crooksandliars--2020-05-30--According To Rush Limbaugh, George Floyd Was Killed By Liberalism

So even Rush Limbaugh thinks George Floyd should n't have been killed ?
Really ?
Yes , that 's the headline .
On his show today , Limbaugh did , surprisingly , express outrage at the death of George Floyd .
But first he had to give us his audience some crowd-pleasing talking points .
Let 's go to the transcript : The rioters ...
I ’ ve got a story by Victoria Taft at PJ Media : “ PJ Media : Rioters Are So Angry About Police Killing That They ... Stole Baby Clothes and Air Fryers from Nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into riotous mobs who smashed their way into Target where [ they ] stole every imaginable thing .
The rioters ’ righteous anger impelled them to grab … an air fryer… Nothing says [ f— ] the police like frying up some grub or , as one woman did , grabbing baby clothes .
Another guy must have checked out a friend ’ s wedding registry before rioting because he walked out with several sets of bedding ” ...
The media is viewing Minneapolis looters as protesters .
But Americans protesting to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dangerous lunatics !
Americans demanding to be let out , Americans demanding that their jobs be reopened , Americans demanding to go back to work are being treated as major problems — major lunatics , great threats to the health of America — whereas the people looting stores in Minneapolis are called “ protesters.
” And if you take a look , look at who has been savagely condemned by the media .
It ’ s people reopening their businesses .
Not the people burning businesses .
Not people looting them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the media ’ s world , the people reopening their businesses are being savagely condemned — or people going to a swimming pool in the Ozarks , or people going to a beach somewhere .
You see where this is going -- except that it briefly detours to a moment of apparent decency .
But -- and you knew there was going to be a `` but '' ...
But what about all the people who ’ ve been killed in nursing homes ?
They were consigned to their deaths .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state political leaders , otherwise known as governors — and particularly in the state of New York .
It ’ s grotesque incompetence , negligence on the part of blue state governors , and it ’ s so widely known now to be the case that these blue state governors are doing all kinds of twisting and pretzeling to try to blame Trump for that , that Trump made ’ em do it , that Trump had some policy that made them do that or they wouldn ’ t get federal money or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort is true !
You know , right and wrong — the concepts of right and wrong — are so easy to see if you aren ’ t blinded by politics .
But if your world is governed by politics , if your world has no reality because it ’ s governed by politics , well , that ’ s how you look away at people like Jeffrey Epstein , Harvey Weinstein , Bill Clinton , all of them .
Bill Clinton ’ s still Teflon in all this stuff , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first .
Politics is why the Barack Obama FBI looked away from Hillary Clinton ’ s lawbreaking .
Politics drove Obama to spy on the Trump campaign .
Politics drove Cuomo to consign a bunch of elderly people to nursing homes .
You know , nothing that ’ s happened so far this year — nothing that ’ s happened in 2020 — is all that complicated .
It ’ s very easy to understand .
Yeah , nothing says `` I 'm not blinded by politics '' like linking Jeffrey Epstein and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Limbaugh had a few more moments of what appeared to be decency in the lead-in to a commercial break : I don ’ t know ...
I still don ’ t know what precipitated it .
I don ’ t know why they had George Floyd on the ground .
I don ’ t know , but I don ’ t care what it was , unless he fired a shot at them , and even then , there is no ... What policy ?
What policy is there anywhere that mandates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or prisoner who is totally under control ?
( interruption ) Okay .
All right .
So he passed a counterfeit bill in a store .
That doesn ’ t come close to justifying what happened to him , with people watching that cop for five minutes kill the guy !
There ’ s no other way to describe what happened .
I understand people are out there calling it murder .
It makes me so mad , I can ’ t see straight .
So , I ask , how does something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be some police manual or handbook .
Look , you people in law enforcement know I ’ m at the top of the list of people who support you and understand how hard your jobs are and the rigors and the arduous circumstances you have to go through every day .
I still , given all of that , do not… I can not find a way to explain that .
I can ’ t find a way to justify it .
I don ’ t care what the guy did .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , it ’ s even… Look , I got ta take a break because I ’ m up against it on time .
Back in a moment .
But it was a setup .
I got an email during the break , “ What made you so mad about the video of George Floyd ?
” What makes me so mad about the video ?
A ... You know , these are blue states .
This is a blue state where this happened .
This is a state-run by Democrats .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a state-run by people who believe in utopias , and they openly promise them — and they particularly promise every minority group in the world that they ’ re gon na protect ’ em .
And who are they gon na protect ’ em from ?
They gon na protect ’ em from you and me , us meany conservatives and Republicans .
We pose the biggest threat to them .
That ’ s what these blue state leftists in the media and in politics all say as they defame us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happens to minorities in these blue states .
The reality is that the cops are a law unto themselves even in very liberal cities .
But Limbaugh , even with one foot in the grave , is still a smart , evil man who can twist the facts to make everything liberalism 's fault .
So tomorrow , you 'll probably see Limbaugh 's name in a roundup of `` even many conservatives '' who 've condemned the killing of George Floyd .
When you see it , remember what else he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More Mr. Nice Blog

So even Rush Limbaugh thinks George Floyd shouldn't have been killed? Really?
Yes, that's the headline.
On his show today, Limbaugh did, surprisingly, express outrage at the death of George Floyd. But first he had to give us his audience some crowd-pleasing talking points. Let's go to the transcript:
The rioters... I’ve got a story by Victoria Taft at PJ Media: “PJ Media: Rioters Are So Angry About Police Killing That They... Stole Baby Clothes and Air Fryers from Nearby Target.” ... “Protesters broke off into riotous mobs who smashed their way into Target where [they] stole every imaginable thing. The rioters’ righteous anger impelled them to grab … an air fryer… Nothing says [f—] the police like frying up some grub or, as one woman did, grabbing baby clothes. Another guy must have checked out a friend’s wedding registry before rioting because he walked out with several sets of bedding” ... The media is viewing Minneapolis looters as protesters. But Americans protesting to go back to work? Why, those are dangerous lunatics! Americans demanding to be let out, Americans demanding that their jobs be reopened, Americans demanding to go back to work are being treated as major problems — major lunatics, great threats to the health of America — whereas the people looting stores in Minneapolis are called “protesters.” And if you take a look, look at who has been savagely condemned by the media. It’s people reopening their businesses. Not the people burning businesses. Not people looting them. Not the people tearing them down. In the media’s world, the people reopening their businesses are being savagely condemned — or people going to a swimming pool in the Ozarks, or people going to a beach somewhere.
You see where this is going -- except that it briefly detours to a moment of apparent decency.
Look, folks, the police who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis are gonna get their day in court, and I hope it’s good and hard.
But -- and you knew there was going to be a "but" ...
But what about all the people who’ve been killed in nursing homes? They were consigned to their deaths. They were consigned to their deaths by blue state political leaders, otherwise known as governors — and particularly in the state of New York. They were consigned. They were sent there. It’s grotesque incompetence, negligence on the part of blue state governors, and it’s so widely known now to be the case that these blue state governors are doing all kinds of twisting and pretzeling to try to blame Trump for that, that Trump made ’em do it, that Trump had some policy that made them do that or they wouldn’t get federal money or some such thing. Nothing of the sort is true! You know, right and wrong — the concepts of right and wrong — are so easy to see if you aren’t blinded by politics. But if your world is governed by politics, if your world has no reality because it’s governed by politics, well, that’s how you look away at people like Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Clinton, all of them. Bill Clinton’s still Teflon in all this stuff, and it’s all because of politics mattering first. Politics is why the Barack Obama FBI looked away from Hillary Clinton’s lawbreaking. Politics drove Obama to spy on the Trump campaign. Politics drove Cuomo to consign a bunch of elderly people to nursing homes. You know, nothing that’s happened so far this year — nothing that’s happened in 2020 — is all that complicated. It’s very easy to understand.
Yeah, nothing says "I'm not blinded by politics" like linking Jeffrey Epstein and Russiagate to a police murder in Minneapolis.
Limbaugh had a few more moments of what appeared to be decency in the lead-in to a commercial break:
I don’t know... I still don’t know what precipitated it. I don’t know why they had George Floyd on the ground. I don’t know, but I don’t care what it was, unless he fired a shot at them, and even then, there is no... What policy? What policy is there anywhere that mandates that kind of treatment of a suspect or prisoner who is totally under control? (interruption) Okay. All right. So he passed a counterfeit bill in a store. Fine. That doesn’t come close to justifying what happened to him, with people watching that cop for five minutes kill the guy! There’s no other way to describe what happened. I understand people are out there calling it murder. It makes me so mad, I can’t see straight. So, I ask, how does something like that happen? There has to be some police manual or handbook. Look, you people in law enforcement know I’m at the top of the list of people who support you and understand how hard your jobs are and the rigors and the arduous circumstances you have to go through every day. I still, given all of that, do not… I cannot find a way to explain that. I can’t find a way to justify it. I don’t care what the guy did. If it’s all about a counterfeit bill, it’s even… Look, I gotta take a break because I’m up against it on time. Back in a moment.
But it was a setup.
I got an email during the break, “What made you so mad about the video of George Floyd?” What makes me so mad about the video? A... You know, these are blue states. This is a blue state where this happened. This is a state-run by Democrats. This is a state-run by leftists. This is a state-run by people who believe in utopias, and they openly promise them — and they particularly promise every minority group in the world that they’re gonna protect ’em. And who are they gonna protect ’em from? They gonna protect ’em from you and me, us meany conservatives and Republicans. We pose the biggest threat to them. That’s what these blue state leftists in the media and in politics all say as they defame us and impugn us. And yet look at what happens to minorities in these blue states.
The reality is that the cops are a law unto themselves even in very liberal cities. But Limbaugh, even with one foot in the grave, is still a smart, evil man who can twist the facts to make everything liberalism's fault.
So tomorrow, you'll probably see Limbaugh's name in a roundup of "even many conservatives" who've condemned the killing of George Floyd. When you see it, remember what else he said.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-05-30--While Millions Lost Jobs To Coronavirus, Billionaires 'Earned' $500B

