs at levels that I'm creating jobs, I think that's going to have a tremendously positive impact on race relations. I do. I do," he said in Phoenix on Aug. 22, adding that he thinks bigger paychecks will also help improve race relations."

Trump has no clue.  No understanding his white supremacy views and supporters drive the racism he supposedly seeks to reduce.  Equally pointedly, despite record corporate profits and cash reserves, the corporate management suite to date shows no willingness to share that prosperity with those doing the work.  No more than a deceptive charlatan incapable of telling the truth:

"Trump brags about having created more than 1 million jobs during his presidency. And it's true that, as the president says, more than 1 million jobs have been created during his presidency.  But that is not an unusual pace of job creation — thus far, U.S. employers have added an average of around 170,000 jobs per month during the Trump presidency, roughly equal to the pace during those same months in 2016 (203,000). In fact, 2016 and 2017 thus far are in the same ballpark as the total monthly averages for preceding years.  In other words, this level of job growth has existed for years in America, and it doesn't appear to have done much — at least, not directly or immediately — to close America's deep economic racial divides."

Again, the Trump nazi demonstrates he's no more than a lying, deceptive charlatan.

9-8-17

Fallout from Charlottesville continues.  ABC News reports:

"A Virginia man is suing the city of Charlottesville, its police chief and the Virginia State Police superintendent over their response to a white nationalist rally that descended into violence.  Nexus Caridades Attorneys Inc. filed a complaint Thursday in federal court on behalf of Robert Sanchez Turner. The complaint says Turner was at the rally Aug. 12 to peacefully protest.  It says Turner was approached by "KKK members/sympathizers," who sprayed him with mace and "viciously" beat him. According to the complaint, police and state troopers nearby watched the attack but didn't intervene or arrest the assailants."

Claim not to have seen it.

9-8-17

Noose figuratively tightens.  NBC News reports:

"Paul Manafort's notes from a controversial Trump Tower meeting with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign included the word "donations," near a reference to the Republican National Committee, two sources briefed on the evidence told NBC News.  The references, which have not been previously disclosed, elevated the significance of the June 2016 meeting for congressional investigators, who are focused on determining whether it included any discussion of donations from Russian sources to either the Trump campaign or the Republican Party.  It is illegal for foreigners to donate to American elections. The meeting happened just as Trump had secured the Republican nomination for president, and he was considered a longshot to win. Manafort was the campaign chairman at the time.  Manafort's notes, typed on a smart phone and described by one source briefed on the matter as cryptic, were turned over to the House and Senate intelligence committees and to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. They contained the words "donations," and "RNC" in close proximity, the sources said."

Be interesting to see if this in fact goes anywhere:

"Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni told NBC News that "it is 100 percent false to suggest this meeting included any discussion of donations from Russian sources to either the Trump campaign or the Republican Party. Mr. Manafort provided the Senate Intelligence Committee with the facts and his notes so this speculation and conjecture is pointless and wrong."  As NBC News has reported, Mueller is closely scrutinizing the Trump Tower meeting, which was hosted by President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and was attended by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, along with Manafort."

Equally to the point:

"The sources told NBC News that prosecutors want to know what Trump knew about the meeting and whether he sought to conceal its purpose."

If true, called obstruction.

The Washington Post reports:

"Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is reviewing a letter drafted by President Trump and a top aide in the days before the firing of FBI Director James B. Comey laying out in detail why the president wanted to get rid of the country’s top law enforcement official, according to people familiar with the Mueller probe.  The multi-page letter enumerated Trump’s long-simmering complaints with Comey, according to people familiar with it, including Trump’s frustration that Comey was unwilling to say publicly that Trump was not personally under investigation in the FBI’s inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Why should Trump have pressured Comey or even cared if all was on the up and up?

"Trump drafted the letter with senior policy adviser Stephen Miller on an early-May weekend visit to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., and then shared it with senior aides during an Oval Office meeting the day before the firing, according to people familiar with the discussions.  Some aides urged caution, these people said. And Trump ultimately sent Comey a far shorter letter that described his decision as having been prompted by recommendations from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who served as Comey’s direct supervisors — a description that was echoed in initial public statements by White House officials."

All this could have profound implications for Trump and his henchmen:

"The letter, which was first reported by the New York Times, as well as internal White House communications before Comey’s ouster, could now become key evidence for Mueller as he examines whether the Comey firing was part of an effort to obstruct the Russia investigation. The contents of the letter was described in detail by several people who had read versions of it."

NBC News reports:

"Investigators for Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the office of New York's Attorney General are coordinating their probes of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort's finances.  A senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the matter confirms the cooperation, which was first reported by Politico. The official said coordination is not surprising given the common subject of the investigation and the desire for the two teams to coordinate their efforts."

Noose figuratively tightens.

The Washington Post reports:

"Politico reported Wednesday that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is teaming up with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in the investigation of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. This is extremely bad news for Manafort and others at the center of Mueller’s broader investigation into the campaign.  Federal rules and Justice Department policy clearly provide for such cooperation and would even allow Mueller to share confidential grand jury information with Schneiderman’s office with court approval. Beyond that, there is always a great deal of information not covered by grand jury secrecy that could be freely shared. But although certainly not unheard of, federal and state prosecutors cooperating in an investigation is relatively unusual, at least in a white-collar case."

Think Trump and his henchmen remain unconcerned?

"By teaming with Schneiderman, Mueller has deftly removed one of the biggest potential obstacles to his investigation. If any Trump associates were feeling comforted by the president’s pardon power, things just got decidedly more uncomfortable."

NBC News reports:

"President Donald Trump’s unusual pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, issued before his federal case was even finished, has sparked a debate over whether the president could end Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe with a spate of pre-emptive pardons.  But even mass pardons of all suspects in the Russia case would not close the door to potential prosecutions.  While presidential pardons can halt the federal case, local prosecutors could then pursue any Americans suspected of aiding Russia’s election meddling. In fact, legal experts say presidential pardons could make that prospect more likely.  According to a new MSNBC legal analysis, federal pardons could open the door to local criminal investigations in several states."

Noose certainly figuratively tightens.  Clearly, the benefit of a democratic republic.

CNN reports:

"President Donald Trump's legal team has met with special counsel Robert Mueller to discuss the investigation and has prepared memos arguing Trump did not obstruct justice when he fired then-FBI Director James Comey, a source familiar with the memos tells CNN.  The source said the memos prepared for Mueller argue the President's powers under the Constitution inherently give him the right to fire the FBI director for any reason, meaning the move could not have been obstruction of justice.  The President's lawyers have said publicly they would file a complaint against Comey with the Department of Justice. Instead, the source said one of the memos written to Mueller was written as that complaint."

Clearly, Trump and his henchmen are rattled.  Beginning to figuratively show blood.

CBS News reports:

"In a filing made public Friday, lawyers for the Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote that the department has no records supporting President Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama ordered wiretaps of Trump Tower.  "Both [the Federal Bureau of Investigation] and [National Security Division] confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described by the March 4, 2017 tweets," the DOJ said in the filing, referring to Mr. Trump's tweets."

Translation?  The president lied.  Couldn't be, could it?

"A group called American Oversight filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for department records related to Mr. Trump's claim, and took the Justice Department to court to compel production of any such records.  In a statement, the group's executive director, Austin Evers, said the FBI and Justice Department have sided with former FBI director James Comey, who testified to Congress that he knew of no evidence that Obama ordered wiretapping at Mr. Trump's namesake property in Manhattan.  "As the president and his legal team continue their smear campaign against Mr. Comey, Special Counsel [Robert] Mueller and others investigating him, this filing confirms that even Trump's own Department of Justice does not believe he has credibility on a key element of the Russia investigation," Evers said."

You think?

"He continued, "With Special Counsel Mueller's team closing in -- and reportedly investigating attempts by Mr. Trump to mislead the public on Russia -- this filing serves as further proof that the president's words simply cannot be trusted."

NPR reports:

"The Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., has become the place to see and be seen in the nation's capital. The opulent setting is a magnet for foreign dignitaries, lobbyists, Republican and conservative groups that want to rub shoulders with administration officials.  Now, the Trump Organization's lease for the building is facing a new review by an inspector general."

As well it should be.

"It's not unusual for people of similar political stripes to gravitate toward the same setting. "But we've never had a situation like this where the president's name is there on the front of the building," says Don Fox, a former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics now with the Culver Academies in Indiana. "A building by the way owned by the taxpayers, and the name is up there in big bold letters for anybody to see."

Gets worse, more convoluted.

"The profits — from the drinks to the rooms to the parking — go back to President Trump's organization. This bothers Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, in large part because the hotel is located in a federal building."

The president is using the cover of office to line his bottomless pockets.

"It's unprecedented to have a president basically benefiting from a federal property lease. In effect, the president is both the landlord and tenant in this case," he says.  In 2013, Trump signed a 60-year lease with the General Services Administration, the agency that owns the building. The $180 million contract specifically states that no elected official may benefit from the lease. But the GSA has ruled that the lease is valid because the president moved his interests in the hotel into a revocable trust."

Means Trump himself ultimately controls the trust, can revoke it any time he chooses.

"Now, the GSA Inspector General's Office is reviewing the "management and administration" of the contract, a GSA spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to Federal News Radio.  For his part, DeFazio wants documents that show how the GSA made its case.  "The acting head of the GSA defended these actions, which seem highly irregular and improper, refused to provide the documents on which this ... judgment was based," he says."

Protected the Trump nazi.

"Despite the high vacancy rate, the hotel made a profit of roughly $2 million, thanks to room rates averaging $650 a night."

Think Trump isn't in violation of the Emoluments Clause?

9-8-17

In an editorial in The Washington Post, Sen. John McCain opines:

"Congress will return from recess next week facing continued gridlock as we lurch from one self-created crisis to another. We are proving inadequate not only to our most difficult problems but also to routine duties. Our national political campaigns never stop. We seem convinced that majorities exist to impose their will with few concessions and that minorities exist to prevent the party in power from doing anything important."

Indeed, quite true.  Equally to the point?

"That’s not how we were meant to govern. Our entire system of government — with its checks and balances, its bicameral Congress, its protections of the rights of the minority — was designed for compromise. It seldom works smoothly or speedily. It was never expected to.  It requires pragmatic problem-solving from even the most passionate partisans. It relies on compromise between opposing sides to protect the interests we share. We can fight like hell for our ideas to prevail. But we have to respect each other or at least respect the fact that we need each other."

Sadly, no longer the case in our formerly great country.

"That has never been truer than today, when Congress must govern with a president who has no experience of public office, is often poorly informed and can be impulsive in his speech and conduct.  We must respect his authority and constitutional responsibilities. We must, where we can, cooperate with him. But we are not his subordinates. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the American people. We must be diligent in discharging our responsibility to serve as a check on his power. And we should value our identity as members of Congress more than our partisan affiliation."

The Congress, Judiciary, and President are co-equal branches of government under the United States Constitution.  The Trump nazi has no clue the president in a democratic republic is not a nazi fuhrer.  Should Republicans remain unable or willing to rein in the Trump nazi, they will not be returned to office.

9-8-17

North Korean threat escalates.  NPR reports:

"U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley tells the U.N. Security Council that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "begging for war," with the latest nuclear test that Pyongyang says is its first fusion device, a much more powerful weapon than it has exploded in the past.  "Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited," Haley told an emergency session of the 15-member Security Council in New York."

What does she propose be done?  Preemptive conventional or nuclear attack on the North?  Consider the consequences.

"She said that incremental sanctions on North Korea imposed by the Security Council since 2006 had failed to stop Pyongyang's march toward more powerful and dangerous weapons. She said Kim appeared to be "begging for war."  "Despite our efforts the North Korea nuclear program is more advanced and more dangerous than ever," she said.  "We must adopt the strongest possible measures," Haley said."

What measures?  China remains unwilling to sever all trade with North Korea.  Even if it did, consider the consequences.  What would the North Korean regime have to lose?  Could immediately invade the South.  The U.S. response would likely be lightning quick and nuclear.  Reportedly, with some 38,000 U.S. troops in the South faced with a one-million North Korean force invading, what other option would there be?

Even if the North were quickly obliterated, turned into glass, consider the consequences to the region.  Ubiquitous death, destruction in the South, other nations in the region including Japan.  A catastrophe of epic proportions.  No quick or easy military options.  Should the U.S. attempt to shoot down a pending North Korean ICBM missile test, consider the consequences should it fail.

NPR reports:

"North Korea claims it has again tested a hydrogen bomb underground and that it "successfully" loaded it onto the tip of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a claim that if true, crosses a "red line" drawn by South Korea's president last month.  In a state media announcement, North Korea confirmed the afternoon tremors in its northeast were indeed caused by the test of a nuclear device, and that leader Kim Jong Un personally signed off on the test."

Trump's response:

"North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States," President Trump tweeted Sunday morning in response. "North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success."

China clearly fears the consequences should  it completely cut off its ally.  At the same time, status quo remains achingly unsustainable.

The Washington Times reports:

"The Trump administration was weighing all options Sunday night, including a retaliatory military strike, in response to North Korea’s test of a powerful hydrogen bomb that Pyongyang claimed could be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland."

No good options.  Especially dangerous, since the Trump nazi remains egregiously unfit for office.  Severely lacks judgment.  Temperament sorely in question.

Far more frightening?  The only way to be absolutely sure a nuclear-tipped ICBM works?  You guessed it.  The last time such a test was conducted in the atmosphere dates back almost sixty years.  Remains against international law.  What if the unthinkable happens and the North Koreans conduct such a test?

9-8-17

Even before the Trump nazi ruled on DACA, Republicans broke ranks.  Clearly, wish to return to office.  NBC News reports:

"President Donald Trump will face significant backlash from Congress, including from members of his own party, if he goes through with ending protections for young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children."

These kids are as American as our forebears who migrated here from Europe centuries ago, stole this land from Native Americans.  Now, descendants of our forebears wish to deny DACA kids sanctuary and a path to citizenship?  Hypocrisy stunning.  Nazi Right Wing Republicans?  Many of them, hopelessly out of control.

"While Democrats are overwhelmingly united in their effort to preserve the policy, some influential Republican lawmakers have signaled support as well for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, instituted under the Obama administration in 2012."

Imagine that.  Indeed, they have:

"It is right for there to be consequences for those who intentionally entered this country illegally," Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said in a statement Monday. "However, we as Americans do not hold children legally accountable for the actions of their parents."

"I don't think he should do that. I believe that this is something Congress has to fix," House Speaker Paul Ryan said during a radio interview last week.

"Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, one of Trump's top conservative defenders in the Senate, also released a statement last week advocating for DACA's survival.  "I've urged the president not to rescind DACA, an action that would further complicate a system in serious need of a permanent, legislative solution," Hatch said. "Like the president, I've long advocated for tougher enforcement of our existing immigration laws. But we also need a workable, permanent solution for individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own."

CBS News reports:

"Retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, spoke out Sunday on Twitter against Mr. Trump's upcoming announcement about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

"After teasing #Dreamers for months with talk of his "great heart," @POTUS slams door on them. Some "heart"...
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) September 4, 2017

"In another tweet, Ros-Lehtinen said that if reports about the president ending the program within six months are true, Congress "must work to immediately pass law protecting #Dreamers who only know the US."

She wasn't the only Republican:

"Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, who's up for reelection next year, is also criticizing the move. In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Flake was asked why Mr. Trump should go back on his campaign promise to end DACA.   "Because it would be the right thing to do to go back on a promise," Flake said. "Obviously, you hope that presidents keep some of their campaign promises and you hope that they ignore others. This is one that he ought to ignore. There are 800,000 DACA kids, kids who were brought across the border. The median age, I think, is 6 years old for those 800,000 when they came across the border. They should not be punished for the sins of their parents. That's just the basic principle that we ought to follow here."

Indeed.  Clearly, not all Republicans are fascists like the Trump nazi.

"On Friday, top Republicans Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called on the president to hold off on terminating the program.  "I actually don't think he should do that," Ryan said on Wisconsin radio station WCLO. "And I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix. Let me back up for a second. President Obama did not have the legislative authority to do what he did. You can't, as an executive, write law out of thin air. And so that's very, very clear. We've made that very clear."  Hatch also said Friday, "I've urged the president not to rescind DACA, an action that would further complicate a system in serious need of a permanent, legislative solution."

CNN reports:

"The head of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday he would quit President Donald Trump's National Diversity Council if he decides to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.  "I am out if he ends it," Javier Palomarez told CNN's Poppy Harlow.  He added, though, that he plans to "work until the bloody end to make sure that we can get our case across to the President."

Good luck.

"We're dealing with a President that gave his word, that promised that he would take care of these 800,000 young people," he said.  Palomarez also expressed his disappointment Monday, telling CNN's Jim Acosta that Trump would be going back on his word to treat the recipients of the program with "heart" if he does make the decision to end it.  "If he gets rid of DACA, he's showing that he is a liar," Palomarez said."

Trump has proven time and time again he remains a congenital liar.

Once again, the Trump nazi demonstrated egregious unfitness for office.  The Washington Post reports:

"The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would begin to unwind an Obama-era program that allows younger undocumented immigrants to live in the country without fear of deportation, calling the program unconstitutional but offering a partial delay to give Congress a chance to address the issue.  The decision, after weeks of intense deliberation between President Trump and his top advisers, represents a blow to hundreds of thousands of immigrants known as “dreamers” who have lived in the country illegally since they were children. But it also allows the White House to shift some of the pressure and burden of determining their future onto Congress, setting up a public fight over their legal status that is likely to drag on for months."

What will likely happen, regardless of whether or not Congress acts, lawsuit after lawsuit will be filed across the country against this action by the Trump nazi and his henchman, the Sessions nazi.  -- Regardless of whether or not Obama acted unconstitutionally, hard to believe the courts will ultimately allow DACA kids to be deported from this country since the former President had assured them if they came forward out of the shadows and applied, their information provided in good faith to our government would not be held against them, used to ultimately deport them.

"The Department of Homeland Security said it would no longer accept new applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which has provided renewable, two-year work permits to nearly 800,000 dreamers. The agency said those enrolled in DACA will be able to continue working until their permits expire; those whose permits expire by March 5, 2018 will be permitted to apply for two-year renewals as long as they do so by Oct. 5.  New applications and renewal requests already received by DHS before Tuesday will be reviewed and validated on a case-by-case basis, even those for permits that expire after March 5, officials said."

This change in policy by the Trump nazi and his AG sidekick, the Sessions nazi, offers proof positive both men remain racist, bigoted nazis in the mold of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini.

"Trump administration officials cast the decision as a humane way to unwind the program and called on lawmakers to provide a legislative solution to address the immigration status of the dreamers. Senior DHS officials emphasized that if Congress fails to act and work permits begin to expire, dreamers will not be high priorities for deportations — but they would be issued notices to appear at immigration court if they are encountered by federal immigration officers."

A nazi president and his henchmen cannot be trusted.  Repeatedly proven themselves to be congenital liars.

"There are no plans for DHS to share personal information, including home addresses, of dreamers who registered for work permits with enforcement officers unless there is an immediate concern over national security, the officials said."

Alice In Wonderland bullshit.  A lie.

"Immigrant rights groups quickly denounced Trump's decision. More than 150 immigration activists protested front of the White House Tuesday morning, calling the president a “liar” and a “monster."

Trump is indeed a congenital liar, mentally unfit for office.  Presents an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

"The decision “is inhumane, cruel and shameful,” said Vanita Gupta, president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “There is no legal, ethical, or moral justification for ending DACA, which is a lawful program. President Trump manufactured this unnecessary crisis.  Congress must now act immediately to pass the Dream Act without any partisan, divisive amendments to permanently protect these young people.”

Good luck.  No foreign power, no terrorist group, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all levels and branches of government and their criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who enforce their will.  The dream all but dead.  The goddamned de facto fascist police-state we already live in, now transforms to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

Doomsday clock striking ever closer to midnight.  Hear the rumble?  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.  A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Sieg Heil!, Mr. 'President?'  You're out of uniform, sir.  Where is your swastika armband, Mr. 'President?'

NPR reports:

"The announcement was made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime opponent of the policy. He called DACA "unilateral executive amnesty," and said the Obama administration "deliberately sought to achieve what the legislative branch specifically refused to authorize on multiple occasions. Such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch." He said DACA "denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs."  Sessions added, "We cannot admit everyone who would like to come here. It's just that simple."

No.  It's not that simple.  Only, a goddamned racist nazi would so egregiously convolute, deliberately distort reality.  Forget?  They were already here, you insane nazi.  Brought here as kids, you clueless piece of shit.  No less American than our forebears who came to this land and stole it from Native Americans.  Once again, you and your fuhrer have disgraced yourselves.  Much more to come as this atrocity develops.

Amazing how Trump sounds frighteningly more and more like Adolf Hitler in the old German newsreels of the 1930s.  The Washington Times reports:

"President Trump said Tuesday he’s eager to solve the challenge of illegal young immigrants “with heart and compassion,” but he could not allow former President Barack Obama’s illegal and dangerous amnesty program to continue."

Mighty 'patriotic' of the Trump nazi, isn't it?  Self-serving, achingly disingenuous bullshit at its worst.

“In referencing the idea of creating new immigration rules unilaterally, President Obama admitted that ‘I can’t just do these things by myself’ — and yet that is exactly what he did, making an end-run around Congress and violating the core tenets that sustain our Republic,” Mr. Trump said in a statement."

Jesus Christ.  The goddamned kettle calling the pot black.  A crock of shit.  Haven't you done precisely the same, Mr. 'President?'  Isn't that exactly why your sorry ass has repeatedly been hauled into court since inauguration?  Seem to have forgotten you're president of a supposedly democratic republic, not a goddamned nazi fuhrer the two other co-equal branches of government remain beholden to.

"The administration announced Tuesday it is ending the program known as DACA, which allowed illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to be shielded from deportation.  Mr. Trump said only Congress can make immigration law."

Isn't that precisely, Mr. 'President,' what you, yourself have done with all your goddamned outrageously unconstitutional immigration executive orders that continue to get shot down in court?

