;)
Monday
Jun062016
The Commentariat -- June 7, 2016
Presidential Race
** Hope Yen, et al., of the AP: "Striding into history, Hillary Clinton will become the first woman to top the presidential ticket of a major U.S. political party, capturing commitments Monday from the number of delegates needed to become the Democrats' presumptive nominee.... Campaigning this time as the loyal successor to the nation's first black president, Clinton held off a surprisingly strong challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.... Clinton ... reached the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee on Monday with a decisive weekend victory in Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from superdelegates." -- CW ...
... Maggie Haberman & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "Mr. Sanders, who had vowed to stay in the race until the convention, said in a news conference on Monday that he 'hoped to win' in California, but added, 'Let's assess where we are after tomorrow before we make statements based on speculation.'" -- CW ...
... Update: Amy Chozick & Patrick Healy of the New York Times have a more expansive story, published early this morning, on Clinton's win. -- CW ...
... Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times: "It was the biggest news of the Democratic primary season.... But neither [Hillary Clinton] nor rival Bernie Sanders seemed much interested in acknowledging it.... Neither candidate wants the perception of a settled contest to muffle their supporters' turnout Tuesday in California's close race." -- CW ...
... Cyra Master of the Hill: "Shortly after The Associated Press updated its delegate count and declared Hillary Clinton the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a spokesman for Bernie Sanders slammed the media's 'rush to judgment.' 'It is unfortunate that the media, in a rush to judgment, are ignoring the Democratic National Committee's clear statement that it is wrong to count the votes of superdelegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer,' spokesman Michael Briggs said Monday night." -- CW ...
... Robert Costa of the Washington Post: "Bernie Sanders had a testy moment with a reporter [-- Yamiche Alcindor of the New York Times -- in Emeryville, California,] Monday when he was asked whether he sees his refusal to cede the Democratic presidential nomination to rival Hillary Clinton as 'sexist.'" -- CW
Benjamin Siegel of ABC News: "House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi endorsed Hillary Clinton for president this morning on 'Good Morning America' before her home state's primary today. 'I'm a voter in California and I have voted for Hillary Clinton for president of the United States and proud to endorse her for that position,' the Democratic superdelegate said, though adding 'it's not over until it's over.'" -- CW
Nick Gass of Politico: "Should the FBI not recommend an indictment of Hillary Clinton following its investigation of the setup of her private email server, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Monday said he and his Republican colleagues would 'probably' accept the outcome." --safari
Hillary Clinton's campaign responds to Donald Trump's attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel: "
... Seth Meyers does a better job:
... Kevin Cirilli, et al., of Bloomberg: "An embattled Donald Trump urgently rallied his most visible supporters to defend his attacks on a federal judge's Mexican ancestry during a conference call on Monday in which he ordered them to question the judge's credibility and impugn reporters as racists.... When former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer interrupted the discussion to inform Trump that his own campaign had asked surrogates to stop talking about the lawsuit in an e-mail on Sunday, Trump repeatedly demanded to know who sent the memo, and immediately overruled his staff. 'Take that order and throw it the hell out,' Trump said.... [Trump's top campaign aides reviewed the memo before a staffer sent it.] A clearly irritated Trump told his supporters to attack journalists who ask questions about the lawsuit and his comments about the judge. 'The people asking the questions -- those are the racists,' Trump said. 'I would go at 'em.'" -- safari ...
This [-- Trump's attacks on Judge Curiel --] is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy. If anybody was looking for an off-ramp, this is probably it. There'll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary. -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
... Daily Beast: "Marco Rubio is 'very disturbed' by Republican nominee Donald Trump's racist comments about a judge overseeing the Trump University case.... However, his remarks largely came off as scolding Republican voters for having not selected him as the nominee: 'This is not the choice I wanted us to have, obviously. I ran myself,' he said. 'This is the voice our voters have given us for this primary.'" --safari ...