Statistics released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor show that with 2.1 million new unemployment claims filed last week , a staggering 40.7 million Americans have lost their jobs over just the past 10 weeks as mass layoffs induced by the coronavirus pandemic continue .
During that same 10-week period , according to a new analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS ) , the combined net worth of America 's billionaires soared by nearly half a trillion dollars , bringing their total wealth to $ 3.4 trillion .
`` Billionaire wealth is surging at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and loss of life , '' IPS , a progressive think tank , said Thursday , noting that more than 100,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the United States .
`` This is a grotesque indicator of the deep inequalities in U.S .
society . ''
IPS , which has been publishing weekly updates on billionaire `` pandemic profiteering , '' found that the combined net worth of U.S. billionaires grew by $ 485 billion between March 18 and May 28 , an increase of 16.5 % .
Amazon CEO Jeff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Mark Zuckerberg saw their combined wealth soar by $ 63 billion over the last 10 weeks .
Meanwhile , as Common Dreams reported , a $ 2-an-hour hazard pay increase for Amazon warehouse workers is set to expire at the end of the day Sunday .
IPS found that there are currently 16 more billionaires than there were in mid-March , when many U.S. states began locking down their economies as Covid-19 spread rapidly across the country .
`` This is n't just unsustainable , '' IPS tweeted of the surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Statistics released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor show that with 2.1 million new unemployment claims filed last week, a staggering 40.7 million Americans have lost their jobs over just the past 10 weeks as mass layoffs induced by the coronavirus pandemic continue.
During that same 10-week period, according to a new analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), the combined net worth of America's billionaires soared by nearly half a trillion dollars, bringing their total wealth to $3.4 trillion.
"Billionaire wealth is surging at the same time that millions face suffering, hardship, and loss of life," IPS, a progressive think tank, said Thursday, noting that more than 100,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the United States. "This is a grotesque indicator of the deep inequalities in U.S. society."
IPS, which has been publishing weekly updates on billionaire "pandemic profiteering," found that the combined net worth of U.S. billionaires grew by $485 billion between March 18 and May 28, an increase of 16.5%.
Time for your steaming morning cup of rage: We enter week 10 of #PandemicProfiteering. 40 million unemployed vs. $485 billion more for billionaires. pic.twitter.com/eTt7nM06BT — Institute for Policy Studies (@IPS_DC) May 28, 2020
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos—the richest man in the world—and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saw their combined wealth soar by $63 billion over the last 10 weeks.
Meanwhile, as Common Dreams reported, a $2-an-hour hazard pay increase for Amazon warehouse workers is set to expire at the end of the day Sunday.
IPS found that there are currently 16 more billionaires than there were in mid-March, when many U.S. states began locking down their economies as Covid-19 spread rapidly across the country.
"This isn't just unsustainable," IPS tweeted of the surge in billionaire wealth. "It's unconscionable."
Republished from Common Dreams (Jake Johnson, staff writer) under a Creative Commons License.


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--Trump's War On The Media Descends Into Murder Claim, Threat To 'Close Down' Twitter

Published with permission of PRESS RUN , Eric Boehlert ’ s new must-read media newsletter .
Subscribe here .
Trump is this close to demanding a show trial of MSNBC 's Joe Scarborough .
Wallowing into the depths of the paranoid swamp that now surrounds the West Wing , Trump continues to try to politicize the death of a young Capitol Hill staffer who died from a heart attack 19 years ago in the office of then-Congressman Scarborough .
Lobbying baseless claims about the cable TV host , Trump is barreling towards new lows this week , while simultaneously lashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close '' down the social media giant after it finally fact-checked one of his ceaselessly false tweets .
( Twitter needs to ban Trump outright . )
As for Scarborough , Trump has stressed that the statute of limitations on the case has not expired , suggesting he 'd welcome his corrupt Department of Justice to launch an outlandish , partisan murder investigation in the middle of a presidential campaign .
For anyone who scoffs at the idea of the president orchestrating a murder charge against a journalist as being out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ago nobody thought the President of the United States would be using Twitter to accuse a TV host of killing someone , and doing it over the loud , public objections of the dead woman 's family .
Yet here we are , and there 's no telling where we 're headed in terms of Trump adopting shocking , gutter tactics .
On Thursday , he ’ s expected to sign an executive order that would unleash the federal government on Twitter , Facebook and Google for the supposed sin of silencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of this was inevitable because this is how authoritarians treat the press .
They do everything in their power to destroy the power of the news media by relentlessly attacking its worth and undercutting journalists with assaults and insults .
Unequivocally targeting reporters as the “ enemy of the people , ” Trump has signaled to the GOP and to the larger conservative movement that it ’ s open season on the news media .
There 's clearly irony in the fact that Trump is now smearing Scarborough with false claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a valuable ally during much of the 2016 campaign , giving the dangerous candidate tons of free airtime where he launched ceaseless , usually unquestioned , lies about Hillary Clinton .
It 's impossible to overlook how the press helped create the Trump monster that 's now marauding the political landscape and waging war on the media , to the point of making groundless criminal allegations .
Anxious in 2016 for a candidate who would vilify Clinton , whom the Beltway press held in contempt , the media showered Trump in endless attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Clinton got nailed the cross over an A-rated global charity .
Part of that Faustian bargain in 2016 , which also revolved around ratings and clicks , was the press looked the other way while Trump turned journalists into villains and props at his rallies .
On the campaign trail he regularly called reporters `` disgusting '' and `` horrible people.
” His ardent followers picked up his cues and began raining down insults and death threats on journalists covering the Trump campaign .
As president , Trump quickly intensified his anti-media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during televised White House briefings .
“ I called the fake news ‘ the enemy of the people ’ -- and they are .
They are the enemy of the people .
Because they have no sources , they just make them up when there are none , ” Trump announced weeks after being inaugurated , signaling his obvious strategy of attack and demolish .
In response , billion-dollar news outlets have taken no collective stand and have refused to stand up for their employees , other than occasionally releasing timid statements of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action to register complaints when Barack Obama was president . )
When Trump recently berated ABC News ' Jonathan Karl during a White House briefing , Karl insisted the `` insults do n't matter , '' which is why he and ABC did n't fight back .
Sadly , it 's quite easy to connect the dots between news outlets taking no action when Trump attacks their journalists on camera , and Trump launching a campaign to accuse a journalist of murder .
Trump knows the bullying works .
Even today , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , newspaper editorial boards refuse to call for Trump 's resignation , even though more than 100 daily made that demand of Bill Clinton during his impeachment .
Why the paralysis ?
The press has been completely bullied by Trump and frightened by fear of `` liberal media bias '' claims .
That 's why the political press wo n't call Trump a liar , even though his documented lies now number in the thousands .
It 's also been clear for years that the American press simply is n't equipped to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into authoritarianism .
U.S. journalists do n't know much about covering authoritarian regimes , or know how to respond to them .
That 's the kind interpretation .
The unkind interpretation is the press is simply too afraid to confront Trump , and hides behind phony newsroom guidelines in order to avoid loudly telling the truth .
Consequently , the press has been part of allowing the unthinkable to become commonplace .
And that 's been true of the murder claims lodged against Scarborough , which the D.C. media downplayed for days — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's reckless and demented attack a `` jab . ''
There 's no bottom for Trump when it comes to his war on the media .
The press needs to brace for the worst and start fighting back .

