;)
The Conversation -- August 28, 2024
"The Audacity of Taupe." For you history buffs, today is the ten-year anniversary of one of the most consequential days in American presidential history: the day Barack Obama wore a tan suit to a news conference.
Donald Trump could not figure out how to show more disrespect for military service and the men and women who have paid the ultimate price. Until he did: ~~~
⭐ ~~~ Dan Lamothe, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Trump campaign posted a video Wednesday that was recorded at Arlington National Cemetery, two days after an alleged altercation in which defense officials said a cemetery staff member sought to enforce guidelines the campaign had received not to take photos and videos near the graves of U.S. service members killed in recent years. The campaign video, which was posted to TikTok, showed former president Donald Trump appearing during a third anniversary ceremony Monday memorializing 13 U.S. troops who were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul during the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan. Trump is seen in the video at the Tomb of the Unknowns and walking among marble headstones as soft guitar music plays and Trump is heard criticizing the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal." Related stories linked below. See also commentary in today's thread.
Nevada. Isabelle Taft of the New York Times: "A former county official was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering a longtime Las Vegas reporter who wrote articles critical of him. The highly unusual case had raised fears about press freedom in the United States and in particular the risks facing local journalists. The reporter, Jeff German, was stabbed to death outside his home in September 2022. Police investigators, and now a Clark County jury, concluded that his attacker was Robert Telles, who ran a county office that handles the estates of those who die without apparent heirs. A few months before his death, Mr. German wrote an article for The Las Vegas Review-Journal describing employees' complaints that Mr. Telles had created a toxic work environment, demonstrated favoritism and had an improper relationship with a staff member. Mr. Telles denied the allegations. He lost his re-election bid a month after the article came out, and Mr. German kept reporting."
Devan Cole of CNN: "The Supreme Court declined on Wednesday to lift a sweeping block on President Joe Biden's student loan repayment plan that aims to slash monthly payments and quicken the path to loan forgiveness. The high court turned down a request from the Biden administration to put the plan back in play after lower courts blocked it this summer in a legal challenge brought by GOP-led states to the plan. There were no noted dissents in the brief order." At 2:30 pm ET, this is a breaking news story.
Here's a snippet of Alexandra Pelosi's video, which HBO released to Jungle Gym (story linked below): ~~~
Eric Hananoki of Media Matters: "... Donald Trump ... 'retruthed' a supporter's meme calling for the imprisonment of Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, and other prominent figures. A review of that supporter's account also found numerous calls for Trump's political opponents to be killed. This isn't an aberration. Media Matters recently documented that Trump promoted an account which spews the N-word, praises Hitler as a hero, and denies the Holocaust. Trump has also frequently interacted with the account Patriot4Life, including this month. That account has repeatedly promoted calls for political killings, including recently retruthing an image calling for Harris and Gov. Tim Walz to be killed. Trump has promoted another Truth Social account that calls for Democrats to be executed."
OMG! Look what the NYT just published. AG Sulzberger must be off at his vacation home: ~~~
~~~ Tim Balk of the New York Times: "The alliance between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and ... Donald J. Trump, which was fortified on Tuesday with Mr. Kennedy's appointment to Mr. Trump's transition team, is a sharp turnabout in a long-combative relationship. Mr. Kennedy had spent the better part of a decade lobbing attacks at Mr. Trump, portraying him as a buffoonish, anti-democratic bully who led a feckless administration.... Here's a look back at 12 times Mr. Kennedy ridiculed Mr. Trump and his policies."
When two crazy guys get together: ~~~
~~~ Marin Scotten of Salon: "'If Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK?' Trump said Tuesday in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw. He criticized California's mail-in voting system, falsely claiming it leads to more voter fraud. Without it, he said he would win the deep-blue state, which has consistently been won by Democratic presidential candidates since 1992. 'In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter, I do great with the Hispanics, great, I mean I had a level that no other Republican's ever done, but if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California,' the former president told Dr. Phil, himself a Trump supporter.... In 2020, Trump lost California, Vice President Kamala Harris' homestate, by over 30 points.... The Harris campaign said in a statement that Trump has 'reached a level of delusion difficult for even Dr. Phil to diagnose.'" More on the conversation linked below.