... Patrick Healy, et al., of the New York Times: "In an unusually coordinated series of attacks leveled from congressional offices and the Senate floor, in state capitols and sidewalk protests, Democrats excoriated Mr. Trump as racist and demanded that Republicans either stand behind his comments or condemn him and even rescind endorsements of his candidacy.... No prominent elected Republican came to Mr. Trump's defense unreservedly. And others found themselves wondering aloud what it would take -- what Mr. Trump would have to say or do -- for Republicans who have endorsed him to start jumping ship." -- CW ...
If this dude wasn't the presumptive presidential nominee of one of the two major parties right now, I swear this would be a 'let's talk about taking Gramp's checkbook and car keys away before something terrible happens' incident. -- Annie Laurie of Balloon Juice ...
... Benjy Sarlin, et al., of MSNBC: "Donald Trump is a candidate without a campaign -- and it's becoming a serious problem. Republicans working to elect Trump describe a bare-bones effort debilitated by infighting, a lack of staff to carry out basic functions, minimal coordination with allies and a message that's prisoner to Trump's momentary whims.... Trump's comments against the judge horrified many supporters, but the real estate mogul rebuffed efforts by campaign staff, donors and party officials to back off the incendiary claim this weekend, per sources, telling them he was unwilling to look like he had caved to pressure." -- CW ...
He [Judge Gonzalo Curiel] is giving us very unfair rulings, rulings that people can't even believe. This case should have ended years ago on summary judgment. The best lawyers -- I have spoken to so many lawyers -- they said, this is not a case. This is a case that should have ended. -- Donald Trump, interview on CNN's "State of the Union," June 5
Curiel made a straight-forward legal judgment as to whether two sides agreed or disagreed on facts, and whether or not they should be presented to a jury.... Trump also overlooks that Curiel, in his November 2015 ruling, did grant him partial summary judgment. Trump can disagree with the judge's decision all he wants, but Curiel didn't really have a choice: the students provided evidence that could dispute Trump's reason for requesting a summary judgment. So Curiel had to do his job -- and let the case go forward to a jury. -- Michelle Lee of the Washington Post
... Dahlia Lithwick of Slate: "[U]nlike the lawyers who tried to bounce black and female judges from civil rights cases, Trump isn't trying to toss Judge Curiel off a case about race. He's declaring that no judge from any ethnic or racial background Trump has insulted can ever hear any case involving him.... This isn't just racism. It attempts to turn the victims of Trump's racism into the de facto racists in order to try to gain a more sympathetic judiciary.... But here's the larger issue the Republican nominee's attacks on Judge Curiel highlights: It is actually a part and parcel of a broader GOP assault on judicial independence that predates Trump and transcends the recent racism directed at Curiel." Read on. --safari ...
When I want something I get it. When I call, they kiss my ass. It's true. -- Donald Trump, at an Iowa rally in January ...
... Jeff Horwitz, et al., of the AP: "Florida's attorney general [Pam Bondi (R)] personally solicited a political contribution from Donald Trump around the same time her office deliberated joining an investigation of alleged fraud at Trump University and its affiliates.... The money came from a Trump family foundation in apparent violation of rules surrounding political activities by charities.... After the check came in, Bondi's office nixed suing Trump, citing insufficient grounds to proceed.... The timing of the donation by Trump is notable because the now presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said he expects and receives favors from politicians to whom he gives money.... More than 20 people requested help from the Florida attorney general's office in obtaining refunds from Trump University and affiliates.... The documents complicate prior claims by Bondi's office that she received only one consumer complaint...." -- CW ...