“There can be no path to principled immigration reform if the executive branch is able to rewrite or nullify federal laws at will,” Mr. Trump said."

Jesus Christ, Mr. 'President.'  Follow your own goddamned advice.  Stop legislating 'law,' that is, your nazi dictates in outrageously unconstitutional executive orders that continue to fail to stand up in court.

"He also said DACA helped to create a humanitarian disaster by encouraging more illegal immigrant children to come to the U.S. after 2012."

Jesus Christ.  This shameless nazi again gutlessly casts blame on the victims of the crime, rather than their nazi oppressors.  Gets worse.  More outrageous.  More unadulterated bullshit, re-write of history, determined convoluted distortion of reality:

“The temporary implementation of DACA by the Obama administration, after Congress repeatedly rejected this amnesty-first approach, also helped spur a humanitarian crisis — the massive surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America including, in some cases, young people who would become members of violent gangs throughout our country, such as MS-13,” the president said. “Only by the reliable enforcement of immigration law can we produce safe communities, a robust middle class, and economic fairness for all Americans.”

Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini couldn't have said it better, right, Mr. 'President?'  Emulating these two nazis, are you, Donald?  As Hitler ludicrously blamed the Jews for crimes they never committed, so too does the Trump nazi vis a vis the Dreamers.  Once again, Mr. 'President,' you've disgraced yourself.  Dishonored the office you remain egregiously unqualified for.

The Trump nazi's agenda is clear.  Blame the defenseless for crimes they did not commit to 'justify' transforming the goddamned fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.  While his equally insane supporters cluelessly cheer the nazi on.  In an effort to distract public attention from this bought and paid for government's traitorous effort to abrogate all civil and constitutional rights and liberties on behalf of its corporate masters.  Who remain determined to ultimately run and own it all.

Former President Obama responded quickly, sharply.  NPR reports:

"Former President Barack Obama criticized the Trump administration for once again casting a shadow of deportation over young people who were brought to the country illegally as children.   Obama renewed his call for Congress to grant permanent protection to these so-called DREAMers.  "To target these young people is wrong, because they have done nothing wrong," Obama wrote in a Facebook post. "It is self-defeating — because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel."

Reminiscent of Hitler's Third Reich, circa 1933.

"Obama rejected the administration's claim that its action was driven by a legal challenge from conservative states.  "Let's be clear," Obama said. "The action taken today isn't required legally. It's a political decision and a moral question."

History perniciously repeating itself.

"Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we shouldn't threaten the future of this group of young people who are here through no fault of their own," Obama wrote. "Kicking them out won't lower the unemployment rate, or lighten anyone's taxes, or raise anybody's wages."

That's right.  Won't.

CBS News reports:

"DACA allowed some 800,000 people to legally work and reside in the U.S. "Kicking them out won't lower the unemployment rate, or lighten anyone's taxes, or raise anybody's wages," Mr. Obama wrote.   "To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel," he said in the statement."

A pernicious repeat of history.

"The post says that the Obama administration implemented DACA "because it made no sense to expel talented, driven, patriotic young people from the only country they know solely because of the actions of their parents." It argues that the Trump administration's decision to rescind the immigration executive order is an affront to "basic decency."

A nazi knows no decency.  What psychopath, sociopath does?  ... Right, Donald?  Jeff?

"This is about whether we are a people who kick hopeful young strivers out of America, or whether we treat them the way we'd want our own kids to be treated. It's about who we are as a people – and who we want to be," Mr. Obama wrote.  "These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper," the post states."

Trump and Sessions have again shown their true colors.  Several states are considering suing.  CBS News reports:

"At least three states are considering legal action against the Trump administration in the wake of the decision announced Tuesday to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has deferred deportations for more than 780,000 people.  California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a former Democratic member of Congress, said that he is prepared to sue the administration over the decision to halt the program. About a quarter of DACA recipients, 220,000 people, live in California, he said.  "Ending the program is devastating not just for recipients, but for our economy. California businesses would lose more than a billion dollars in turnover costs," he said in a statement. "California is taking action because one in four DACA grantees live in our great state. I will do everything I can to fight for them."

California is not alone:

"Washington state's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, also said his state is mulling over a legal challenge.  "Washington state will consider every option possible to challenge the repeal of DACA, including legal action, coordination with other states and any executive action that could help protect Dreamers," said Inslee, who noted that about 17,000 "Dreamers" live in his state.  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, tweeted Monday, "We will not stand by as 42,000 New Yorkers are deported. If President Trump rescinds DACA, we will sue."

Do so.  Should happen all across our formerly great country.

Not all in the corporate management suite march in goose step with Trump and his nazi base.  NPR reports:

"America's business leaders are speaking out against President Trump's move to end DACA."

Imagine that.  Couldn't be, could it?  At the very least, enlightened self-interest at work here.

"The president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, took a notable stand. He said not only will his company lobby for a legislative solution but also that Microsoft is calling on Congress to make immigration the top priority, before tax reform. And he is calling on other business leaders to follow suit.  "There is nothing that we will be pushing on more strongly for Congress to act on," Smith said in an interview with NPR. "We put a stake in the ground. We care about a tax reform bill. The entire business community cares about a tax reform. And yet it is very clear today a tax reform bill needs to be set aside until the DREAMers are taken care of. They have a deadline that expires in six months. Tax reform can wait."

Indeed, it can.  Especially, at a time of record corporate profits and cash reserves.  Especially, at a time where most corporations pay nowhere near the top tax rates.  Many pay little to nothing.  Get this:

"Smith also said if the government moves to deport DREAMers who are Microsoft employees, "it's going to have to go through us to get that person."

Microsoft certainly has more than sufficient capital to legally fight the Trump nazi and his henchmen.  ... A surprising breath of fresh air coming from a high official at a major corporation.

"This is the second time in a week that Smith has spoken out. Last Thursday, Smith and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella both issued statements calling on the administration to preserve DACA. Nadella, a first-generation immigrant from India, struck a personal note: "I am a product of two uniquely American attributes: the ingenuity of American technology reaching me where I was growing up, fueling my dreams, and the enlightened immigration policy that allowed me to pursue my dreams."

These two men weren't the only ones:

"Meanwhile, in a letter to employees this morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook said more than 250 Apple workers are affected by the DACA repeal and that he has been hearing from them all weekend.  "I want to assure you that Apple will work with members of Congress from both parties to advocate for a legislative solution that provides permanent protections for all the Dreamers in our country," Cook said."

Need to do far more than that.  Put your money where your mouth is.  That's what it's going to take to combat this scourge.

"Dozens of CEOs including Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Reed Hastings from Netflix, Randall Stephenson from AT&T and Tim Sloan of Wells Fargo wrote a letter addressed to the president asking him to preserve the program."

A good start, but clearly insufficient.

Consider the following:

"The leaders argued that all DACA recipients grew up in America and give back to the community and pay income taxes. They said: "More than 97 percent are in school or in the workforce, 5 percent started their own business, 65 percent have purchased a vehicle, and 16 percent have purchased their first home. At least 72 percent of the top 25 Fortune 500 companies count DACA recipients among their employees."

DACA recipients contribute to this country.  Clearly, are not leeches.  No burden on the system.

"In a public post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said about Trump's announcement: "This is a sad day for our country" and that he and his immigration advocacy vehicle at Fwd.US will be "doing even more in the weeks ahead to make sure Dreamers have the protections they deserve."

You need to put your money where your mouth is.  This needs to be fought in court, not only in Congress.

The pressure on the Trump nazi in reaction to this atrocity must be enormous.  The bastard has said he may revisit the issue if Congress fails to act in the six months he has allotted them.

The Washington Post reports:

"A group of attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday to stop the administration from winding down the DACA program, which granted a reprieve from deportation to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.  The suit, filed in federal court in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was a “culmination” of President Trump’s “oft-stated commitments — whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof — to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots.”

No more than unbridled bigotry.

"The suit says that unwinding the program would damage states because DACA beneficiaries pay taxes, go to state universities and contribute in other ways and that phasing out the program would jeopardize their ability to do those things.  “Rescinding DACA will cause harm to hundreds of thousands of the States’ residents, injure State-run colleges and universities, upset the States’ workplaces, damage the States’ economies, hurt State-based companies, and disrupt the States’ statutory and regulatory interests,” the attorneys general wrote in the suit."

9-8-17

Just as interesting?  Consider the following.  The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump confounded leaders from his own party on Wednesday by siding with Democrats on plans to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling, upending negotiations on a variety of crucial policy areas this fall and further damaging relationships with Republicans on Capitol Hill."

Stunning, isn't it?  Might not be a bad thing, -- if in fact it sparks some bipartisanship.

"Trump made his position clear at a White House meeting with congressional leaders on Wednesday, agreeing with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) by voicing support for a three-month bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for the same amount of time."

Imagine that. Think it might have rattled the cage of the Republican leadership?

“We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer,” Trump told reporters Wednesday on Air Force One while traveling to North Dakota. “We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred — very important — always we’ll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it.”

Think Republicans aren't scrambling?  LOL.

Believe friction isn't growing between congressional Republicans and Trump and his nazi henchmen?  CNN reports:

"House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week in a letter where he threatened Sessions with a public grilling if he doesn't produce documents about the Russia dossier to the House intelligence committee.  Nunes, who despite stepping aside from directing the House Russia investigation has been leading his own separate investigation, accused Sessions and the FBI of stonewalling him repeatedly in a September 1 letter obtained by CNN. In the letter, he threatened to drag Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray before the committee for a public grilling and hold them in contempt of Congress -- a jailable offense -- if they don't hand over the documents."

Precisely, what should happen should the stonewalling continue.

9-8-17

Progress is being made as Republican national socialists continue to show their true colors.  NPR reports:

"Ask AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka about the climate for unions on this Labor Day weekend, and he starts with something positive: a new Gallup poll showing public support for unions at its highest point since 2003.  "There's much more excitement about unions," Trumka says during an interview in his Washington, D.C., office just across Lafayette Square Park and with a view of the White House. He adds that, "over 61 percent of the people in the country support unions."  That number is significant, especially when you consider that just 8 years ago — in the wake of the deep financial crisis, automobile company bailouts and serious economic troubles that then-new President Obama was dealing with — that just 48 percent of Americans expressed a positive view of unions in a similar Gallup poll."

Short of a revolution, the only way to rein in the corporate management suite is organized labor.

"But the AFL-CIO's Trumka says, as appealing as that message may have been to many union members, Trump hasn't delivered as president: "His promises in the campaign haven't matched up with what he's done."

They haven't.  Quite the opposite.

"Instead, Trumka says, there's been an assault by the president and his administration on regulations that protect workers in so many ways. He begins listing them right off the top of his head: "Health and safety regulations that protect us from things like — protecting us from beryllium and silica... Overtime regulations that would have brought overtime to 4 or 5 million people. Consumer protection regulations. Regulations on Wall street. He's done away with a number of those things."

Trump's base bought his bullshit.  Now paying the price.

The Washington Post reports:

"Unions are enjoying a popularity surge, with more than 61 percent of adults in the United States saying they now approve of organized labor — a five-point jump from last year, according to a new Gallup poll. That’s the highest approval rating since 2003, when 65 percent of respondents said the same, but it comes as union membership is falling.  About 14.6 million workers belonged to unions last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 240,000-member drop from 2015."

The following is extremely interesting:

"Though union ranks are shrinking, acceptance among conservatives seems to be rising, per the Gallup survey, which polled 1,000 people nationwide between August 2 and 6.  Forty-two percent of Republicans said they approved of unions, a jump from 2011, when only 26 percent of Republicans showed support."

Is that because GOP demographics are changing, or are some Republicans beginning to see the light?  Handwriting on the wall?

"Among Democrats, 81 percent of Democrats approved of unions, compared to 78 percent in 2011. Support among Independents has also climbed, reaching 61 percent from 52 percent six years ago."

9-8-17

Our nazi government continues to betray thousands and thousands of Afghan translators who put their lives on the line for U.S. military personnel.  NBC News reports:

"Since the special immigration visas (SIVs) were first instated for Afghans, 40,000 translators and their families have benefited from the program, a State Department official wrote in an email to NBC News. In fiscal year 2016, more than 10,000 people — 2,639 interpreters and their family members — were approved for SIVs.  No One Left Behind has been responsible for petitioning and financing SIVs for approximately 5,000 interpreters, Zeller said.  He estimates the SIV program is experiencing a visa backlog of close to 50,000. The State Department estimates there are 12,000 Afghan principal applicants currently at some phase of the SIV process."

These interpreters and their families remain in grave danger in Afghanistan.

"He said a large part of the holdup is due to the extreme vetting process the interpreters are subjected to, and the scarce number of spots the program allots each year.  “All 16 U.S. intelligence agencies have to individually investigate every single applicant on the application for a visa,” Zeller said. “The decision to let them in must be unanimous.”  He said if an applicant isn’t cleared by one agency, the application is not only tossed in the trash, but the applicant is permanently barred from entering the United States and placed on a no-fly list."

Nazi America.  What foreigner in his right mind would ever volunteer in the future to translate for our troops when so treated?

9-8-17

Courtesy of CNN, here is the text of the handwritten letter former President Obama left for the Trump nazi upon leaving office:

Dear Mr. President -

Congratulations on a remarkable run. Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.

This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don't know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.

First, we've both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune. Not everyone is so lucky. It's up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that's willing to work hard.

Second, American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It's up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order that's expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend.

Third, we are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions -- like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties -- that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.

And finally, take time, in the rush of events and responsibilities, for friends and family. They'll get you through the inevitable rough patches.

Michelle and I wish you and Melania the very best as you embark on this great adventure, and know that we stand ready to help in any ways which we can.

Good luck and Godspeed,

BO

9-1-17

Category 4 Hurricane Harvey inflicted a catastrophe of historic proportions on the State of Texas.  Despite profound political division within our state, seems the citizenry, businesses, state and federal governments are all rising to the occasion, -- at least for the moment.  Be interesting to see if this continues.

... Or gets lost in the weeds as our formerly great country continues to nazify.  Transforms from the de facto fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.  As always, the focus of this publication remains the same, --  loss of liberty, determined attack, concerted abrogation of all civil and constitutional rights and liberties by the Nazi Right.

The following should be of interest to Texas readers of this publication.  ABC News reports:

"As the federal government considers how best to help Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey, Rep. Pete King, whose home state of New York was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, reminded his Lone Star State colleagues that some of them voted against a $51 billion aid package that year.

    "Ted Cruz & Texas cohorts voted vs NY/NJ aid after Sandy but I'll vote 4 Harvey aid. NY wont abandon Texas. 1 bad turn doesn't deserve another
    — Rep. Pete King (@RepPeteKing) August 27, 2017"

Sad, isn't it?  Supposed to be one country, isn't it?  Doesn't the Trump nazi tell us so?

"At the time, many congressional Republicans insisted on spending cuts equal to the amount allocated to Sandy. Among the 36 senators voting against the final relief package were both Texas senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Of course, both GOP nazis have bullshit 'excuses.'

"Cornyn's press office noted that before his "no" vote, he supported an amendment that would have provided $24 billion in aid, minus what his team called "unrelated spending, which included money for things like repairing fisheries in the Pacific."  However, his staff did not say whether he would seek spending cuts corresponding to Harvey relief funding if Congress votes on the relief after legislators return next week."

Interesting, isn't it?

"In a 2013 statement after the Sandy bill passed, Cruz said the package contained what he called "billions in unrelated spending, including projects such as Smithsonian repairs, upgrades to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration airplanes and more funding for Head Start."  He reiterated that position Monday, saying during a cable news appearance from a Houston recovery center that two-thirds of the Sandy bill "had nothing to do with Sandy."

Think so?  Consider the following:

"While the 2013 Sandy bill did contain funding for all the things Cruz and Cornyn mentioned, each agency and program pointed to problems created by the storm that warranted the funding.  For example, the Health and Human Services administration for children and families noted that more than 100 Head Start and Early Head Start centers, which provide school readiness for children under 5 years old from low-income families, experienced physical damage from Sandy. The agency said the effects from the storm ranged from minor cleanup to destruction of facilities, which prompted Head Start recipient programs to request "funds to address urgent safety and mental health issues."  The fisheries funding cited by Cornyn's office included $5 million "for necessary expenses related to fishery disasters during calendar year 2012 that were declared by the secretary of commerce as a direct result of impacts from Hurricane Sandy," according to the NOAA."

The above is precisely why all politicians, both major political parties included, remain scorned, excoriated, despised, distrusted.  Considered self-serving, worthless, achingly duplicitous bullshitters.  Coup de grace?  Get this:

"In a statement released Monday, Cruz did not address Congress' likely role in funding Harvey recovery efforts, nor did his press office answer ABC News' questions about whether he would seek cuts to offset any funding allocated.  "I'm thankful for the assurances from President Trump and Vice President Pence that full federal assistance stands at the ready once we begin the recovery and rebuilding process," Cruz said in the statement.  He was not yet in office when the Senate voted on the pared-down amendment that Cornyn supported.  Cruz's predecessor Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison voted for it."

Imagine that.  The not-so-great Senator from Texas has once again demonstrated profound cowardice, abject gutlessness.  Inability, to effectively, truthfully answer well-deserved criticism he's sadly, but truly earned.  ... Not that Cornyn should be summarily ignored, excused for his equally egregious failure to do the same.

9-1-17

Yet another atrocity committed by Trump and his henchmen.  Apparently, the Sessions nazi and his master, the Trump nazi, are preparing for a revolution.  Why else would they resume shipment of surplus military weaponry to the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue?  CBS News reports:

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced new measures the Trump administration is taking to support the nation's police force by eliminating Obama-era restrictions on law enforcement's ability to acquire excess military equipment from federal programs."

Not just talking about bullet resistant body armor or helmets, dear readers.  No, not at all.

"These restrictions went too far, we will not put superficial concerns above public safety, we will do our best to get you what you need," said Sessions at the National Fraternal Order of Police conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday."

Think police need .50 cal. machine guns?  Grenade launchers?  Bayonets?  Think so?

"After the Ferguson, Missouri rioting in 2014, police were criticized for the use of military equipment like armored cars and large-caliber weapons on the streets. Obama ultimately signed an executive order halting many of the military surplus transfers. The executive action, which Sessions says Mr. Trump will sign sometime on Monday, will in effect reverse that."

Proof positive the Trump nazi and his henchmen are transforming the de facto goddamned fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.

"He said by Mr. Trump taking executive action, the administration is making it "easier to protect yourself and your community" something he says will "always be a priority of President Trump," whom he referred to as the "law and order president."

How is this nazi son of a bitch in the Oval Office a "law and order president" when he pardoned the convicted, criminal, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ before this goddamned criminal was even sentenced for his crimes?  How???

"Sessions also used the morning speech as a moment to condemn "slander" against police, saying rising crime rates should come as no surprise amid "divisive rhetoric" against the police, which "treats police officers like they're the problem."

The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue are the problem, you clueless, racist, nazi son of a bitch.  Wantonly murder on the job with impunity.  Shake down the innocent to line government coffers.  Legally, gutlessly steal from their easy prey targets through asset forfeiture.  Do so despite the fact their looted victims have been convicted of no crime.

No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than our government, all levels and branches, and their criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.  The Sessions nazi has his head figuratively lodged so far up his ass his eyeballs are turning inside out.

"This president stands with you, not just rhetorically, but in thought, word and deed," Sessions added. "I am proud to stand with you and the DOJ is proud to stand with you -- we have your back, we back the blue."

You shamelessly back the criminal  jackbooted bastards in blue who victimize, murder, shake down the innocent, Mr. Attorney General.  Have disgraced themselves, deliberately, intentionally, determinedly abrogated their falsely sworn oaths of office to protect and defend the United States Constitution.  You're out of uniform, Mr. Sessions.  Where is your swastika armband, you nazi son of a bitch?

NPR reports:

"The Trump administration is lifting limits on the transfer of some surplus military hardware, including grenade launchers, bayonets and large-caliber weapons, to police departments.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement in a speech on Monday to the Fraternal Order of Police conference in Nashville, Tenn. He said President Trump will issue an executive order that would restore in full a program that provides the military gear to local law enforcement."

Are you achingly clueless Republican fascists here in Nazi Llano County cheering the bastard on?

"During the unrest that followed the shooting, images of armored vehicles and police in riot gear toting assault rifles touched off a national debate about the militarization of law enforcement and relations between police and the communities they serve.  "We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like they're an occupying force," Obama said when he announced restrictions on the program that governs the equipment transfers.  On Monday, Sessions said those limits "went too far," and, in a jab at the previous administration, said "we will not put superficial concerns above public safety."

"Superficial concerns" regarding the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue who wantonly, shamelessly shake down and murder the innocent on the job?  Do so with impunity in a de facto goddamned fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

The Sessions nazi is a psychotic congenital liar.  Has nothing to do with public safety.  Quite the opposite.  This weaponry and equipment has been used against the public legally exercising its First Amendment right to peacefully protest.

What is the Sessions nazi and his equally convoluted nazi master in the Oval Office attempting to do?  Provoke an unwanted dreaded second American revolution already catastrophically looming?  Hear the rumble?  Doomsday clock striking ever closer to midnight.

"In his speech, Sessions zeroed in on items like helmets, bullet-proof vests, and first-responder and rescue equipment. But other hardware that police will once again have access to is more controversial: grenade launchers, high-caliber weapons, bayonets and even armed aircraft."

The former is not the issue.  The latter is.

"And while Sessions' remarks received applause from the crowd at the police conference, civil rights groups slammed the decision to lift the restrictions.  "We have an epidemic in the United States of police using excessive force, particularly against people of color, with injuries and deaths mounting," said Kanya Bennett of the American Civil Liberties Union. "It defies logic to arm the police with weapons of war — grenade launchers, high-caliber assault weapons, and more — but that's precisely what President Trump and Attorney General Sessions have decided to do."

That's exactly right.  The revolution doomsday clock indeed strikes ever closer to midnight.

9-1-17

Trump takes a raucous hard dump on justice.  NPR reports:

"President Trump has pardoned controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio for a misdemeanor criminal contempt conviction."