Published with permission of PRESS RUN, Eric Boehlert’s new must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
Trump is this close to demanding a show trial of MSNBC's Joe Scarborough.
Wallowing into the depths of the paranoid swamp that now surrounds the West Wing, Trump continues to try to politicize the death of a young Capitol Hill staffer who died from a heart attack 19 years ago in the office of then-Congressman Scarborough. Lobbying baseless claims about the cable TV host, Trump is barreling towards new lows this week, while simultaneously lashing out at Twitter, threatening to "close" down the social media giant after it finally fact-checked one of his ceaselessly false tweets. (Twitter needs to ban Trump outright.)
As for Scarborough, Trump has stressed that the statute of limitations on the case has not expired, suggesting he'd welcome his corrupt Department of Justice to launch an outlandish, partisan murder investigation in the middle of a presidential campaign. For anyone who scoffs at the idea of the president orchestrating a murder charge against a journalist as being out of the realm of possibility, consider that six months ago nobody thought the President of the United States would be using Twitter to accuse a TV host of killing someone, and doing it over the loud, public objections of the dead woman's family.
Yet here we are, and there's no telling where we're headed in terms of Trump adopting shocking, gutter tactics. On Thursday, he’s expected to sign an executive order that would unleash the federal government on Twitter, Facebook and Google for the supposed sin of silencing conservative voices.
The sad part is, all of this was inevitable because this is how authoritarians treat the press. They do everything in their power to destroy the power of the news media by relentlessly attacking its worth and undercutting journalists with assaults and insults. Unequivocally targeting reporters as the “enemy of the people,” Trump has signaled to the GOP and to the larger conservative movement that it’s open season on the news media.
There's clearly irony in the fact that Trump is now smearing Scarborough with false claims when the MSNBC host proved to be a valuable ally during much of the 2016 campaign, giving the dangerous candidate tons of free airtime where he launched ceaseless, usually unquestioned, lies about Hillary Clinton. It's impossible to overlook how the press helped create the Trump monster that's now marauding the political landscape and waging war on the media, to the point of making groundless criminal allegations. Anxious in 2016 for a candidate who would vilify Clinton, whom the Beltway press held in contempt, the media showered Trump in endless attention and treated him like a celebrity, while Clinton got nailed the cross over an A-rated global charity.
Part of that Faustian bargain in 2016, which also revolved around ratings and clicks, was the press looked the other way while Trump turned journalists into villains and props at his rallies. On the campaign trail he regularly called reporters "disgusting" and "horrible people.” His ardent followers picked up his cues and began raining down insults and death threats on journalists covering the Trump campaign.
As president, Trump quickly intensified his anti-media crusade, insulting them at every turn during televised White House briefings. “I called the fake news ‘the enemy of the people’ -- and they are. They are the enemy of the people. Because they have no sources, they just make them up when there are none,” Trump announced weeks after being inaugurated, signaling his obvious strategy of attack and demolish.
In response, billion-dollar news outlets have taken no collective stand and have refused to stand up for their employees, other than occasionally releasing timid statements of protest. (They took swift collective action to register complaints when Barack Obama was president.)
When Trump recently berated ABC News' Jonathan Karl during a White House briefing, Karl insisted the "insults don't matter," which is why he and ABC didn't fight back. Sadly, it's quite easy to connect the dots between news outlets taking no action when Trump attacks their journalists on camera, and Trump launching a campaign to accuse a journalist of murder. Trump knows the bullying works.
Even today, as Trump smears a high-profile cable TV host, newspaper editorial boards refuse to call for Trump's resignation, even though more than 100 daily made that demand of Bill Clinton during his impeachment.
Why the paralysis? The press has been completely bullied by Trump and frightened by fear of "liberal media bias" claims. That's why the political press won't call Trump a liar, even though his documented lies now number in the thousands. It's also been clear for years that the American press simply isn't equipped to deal with Trump's radical and dangerous foray into authoritarianism. U.S. journalists don't know much about covering authoritarian regimes, or know how to respond to them.
That's the kind interpretation. The unkind interpretation is the press is simply too afraid to confront Trump, and hides behind phony newsroom guidelines in order to avoid loudly telling the truth. Consequently, the press has been part of allowing the unthinkable to become commonplace.
And that's been true of the murder claims lodged against Scarborough, which the D.C. media downplayed for days — the New York Times initially called Trump's reckless and demented attack a "jab."
There's no bottom for Trump when it comes to his war on the media. The press needs to brace for the worst and start fighting back.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Sarah Cooper Strikes Again: Trump Saying 'MAGA Loves The Black People'

It ’ s not just Cooper ’ s expressions as she pantomimes Lord Damp Nut , but by extracting his @ @ @ @ @ pomp around him , you really can focus on his words .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ a reveal of his true self that makes her work both so funny and so @ @ @ @ @ minutes making this and I will spend the rest of the weekend thinking of all @ @ @ @ @ ve done differently 😂😭

It’s not just Cooper’s expressions as she pantomimes Lord Damp Nut, but by extracting his orange visage and all the pomp around him, you really can focus on his words. He’s nuts. It’s a reveal of his true self that makes her work both so funny and so powerful.
How to the black people pic.twitter.com/iCBXIKTI8N — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) May 30, 2020
I spent 10 minutes making this and I will spend the rest of the weekend thinking of all the things I could’ve done differently 😂😭 — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) May 30, 2020
Republished with permission from Mock Paper Scissors


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Maryland Governor Hogan Bashes Trump For Sending The 'Wrong Message' About The Protests

Maryland 's Republican Governor , Larry Hogan , joined Jake Tapper on Sunday to discuss the nationwide protests and the White House 's disastrous response to it .
Hogan did n't mince words , especially when addressing Donald Trump 's inflammatory rhetoric and how he is actually making the situation worse .
TAPPER : Welcome back the STATE OF THE UNION .
I 'm Jake Tapper .
Joining me now , Maryland 's Republican Governor Larry Hogan .
TAPPER : Governor Hogan , President Trump has responded to the events we have seen in the last few days by calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- quote -- `` thugs '' and saying , `` When the looting starts , the shooting starts . ''
You have suggested that his rhetoric was -- quote -- `` inflammatory '' and not helpful .
Explain why .
GOV .
LARRY HOGAN ( R-MD ) : Look , I think the -- one of the most important things that a leader can do right now -- and I went through this in 2015 during the riots in Baltimore -- my -- one of my primary focuses was to try to lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helpful .
It 's not lowering the temperature .
It 's sort of -- it 's sort of continuing to escalate the rhetoric .
And I think it 's just the opposite of the message that should have been coming out of the White House .
TAPPER : What lessons could you teach Minnesota and the nation , having dealt with the Freddie Gray crisis ?
And for those who do n't remember , Freddie Gray was picked up .
He was in a police vehicle that -- and he was in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rough ride , people said .
And the police officers ultimately were not convicted .
HOGAN : Well , I think we dealt with this crisis in Baltimore really decisively and quickly .
We acted quickly .
I -- within a couple of hours , we sent in 4,000 members of the National Guard and 1,000 extra police officers to try to maintain peace and to protect the citizens of Baltimore , the vast majority of whom were protesting peacefully , which is what I think we 're seeing in many cities across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ element who was burning and looting .
And we were trying to stop that violence .
And we did it very successfully .
After the first few hours , there was no more burning or looting or violence .
Nobody else got hurt .
But we let the people protests go on for a solid week in Baltimore .
And I immediately went to the city .
I walked the streets of Baltimore for a week , talked with leaders in the community .
And I think my advice to these leaders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation get out of control .
We -- our theory was kind of peace through strength .
We did not let it escalate to violence , where crowds were overpowering police .
But we separated the violent acts and the destructive acts from the peaceful protesting .
And we tried to get in there and communicate with the with the citizens .
And , frankly , many of the people in the community are also trying to stop the violence and all of the bad activity that 's taking place .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it 's not -- it 's not really helpful to any -- any part of the situation .

Maryland's Republican Governor, Larry Hogan, joined Jake Tapper on Sunday to discuss the nationwide protests and the White House's disastrous response to it. Hogan didn't mince words, especially when addressing Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and how he is actually making the situation worse.
TAPPER: Welcome back the STATE OF THE UNION. I'm Jake Tapper. Joining me now, Maryland's Republican Governor Larry Hogan.
TAPPER: Governor Hogan, President Trump has responded to the events we have seen in the last few days by calling those responsible for the looting and arson -- quote -- "thugs" and saying, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." You have suggested that his rhetoric was -- quote -- "inflammatory" and not helpful. Explain why.
GOV. LARRY HOGAN (R-MD): Look, I think the -- one of the most important things that a leader can do right now -- and I went through this in 2015 during the riots in Baltimore -- my -- one of my primary focuses was to try to lower the temperature.
And that's not helpful. It's not lowering the temperature. It's sort of -- it's sort of continuing to escalate the rhetoric. And I think it's just the opposite of the message that should have been coming out of the White House.
TAPPER: What lessons could you teach Minnesota and the nation, having dealt with the Freddie Gray crisis?
And for those who don't remember, Freddie Gray was picked up. He was in a police vehicle that -- and he was in a coma after that. It was a rough ride, people said. And the police officers ultimately were not convicted.
HOGAN: Well, I think we dealt with this crisis in Baltimore really decisively and quickly. We acted quickly.
I -- within a couple of hours, we sent in 4,000 members of the National Guard and 1,000 extra police officers to try to maintain peace and to protect the citizens of Baltimore, the vast majority of whom were protesting peacefully, which is what I think we're seeing in many cities across America.
But we had a smaller element who was burning and looting. And we were trying to stop that violence. And we did it very successfully. After the first few hours, there was no more burning or looting or violence. Nobody else got hurt. But we let the people protests go on for a solid week in Baltimore.
And I immediately went to the city. I walked the streets of Baltimore for a week, talked with leaders in the community.
And I think my advice to these leaders in other states would be to not let the situation get out of control. We -- our theory was kind of peace through strength. We did not let it escalate to violence, where crowds were overpowering police.
But we separated the violent acts and the destructive acts from the peaceful protesting. And we tried to get in there and communicate with the with the citizens. And, frankly, many of the people in the community are also trying to stop the violence and all of the bad activity that's taking place. They don't want to see it. And it's not -- it's not really helpful to any -- any part of the situation.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--National Security Adviser O'Brien Denies There Is 'Systemic Racism’ In Law Enforcement

