;)
The Commentariat -- August 10, 2015
Internal links removed.
Afternoon Update:
Kristina Wong of the Hill: "The Pentagon said Monday it will submit a plan to lawmakers on closing the Guantánamo Bay detention facility 'sometime' after Congress comes back from its August recess. 'We would expect it to go up sometime after recess," said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis. "It's still in progress, it's very close to completion.... On Monday, the Pentagon said [Defense Secretary Ash] Carter and the Pentagon "continue to support" the president's goal of closing the facility. " ...
... Earlier Today. Tim Mak & Nancy Youssef of the Daily Beast: "The White House wants to quickly cut the number of detainees at Guantánamo Bay. One man is standing in the way: President Obama's Defense Secretary, Ash Carter. Carter and the White House are increasingly at odds about how to whittle down the number of detainees held in Guantánamo Bay, hampering the administration's push to close the detention center by the end of its term."
Ooh! Must-See TV! Brian Stelter of CNN: "Donald Trump and the Fox News Channel are about to televise their dispute. Trump has been booked for a 7 a.m. Tuesday interview on 'Fox & Friends,' co-host Steve Doocy said on Twitter on Monday afternoon.... Fox has dramatically ratcheted down its coverage of Trump. It has barely covered Trump's criticisms of [Megyn] Kelly and the two other debate moderators, Chris Wallace and Bret Baier." ...
Jon Karl of ABC News: "Donald Trump may soon do what Republican leaders have been asking the billionaire candidate to do -- pledge not to run as an independent candidate for president, a senior Trump adviser told ABC News." CW: Uh-oh, Donald is about to tell another "senior adviser," "You're fired."
I think in general if anyone focuses on racial discord we're going to get more. If we focus on unity we're going to get more of that. The families of the massacre in Charleston showed us the way. -- Scott Walker, in South Carolina on the anniversary of the police killing of black teen Michael Brown
... Igor Bobic of the Huffington Post: "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says the proper way to address racial issues in America is by concentrating on what brings people together rather than focusing on "racial discord." Doing the latter, the presidential candidate argued Sunday, could risk generating even more unrest.... Other presidential candidates -- Republican and Democrat -- have called for a broader conversation about systemic racism in the nation's justice system in the wake of high-profile shootings of unarmed black men across the country. Bipartisan calls for criminal justice reform have also grown in and out of Washington...." ...
... CW: You're so right, Scottie. If you don't talk about black people, they will go back to their quiet places, singing hymns at the church by the old plantation. Of course, they might get stopped, booked or shot by the cops on their way to church, but well, let's not mention that.
AP: "A Michigan lawmaker [state Rep. Todd Courser (RTP)] said he won't resign after sending an email to Republican supporters falsely claiming he was caught having sex with a male prostitute and said in a statement released Monday he was the target of a blackmail attempt.... 'My actions in and around these events in the email that was sent to misdirect attention were my doing both in planning and execution,' Courser said in a nearly 30-minute audio file posted on his campaign website.... He blames former staffers for conspiring with others to bring him down and vowed to learn the identity of the alleged blackmailer." ...
... CW: Doncha just love the way these micreants always see themselves as the victims? ...
... Paul Egan of the Detroit Free Press: Michigan Gov. Rick "Snyder [R] said House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, is handling the situation appropriately and proactively by ordering an investigation by the House business office, which began Friday. 'This is something that does need to be investigated, very clearly,' Snyder told reporters. A possible affair between [state Rep. Cindy] Gamrat [RTP] and [state Rep. Todd] Courser [RTP], though 'not something that should happen,' is an issue for voters, not the state, to decide, Snyder said."
*****
American "Justice," Ctd. Sandhya Somashekhar, et al., of the Washington Post: "So far this year, 24 unarmed black men have been shot and killed by police - one every nine days.... Those 24 cases constitute a surprisingly small fraction of the 585 people shot and killed by police through Friday evening.... Most of those killed were white or Hispanic, and the vast majority of victims of all races were armed. However, black men accounted for 40 percent of the 60 unarmed deaths, even though they make up just 6 percent of the U.S. population. The Post's analysis shows that black men were seven times more likely than white men to die by police gunfire while unarmed." ...