Surprise, surprise.  The nazi in the Oval Office pardoned a fellow racist, national socialist.  Who'd 'a 'thunk' it?  Couldn't be, could it?

"Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt earlier this summer for defying a judge's order that his deputies stop detaining immigrants because they lacked legal status. His deputies carried on the practice for 18 months."

Tip of the iceberg.  Far more this piece of shit should have been prosecuted for as covered in the last edition, -- as well as further on in this one.

"The statement issued by the White House said:

    "Arpaio's life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service. After serving in the Army, Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV and later served as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), formerly the Bureau of Narcotics. After 25 years of admirable service, Arpaio went on to lead the DEA's branch in Arizona.

    "In 1992, the problems facing his community pulled Arpaio out of retirement to return to law enforcement. He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon."

The Trump nazi failed to mention the rest of the long, sad, highly convoluted story of this racist nazi son of a bitch.  How about the fact Arpaio ran the County like a fiefdom?  How about the fact he took a raucous hard dump on the Constitution by detaining people he had no authority to detain in direct violation of the United States Constitution?  No more than false imprisonment.  List can go on and on, -- and will shortly.

"Among his most controversial measures, the sheriff instructed his deputies to detain Hispanic residents and inquire about their legal status. He then disregarded a federal judge's ruling that he didn't have the legal authority to do so."

Then, Trump pardons this outrageous criminal son of a bitch before he's even sentenced?  While Trump certainly had the constitutional authority to do so, it's no more than legalized obstruction of justice.

The Washington Times reports:

"Democrats, immigrant rights activists and other members of the anti-Trump resistance were enraged by President Trump’s pardon late Friday of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  And so was Sen. John McCain.  While most Republicans remained silent on the pardon, Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican who has frequently battled both Mr. Arpaio and Mr. Trump, released a statement saying the president had undercut his own proclamations of law and order.  “Mr. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge’s orders,” said Mr. McCain. “The president has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.”

Quite the opposite.  This unabashed racist nazi justifies them.  So does his mentor and protector, -- the Trump nazi.

"The White House did not discuss the facts of the case against Mr. Arpaio, which stemmed from a policy he implemented as a six-term sheriff, using traffic stops to try to spot illegal immigrants in his county, then turn them over to federal authorities for deportation."

The nazi son of a bitch had no constitutional authority to do so:

"A federal judge appeared to order the sheriff to halt the policy in 2011, finding it an unconstitutional act of racial profiling. But federal prosecutors said the sheriff’s department continued the practice.  Mr. Arpaio was convicted earlier this year by another federal judge of criminal contempt."

At a time of outrageous abuse of power by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue, this outrageous pardon by the Trump nazi assures these criminals in uniform they can continue to do as they please with impunity.

"Democrats said that to use the pardon power on someone newly convicted in a prosecution his own justice department oversaw was an odd step for the president.  “It is a shame to see the pardon power devalued like this. The ex-sheriff is a self-aggrandizing braggart who promoted racist law enforcement practices and cost taxpayers millions, and that is a reason they did not reelect him."

That's right.  No question.

“Nobody believed the president when he said he would be the ‘Law and Order’ president and he has proven us all right,” said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat."

Also quite true.  The president is a nazi fuhrer, a dictator unbeholden to anything, anyone other than his petulant whims.

"Mr. Gutierrez said that by choosing to pardon a man involved in racial profiling cemented views that Mr. Trump is catering to racists."

He is.  To the Nazi Right.

"Immigrant-rights groups also blasted Mr. Trump, saying the pardon upended the laws all Americans must abide by.  “Pardoning Joe Arpaio diminishes the very concept of law and order,” said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, who ticked off a list of transgressions by the former lawman, including racial profiling, defying the judge’s order and failing to investigate sex crimes.  “Moments like these are when we must ask ourselves what kind of country we want to live in: one that turns a blind eye on law and order, or one where we unite under our shared values to respect the humanity of immigrants,” Mr. Noorani said."

We're living in a fascist police-state, soon to be the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  A nazi and his henchmen are not humanitarians, have no ability to respect the humanity of anyone other than themselves and those who 'think' like them.

In another Washington Times article, they report:

"Neither of Arizona’s two U.S. senators – Republicans Jeff Flake and John McCain – endorsed President Trump’s pardon Friday evening of former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio.  “Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course,” Mr. Flake, Arizona’s junior senator, tweeted about an hour after the pardon was announced Friday night.  “The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions,” Mr. McCain, his senior counterpart, said in a statement of his own.  The senators’ reactions came shortly after the White House announced the pardon Friday night, hardly 72 hours after Mr. Trump hinted he would clear the retired lawman’s contempt of court conviction during a campaign style rally in Phoenix this week."

Sen. McCain got it quite right responding to the Trump nazi:

"In a statement announcing the pardon, the White House attributed Mr. Arpaio with “protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration,” adding: “after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is a worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.”  McCain's response:  “No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold,” Mr. McCain countered Friday.

CBS News reports:

"President Trump's decision to announce the pardon of controversial convicted former sheriff Joe Arpaio at 8 p.m. on a Friday as menacing Hurricane Harvey was about to make landfall in Texas did not go unnoticed."

Clearly, an act of cowardice on the part of the Trump nazi:

"Arpaio, convicted of criminal contempt of court for violating a federal court order to stop profiling Latinos in Arizona, was controversial enough, but the White House announcement drew bipartisan criticism. The news came two hours before Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane along the Texas coastline. Arpaio is seen as a political ally of the president, and they share similar views on immigration."

Both are unapologetic racist nazis.

"Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said Mr. Trump issued the pardon, "Under cover of hurricane and Friday night darkness."

Abject cowardice to be expected from a racist nazi.

"Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said the president appeared to be using Harvey as a cover to pardon Arpaio.

    "As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to 1/
    — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

    "Pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and 2/
    — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

    "Ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. 3/
    — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017"

When will all Republicans finally wake up?

"Another Republican, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, said the president pardoned someone who violated people's constitutional rights.

    "Arpaio was convicted of defying court order to stop violating #4thAmendment. It's a pardon of a govt official who ignored Bill of Rights.
    — Justin Amash (@justinamash) August 26, 2017"

Republicans fail to understand they will not be returned to office.

"Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut didn't mince words, saying the pardon was a "middle finger" to America.

    "The Arpaio pardon is basically a big middle finger to America. A loud, proud declaration that this Administration supports racism.
    — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 26, 2017"

That's exactly what it is.  Precisely what Trump and his henchmen embrace, promulgate, callously impose.

Here is precisely why the Trump nazi's pardon of Arpaio is an atrocity.  The following are excerpts from an article written by Francisco Chairez in The Washington Post:

"I was born in Mexico, grew up in Tijuana, and moved to Arizona when I was 14. I went to high school in a small town called Holbrook, then went to Phoenix to go to Arizona State University. By that time, roughly 2012, Joe Arpaio’s vicious anti-Latino tactics had already raised racial tensions in Maricopa County, where he was sheriff."

Arpaio is a bigoted nazi who would have made Adolf and Benito proud.

"At the time, Arpaio was infamous among my community for his “sweeps.” He would send police into restaurants, hotels or anywhere else he suspected undocumented people might be working and would arrest those who couldn’t produce IDs. People lived in fear of these sweeps; some families I knew even moved to New Mexico, hoping to escape Arpaio."

Outrageously unconstitutional.  The former sheriff is a goddamned traitor.  Egregiously betrayed his falsely sworn oath of office to protect and defend the United States Constitution.

"I heard all about Arpaio’s crusades firsthand. By 2014, I was working as a court interpreter for Maricopa County. Every day, I would interpret for Spanish-speaking people who had been arrested by Arpaio in the desert, trying to come to the United States to work. Arpaio’s men would arrest them and put them in detention facilities for months, holding them until they took a plea agreement — so he could get a conviction for them on the record. That way, if they ever tried to return to the United States, they would be placed in federal prison."

Arpaio ran his department and the County as a goddamned fiefdom.  Just like Blackburn in Nazi Llano County.  ... Right, Bill?

"That same year, I got into a bad relationship and I drove while drunk. I was arrested, and it took the county an entire year to prosecute me. I thought it was the worst year of my life, until I was convicted and sent to one of Arpaio’s jails.  The minute I turned myself in to go to jail, they took me to the Fourth Avenue jail, the county’s hub for all arrests. There, they put me through something called “the Matrix”: being moved from one cell to another for about 12 continuous hours. It was extremely cold, and all I was allowed to wear underneath the striped uniform I was given was underwear and flip-flops. Guards threw me a bag with old bread, an orange and milk; nothing else was offered, and sleeping was nearly impossible. I laid for hours on cold concrete, only to be hustled abruptly to another cell, and then another. Finally, they put me in chains and moved me to another jail by bus."

Egregious human rights violations for which Arpaio was never successfully criminally prosecuted.

"I arrived at one of Arpaio’s several “tent cities,” outdoor jails where inmates shelter in army tents, mostly exposed to the Arizona elements. I was there on a work furlough program, meaning that I was allowed to leave to work during the day. Every day after work, I would return to the jail and spend the night in the tents. Each Sunday was spent entirely in the jail.  The rules of the tent city were strict, arbitrary and brutally enforced. There are no newspapers allowed; Arpaio hated newspapers. The only food allowed for those of us in the work furlough program was the food in the vending machines, which was grossly overpriced.   During the sweltering summer, the temperature could reach 115 or 120 degrees. I was in the tents when we hit 120. It was impossible to stay cool in the oppressive heat. Everyone would strip down to their underwear. There was no cold water, only water from vending machines; and eventually, the machines would run out. People would faint; some had heatstroke. That summer, ambulances came about three times. One man died in his bed."

Arpaio should have been prosecuted for murder.  If convicted, executed.

"But the winter was even worse. During the winter, there were no heaters. Most jackets and heavily insulated pants weren’t allowed; they don’t want you to be comfortable.  When the temperatures dropped, we were forced to come up with makeshift ways to keep ourselves warm. The showers were kept scalding hot during both summer and winter. We hated to shower, but we would fill our empty water bottles up with the nearly boiling water and put the bottles between our blankets when it was freezing outside. We also would save the plastic bags we found when we cleaned up the jail yard and wrap our feet with them, tucking hot water bottles inside to keep our feet warm while we slept.  Still, it was freezing, achingly cold. I was in so much pain that winter that now, when I’m cold, it reminds me of being there."

Egregious human rights violations in an American gulag run by the racist Arpaio nazi.

"Arpaio saved worse abuse for others. Those who were in full detention had to wear pink socks, underwear and flip-flops. They ate peanut butter and bread, and the only other meal they received was baloney and bread. They also had the option of “slob,” which was an unknown, disgusting substance that looked like some kind of thick stew and tasted like cardboard. (The poor people in the work furlough program who couldn’t pay for vending-machine food had no choice but to eat it.)"

Think this shit goes on only in Russian, Iranian, and North Korean gulags?  Wake up.

"It’s hard to recall memories of that year. When I heard Friday that President Trump had decided to pardon Arpaio, I was disgusted, dispirited and disappointed in the American political system.  I am not ashamed of what I did: I committed a crime and I paid my dues."

Kicker?  Carefully consider the following:

"How ironic it is, that the immigrant who committed a minor criminal act has to live with a conviction on his record for the rest of his life, while a criminal like Arpaio gets to walk away unscathed for his crimes, which are greater in scale and severity."

Indeed.  To be expected in a goddamned de facto fascist police-state, soon to become the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"The people of Maricopa County have done so much — spent time, money and energy — trying to let the world know what Arpaio had done. And in a single moment, Trump has destroyed all of that hard work, all of those voices. The president should be bringing us together, especially in the wake of something like Charlottesville, but I think that Trump wants us to be divided, specifically by race. Arpaio’s pardon is proof of that.  There’s evil in the world that’s unrepentant, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. Arpaio being pardoned is a nightmare come true."

Indeed.  The son of a bitch needs to be aggressively sued by those he victimized.  Attorneys need to step up.  Rise to the occasion.

Special Counsel Mueller needs to investigate the Trump nazi for allegedly pressuring nazi U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to drop the federal prosecution of Arpaio.

NPR reports:

"Matthew Axelrod, a Justice Department official during the Obama administration, said "the granting of this pardon exhibits disrespect" for the federal judiciary.  "By pardoning him," Axelrod said, "Trump effectively neutered the ability of the judge who issued that order to have it enforced. That's a dangerous precedent."  He added: "Sheriff Arpaio was not convicted of 'doing his job,' as he said the other day, he was convicted of failing to enforce the law consistent with the Constitution."

To be expected from a nazi fuhrer, not the president of the United States.

The Washington Times reports:

"President Trump’s pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio has set off a new round of recriminations, with Republicans saying they disagreed with the decision and Democrats saying it was an unforgivable abuse of power that presages still more political mischief.  Several anti-Trump lawmakers said the president was sending a signal to the Justice Department — and even to special counsel Robert Mueller, investigating Russian meddling in the election — that he is willing to go to great lengths to protect political allies."

Republicans do have a remedy for all this.  Impeach, convict, and remove the Trump nazi from office.  To not do so, imperils their return to office.

"Immigrant rights activists, meanwhile, said the president’s pardon was dismaying for Hispanics who for years had protested the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, and who mobilized en masse last year to defeat Mr. Arpaio, who was seeking a seventh term in office.  “It is disheartening that [the president] set the bar so very low for his first pardon,” said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the senior Democrat in the Senate. “It is a shame to see the pardon power devalued like this. The ex-sheriff is a self-aggrandizing braggart who promoted racist law enforcement practices and cost taxpayers millions, and that is a reason they did not re-elect him.”

Spot on.

"Mr. Trump’s first pardon signals he won’t be beholden to the Justice Department process that Mr. Obama followed.  Rep. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, said it also signals to Mr. Trump’s allies from the campaign that he may rescue them from political jeopardy from Mr. Mueller’s probe into the November election. A number of Trump campaign figures are potentially under scrutiny for dealings with Moscow.  “The concern I have is that he’s sending a message to people that may be under investigation by Bob Mueller that I have your back and I’ve got a pardon waiting for you,” Mr. Schiff said on MSNBC. “So I am concerned about that because obviously this is a president who is not above using the pardon power strictly in his own very narrow personal interest.”

The most important prime directive of any politician is to be returned to office.  Hard to believe should there be indictments of Trump and/or his minions by the Special Counsel and Trump preemptively pardons all of them, Republicans would stand by and do nothing in response.  They wouldn't be returned to office.

CNN reports:

"President Donald Trump's pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been widely denounced as another instance of the President's scorn for the judiciary. Yet one set of voices has been missing: that of Chief Justice John Roberts and the nation's leading judges.  They have been silent since the beginning, when Trump derided a judge of Mexican heritage during the 2016 presidential campaign and during the furor over an immigrant travel ban early in his presidency when he referred to a "so-called judge."  That pattern held after Trump's repudiation Friday of a US district court judge's conviction of Arpaio for criminal contempt. The July 31 conviction arose from Arpaio's flagrant defiance of another judge's orders in a long-running case over the former Maricopa County sheriff's targeting of Latinos in Arizona."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Especially, since the judiciary was directly targeted by the Trump nazi.

"Trump's pardon for Arpaio negated the findings that Arpaio -- a law enforcement officer -- violated constitutional rights with his racial-profiling practices. When ordered to stop detaining Latino drivers unless there was reason to suspect they had committed a crime, Arpaio refused.  That's what makes the current silence in the judiciary especially notable. Arpaio was not convicted of routine criminal misconduct; his disobedience directly challenged judicial integrity and independence."

Yet, the judiciary remains silent.  Despite a direct, determined, concerted attack on the third branch of government.

"The crime that Arpaio was convicted of committing -- criminal contempt of court for ignoring a judge's order -- showed a blatant disregard for the authority of the judiciary," ABA President Hilarie Bass said in a statement Friday. "Granting Arpaio an expedited pardon sends the wrong message to the public."  Bass and other legal experts have noted that the President has broad pardon powers but say in this situation Trump could be undercutting the public's faith in the judicial system."

For many of us closely observing the system, that's already been gone quite some time.  This pardon by the Trump nazi of a criminal law enforcement officer is no more than additional icing on the cake.  Roberts' gutless silence? Galling. Appalling. Nazi.

"Still, Trump's efforts to influence legal proceedings seem to be mounting. His flouting of the judiciary comes as he has also tried to discredit Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the officials leading a Russia investigation related to the 2016 presidential election. Trump fired FBI Director James Comey and has criticized then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether anyone in the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the election."

Trump is no more than a nazi dictator.  Has no clue this is a government that has three co-equal branches.  That, as president, has no constitutional authority to usurp the power of the other two.

The Aryan arrogance of the Arpaio nazi apparently knows no bounds.  CBS News reports:

"Fresh off his presidential pardon, an emboldened Joe Arpaio on Monday lashed out at his critics and the judge who found him guilty of a crime as his attorneys went to court to throw the court decision that was the basis for his conviction.  The former Arizona sheriff struck a defiant tone in insisting he "didn't do anything wrong" and questioning whether his judge was fair. His comments came as President Donald Trump took a similar posture in defending his Friday pardon of the former lawman, blaming the Obama administration for Arpaio's troubles and calling him a "patriot" who fought against illegal immigration.  "I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly," Trump said."

Arpaio was convicted of criminally violating the law and U.S. Constitution.  Worse?  Was never tried for a multitude of human rights violations, -- and other criminal offenses.

"Arpaio called U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton biased and questioned the growing number of critics across the United States who denounced his pardon as a political reward for having been an early supporter of Trump's campaign."

This racist nazi former sheriff remains achingly, hopelessly delusional.  Further proof positive:

"Why are they speaking out right now? I've been sheriff for 24 years. Are they coming out against me because of a biased judge?" Arpaio told The Associated Press in a phone interview."

Wake up.  You've been relentlessly exposed in this publication and elsewhere for years, you achingly sad sack of shit.  Nothing new.  You're nothing more than a goddamned criminal who escaped any semblance of justice courtesy of the Trump nazi.

"Arpaio, who was voted out of office last year, declined to explain how he believes the judge acted unfairly toward him, saying only that "it's all documented - the bias and everything else."

You're a goddamned liar, Mr. Arpaio.  None of what you say is true.  Quite the opposite.  You have no documentation.

"Not only will the pardon erase his contempt of court conviction, it also gave new life to a politician who left office battered after years of scandals over a racial profiling verdict, hundreds of sex-crimes complaints that weren't properly investigated and racking up $141 million taxpayer-funded costs for defending him in lawsuits. He was soundly defeated in the November election by a Democrat in heavily Republican Maricopa county.  Now, he's talking about getting back into politics and taking shots at his critics."

F--k the racist nazi.  Here's the truth, bottom line:

"Arpaio was found guilty four weeks ago of the misdemeanor contempt charge for defying a 2011 order that he stop carrying out immigration patrols. He prolonged the patrols for 17 months, prompting Bolton to find him guilty in a 14-page ruling issued on July 31.  Bolton cited TV interviews and news releases in which the sheriff made comments made about keeping up the patrols, even though he knew they were no longer allowed. "Not only did defendant abdicate responsibility, he announced to the world and to his subordinates that he was going to continue business as usual no matter who said otherwise," Bolton wrote."

Yet, the Trump nazi pardoned his criminal fellow racist nazi.

"Like Trump, Arpaio has a history of sparring with judges. He was accused of investigating the judge who presided over the profiling case. He also made a now-discredited bribery case against a county judge who had ruled against him in 2009."

Tip of the goddamned iceberg.

"Arpaio's lawyers asked Bolton on Monday to throw out the ruling that detailed the conviction against him. Arpaio lawyer Jack Wilenchik said the filing is aimed at clearing his name and barring its use in future court cases as an example of a prior bad act."

Gallingly outrageous.  Appalling.  Nazi.

"Jeffrey Crouch, a professor of politics at American University who has written a book on presidential pardons, said Arpaio's latest request is unusual. "The pardon itself is usually the last word in a case," Crouch said.  Cecillia Wang, a lawyer who helped win the racial profiling verdict against Arpaio, said the lawman's request was outrageous. "Trump may be taking Arpaio off the hook for jail time, but he can't change history or erase the measure of justice that the court's findings represent," Wang said.  No such legal requests were filed into the court record after last presidential pardon of an Arizona politician, former Gov. Fife Symington, who was granted clemency by President Bill Clinton in 2001."

Think other nazi rats won't consequently come out of the woodwork?  Emboldened?  Sadly, this is now the Republican Party.  The Party of Lincoln. Not that the Democrats are any better, however.  Where have they been all these decades since the assassination of John F. Kennedy?  Certainly, failed to successfully combat the rise of nazism within the GOP.

The Washington Post reports:

"The Arizona Republic reports:

    "U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton canceled former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s upcoming sentencing hearing for his criminal contempt-of-court conviction, telling attorneys not to file replies to motions that were pending before his recent presidential pardon.

    "However, Bolton on Tuesday stopped short of throwing out the conviction based solely on Arpaio’s request. Instead she ordered Arpaio and the U.S. Department of Justice, which is prosecuting the case, to file briefs on why she should or shouldn’t grant Arpaio’s request.

"In other words, this is no slam dunk."

Needs to be challenged.  An atrocity that must not stand.  Certainly, not without a legal fight.

"Meanwhile, Protect Democracy, an activist group seeking to thwart Trump’s violations of legal norms, and a group of lawyers have sent a letter to Raymond N. Hulser and John Dixon Keller of the Public Integrity Section, Criminal Division of the Justice Department, arguing that the pardon goes beyond constitutional limits. In their letter obtained by Right Turn, they argue:

    "While the Constitution’s pardon power is broad, it is not unlimited. Like all provisions of the original Constitution of 1787, it is limited by later-enacted amendments, starting with the Bill of Rights. For example, were a president to announce that he planned to pardon all white defendants convicted of a certain crime but not all black defendants, that would conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

    "Similarly, issuance of a pardon that violates the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause is also suspect. Under the Due Process Clause, no one in the United States (citizen or otherwise) may “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” But for due process and judicial review to function, courts must be able to restrain government officials. Due process requires that, when a government official is found by a court to be violating individuals’ constitutional rights, the court can issue effective relief (such as an injunction) ordering the official to cease this unconstitutional conduct. And for an injunction to be effective, there must be a penalty for violation of the injunction—principally, contempt of court."