White House National Security adviser Robert O ’ Brien joined Jake Tapper on CNN Sunday morning to discuss the ongoing nationwide protests following the murder of yet another unarmed black man at the hands of overzealous law enforcement .
This is a systematic problem and one that has only gotten worse under the Trump administration .
Yet O'Brien denies it , as most conservative white men do , claiming it is just a few `` bad apples '' rather than a systemic problem rooted in a racist culture , demonstrated by the number of many white nationalists who have infiltrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TAPPER : George Floyd is hardly the only unarmed black man killed by police .
Do you think systemic racism is a problem in law enforcement agencies in the United States ?
O'BRIEN : No , I don ’ t think there ’ s systemic racism .
I think 99.9 % of our law enforcement officers are great Americans and many of them are African-American , Hispanic , Asian .
They ’ re working the toughest neighborhoods , they ’ ve got the hardest jobs to do in this country , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , and they ’ re my heroes , but you know what , there are some bad apples in there .
O'Brien went on to say that there are a few “ bad cops that are racist ” and there are some cops who “ maybe don ’ t have the right training . ''
The reality is that there are more than a few `` bad apples '' and that although some police departments have made great strides to address this issue , there are many that have not .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what is going on and are fine with it .
The reason why this is getting more attention now is because of videos taken on phones and social media .
Black men have been saying for decades that they are being treated unfairly , but people have largely denied that - until the last 10 years or so .
And even when police know they are being recorded , they do not change their behavior .
And the police department leadership and police unions back them .
There IS systematic racism in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in charge recognize that and make real change , it will never get better .

White House National Security adviser Robert O’Brien joined Jake Tapper on CNN Sunday morning to discuss the ongoing nationwide protests following the murder of yet another unarmed black man at the hands of overzealous law enforcement. This is a systematic problem and one that has only gotten worse under the Trump administration. Yet O'Brien denies it, as most conservative white men do, claiming it is just a few "bad apples" rather than a systemic problem rooted in a racist culture, demonstrated by the number of many white nationalists who have infiltrated law enforcement and military in America.
TAPPER: George Floyd is hardly the only unarmed black man killed by police. Do you think systemic racism is a problem in law enforcement agencies in the United States? O'BRIEN: No, I don’t think there’s systemic racism. I think 99.9% of our law enforcement officers are great Americans and many of them are African-American, Hispanic, Asian. They’re working the toughest neighborhoods, they’ve got the hardest jobs to do in this country, and I think they’re amazing, great Americans, and they’re my heroes, but you know what, there are some bad apples in there.
O'Brien went on to say that there are a few “bad cops that are racist” and there are some cops who “maybe don’t have the right training."
The reality is that there are more than a few "bad apples" and that although some police departments have made great strides to address this issue, there are many that have not. In fact, some departments are totally aware of what is going on and are fine with it. The reason why this is getting more attention now is because of videos taken on phones and social media. Black men have been saying for decades that they are being treated unfairly, but people have largely denied that - until the last 10 years or so. And even when police know they are being recorded, they do not change their behavior. And the police department leadership and police unions back them.
There IS systematic racism in law enforcement and until the white men in charge recognize that and make real change, it will never get better.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Atlanta Mayor: 'I Wish That Trump Would Just Be Quiet'

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took Donald Trump out to the woodshed on CNN 's State of the Union with Jake Tapper Sunday morning for his remarks and tweets about the unrest in cities this weekend .
Tapper asked specifically about Trump 's tweets on Saturday threatening protesters outside the White House with vicious dogs and ominous weapons : Lance Bottoms was visibly disgusted with Trump .
`` He should just stop talking , '' she sighed .
`` “ This is like Charlottesville all over again , He speaks and he makes it worse.
” '' There are times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I wish he would just be quiet , '' she said .
`` Or , if he can ’ t be silent , if there is somebody of good sense and good conscience in the White House , put him in front of a teleprompter and pray he reads it , and at least says the right things , because he is making it worse . ''
I think she is being optimistic about him being silent or sticking to a script .
For a racist like Trump , this is his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cities , all the places where he is rejected outright .
He 's not just going to keep quiet , but will keep stoking the hate and the racism because he 's counting on it to carry him over the line in November .

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took Donald Trump out to the woodshed on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper Sunday morning for his remarks and tweets about the unrest in cities this weekend.
Tapper asked specifically about Trump's tweets on Saturday threatening protesters outside the White House with vicious dogs and ominous weapons:
....got too frisky or out of line, they would quickly come down on them, hard - didn’t know what hit them. The front line was replaced with fresh agents, like magic. Big crowd, professionally organized, but nobody came close to breaching the fence. If they had they would.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
....have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least. Many Secret Service agents just waiting for action. “We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Lance Bottoms was visibly disgusted with Trump. "He should just stop talking," she sighed. "“This is like Charlottesville all over again, He speaks and he makes it worse.”
"There are times when you should just be quiet, and I wish he would just be quiet," she said. "Or, if he can’t be silent, if there is somebody of good sense and good conscience in the White House, put him in front of a teleprompter and pray he reads it, and at least says the right things, because he is making it worse."
I think she is being optimistic about him being silent or sticking to a script. For a racist like Trump, this is his dream come true. Unrest in all the cities, all the places where he is rejected outright. He's not just going to keep quiet, but will keep stoking the hate and the racism because he's counting on it to carry him over the line in November.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Val Demings Stomps On Trump's Lack Of Leadership Ability

Rep. Val Demings blasted Donald Trump for continuing to never show any type of leadership as President of the United States on Sunday 's Meet The Press .
Demings was the first female Chief of the Orlando Police Department .
She is now a Congresswoman from Florida 's 10th District .
She joined Chuck Todd to address the volatile situation in Minnesota and other cities , blasting the overall absent president occupying the White House .
After explaining how quickly Minnesota fired and then arrested the officer who killed George Floyd , Todd asked her about the fact that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much higher level than other areas .
Rep. Demings discussed how President Lyndon Johnson addressed the same problem 50 years ago and knew he also had to address the economic problems that are systemic in African-American and minority communities as well as hiring the best and brightest to police our neighborhoods .
The country has to admit that there is racism in America and injustices that come with it , she emphasized .
`` It certainly would help if we had leadership at the top , '' she said .
`` If there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the White House , it is now , to help heal our nation . ''
`` But I do n't know why I would expect this president to do something that he has never done before and we have never seen before , '' she continued pointedly .
Todd asked Rep. Demings to give some advice for how to handle the situation .
`` I would tell him to begin with showing some compassion for the persons who -- the families that have lost their loved ones .
Let 's start there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's response was to threaten to send in the military and shoot protesters to protect personal property .
Meanwhile , Mike Pence spent all day yesterday tweeting about Space X and NASA .
No leadership to be found anywhere in that White House .

Rep. Val Demings blasted Donald Trump for continuing to never show any type of leadership as President of the United States on Sunday's Meet The Press.
Demings was the first female Chief of the Orlando Police Department. She is now a Congresswoman from Florida's 10th District. She joined Chuck Todd to address the volatile situation in Minnesota and other cities, blasting the overall absent president occupying the White House.
After explaining how quickly Minnesota fired and then arrested the officer who killed George Floyd, Todd asked her about the fact that the coronavirus is affecting minority communities at a much higher level than other areas.
Rep. Demings discussed how President Lyndon Johnson addressed the same problem 50 years ago and knew he also had to address the economic problems that are systemic in African-American and minority communities as well as hiring the best and brightest to police our neighborhoods.
The country has to admit that there is racism in America and injustices that come with it, she emphasized.
"It certainly would help if we had leadership at the top," she said. "If there was ever a time we need leadership in the White House, it is now, to help heal our nation."
"But I don't know why I would expect this president to do something that he has never done before and we have never seen before," she continued pointedly.
Amen.
Todd asked Rep. Demings to give some advice for how to handle the situation.
"I would tell him to begin with showing some compassion for the persons who -- the families that have lost their loved ones. Let's start there," she replied.
Instead, Trump's response was to threaten to send in the military and shoot protesters to protect personal property.
Meanwhile, Mike Pence spent all day yesterday tweeting about Space X and NASA.
No leadership to be found anywhere in that White House.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Trump Tells Reporters ‘MAGA Loves The Black People’

As usual , our Arsonist-in-Chief is doing his best to makes things worse as protests erupt across the country following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin , but refusing to take any responsibility for throwing fuel on the fire : In rambling remarks to press before taking off on a flight to Florida — in hopes of witnessing the Falcon 9 rocket launch — Trump was asked about his tweets that disparaged the protesters outside the White House Friday night .
The protesters , demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early morning hours after a series of scuffles with Secret Service personnel .
Trump subsequently tweeted Saturday morning , without proof , that the protesters had been “ professionally organized , ” and “ professionally managed.
” He added : “ Tonight , I understand , is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE ?
?
?
” A reporter Saturday afternoon asked Trump if the comment could “ be stoking more racial violence or more racial discord.
” “ No , not at all , ” Trump responded .
“ MAGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These are people that love our country .
I have no idea if they ’ re going to be here .
I was just asking.
” “ By the way , ” he added , “ they love African-American people .
They love black people .
MAGA loves the black people.
” Trump said he didn ’ t know if his supporters would be at the White House , but that “ they love our country .
”