"Fox vs. Fox." Media Matters. "Megyn Kelly criticized 'pundits' calling for the judge in the Trump U. case to step down.... Kelly went on to state that 'any litigant who moved to disqualify a judge based on his heritage would actually sanctioned, punished, by an court and it's happened in the past. Rightfully.' Kelly's critique came roughly an hour after Fox News host Bill O'Reilly called on the judge to recuse himself from the Trump U. case. From the June 6 edition of Fox News' The Kelly File." -- CW
Donald Trump, Groundbreaking Feminist. Number one, I have great respect for women. I was the one that really broke the glass ceiling on behalf of women, more than anybody in the construction industry. My relationship I think is going to end up being very good with women. -- Donald Trump, on Bill O'Reilly's show Monday
Sarah Burris of Raw Story: "Donald Trump commemorated the day by tweeting out a photo with 'D-Day 1944' at the top, saying, 'Remembering the fallen heroes on #DDay -- June 6, 1944.'...The problem is that the photo is actually from a 1943 training mission. As Mediaite cites, you can see a man in the foreground with his hands on his hips overlooking the scene. The actual invasion was bloody and violent, with bodies washing up on the beach. No one was just standing around." --safari
Hadas Gold, et al of Politico: "BuzzFeed has pulled out of an advertising agreement with the Republican National Committee over objections to Donald Trump's rhetoric.... 'We certainly don't like to turn away revenue that funds all the important work we do across the company,' [CEO& Jonah] Peretti wrote. 'However, in some cases we must make business exceptions: we don't run cigarette ads because they are hazardous to our health, and we won't accept Trump ads for the exact same reason.'" --safari
Eric Levitz of New York: "Trump has proven himself to be an intransigent ideologue. While the mogul has few (if any) genuine convictions about policy, his faith in the core tenet of his political philosophy -- that Donald J. Trump can never be wrong -- is absolute. The events of the past week have made it impossible for the Republican Party to wish away this reality." --safari
David Graham of The Atlantic: "Trump is trying to claim that he wouldn't have led Americans to war in Libya and Iraq.... Part of Trump's pitch to voters is that he stands apart from the Beltway elite, and is not beholden to the same mistaken conventional wisdom that binds its members. These two interventions, however, show how Clinton and Trump both came to the same conclusions about hitting Baghdad and Tripoli: The wars would be short, good for America, and good for the world. In both cases, they were wrong, and the major contrast between them is that Clinton was better versed in the specifics of both cases when she made her calls." --safari
CW: Here's a potentially explosive curiosity: Aaron Elstein of Crain's New York: New York City property tax bills came out last week, and they reveal that Donald Trump "gets a tax break for New Yorkers whose incomes are $500,000 a year or less." There are a few possible explanations: (a) clerical error; (b) Trump's accountant used loopholes to get his family income down to under $500K, even though he actually earned a lot more; (c) Donald & Melania earned less than $500K after taking ordinary tax breaks. Unless & until Trump releases his federal tax returns, I think it's fair to assume either (b) or (c), with (b) being the more likely. Via Kevin Drum.
Digby in Salon: "Trump was clearly rattled by more than just criticism by Clinton and the press about his comments and his fundraiser. He's edgy and he's agitated in a way we haven't seen before and it seems to mostly be centered around the questions about his business practices." ...
As the Donald Sweats. See today's comments for context.... CW: Some commentators think Trump has become so unglued that he'll withdraw from the race. Steve M. disagrees. See Also the comment to this post by Jim Snyder; it backs up what Marvin Schwalb wrote here over the weekend & what I wrote in today's comments. Also, I think if you read the tennis court scene in Mark Bowden's 1996 Playboy profile, you'll realize that Trump's apparent meltdown of today is part of a longstanding personality disorder. He reacts with "red-faced and fuming" rage to the most minor circumstances -- and of course makes worse whatever the supposed "problem" is. Trump won't quit the race because opponents or the press displease them; he's just going to call these people names.