Quite nuanced, isn't it?  Wouldn't want to get lost in the weeds, would we?  LOL.  The following clarifies:

"Put simply, the argument is that the president cannot obviate the court’s powers to enforce its orders when the constitutional rights of others is at stake. “The president can’t use the pardon power to immunize lawless officials from consequences for violating people’s constitutional rights,” says one of the lawyers who authored the letter, Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People. Clearly, there is a larger concern here that goes beyond Arpaio. “After repeatedly belittling and undermining judges verbally and on Twitter, now President Trump is escalating his attack on the courts into concrete actions,” says Ian Bassin, executive director of Protect Democracy. “His pardon and celebration of Joe Arpaio for ignoring a judicial order is a threat to our democracy and every citizen’s rights, and should not be allowed to stand.”

No question, uncharted legal territory:

"Those challenging the pardon understand there is no precedent for this — but neither is there a precedent for a pardon of this type. “While many pardons are controversial politically, we are unaware of any past example of a pardon to a public official for criminal contempt of court for violating a court order to stop a systemic practice of violating individuals’ constitutional rights,” Fein says."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Easy to get lost in the weeds, but the following seems to be the bottom line of the argument:

"In other words, if the president can pardon anyone who defies court orders to enforce constitutional protections, then those constitutional protections are rendered meaningless. It is a creative argument, but then, this president has created new and disturbing challenges to democratic norms."

Be interesting to see if any of the above has traction, winds up being fully litigated.  Moreover, there are serious legal implications regarding Trump's future use of the pardon to obstruct justice vis a vis the Special Counsel's ongoing criminal investigation:

"As with any other presidential power, the power to pardon is constrained by the ordinary requirements of federal law applicable to all public officials. For example, if representatives of a pardon-seeker arrived in the Oval Office with a bundle of cash that the president accepted in return for a pardon, there is little doubt that the president would be guilty of the crime of bribery. . . .  If Trump were to pardon any of the figures in the current Russia investigation, his action would certainly impede or obstruct the due administration of justice, as the courts have broadly construed that standard."

Under such circumstances, would the only recourse remain impeachment since the Trump Justice Department would likely not cooperate?

"It would not be difficult to imagine Mueller making the case that the motive behind such interference was “corrupt.” As the Founding Fathers made plain, the purpose behind the pardon power is to extend mercy to those who have offended and have demonstrated remorse. Using the pardon power to protect the president’s own interests against embarrassment or exposure is not legitimate. Rather, a crassly self-interested exercise of presidential power to impede the due administration of justice is the very antithesis of the president’s most solemn oath — “to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

Same question.  If Trump's DOJ does not cooperate, are there any other legal remedies other than impeachment?

"And this brings us back to Judge Bolton. Bassin notes, “Judge Bolton may want to see how the honorable lawyers of DOJ’s public integrity section respond personally in open court — themselves as officers of the bar who’ve taken an oath to uphold the Constitution — to the blatant abuse of power by their boss.” He adds, “After all, these are people who’ve dedicated their lives and careers to ensuring our public officials act with integrity and Joe Arpaio and now the President of the United States have spit in the face of that.” Bolton’s hearing will venture into uncharted territory, a voyage necessitated by Trump’s utter disregard for the rule of law and his constitutional obligations to enforce the Constitution and laws of the United States."

What webs we weave.  Those of us who no longer have any faith or trust in the system can only wonder if there is indeed any honor left.  Jennifer Rubin is the highly gifted, insightful Washington Post writer responsible for the editorial quotes and analysis just covered.

Too late for coverage in this edition, a federal judge in San Antonio temporarily stayed implementation of SB 4, the sanctuary cities bill signed into law by the governor due to go into effect September 1, infuriating the Abbott nazi.  The governor plans to quickly appeal.  More to come in the next edition.

9-1-17

The noose figuratively tightens.  NBC News reports:

"Federal investigators working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller are keenly focused on President Donald Trump's role in crafting a response to a published article about a meeting between Russians and his son Donald Jr., three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.  The sources told NBC News that prosecutors want to know what Trump knew about the meeting and whether he sought to conceal its purpose."

This issue had earlier been covered in this publication and elsewhere.  Comes as no surprise Mueller would be extremely interested in this meeting and Trump's possible attempt to massage the truth, cover his ass.

"The meeting occurred at Trump Tower in June 2016 and was attended by Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times, also involved Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya and former Soviet intelligence officer Rinat Akhmetshin.  At the time, the White House confirmed that Trump had "weighed in" as the response to the Times report was drafted aboard Air Force One on July 8 as the president returned to the U.S. from the G20 meeting in Germany. The Washington Post reported that Trump had "dictated" the response."

If that's indeed true, called obstruction.

9-1-17

Trump is certainly beginning to lose Republicans.  NBC News reports:

"While President Donald Trump has largely enjoyed enduring support from his base voters, a new poll finds that more than half of Republicans have at least some reservations about his conduct as president.  The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center, finds that nearly half of Republicans and those who lean Republican — 46 percent — say they have “mixed feelings” about how Trump conducts himself as president, and another 19 percent say they don’t approve of Trump’s conduct as commander-in-chief at all."

Not surprising, is it?

"Trump, who has been plagued throughout his presidency by questions about his temperament and rhetoric from the Oval Office, gets a full-throated positive review of his conduct from just 16 percent of those surveyed overall, including just a third of Republicans and 2 percent of Democrats.  On policy issues, Trump garners more confidence from Republicans, although about a third of his own party members still report feeling at odds with the White House. Thirty-one percent of Republicans and Republican leaners say they agree with all or nearly all of Trump’s stances on major issues facing the country today, while 38 percent say they are on board with many, but not all, of his positions. Three-in-10 Republicans also say that they agree with the president on only “a few” issues or none at all."

Doesn't bode well for Trump.  Should his aberrant behavior continue unchecked, think Republicans won't in enlightened self interest eventually put the political prime directive of all politicians above all?  ... As opposed to goose stepping, blind loyalty to the achingly failed Trump nazi.

That is, ensure their return to office by appeasing an increasingly despondent electorate tired of the insanity and nazism of the unmitigated disaster called Donald J. Trump.  Despite the rise of the Nazi Republican Right, there is no way in hell nazism will prevail in this country.  Not a chance.

9-1-17

Finally, some justice on a long simmering military issue.  Fox News reports:

"More than 17,000 California National Guard soldiers won’t have to pay back more than $190 million in enlistment bonuses and other payments that had been handed out in error between 2004 and 2010, the Pentagon said.  The decision comes several years after an audit revealed the Guard was overpaying bonuses as it faced pressure to hit enlistment goals during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars."

To demand repayment was a terrible injustice to soldiers who had accepted them in good faith.

"California lawmakers in Congress successfully pushed for the Pentagon to waive any repayments unless it could provide evidence a soldier knew or should’ve known they weren’t eligible for the money."

As well they should:

"I am pleased that an overwhelming majority of the service members affected by the California National Guard's bonus clawback will be able to get their bonuses back," Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said in a statement. "These enlistment bonuses and other benefits were accepted in good faith and were given in exchange for serving the nation."  A report by the Pentagon found that a vast majority of the 17,485 soldiers that got bonuses or loan aid won’t have to repay it or will be refunded if they already did. The report, given to the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees on July 31, was first reported by the Los Angeles Times."

Can you imagine the hardship this had to have placed on soldiers and their families?

9-1-17

Think schools should be free to dictate hair length?  From MONT BELVIEU, TX CW33 News reports:

"Four-year old Jabez Oates had only two days of school before he was told to go home and not come back until he chopped off the mop!  Jabez's mom, Jessica Oates, isn't moving an inch. She said, "He's never had a haircut. It's just part of his identity. I feel like my son is owed the same education that all other children in this school district have."

What ever happened to liberty?

"The school said in a statement, "Our local elected board has established policy based on community expectations, and Barbers Hill Administration will continue to implement the said policy."

F--k "community expectations."  It's none of their goddamned business.

"With a name like "Barbers Hill," is it a surprise they want to cut someone's hair?  "I don't believe that short hair should be required to get an education," Oates said. "That's who he is. I don't believe in it. I will not cut his hair."

Excellent.  It's none of the school's business.  ... Nor the community's.

"Not too far away from Big D, another family is going through a similar situation. Nine-year old Habib Dwabi has been growing his hair for five years to donate to cancer patients, but Joshua ISD says he can't start school until he makes the cut.  Habib's mom, Faye Abunijmeh has started an online petition. She wrote in part "How is a girl's long hair any less disruption or safer than a boy with long hair? It is not fair for all our male students who wish to express themselves and are denied because of an archaic rule."

The school district apparently has nothing more important to concern itself with than this.

9-1-17

Once again, the Trump nazi and his henchmen continue to take a raucous hard dump on the United States Constitution.  NPR reports:

"Another Obama-era regulation is on the Trump administration's chopping block — this one about nursing homes. The Obama administration's rule would've made it easier for nursing home residents to sue for negligence or abuse. But the Trump administration is proposing to replace that rule. And the new one could make it almost impossible for nursing home residents to get their day in court."

Direct abrogation of the United States Constitution.  Trump and his corporate cronies place bottom line ahead of all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

"That is because new nursing home residents are frequently handed an agreement to go to arbitration instead of suing if something goes wrong. But Wendy York, an elder law attorney, says that being admitted to a nursing home is often a traumatic event and not a good time for making decisions."

Doesn't matter, does it?  Forget?  Don't agree to the orchestrated f--king, that is, deliberate abrogation of the constitutional right to sue?  Guess what? The nursing home rejects admission.  No more than a deliberate, orchestrated f--king by Trump and his corporate cronies.

"You're recovering from a major surgery. You're sick. And you have someone pushing 50 pages in front of you to sign," says York. "You just start signing where they tell you to sign it. You don't have the ability to concentrate, read or even comprehend what you're signing."

Goddamned bullshit the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, was designed to protect against.  Yet, Trump and his fellow nazis in the corporate management suite couldn't care less.  Again:

"You don't have the ability to concentrate, read or even comprehend what you're signing."

No longer matters in Nazi America.  Corporate bottom line comes first.  Prime Directive.  Both goddamned major political parties have sold out the public.  To line their bottomless pockets.

"That was true, she says, of her client Edward Winchell. He didn't receive that stack of papers until he had been in the nursing home a few days. Records show that he had been receiving the opioid Dilaudid during that time.  One of the many papers that Winchell signed was an agreement to go to arbitration if he ever had a dispute with the nursing home. This was the kind of process that the Obama administration was trying to end. Winchell — who was 60 at the time — was at the nursing home to rehab from a broken hip. But soon after he arrived, he acquired an intestinal infection."

Matters not to the hopelessly greedy leeches who run and own the nursing home.  Why would it?  Bottom line comes first.  Forget?

"It's the type of infection that if you quickly identify it, it's easily treatable," says York.  But she says it wasn't treated.  After 10 days, it became so bad that Winchell called 911 on his own cellphone."

Jesus Christ.  The nursing home is THAT negligent yet expects clients to forfeit the right to sue?  Worse, the Trump nazi and his henchmen wish to protect these pieces of human excrement.  Prevent them from being sued.  Protect and coddle the bastards.

"He was taken to the hospital, where a large part of his colon was removed.  "It was so damaged that there was nothing they could do to save it," says York. And her client will suffer lifelong consequences."

Yet, Trump and his fellow nazis in the Republican Party remain determined to protect the corporate management suite from being sued.

"After he eats, it sounds like Saving Private Ryan is going off in his abdomen," she says, comparing the rumblings in his gut to the famous war movie. "And when he eats, he has to run to a restroom because everything he eats is just going right through him."  York tried to sue the nursing home. But because of the paper that Winchell signed, they're in arbitration instead. That means that no jury will ever hear his case. The parties hire a private judge and use a different set of rules that can be more restrictive than civil court. Studies also show that awards to plaintiffs can be as much as 35 percent lower."

A deliberate, intentional, orchestrated f--king perpetrated against the innocent by the hopelessly greedy.  Where?  Where else?  Nazi America.  Where the corporate management suite owns it all, -- including its bought and paid for shills in government.  Both parties.

"But supporters of arbitration praise it for being more efficient."

More efficient for the goddamned corporate management suite.  Drastically, lowers liability for these hopelessly greedy bastards.  Does so at expense of egregiously f--ked clients.

"Matt Webb, senior vice president with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, says arbitration "is a system that is simpler, fairer and faster for all parties concerned."

Goddamned bullshit. A boldfaced lie.  Benefits only the corporate management suite.

"The Chamber is backing the Trump administration's proposed rule."

Who'd 'a 'thunk' it?  Couldn't be, could it?

"It would allow nursing homes to require new residents to agree to arbitration. If they refuse, they could be denied admission. Webb says that getting arbitration deals set up from the very beginning is crucial.  "Studies basically show that if the arbitration agreement's not done prior to a dispute arising, very few if anyone ever really agrees to go into arbitration at that point," says Webb."

You think?  Come as any surprise?  Aryan arrogance of these nazi pieces of human excrement?  Appalling.  Galling.  Republican and nazi.

"The Trump administration's proposed new rule requires nursing homes to write these pre-dispute arbitration agreements in plain language and to verify that they've been understood by the resident and his or her family. This requirement isn't popular with either side. The nursing home industry thinks it's too vague. And Kelly Bagby, a senior counsel with the AARP Foundation, says that requiring plain language still doesn't make it fair."

It's no more than a deliberate, orchestrated f--king of the most vulnerable by Trump and his fellow nazis in the Republican Party.  Where the hell are the Democrats?  Out to lunch?  Where have they been all these years?

"The "plain language" requirement "gives with one hand the idea that it's transparent, and takes away with another by saying 'you don't have a choice but to sign this,' " says Bagby."

Like having the 'freedom' to do what you're told.  Nazi America.

"That's why 17 state attorneys general and 31 members of the Senate, all Democrats, have urged the Trump administration not to adopt the proposed rule. Bagby adds that arbitration procedures are generally more secretive than civil court. So they're not just bad for the plaintiff, "they're also bad for everyone else whose victimization could've been stopped if they'd have known that this was a bad facility."

No longer matters in the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.  Voted for this nazi son of a bitch?  Tough shit.  Get what you deserve.  ... Not that Hillary was any better.

Here's what makes all the above even worse.  NPR reports:

"More than one-quarter of serious cases of nursing home abuse are not reported to the police, according to an alert released Monday morning by the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services.  The cases went unreported despite the fact that state and federal law require that serious cases of abuse in nursing homes be turned over to the police."

As well they should be.

"Government investigators are conducting an ongoing review into nursing home abuse and neglect but say they are releasing the alert now because they want immediate fixes.  These are cases of abuse severe enough to send someone to the emergency room. One example cited in the alert is a woman who was left deeply bruised after being sexually assaulted at her nursing home. Federal law says that incident should have been reported to the police within two hours. But the nursing home didn't do that, says Curtis Roy, an assistant regional inspector general in the Department of Health and Human Services."

Yet, Trump and his henchmen wish to deny these victims their day in court.  In an effort to protect the corporate management suite and its best interests.  Gets worse:

"They cleaned off the victim," he says. "In doing so, they destroyed all of the evidence that law enforcement could have used as part of an investigation into this crime."  The nursing home told the victim's family about the assault the next day. It was the family that informed the police. But Roy says that even then, the nursing home tried to cover up the crime.  "They went so far as to contact the local police department to tell them that they did not need to come out to facility to conduct an investigation," says Roy."

Obstruction of justice.  Insult to injury?  Get this:

"One thing investigators don't yet know is whether the nursing homes where abuses took place were ever fined or punished in any way. That will be part of the Inspector General's full report which is expected in about a year."

Yet, the Trump nazi wishes to protect them, deny victims their day in court.

9-1-17

Our nazi government continues to remain on a fishing expedition.  CBS News reports:

"A D.C. Superior Court judge on Thursday ruled in favor of the Department of Justice's ability to exercise a search warrant for data related to an anti-Trump website the DOJ believes is connected to plans for violent Inauguration Day riots."

This son of a bitch on the bench has violated his falsely sworn oath of office to protect and defend the United States Constitution.  No more than a bought and paid for Republican nazi shill.

"The Justice Department had originally sought a slew of records related to the website Disruptj20.com from its website hosting company, DreamHost, including HTTP visitor logs that would reveal IP addresses for all of the website's visitors. But DreamHost objected to the Justice Department's request and said it could reveal 1.3 million visitors' identities. The DOJ earlier this week said that it was revising its warrant to include a date range on material it requested, to exclude all visitor logs and the website's draft blog posts that were never published. Chief Judge Robert E. Morin granted that revised request Thursday, although DreamHost fears the DOJ will still access some IP addresses given that it will still be able to access emails related to Inauguration Day protests."

No more than an orchestrated fishing expedition facilitated by a nazi 'judge.'

"The DOJ believes Disruptj20.com could reveal plans that led to protests that turned violent when President Trump took office. Authorities have charged more than 200 people with felony rioting or destruction of property in connection to Inauguration Day."

This is no more than a fishing expedition that will draw innocent people into its achingly pernicious net.  To protect yourself against this bullshit use Tor browser.  Run Tor through a VPN if blocked.

"The court will supervise the warrant's implementation, although it won't be executed immediately if DreamHost files an appeal. Attorneys for the website hosting company told reporters Thursday they are considering an appeal.  DreamHost maintains that the government's revised request is still too broad and unconstitutional, citing Fourth Amendment concerns. The judge acknowledged the free speech concerns surrounding the request, and said he sought to seek a balance between law enforcement and constitutional rights."

Goddamned bullshit.  A lie.  By a bought and paid for 'judge.'

"The case has concerned privacy advocates who fear the government is encroaching on both First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights, and related expectations of privacy. The government's original request for IP address-revealing visitor logs would have encompassed anyone who visited the website, including people who stumbled upon the site or visited for academic or journalistic reasons. One defendant, Raymond Aghaian, compared the government's request to using a warrant to search and seize all rooms in an apartment building."

Out of control nazi government.  No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element present a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all branches and levels of nazi government and their jackbooted bastards in blue.

9-1-17

Nazism is growing in our formerly great country.  Think not?  CBS News reports:

"In all of our years of tracking, we've never seen this many [hate] groups," Heidi Beirich told CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil. Beirich is the director of Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) Intelligence Project, which monitors hate group activity online. "We've never seen their ideas penetrating the mainstream the way they are. I would say most Americans don't realize how much of this there is."

The rise of the Fourth Reich.

"It's been a little over a week since neo-Nazis marched in the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting "Jews will not replace us." In the intervening days, debate has raged over just how America's national conversation has become a real-time discussion of white supremacy and its place in the U.S., muddied by President Trump's ambiguity on the matter. The groups in question -- who openly espouse racist views and have felt newly emboldened since the recent presidential campaign -- find themselves pushing into the mainstream."

The rise of nazism. Hear the rumble?  An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

"The flashpoints of this debate have been, for once, out in the open -- manifesting as public protests and counter-protests in the streets of major cities. Saturday saw a so-called "free speech" protest on Boston Common, organized by right-wing elements but dwarfed by its anti-supremacy counter-protest from the left. A similar, if smaller, pair of gatherings clashed in a shouting match in Laguna Beach, California."

Nazism will not be tolerated in this country.  Will tear the country apart.  Result in an unwanted dreaded revolution.

"The SPLC estimates that there are currently more than 900 hate groups -- organizations with beliefs that attack an entire group of people -- operating in the country. Many of these hate groups subscribe to the ideals of white supremacy.  In fact, Beirich says the number of hate groups has doubled over the past two decades -- a trend that appears to follow the impact minorities, financial crisis and political elections have on society."

History repeating itself.  1930s Nazi Germany resurrected from the dead.

"According to the SPLC, there's a new generation of so-called white nationalism being run by millennials. Matt Heimbach, one of the main organizers of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, is the face of this movement.  "Well, we have energy, I think, because Donald Trump's election showed that the majority of white American's social, working class America believes in sovereignty," Heimbach told "CBSN: On Assignment."

The Trump nazi is certainly enabling, deliberately fueling, nourishing this growing cancer.

"Heimbach represents a minority who feel strongly that "white America" is under growing threat. A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll found that Trump voters are more likely to believe that discrimination against whites is worse than discrimination against any other group. In the aftermath of Charlottesville, white supremacists feel re-energized. Their goal: to infiltrate the mainstream."

Present an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

"Heimbach, along with many other self-proclaimed white supremacists, deny that the Holocaust ever happened. He says his intent is to create an all-white nation -- excluding African-Americans, Jews and homosexuals."

Don't stand up against this evil?  Don't support those of us who do?  Get what you deserve.

9-1-17

Trump continues to blame others for continuing problems of his own making.  The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump on Thursday sought to pin blame on his party’s congressional leaders for what he predicts will be “a mess” to raise the federal government’s debt limit.  In a pair of morning tweets, Trump said he asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to include a debt-ceiling increase in a recent veterans bill.  Trump tweeted: “I requested that Mitch M & Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval. They … didn’t do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy — now a mess!”

Trump fails to understand this is a democratic republic, not a fascist police-state run by a nazi fuhrer.

"The Trump administration has warned that Congress must raise the debt limit before the end of September to avert a fiscal crisis. Next month could produce legislative brinkmanship because the debt impasse coincides with the deadline to pass a new government spending bill.  On Tuesday, Trump threatened to shut down the government if the bill does not include funding to construct a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, one of the president’s signature campaign promises."

This petulant achingly psychotic nazi doesn't seem to understand how this government operates.  That is, three branches, all independent of the other, constitutionally required to put the best interests of the country first, cooperate to ensure laws are properly enforced, Constitution followed, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties guarantied, etc..

"Trump’s Thursday tweets escalate a feud with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. Trump’s relationship with McConnell in particular has deteriorated in recent weeks, with the president blaming his party’s senators for failing to pass health-care legislation this summer."