As usual, our Arsonist-in-Chief is doing his best to makes things worse as protests erupt across the country following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, but refusing to take any responsibility for throwing fuel on the fire:
In rambling remarks to press before taking off on a flight to Florida — in hopes of witnessing the Falcon 9 rocket launch — Trump was asked about his tweets that disparaged the protesters outside the White House Friday night.
The protesters, demonstrating against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, were ultimately forced away from the White House in the early morning hours after a series of scuffles with Secret Service personnel.
Trump subsequently tweeted Saturday morning, without proof, that the protesters had been “professionally organized,” and “professionally managed.” He added: “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???”
The professionally managed so-called “protesters” at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
A reporter Saturday afternoon asked Trump if the comment could “be stoking more racial violence or more racial discord.”
“No, not at all,” Trump responded. “MAGA says ‘Make America Great Again.’ These are people that love our country. I have no idea if they’re going to be here. I was just asking.”
“By the way,” he added, “they love African-American people. They love black people. MAGA loves the black people.”
Trump said he didn’t know if his supporters would be at the White House, but that “they love our country.”


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Officials Claim Far-Right 'Boogaloo Bois' Fanning Flames Of Chaos In Minnesota

The specter of white supremacists surreptitiously participating in protests surrounding the death of George Floyd , the black man killed in the custody of Minneapolis police last week , became more substantive than earlier vague rumors when Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz on Saturday told reporters that neo-Nazis—along with members of Mexican drug cartels—appear to be involved in inflaming the violent riots that have struck Minneapolis , as well as other cities around the country .
“ The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd , ” Walz said today .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.
” “ We have seen things like white supremacist organizers posting on platforms about coming to Minnesota , ” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at the same press conference , adding that a potential connection to organized crime is also being investigated .
Harrington added that white nationalists are posting messages on social media , according to Joy Reid , that urge fellow extremists to go to Minneapolis to “ get our loot on ” and create mayhem .
He told reporters that authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage over Floyd ’ s death as a “ cover ” for illegal activity .
Walz told reporters he was aware of rumors that white supremacists were involved in some of the looting surrounding the protests and that “ based on my suspicions and what I 've seen on this , ” he found them credible .
`` It gets worse than that , '' he added .
`` The cartels , who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions , are trying to take advantage of the chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a federal level .
`` Walz and other officials also claimed that 80 percent of the rioters were from out of state .
“ Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain , of the hurt , of the frustration , of the anger , of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel , to advocate for the destruction of our communities , ” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said .
Suspicions were initially fueled in part by videos shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masked white men engaging in violent destruction , and ignoring black protesters who attempt to get them to stop .
One video in particular showed a masked man carrying an umbrella while smashing windows at a Minneapolis auto-parts store , then running away when confronted about the behavior by black protesters .
The store was later burned down .
The behavior initially aroused claims that the man was a police officer in disguise , creating mayhem that could be blamed on protesters , and one widely shared tweet appeared to identify him as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police said that the identified officer was not the person in the video , and he had an airtight alibi : “ We spoke with his supervisor , who was with him .
We spoke to his colleagues , who were with him , ” said Steve Linders , public information officer for the St. Paul Police Department .
White supremacists and other extremists have been talking among themselves on social media about how best to exploit the racial tension arising from the Floyd killing , which they see as creating an extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic .
In particular , they see their long-simmering hopes for a race war coming to fruition .
The most active discussion has come among so-called “ Boogaloo Bois , ” the pro-Trump civil war enthusiasts who have been leveraging anti-stay-home-order protests into recruitment and agitation opportunities .
A number of “ Boogaloo ” pages on Facebook have featured memes indicating solidarity with black protesters , since many of the participants in the movement are mainly interested in opposing police operations and law enforcement .
The “ Boogaloo Ranch ” Facebook page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that houses the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis , urging protesters to target it as “ part of a banking cartel that is the primary source of oppression in the United States … and they have money !
” Elsewhere , the same page includes a post listing the locations of all the anti-police protests currently taking place .
Some “ Boogaloo ” enthusiasts took photos of themselves in Minneapolis with black protesters , as Jordan Green reported at Raw Story .
However , a fellow participant in the Big Igloo Bois thread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the time for boog , this is how a race war starts.
” “ It ’ s a right-wing thing ; it ’ s a neo-fascist thing , ” warned veteran antifacsist Daryle Lamont Jenkins in a Twitter video .
“ And they ’ re trying to use what ’ s happening in Minneapolis as a jump-off .
Do not let them .
They are not our friends .
”

The specter of white supremacists surreptitiously participating in protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, the black man killed in the custody of Minneapolis police last week, became more substantive than earlier vague rumors when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday told reporters that neo-Nazis—along with members of Mexican drug cartels—appear to be involved in inflaming the violent riots that have struck Minneapolis, as well as other cities around the country.
“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said today. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.”
“We have seen things like white supremacist organizers posting on platforms about coming to Minnesota,” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at the same press conference, adding that a potential connection to organized crime is also being investigated.
Harrington added that white nationalists are posting messages on social media, according to Joy Reid, that urge fellow extremists to go to Minneapolis to “get our loot on” and create mayhem. He told reporters that authorities will investigate people attempting to use public outrage over Floyd’s death as a “cover” for illegal activity.
Walz told reporters he was aware of rumors that white supremacists were involved in some of the looting surrounding the protests and that “based on my suspicions and what I've seen on this,” he found them credible.
"It gets worse than that," he added. "The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level.
"Walz and other officials also claimed that 80 percent of the rioters were from out of state.
“Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain, of the hurt, of the frustration, of the anger, of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel, to advocate for the destruction of our communities,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said.
Suspicions were initially fueled in part by videos shared on social media that appeared to show masked white men engaging in violent destruction, and ignoring black protesters who attempt to get them to stop. One video in particular showed a masked man carrying an umbrella while smashing windows at a Minneapolis auto-parts store, then running away when confronted about the behavior by black protesters. The store was later burned down.
The behavior initially aroused claims that the man was a police officer in disguise, creating mayhem that could be blamed on protesters, and one widely shared tweet appeared to identify him as a Minneapolis police officer. However, police said that the identified officer was not the person in the video, and he had an airtight alibi: “We spoke with his supervisor, who was with him. We spoke to his colleagues, who were with him,” said Steve Linders, public information officer for the St. Paul Police Department.
White supremacists and other extremists have been talking among themselves on social media about how best to exploit the racial tension arising from the Floyd killing, which they see as creating an extremely fragile situation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, they see their long-simmering hopes for a race war coming to fruition.
The most active discussion has come among so-called “Boogaloo Bois,” the pro-Trump civil war enthusiasts who have been leveraging anti-stay-home-order protests into recruitment and agitation opportunities. A number of “Boogaloo” pages on Facebook have featured memes indicating solidarity with black protesters, since many of the participants in the movement are mainly interested in opposing police operations and law enforcement.
The “Boogaloo Ranch” Facebook page featured a meme showing the office building that houses the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, urging protesters to target it as “part of a banking cartel that is the primary source of oppression in the United States … and they have money!” Elsewhere, the same page includes a post listing the locations of all the anti-police protests currently taking place.
Some “Boogaloo” enthusiasts took photos of themselves in Minneapolis with black protesters, as Jordan Green reported at Raw Story. However, a fellow participant in the Big Igloo Bois thread on Discord warned: “This is not the time for boog, this is how a race war starts.”
“It’s a right-wing thing; it’s a neo-fascist thing,” warned veteran antifacsist Daryle Lamont Jenkins in a Twitter video. “And they’re trying to use what’s happening in Minneapolis as a jump-off. Do not let them. They are not our friends.”
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--Police Pepper Spray Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, City Councillor, Others During Protest

Apparently , the 70-year-old congresswoman was considered enough of a threat to warrant being pepper-sprayed by a couple of Columbus ' finest , or not-so-finest .
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin says he , Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty were sprayed with mace or pepper spray during a protest in downtown Columbus Saturday morning .
Council President Hardin tweeted a video with Rep. Beatty saying that they are okay , and called on people on both sides of the protest to remain calm .
A spokesperson for Rep. Beatty told NBC4 that while the protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Police took that person down , which made other protesters angry .
Beatty stepped in to try and calm the situation when police started spraying .
Hardin and Boyce pulled Beatty out of the fray .
“ We understand that tensions are high .
Our tensions are high as well .
We are angry , and we need change .
But the only way we will get change is by peaceful demonstrations , ” said Hardin .
“ While it was peaceful , there were times where people got off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beatty .
“ Too much force is not the answer this .
”