... Andrew Kahn & Chris Kirk of Slate: "Thousands more [black Americans] have suffered subtler forms of discrimination in the criminal justice system, where social science research shows striking racial disparities at nearly every level -- from arrest rates, to bail amounts, to sentence lengths, to probation hearing outcomes.... Black Americans are more likely to have their cars searched.... are more likely to be arrested for drug use.... are more likely to be jailed while awaiting trial.... are more likely to be offered a plea deal that includes prison time.... may be excluded from juries because of their race.... are more likely to serve longer sentences than white Americans for the same offense.... are more likely to be disenfranchised because of a felony conviction.... are more likely to have their probation revoked." With charts.
CW: Twenty-six-year-old David Daleiden, the "mastermind" behind the Planned Parenthood videos (hmm, he must have been 23 years old when his mind mastered this three-year-old plot), thinks he knows more about abortion & women's reproductive needs than does "57-year-old Cecile Richards, who has given birth to three children and publicly discussed her own abortion, really understands what abortion is." Rebecca Traister, in a moving essay, sets the boy straight." Like Sen. Barbara Boxer, "I just don't like lectures by men about what it's like." Much less, lectures by arrogant boys.
E. J. Dionne: "If you wondered why President Obama gave such a passionate and, yes, partisan speech on behalf of the Iran nuclear deal Wednesday, all you had to do was tune in to the Republican presidential debate the next night.... The candidates gathered together by Fox News in Cleveland suggested that the hardest decision the next president will face is whether killing Obamacare or voiding the Iran deal ought to be the first order of business.... In the short run, Obama simply has to win enough votes for his Iran deal. For the long run, he has to convince Americans that his measured approach to the world is the safest path for the country. Defending this view aggressively is no vice."
Larry Summers, in a Washington Post op-ed, says something about corporate policy that other people think is interesting. As far as I can tell, he says corporations should -- on their own -- take a longer view & "more generously share the fruits of corporate success with their workers, customers and other stakeholders." CW: I think this is pretty much what Jeb! or Scottie or Li'l Randy would say if they could handle long sentences with fancy words; i.e., let corporations figure out for themselves what is good for America & we will all prosper & live happily ever after. The End. ...
... Because Capitalism Is Awesome. Anahad O'Connor in the New York Times: "Coca-Cola, the world's largest producer of sugary beverages, is backing a new 'science-based' solution to the obesity crisis: To maintain a healthy weight, get more exercise and worry less about cutting calories.... The beverage giant has teamed up with influential scientists who are advancing this message in medical journals, at conferences and through social media.... Coke has provided financial and logistical support to a new nonprofit organization called the Global Energy Balance Network.... Health experts say this message is misleading and part of an effort by Coke to deflect criticism about the role sugary drinks have played in the spread of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. They contend that the company is using the new group to convince the public that physical activity can offset a bad diet despite evidence that exercise has only minimal impact on weight compared with what people consume." CW: Coke's effort seems to be just the sort of long-term thinking that Larry Summers is promoting.
Michael Meeropol & Robert Meeropol, in a New York Times op-ed: "OUR parents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, were executed on June 19, 1953, after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.... In the public's mind they were executed for providing our archenemy, the Soviet Union, with the ability to destroy our country with atomic bombs..... The newly released 46-page transcript [of the grand jury testimony of our uncle David Greenglass] -- along with previously released testimony and other records -- demonstrates conclusively that our mother was prosecuted primarily for refusing to turn on our father. We now call on President Obama to acknowledge that Ethel Rosenberg was wrongly convicted and executed."
Annals of Joke Journalism. McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed: "As Donald Trump faces a growing backlash from conservative media over his recent attacks on a Fox News host, one prominent right-wing outlet remains firmly in his corner: Breitbart News, which has set itself apart by plastering its homepage with fawning headlines about the candidate, and all-caps assaults on his critics. But ... many inside the company believe Trump has provided undisclosed financial backing to the outlet in exchange for glowing coverage.... According to four sources with knowledge of the situation, editors and writers at the outlet have privately complained since at least last year that the company's top management was allowing Trump to turn Breitbart into his own fan website -- using it to hype his political prospects and attack his enemies.... Breitbart executive chair Steve Bannon responded to questions with a statement denying that the company has ever had a 'financial relationship' with the candidate." ...