Trump fails to understand the president is not a dictator in a democratic republic.  Can't force Congress to do his bidding.  Clearly, Congress remains deeply divided.  Not just a partisan issue, moreover.  Deep division within the Republican Party itself.  Trump cannot comprehend this.  Yet, another reason why this achingly clueless fascist remains egregiously unfit for office.

"Following his debt-limit missives, Trump sent another tweet about his relationship with McConnell. The New York Times reported this week that Trump complained in an angry phone call with the Senate leader about his refusal to protect the president from investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election."

Outrageous, the Trump nazi would interfere with a criminal investigation.  Do so, to date, with impunity.  Republicans, however, are beginning to finally wake up.  Know they will not be returned to office if the unsustainable status quo in the Oval Office remains unchanged.

"But Trump insisted in his tweet that he was only upset with McConnell over health care: “The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed!That should NEVER have happened!”

Trump is delusional.  Clearly, hasn't a clue.  False expectations as to how this system is supposed to work.  No understanding the president is not a dictator in a democratic republic.  Can't dictate his will.

Here is certainly part of the problem Trump created for himself and fellow Republicans:

"The government spends more money than it brings in through revenue, and it borrows money to cover the difference by issuing debt. The gap between revenue and spending — known as the deficit — is expected to total more than $800 billion for the year that ends Sept. 30, a phenomenon that has been worsened because some companies and others are delaying payments in anticipation of big tax cuts."

Tax cuts are not sustainable for the top of the food chain when the country continues to be approximately $20 trillion in debt.  Worse, tax cuts quickly reach the point of diminishing returns.  Creating additional problems:

"But Treasury can only borrow money up to a limit set by Congress, and this limit is known as the debt ceiling. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could force the government to fall behind or delay some of its payments, an action that could lead to a spike in interest rates, a stock market crash and a global recession, economists have predicted."

Moreover, Trump's contradictory behavior and reversals create additional issues:

"Traditionally, top political figures are coached to project calm about the debt ceiling for fear of spooking investors. Trump's alarmist warning on Thursday could lead to a new concern because Mnuchin has tried to alleviate fears. Neither Mnuchin nor Trump has had to deal with the debt ceiling before, and Trump — before he was sworn in as president — ridiculed Republicans for raising the debt ceiling."

What webs we weave.

Gets more complicated, hopelessly convoluted:

"The Trump administration has struggled to deal with the debt-ceiling issue for months. Mnuchin has long called for a “clean” debt-ceiling increase, which means he wants Congress to pass it with no strings attached. But the White House Office of Management and Budget director, Mick Mulvaney, said an increase in the debt ceiling should be tied to spending or other budget cuts, an assertion that emboldened House conservatives to drive a hard bargain in negotiations. Mulvaney eventually backed off his position, but for many on Capitol Hill, it was too late. They saw a divided White House with little leverage or focus on the issue, and time began running short."

Precisely, why Trump remains unfit for office.

Republicans remain sharply divided.  Unwilling to intelligently engage and resolve issues.  CNN reports:

"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered mostly praise for President Donald Trump's administration in a speech at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's annual ham breakfast Thursday morning -- as the President continued slamming the Kentucky Republican on Twitter before and after his speech.  "The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed!That should NEVER have happened!" Trump tweeted after McConnell's speech ended.  In brief remarks to his constituents, the closest McConnell got to criticizing Trump was saying he was "a little concerned about some of the trade rhetoric," an apparent reference to Trump's pledge to re-negotiate trade deal and his decision to leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Otherwise, McConnell praised Trump for supporting rolling back Obama-era regulations and picking Neil Gorsuch as the most recent Supreme Court justice."

Mitch "The Bitch" McConnell seems to be figuratively whistling past the graveyard in the middle of the night.  -- As the Trump nazi continues to mentally deteriorate.  This country remains dysfunctional since both major political parties continue to reject desperately needed change.

No question, there is a pending financial crisis in the making.  NPR reports:

"With the federal government getting closer to running out of cash to cover all bills on time, companies that evaluate bonds are having to consider how to rate America's creditworthiness.  And their job didn't get any easier on Thursday when President Trump continued his attacks on congressional leaders over their failure to raise the federal debt ceiling.  Other U.S. officials have been trying reassure the financial markets that no default is imminent."

Think the debt can continue to rise indefinitely with no dire consequences?

"But in a morning tweet, Trump blamed the two top Republicans in Congress — House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — for not attaching the debt-ceiling legislation to a popular bill on veterans' benefits. Whether that legislative strategy would have worked cannot be known. Further, attaching the debt ceiling to the veterans bill could have endangered one of the few legislative achievements Congress could claim in the midst of the GOP health care failure."

No question, the Trump nazi has not clearly thought this through.  -- Yet, another indication remains achingly unfit for office.

"In any case, Congress now has just a few more weeks to raise the debt ceiling, which would enable the government to continue borrowing enough cash to pay all of its bills on time. If it doesn't do so, the government will have to prioritize which of its bills it will pay. That would have enormous consequences in the financial markets."

Think not?  Wake up.

"We will pass legislation to make sure we pay our debts and we will not hit the debt ceiling. We'll do this before the debt ceiling," Ryan said during a visit to a Boeing plant in Washington state Thursday. "There are many different options in front of us on how we achieve that."  Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has offered similar assurances.  "We're going to get the debt ceiling passed," Mnuchin said Monday at an event in Louisville, Ky. "Everybody understands this is not a Republican issue; this is not a Democrat issue. We need to be able to pay our debts."

Not quite that simple or easy, however:

"But Trump's attacks on Ryan and McConnell have raised questions about whether the passage of debt-ceiling legislation will be as smooth as congressional leaders hope.  Under President Barack Obama, the White House and Congress often engaged in brinksmanship over whether to raise the debt ceiling, but they always managed to do so at the last minute.  "Clearly we've had dozens of occasions when the debt limit has been raised in the past, and we don't expect this time to be any different," says Charles Seville, senior director at Fitch Ratings."

May not be that simple:

"This time, however, the stakes are higher, said Richard Bernstein, former chief investment strategist at Merrill Lynch, in an interview with Politico:

    "Not passing a debt limit hike in time would have an even greater impact on financial markets because when we did this in the past you had a Democrat in the White House and Republicans controlling Congress and people could basically understand the political aspects of what was going on. There was a mating dance and a conclusion.

    "This time it's Republican versus Republican. I don't know how anyone can interpret that. Is this some kind of mating dance again? Or is it some more critical failure of government? I don't know how to answer that. There is a potential for more volatility this time around than there might have been in the past."

Worse?  Egregious instability of the Trump nazi, continuing cowardly unwillingness of Republicans to effectively confront and rein him in.

"Moody's Investors Service said Thursday it would consider stripping the United States of its top rating if it were to default on bondholders, but not if it merely skipped paying some of its nondebt obligations.  But Fitch Ratings took a tougher stand, warning that even a debt-ceiling standoff, short of a bond default, could cause it to reassess the credit rating of U.S. Treasury debt. That's because it would raise questions about the ability of the U.S. political system to get its house in order, Seville said."

Still think this isn't a serious issue?  Even with an achingly psychotic president, Congress can still do the right thing.  Put the country first.  Cast aside partisan differences, reasonably increase the debt limit, pass reasonable spending legislation in a majority that would be veto proof.  Alice In Wonderland?  Certainly.  We're about, however, to see the true mettle of 535 legislators as they handle and resolve this pending crisis.

NBC News reports:

"The White House is not shutting down chatter of a potentially calamitous government shutdown.  President Donald Trump is "serious" about his government shutdown threat, a senior administration official told NBC News Thursday, marking an escalation from the commander-in-chief’s warning earlier this week.  On Tuesday night, at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Trump threatened a shutdown if his wall along the Mexico border isn’t funded by Congress, telling the crowd, "If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall."  "We're going to have our wall. The American people voted for immigration control. We're going to get that wall," Trump said to cheers of "Build the wall! Build the wall!"

The insanity continues:

"The Trump administration official told NBC News that such a showdown with Congress, over funding for construction of the border wall, could come in September when lawmakers return from their August break or after the passage of a short-term spending bill in December.  A Sept. 30 deadline is approaching to continue funding the government. If Congress failed to pass a funding resolution, the government would shut down.  Trump aide Kellyanne Conway echoed her boss, telling Fox News on Thursday morning that Trump was "steadfastly committed" to building the wall, and that he expects the funding to do it."

He doesn't get to make that call in a democratic republic under the United States Constitution.  Congress does.

"Anybody who’s surprised by that has not been paying attention for over two years," Conway said. "So he’s telling Congress he’s building the wall, he expects the funding, and it’s up to them to work collaboratively. We hope they do."

Hopefully, that won't happen.  The insanity in the Oval Office needs to be reined in.  Is not sustainable.

"Trump himself amped up his attacks on GOP leaders in Congress on Thursday, charging that they had ignored his instructions on debt ceiling legislation, which he said has now created a "mess."

Again, this achingly delusional nazi does not understand in our system of government the president does not make that call.  Congress does.

"Even though a shutdown appears unlikely with the GOP in control of both chambers of Congress, Republicans believe they would suffer severe repercussions at the ballot box in 2018 if the government were forced to close its doors."

Indeed, they would.  Would not be returned to office.

"Republican leaders in Congress have repeatedly pushed back on the idea of a shutdown."

They have, but failed to effectively confront the Trump nazi, rein in his insanity.  If not possible, impeach, convict, and remove him from office.  Until that happens, nothing changes.

"I don't think a government shutdown is necessary, and I don't think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included," Ryan said Wednesday."

Certainly, not in anyone's best interest.  Of equal importance?  The continuing brinkmanship needs to end.

Good to see the Federal Reserve is finally standing up to Trump.  The Washington Post reports:

"Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen offered a forceful defense of broad new banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, saying the rules safeguard the economy against another crisis and rejecting assertions from President Trump and top aides that they should be rolled back."

She's right.  Twice the banking industry has egregiously f--ked over the public and taxpayers in the last couple of decades.  The much earlier Savings & Loan debacle, as well as the Wall Street meltdown of 2008.  Did so with virtual impunity.

"Yellen’s speech, delivered here to an annual gathering of central bankers, finance ministers and economists, comes as Trump considers whether to reappoint her to a four-year term as head of the U.S. central bank.  Yellen, 71, made clear in her speech on Friday that she believes tighter regulations and standards have made the banking system safer and that while some improvements could be made, they should be modest, not structural.  “The evidence shows that reforms since the crisis have made the financial system substantially safer,” Yellen said, according to prepared remarks."

Finally, some semblance of sanity.

Here are the catastrophic consequences the carefully designed protective measures the Trump nazi wishes to ludicrously reverse were designed to prevent:

"A financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 caused a global panic, with some of the world’s largest financial companies wobbling or toppling and the U.S. government injecting hundreds of billions of dollars into the financial system to prevent a collapse. Large financial companies were interconnected and had amassed large amounts of risk without cushions to absorb losses or access to cash to prevent bank runs.  Banks and financial companies were chasing profits by making loans to people who lacked the ability to repay, at times falsifying documents and betting on the false premise that the housing market would continue to soar. As the banking system began to falter, consumers panicked, the stock market crashed, hundreds of thousands of Americans lost their jobs, and the U.S. and many other economies went into recessions."

The Trump nazi and his corporate management suite cronies wish to reverse changes designed to prevent a repeat of history, that is, the egregiously debilitating banking debacle of 2008.  Trump remains hopelessly, achingly clueless.

9-1-17

Fallout continues. The Washington Post reports:

"Gary Cohn, the White House economic adviser who stood beside President Trump last week as he blamed “many sides” for violence during the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, said the Trump administration now “must do better” to condemn neo-Nazis and other hate groups.  Making his first public comments since the president said there were “very fine people” among the demonstrators brandishing Confederate battle flags and swastikas, Cohn said in an interview published Friday that he has faced “enormous pressure” to resign."

You think?  Here's what remains so inexplicable:

"Cohn, who is Jewish, is the director of the White House National Economic Council and a former president of Goldman Sachs. He had been described last week by confidants as deeply anguished and angry over Trump’s equivocal responses to the Charlottesville violence."

As well he should have been.  So should Ivanka Trump and her husband.  Their gutless public silence is deafening.

“This administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities,” Cohn said in an interview with the Financial Times.  Cohn’s comments make clear that, as The Washington Post reported last week, he was advised by some friends to resign and others urged him to stay. The White House on Thursday took the unusual step of saying that Cohn would not resign, trying to contain the political fallout."

Exactly, what Mr. Cohn should have courageously done in protest, that is, resign.

"But Cohn has made his displeasure with Trump clear. In the Financial Times interview, he says he has spoken with the president directly about the issue."

Is that right?  Think so?  Forcefully?  In no uncertain terms?  What about Ivanka?  Her husband?

“I have come under enormous pressure both to resign and to remain in my current position,” Cohn told the Financial Times. “I … feel compelled to voice my distress over the last two weeks.”  He went on to tell the Financial Times, “As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post … because I feel a duty to fulfill my commitment to work on behalf of the American people. But I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks.”

How can this guy be that conflicted?  Nazism must be resisted no matter the personal cost.  History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.  This isn't rocket science.  It's nazism.

"Cohn’s comments are extraordinary because few senior White House officials have ever publicly condemned comments made by the president. And few — if any — White House officials have publicly acknowledged they considered resigning because of displeasure with Trump’s words or actions."

Offers proof positive they're gutless.  Lack backbone, substance, remain achingly unprincipled.

"Trump has made clear that he values loyalty above most anything else, and Cohn’s comments come at a pivotal point. Trump is considering whether to nominate Cohn as chairman of the Federal Reserve, which would make him the world’s most powerful central banker. Cohn has extensive experience with financial markets and has worked with international central bankers, but it would be very unusual to nominate someone as Fed chairman who is not an economist."

The Trump nazi remains achingly unprincipled.  No more than a nazi fuhrer.  Would certainly be a mistake to replace Yellin who has shown backbone, demonstrated willingness to stand up to the Trump nazi.  Has done so at least indirectly.

"Cohn is one of Trump’s closest advisers and is responsible for trying to shepherd the White House’s entire economic policy platform — tax cuts, infrastructure spending, health-care changes — into law. He is also working on efforts to roll back regulations.  So far, Cohn and his team have had mixed success, but if Cohn were to resign, or if Trump were to dismiss him, it would be seen as a major rupture in the White House’s efforts to pass its agenda."

Cohn has cowardly disgraced himself.  Remains egregiously unfit for office.

In another article, The Washington Post reports:

"An unprecedented rebuke of President Trump by National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn reverberated through Washington on Friday, forcing the White House to respond to harsh, public criticism from one of the president’s top advisers.  Cohn lashed Trump’s comments earlier this month blaming the violence in Charlottesville on “both sides,” saying in an interview with the Financial Times that “citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK.” The adviser, who is Jewish and has long given to Jewish causes, said that the administration “must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups.”  The criticism was the first serious public condemnation of Trump’s behavior by a member of his inner circle since the beginning of his presidency and raised the question of how a president who puts a heavy premium on loyalty would react."

As expected, the Trump nazi was not a happy camper:

"Privately, a White House official said, Trump was furious about Cohn’s public airing, though publicly, White House officials, while defending the president’s response to the events in Charlottesville, acknowledged that the White House can always do more."

Imagine that.  Couldn't be, could it?

“Gary has not held back how he feels about the situation. He’s been very open and honest, so I don’t think anyone was surprised by the comments,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said."

Achingly disingenuous bullshit.

The Washington Post reports:

"Two of President Trump's highest-ranking Cabinet officials just took a giant step backward from their boss, raising the question of whether Trump's inner circle is seriously considering abandoning him.  In separate, jaw-dropping comments that made news over the weekend, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to distance themselves from the president on his response to the Charlottesville violence and, perhaps, in general.  In a video that surfaced on Facebook over the weekend of Mattis speaking to troops stationed abroad last week, he urged them to “hold the line” and promised the country would “get the power of inspiration back.”  “Our country right now, it’s got problems we don’t have in the military … You just hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other and showing it.”  “The power of inspiration — we’ll get the power of inspiration back,” he later said. It's not clear whom Mattis was speaking to, but he traveled to Jordan, Turkey and Ukraine last week and met with troops stationed there.  Mattis never came out and said: “Your commander in chief is fomenting divisions in this country that the military must rise above,” but it was as close as this disciplined, apolitical former Marine general was going to get."

Encouraging, isn't it?

"Tillerson's rebuke of Trump was even more direct. In an interview Sunday with Fox News's Chris Wallace, Tillerson was asked if Trump's “both sides” comment in the wake of racially charged Charlottesville violence speaks for American values.  “The president speaks for himself,” Tillerson said flatly.  “Are you separating yourself from the president?” a stunned Wallace followed up.  “I've made my own comment as to our values,” Tillerson said. Earlier in the show, he had said: “We express America's values from the State Department — our commitment to freedom, our commitment to equal treatment of people the world over,” adding, “And that message has never changed.”

Clearly, not all Republicans are nazis.  Some are principled.

9-1-17

Gorka gets the boot.  NPR reports:

"Controversial White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka is out of his job, following the departure of his former boss, chief strategist Steve Bannon.  A White House official denied reports that Gorka had resigned on Friday night but confirmed that he "no longer works at the White House."  Gorka became known for his confrontational style and has fought accusations about his credentials and potential ties to extremist groups.  Gorka had been working with the Trump team since the presidential campaign and was a close ally of Bannon's; he had previously been an editor at Breitbart News, the right-wing media outlet that Bannon led before joining Trump's team."

9-1-17

Sam Clovis has his head so far up his ass his eyeballs are turning inside out.  NBC News reports:

"Last week, President Donald Trump tapped Sam Clovis as his pick to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research, Education and Economics division. Pending Senate confirmation, Clovis would oversee scientific research at the agency."

Big mistake.  Big, big mistake.

"Clovis is a former economics professor at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. His career in politics includes an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 2014 and serving as an early adviser on Trump’s presidential campaign. He is perhaps best known, however, as the host of talk radio program “Impact with Sam Clovis” in the conservative stronghold of western Iowa."

This guy has more than a few screws loose.

"Clovis’ nomination immediately came under fire from both the scientific community and the LGBTQ community."

With good reason.

"Catherine Woteki, the former undersecretary for research, education and economics in the Obama administration, stated that Clovis’ lack of scientific credentials makes him unfit for the position, one that she said necessitates scientific understanding."

Matters not to the Trump nazi.

“This position is the chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture. It should be a person who evaluates the scientific body of evidence and moves appropriately from there,” Woteki told ProPublica."

Clearly, not what the Trump nazi is looking for.  Equally outrageous?

"As a radio host and political aspirant, Clovis has also established himself as fervently anti-LGBTQ. In public forums, Clovis has rejected civil rights protections for gays and lesbians on the grounds that homosexuality is a “choice” or an alterable “behavior.”  “We are being asked to provide Constitutional protections for a behavior — a choice of behavior as opposed to a primary characteristic,” such as age, race or disability, Clovis said in a video interview posted to YouTube."

Clovis is clearly a hopelessly ignorant homophobic bigot who has no clue.  Gets worse:

"In the video, Clovis — nominated to oversee scientific research for the U.S. government — states, “I don’t know what the science is on this,” but “as far as we know that’s a choice that they make.” During the same interview, Clovis goes on to make a “slippery slope” argument, stating, “If we protect LGBT behavior, what other behaviors are we going to protect? Are we going to protect pedophilia?”

Non sequitur posed by a hopelessly ignorant homophobic bigot and nazi.

"In an op-ed for The Iowa Republican, Clovis fervently defends “traditional marriage” from attacks by the LGBTQ movement, the media and “hip” Republicans. His opposition rests on the claim that same-sex marriage undermines the 14th Amendment and exposes proponents of “religious freedom” — such as himself — to charges of “hate speech.”

Amazing how easily a nazi bastardizes the Constitution to fit his perverse ideology and religious views, isn't it?

“Dismantling marriage is one of the dual goals of this whole progressive effort. If the gay rights movement can get marriage redefined, then there will be further inroads made to undermine one of the pillars of American strength,” Clovis wrote in the op-ed. "The traditional family is about procreation, education, socialization and religious familiarization, that institution serves as a direct threat to the progressive movement’s aim of ridding society of God."

Not at all clear how Clovis arrives at his perverse conclusions all based on non-sequiturs.

"The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the largest LGBTQ advocacy groups in the U.S., was among the organizations to denounce Clovis’ nomination.  “Sam Clovis has opposed equality for LGBTQ people at practically every turn, including questioning the scientific consensus around what it means to be LGBTQ,” HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy told NBC News.  “Despite his claims before the election, President Trump has proven to be no friend of the LGBTQ community,” Stacy added."

That's right.  Determinedly not.  All gains made in equality over the last few years remain in jeopardy.  If you fail to support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties, you get what you truly deserve.

"Clovis is the latest in a growing list of Trump appointees criticized by LGBTQ advocates: Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Health Secretary Tom Price and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are among the others.  “Trump’s appointments are part of a worrying pattern of people who have made careers out of targeting LGBTQ people and specifically LGBTQ rights,” Ryan Thoreson, a fellow at Human Rights Watch, said.  Thus far, Trump appointees have taken concrete steps against LGBTQ rights. Most notably, the Department of Justice, led by Jeff Sessions, withdrew Obama-era guidelines protecting transgender students from discrimination under Title IX and intervened in civil litigation to oppose LGBTQ employment protections."

When the rights of any segment of society are abrogated, the rights of all of us are in jeopardy.  Question to be asked, who's next?

9-1-17

Justice is finally catching up with one of Charlottesville's nazis.  NPR reports:

"Self-described white nationalist Christopher Cantwell, who became a public face of the now-infamous "Unite the Right" rally in Charlotteville, Va., was denied bond Thursday at the Albemarle County General District Court, said University of Virginia Police.  Cantwell had turned himself in to the Lynchburg Police Department a day earlier and will remain in custody at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, said UVA Police.  On Tuesday, police obtained warrants for Cantwell's arrest on two felony counts of using tear gas and one felony count of causing "malicious bodily injury" with a caustic substance.  The warrants stem from Cantwell's participation in an Aug. 11 torch-lit march across U.Va.'s campus the day before a rally that was nominally in opposition to city plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee. Marchers chanted "Jews will not replace us" and wound up clashing with counterprotesters."

This nazi is part of Trump's base.  Trump supports these assholes.  Defends them.

"On Tuesday, Cantwell, 36, told The Associated Press that he had pepper-sprayed a counterprotester, but that it was done in self-defense, "because my only other option was knocking out his teeth."

Sadly, Trump defends this shit.  Despite the following:

"Cantwell was the subject of a widely-watched VICE News Tonight documentary of the rally. "I'm here to spread ideas, talk, in the hopes that somebody more capable will come along and do that, somebody like Donald Trump who does not give his daughter to a Jew," he said."

No question, the president remains inexplicably achingly aggressively stupid.  His daughter converted to Judaism when she married her husband.  Precisely, why she needed to courageously respond when dear old dad disgraced himself:

"Trump faced a fierce backlash himself when he appeared to equate white nationalist demonstrators with counterprotesters following the violence."

NBC News reports:

"Sen. Chuck Schumer called on President Donald Trump on Thursday to dissolve his controversial vote fraud commission, blasting it as a voter suppression tool pushing the agenda of the same white supremacists who violently protested in Charlottesville.  "When the president began his 'Election Integrity Commission,' it raised a lot of eyebrows," Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a post published on the website Medium. "But now, given what’s happened in the last several weeks, we’ve entered a new world and it’s even more important that the commission be disbanded."

Not going to happen, particularly in light of the following:

"Schumer charged that the president failed to unite the country after the deadly clash of white supremacists and counter-protesters in the Virginia college town on August 12 and condemned Trump's initial remarks as part of the administration’s "methodical and pernicious" way of promoting discrimination."

Schumer is right.  Doesn't matter in the de facto fascist police-state we now live in, soon to become the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Schumer linked the Trump’s creation of the vote fraud panel to the "discrimination agenda of the white supremacist movement," which the New York lawmaker said includes disenfranchising minority voters."

Again, he's right in his assessment.  All part of the same problem, ongoing issue.  The rise of nazism in our formerly great country.

"He called the vote fraud panel and Department of Justice "wolves in sheep’s clothing" for their recent efforts to collect a massive amount of detailed nationwide voter data, which critics fear could be used to purge legal voters from the rolls."

Certainly, the true intention of the Trump nazi and his henchmen.

"They are a ruse. Their only intention is to disenfranchise voters," Schumer wrote. "This is how the appalling failure to use the right words and stand up to hate in the aftermath of Charlottesville is made real in the form of policy; they are two edges of the same sword."

Indeed.

"Under the guise of voter fraud, which experts agree is practically non-existent, conservative forces in the administration, cheered on by white-supremacy-stoking publications like Breitbart News, are reviving the old playbook of disenfranchising minority voters," Schumer said.  "Unfortunately, hardly anything would make the torch-bearing men who just marched on Charlottesville any happier than for this effort to succeed," he added."

Raw nazism.  Pernicious repeat of history.

"Schumer said the president displayed an "astounding failure of both presidential and moral leadership" by not quickly denouncing the torch-led march by white supremacists in Charlottesville, which resulted in one death and 19 injuries. The president came under widespread criticism for saying "both sides" were responsible for the violence."

The Trump nazi considers white supremacists part of his base.  What bona fide nazi wouldn't?

The Washington Times reports:

"A man seen in a now-viral video firing a gun at a crowd of counterprotesters during “Unite the Right” clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month has been arrested.  Charlottesville police arrested 52-year-old Richard Wilson Preston following the release of a video by the ACLU of Virginia that allegedly showed him firing a weapon in the direction of a group of counterprotesters, who were shouting insults and throwing objects at the right-wing demonstrators, CNN reported.  Video of the altercation, which took place Aug. 12 near Emancipation Park, showed a man in a load-bearing tactical vest shouting at the counterprotesters and drawing a pistol. He fired one shot in the crowd’s direction and walked away. He then proceeded to shout and walk past multiple police officers without notice."

9-1-17

Think there won't be lawsuits?  NPR reports:

"Transgender members of the U.S. military would be subject to removal at Defense Secretary James Mattis' discretion — and the service would bar transgender people from enlisting, under new White House guidelines for the Pentagon. President Trump announced the ban via a tweet last month.  Mattis hasn't spoken much about the plan, and it's not known how rigorously he would enforce a policy on transgender troops. Tom reports, "The big issue for Mattis is service. If you're in the military, people who know him say, he'll give a lot of leeway for keeping transgender people in — unless there's some huge medical issue that prevents deployability."

Won't stop the lawsuits.  -- Egregious unbridled bigotry that will certainly be aggressively challenged in court.

"When President Trump spoke about the issue two weeks ago during a briefing at his golf club in New Jersey, here's what he said:

    "Look, I have great respect for the community. I think I have great support — or I've had great support from that community. I got a lot of votes. But the transgender — the military is working on it now. They're doing the work. It's been a very difficult situation. And I think I'm doing a lot of people a favor by coming out and just saying it. As you know, it's been a very complicated issue for the military. It's been a very confusing issue for the military. And I think I'm doing the military a great favor."

The president is achingly delusional.  The direct opposite is the case.  Trump remains severely detached from reality.

In follow up to the above, ABC News reports:

"The American Civil Liberties Union sued President Donald Trump on Monday seeking to prevent implementation of his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, saying the order violates their rights to equal protection and due process.  The federal lawsuit was filed in Baltimore by the ACLU of Maryland on behalf of six transgender individuals currently serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard and Naval Reserve.  "President Trump's actions immediately caused the individual plaintiffs and other transgender service members to fear for their careers, the well-being of their family members and dependents, their health care and, in some cases, their safety," the lawsuit states.  The plaintiffs, who claim they face immediate and irreparable harm, are asking the court to declare the ban unconstitutional and invalid."

Accompanied by more action:

"Similar litigation was filed in federal court in Seattle on Monday, on behalf of a 12-year Army veteran and two young transgender men who hope to enlist, by the Human Rights Campaign and the Gender Justice League. And last Wednesday, before Trump formally issued his directive, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights sued in Washington, D.C., on behalf of five transgender service members with nearly 60 years of combined military service.  Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project, said Monday that the filing of multiple lawsuits is a good thing, because Trump's policy is a "slap in the face to service members who have devoted their lives to protecting the country."

It is a betrayal of our best and brightest:

"The ACLU complaint calls the new policy a betrayal to existing service members who came out publicly to military personnel following a directive issued last year by President Barack Obama's defense secretary, Ashton Carter. That "open service" directive stated that no otherwise qualified service member could be discharged or denied re-enlistment solely because of his or her gender identity.  The ACLU claims the administration has provided no evidence to justify the reversal in policy, which has been criticized by some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Scott Taylor of Virginia, a former Navy SEAL; and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a former Vietnam prisoner of war."

An issue only in the convoluted psychotic mind of the nazi occupying the Oval Office and his profoundly anti-LGBTQ insane base.

"The lawsuit, which says an estimated 8,800 or more transgender people currently serve in the military, asserts that Trump's concerns about military preparedness, unit cohesion and medical costs are baseless. According to a Rand Corp. study issued last year, there would be "minimal" impacts on readiness, with only 10 to 130 active-duty members having reduced deployability because of gender transition-related treatments."

A piss hole in the snow compared to military spending that tops well over a half trillion each year.

"The lawsuit also notes that 18 other countries, including 11 NATO members, allow transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces, and that the Rand study found no significant effect on their operational effectiveness."

8-25-17

Who better to criticize nazism?  The men who fought, died fighting Hitler and his Nazi bastards. Seatbelts on.  CBS News reports:

"William Johnson, Henry Beckam Jr. and Edward Field fought in World War II on the side of history that believed in freedom for all.  "I am a Tuskeege Airman," Johnson said.  "I went into the Army believing that we had to defeat the Nazis," Field said.  "I can still tell you my Army serial number," Beckam said.  Field flew on planes that dropped bombs. "I flew 27 missions and on all of them we were shot at," he told CBS News' Jericka Duncan."

Uncommon valor.  Had they not done so, think of the consequences.

"Even after fighting that war, you thought things would change for the better?" Duncan asked.  "It did," he replied.  "When you look at what's happening today?" she asked.  "It's terrible," he said."

Indeed.  Rebirth of nazism.

"The 93-year-old Field calls the images out of Charlottesville, Virginia repulsive.  "When the president of the United States makes a comment saying, 'what about the "alt-left" that came charging,'" Duncan said.  "Well it's idiotic," he said."

Psychotic, as well.  Thousands and thousands and thousands gave their lives fighting this scourge decades ago.

"It's unbelievable that we have the Nazi party here in the United States," Beckam said."

Traitorous.  Treasonous.  An insult to all who fought, died fighting these goddamned evil sons of bitches.

"Beckam was drafted in 1942 and served as a mechanic for the Army air force. He said there's no place in the U.S. for the Nazi flag."

Goddamned right.  A slap in the face to all who fought and died fighting these bastards.  The Trump nazi supports these pieces of shit, considers them his base.

"God wrote the Bible ... it doesn't say anything in there about the color of the skin makes one better than the other," Beckam said.

Goddamned right.  It doesn't.  These pieces of shit have perversely bastardized the Bible.

"And 90-year-old William Johnson was with the Tuskegee Airmen, a segregated group of black military personnel who were not allowed to serve alongside whites.  "And it is not a better world when the President of the United States, OK, gives into racism and bigotry and don't understand how far we've come towards freedom and equality for everybody," he said."

Hat's off to these men, and all who fought and died fighting this scourge.

"More than 70 years later, the fight to defeat a hateful ideology is still alive. On the front lines once again are people willing to stand up and face what's in front of them."

So too, must the rest of us.  No matter the cost.

The Washington Post reports:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Socialist.

"Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

"Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — Because I was not a Jew.

"The words above are displayed at the United States Holocaust Museum. This week, amid outrage over President Trump’s rhetoric about the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who clashed with counterprotesters in Charlottesville, they have been recited around the world as a simple, haunting warning.

"But the lineage of those words is more complicated, beginning with Martin Niemöller, the German Protestant pastor who originally spoke them.

"Niemöller supported Adolf Hitler and Jewish hatred — until he was sent to a concentration camp."

Wake up.

"After he was liberated by U.S. troops in 1945, Niemöller publicly advocated for German Christians who continued supporting Hitler to acknowledge their guilt. However, as the Holocaust Museum points out, Niemöller initially “failed to explicitly repudiate Hitler’s political aims, condemning unequivocally only Nazi interference in religious matters.” He also criticized Allied forces.

"Then, in 1946, he published a memoir, writing:

    "Thus, whenever I chance to meet a Jew known to me before, then, as a Christian, I cannot but tell him: ‘Dear Friend, I stand in front of you, but we can not get together, for there is guilt between us. I have sinned and my people has sinned against thy people and against thyself.’"

Things are often far more complicated, not quite what they seem to be:

"In examining interviews, speech transcripts and other documents, University of California at Santa Barbara history professor Harold Marcuse concluded that Niemöller didn’t quite say things as he’s been quoted. The persecuted groups he cited sometimes changed for his audience. So did the order in which he listed them. Sometimes he spoke as “we.” Other times, it was “I” and “me” — as in, “When they came for me, there wasn’t anyone left who protested.”

"Even today, there is no one correct version, no exact replica of his words."

Not surprising a former supporter of Hitler would be conflicted, is it?

"But there is the spirit.

"In 1958, at the end of a paperback issue of “The Play of the Diary of Anne Frank,” schoolchildren found it put like this:

    First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew

    Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out — because I was not a communist

    Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist

    Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.

    — (Pastor Niemoeller, Victim of the Nazis in Germany)"

The above is the version this writer remembers quite well from childhood.

8-25-17

Our country needs to do far more for homeless veterans.  ABC News reports:

"Vernon Poling was 44 years old when he finally got a home of his own.  The Iraq War veteran was medically discharged from the Army in 2014, had to quit his trucking job for medical reasons, and found himself living out of his pickup last year in Orange County, a sprawling area of Southern California known for beaches, Disneyland and high housing costs."

Inexcusable for a veteran to be homeless under any circumstances.

"Poling was homeless for seven months before he found temporary housing in the area. He then learned about Potter's Lane, an apartment complex made from recycled shipping containers, just for homeless veterans. It's believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S.  On a sunny Friday in April, Poling walked into his 480-square-foot (45-square-meter) apartment for the first time, set down his backpack on his new floor and took it all in."

Achingly, poignant:

"I have never had a place of my own," Poling said. "I got out of high school, I tried working. I was still living with the parents. I joined the Army at 23, active duty. Then I was staying with Uncle Sam in the barracks ... To finally have my own place, it feels really good."  Poling was the last of 15 homeless veterans to move into Potter's Lane, a $6.7 million project paid for with federal, state and local dollars, donations and money from the nonprofit behind the project, American Family Housing, among other sources."

8-25-17

Think Trump should pardon Joe Arpaio, former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona?  Believe it proper to pardon a racist nazi former sheriff who abused authority, flouted the law, a judge's order?  No problem with that?  NPR reports:

"Trump told Fox News earlier this week that he was "seriously considering" a pardon for Arpaio. He called the sheriff "a great American patriot" and said he'd done "a lot in the fight against illegal immigration."

Didn't matter to the Trump nazi Arpaio broke the law, abused prisoners, reined the County like a fiefdom, was a law unto himself.  None of that matters to a nazi fuhrer desperate to transform the fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich.

"The administration announced the president would hold a campaign style rally in Phoenix next Tuesday, and the president posted a link for tickets."

Becoming of a U.S. president to stoke the insanity of racists and neo-nazis?

"It makes me feel good that at least someone is backing me up. And how much better can you get than president of the United States?" Arpaio said."

The Trump nazi is backing a racist, an outlaw, and a fellow bona fide nazi.

"Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, released a statement Wednesday urging Trump to reconsider holding Tuesday's rally. He said if Trump was coming to Phoenix to pardon Arpaio, "then it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame emotions and further divide our nation."

Exactly, Trump's intention.

"Arpaio, now 85 years old, believes he and the president have both been unfairly smeared as racists. He predicts Trump will end up being regarded as the greatest president in American history, "We need him and I feel sad how they're trying to destroy him. It makes me sick. I'll tell you one thing he's got guts and courage and that's what this country needs."

This is one sick racist nazi son of a bitch.  An exigent threat to all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

"The self-styled "America's Toughest Sheriff" has been having a tough time of it lately. After becoming America's former toughest sheriff after losing his latest re-election campaign in November, he was convicted last month of criminal contempt by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton for "willfully violating an order of the court" to end his deputies' crackdown on immigrants.  The sheriff believed he had the legal right to instruct his deputies to detain Hispanic drivers and pedestrians and inquire about their legal status. The federal courts had previously disagreed, and the judge found that Arpaio knew he was violating their order when his deputies continued doing it."

A sheriff has no authority to enforce federal law.  To detain someone, when you have no legal authority to do so, is a direct violation of the United States Constitution.

"Arpaio will be sentenced in October. He faces a possible six-month prison sentence."

Nowhere near long enough.  Only the tip of the iceberg of this nazi's criminal offenses:

"Arpaio made a national reputation for himself out of the way he treated prisoners, housing them in tents in triple digit temperatures, forcing them to eat recovered food, and to wear pink underwear. Chain gangs were his specialties. But it was the creation of an immigration posse that created legal consequences for the sheriff— thousands of citizens who were enlisted to help Maricopa County deputies enforce immigration law. The federal courts slapped the sheriff down and stripped him of his immigration enforcement authority. Arpaio's posse eventually disbanded."

The above is what sparks revolutions.

Insult to injury?

"Arpaio hinted that if he's pardoned he'll consider running for office again. "I've got a lot of options out there. I'm not going away."

You're out of uniform, Joe.  Where is your swastika armband, you nazi son of a bitch?

8-25-17

Continuing problems in the jackbooted world of ICE and BP.  ABC News reports:

"The number of U.S. Border Patrol agents has declined over the past year, despite President Donald Trump’s emphasis on increasing the ranks of the agency to carry out his border security agenda.  There are currently 19,407 agents, which is 335 fewer agents than 10 months ago, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data."

Breaks your heart, doesn't it?

"In January, Trump signed an executive order directing CBP to immediately begin the process of hiring 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents. The order also called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hire 10,000 federal agents and officers."

Insanity.  For what?  For a non-existent, no-so-cleverly manufactured non-problem?  No more than a delusion of a nazi fuhrer in a supposed democratic republic?  Think that bullshit?  Wake up:

"A recent Department of Homeland Security inspector general report found that both agencies are facing "significant challenges" in identifying, recruiting and hiring the number of law enforcement officers mandated in the executive orders.  The report also found that neither CBP nor ICE could provide "complete data to support the operational need or deployment strategies" for the additional 15,000 agents and officers they were directed to hire."

Clearly, none of this has been carefully thought out, or justified.  No more than the whim of a nazi fuhrer masquerading as president of the United States.  Carefully consider the following:

“We know that the president wants us to hire 5,000 agents, so we look forward to seeing how Congress enacts the budget for ’18 and that will tell us what we’re funded to hire, recognizing that we want to meet or exceed those goals to the greatest extent that we can," said Jacksta."

Make sense?

"Another inspector general report, released in August, found that CBP administered polygraph tests to applicants after they had already given information "disqualifying" them from being hired."

Didn't the Trump nazi claim he'd run the country like a business?  Isn't that what you Llano County Republican nazis wanted him to do?  See any evidence of it to date?  Forget?  He made his wealth the old fashioned way.  Stole it.  Fleeced contractors, looted students at the defunct Trump 'University,' misappropriated charitable proceeds from the Trump 'Foundation,' six bankruptcies, four of which he owns up to.  List can go on and on.

"The testing cost CBP about $5.1 million on more than 2,300 polygraphs, between 2013 and 2016, for applicants with “significant pre-test admissions of wrongdoing," including illegal drug use, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and in once case an applicant who, during the pre-test interview, admitted to participating in the gang rape of an intoxicated and unconscious woman."

Jesus Christ.  The nazi bastard has done nothing to reverse any of this goddamned bullshit.  None of it.  This, your definition of good business practice?

"This "slows the process for qualified applicants; wastes polygraph resources on unsuitable applicants; and will make it more difficult for CBP to achieve its hiring goals,” read the report.  CBP agreed with the report's findings and said it was taking steps to "aggressively" fix the testing issues."

Keystone Kops.

Coup de grace?  Get this:

"Today, the department has to go through around 100 people to hire one agent, but two years ago, CBP needed 270 applicants to hire one person, according to the department. Jacksta attributed that to the agencies’ increased “transparency” about the requirements to complete the hiring process.  However, according to the inspector general, Border Patrol would need around 750,000 applicants to meet the president’s goals."

Think these clueless bastards aren't bringing out the crazies, eliciting the hopelessly insane?  Fox News reports:

"A Vermont man’s alleged weapon of choice during an argument about immigration enforcement with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was liquid manure."

You read it right.  LOL.

"Mark Johnson, who says his livelihood in agriculture has been nearly ruined by illegal immigrants working on local farms, is accused of spraying a border patrol vehicle with manure on Aug. 3 at the edge of a farm field about two miles south of the Canadian border.  He is due in court Thursday in North Hero to answer charges of assault and disorderly conduct."

None of it makes sense since farmers are desperate for cheap foreign labor who, unlike American workers, will work for what amounts to slave wages.

"The 53-year-old man, who does custom manure spreading in northern Vermont, told the Lake Champlain Islander, a weekly newspaper, he was unhappy with the lack of serious efforts by the immigration agency when it comes to illegal immigrants allowed to work on local farms."

This guy is out of his mind.

“The Border Patrol, the sheriffs, state police, game wardens can’t go onto the farms,” Johnson said."

Constitution requires a warrant, probable cause.  If an exception is made, who's next?

"He told the Associated Press that he asked the Border Patrol agent why authorities were not doing more -- and he didn’t like the answer."

Clearly, didn't.

"I used to go to all these farms, spread liquid manure and help them with chopping and everything else," he said. "Then the illegals started coming in, more and more and more, and every time I see the border patrol I stop and ask them, 'Can you please do something about it?'"

He's nuts.  Belongs in an institution:

"The Islander reported the border patrol agent said Johnson became very agitated and he figured he would get out of the way so Johnson could resume spreading manure on the field.  The officer said in police documents he thinks Johnson tried to spray the cruiser twice, but missed the first time. The second time, the entire right side of the vehicle was covered with manure."

Nothing quite like the shit hitting the fan, is there?

8-25-17

On to a more serious matter, fallout continues from Trump's failure to repudiate KKK and Nazi Right goons in Charlottesville.  The Washington Post reports:

"Politicians from across the political spectrum have condemned President Trump’s reactions to the violent protests in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12. Trump failed to specifically call out white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members in his initial statement, instead emphasizing that there was blame “on many sides.” Though he specifically condemned those groups Monday, Trump backtracked in an impromptu news conference Tuesday, blaming “both sides” for the violence and saying many of the rally participants were peaceful."

Trump lives in his own sick delusional world:

"Later news conference  Evening of Aug. 15

"I think there's blame on both sides. And I have no doubt about it. [...] No one wants to say that, but I’ll say it right now: You had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit and they were very, very violent."

Trump figuratively has head securely lodged up his ass.

Quite a bit of reaction to Trump's reversal.  Most poignant, concise, to the point comes from fellow Republican Mitt Romney:

"Mitt Romney R  Former Massachusetts governor Aug. 15, 8:14 p.m.

"No, not the same. One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes."

Indeed.  True.  The unvarnished truth.  Republican after Republican is coming around, beginning to understand the true perversity, unfitness for office of the Trump nazi.

CNN reports:

"Sen. Bob Corker slammed President Donald Trump's handling of the racially motivated protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, charging that the President "has not demonstrated he understands the character of this nation."

Has no clue.

"The Tennessee Republican told reporters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday that he thinks there must be "radical changes" within the White House.  "The President has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful," Corker said, according to a video posted by local news website Nooga.com.  "He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he's got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that," Corker added."