Apparently, the 70-year-old congresswoman was considered enough of a threat to warrant being pepper-sprayed by a couple of Columbus' finest, or not-so-finest.
Source: NBC4, Columbus
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin says he, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty were sprayed with mace or pepper spray during a protest in downtown Columbus Saturday morning.
Council President Hardin tweeted a video with Rep. Beatty saying that they are okay, and called on people on both sides of the protest to remain calm.
A spokesperson for Rep. Beatty told NBC4 that while the protest was underway, someone started scuffling with police. Police took that person down, which made other protesters angry. Beatty stepped in to try and calm the situation when police started spraying. Hardin and Boyce pulled Beatty out of the fray.
“We understand that tensions are high. Our tensions are high as well. We are angry, and we need change. But the only way we will get change is by peaceful demonstrations,” said Hardin.
“While it was peaceful, there were times where people got off the curb, into the street, said Beatty. “Too much force is not the answer this.”


crooksandliars--2020-05-31--'Light 'Em Up!': Minneapolis Cops Now Shooting Residents On Their Porches With Paintball Rounds

With a curfew now in effect , the cops and the national guard are taking extraordinary and self-defeating measures to get people to go inside their homes .
The militarization of most major police forces causes shit like this to happen , over and over around the country .
Police officers have completely forgotten their roles .
They think they 're in Fallujah or some other hellhole .
How is this supposed to inspire confidence and trust in law enforcement ?
It 's not .
Just more resentment .
More hate .
Disgusting .
MINNEAPOLIS ( WCCO ) — A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going viral after apparently showing law enforcement in Minneapolis shooting paint rounds at residents on their porch after curfew went into effect .
Tanya Kerssen posted the video to Twitter shortly after 9:30 p.m. , showing what she says is the Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police sweeping her residential street in the Whittier Neighborhood .
In the video , the officers are seen approaching the residents and repeatedly yelling at them to get inside their house .
After a few demands , one can be heard yelling “ light ‘ em up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer appears to fire a paint round at the residents , who run inside .
Meanwhile , a WCCO photographer was struck by a rubber bullet and arrested by the State Patrol Saturday night .
He was released from custody after a couple hours .
The curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. in Minneapolis .

With a curfew now in effect, the cops and the national guard are taking extraordinary and self-defeating measures to get people to go inside their homes.
The militarization of most major police forces causes shit like this to happen, over and over around the country. Police officers have completely forgotten their roles. They think they're in Fallujah or some other hellhole. How is this supposed to inspire confidence and trust in law enforcement? It's not. Just more resentment. More hate. Disgusting.
Source: WCCO
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A video posted to Twitter Saturday night is going viral after apparently showing law enforcement in Minneapolis shooting paint rounds at residents on their porch after curfew went into effect. Tanya Kerssen posted the video to Twitter shortly after 9:30 p.m., showing what she says is the Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police sweeping her residential street in the Whittier Neighborhood. In the video, the officers are seen approaching the residents and repeatedly yelling at them to get inside their house. After a few demands, one can be heard yelling “light ‘em up!” That’s when one officer appears to fire a paint round at the residents, who run inside. Meanwhile, a WCCO photographer was struck by a rubber bullet and arrested by the State Patrol Saturday night. He was released from custody after a couple hours. The curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. in Minneapolis.


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--Trump Calls His Troops To Escalate Physical Attacks On Journalists

Donald Trump is a fascist who has spent the last 3 1/2 years demeaning and discounting journalists and journalism .
From the cry of `` Fake News '' to his idiotic adoption of Sarah Palin 's `` lamestream media '' to his condemnation of media as `` the enemy of the people , '' he has made a point of delegitimizing actual reporting in favor of his propaganda outlets , Fox News and more recently , OANN .
On Sunday , after two days of unwarranted arrests of journalists and physical attacks on them by police , Trump tweeted this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with a sick agenda '' is nothing more than a dog whistle ( more like a bullhorn ) for the law-and-order types who subscribe to his autocratic outlook to take on the threat he describes and `` work through them to GREATNESS . ''
And it paid off .
Look at what DID happen to journalists at these protests at the hands of police : Arrests and violent attacks .
The video above is Ali Velshi , who was reporting on a PEACEFUL protest when all hell broke loose .
The cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullets into a protest where no one was violent .
Several people have been collecting evidence of these various attacks on journalists on Twitter .
The threads are too long to post all of them here , but here are some examples : There are many , many more in each of those threads .
CNN reporter Omar Jiminez was hit with tear gas and shot at with rubber bullets too , the very day that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized and took responsibility for his arrest the day before .
I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` if it bleeds it leads '' approach to the protests .
Where 90 percent of protests were positive , media would focus on the 10 percent where there was violence , leaving the impression that all protests were violent .
They were n't .
Still , this is what a police state looks like .
Attacking journalists ' physically and arresting them so they can not report to the rest of us is the first step toward tyranny .
There must be serious and immediate consequences that permanently bar police from attacking @ @ @ @

Donald Trump is a fascist who has spent the last 3 1/2 years demeaning and discounting journalists and journalism. From the cry of "Fake News" to his idiotic adoption of Sarah Palin's "lamestream media" to his condemnation of media as "the enemy of the people," he has made a point of delegitimizing actual reporting in favor of his propaganda outlets, Fox News and more recently, OANN.
On Sunday, after two days of unwarranted arrests of journalists and physical attacks on them by police, Trump tweeted this:
The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy. As long as everybody understands what they are doing, that they are FAKE NEWS and truly bad people with a sick agenda, we can easily work through them to GREATNESS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2020
That reference to "truly bad people with a sick agenda" is nothing more than a dog whistle (more like a bullhorn) for the law-and-order types who subscribe to his autocratic outlook to take on the threat he describes and "work through them to GREATNESS."
And it paid off. Look at what DID happen to journalists at these protests at the hands of police: Arrests and violent attacks. The video above is Ali Velshi, who was reporting on a PEACEFUL protest when all hell broke loose. The cops threw tear gas canisters and shot rubber bullets into a protest where no one was violent.
Several people have been collecting evidence of these various attacks on journalists on Twitter. The threads are too long to post all of them here, but here are some examples:
Police in Louisville aim directly at reporter on camera and later shoot her with pepper spray: https://t.co/SGbw7fLvlj — Jodi Jacobson 🩸🦷 #BlackLivesMatter (@jljacobson) May 31, 2020
Minnesota State Patrol just fired tear gas at reporters and photographers at point blank range. pic.twitter.com/r7X6J7LKo8 — Molly Hennessy-Fiske (@mollyhf) May 31, 2020
Shooting press in the face with rubber bulletshttps://t.co/De3RxgqHQB — Evan Sutton (@3vanSutton) May 31, 2020
Firing flash-bangs at news crews at close rangehttps://t.co/YmUsBgOtVw — Evan Sutton (@3vanSutton) May 31, 2020
Firing rubber bullets at, then arresting, a photojournalisthttps://t.co/hIrJz27u44 — Evan Sutton (@3vanSutton) May 31, 2020
There are many, many more in each of those threads. CNN reporter Omar Jiminez was hit with tear gas and shot at with rubber bullets too, the very day that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized and took responsibility for his arrest the day before.
I do want to chide media for choosing the "if it bleeds it leads" approach to the protests. Where 90 percent of protests were positive, media would focus on the 10 percent where there was violence, leaving the impression that all protests were violent. They weren't.
Still, this is what a police state looks like. Attacking journalists' physically and arresting them so they cannot report to the rest of us is the first step toward tyranny. There must be serious and immediate consequences that permanently bar police from attacking clearly identified journalists.


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--Tiffany Cross: White Supremacy Is 'As American As Apple Pie'

For some reason , cable media seems to think that Donald Trump is capable of addressing the nation and this crisis of white supremacy we are now in -- once again .
And so it came to pass that Yasmin Vossoughian read the script like a good cable news anchor does , and in return got a history lesson from Tiffany Cross .
The question from Vossoughian was this : Would it have mattered if Trump had addressed the nation about George Floyd and the problem of white supremacy ?
Tiffany Cross took that question and ran with it : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would take a bit of an issue and say everyone was not expecting this president to address this nation and the racial inequality that has historically plagued this country .
I think we got exactly what we expected .
This is not the first time Donald Trump has fallen short of being a leader .
He 's routinely called for violence and stoked the racial tensions in this country even as far back as the campaign trail .
In 2016 he encouraged people to behave violently .
He encouraged someone If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , knock the hell out of them .
He encouraged people to get violent at his rallies .
We saw one of the MAGA attendees sucker-punch an attendee .
And recently in an interview with Breitbart he suggested people with guns are on his side , the military , the police , the bikers .
So I do n't think America expects anything from Donald Trump other than what we 've routinely gotten .
Cross was just getting warmed up and to her main point , taking media and the politicians who purr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to task first .
I think it 's been an unfortunate characterization and attempt by a lot of people in certain mainstream media outlets to normalize this kind of asinine and violent behavior .
And that 's one of the things that has to stop and that 's been something that has plagued this country since 1619 .
So it is a bit frustrating .
I 'll tell you when I routinely hear well-intentioned people say 'This is not who we are . '
These type of violent revolutions are as American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battle of Jamestown .
Until we stop perpetuating a false narrative about who this country is and confront a reality of historic white supremacy systems that helped get us here I 'm afraid to see that history will continue to repeat itself .
That should have been sufficient , but Vossoughian pushed Cross on her statements about `` this is not who we are , '' and so Cross delivered a 90-second response that should be the preface to all history books forever and ever , amen .
I mean people looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not who we are .
Looking at violent aggressors like what we saw with the tiki torches in Charlottesville , Virginia and saying this is not who we are .
That 's just not true .
America was not founded on peace and prosperity ; it was taken from the Native-Americans .
America was not built on freedom and equality .
It was built on the backs of stolen labor , by the enslaved people .
And that system has carried itself and rippled through time , rippled through generations , rippled across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reality is , yes , we saw George Floyd get lynched and murdered on camera and that is heartbreaking .
But the truth of the matter we have to start addressing is that the American system of white supremacy that has had its foot on the neck of Black people since this country 's inception .
We have to start speaking that honest truth , because as long as we ignore that truth we provide a safe haven and space for systems of white supremacy to continue and permeate our political systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to confront those things and bring them to a screeching halt or otherwise we will see white supremacy as it 's always been this country 's greatest weakness bring this country to heel .
This is the moment to confront it .
And by confronting it , she is not talking about Black people who face it every day .
It is the white people who have to confront it and bring it to heel .