... Rick Hasen: " If this is true (and I have no idea if it is), it would raise some serious campaign finance issues. The media exemption to the ban on corporate contributions/coordinated spending with candidates does not apply to media owned or controlled by a candidate." ...
... Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Who Needs Breitbart? Driftglass points out that Trump has pretty much taken over the mainstream teevee media, too, phoning in his "interviews," where he ran roughshod over the interviewers, at the five-major-networks-minus-one. ...
... Charles Pierce: "Now comes Sunday morning, and we discover that it continues to be impossible for our elite political press to admit what is plainly before its eyes -- that one of the two political parties that we have allowed ourselves through inertia and custom to have has become demented, and that the political health of the nation in general is in peril unless that dementia can be overcome. Because of this inability to attach itself to obvious reality, the elite political press has rendered itself incapable of performing the necessary function of calling out con-men and identifying nutty ideas before they reach the mainstream political life of the country and turn it into a SuperFund site."
Presidential Race
CW: Who would win in a three-way race among Hillary, Jeb! & Trump? The conventional wisdom is that Clinton would win, because Trump would cut almost exclusively into Jeb!'s territory. I'm not so sure. Since Trump has no discernible political ideology, he is free to develop (& defend) any agenda he wants for the general election; you can bet he would focus-test his platform for maximum popularity. Also, he's the antithesis of Obama -- crude vs. classy, thoughtless vs. cerebral, careless vs. careful, etc. etc., & American voters tend to like "regime change" every eight years. Trump could easily peel off working-class men who might have voted for Clinton in a two-way. Minority turnout is bound to be lower in 2016 than it was in the last two presidential elections; besides, Jeb! would pick off some of Hillary's Latino voters. Or what about a Bernie-Scottie-Trump race? Again, I could envision a Trump win. Democrats, too, should be careful what we wish for.
Ber-nie! Ber-nie! Ber-nie! Jeff Mapes of the Oregonian: "Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' insurgent campaign for president received a big boost Sunday when as many as 28,000 showed up for a high-decibel rally at the Moda Center [in Portland, Oregon]. The crowd packed the basketball arena -- with a capacity of up to 19,000 -- as thousands more couldn't get inside and listened in on loudspeakers.... The senator received waves of thunderous applause as he vowed to fight for universal health benefits, paid family leave, paid sick leave, free public college tuition, a $15 minimum wage, expanded Social Security benefits and a major public works program to rebuild crumbling infrastructure." Thanks to Kate M. for the lead. ...
... Jamil Smith of the New Republic defends BlackLivesMatter attacks on Bernie Sanders. Smith writes, "Sanders, rather than letting the protesters have their say and responding, left the stage." CW: News reports (like this one by CNN) indicate that it was that the event's organizers, not Sanders, who made the decision to end the rally without allowing Sanders to speak. Based on these reports, Smith's characterization is misleading. ...
... Mark Hensch of the Hill: "Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said on Sunday that 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is a life-long defender of minorities.... 'Bernie has become somebody I have tremendous respect for and is an ally of mine in addressing issues in the United States Senate that affect minority communities,' he ... told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC's 'This Week.'"
Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "After months of remaining largely above the partisan fray -- and often appearing cautious to a fault -- Hillary Rodham Clinton has begun taking more risks and landing some punches against Republicans.... The more aggressive posture comes as Clinton has suffered an erosion in her public image, with more potential voters saying they view her unfavorably than at any point since she entered the 2016 race and fewer people saying they find her trustworthy.... Clinton's stepped-up tempo has included almost daily attacks on the better-known contenders among the wide Republican field, particularly billionaire front-runner Donald Trump and former Florida governor Jeb Bush." ...
... Patrick Healy of the New York Times: "With Americans shouldering $1.2 trillion in student loan debt, and about eight million of them in default, Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday will propose major new spending by the federal government that would help undergraduates pay tuition at public colleges without needing loans. Mrs. Clinton does not go as far as her Democratic presidential opponents in promising to end tuition debt altogether, since her plan would still require a family contribution that could involve parents taking out loans to cover some tuition.... Colleges would have to hold down costs and show improvements on graduation rates...." ...