Should Trump lose a sufficient number of Republicans, will not remain in office.  Not complete his first term.

"But he took aim at Trump for his Tuesday comments that played to the extremist wing of his political base and sparked condemnation from Republican lawmakers as well as business leaders and others.  "Helping inspire divisions because it generates support from your political base is not a formula for causing our nation to advance, our nation to overcome the many issues we have to deal with right now," Corker said."

Republicans understand they won't be returned to office if the continued insanity in the Oval Office isn't quickly overturned.

The lunacy of the Trump nazi continues unabated.  The Washington Post reports:

"A sordid tale of Gen. John J. Pershing executing Muslim insurgents in the Philippines at the turn of the century is a favorite of President Trump.  “They were having terrorism problems, just like we do,” Trump told a throng of cheering supporters on the campaign trail in South Carolina in February 2016.  Pershing “caught 50 terrorists who did tremendous damage and killed many people. And he took the 50 terrorists, and he took 50 men and he dipped 50 bullets in pigs’ blood — you heard that, right? He took 50 bullets, and he dipped them in pigs’ blood. And he had his men load his rifles, and he lined up the 50 people, and they shot 49 of those people. And the 50th person, he said: You go back to your people, and you tell them what happened. And for 25 years, there wasn’t a problem.”

None of it true.

"It’s a story Trump has repeated, and echoed again Thursday after what authorities have called a terrorist attack in Barcelona that killed at least 13 people and left many more wounded when a driver smashed his van onto a busy sidewalk."

Galling, isn't it?

“Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!” he tweeted.  Brian M. Linn, a history professor at Texas A&M University, did just that nearly two decades ago when he published “Guardians of Empire,” a book on the U.S. military presence in Asia from 1902 to 1940.  His verdict on Trump’s claim?  “There is absolutely no evidence this occurred,” he told The Washington Post.  “It’s a made-up story. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times people say this isn’t true. No one can say where or when this occurred.”

Even worse?  Sadder?

"But Trump’s claims, and the wider belief in a routinely debunked story, has far-reaching effects. Not only is the story untrue, but the convenient twist — of an insurgency defeated only with the use of brutal war tactics — points to precisely the opposite lessons Pershing and his troops learned in the Philippines campaign from 1899 to 1913, Linn said.  “The U.S. military learned escalating counterterrorism was not effective, and they took great steps, including Pershing, to de-escalate,” Linn said."

Trump remains oblivious to the truth.  Facts mean nothing to an insane nazi.  Kicker?  Get this:

"Lost in Trump’s falsehood, Linn said, is the distortion of an officer who dedicated his life to a certain code of conduct.  “It’s a terrible defamation of the American soldier,” Linn said. “What does it say about Americans that they would take 50 people and shoot them? It’s a major war crime."

The following is achingly poignant.  CBS News reports:

"The violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, have prompted many Americans to question how we move forward as a nation. Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."

Congressman John Lewis is one American who embodies that message of unity. On Tuesday night, Lewis said the violence in Charlottesville troubles him a great deal. He encouraged people to "speak up, speak out" and "participate in the democratic process."

Decades before his service on Capitol Hill, he risked his life fighting for equal rights. Lewis reflects on his journey and his push to bring people together in our ongoing series, Note to Self.

This piece originally aired June 29, 2017."

Here are some of the most salient parts of it:

"In 1956, when you were only 16 years old, you and some of your brothers and sisters and first cousins went down to the public library trying to get library cards, trying to check out some books, and you were told by the librarian that the library is for whites only, and not for coloreds," Lewis recalls.  "I say to you now, when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to continue to speak up, to speak out," he says."

Indeed, we do.  Can still remember a quote from a poster decades ago during the Vietnam debacle: "It is a sin to be silent when it is your duty to protest."  No matter the personal cost.

"Lewis was so inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks that he got involved in the civil rights movement.  "Something touched you and suggested that you write a letter to Dr. King. You didn't tell your teachers, you didn't tell your mother and you father," Lewis says.  King wrote him back and invited Lewis to Montgomery, Alabama. Meanwhile, Lewis was admitted to a school in Nashville, Tennessee, where he would get involved in the sit-ins."

Think that easy?  A cake walk?

"You'd be sitting there in an orderly, peaceful, non-violent fashion and someone would come up and spit on you, or put a cigarette out in your hair or down your back, pour hot water, hot coffee, hot chocolate on you," Lewis says.  "You got arrested the first time, and you felt so free. You felt liberated. You felt like you had crossed over," he added."

More poignant?

"The Boy from Troy," as King called Lewis, would go on to become the embodiment of non-violence in America.  "Two years after you speak at the March on Washington, you will see the face of death leading the march for voting across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. You were beaten on that bridge. You were left bloody. You thought you were going to die. But you will make it. You will live to see your mother and father cast their first votes," Lewis says."

Long-term readers will recall this March on Washington was  covered in detail on its 50th anniversary in this publication.

"Lewis was sad when he was denied a library card as a teenager, but he would go on to be elected to Congress and write a book called "Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement." The same library that rejected him would invite him back for a book signing – and present him with a library card.  "I believe as Dr. King and A. Philip Randolph and others taught you, that we're one people and it doesn't matter whether we're black, or white, Latino, Asian-American or Native American. That maybe our foremothers and our forefathers all came here in different ships, but we're all in the same boat now," Lewis says."

The way it should be, but is not yet.

The United States Military certainly understands the significance of Charlottesville, the threat it poses.  The Washington Times reports:

"The top officers in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force presented a united front against the bigotry and racism fueling recent clashes between white supremacists, neo-Nazis and anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, ending with one dead and 19 wounded.  The multiple statements by the defense chiefs Tuesday night and Wednesday morning did not mention President Trump or who was at fault in Charlottesville, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice makes it illegal for a commissioned officer to say anything that can be interpreted as a direct criticism of the president.  But the messages appeared to draw a clear line between the president’s mixed reaction to the confrontation and the clear line they were setting for soldiers, sailors and Marines."

Hat's off to the Joint Chiefs.  Uncommon valor to stand tall against this great evil posed by the Trump nazi.

"The clearly coordinated messages also come amid other signs of tension between Mr. Trump and the military brass, who were also caught off guard by Mr. Trump’s sweeping order last month banning transgender troops from serving in the military.  “The shameful events in Charlottesville are unacceptable and must not be tolerated. Our thoughts and prayers go to those who were killed and injured, and to all those trying to bring peace back to the community,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “The Navy will forever stand against intolerance and hatred.”

Here, here, Admiral.  Well-put.  Courgageous.

"His counterpart, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, tweeted that there is “no place for racial hatred or extremism in @USMC.”  “Our core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment frame the way Marines live and act,” the four-star general added."

Indeed.  Of equal significance?  Rightfully, took it personally:

"Marine Corps officials said Gen. Neller was motivated in part from reports that one of the lead organizers of the neo-Nazi rally was a Marine veteran. Marine spokesman Lt. Col Eric Dent told the Washington Examiner that the statement “was not meant as a stab at the president, rather should serve as a reaffirmation of who we are and what we stand for.”

That's right.

"Air Force Gen. David Goldfein, the service’s top officer, said that there is no room for hate or racism in the armed forces. “I stand with my fellow service chiefs in saying we’re always stronger together. It’s who we are as Airmen,” Gen. Goldfein said."

All these men stood tall.  Every one of them.

"Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said the actions taken by neo-Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan, who were in Charlottesville protesting against the taking down of a Confederate war memorial, were simply intolerable.“The Army doesn’t tolerate racism, extremism or hatred in our ranks. It’s against our values and everything we’ve stood for since 1775,” Gen. Milley tweeted."

The Trump nazi still hasn't gotten the message.  Nor, apparently, have family members.

The President's daughter has not, to date, stood tall regarding this fiasco.  CNN reports:

"Sequestered on a brief holiday with her husband Jared Kushner in Vermont, Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump's eldest daughter -- one of his senior advisers and the closest member of his family who is Jewish -- has yet to comment on the events of her father's Tuesday afternoon press conference.  In the wake of the President's remarks that he believes white supremacists and neo-Nazis are held in equal comparison to the so-called "alt-left" protesters who clashed in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend, Ivanka Trump's silence, 24 hours later, has raised questions about her engagement in the major national controversy, or lack thereof."

Imagine the impossible position this places Trump's daughter and son-in-law in.  What is not clear is whether or not they placed enormous pressure on Trump in private.

"Requests by CNN for comment from Trump and Kushner were declined. Other Jewish members of the Cabinet have likewise not weighed in publicly on Trump's tirade. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and top economic adviser Gary Cohn, who are both Jewish, were standing nearby during the press conference."

Clearly, the Trump nazi remains incapable of having thoroughly thought this out in great detail, including ramifications.

"Yet three days later, after the President's impromptu press conference from the lobby of Trump Tower went wildly off the rails, Ivanka Trump has chosen not come forward with her own thoughts about her father's "both sides" attack, in which he rejected white supremacists and neo-Nazis but also said there were "very fine" people marching alongside them in Charlottesville.  "We can't imagine that as a Jewish woman, Ivanka Trump is not deeply disturbed by what happened in Charlottesville, and what continues to happen around the country," says Nancy Kaufman, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women. "Her initial response on Twitter displayed that. But now she has a job to do."

Indeed, she does.  Must stand up to dear old achingly deluded dad.

Fallout continues unabated. The Washington Times reports:

"President Trump disbanded two of his economic advisory councils Wednesday, faced with the embarrassing resignations of numerous business leaders amid rising condemnation over his comments about violence at a white nationalist rally and a liberal pressure campaign.  Mr. Trump abruptly announced that he was shuttering the business groups just after news broke that one of them, the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum chaired by Blackstone CEO and Trump confidante Stephen Schwarzman, intended to disband on its own."

Be insanity for the business community not to take action, ignore the inevitable.

"Eight members of the president’s American Manufacturing Council also had quit since Monday. Progressive groups took credit for flooding the CEOs’ companies with thousands of phone calls to pressure them to dissociate from Mr. Trump.  “It doesn’t pay to stand with hate, and consumers across America gave the corporate world a wake-up call today,” said John Burton, a former Obama administration official who works for the group Daily Action. “Consumers today have more choices than ever, and they are demanding greater corporate responsibility — or they will take their business elsewhere.”

Precisely, what needs to happen.

"The advisory councils were largely ceremonial. But the awkward shuttering of the groups that Mr. Trump created with fanfare just a few months ago showed how the president’s rhetoric on race has made him increasingly radioactive to corporate chiefs, a relationship that is supposed to be one of Mr. Trump’s strongest points in his push for an economic revival and tax reform."

The bottom line always comes first.  When that's threatened, the corporate management suite quickly bails.

"It was the most obvious rebuke on another brutal day for Mr. Trump, who on Tuesday asserted that there were “fine people” on both sides of the racially motivated clashes provoked by white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia."

Racism, nazism, national socialism, fascism, etc., all unacceptable.  Will not be tolerated in our formerly great country.

The country is, indeed, beginning to wake up to the exigent threat posed:

"Both former Presidents Bush weighed in from retirement with a rare statement, saying that Americans “must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms.”  In the House, Democratic lawmakers said they will introduce a resolution to censure Mr. Trump.  As criticism escalated over the president’s comments that “both sides” were to blame for the violent clashes last weekend, Mr. Trump’s Cabinet members also faced calls for a mass resignation to repudiate Mr. Trump’s views."

Encouraging.

“One by one, America’s business leaders have abandoned Donald Trump,” said Color of Change Executive Director Rashad Robinson. “But that’s not out of any altruism; it’s because they know the American people — especially communities of color — will hold them accountable for enabling a supporter of violent hate and white supremacy. Trump killed these councils as a move of desperation.”

Indeed.  Certainly, true.

Amazing how quickly life can come full circle, isn't it?  CNN reports:

"Earlier this year, Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer voted against moving the Robert E. Lee statue out of a city park. Instead, he wanted to create "a new context" around the statue of the Confederate general.  Now Signer has changed his mind. He wants Lee gone ASAP.  "I think everything changed last weekend," Signer said Friday on CNN's "AC360," referring to the violence that broke out when white supremacists and neo-Nazis came to demonstrate against the removal of the statue and clashed with counterprotesters."

Indeed, a desperately belated wake up call.  Better late than never, however.

"I think that was one of those moments in the nation's history where everything turns," he said. "I've been likening it in my mind to Dylann Roof, and the water hoses on the peaceful protesters in Birmingham, or Joseph Welch confronting McCarthy, saying 'At long last, have you no decency?'"  "All of a sudden these statues of Civil War generals installed in the Jim Crow era, they became touchstones of terror," he continued, "the twisted totems that people are clearly drawn to, trying to create a whole architecture of intimidation and hatred around them that was visited around our town. It was evil."

Indeed, it is.  Great evil.  These statues belong in museums, at graveyards where Confederate dead are buried.  Not displayed as contemporary symbols to be revered.

"Signer said his personal pivot moment came during a memorial service for Heather Heyer, 32, who was killed when a man attending the rally allegedly plowed a car into a group of counterprotesters. Signer said he didn't want her life to be forgotten.  In a statement issued Friday, the mayor laid out a plan. "And so for the sake of public safety, public reassurance, to magnify Heather's voice, and to repudiate the pure evil that visited us here, I am calling today for the removal of these Confederate statues from downtown Charlottesville," he said.  He asked that the Virginia legislature meet in emergency session to change the law so the city could swiftly take down its Confederate monuments -- a request not likely to be granted, according to a spokesman for the governor."

Sad, isn't it?  Achingly, shortsighted as well.

"Signer also called for a memorial to honor Heyer and legislation that would allow local authorities to ban "open or concealed carry of weapons" at public events where they might pose a security threat."

8-25-17

The fallout continues.  CBS News reports:

"When President Donald Trump launched into his press conference on Tuesday, it was chiefly to outline his vision for transforming the nation's aging infrastructure and energizing the U.S. economy. Then he took a detour."

Indeed, he did.  Certainly, displayed his true colors.

"His move to instead use the occasion to defend white nationalists following a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that erupted in lethal violence has caused a furor, estranging Republican lawmakers, antagonizing business leaders and intensifying the discord within his administration. That backlash now threatens to swamp Mr. Trump's best-laid economic plans, Wall Street analysts say."

There are always consequences when a president remains unhinged.

"The president's actions "further divided him from key members of his own party, created chaos among his staff and alienated support within the business community -- support he will need to pass key elements of his economic agenda such as tax reform and infrastructure spending," financial analyst Brian Gardner of KBW said in a report."

... Just the beginning.

"At risk is the President's ability to fill out his own team, to push tax reform, to enact an infrastructure bill and to continue to attract business leaders to fill key government posts," wrote Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg in a note."

Good to see Republicans are beginning to wake up to the continuing scourge in the Oval Office.

The Washington Post reports:

"The two guests on the Fox News program "Fox and Friends" had been invited to talk about the toppling of a North Carolina Confederate monument Wednesday morning in the way cable news often sets up: talking heads at opposite ends of the political spectrum bickering over partisan talking points.Wendy Osefo, a policy and social justice expert and Johns Hopkins University professor, was there ostensibly to represent left-wing views. Gianno Caldwell came on the program as a Republican strategist."

Best laid plans...not to be.

"Both Osefo and Caldwell had agreed to discuss the statue incident before hearing President Trump's remarks Tuesday that have sparked fierce backlash in the wake of violence in Charlottesville.  The two guests blew up the entire premise of talking at opposite ends. Instead, they engaged in a discussion over the humanity of the moment and perceived failings of Trump to unequivocally condemn neo-Nazis and white supremacists."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Encouraging, as well.

“This is not partisanship. This is human life,” Osefo said to anchor Abby Huntsman in an emotional exchange centered on Trump's remarks in a combative news conference.  “As a black woman [with] two black boys, my heart bleeds. This is not talking points here. This is personal. And we as a nation, as a country, have to do better," she added."

CBS News reports:

"The internet was built on the premise of allowing people to engage in free speech and exchange ideas, even dangerous ones."

Indeed.

"That ethos now faces a stern test following the violence and terror attack in Charlottesville, creating a host of ethical questions for businesses including Facebook, PayPal and Spotify. Many are deciding to ban white supremacist and neo-Nazi users from sending money, posting comments and listening to "white power" music. Discord, a group chat app, kicked off alt-right communities on Monday, according to The New York Times."

A mistake.  Big mistake. Who's next?

"While those decisions are applauded by many, others are questioning whether tech companies are going too far by deciding what music their customers can listen to or what comments are acceptable. The dilemma was spelled out by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, who wrote in a blog post about how he decided to cancel the account of the Daily Stormer. The issue came to a head for Cloudflare, an internet security company, when the neo-Nazi publication claimed "we were secretly supporters of their ideology," he noted."

The way to effectively confront hate speech is to pointedly confront it with more free speech.

NPR reports:

"Shortly after President Trump posted a link for tickets to a rally in Phoenix, the city's mayor issued a statement asking the president not to come, saying, "our nation is still healing from the tragic events in Charlottesville."  Mayor Greg Stanton continued, "If President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, then it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame emotions and further divide our nation."

Fascinating, isn't it?

Amazing how lawyers remain incapable of thinking straight.  LOL.  The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump’s lawyer on Wednesday fanned an already-incendiary racial debate by forwarding an email advocating protection of some Confederate monuments and claiming that the protest group Black Lives Matter had been infiltrated by terrorists."

Really?  Think so?

"Trump’s lawyer John Dowd told The Washington Post he “shares a lot of things with people” and said it was unfair to equate forwarding an email with espousing its contents."

Give me a break.  Under current circumstances?  What could you possibly be thinking?

"Dowd sent the email to administration allies and journalists amid a firestorm over the president’s remarks about the deadly weekend protests in Charlottesville. Dowd, 76, a veteran of Washington political scandals, was recently hired to help Trump respond to an investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian meddling in the 2016 election."

Precisely, why it's extremely difficult to believe the following:

"Dowd, in an interview Wednesday, confirmed to The Post that he forwarded an email that appeared to be written by longtime conspiracy theorist Jerome Almon. But Dowd stressed he was a history buff who has studied Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, whose role in the Civil War is memorialized by statues around the nation."

Believe in the Tooth Fairy?

Especially, in light of the following:

"The email — entitled “The Information that Validates President Trump on Charlottesville” — appeared to echo and applaud the controversial claim the president made Tuesday defending a central goal of the protest led by white supremacists. The group said it rallied in the home town of the University of Virginia to protest the removal of a Lee statue."

Can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit?

Corker continues to fire, all guns blazing.  NBC News reports:

"A prominent Republican senator delivered a stinging rebuke Thursday of Donald Trump's short time in office, declaring he has not shown the stability or competence required for an American president to succeed.  Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, also said Trump "recently has not demonstrated that he understands the character of this nation." During comments to local reporters after a speech to the Chattanooga Rotary Club, Corker called for "radical changes" in how the Trump White House operates.  His remarks, which were posted on Facebook, came two days after Trump declared at a New York press conference that white supremacists don't bear all the blame for the violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. The president's remarks have triggered a firestorm of protest, with a number of Republicans criticizing Trump for giving weight to the complaints of white nationalists by refusing to definitively condemn them."

The Trump nazi continues to figuratively shoot himself in the ass.

"Corker has sought to be a strong supporter of Trump's, particularly on foreign policy matters. But Trump's impulsive and often bombastic style has complicated the relationship for Corker and other congressional Republicans. A few months ago, following reports that Trump had disclosed highly classified information to a pair of Russian diplomats in the Oval Office, Corker said the White House was "in a downward spiral."

Clearly, loyalty has its limits.

"But Corker in recent weeks had largely declined to answer questions about Trump's tweets or other political drama, telling reporters covering Congress that he was focused instead on matters of policy.  He elected to weigh in Thursday, however. Noting that the country is polarized, Corker said, "Helping inspire divisions because it generates support from your political base is not a formula for causing our nation to advance, our nation to overcome the many issues that we have to deal with right now."

Republican defections will likely increase unabated as the Trump nazi continues to mentally disintegrate.

"Corker also defended his Republican colleague, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona. On Twitter Thursday, Trump called Flake "toxic" while praising his primary election opponent.  Flake is "one of the finest best human beings I've ever met," Corker said. He said the White House would be well served to embrace Flake because of his substance and character.  Flake has a "conscience and is a real conservative," Corker said."

... As does, and is, John McCain.  Both GOP senators from Arizona are class acts, men of substance, principle.

The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump drew a new and forceful round of criticism Thursday from a leading Republican senator, who asserted that Trump has not demonstrated the “stability” or “competence” necessary to effectively lead the country.  Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.), who has been one of the most outspoken GOP Trump critics in Congress, expressed displeasure with Trump’s response to the deadly weekend violence in Charlottesville and warned that if the president does not change his behavior, “our nation is going to go though great peril.”

An unwanted dreaded second American revolution.

“The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,” the senator told reporters in Tennessee. “And we need for him to be successful.”

It's worse than that.  Far worse.

“I don’t think that the president has appropriately spoken to the nation on this issue,” said Corker, speaking of the language Trump has used about white supremacists.  "Anything less than complete & unambiguous condemnation of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK by the @POTUS is unacceptable. Period,” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) wrote Tuesday on Twitter."

Should Trump lose his GOP compadres, he will be impeached, convicted, removed from office.

CNN reports:

"The mother of the woman killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend said she is not interested in hearing from the President because she believes he equated her daughter to white supremacists.  "I'm not talking to the President now," Susan Bro said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I'm sorry. After what he said about my child, and it's not that I saw somebody else's tweets about him. I saw an actual clip of him at a press conference equating the protesters like Ms. (Heather) Heyer with the KKK and the white supremacists."  Trump blamed "both sides" for the violence in the Virginia city at a news conference earlier this week, drawing an equivalency between white supremacists and neo-Nazis with those protesting them."

Would be a mistake for Ms. Bro not to take his call.  Not take the opportunity to tell him precisely what she thinks.

The Washington Post reports:

"The Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and Susan G. Komen on Friday joined a growing exodus of organizations canceling plans to hold fundraising events at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, deepening the financial impact to President Trump’s private business amid furor over his comments on Charlottesville.  The major exits now mean more than eight of the club’s biggest event customers have abandoned it this week, likely costing the Trump business hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue or more."