Edgar Chen & Dan Ross, both immigration legal counselors, in Just Security: "In our years of assisting refugees, asylees, and others through the legal immigration process, we have never encountered an immigrant with anywhere close to Trump's long record of indictments, arrests, convictions, criticisms of the United States' constitutional order, and well-documented allegations of sexual misconduct and incitement to violence. Those we help are overwhelmingly law-abiding. Even those who have had brushes with the law must admit what they've done.... We believe Trump should be held to the same high standards as the immigrants he constantly vilifies."
Zoe Richards of NBC News: "Sen. JD Vance of Ohio ... attacked teachers who don't have children in remarks in 2021 that resurfaced Tuesday. In his public comments, he reserved specific criticism for Randi Weingarten, the head of the American Federation of Teachers. 'You know, so many of the leaders of the left, and I hate to be so personal about this, but they're people without kids, trying to brainwash the minds of our children,' Vance said at a Center for Christian Virtue leadership forum.... Vance took aim at Weingarten, who has described herself as 'a mother by marriage,' by saying she 'doesn't have a single child.'"
She's Ba-a-a-ack! Andrew Katersky of ABC News: "A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, finding several major issues 'impugn the reliability' of the original outcome. The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals faulted the trial judge for dismissing the case before the jury had reached a verdict. The jury was allowed to continue deliberating before ultimately finding the newspaper not liable in February 2022. 'Unfortunately, several major issues at trial -- specifically, the erroneous exclusion of evidence, an inaccurate jury instruction, a legally erroneous response to a mid-deliberation jury question, and jurors learning during deliberations of the district court's Rule 50 dismissal ruling -- impugn the reliability of that verdict,' the opinion said."
~~~~~~~~~~
Presidential Race
Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will participate in a sit-down interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday, the network announced on Tuesday. The broadcast will mark the first joint interview with Harris and Walz since he joined the campaign and the first time Harris will sit for an in-depth, on-the-record conversation since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed her to be the Democratic presidential nominee.' CNN's story is here. The interview will air at 9 pm ET Thursday.
Latest from Whiney Baby: I Will Debate. Patrick Svitek of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Tuesday he will participate in a debate next month against Vice President Kamala Harris, two days after he suggested he could skip it. 'I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris,' Trump said on his Truth Social platform, confirming the debate will be Sept. 10 in Philadelphia. Trump agreed earlier this month to take part in the ABC News debate, which will be his first debate against Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. But Trump threw the debate into uncertainty Sunday when he criticized ABC as biased in a social media post and suggested people should 'stay tuned' about his participation. The campaigns spent Monday sparring over whether to preserve a rule from Trump's June debate against Biden where the candidates' microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak.... Trump himself sent mixed messages [about the mic disagreement]...." (Also linked yesterday.) CNN's story is here.
Marianne LeVine of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump leveled partial blame against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the assassination attempt against him, suggesting without evidence that they personally made it more difficult for the Secret Service to better protect him. 'When this happened, people would ask, whose fault is it?' Trump said in an interview that aired Tuesday night with Phil McGraw ... (Dr. Phil). 'I think to a certain extent it's Biden's fault and Harris's fault. And I'm the opponent. Look, they were weaponizing government against me, they brought in the whole DOJ to try and get me, they weren't too interested in my health and safety,' he added.... 'They were making it very difficult to have proper staffing in terms of Secret Service,' Trump said.... Biden has said he has never involved himself in decisions about charging individuals.... Some members of Biden's protective detail have been dispatched to Trump and Harris ahead of the November election.... No public evidence has emerged that Biden or Harris were personally involved in decisions about Trump's protection." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Fortunately, there is a good chance you have never come across anyone as horrible as Donald Trump.
Trump Campaign Runs Vanity Ads. Sam Stein in the Bulwark: "Donald Trump's campaign is set to run cable news ads this week so they can be seen at the ex-president's Mar-a-Lago club and surrounding environs. The South Florida expense is likely to have no impact on the course of the election. Palm Beach County is a Democratic stronghold in a Republican state that Trump has little chance of losing. But Trump's staff is at some risk of incurring his wrath if he -- and his Palm Beach pals -- don't see his ads at Mar-a-Lago, a factor that insiders say compelled the purchase." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. Also see his commentary in yesterday's thread. (Also linked yesterday.)
Charles Pierce of Esquire: "Well, luckily for the former president*'s campaign, it wasn't raining on Monday, when he grotesquely used Arlington National Cemetery as a campaign prop because, as we know, he gets a little nervous around soldiers' graves in the rain, and he says things that require him to lie his ass off later. Most recently, of course, he devalued the Congressional Medal of Honor in favor of a bauble he draped on Rush Limbaugh and the wife of one of the sleaziest of his sleazy donors.... As a citizen of the United States, and therefore someone with a stake in places like Arlington, I choose to look upon his presence there as obscene." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oh, my. It turns Pierce has some official support for his disgust: ~~~
~~~ Chris Cameron, et al., of the New York Times: "Members of Donald J. Trump's campaign team and an official at Arlington National Cemetery confronted each other during the former president's visit to the cemetery on Monday, the military cemetery said in a statement on Tuesday. The altercation was prompted, according to Trump campaign officials, by the presence of a photographer in a section of the cemetery where American troops who were killed in recent wars are buried.... An official with the cemetery tried to 'physically block' members of Mr. Trump's team, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, said in a statement. Mr. Cheung added that the cemetery official was 'clearly suffering from a mental health episode' and that the campaign was prepared to release footage of the confrontation to support its account of the clash. The campaign did not provide that footage after several requests....
"Cemetery officials did not provide their own account of the encounter, saying instead that 'there was an incident, and a report was filed.' The cemetery added that it had 'reinforced and widely shared' to the Trump campaign the federal laws prohibiting campaign activities by photographers 'or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign.'... Mr. Trump had visited the cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony honoring 13 American troops who were killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate ... during the United States' withdrawal from [Afghanistan] three years ago." Trump has blamed President Biden & Vice President Harris for the chaotic withdrawal.
~~~ Marie: The Times reports, "Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign adviser, added in a separate statement that the cemetery official was 'a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.'" I suppose when one digs a grave, he "hollows" the ground. But no, Chris, no. Just STFU. Please. (If Lincoln had said, "But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hollow this ground," the Gettysburg address would be a joke, not the iconic, quintessential expression of patriotism it is.) BTW, the Times publishes a jarring photo of Trump & others grinning & giving thumbs-up as they cluster around the grave of a fallen soldier. Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) shared the photo on X. Looks like a good time was had by all. ~~~
~~~ Quil Lawrence & Tom Bowman of NPR: "When the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering Section 60 [where Abbey Gate soldier are buried], campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside, according to the source."
Patricia Cohen of the New York Times writes one of those fair & balanced analyses of Trump's plans for tariffs on everything, and alas, she seems stuck with the conclusion that Trump's ideas, if employed would be disastrous for the U.S. & for the world economy.
Looneytoons for Trump Join Transition Team. Patrick Svitek of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has added Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team, giving key roles to two former Democrats who endorsed his comeback campaign in recent days.... 'We're working on policy issues together,' Kennedy told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. 'I've been asked to come onto the transition team, to help pick the people who will be running the government.'" The Hill's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Mark Jacob of Stop the Presses on the growing irrelevance of the mainstream media: "... with Trump's successful campaign of lies eight years ago should have come an aggressive reassessment by the media. Only in limited cases has that happened. Networks are still letting a deranged criminal traitor tell outrageous falsehoods on live television with no pushback. They're amplifying disinformation and pretending that amounts to 'fairness.'" Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~
~~~ Jonathan Last of the Bulwark points out an egregious example of the New York Times' "fairness": its decision to run, in the form of an op-ed, a fact-free "memo" from "conservative sad-sack" Rich Lowry to the Trump campaign. (We linked Lowry's op-ed yesterday.)
⭐ Tierney Sneed of CNN: "Special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case against ... Donald Trump, slimming down the allegations against the 2024 presidential nominee in light of the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. Prosecutors have not dropped any of the four charges that they initially brought against the former president. However, the newly retooled indictment has carved out some of Trump's alleged conduct, including allegations about the attempts to use the Justice Department to promote his false claims of election fraud. It also adjusts how prosecutors describe the allegations they are continuing to bring about Trump's election subversion schemes. 'The superseding indictment, which was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in this case, reflects the Government's efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court's holdings and remand instructions in Trump v. United States,' the special counsel's office said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's story is here. Politico's report is here. The new indictment, via the court, is here. The original indictment filed about a year ago, also via the court, is here. As Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico write, "The new document also eliminates a long list of top government officials who had informed Trump that his claims about election fraud and anomalies were false, including top intelligence, Justice Department, homeland security officials and White House lawyers. Smith's original 45-page indictment, unveiled last August, included claims that Trump sought to use the Justice Department to advance what prosecutors contend was an unlawful and fraudulent effort to overturn Joe Biden's victory. Those details, which the Supreme Court described as largely outside the reach of prosecutors, have been omitted from the new, shorter charging document." (Also linked yesterday.)
⭐ Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Nancy Pelosi spent the duration of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack focused on ensuring Joe Biden would be certified president as soon as possible. Then she turned her attention to Donald Trump. 'I just feel sick about what he did to the Capitol and the country today,' Pelosi said as she slumped, visibly exhausted, in the back of her SUV in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 7. 'He's got to pay a price for that.' Pelosi's comment was included in about 50 minutes of unaired footage captured by her daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, who was at the former speaker's side at key moments on Jan. 5, 6 and 7 in 2021. Politico has reviewed the footage, which HBO turned over this week to the Republican-led House Committee on Administration. The panel is conducting an investigation aimed at undermining the findings of the Jan. 6 select committee...." MB: Yeah, good luck with that. A compelling read of a rare close glimpse of history.
Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "The very first rioter to breach the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison Tuesday after he told a judge he still believes Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election 'to this day.' Michael Sparks, who spent the weeks leading up to the Capitol attack consuming and regurgitating right-wing lies about the last presidential election, was sentenced to 53 months in federal prison at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who also oversaw the seditious conspiracy trial of members of the Proud Boys." The New York Times story is here.
Adam Estes of Vox explains probably all you need to know about Mark Zuckerberg's decision to knock President Biden for picking on him: "... there are fewer guardrails for misinformation in place on major social media platforms, and writing a letter [to Gym Jordan] about the Biden administration and censorship, Zuckerberg seems to be throwing Republicans a political grenade, something that can fire up the base and use to get mad about Democrats. In reality, though, Zuckerberg is probably just trying to keep his company out of more hot water and to continue revamping his own public image." ~~~
~~~ Well, okay, there's this: Donald Trump, who is senile, either does not know who was president* in 2020 or he blames himself for rigging the 2020 election: ~~~
~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "'Zuckerberg admits that the White House pushed to SUPPRESS HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY (& much more!),' [Trump] wrote [on his social media platform].... 'IN OTHER WORDS, THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS RIGGED.'... When the laptop story broke in October 2020, the president was Donald Trump."
Austyn Gaffney of the New York Times: "As dangerous heat bears down on the central and eastern United States this week, a new study shows heat-related deaths across the country are on the rise. While 2023 was the hottest year on record and led to at least 2,325 heat-related deaths in the U.S., more than 21,518 people have died from heat since 1999, according to a study published Monday in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.... Heat kills more people in the United States than any other type of extreme weather, according to researchers. The study noted a 117 percent increase in heat-related deaths over the past 24 years, with a significant upswing since 2016."
~~~~~~~~~~
Arkansas. Annie Gowen of the Washington Post: "In a state that touts itself as 'the most pro-life state in the country,' where abortion is prohibited except to save the life of the mother, timber country in southeast Arkansas is an especially dangerous place to give birth. Arkansas already has one of the nation's worst maternal mortality rates, and mothers in this area die at a rate exceeding the state average. Ninety-two percent of recent maternal deaths were preventable, a state review committee found." (Also linked yesterday.)
Marie: Here's something I mentioned the other day that I had heard on the teevee and has since made it into print: ~~~
~~~ Georgia. Katie Hawkinson of the Independent: "Georgia's governor has asked his attorney general if he can remove state election board members after three right-wing members approved a series of alarming new rules. Republican Governor Brian Kemp asked Attorney General Christopher Carr for 'guidance' on whether he can remove members of the state election board, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports."
~~~~~~~~~~
Israel/Palestine, et al. John Hudson & Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "Israel launched a major operation in multiple cities in the West Bank on Wednesday involving hundreds of troops. The troops were sent in with air support and bulldozers, according to an Israeli military official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation. Eyewitnesses cited drones scanning the skies and armored personnel carriers carrying troops on the ground."
News Lede
Washington Post: "Ofra Bikel, a documentary filmmaker whose work for PBS's 'Frontline' investigative series exposed frailties in the U.S. criminal justice system -- the coercive use of plea bargains, the failure to consider DNA evidence, the reliance on informants to prosecute drug cases -- and helped free 13 people who had been wrongly charged or convicted, died Aug. 11 at her home in Tel Aviv. She was 94.... She settled in New York in the mid-1950s, when she was briefly married to Theodore Bikel...."
Share Article
Reader Comments (35)
Trump and his thugs go to Arlington
“Two members of Donald Trump's campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation Monday with an official at Arlington National Cemetery, where the former president participated in a wreath-laying ceremony, NPR has learned.
A source with knowledge of the incident said the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried. The source said Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff members would be authorized to take photographs or film in the area, known as Section 60.
When the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering Section 60, campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside, according to the source.”
No rules apply to Herr Drumpf, don’t cemetery officials know that?
Fatty flack, Steven Cheung, called the cemetery official who tried to enforce the rule a mentally disturbed person who tried to interfere with the Dear Leader’s wish to look presidential like.
He called the whole thing “disrespectful”.
Cuz respect is Fatty’s middle finger, er, name.
Speaking of disrespectful…
While at Arlington National Cemetery, Cadet Bone Spurs, standing at a gravesite was photographed with his patented thumbs-up pose and a big smile.
Because what’s a visit to the grave of a fallen soldier without a big stupid grin and a gesture that says “Hey, is this great, or what”?
But no event is off limits for this disgusting felon to do a little self-aggrandizing grandstanding.
Such an asshole.
Back to not working.
Okay, here’s a shorter version…
Talk about “disrespectful” at a gravesite…
Tried a shorter one. Still nothing.
@Akhilleus: While you were writing about Trump desecrating Arlington, I was writing about Trump desecrating Arlington. I would not be surprised if that official had "a mental health breakdown" as Cheung alleges. These people are seriously breaking down my mental health, and I don't have to watch them in action.
Trump - "They call me the crypto president [because I sent so many people to the crypt during my presidency.]"
Do you think the reason why Trump thinks he is prettier than Harris may be because he has been spending so much time staring at these weird digital trading card versions of himself again and then gets confused with how he really looks? Computer screen on the wall who is the fairest of them all? I'd bet that one of his minions would program Siri to respond "You are, Sir" probably while making crying noises. This is a loser that has someone carrying a printer around so he can read fawning stories about himself all the time.
@RAS: Apparently the Fairest One of All is making several campaign stops this week. I don't know how he has been able to find the time, what will all his preening and grifting.
Speaking of preening and grifting…
In case you haven’t sent that chiseling weenie enough of your hard earned semoleons, here are just a few of the Fatty grift gifts to blacken the heart of all the fascist fucksticks on your list of assholes.
First, who could live without an Assassination Donald bobblehead.
Yup. But here’s the thing…in keeping with the standard Fatty MO, these bobbleheads (just like the actual Bobblehead Donald) aren’t really complete yet. In other words, a grift on top of the grift. But just send in the money and they PROMISE you’ll have your very own Assassination Donald by…um, well, just trust us.
Then, you and your homies just gotta have a pair of Assassination Donald sneakers. Your blah friends will be soooo jealous. Cuz don’t “The Blacks” all love sneakers?
And for your little fascists at home, and your big fascists who still operate with a five year old’s mentality, A Trumpybear. Oooh such a cute little monster! And look, gen-you-ine orange hair! (Did RFK’s bear have orange hair?)
Just imagine trying to make money off an assassination attempt.
Not forgetting his making money off the Trump Endorsed Bible. This thing, with sticky pages (at the dirty parts? Ewwww…) comes with a copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Four things Fatty has never read and doesn’t believe a word of.
I understand he’s also selling Trump Perfume. Wow. I’ll bet that crap makes “Evening in Paris” smell like Chanel No. 5.
As Tom Waits says, Step right up.
(That’s the great Shelly Manne on drums, by the way. Check out that song, it’s perfect for a sleazy used car salesman like Trump…)
Okay, that last post went through, wonder of wonders, but without any of the links. Links seem to be especially problematic in longer posts.
Well, here’s that Tom Waits song anyway (I hope). It’s a great one:
Step right up.
Listening to a bit of NPR this morning, some national security expert was blathering about how the Biden administration had reversed so many of TFG's policies, he (the expert) didn't see why they stuck to the Afghanistan "policy" of withdrawal.
But that wasn't an internal US policy, that was an international agreement. This national security "expert" didn't seem to know the difference.
The "expert" went on to say that a US presence in Afghanistan was very maintainable. Oh, and that the US-supported Afghan government was known to brutalize the people of Afghanistan.
I switched back to music and caught glimpses of the ocean on my commute.
Just thinking about that Rich Lowry op-Ed in the Times. “Trump can win on character”? Seriously? What character? A cheap, lying, rapist, felon, and traitor?
I know this will hurt AG’s feelings, but shame on that organization for printing this piece of shit.
A paper that used to publish serious, respected, and respectable writers like Scotty Reston, Johnny Apple, Tom Wicker, Anthony Lewis, Nan Robertson, Anna Quindlen, David Halberstam, Linda Greenhouse…I’m sure I’m forgetting others.
Now we have Both Sides Baker, Our Miss Brooks, Blow up Doll Douthat, and…Rich fucking Lowry. And let’s not forget that they published an unhinged screed by fascist Trumper, Tom Cotton, demanding that the military be deployed to take out citizens protesting the murder of George Floyd. Constitution be damned.
I guess, now that I think about it, the AG Times printing not only another in their long line of pieces helpful to the Fat Fascist, but a piece extolling the virtues of his CHARACTER?!, makes perfect sense.
Friendomedia
Friendomedia:
As mainstream outlets focus on sensationalism, they’re sacrificing truth, accountability, and the issues that truly matter, leaving democracy itself hanging in the balance.
The media’s handling of the 2024 election isn’t just problematic—it’s actively undermining the integrity of our democracy. Mainstream outlets are no longer neutral observers or watchdogs of power; they’ve become creators and manipulators of the political narrative, prioritizing ratings and profits over truth and accountability. This isn’t just a passive bias—it’s a deliberate strategy to ensure that the election remains competitive, exciting, and uncertain, so that they can keep viewers glued to their screens. The more chaotic, the better for business.
We get constant updates on Harris’s press gaggles or Trump’s latest insult, but very little on the policy differences that will actually shape people’s lives. Instead of diving deep into how Harris’s policies on climate change or healthcare might affect everyday Americans, the media gives us trivial debates about her availability to answer questions that ultimately do little to inform voters.
According to a media impact analysis, many outlets are using advanced data analytics and social listening to track what topics are engaging voters, then tailoring their content to match those interests. This might sound like a smart business strategy, but in practice, it means that important issues get sidelined in favor of whatever will drive the most clicks and engagement."
Here’s what I’m talking about. A few days ago, the Times had a big splash with a story that basically says Trump and his lap dog VP candidate are right to attack immigrants as murderers and rapists.
“How a Migrant Accused of Rape was Freed and Charged with Rape Again!”
Certainly a horrible thing for the victims, but the piece repeatedly attacks sanctuary cities, citing Trump’s hatred of any sanctuary for immigrants.
And here’s the other thing. How many white, native born Americans charged with serious crimes slip through the system and commit additional crimes? But all it takes is a story about a single immigrant to bolster PoT claims that all immigrants need to be deported immediately.
I hope at the debate, if TFG shows up, when the Orange Turd starts blaming Biden and Harris for the assassination attempt that she points to January 6th as an attempt that was actually incited by a president*. Or that Fatty got hundreds of thousands of Americans killed with his disastrous covid anti-science talk. That he inspired a man to sent pipe bombs around the country to his enemies list. That hate crimes spiked because of his dehumanizing bigoted speech. Not to mention his advocating for violence against migrants and protesters.
https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/why-republicans-dont-think-working?
IOW, those not motivated by greed are enemies of the state.
So saith the R's.
Strict Scrutiny Podcast
"To wrap up our Project 2025 series, Kate, Leah and Melissa are joined by NYU’s Ruth Ben-Ghiat" for almost an hour long discussion.
I think I heard Andrew Weissman say last night that there have been five separate grand juries to hear evidence on Trump and they all brought back indictments meaning that they thought he was probably guilty of the crimes charged, probable cause. Lower bar for indictment, but still five different groups of his fellow citizens were presented evidence and said "yeah, there needs to be a trial because he looks like a criminal." Lest us not forget he was already found guilty of sexual assault, defamation twice, and two separate fraud cases just in the last year or two.
@RAS: Technically, not found guilty of sexual assault but found "liable" for sexual assault (or by New York statute definition, rape). Also, not guilt but liability for the other civil cases. He's a horrible human being. I find fault with every person who ever voted for him because Trump's criminality & propensity for corruption was no secret in 2016, and it certainly is no secret now.
@Marie: Thanks for the correction. I guess I need to pay better attention to civil versus criminal terminology.
Student loan forgiveness - Thanks Biden
Screw all the Republican AGs that stopping people from getting the help they desperately need.
Guardian
"A senior aide to Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, once worked for a far-right political consultancy that touts its capacity for “clandestine actions” and has links to a network of extremist groups and thinktanks, the Guardian can reveal.
Parker Magid was recently appointed as Vance’s press secretary and his employment history links Vance and his circle to elements of the extremist right far outside the mainstream of American politics.
Beth Daviess, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, who has published research on SACR, said the politics represented by the group are “much more extreme than mainstream conservatism”. She explained there are two elements of that extremism: “their opinions on gender and the role women should have in society” and “their views on whether government should be democratic at all”."
PT Barnum was right
PT suggested that a sucker is born every minute. But not in MAGAstan. In TrumpWorld, suckers are born by the gross each minute.
So, if you’ve been wondering why Fatty has been absent from the campaign trail, it’s not just that he’s a tired old ball of flab, or that he’d rather be out on his specially built golf cart (with the Super Duper Suspension designed to carry enormous weight), cheating at golf than out on the hustings bleating at the droolers, I have the answer.
He’s been making Grift Videos. Is this fucking guy hard up for cash, or what?
Here he is hawking a Brand New Line!!! of Trump trading cards! They depict this fat traitor as a superhero, holding bitcoins (another scam), praying to Jesus that he wins so he can stay out of prison.
Kids, this is some sad shit. This is the guy who wants to lead the free world. But first! Send him $99 so’s you can get fifty cents worth of cheap-ass playing card thingies.
But they’ll do it. I’m thinking anyone who sends this cheap huckster a hundred bucks for this bullshit should lose their right to vote. Forever.
Ah yes…the Tan Suit Outrage!
Who could forget it? According to the Traitors, one of the darkest days in American history. Whew. Glad we made it out alive after that one.
But wait…tan suit? Hmmm…but they were okay with this.
I’m confused.
Akhilleus,
I think commercial shows once again that Trump doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. "Here's a picture of me holding bitcoin." He doesn't understand what crypto is, other than that some people will exchange it for real money with him. I'm sure he thinks bit coins look just like in the picture.
"Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will participate in a sit-down interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday"
WHY? Why do politicians continue to reward terrible media figures like Dana Bash with their time? There are qualified journalists out there who could ask informative, engaging and enlightening questions that would help inform the public and give needed context to important issues. Dana Bash is not one of those people. She was part of Trump's dream team of moderators at his debate with Biden. And her long history of mediocrity and both siderism is well documented.
Another horrible aspect of the Orange Monster’s phony visit to Arlington National purely for photo ops to bolster his flailing, super low energy Entropy Campaign (disorder and chaos increase over time), is the fact that he is trying to capitalize on the chaos in Afghanistan which HE CREATED!!
No question, Afghanistan was a shit show when Biden took office. But I have yet to see a single report in the corporate media linking the deaths at that airport in Kabul to Trump’s startling incompetence. Just take three or four of the bullet points listed in the graphic RAS linked yesterday, you don’t even need all of them to understand that Fatty left Biden a poison pill. He released 5,000 Taliban terrorists, fer crissakes, then blames Biden (and now Harris) for the fallout.
But, as usual, he gets away with these outrages.
Okay, just one more…(Christ, there are so many Trump horrors to choose from…)
So the other day, Trump staffers managed to drag his flabby ass to Detroit for a stumbling, mumble fest at the mic.
There’s plenty of the usual lies, misinformation, personal attacks, fabricated bullshit, and one of his “Sir” fairy tales, but I thought his continued pleading with listeners to believe that he’s not a fucking idiot was especially head shaking.
Here he is trying to look smaht:
“So—you know I always look for good words. Highly sophisticated, [I’m] highly educated. I like sophisticated words, but there’s only one word I can—stupid, they’re stupid people.”
Who talks like this? “Highly educated…I like sophisticated words. Like stupid. Yeah!”
You know who talks like that? A highly insecure douchebag. There are a flock of highly educated, sophisticated people out here in RC world. I have never once seen on them begin a post by importuning the rest of us to please, please, pretty please, believe I’m a very smart person. Who says that kind of stuff? Who says “I like big words” then offers “stupid” as proof of that interest?
Earlier in this speechy thing, he says “I know how to use the telephone. I’m very good with a telephone!” Really, Donald? So’s my kid. And he was pretty good with the phone by the time he was six, so congratulations. Good job.
Again, who says stuff like “I know how to use a telephone!” Someone with serious mental issues, that’s who. But oh yeah, let’s give this guy access to more state secrets than he already has stashed in his bathroom.
Marie wrote: “AG Sulzberger must be off at his vacation home: ~~~”
And will he be pissed! No both sides? No blaming Biden for the Black Death and the high price of ribeye? Someone’s got some serious ‘splainin’ to do!
Testing, testing. My post must have went into the ethernet.
Okay, I know I said one more, but I lied. Just call me Donald.
Anyway, a quickie. I’m re-reading a wonderful book I bought over 25 years ago, “Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World”, by James Chance. Great book. I always find deep dives into our recent past rewarding and revealing. This one has quite a cast of characters. You may recall that back in 2000, when people were correctly pegging Dubya as an uninterested dilettante, some campaign consultant convinced him to tote this book around for reporters to see how wicked smaht he was. This wasn’t a bad plan until someone asked Bush a few questions about Acheson’s accomplishments.
Deer in the headlights…
“Um…I haven’t really gotten to that part yet…” Too bad. I guess he missed pages 8 through 12.
So, this isn’t the quickie I promised. Sue me. I’ll sue ya back. (I’m Donald, remember?)
Here’s an interesting paragraph that perfectly describes the Trump mindset. Ready?
“Like Truman, Acheson believed that most problems could be solved ‘with a little ingenuity and without inconvenience to the folks at large.’ Like Truman, Acheson was something of a stoic, who came to believe what his father, an Episcopal clergyman, taught him: that ‘much in life could not be affected or mitigated, and, hence, must be borne. Borne without complaint, because complaints were a bore and nuisance to others and undermined the serenity essential to endurance.’”
See? Very Trumpy. No complaining, stoic, serenity, endurance. Not inconveniencing others with your problems.
Okay. Another lie.
Good book, though.
BradPitt,
I’m gonna guess your comment was deep sixed because the Squarespace bots hated your terrible Northern Ireland accent in “The Devil’s Own”. But you redeemed yourself somewhat doing a completely unintelligible Irish Traveler accent in “Snatched”.
Nonetheless, since your post is unaccented, I’d like to know what it was.
BradPitt's comment did not go to die in Squarespace spam along with so many of our other friends' remarks, so it must be alive out there somewhere in the great beyond.
"He [Trump] criticized California’s mail-in voting system, falsely claiming it leads to more voter fraud. Without it, he said he would win the deep-blue state"
Newsweek
"Texas AG Says Trump Would've 'Lost' State If It Hadn't Blocked Mail-in Ballots Applications Being Sent Out
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said former President Donald Trump would have lost in Texas in the 2020 election if his office had not successfully blocked counties from mailing out applications for mail-in ballots to all registered voters.
Harris County, home to the city of Houston, wanted to mail out applications for mail-in ballots to its approximately 2.4 million registered voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the conservative Texas Supreme Court blocked the county from doing so after it faced litigation from Paxton's office"