... CW: By contrast, Jeb! opposes President Obama's proposal to make community colleges tuition-free, calling it "poll-driven ... free stuff." According to PolitiFact, in-state tuition in state-run universities under his administration went up 56 percent, though that's less than the national average of about 75 percent." That's funny; his father & brother both wanted to be known as "the education president," & they at least partially succeeded. Meanwhile, as Healy points out, "Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, signed a two-year budget last month that cuts spending for the University of Wisconsin system by $250 million," & as Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post put it, "savage[d] public education in the state." As Strauss notes, Walker also removed tenure protection for UW professors, expanded the voucher system, "and create[d] a new 'special needs' voucher law that cuts into protections for special needs students." Strauss elsewhere assessed "the public education mess that has developed in [Ohio] under [John Kasich's] leadership." In the Huffington Post, James Moore demonstrated that Rick Perry's education cuts were a "civic disaster." Laura Camera of Politics K-12: "During his tenure [as governor of New York state], [George Pataki] often proposed funding freezes and cuts to the state university system as part of his strategy to eliminate a $4 billion budget shortfall. Chris Chrisie also slashed New Jersey's state funding of education, & he'd like to punch teachers in the face. With all this, Diane Ravitch gives Bobby Jindal the prize: "All in all, the Jindal legislation is the most far-reaching attempt in the nation to de-fund, dismantle, and obliterate public education."
Paul Krugman: "The shared premise of everyone on the Republican side is that the Obama years have been a time of policy disaster on every front. Yet the candidates on that [Cleveland debate] stage had almost nothing to say about any of the supposed disaster areas. And there was a good reason they seemed so tongue-tied: Out there in the real world, none of the disasters their party predicted have actually come to pass. President Obama just keeps failing to fail. And that's a big problem for the G.O.P. -- even bigger than Donald Trump."
Rebecca Leber of the New Republic: "The GOP's all-of-the-above energy policy is nothing like [President] Obama's.... Bush and Walker endorsed his energy policy only to the extent that it supports the continued development of fossil fuels."
She should really be apologizing to me, you want to know the truth.... This wasn't meant to be much of an insult. She asked me a question. It was an inappropriate question. It was a ridiculous question. Even the other candidates came up to me and said that that was absolutely out of line. She asked me a question that was nasty, and I gave her a pretty tough answer. -- Donald Trump, on Megyn Kelly, today on "Morning Joe"
Robert Costa & Philip Rucker of the Washington Post on the Trump campaign's efforts to turn Donald's vanity candidacy into an actual presidential campaign with policy positions & stuff. Trump isn't helping. He seems to think saying, "I will be the greatest jobs president this country has ever seen," is an economics policy platform. CW: Maybe Trump suffers from attention-deficit disorder &/or perhaps lacks reading skills. At any rate, he does not appear to have the ability to focus on anything that is not himself. Bullying behavior almost always points to some other deficiency the bully is trying to obscure.
I will be phenomenal to the women. I want to help women. -- Donald Trump, Sunday, on CBS's "Face the Nation"
Shawna Thomas & John Lapinski of NBC News: "If Donald Trump's comments about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly are hurting his standing in the Republican primary, it's not showing in the numbers. According to the latest NBC News Online Poll conducted by SurveyMonkey, Trump is at the top of the list of GOP candidates that Republican primary voters would cast a ballot for if the primary were being held right now. The overnight poll was conducted for 24 hours from Friday evening into Saturday.... None of that stopped Trump from coming in at the top of the poll with 23 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz was next on the list with 13 percent.... [Ben Carson got 11%] In overall support, [Carly Fiorina] came in fourth with 8%...." Marco Rubio also received 8%, beating Jeb Bush & Scott Walker, who both came in at 7%. CW: These results should give you a good idea at how transitory early polling is.
... "The GOP's Carly Conspiracy." digby, in a Salon essay, delves into the reasons for Fiorina's sudden surge "shocked the beltway Villagers all the way down to the soles of their Sperry Top-Siders." CW: In an aside, digby reminds us that Fiorina -- who repeatedly gave Donald Trump what-for for his remarks about Megyn Kelly -- is herself not above making sexist remarks.