Piss hole in the snow for the Trump nazi.

In follow up, The Washington Post reports:

"Nine of 16 big-ticket charity events for the upcoming social “season” at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., have been canceled."

CNN reports:

"The great-great grandchildren of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson have a message for those who adamantly want to preserve the Confederate leaders' monuments: Let it go.  Their message, all issued separately in interviews and open letters, are particularly resonant in a climate when there's so much controversy over the Civil War symbols and when the President of the United States himself said removing them is ripping apart the country."

Here is some of the commentary:

"Lee's great-great grandson of Gen. Robert E. Lee condemned last weekend's violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and said it might be "appropriate" for Confederate statues to be exhibited in a museum.  "Eventually, someone is going to have to make a decision, and if that's the local lawmaker, so be it. But we have to be able to have that conversation without all of the hatred and the violence. And if they choose to take those statues down, fine," Robert E. Lee V, 54, of Washington DC, told CNN.  "Maybe it's appropriate to have them in museums or to put them in some sort of historical context in that regard," he added."

"Lee, who works as an athletic director at a Virginia school, called Saturday's incidents "senseless" and "sad" for his family.  "Those sorts of acts on Saturday, that's just not to be tolerated," he said. "We feel strongly that Gen. Lee would never ever stand for that sort of violence."  "We just want people to know that the Lee family just really wants to send their best to the people in Charlottesville," Lee added."

Have to give this guy great credit.  He's right.

"Bertram Hayes-Davis, great-great-grandson of the Confederate president Jefferson Davis told CNN's Don Lemon that such statues should be moved to a museum if "that's offensive to a large majority of the public."  "In a public place, if it is offensive and people are taking issue with it, let's move it. Let's put it somewhere where historically it fits with the area around it so you can have people come to see it, who want to understand that history and that individual."

Have to also give this guy great credit.  Spot on.

"Two men who say they are the great-great grandsons of Stonewall Jackson published an open letter asking the Richmond mayor to remove Jackson's statue -- and others -- from a prominent avenue in Richmond.  "We are writing to say that we understand justice very differently from our grandfather's grandfather, and we wish to make it clear his statue does not represent us," the open letter read in part."

Certainly, an enlightened approach.

"Another part of the powerful letter read: "While we are not ashamed of our great great grandfather, we are ashamed to benefit from white supremacy while our black family and friends suffer. We are ashamed of the monument."

Hat's off.

CNN reports:

"US President Donald Trump found himself more isolated than at any point in his presidency on Thursday, cast aside by business allies, condemned by prominent Republicans and the subject of a rare, if coded rebuke from two living predecessors.  The backlash over his failure unequivocally to condemn racism and white supremacy, in the aftermath of violent far-right protests in Charlottesville at the weekend, culminated in the rancorous dissolution of two business advisory panels and an avalanche of condemnation from across the political spectrum."

The country is beginning to wake up.

The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump and first lady Melania Trump have elected not to attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors in December amid a political backlash among those who will be feted at the event.  The first family will not participate “to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Saturday morning.  The announcement comes as three of the five honorees — television producer Norman Lear, singer Lionel Richie and dancer Carmen de Lavallade — said they would boycott the traditional White House reception related to the celebration. As for the other two, rapper LL Cool J had not said whether he would attend, and Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan said she would go to try to influence the president on immigration issues."

Political cost to the Trump nazi continues to grow.

CNN reports:

"Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham over the President's response to racially motivated protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, continued Thursday, with the South Carolina senator accusing Trump of stoking tensions, a claim Trump called "a disgusting lie."  "Your tweet honoring Miss Heyer was very nice and appropriate. Well done," the South Carolina lawmaker said Thursday morning, referring to Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old woman who was killed in a car attack on Saturday. The man charged in her killing has been described as a Nazi sympathizer.  "However, because of the manner in which you have handled the Charlottesville tragedy, you are now receiving praise from some of the most racist and hate-filled individuals and groups in our country. For the sake of our nation -- as our President -- please fix this."  "History is watching us all," added Graham, who has been one of the few Republican lawmakers to directly denounce Trump's equivocation earlier this week between white supremacists and those who were protesting them in Charlottesville."

The Senator is certainly standing tall.  Has substance.  Remains principled.

"Through his statements yesterday, President Trump took a step backward by again suggesting there is moral equivalency between the white supremacist neo-Nazis and KKK members who attended the Charlottesville rally and people like Ms. Heyer," Graham said in the statement, referencing Heyer, who died from injuries sustained at the rally in the Virginia city Saturday. "I, along with many others, do not endorse this moral equivalency."  "Many Republicans do not agree with and will fight back against the idea that the Party of Lincoln has a welcome mat out for the David Dukes of the world," Graham said."

Indeed.  Certainly, hope that's true.

"Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, was pleased with the President's words and took to Twitter following Trump's comments Tuesday to thank him for his "honesty and courage."

A goddamned nazi.

NPR reports:

"President Trump's belated and halfhearted denunciation of the hate groups that marched in Charlottesville, Va., has cost him the support of numerous business leaders and fellow Republicans and prompted at least a half-dozen nonprofit organizations to cancel planned fundraising events at his Mar-a-Lago resort.  But Trump's religious advisers, who might be expected to offer moral guidance, have been almost entirely silent. None of the 25 members of his "Evangelical Advisory Board" has resigned in protest or even offered public criticism of his Charlottesvile comments."

The achingly perverse 'Religious' Nazi Right remains hopelessly clueless.

"The evangelicals' failure to take a stronger stand has exposed them to some withering rebukes. A tweet from Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, that "corporate America has a greater moral compass" was retweeted nearly 50,000 times.

    "Not a single member of Trump's Evangelical Council has resigned. We have learned corporate America has a greater moral compass. So so sad.
    — Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) August 16, 2017"

Lost their way.  Drank the Kool Aide.

"Such criticism has put Trump's evangelical advisers on the defensive.

"We believe it would be immoral to resign," says Johnnie Moore, a lay evangelical leader who has advised public figures on outreach to Christian communities. "As faith leaders, we have been given an opportunity to speak directly to various members of the administration, to provide not just policy counsel but personal counsel. We're personally involved in the lives of all these people, praying for all these people, and answering their questions."

Achingly, perverse.  Hopelessly, convoluted.  Ludicrously f--ked up non-reasoning.

"Many conservative evangelicals, however, did not hesitate to criticize Barack Obama or Bill Clinton when they objected to their policies or felt their presidencies were somehow tainted, so the reluctance of Trump's advisers to address his comments has been noteworthy. Some have had nothing at all to say about either the Charlottesville rally or Trump's response to it, while several others rushed to the president's defense."

The Head Honcho of their religion would have dismissed these nazis of the cloth as Pharisees.

Another Republican has stood tall.  The Washington Times reports:

"House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Monday that the white supremacists who have gained such a high profile in recent weeks remain “only on the fringes” of American life, but said the country cannot tolerate any attempts to show moral relativism."

Indeed, that's true.  Sadly, however, the Nazi Right is a cancer that continues to grow unabated.

“There is no confusion about right and wrong here. There are no sides. There is no other argument. We will not tolerate this hateful ideology in our society,” Mr. Ryan said in a web post."

Precisely, why you should have had the courage to call out the president by name:

"Mr. Ryan did not mention President Trump by name in his lengthy post, but took pains to stake out a different position than the president, who while condemning neo-Nazis and white nationalists also said there were good and bad people on both sides of the Charlottesville clashes."

If you truly believe the following, you need to specifically call the president out by name:

“We all need to make clear there is no moral relativism when it comes to neo-Nazis. We cannot allow the slightest ambiguity on such a fundamental question,” Mr. Ryan said."

NPR reports:

"A group of alumni from one of the country's most influential evangelical Christian universities is condemning their school's president for his continued alignment with President Trump.  A small but growing number of Liberty University graduates are preparing to return diplomas to their school. The graduates are protesting university President Jerry Falwell Jr.'s ongoing support for Trump. They began organizing after Trump's divisive remarks about the deadly white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Va."

Fascinating, isn't it?

ABC News reports:

"President Donald Trump moves out of his difficult Charlottesville week and into his national address on Afghanistan policy tonight with a poor but stable job performance rating and still-weaker grades for his handling of the neo-Nazi-fueled unrest – with vast gaps across groups.  Additionally, 9 percent in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll call it acceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white supremacist views, equivalent to about 22 million Americans. A similar number, 10 percent, say they support the so-called alt-right movement, while 50 percent oppose it."

8-25-17

More of the same.  The Trump nazi's speech on policy change in Afghanistan rang hollow.  No substance.  None at all.  Empty rhetoric.  NBC News reports:

"President Donald Trump announced a new approach — but no details — for the U.S. war in Afghanistan on Monday, marking a major policy reversal for the man who in recent years had insisted America pull out of the war-torn country."

What new approach?  The nazi has none.  More of the same old, same old.

"Acknowledging that his "original instinct was to pull out, and historically I like following my instincts," Trump said in a prime-time address to the nation from Ft. Myer in Arlington, Virginia, that after becoming president he realized a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan would cede ground to terror groups."

Unadulterated horse shit from a nazi who places financial interests of corporate war profiteers ahead of the best interests of our formerly great country.  We've heard this bullshit from Korea to Vietnam to Gulf War 1 to Gulf War 2 to Afghanistan.  All a crock of shit.  Designed to line the pockets of the corporate management suite.  When will the American people finally wake up?

No more than a ruse.  You've been had.  Bamboozled.  Repeatedly.  The nazi plans to win this war.  How?  By sending another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan as reported by sources?  No more than a crock of shit.  We couldn't win this war when troop levels were at approximately 100,000.  They're now at a small fraction of that.  Win?  How?  A ruse.  How many more will have to die to line the pockets of the corporate management suite?

"We are not nation-building again," Trump said before an audience of service members. "We are killing terrorists."

A crock of shit.  Phony re-write of reality by a delusional fascist dictator lying out both sides his ass.  He's deliberately lining the pockets of the corporate management suite at expense of American military blood, taxpayer treasure.  You're being bamboozled.

"The president provided few details, however, about how America would do that, leaving out of his 30-minute remarks any numbers about possible additional U.S. troops needed in Afghanistan and not revealing specifics of his war plans.  "We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities," Trump said. "Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on."  "I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will," he promised."

How will you effectively do so, Mr. 'President?'  How?  The military couldn't win with approximately 100,000 troops at the height of the war.  How will you do so with a fraction of that number now?  How?  You're full of shit, Mr. 'President.'  A charlatan.

"The president began his remarks with sobering words about the need for national unity and love for fellow Americans, a stark contrast from comments Trump had made less than a week earlier in which he drew widespread condemnation for blaming "both sides" for violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that left one woman dead."

There will be no unity as you continue to transform the de facto fascist police-state we already live in to the Fourth Reich, Mr. 'President."  Resistance will increase as the public wakes up to the truth.

"While he did not mention Charlottesville, Trump proclaimed that "love for America requires love for all its people. When we open our hearts to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, no tolerance for bigotry."

Rings hollow.  No more than abject bullshit.  Certainly, after all the contradictory remarks he's made.

"He added, "We cannot remain a force for peace in the world if we are not at peace with each other."

How can there be unity as the country continues to nazify under your direction, Mr. 'President?'  You remain achingly delusional, sir.  A misfit.  Egregiously unfit for office.  An exigent threat to all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

ABC News reports:

"Our nation must seek an honorable and enduring outcome worthy of the tremendous sacrifices that have been made, especially the sacrifices of lives," Trump said."

We repeatedly heard this very same bullshit during the Vietnam War.  Nixon used it as an excuse to continue the war until 1973.  Lied when he claimed in 1968 he had a "secret plan" to end the war.  Just like the Trump nazi is now doing, that is, -- lying.

The GOP leadership is goose stepping along despite the lack of specificity:

"Congressional Republicans, who have had their differences with President Donald Trump, rallied behind the commander-in-chief Monday night after his speech outlining what he called a new plan for the 16-year-old U.S. war in Afghanistan."

What new plan?  The 'President' did not articulate one.  There is none.

"Trump spoke in a forceful tone but offered few specifics in the 30-minute nationally televised address, vowing to base military decisions in Afghanistan on "conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables" — a point that earned plaudits from GOP leaders."

Why?  No more than empty rhetoric, yet, the dopey bastards applaud the bullshit?

"House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he was "pleased" with Trump’s plan and called it "a new Trump strategy, doctrine — principled realism."

Say what?  Called bullshit.

Not all Republicans were on board:

"Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a tea party darling who has long advocated for a reduced role in military conflicts abroad, said Monday ahead of Trump’s speech that "the mission in Afghanistan has lost its purpose" and called it a "terrible idea" to send any more troops to the country, although Trump did not explicitly say that's what he intended to do.  Breitbart News — where Steve Bannon returned as executive chairman after exiting as Trump’s chief White House strategist — led its site with three glaringly critical headlines of the speech, including one that dubbed Trump's speech a "Flip-Flop."

What does the enemy think?  NBC News reports:

"The Taliban had called for special prayers in the hope President Donald Trump would call for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, members of the group told NBC News.  Trump ended up taking the opposite path on Monday and backed a continued military presence that centered around empowering his generals and squeezing neighboring Pakistan, a U.S. ally that has often been accused of harboring and enabling terror groups.  This angered many in Pakistan, with several lawmakers publicly denouncing Trump for calling them out on the world stage.  But the Taliban, which has regained control of swaths of the country since being toppled in 2001, claimed that despite Trump going against their wishes they were happy to keep fighting in America's longest war."

Why wouldn't they be?  There hasn't been an invader that's beaten the Afghans in centuries.

"We know how to defend our motherland," said one of the commanders, who, like many of the militants, spoke on condition of anonymity. "If we could fight this war for 16 years with limited resources against the world's well-equipped armies, we are happy to continue this fight against the enemy."

"President Trump also failed to understand Afghanistan and the problems there," said another senior Taliban commander.

"We thought him different from his predecessors, but like other U.S. presidents, he too succumbed to the pressure and misinformation of his military commanders and succeeded in wasting their human lives and resources in Afghanistan," the commander added, after watching Trump's announcement in a remote village in Afghanistan's Helmand province — a militant stronghold."

Think they won't continue the fight?  Saddest of all?  This war could have been avoided.  The Bush State Department failed to do full background checks on the 9/11 hijackers.  Ignored warnings from the flight schools these terrorists wished only to learn how to fly straight and level, not take off and land.

Not one head rolled in the Bush "The Tush" Administration.  Instead, both major political parties gutlessly took a raucous hard dump on the Constitution, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.  -- The Homeland 'Security' Act. The USA 'Patriot" Act, The 'Real' ID Act, etc..   The list can go on and on.  We've been f--ked.  Betrayed by our 'leaders.'  The terrorists won.

8-25-17

The Bannon nazi finally got the boot.  The Washington Post reports:

"President Trump on Friday dismissed his embattled chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, an architect of his 2016 general election victory, in a major White House shake-up that follows a week of racial unrest, according to multiple administration officials.  Trump had been under mounting pressure to dispense with Bannon, who many officials view as a political Svengali but who has drawn scorn as a leading internal force encouraging and amplifying the president’s most controversial nationalist impulses.  Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said in a Friday afternoon statement to reporters: “White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best.”

Think so?

8-25-17

Think nepotism doesn't run rampant in the Trump regime?  Get this.  The Washington Post reports:

"The person President Trump tapped this summer to oversee one of the largest regions under the Department of Housing & Urban Development is a longtime Trump family employee with no experience in housing, according to the one-page résumé Lynne Patton submitted as part of the transition."

Think this the mark of a 'good' 'businessman?'  ... Or, a nazi fuhrer.

"Patton began working for Trump’s son Eric in 2009 as the vice president of his foundation and as his primary aide. She oversaw all aspects of his business, charity and personal obligations. That included his home and spousal responsibilities as well as coordinating events.  She was promoted in 2012 to be the Trump family’s senior aide and chief of staff, serving as the principal contact between the family members and all corporate partners, heads of state and high-end donors. Specifically, she worked for the Trump children, Donald Jr., Tiffany, Ivanka and Eric and his wife, Lara."

Fascinating, isn't it?  Gets 'better':

"In June, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, an acclaimed neurosurgeon with no expertise in housing policy either, charged Patton with running the agency’s regional office overseeing New York and New Jersey. Her appointment stirred controversy because of her lack of experience and the fact that Trump has a 4 percent stake in a Brooklyn development, Starrett City, that is the nation’s largest subsidized housing complex.  Patton is one of 10 regional administrators for HUD, an agency that has a $48.7 billion budget this year. Her position pays $161,900 a year."

More convoluted:

“The administration prioritizes hiring family friends, employees and people who have expressed loyalty to the president, raising real questions about why the president wants her there,” said Austin Evers, a former State Department attorney under President Barack Obama who now heads the government watchdog group American Oversight. “This underscores that this administration does not prioritize qualifications at all, including for this very important job which oversees billions of dollars of taxpayer money.”

Frightening, isn't it?

8-25-17

The following is outrageous.  While the president and his family need to be protected, their extravagant lifestyle is now financially supported by taxpayers.  CBS News reports:

"The Secret Service can no longer afford to pay agents needed to protect President Trump and his family because of an unprecedented number of White House protectees and because of frequent travel, according to USA Today."

The president should be protected at taxpayer expense in the White House, trips to Camp David, overseas and domestically on the nation's business.  Other than that, the nazi should pay for it out of his own pocket instead of looting taxpayers.

"The agency has also had to deal with frequent travel by the president to his properties along the East Coast such as in Florida, Virginia and New Jersey as well as vacations taken by other members of his family, the report said. In April, CBS News' Laura Strickler reported that the president's trips on Air Force One to Mar-a-Lago have cost taxpayers an estimated $700,000 for each round trip. CBS News has estimated, based on a previous Government Accountabilty Office report, that each presidential trip to Mar-a-Lago costs about $3 million."

8-25-17

Two unprosecuted war criminals have finally settled.  NPR reports:

"Two psychologists who were paid more than $80 million by the CIA to develop "enhanced interrogation" techniques — which have been called torture — have settled a lawsuit brought by men who were detained.  The list of brutal methods devised by Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell for use by the U.S. included waterboarding. The tactics were meant to condition detainees into a state of helplessness. Mitchell has said he was told by U.S. officials that the idea was to "walk right up to the edge of the law."

Insult to injury? These two nazi war criminals were never prosecuted for war crimes.  The terms of the settlement remain confidential.  Worse?  "Slick Dick" Cheney and George "The Tush" Bush at the top of the war criminal food chain remain unprosecuted.  Nazi America.

8-25-17

Our nazi government continues to go on digital fishing expeditions.  Texas Standard reports:

"Shelly Brisbin, Texas Standard’s web editor and author of over a dozen tech books, says the government is challenging the boundaries of privacy when it comes to cell phone data and internet activity. Verizon, along with Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and other tech giants have filed an amicus brief in a case where the government requested cell phone data for the suspect in a series of robberies. The Supreme Court will hear that case this fall. The companies are reluctant to hand over customer data, and are also hampered by the lack of clarity in the law around data privacy."

The true problem here is the unwillingness of companies to stand up to this nazi government.

"The Department of Justice also requested a large amount of data from web hosting provider DreamHost, including 1.3 million IP addresses, contact information and forms filled out by visitors to one of its websites that helped organize protests around President Donald Trump’s inauguration. It’s unclear why the government has requested such a large volume of information, and DreamHost is fighting the subpoena."

The way to protect yourself is to use Tor browser.  It's free.  When blocked, run Tor through a VPN.

Here is the take of NPR:

"Some VPNs promise anonymous browsing for free or just a few dollars a month; they claim not to share your data. But these services don't always deliver on their promises.  "If you're not careful with choosing your VPN service provider, the medicine might be worse than the illness," says Nick Feamster, a computer science professor at Princeton University. He says tens of millions of people have downloaded VPNs — and many don't realize they're not as secure as they claim.  In the first major review of VPN providers, researchers from across the globe tested nearly 300 free VPN apps on Google Play. What they found was alarming. Nearly 40 percent injected malware or malvertising. And nearly 20 percent of the apps didn't even encrypt user traffic.  This month, the Center for Democracy & Technology filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging the VPN Hotspot Shield collects data and intercepts traffic. If true, that would be a direct violation of claims by the company's policy to "never log or store user data."  Amid all the VPN angst, the app TunnelBear is fighting for its reputation. To verify it is committed to protecting user security, the company became the first in the industry to complete a third-party audit.  Feamster, with Princeton, says that's very encouraging — even though the most recent audit turned up some vulnerabilities.  Experts say the safest option is to set up your own VPN server and connect to it, or use Tor to browse the Web anonymously. But Feamster admits most people won't do that."

That's clearly a mistake.  Run Tor.  Do it through a VPN when blocked by a website.  Wake up.  Even if the VPN is not up to par, Tor is.  Running Tor through a VPN when blocked will provide security as well as overcome being blocked.  Best defense against our nazi government and its corporate masters.

8-25-17

Most of us know a discarded bottle or piece of curved broken glass can start a fire in a culvert.  Did you know a bottle of water in a car can similarly do the same?  CBS News reports:

"While working outside in blistering 100-degree heat in Boise, Idaho, Dioni Amuchastegui unknowingly made a dangerous mistake — he left bottled water in the front seat of his truck.  Amuchastegui had no idea a small plastic water bottle had the potential to start a fire. But that's exactly what happened.  "I was taking an early lunch, sitting in the truck, I happened to notice some smoke out of the corner of my eye," Amuchastegui explained. "I looked over and realized light was being refracted from a water bottle and was starting to catch the seat on fire."

Can certainly ignite a blaze.

"Amuchastegui, a battery technician with Idaho Power, was quick to share his story as a warning to others.  "A lot of people on his team thought he was making it up," Melissa Thom, a corporate communications specialist for Idaho Power, told CBS News. "Everybody was shocked."  But with supervision from the company's safety director, Amuchastegui decided to re-create the alarming incident in a minute-long video that was posted on the company's Facebook page early last month."

Fair warned is fair armed.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
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