For some reason, cable media seems to think that Donald Trump is capable of addressing the nation and this crisis of white supremacy we are now in -- once again. And so it came to pass that Yasmin Vossoughian read the script like a good cable news anchor does, and in return got a history lesson from Tiffany Cross.
The question from Vossoughian was this: Would it have mattered if Trump had addressed the nation about George Floyd and the problem of white supremacy?
Tiffany Cross took that question and ran with it:
No, it wouldn't. And I would take a bit of an issue and say everyone was not expecting this president to address this nation and the racial inequality that has historically plagued this country. I think we got exactly what we expected. This is not the first time Donald Trump has fallen short of being a leader. He's routinely called for violence and stoked the racial tensions in this country even as far back as the campaign trail. In 2016 he encouraged people to behave violently. He encouraged someone If you see someone about to throw a tomato, knock the hell out of them. He encouraged people to get violent at his rallies. We saw one of the MAGA attendees sucker-punch an attendee. And recently in an interview with Breitbart he suggested people with guns are on his side, the military, the police, the bikers. So I don't think America expects anything from Donald Trump other than what we've routinely gotten.
Cross was just getting warmed up and to her main point, taking media and the politicians who purr "this is not who we are" to task first.
I think it's been an unfortunate characterization and attempt by a lot of people in certain mainstream media outlets to normalize this kind of asinine and violent behavior. And that's one of the things that has to stop and that's been something that has plagued this country since 1619. So it is a bit frustrating. I'll tell you when I routinely hear well-intentioned people say 'This is not who we are.' These type of violent revolutions are as American as apple pie and as old as the battle of Jamestown. Until we stop perpetuating a false narrative about who this country is and confront a reality of historic white supremacy systems that helped get us here I'm afraid to see that history will continue to repeat itself.
That should have been sufficient, but Vossoughian pushed Cross on her statements about "this is not who we are," and so Cross delivered a 90-second response that should be the preface to all history books forever and ever, amen.
I mean people looking at this violence and saying this is not who we are. Looking at violent aggressors like what we saw with the tiki torches in Charlottesville, Virginia and saying this is not who we are. That's just not true. America was not founded on peace and prosperity; it was taken from the Native-Americans. America was not built on freedom and equality. It was built on the backs of stolen labor, by the enslaved people. And that system has carried itself and rippled through time, rippled through generations, rippled across this country and been a stronghold. The reality is, yes, we saw George Floyd get lynched and murdered on camera and that is heartbreaking. But the truth of the matter we have to start addressing is that the American system of white supremacy that has had its foot on the neck of Black people since this country's inception. We have to start speaking that honest truth, because as long as we ignore that truth we provide a safe haven and space for systems of white supremacy to continue and permeate our political systems and even the mainstream media landscape. We have to confront those things and bring them to a screeching halt or otherwise we will see white supremacy as it's always been this country's greatest weakness bring this country to heel.
This is the moment to confront it. And by confronting it, she is not talking about Black people who face it every day. It is the white people who have to confront it and bring it to heel.
(h/t Shoq via Twitter)


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--Blue America Endorsement: Nashville Needs A Political Change

People seem surprised when they find out that Nashville is a Democratic city and that Tennessee 's 5th congressional district is safely blue .
Obama won the district both times he ran and Hillary won it comfortably In 2016 .
TN-05 has a solid PVI of D+7 , but the incumbent , Jim Cooper is a Blue Dog , best known for his conservative politics -- and as the brother of Nashville 's mayor and the son of a former Tennessee governor .
Cooper spent nearly a million dollars of his family 's money to buy the seat in 2002 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenger since then .
Republicans are happy with his conservative politics and Democrats have been afraid to challenge him in a primary .
Meet Keeda Haynes , a top-notch progressive reformer who vigorously backs Medicare-For-All , the Green New Deal , a $ 15 living wage , a national cap on rent and home price increases , top to bottom student loan reform , H.R .
40 ( Sheila Jackson Lee 's bill to set up a reparations commission ) , marijuana legalization , a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitive prescription drug costs and a whole platform built on solid progressive positions .
This week , Blue America has endorsed Keeda and I asked her to introduce herself with a guest post -- and the brand new video below -- in the hope that everyone else would be as impressed as I 've been .
Please consider contributing to her campaign by clicking on the 2020 Blue America congressional thermometer on the right .
This is a very special candidate who would make an extraordinary member of Congress .
I Am That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recoiled in horror at the filmed slaying of 25-year-old , African-American Ahmaud Arbery by two vigilantes in Glynn County , Georgia .
Another tragedy of epic proportions also occurred in Louisville when police officers -- without knocking and announcing their presence -- fatally shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor , an emergency room tech , to death .
Sadly , the cases of Ahmaud Armery and Breonna Taylor are not isolated incidents in the United States of America .
They are pristine examples of a criminal justice system that too often disrespects and devalues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color .
But , beyond these high-profile killings of African-Americans , countless millions languish away in prison , shackled by a criminal justice system that locks them away and throws away the key .
It ’ s what Michelle Alexander has called the New Jim Crow -- the systematic oppression of entire groups of people .
The human toll of mass incarceration takes on many shapes and forms and no longer can we turn a blind eye to it .
Many care little for our prisoners , assuming a person is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But a prison sentence should not be a death sentence…but that is what it has turned into for the hundreds of inmates that have died in custody due to the coronavirus .
They were someone ’ s father , mother , sister , brother , daughter or son and their lives had value .
Our prison population is one of the most vulnerable and they deserve to be protected .
When I sat on the top bunk of my 3x8 prison cubicle in Alderson , West Virginia , looking back over the range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to seven years in prison for a crime I didn ’ t commit , I thought to myself ” what if I die here.
” The possibility of that happened back in 2003 wasn ’ t nearly as possible as it is today .
Having served nearly four years in federal prison for a crime I did not commit , I know that fear , confusion and frustration that many incarcerated individuals are feeling right now .
Only through my faith did I persevere and emerge from prison an even stronger individual , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service and fighting for those in need .
After my release in 2006 , I went to law school , passed the bar exam , and became a public defender in Nashville , Tennessee .
I advocated in the trenches for those society has considered the least of these amongst us .
Every day in the courtroom , I knew the difficulties my clients faced because I had sat in their shoes and felt those same feelings of desperation .
Now , my public service has taken a different direction after working as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a half years , but my fight , passion and determination remain .
I am running for Congress in TN-05 and I will take the same level of passion and determination to Washington to advocate on behalf of the community of District 5 .
I will stand alongside the community , fighting daily for access to quality health care , affordable housing and criminal justice reform .
I will provide them with equitable access in government decision making and will make sure their voices are heard .
Armaud Arbery shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stewart shouldn ’ t have been killed in her sleep .
Hundreds should not have died in jails and prisons .
I shouldn ’ t have served nearly four years in prison for a crime I did not commit .
It is time that we in TN-05 have someone in Congress that understands that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world ; that mass incarceration disproportionally affects black , brown and low- income communities ; and , that we need to address the racist policies and procedures that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for change in Congress .
I am that change .