** Dana Milbank: "A confluence of three factors has caused a sudden and sharp change in Trump's fortunes. The media scrutiny has increased significantly since he secured the nomination, and journalists, rather than chasing his outrage du jour, are digging in to report more on Trump University, Trump's stiffing of charities, his lies and his racism. Hillary Clinton has, finally, made the shift to attacking Trump vigorously over his instability. And Republicans are, belatedly, discovering that their presidential candidate wasn't putting on a show during the GOP primaries: He's an actual racist.... The things Trump is doing now -- disparaging the 'Mexican' judge, disqualifying Muslim judges, calling somebody claiming Native American blood 'Pocahontas' and singling out 'my African American' -- is very much in line with what he has been doing for the past year, and before." -- CW
Other News & Views
Appointment Delayed, Appointment Denied. Frank Bruni of the New York Times: "In early 2014..., President Obama [nominated his longtime friend Cassandra Butts] to be the next United States ambassador to the Bahamas.... When I met her last month, she'd been waiting more than 820 days to be confirmed. She died suddenly two weeks later, still waiting. She was 50 years old. The delay had nothing to do with her qualifications, which were impeccable.... At one point Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, had a 'hold' on all political nominees for State Department positions, partly as a way of punishing President Obama for the Iran nuclear deal. At another point Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, put a hold specifically on Butts and on nominees for the ambassadorships to Sweden and Norway.... Blocking her was a way to inflict special pain on the president." CW: Bruni, who is a lamebrain, blames "Washington politics" for Butts' mistreatment. Obviously, the real culprits are Senate Republicans.
John Bresnahan of Politico: "Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans will roll out a new plan on Tuesday to fight poverty and help Americans move up the economic ladder, yet much of this latest initiative is repackaged GOP proposals likely to win only limited support from Democrats.... The GOP recommendations include: expanded work requirements for those receiving federal welfare, food or housing assistance; more 'flexibility' for state and local governments to improve programs, although what that means isn't always fully defined; consolidation of dozens of existing federal programs into fewer, better run efforts; improved accountability for federal programs while 'rewarding' those which show the best results; more effectively target those Americans in greatest need of help; and reducing waste and duplication...." -- CW ...
... Greg Sargent has Democrats' "pre-sponse." -- CW
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear two appeals raising questions about the roles race and intellectual disability might play in capital prosecutions. One case, Buck v. Stephens, No. 15-8049, arose from a psychologist's testimony that black defendants were more dangerous than white ones.... [The other] case, Moore v. Texas, No. 15-797, raises questions about whether Texas uses outdated standards in assessing whether a defendant's intellectual disability was severe enough to bar his execution." -- CW
Beyond the Beltway
Liam Stack of the New York Times: "A recall effort against a California judge [Aaron Persky] was announced on Monday in a sexual assault case at Stanford University that ignited public outrage after the defendant was sentenced to a mere six months in jail and his father complained that his son's life had been ruined for '20 minutes of action' fueled by alcohol and promiscuity.... The judge, identified by The Guardian as a Stanford alumnus, handed [Brock] Turner, a champion swimmer, far less than the maximum 14 years after he was convicted, pointing out that he had no 'significant' prior offenses, he had been affected by the intense media coverage, and 'there is less moral culpability attached to the defendant, who is ... intoxicated.'..." -- CW
Way Beyond
Dylan Matthews of Vox: "On Sunday, Switzerland became the first nation to hold a referendum on the idea of a basic income.... The measure, however, was soundly defeated.... The loss was expected; from the beginning, campaigners have framed the referendum as a chance to elevate the public profile of basic income, to force it into the public debate, rather than an effort that was likely to lead to actual constitutional change...But as a consciousness-building effort, the referendum was a clear success." --safari
Michael Slezak of the Guardian: "What's at stake here is the largest living structure in the world, and by far the largest coral reef system. The oft-repeated cliche is that it can be seen from space, which is not surprising given it stretches more than 2,300km in length and, between its almost 3,000 individual reefs, covers an area about the size of Germany. It is an underwater world of unimaginable scale...Australians are being wooed by politicians for an upcoming federal election, most of whom support policies that will guarantee the reef's destruction. This is the story of the impending death of the world's largest living structure -- whose hand it is dying by, who is staging a cover-up, and how it could be saved." --safari
News Lede
Miami Herald: "A sloppy, wet Tropical Storm Colin whipped Florida's west coast Tuesday morning as Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for parts of the state. The fast-moving storm, which made landfall at the Big Bend Monday night, had already caused some flooding as it sailed northeastward along the Gulf coast. At 5 a.m. Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 110 miles northeast of Jacksonville, moving over the Atlantic at about 51 mph with sustained winds of 50 mph." -- CW
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Reader Comments (11)
"[Trump's] faith in the core tenet of his political philosophy — that Donald J. Trump can never be wrong — is absolute." -- Eric Levitz of New York mag, linked above
In about 1963, I read a study that concluded that people become more racist under stress & are more willing to adopt racist stereotypes. Racism seemed to me to be an odd response to stress, but over the years, I've seen this phenomenon in action, so I know for sure the study was right.
This is what you're seeing in Donald Trump. Because he isn't able to relate normally to other people, because he considers everyone inferior to him, he stereotypes & types us all, right down to our body-types: "She's a '10'; she's not even a '7'."
When people disagree with Trump or don't do what he wants, as Eric Levitz implies, there has to be some reason these people have failed him. He is never to blame. Trump "U" is a horrifying scandal, but Trump can't accept responsibility for ripping off his customers & encouraging them, in turn, to rip off down-on-their-luck homeowners.
If Trump isn't at fault, them someone else is. Partly it's reporters, whom he routinely describes as "horrible people" and "scum," etc. But more directly, it's that unfaaaair judge, who, in unsealing documents entered into evidence in the Trump U case, exposed Trump as a consummate fraud & exploitative crook. The stuff in those depositions & testimony is damning.
So instead of feeling the shame his mendacious actions warrant, Trump blames the judge who "happens to be Mexican," so has "an inherent conflict of interest." If Judge Curiel were of German & Scottish heritage, as Trump is, Trump would find some other reason Curiel was "anti-Trump." Maybe because the judge was jealous of Trump's supposed $$billions. Maybe because he was a Democratic appointee. Maybe because, whatever. At best, we'd hear Curiel was a "loser," or a "fucking idiot," two of Trump's favorite putdowns.
Trump goes for the racist excuse first, because he "otherizes" everybody, and ethnicity is a common, easy way to categorize or label people. Religion is another; ergo, Muslim judges are not qualified to judge Trump, either. Trump's racism is just a subset of this "otherizing" of Everyone-Who-Is-Not-Trump.
At some point, even some Trumpbots are going to figure out that they're "losers" and "fucking idiots" in Trump's mind, too. We all are. And not that many people will vote for a candidate who holds them in such contempt.
Marie
"And not that many people will vote for a candidate who holds them in such contempt."
We can only hope this is so.
I can't wait to start seeing the Clinton TV adds. They will all be quotes from major Republicans. And the presidential debates? For international policy questions, Trump calling the 125 world leaders who signed the Paris agreement 'fucking idiots'.
The whole Trump dog– on– a– short leash thing is visually perfect. The pit bull charging forth, foam forming around his mouth, teeth barred for biting off more than he can chew, but doing enough damage to make a difference. He wins and the people who bet on him have another drink at the bar. And we hedge our bets as to how many more fights can this dog win. How much more blood is going to be spilled.
Here is some current info (thanks again to Samantha Bee) on the Military Rape business––the Kristen Gillibrand bill that has gotten bipartisan support (from Rand and Cruz, no less) but is still hanging in limbo. Obama wanted to see if the Military brass would be able to handle it themselves before he committed to signing the bill. It is now a year later and the rape cases have not gone down. We––those of us who feel strongly about this case––are waiting for Obama to come forth on this.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/samantha_bee_discovers_the_magical_bipartisan_bill_weve_all_been_20160607
@PDPepe: Speaking of dogs, the link that CW has above to Steve M.'s blog has a mention (I've seen elsewhere)...that Trump is like the dog chasing a car and (Oh! Damn!) he caught it and now what?
DJT has the look of someone on the brink of implosion and desperately seeking his out; albeit, amidst continuing outrageous bluster and insults. Yesterday's New York Times editorial used a very telling photo of a profusely sweating Trump. But, bullies don't give in easily. Yet more and more, I think it is not unlikely, that DJT who bragged about his remarkable health (remember that glowing report from his "Doctor'?) some months ago, will suddenly have a 'serious' health episode. Others may pooh-pooh this, though it could be his "get-out-of -fail" card.
@MAG: The problem I see with the health problem Trump might fabricate is that someone like him would not want to admit to failing anything, much less his own health failure. So far he has managed to stay in that ring long enough to think he's immune to everything and anything. I had hoped the scam of Trump U.( the U stands for unqualified) would bring him down but since the trial will be after the election it becomes after the fact. However––the media has the documents, and we have countless people who have come forth exclaiming and complaining that they were "taken" for a ride.
This latest racist blunder has caused rumbles and grunts, but the bottom line is if the Republican base leaves him–––as a few courageous members have––then they are back to square one where we have that zero equals zero thingy. I think in the end––and there will be an end––Trump will continue this abattoir until the end and when he loses he'll blame the system. The real treat will be the debate between Hillary and him.
@MAG: Rats, I couldn't find that picture. But the photo that accompanies today's NYT editorial calling out Trump's attacks on the ethnicity & religion of judges is accompanied by a picture that suggests Trump is suffering from Dowager's Hump (kyphosis), a condition associated with osteoporosis. That's odd because even tho we know Trump is going to be the healthiest president in American history (or whatever exactly it was his "doctor" wrote in that "report"), I don't notice Barack Obama's (or for that matter, Dubya's, etc.) having any such condition.
Barring a Trump win, we know one thing for sure: Trump will have lost because "the system" is "rigged" and "very unfair" and "voter fraud" and "the blacks" and "the Mexicans," and "the sleazy reporters," etc. etc.
Marie
PD:
If the Republican base leaves Trump, it won't be because of his racist comments. They came out in record numbers to support him in the primaries precisely because he was willing to say exactly what they were thinking but were too civilized, housebroken anyway, to say aloud. They will abandon him because when the braggadocio is stripped away by overexposure, they will recognize that he is a "loser," presenting as he does immense and embarrassing character flaws and representing, as he also does, what is fundamentally a losing cause. In today's America, there is no room for a Great White Hope.
My happily numerate son sent this last night:
"Obama was only ahead by 100 pledged delegates in 2008 when Clinton conceded. Clinton is ahead by about 300 pledged delegates currently, with no chance that she will be ahead by less than 200 pledged delegates by the end of the primaries, but Sanders thinks he should still be running/refusing to concede?"
Don't know who he voted for in our state's primary, but they are interesting numbers and suggest on this day of multiple primaries, CA most prominent among them, we may be looking at the second D(for Democrat)-Day in a row, this one not nearly as bloody or tragic as Normandy but historic nonetheless.
@Marie: Google and ye shall find! " Sweaty guy "
Personally, I'm very grateful to Donald Trump, and not inclined to psychoanalyze him. It doesn't matter to me whether he is a nutjob about to crack up, or Sasha Baron Cohen in his most brilliant performance yet. Trump, for whatever reason, is forcing the Turtle Man and Paul Ryan and the rest to eat huge quantities of shit, on camera. The longer this goes on, the better.
To further @Keith Howard's remarks, Drumpf's nomination is creating collateral damage everywhere, and even the Golden Wonk Paul Ryan is being dragged through the mud with permanent stains as a result.
According to Politico: "House Speaker Paul Ryan again rebuked Donald Trump for his attacks on a federal judge because of his Mexican heritage, saying the presumptive GOP nominee's remarks are the "textbook" definition of racist comments...But the speaker said Trump is still a better choice than Hillary Clinton for Republicans who want conservative change, and the GOP can't be afford to be at odds during the general election."
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/paul-ryan-trump-judge-223991
Here we have the face of the future of the GOP admitting that their party's leader prioritizes Anglo-Saxon Americans overall all others, the textbook definition of racism, essentially institutionalizing a two-tier system of government. Then, in the second breath, completely disregarding the gravity of his previous statement and putting "party unity" (unity around what/who? A serious questions to ask today!) ahead of an inclusive America, with equal opportunity and basic human rights for all. Incredible statement from the GOP's official rising star!
Paul Ryan needs to be hammered on these statements and their implications (he won't). Amazingly, they managed to get some African American women behind Ryan while he delivered these statements, one of them even nodding along that Trump would be better for the conservative cause. If they could only imagine what a Trump America would do for them...