The thing is, income inequality is due to some people working harder and selling more things. -- Rand Paul, to Chris Wallace of "Fox 'News' Sunday"
... The Most Interesting Man in Politics Is a Nitwit. Dave Jamieson of the Huffington Post: "Asked if his flat tax plan would further separate the haves from the have-nots, GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) said Sunday that income inequality is the result of some Americans working harder than others, rather than economic policies.... An analysis by the Tax Foundation found that under the plan, households earning more than $1 million per year would see their after-tax incomes rise by 13 percent. Households earning between $50,000 and $75,000 per year, meanwhile, would see their after-tax income rise only by 3 percent." Li'l Randy thinks that's "a good thing." ...
... David Atkins in the Washington Monthly: "... giving the ludicrously wealthy more money does not, in fact, put that money back in the economy. They do not lead to economic growth, but they do contribute to increasing inequality. That's because the very rich tend to hoard their wealth.... We also know that the majority of the very rich don't actually produce real goods, but work in the financial sector goosing the short-term shareholder value of corporations.... This makes them wealthy, but actually worsens the health of the economy as a whole....We also know well by now that supply-side economics is a complete failure and that wealth does not, in fact, trickle down.... The entire Republican field is filled with candidates making provably false claims with horrific policy consequences...."
The Cutest Kid in Politics Is a Nitwit.
We need to repeal Dodd-Frank. It is eviscerating small businesses and small banks. Over 40 percent of small and mid-size banks that loan money to small businesses have been wiped out since Dodd-Frank has passed. -- Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), speaking in Thursday's GOP presidential nomination debate
The actual figure is 14 percent. There's certainly a big difference between 14 and 40 percent.... But it's not entirely clear this is all the fault of the law. The number of banks has plunged in the last two decades, so the best case that Rubio could make is that the law has possibly increased the pace of closures. But he cannot so sweepingly blame the law -- and he needs to get his numbers straight. -- Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post
Beyond the Beltway
Jim Salter & Jim Suhr of the AP: "One year after the shooting that cast greater scrutiny on how police interact with black communities, the father of slain 18-year-old Michael Brown led a march in Ferguson, Missouri, on Sunday after a crowd of hundreds observed 4½ minutes of silence." ...
... John Eligon & Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "St. Louis County police officers shot and critically injured a man who fired at them [In Ferguson, Mo.,] late Sunday night.... The shooting came after rival groups began shooting at each other on the west side of West Florissant Avenue, the center of the Ferguson protests.... 'They were criminals; they weren't protesters,' [Chief Jon] Belmar said of the groups exchanging gunfire."
Faith Karimi & Faith Almasy of CNN: "An unarmed college football player who was fatally shot by an officer in Texas did not comply with initial calls to surrender, authorities said. The officer involved was in the last stages of his field training when he shot Christian Taylor, 19, multiple times at a car dealership in Arlington, Police Chief Will Johnson said. Footage released by a security company after the incident shows a man described as Taylor wandering around the dealership lot. In the video, which has been edited, he kicks out the windshield of a car on the lot. Officers are shown walking onto the dealership's parking lot a few moments later."
Tim Carpenter of the Topeka Capital-Journal: Neighbors of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's brother Jim have accused the Linn County farmer of terrorizing the community. "Adversaries say he has woven a liquor-infused tapestry of fear colored by intimidation, abuse and lies. The saga features stalking, death threats, trespassing, drive-by gunfire, massive explosions, cattle theft, loan defaults, hit-and-run driving and marital strife. Linn County Sheriff's Department files bulge with complaints about him." Jim reportedly invokes his brother's name when threatened with arrest & cites the connection to the governor as his source of "invincibility." CW: Meanwhile of course Sam is terrorizing the whole state in a less violent way.
Way Beyond
Omar Al-Jawoshy & Tim Arango of the New York Times: "Facing widespread protests against government corruption and poor services as well as a crucial call for change from the country's top Shiite cleric, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday proposed to radically reshape the dysfunctional political system of Iraq that has been entrenched since the American invasion in 2003. The proposals ... were wide ranging and included a new corruption inquiry and eliminating what has been a hallmark of the American-imposed system: sectarian and party quotas in the appointment of top officials. Dramatically, Mr. Abadi also vowed to eliminate the three vice presidency positions, largely ceremonial jobs that come with expensive perks."
News Lede
Washington Post: "An Iranian court held its final hearing Monday in the trial of a Washington Post journalist [Jason Razaian] facing charges including espionage, and a decision could come within the week, his laywer said."
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Reader Comments (11)
CW: "I'm not so sure. Since Trump has no discernible political ideology, he is free to develop (& defend) any agenda he wants for the general election; you can bet he would focus-test his platform for maximum popularity. Also, he's the antithesis of Obama -- crude vs. classy, thoughtless vs. cerebral, careless vs. careful, etc. etc., & American voters tend to like "regime change" every eight years."
I am quite afraid that you are on to something, Marie. Yikes! The American voter has the same brief (15 minute) attention span as the rest of our instant gratification culture. More is better. Change is always good--no matter from what to what. Thoughtful decision making is too long and boring. Flying by the seat of one's pants is new and exciting. Speaking one's mind is always speaking one's truth--even if your name is Trump. Political correctness is over. Never mind. I will quit while ahead.
This upcoming electoral circus is beginning really to get me down. I thought Trump would have his 15 minutes, and we would be done with him. WRONG. It never occurred to me that the Black Lives Matter squad would push Bernie Sanders off the stage. WRONG.
I thought Carly Fiorina would go back to the Wax Museum from whence she came. WRONG. And that Jeb would be a bit smarter than his big brother. WRONG again. Always knew that Ted Cruz and Scott Walker were major ass hats, and I think they will stay in the shadows, unless the Kochsters pour in another billion for Scotty.
So what am I saying? I (we?) need a ton of help in getting through this seemingly endless "night"mare. So glad pot has been legalized in Oregon. My posts beginning in October will be post-Brownie. (-:
P.S. So glad that over 28,000 people turned out for Bernie tonight in Portland! I remember when 75,000 turned out for Obama in 2008. It was a turning point in the campaign, IMHO. Not that this will be.
Meanwhile, back in the real world...
GOP mucky mucks are all a twitter about the fab performance their heroes gave in the first "debate". Everyone had a chance to whack the black guy without having to offer a single solution to any of the myriad problems they carp about, a pesky woman was put in her place, and collectively, they can hardly wait to start dropping bombs on Mooslims and cutting taxes for the wealthy. The weather in Right Wing World is just grand.
But back in the real world (I say "back" as if I expect some or all of them to come visit sometime, but that's highly unlikely) fans are being hit with the shit. An article in Rolling Stone offers a frightening look at the consequences of GOP science denial:
Record-setting heat waves in Pakistan and India... a rainforest in Washington state caught fire for the first time in living memory. London reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest July day ever recorded in the U.K., computer servers overheated and shut down. The worst drought in a MILLENNIUM in California causing a 50-acre brush fire which swelled seventyfold in a matter of hours, followed days later by intense rainfall. Water rationing in Puerto Rico is the strictest in its history. And then this: "...a newly important feedback mechanism off the coast of Antarctica that suggests mean sea levels could rise 10 times faster than previously predicted: 10 feet by 2065".
And that's just in the last few months. The point of no return is approaching rapidly.
But to a person, Confederates who Would Be King (or Queen), will tell you there's nothing to worry about. Like the near weekly gun massacres, these happenings are random, unconnected events.
But, as the RS article suggests, that kind of rise in sea level could push coastal countries to the brink. Lack of water and power outages could cause chaos, regional strife, even war and a break down of governments.
Instead, Confederate idiots are working to make sure the poor have less, the rich have more, they steal as many elections as possible to lord it over all there is, but because of their stupidity and intransigence, there may not be much there there within a few decades.
But as the Decider once sniffed when someone asked about the mess he was leaving for future generations to clean up, "We'll all be dead by then". Basically, who gives a shit?
The Modern Republican Party. Imminent climate disaster? Fuck that. Let's talk about menstruation for a few more weeks.
No wonder the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger for Bernie Sanders. And look who's beginning to worry.
The headline of Peter Georgescu's (chairman emeritus of Young & Rubicam) opinion piece in the NYTimes Sunday Review was provocative enough, "Capitalists, Arise: We Need to Deal With Income Inequality" I’M scared. " The billionaire hedge funder Paul Tudor Jones is scared. My friend Ken Langone, a founder of the Home Depot, is scared. So are many other chief executives. ... We are afraid where income inequality will lead."
Nice of Mr. Georgescu, an immigrant who came up the hard way to enjoy incredible success to have such insights. Of course, I also checked out his 'wonderful life' courtesy of the New York Social Diary site to learn more of his empathetic concerns when he's not attending the soiree du jour.
Allons-y aux barricades!
As to 'the cutest kid in politics is a nitwit' the percentage of people who heard (and believe) Rubio on his misleading statement blaming Dodd-Franks for bank failures is far greater than those who will seek to find the true story by reading Glenn Kessler's column.
Look for vicious attacks by Confederates in opposition to any proposals by Democratic candidates to make education more affordable for Americans (young and old). It's pretty clear that education is far down their list of concerns. The stupider the populace, the more likely it is that their bullshit will fly undisturbed by fact checks and questions. They might be publicly flaying the Donald for his heavy handedness and bullying ways, but make no mistake, none of them believes that anyone has a right to hit them with hard questions either. They feel exactly as he does.
As Kate mentioned, many of us thought that Trumpy would get his fifteen minutes on the presidential stage then storm off in a huff (or as Groucho would say, if that's too soon, he might leave in a minute and a huff) to write a book about how everyone was out to get him (which he still may do). But he's had years to build his brand and the groundlings love his boorishness as a counteragent to civil, adult behavior which the GOP and Fox have spent decades tarnishing and tearing down. Is it any wonder then that a churlish lout like Trump would make their quisling hearts go pitter-patter with the fantasy of being able to stick it to everyone they've always hated?
Now, finally, they can all behave like bratty children without worrying that some adult will come along and tell them to be quiet and grow up. Now, the brats and the delinquents and those who worship the Lord of the Flies are running wild.
And Trumpy is their ringleader.
Save me a couple of those brownies, Kate.
@Kate, I think I have mentioned this before, but recall that we in MN elected Jesse Ventura and lived to tell about it. If fact he actually left a positive legacy: mass transit.
@Whyte Owen: Thanks. The other day I was thinking of Trump as the Second Coming of Jesse, but then I remembered that Ventura, although often impetuous, had some fairly consistent policy positions.
Marie
Here in the depths of Red State country, whoever gets the Republican nomination will get the most votes, no matter how cuckoo their ideas.
Only three criteria apply: white, male, and Republican.
It's nice to see that Coca-Cola is taking such an interest in making sure people don't stop ingesting its expensive sugar water all the while telling them to get off their asses and exercise. Maybe what they should do is go back to the original, original formula which contained cocaine. Cocaine plus caffeine plus 40 odd grams of processed white sugar should get people moving. Or at the very least, it will get them talking about exercising.
I'm guessing Larry Summers would be satisfied with that. After all, adding back the substance that gave the product its name in the first place is all about an appreciation of corporate provenance. Not to mention truth in labeling.
Golly Gee Folks,
Coca-Cola must be good for you. After all, Free Enterprise, Free Markets, and Competition in a Laissez-faire Capitalist Paradise must always result in the highest possible quality goods and services at the lowest possible price. Says so right on the label. Or ask any Libertarian.
Any and all exceptions must be the result of Government interference with the operation of the Free Marketplace. What other possible explanation could there be?
So relax. "Everything is for the Best, in this Best of all Possible Worlds."
The group of GOP pretenders defy belief. Just talking about them, collectively and individually, exhausts the parameters of reality. They're a 9 on the Richter for shitstorm of ignorance.
I think TMZ could help us cut to the chase by hosting a debate with just 3 participants - Trump, Kanye West and Yosemite Sam. Covers all the bases; guns, misogyny, extreme ignorance, and a bit of minority optics.
@Diane: Perfect!
Marie