People seem surprised when they find out that Nashville is a Democratic city and that Tennessee's 5th congressional district is safely blue.
Obama won the district both times he ran and Hillary won it comfortably In 2016. TN-05 has a solid PVI of D+7, but the incumbent, Jim Cooper is a Blue Dog, best known for his conservative politics-- and as the brother of Nashville's mayor and the son of a former Tennessee governor. Cooper spent nearly a million dollars of his family's money to buy the seat in 2002. He's never had a serious challenger since then. Republicans are happy with his conservative politics and Democrats have been afraid to challenge him in a primary.
...Until now!
Meet Keeda Haynes, a top-notch progressive reformer who vigorously backs Medicare-For-All, the Green New Deal, a $15 living wage, a national cap on rent and home price increases, top to bottom student loan reform, H.R. 40 (Sheila Jackson Lee's bill to set up a reparations commission), marijuana legalization, a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals currently living in the U.S., competitive prescription drug costs and a whole platform built on solid progressive positions.
This week, Blue America has endorsed Keeda and I asked her to introduce herself with a guest post-- and the brand new video below-- in the hope that everyone else would be as impressed as I've been.
Please consider contributing to her campaign by clicking on the 2020 Blue America congressional thermometer on the right. This is a very special candidate who would make an extraordinary member of Congress.
I Am That Change
-by Keeda Haynes
Many Americans recently have recoiled in horror at the filmed slaying of 25-year-old, African-American Ahmaud Arbery by two vigilantes in Glynn County, Georgia. Another tragedy of epic proportions also occurred in Louisville when police officers-- without knocking and announcing their presence-- fatally shot 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, an emergency room tech, to death. Sadly, the cases of Ahmaud Armery and Breonna Taylor are not isolated incidents in the United States of America. They are pristine examples of a criminal justice system that too often disrespects and devalues the lives of African-Americans and other persons of color.
But, beyond these high-profile killings of African-Americans, countless millions languish away in prison, shackled by a criminal justice system that locks them away and throws away the key. It’s what Michelle Alexander has called the New Jim Crow-- the systematic oppression of entire groups of people. The human toll of mass incarceration takes on many shapes and forms and no longer can we turn a blind eye to it.
Many care little for our prisoners, assuming a person is in prison because of their criminal conduct. But a prison sentence should not be a death sentence…but that is what it has turned into for the hundreds of inmates that have died in custody due to the coronavirus. They were someone’s father, mother, sister, brother, daughter or son and their lives had value. Our prison population is one of the most vulnerable and they deserve to be protected.
When I sat on the top bunk of my 3x8 prison cubicle in Alderson, West Virginia, looking back over the range at 100 other women, recently sentenced to seven years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, I thought to myself” what if I die here.” The possibility of that happened back in 2003 wasn’t nearly as possible as it is today. Having served nearly four years in federal prison for a crime I did not commit, I know that fear, confusion and frustration that many incarcerated individuals are feeling right now. Only through my faith did I persevere and emerge from prison an even stronger individual, hell-bent on devoting my life to public service and fighting for those in need.
After my release in 2006, I went to law school, passed the bar exam, and became a public defender in Nashville, Tennessee. I advocated in the trenches for those society has considered the least of these amongst us. Every day in the courtroom, I knew the difficulties my clients faced because I had sat in their shoes and felt those same feelings of desperation.
Now, my public service has taken a different direction after working as a public defender for the past six and a half years, but my fight, passion and determination remain. I am running for Congress in TN-05 and I will take the same level of passion and determination to Washington to advocate on behalf of the community of District 5. I will stand alongside the community, fighting daily for access to quality health care, affordable housing and criminal justice reform. I will provide them with equitable access in government decision making and will make sure their voices are heard.
Armaud Arbery shouldn’t have been killed while jogging. Breonna Stewart shouldn’t have been killed in her sleep. Hundreds should not have died in jails and prisons. I shouldn’t have served nearly four years in prison for a crime I did not commit.
It is time that we in TN-05 have someone in Congress that understands that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world; that mass incarceration disproportionally affects black, brown and low- income communities; and, that we need to address the racist policies and procedures that have caused this large disparity.
It is time for change in Congress. I am that change.
Watch Keeda's powerful new video:


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--The Lincoln Project: Flag Of Treason

The Lincoln Project: Flag Of Treason

The anti-Trump group 's new ad makes the point that Trump is promoting a new Confederacy with a simple and effective message : you 're either choosing America or you 're choosing Trump .
( CNN ) The anti-Trump Republican group , The Lincoln Project , is planning to air a new attack ad blasting President Donald Trump 's record on race relations in the US .
The TV spot , backed by a $ 500,000 ad buy , will air in the key battleground states of Florida , Wisconsin and Michigan as well as in Washington , DC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treason , '' targets the support Trump has received from white nationalist groups .
One of the group 's previous ads delivered a blistering critique of Trump 's record on the coronavirus pandemic , playing off of Ronald Reagan 's iconic 1984 `` Morning in America '' reelection spot .
The `` Mourning in America '' ad went viral , giving The Lincoln Project an infusion of funds .
The Lincoln Project is led by a high-profile team of anti-Trump Republicans , including John Weaver , Rick Wilson , Reed Galen and George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counselor Kellyanne Conway .
Former Mitt Romney strategist Stuart Stevens recently joined the group .

The anti-Trump group's new ad makes the point that Trump is promoting a new Confederacy with a simple and effective message: you're either choosing America or you're choosing Trump.
Source: CNN
(CNN) The anti-Trump Republican group, The Lincoln Project, is planning to air a new attack ad blasting President Donald Trump's record on race relations in the US.
The TV spot, backed by a $500,000 ad buy, will air in the key battleground states of Florida, Wisconsin and Michigan as well as in Washington, DC. The ad, entitled "Flag of Treason," targets the support Trump has received from white nationalist groups.
One of the group's previous ads delivered a blistering critique of Trump's record on the coronavirus pandemic, playing off of Ronald Reagan's iconic 1984 "Morning in America" reelection spot. The "Mourning in America" ad went viral, giving The Lincoln Project an infusion of funds.
The Lincoln Project is led by a high-profile team of anti-Trump Republicans, including John Weaver, Rick Wilson, Reed Galen and George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. Former Mitt Romney strategist Stuart Stevens recently joined the group.


crooksandliars--2020-06-01--Republican Voters Don't Expect Trump To Mourn, Because They Gave Up On Empathy Long Ago

More than a hundred thousand lives have been lost to the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States , and while individuals and families have certainly grieved for their loved ones , there has been almost nothing in the way of a public remembrance of the lives lost .
No national address ; no moment of silence or official recognition beyond the occasional tweet and the flying of flags at half-staff over the Memorial Day weekend .
No sense from the president or his subordinates that these were untimely deaths — needless losses that ought to occasion collective mourning .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama ’ s in the wake of the Mother Emanuel shooting in Charleston ; no address like President Ronald Reagan ’ s after the Challenger disaster ... .
The president ’ s indifference to collective mourning is of a piece with a political movement that denies our collective ties as well as the obligations we have to each other .
If Trump represents a radical political solipsism , in which his is the only interest that exists , then it makes all the sense in the world that neither he nor his allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for public and collective mourning — an activity that heightens our vulnerability , centers our interconnectedness and stands as a challenge to the politics of selfishness and domination .
Republicans preach rugged individualism .
Trump is perhaps the most narcissistic individual who ever lived .
So , yes , it 's not surprising that our narcissist Republican president is failing to lead us in collective mourning .
But why is conservatism `` a political movement that denies our collective ties '' ?
It 's because some of us are black , Hispanic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerated ...
Some of us , in other words , are members of groups that Republican voters -- who are overwhelmingly white , and mostly either male or male-identified -- are sick of being asked to feel empathy for .
After a while , lack of empathy for anyone other than fellow members of the Volk becomes a habit .
Conservative voters are ready to feel no compassion for any new group that 's suffering -- even if it 's fellow citizens dying from exposure to a virus that could easily strike them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , but Republicans are so accustomed to dividing the country into their people and the undeserving that they 're doing it even with virus victims .
It 's a habit they ca n't ( or wo n't ) break , even now .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

Jamelle Bouie writes:
More than a hundred thousand lives have been lost to the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, and while individuals and families have certainly grieved for their loved ones, there has been almost nothing in the way of a public remembrance of the lives lost. No national address; no moment of silence or official recognition beyond the occasional tweet and the flying of flags at half-staff over the Memorial Day weekend. No sense from the president or his subordinates that these were untimely deaths — needless losses that ought to occasion collective mourning. There will be no speech like President Barack Obama’s in the wake of the Mother Emanuel shooting in Charleston; no address like President Ronald Reagan’s after the Challenger disaster.... The president’s indifference to collective mourning is of a piece with a political movement that denies our collective ties as well as the obligations we have to each other. If Trump represents a radical political solipsism, in which his is the only interest that exists, then it makes all the sense in the world that neither he nor his allies would see or even understand the need for public and collective mourning — an activity that heightens our vulnerability, centers our interconnectedness and stands as a challenge to the politics of selfishness and domination.
Republicans preach rugged individualism. Trump is perhaps the most narcissistic individual who ever lived. So, yes, it's not surprising that our narcissist Republican president is failing to lead us in collective mourning.
But why is conservatism "a political movement that denies our collective ties"? It's because some of us are black, Hispanic, female, LGBT, handicapped, formerly incarcerated ... Some of us, in other words, are members of groups that Republican voters -- who are overwhelmingly white, and mostly either male or male-identified -- are sick of being asked to feel empathy for. After a while, lack of empathy for anyone other than fellow members of the Volk becomes a habit. Conservative voters are ready to feel no compassion for any new group that's suffering -- even if it's fellow citizens dying from exposure to a virus that could easily strike them.
The virus could sicken any one of us, but Republicans are so accustomed to dividing the country into their people and the undeserving that they're doing it even with virus victims. It's a habit they can't (or won't) break, even now.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog