politicususa--2020-01-16--Opinion: Two Rulings Give a Glimmer Of Hope To Trump’s Favorite Targets

With Trump ’ s impeachment trial in the Senate looming , even his go-to of sticking it to immigrants when he ’ s having a bad day proves elusive .
Next to trying to benefit his personal fortune and bullying foreign governments into helping him win election , Trump ’ s biggest obsession is with finding as many ways as possible to abuse immigrants who are also people of color .
During the past three years you just knew that if something went wrong for Donald Trump , he ’ d take it out on immigrants , be it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy designed by Stephen Miller or by smearing immigrants with lies as bad as or worse than the ones he tells about Democrats .
Fortunately , Trump ’ s second biggest obsession was dealt more blows in the courts .
A recent ruling took effect last week and it has the potential to be transformative .
Immigration Court took the step of granting immigrants due process .
It means the government can no longer hold immigrants in custody for indefinite periods of time .
Also , it could open up other rights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court or in custody .
The Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU , representing immigrants in the class action case , described the ruling by a Boston court .
The ruling holds that class members in New England are entitled to bond hearings at which the government bears the burden of justifying an immigrant ’ s detention , and at which the immigration court must consider someone ’ s ability to pay when setting a bond amount .
Even though Trump ’ s administration wishes to forget the fact that immigrants are human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are – as reflected in the due process ruling and in another ruling that struck down Trump ’ s Executive Order that empowers states to decide if they wish to “ allow ” refugees to live in their state .
The ruling , in no uncertain terms , reminds the Trump administration of our obligations under the 1967 Refugee Protocol , which is codified in our Refugee Act of 1980 .
These are , without question , positive developments .
I ’ m thankful to the courts for ruling within the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of representing people who truly are forgotten when politics , economics or life in general get challenging .
I ’ m not talking about the poor babies who whine about being forgotten when any government resource goes to someone else , or when policy benefits someone else .
I ’ m talking about people who continue to live in subhuman conditions – every day .
I ’ m talking about children who are traumatized , who get sick because of these subhuman conditions and who too often die while in our custody .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aforementioned rulings and proof positive that 99 % of asylum seekers attend their court hearings – thus debunking yet another of Trump ’ s anti-immigrant lies – life for immigrants remains harsh and sometimes in actual jeopardy .
Asylum seekers who make it to America are sent to Mexico , allegedly to await their proceedings .
If that was the real reason , the Trump administration would not deport people who won their cases .
And the fact that this is happening tells us that this never was about upholding the law or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about having borders .
Coupled with the horrendous conditions at detention facilities , it becomes undeniably clear that cruelty is the point .
It is more than just a hashtag on Twitter .
A recent article ties illnesses directly to the food immigrants are fed while in custody .
Dr. Timothy Dormer said at least one member of every family released by border control is ill as a result of eating “ the burrito ” .
The problem is not with the food as such , but rather with not heating the burritos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still frozen and must be allowed to thaw out on their own before they can be eaten .
With the frequency of illnesses , as documented by doctors , it ’ s far from unreasonable to expect food be adequately prepared .
And , according to the reporting , the facilities have long been aware of the problem since at least 2015 .
When considered with the totality of Miller ’ s barbaric policies regarding the treatment of asylum seekers , refugees and undocumented immigrants , it ’ s difficult to ignore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is intentional .
Democrats continue to inquire about the deaths of migrants in our custody and Trump officials continue to dodge and weave .
We remember Elijah Cummings chastising Trump officials who tried to justify putting children in cages .
On the fact that the inspector general has taken a year to investigate the deaths of Jakelin Maquin and Felipe Alonzo , Representative Xochitl Torres Small observed : It ’ s possible to have borders without putting kids in cages until they die from the unsanitary conditions .
Countries do have borders while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a legitimate claim on which to remain in the country .
And while we may wish to look away , we mustn ’ t , because this is wrong .
No human should be treated this way .
The fact is , history tells us that abuse always starts with immigrants , but tyrants never end their abuse with immigrants .
It has happened all over the world and for decades .
And a word to Mr. Miller , this president ’ s authority will be challenged , especially when it violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thankfully , the courts know their highest authority is the law – not Donald Trump .

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With Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate looming, even his go-to of sticking it to immigrants when he’s having a bad day proves elusive.
Next to trying to benefit his personal fortune and bullying foreign governments into helping him win election, Trump’s biggest obsession is with finding as many ways as possible to abuse immigrants who are also people of color.
During the past three years you just knew that if something went wrong for Donald Trump, he’d take it out on immigrants, be it in the form of rolling out another barbaric policy designed by Stephen Miller or by smearing immigrants with lies as bad as or worse than the ones he tells about Democrats.
Fortunately, Trump’s second biggest obsession was dealt more blows in the courts.
A recent ruling took effect last week and it has the potential to be transformative. Immigration Court took the step of granting immigrants due process. It means the government can no longer hold immigrants in custody for indefinite periods of time. Also, it could open up other rights and protections for immigrants, whether they are in court or in custody.
The Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU, representing immigrants in the class action case, described the ruling by a Boston court.
The ruling holds that class members in New England are entitled to bond hearings at which the government bears the burden of justifying an immigrant’s detention, and at which the immigration court must consider someone’s ability to pay when setting a bond amount.
Even though Trump’s administration wishes to forget the fact that immigrants are human beings, the courts continue to remember they are – as reflected in the due process ruling and in another ruling that struck down Trump’s Executive Order that empowers states to decide if they wish to “allow” refugees to live in their state.
The ruling, in no uncertain terms, reminds the Trump administration of our obligations under the 1967 Refugee Protocol, which is codified in our Refugee Act of 1980.
These are, without question, positive developments. I’m thankful to the courts for ruling within the law and the lawyers who do the work of representing people who truly are forgotten when politics, economics or life in general get challenging. I’m not talking about the poor babies who whine about being forgotten when any government resource goes to someone else, or when policy benefits someone else. I’m talking about people who continue to live in subhuman conditions – every day. I’m talking about children who are traumatized, who get sick because of these subhuman conditions and who too often die while in our custody.
Even with the positive news of the aforementioned rulings and proof positive that 99% of asylum seekers attend their court hearings – thus debunking yet another of Trump’s anti-immigrant lies – life for immigrants remains harsh and sometimes in actual jeopardy.
Asylum seekers who make it to America are sent to Mexico, allegedly to await their proceedings. If that was the real reason, the Trump administration would not deport people who won their cases.
And the fact that this is happening tells us that this never was about upholding the law or about, as Trump expresses histrionically, about having borders. Coupled with the horrendous conditions at detention facilities, it becomes undeniably clear that cruelty is the point. It is more than just a hashtag on Twitter.
A recent article ties illnesses directly to the food immigrants are fed while in custody.
“Doctors treating migrants after their release from Border Patrol custody say that a disproportionate number of their patients feel ill after eating the food the federal agency gives them — namely, a certain packaged burrito.”
Dr. Timothy Dormer said at least one member of every family released by border control is ill as a result of eating “the burrito”. The problem is not with the food as such, but rather with not heating the burritos sufficiently. Burritos are simply distributed while still frozen and must be allowed to thaw out on their own before they can be eaten.
With the frequency of illnesses, as documented by doctors, it’s far from unreasonable to expect food be adequately prepared. And, according to the reporting, the facilities have long been aware of the problem since at least 2015.
When considered with the totality of Miller’s barbaric policies regarding the treatment of asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented immigrants, it’s difficult to ignore the possibility that the absence of food preparation is intentional.
Democrats continue to inquire about the deaths of migrants in our custody and Trump officials continue to dodge and weave. We remember Elijah Cummings chastising Trump officials who tried to justify putting children in cages.
On the fact that the inspector general has taken a year to investigate the deaths of Jakelin Maquin and Felipe Alonzo, Representative Xochitl Torres Small observed:
“Even more concerning, the OIG limited its investigation scope to only determine whether there was malfeasance by personnel and did not consider whether CBP’s policies and procedures are adequate to prevent migrant child deaths,” Torres Small said. “As I’ve said from the beginning, the reason for these investigations is not to punish people, it’s to keep this from happening again. It’s to make sure that we have the protocols in place in case we’re faced with this challenge again.”
It’s possible to have borders without putting kids in cages until they die from the unsanitary conditions. Countries do have borders while honoring rulings that determine an asylum seeker has a legitimate claim on which to remain in the country.
And while we may wish to look away, we mustn’t, because this is wrong. No human should be treated this way. The fact is, history tells us that abuse always starts with immigrants, but tyrants never end their abuse with immigrants.
It has happened all over the world and for decades. And a word to Mr. Miller, this president’s authority will be challenged, especially when it violates the spirit and intent of our laws. Thankfully, the courts know their highest authority is the law – not Donald Trump.


politicususa--2020-01-16--Devin Nunes Is Doomed After Getting Caught In Trump’s Ukraine Plot

Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) is in big trouble after he was outed by Lev Parnas as a player in Trump ’ s Ukraine plot to get dirt on Joe Biden .
Parnas said on MSNBC ’ s The Rachel Maddow Show , “ We don ’ t have too much of a relationship .
We met several times at the Trump Hotel , but our relationship started getting basically where it expanded was when I introduced to his aide , Derek Harvey , and the reason why Derek Harvey I was told because Devin Nunes had an ethics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be in the spotlight .
He was kind of shunned a little bit and that he was looking into this Ukraine stuff also , wanted to help out.
” An impeachment investigator on the House Intelligence Committee “ wanted to help out ” shaking down Ukraine .
That ’ s a problem , but it is what Parmas set next that has Nunes in a world of hurt , “ I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in back sitting .
I texted my attorney I can ’ t believe this is happening .
Because they were involved in getting all this stuff on Biden .
I mean , Derek Harvey had several Skype interviews I set up with different prosecutors like the anti-corruption prosecutor in Ukraine , so it ’ s hard to see them lie like that when you know it ’ s like that scary because you know , he was sitting there and making all these statements and all that .
He knew very well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He knew what was happening .
He knows who I am.
” Nunes is already under investigation by the House Ethics Committee , which is why he was trying to be on the down-low with his role in the Ukraine scheme .
Everybody knew that Nunes was Trump ’ s mole in the House , but now he has been implicated in potentially criminal activities involving the Ukraine plot .
Devin Nunes serves as a reminder that Ukraine is bigger than a Trump scandal .
It ’ s a Republican Party scandal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) is in big trouble after he was outed by Lev Parnas as a player in Trump’s Ukraine plot to get dirt on Joe Biden.
Parnas said on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, “We don’t have too much of a relationship. We met several times at the Trump Hotel, but our relationship started getting basically where it expanded was when I introduced to his aide, Derek Harvey, and the reason why Derek Harvey I was told because Devin Nunes had an ethics, an ethics committee, he couldn’t be in the spotlight. He was kind of shunned a little bit and that he was looking into this Ukraine stuff also, wanted to help out.”
An impeachment investigator on the House Intelligence Committee “wanted to help out” shaking down Ukraine.
That’s a problem, but it is what Parmas set next that has Nunes in a world of hurt, “I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there, and then there was a picture where Harvey was in back sitting. I texted my attorney I can’t believe this is happening. Because they were involved in getting all this stuff on Biden. I mean, Derek Harvey had several Skype interviews I set up with different prosecutors like the anti-corruption prosecutor in Ukraine, so it’s hard to see them lie like that when you know it’s like that scary because you know, he was sitting there and making all these statements and all that. He knew very well that he knew what was going. He knew what was happening. He knows who I am.”
Video:
Parnas nails Devin Nunes as being involved in the Ukraine effort to dig up a scandal on Joe Biden. Parnas met with Nunes at Trump's hotel. #Nunes #LevSpeaks #Maddow pic.twitter.com/2Ujc2eHguY — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 16, 2020
Nunes is already under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which is why he was trying to be on the down-low with his role in the Ukraine scheme. Everybody knew that Nunes was Trump’s mole in the House, but now he has been implicated in potentially criminal activities involving the Ukraine plot. Devin Nunes serves as a reminder that Ukraine is bigger than a Trump scandal. It’s a Republican Party scandal.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-16--Ukraine Announces Investigation Of Giuliani For Yovanovitch Surveillance

Trump finally got Ukraine to announce an investigation , but it is of Rudy Giuliani for his surveillance of Marie Yovanovitch .
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday they had opened a criminal investigation into whether the former US ambassador to Ukraine , Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance by associates of Rudy Giuliani while in Kyiv last spring .
“ Ukraine ’ s position is to not interfere in the domestic affairs of the United States , ” an interior ministry official said .
“ However , the published records contain the fact of a possible violation of the legislation of Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which protects the rights of a diplomat on the territory of another country .
“ Ukraine can not ignore such illegal activities on its territory.
” The evidence is Lev Parnas ’ s chats with Robert Hyde where they discuss monitoring the movements of the former Ambassador to Ukraine .
Parnas has said that Hyde is continuously drunk , so he dismissed his claims , but Parnas would benefit from distancing himself from any stalking of Yovanovitch .
The FBI has not commented on whether or not they are opening an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested .
Still , even if Trump can suppress federal law enforcement from doing their jobs in the United States , he can ’ t stop Ukraine from investigating him in their country .
Donald Trump desperately wanted Ukraine to open an investigation .
They have finally given the president what he wanted , but they are investigating his lawyer and his associates , not Joe Biden .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump finally got Ukraine to announce an investigation, but it is of Rudy Giuliani for his surveillance of Marie Yovanovitch.
Buzzfeed News reported:
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday they had opened a criminal investigation into whether the former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance by associates of Rudy Giuliani while in Kyiv last spring.
….
“Ukraine’s position is to not interfere in the domestic affairs of the United States,” an interior ministry official said. “However, the published records contain the fact of a possible violation of the legislation of Ukraine and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects the rights of a diplomat on the territory of another country.
“Ukraine cannot ignore such illegal activities on its territory.”
The evidence is Lev Parnas’s chats with Robert Hyde where they discuss monitoring the movements of the former Ambassador to Ukraine. Parnas has said that Hyde is continuously drunk, so he dismissed his claims, but Parnas would benefit from distancing himself from any stalking of Yovanovitch. The FBI has not commented on whether or not they are opening an investigation, as Yovanovitch and her lawyer have requested. Still, even if Trump can suppress federal law enforcement from doing their jobs in the United States, he can’t stop Ukraine from investigating him in their country.
Donald Trump desperately wanted Ukraine to open an investigation. They have finally given the president what he wanted, but they are investigating his lawyer and his associates, not Joe Biden.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-16--Trump’s Nightmare Comes True As More Ukraine Documents Are Coming

Lev Parnas ’ s lawyer said on Wednesday that more Ukraine documents will be coming out as Trump ’ s nightmare gets bigger by the moment .
Parnas ’ s lawyer said on MSNBC ’ s The Rachel Maddow Show , “ We ’ ll continue making productions , as we get materials from the Southern District and anything we can possibly find on our own , through the cloud or whatever it may be , we ’ ll continue to produce things until we ’ re told not to.
” This is Trump ’ s worst nightmare .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ukraine plot with physical evidence of the president ’ s high crimes .
Parnas ’ s interview with Rachel Maddow took out Bill Barr and Mike Pence .
Parnas probably has enough evidence against Rudy Giuliani to put him away for the rest of his life .
Republicans can try to deny the validity of Trump ’ s impeachment , but the evidence against this president is astounding .
Not only was the president directing a shakedown operation from the Oval Office , but his crew was so inept that they appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Ukraine scandal isn ’ t going to end with the president ’ s impeachment trial .
It is a situation that is crying out for criminal charges for all involved .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Lev Parnas’s lawyer said on Wednesday that more Ukraine documents will be coming out as Trump’s nightmare gets bigger by the moment.
Parnas’s lawyer said on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, “We’ll continue making productions, as we get materials from the Southern District and anything we can possibly find on our own, through the cloud or whatever it may be, we’ll continue to produce things until we’re told not to.”
Video:
Trump's nightmare grows as Parnas and his lawyer say more documents are coming. #Maddow pic.twitter.com/HCCkDcXmDs — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 16, 2020
This is Trump’s worst nightmare. A first-hand witness who was directly involved in the Ukraine plot with physical evidence of the president’s high crimes. Parnas’s interview with Rachel Maddow took out Bill Barr and Mike Pence. Parnas probably has enough evidence against Rudy Giuliani to put him away for the rest of his life.
Republicans can try to deny the validity of Trump’s impeachment, but the evidence against this president is astounding. Not only was the president directing a shakedown operation from the Oval Office, but his crew was so inept that they appear to have left a paper trail everywhere.
The Ukraine scandal isn’t going to end with the president’s impeachment trial.
It is a situation that is crying out for criminal charges for all involved.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-18--Ted Lieu Tells Devin Nunes To Shove It After He Threatens To Sue Him

After Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) threatened to sue Rep. Ted Lieu ( D-CA ) for defamation , Rep. Lieu told Nunes to shove it .
Rep. Lieu tweeted both the first page of the letter from Nunes ’ s lawyer and his reply : Lieu closes his reply by writing , “ I welcome any lawsuit from your client and look forward to taking discovery of Congressman Nunes .
Or , you can take your letter and shove it.
” This whole fiasco began when Rep. Lieu accused Nunes of conspiring with Lev Parnas : According to Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ukraine plot , “ We don ’ t have too much of a relationship .
We met several times at the Trump Hotel , but our relationship started getting basically where it expanded was when I introduced to his aide , Derek Harvey , and the reason why Derek Harvey I was told because Devin Nunes had an ethics , an ethics committee , he couldn ’ t be in the spotlight .
He was kind of shunned a little bit and that he was looking into this Ukraine stuff also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiring with Parnas , and if he really wants to sue Rep. Lieu , he can , but he is not going to like where it goes when Lieu starts forcing him to turn over information in discovery .
Devin Nunes is Trump ’ s corrupt House boy .
He is already on thin ice , and Rep. Lieu spoke for most Americans when he told Nunes ’ attorney to shove it .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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After Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) threatened to sue Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) for defamation, Rep. Lieu told Nunes to shove it.
Rep. Lieu tweeted both the first page of the letter from Nunes’s lawyer and his reply:
Attached is the first page of a five page letter in which the lawyer for @DevinNunes threatens that Rep Nunes will sue me. Attached is my response. pic.twitter.com/bWAqdRhq97 — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 17, 2020
Lieu closes his reply by writing, “I welcome any lawsuit from your client and look forward to taking discovery of Congressman Nunes. Or, you can take your letter and shove it.”
This whole fiasco began when Rep. Lieu accused Nunes of conspiring with Lev Parnas:
Amazing Lev Parnas interview on #Maddow. Also, I’m disclosing that the lawyer for @DevinNunes wrote a letter saying Rep Nunes will sue me if I didn’t apologize for saying last month that Nunes conspired with Parnas. Devin, I’m adding to my statement: “Your pants are on fire.” https://t.co/2nptREunSk — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 16, 2020
According to Parnas, Nunes was conspiring with him on the Ukraine plot, “We don’t have too much of a relationship. We met several times at the Trump Hotel, but our relationship started getting basically where it expanded was when I introduced to his aide, Derek Harvey, and the reason why Derek Harvey I was told because Devin Nunes had an ethics, an ethics committee, he couldn’t be in the spotlight. He was kind of shunned a little bit and that he was looking into this Ukraine stuff also, wanted to help out.”
Nunes was conspiring with Parnas, and if he really wants to sue Rep. Lieu, he can, but he is not going to like where it goes when Lieu starts forcing him to turn over information in discovery.
Devin Nunes is Trump’s corrupt House boy. He is already on thin ice, and Rep. Lieu spoke for most Americans when he told Nunes’ attorney to shove it.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-17--Trump Guts Healthy School Lunches On Michelle Obama’s Birthday

The Trump administration announced that they are going to eliminate requirements for more fruits and vegetables in school lunches and replace them with pizza .
The Washington Post reported : On Friday , USDA Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps proposed new rules for the Food and Nutrition Service that would allow schools to cut the amount of vegetables and fruits required at lunch and breakfasts while giving them the ability to sell more pizza , burgers and fries to students .
The agency is responsible for administering nutritional programs that feed nearly 30 million students at 99,000 schools .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs for Center for Science in the Public Interest , says that the proposed rules , if finalized , “ would create a huge loophole in school nutrition guidelines , paving the way for children to choose pizza , burgers , french fries and other foods high in calories , saturated fat or sodium in place of balanced school meals every day.
” The change is being pushed by the potato lobby because they want healthy vegetables gone and replaced with french fries .
The nutritional requirements that former First Lady Obama championed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts as the most significant policy change to promote student health in decades .
Trump wants to undo the changes because they hurt “ the swamp ” that he is supposedly trying to drain , and it is an Obama era accomplishment , so it must be rolled back .
Childhood obesity has continued to be an epidemic in the United States .
The crisis is so severe that guidelines have been changed so that obesity screening begins with children as young as six years old .
Twenty percent of American kids are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump ’ s slavery to the swamp , that number will grow if this president gets his way .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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The Trump administration announced that they are going to eliminate requirements for more fruits and vegetables in school lunches and replace them with pizza.
The Washington Post reported:
On Friday, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps proposed new rules for the Food and Nutrition Service that would allow schools to cut the amount of vegetables and fruits required at lunch and breakfasts while giving them the ability to sell more pizza, burgers and fries to students. The agency is responsible for administering nutritional programs that feed nearly 30 million students at 99,000 schools.
….
But Colin Schwartz, deputy director of legislative affairs for Center for Science in the Public Interest, says that the proposed rules, if finalized, “would create a huge loophole in school nutrition guidelines, paving the way for children to choose pizza, burgers, french fries and other foods high in calories, saturated fat or sodium in place of balanced school meals every day.”
The change is being pushed by the potato lobby because they want healthy vegetables gone and replaced with french fries. The nutritional requirements that former First Lady Obama championed are regarded by children’s nutritional experts as the most significant policy change to promote student health in decades.
Trump wants to undo the changes because they hurt “the swamp” that he is supposedly trying to drain, and it is an Obama era accomplishment, so it must be rolled back.
Childhood obesity has continued to be an epidemic in the United States. The crisis is so severe that guidelines have been changed so that obesity screening begins with children as young as six years old.
Twenty percent of American kids are obese and thanks to petty Obama hate and Trump’s slavery to the swamp, that number will grow if this president gets his way.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-17--Rachel Maddow Makes History With Record Ratings For Parnas Interview

Rachel Maddow made history , as her Lev Parnas interview was the most-watched cable news program in history .
According to a statement sent to PolitcusUSA by MSNBC : MSNBC ’ s “ The Rachel Maddow Show ” scored record total viewership Wednesday night following Rachel Maddow ’ s exclusive interview with Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas , with 4.5M total viewers and 844,000 viewers A25-54 tuning into “ Maddow ” on January 15 , according to Nielsen .
Parnas ’ interview dominated the news cycle after he revealed explosive allegations against members of the Trump administration , including that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani was doing in Ukraine .
Parnas also claimed that Vice President Mike Pence did not attend the May 2019 inauguration of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky because Ukraine had not announced an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden .
Last night ’ s episode of “ Maddow ” was the program ’ s highest-rated show ever in total viewers , kicking off 2020 with a huge ratings win for MSNBC .
In the 9 pm hour , “ Maddow ” ranked # 1 across all of cable , topping # 2 FOX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half a million total viewers ( 3.7M ) .
“ Maddow ” more than tripled CNN in total viewers and topped CNN by more than 500,000 in A25-54 .
Following “ Maddow ” at 9 pm , “ The Last Word with Lawrence O ’ Donnell ” at 10 pm and “ The 11th Hour with Brian Williams ” at 11 pm were both # 1 in total viewers , more than doubling CNN ’ s total viewership for those hours .
The Parnas interview has turned Trump ’ s impeachment trial upsidedown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow witnesses to testify , and there is a growing call to hear from Lev Parnas at the trial .
The record level of viewership for this interview suggests that the American people are paying attention to impeachment .
They aren ’ t , as Republicans have suggested , bored and tuned out .
The historic ratings for Maddow are a warning shot to Senators that the nation is watching , and they will pay a political price if they try to pull off a sham impeachment trial .
For more discussion about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MSNBC group .

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Rachel Maddow made history, as her Lev Parnas interview was the most-watched cable news program in history.
According to a statement sent to PolitcusUSA by MSNBC:
MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” scored record total viewership Wednesday night following Rachel Maddow’s exclusive interview with Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, with 4.5M total viewers and 844,000 viewers A25-54 tuning into “Maddow” on January 15, according to Nielsen. Parnas’ interview dominated the news cycle after he revealed explosive allegations against members of the Trump administration, including that President Trump knew “exactly” what Giuliani was doing in Ukraine. Parnas also claimed that Vice President Mike Pence did not attend the May 2019 inauguration of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky because Ukraine had not announced an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden.
Last night’s episode of “Maddow” was the program’s highest-rated show ever in total viewers, kicking off 2020 with a huge ratings win for MSNBC.
In the 9 pm hour, “Maddow” ranked #1 across all of cable, topping #2 FOX News’ “Hannity” by over half a million total viewers (3.7M). “Maddow” more than tripled CNN in total viewers and topped CNN by more than 500,000 in A25-54.
Following “Maddow” at 9 pm, “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” at 10 pm and “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” at 11 pm were both #1 in total viewers, more than doubling CNN’s total viewership for those hours.
The Parnas interview has turned Trump’s impeachment trial upsidedown. Republicans are under immense pressure to allow witnesses to testify, and there is a growing call to hear from Lev Parnas at the trial.
The record level of viewership for this interview suggests that the American people are paying attention to impeachment. They aren’t, as Republicans have suggested, bored and tuned out. The historic ratings for Maddow are a warning shot to Senators that the nation is watching, and they will pay a political price if they try to pull off a sham impeachment trial.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-17--On Michelle Obama’s Birthday, Barack Reminds America What It’s Like To Have A Real First Family

Former President Barack Obama sent a tweet to mark his wife Michelle ’ s birthday that was full of love @ @ @ @ @ America had a real first family .
Compare the loving pictures of the Obamas to @ @ @ @ @ The current First Lady didn ’ t even want to live in the White House @ @ @ @ @ Every time that Trump tries to touch his wife for the cameras , she behaves @ @ @ @ @ Everything about the Trump family is cold and transactional .
Seeing the pictures of Barack @ @ @ @ @ the country that presidents and their families set the cultural tone for the nation , @ @ @ @ @ less than a good example from the First Family .
For more discussion about this @ @ @ @ @ and MSNBC group .

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Former President Barack Obama sent a tweet to mark his wife Michelle’s birthday that was full of love and a reminder of when America had a real first family.
Obama tweeted:
In every scene, you are my star, @MichelleObama! Happy birthday, baby! pic.twitter.com/hgMBhHasBj — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 17, 2020
Compare the loving pictures of the Obamas to what we have now:
The current First Lady didn’t even want to live in the White House with her cheating husband. Every time that Trump tries to touch his wife for the cameras, she behaves like touching costs extra.
Everything about the Trump family is cold and transactional.
Seeing the pictures of Barack and Michelle Obama should remind the country that presidents and their families set the cultural tone for the nation, and America should expect nothing less than a good example from the First Family.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-17--Trump Loses It And Swears About Impeachment During White House LSU Football Ceremony

Trump started swearing and claimed that they are trying to impeach him during a White House ceremony for the national champion LSU football team .
Trump said , “ Coach , if you ’ d like , we can take whoever wants to come to the Oval Office .
We ’ ll take pictures behind the Resolute Desk , a lot of presidents , some good , some not so good .
You got a good one now , even though they ’ re trying to impeach the son of a bitch .
Can you believe that ?
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t trying to impeach him .
He has already been impeached .
The impeachment trial is about removing him from office .
Trump has never read the Constitution because he claims that it is like a foreign language , but the president doesn ’ t seem to have a clue about what is going on .
Donald Trump has already been impeached .
The outcome of the impeachment trial will not change the fact that for the rest of the history of this nation , he will be an impeached president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can ’ t even hold it together and use acceptable language , during something as simple as a White House welcoming ceremony .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump started swearing and claimed that they are trying to impeach him during a White House ceremony for the national champion LSU football team.
Trump said, “Coach, if you’d like, we can take whoever wants to come to the Oval Office. We’ll take pictures behind the Resolute Desk, a lot of presidents, some good, some not so good. You got a good one now, even though they’re trying to impeach the son of a bitch. Can you believe that?”
Video:
Trump is wrong. They aren't trying to impeach the "son of a bitch." He already has been impeached. They trying to remove him. pic.twitter.com/b1hX1tZyQl — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 17, 2020
Trump has it all wrong. They aren’t trying to impeach him. He has already been impeached. The impeachment trial is about removing him from office. Trump has never read the Constitution because he claims that it is like a foreign language, but the president doesn’t seem to have a clue about what is going on.
Donald Trump has already been impeached. The outcome of the impeachment trial will not change the fact that for the rest of the history of this nation, he will be an impeached president.
Trump is so consumed by impeachment that he can’t even hold it together and use acceptable language, during something as simple as a White House welcoming ceremony.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--Trump Is Trying To Whip Up MLK Day Violence In Virginia

Trump issued a tweet on Friday night that was intended to spread fear and whip up violence ahead of a right wing gun protest in Virginia .
Trump is lying .
None of the three bills passed by the Virginia Senate take away , or ban ownership of guns , “ Three bills that will prohibit firearm possession in public spaces , limit monthly handgun purchases and require background checks for firearm transfers passed the state Senate on Thursday , marking the first of stronger gun-control legislation proposed by the new Democratic majority in the General Assembly.
” The Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Patrick Hope , called out the president ’ s lies and fearmongering : Democrats are not trying to take away anybody ’ s guns , but Trump is trying to create another Charlottesville in Richmond on Monday .
Trump knows that white supremacists and right-wing extremists are some of his biggest supporters , and he wants to scare people into believing that he has the power to bring violence to the streets .
Trump is trying to create a violent situation in Virginia and is demonstrating why he is a threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump issued a tweet on Friday night that was intended to spread fear and whip up violence ahead of a right wing gun protest in Virginia.
Trump tweeted:
Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. That’s what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away. Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2020
Trump is lying. None of the three bills passed by the Virginia Senate take away, or ban ownership of guns, “Three bills that will prohibit firearm possession in public spaces, limit monthly handgun purchases and require background checks for firearm transfers passed the state Senate on Thursday, marking the first of stronger gun-control legislation proposed by the new Democratic majority in the General Assembly.”
The Chairman of the Virginia House Public Safety Committee, Patrick Hope, called out the president’s lies and fearmongering:
I’m the chair of the Va House Public Safety Committee, the Committee he is referring. We WILL be bringing sensible gun violence prevention laws to Virginia. The voters have spoken. Thank you. — Patrick Hope (@HopeforVirginia) January 17, 2020
Democrats are not trying to take away anybody’s guns, but Trump is trying to create another Charlottesville in Richmond on Monday. Trump knows that white supremacists and right-wing extremists are some of his biggest supporters, and he wants to scare people into believing that he has the power to bring violence to the streets.
Trump is trying to create a violent situation in Virginia and is demonstrating why he is a threat to the public safety of every American.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--House Impeachment Managers File Crushing Brief Arguing For Trump’s Conviction

The Democratic House impeachment managers have filed a brief laying out their case arguing for Trump ’ s conviction and removal .
The Constitution entrusts Congress with the solemn task of impeaching and removing from office a President who engages in “ Treason , Bribery , or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
” The impeachment power is an essential check on the authority of the President , and Congress must exercise this power when the President places his personal or political interests above those of the Nation .
President Trump has done exactly that .
His misconduct challenges the fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that a divided system of government , in which no single branch operates without the check and balance of the others , preserves the liberty we all hold dear .
The country is watching to see how the Senate responds .
History will judge each Senator ’ s willingness to rise above partisan differences , view the facts honestly , and defend the Constitution .
The outcome of these proceedings will determine whether generations to come will enjoy a safe and secure democracy in which the President is not a king @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly the President , is above the law .
The impeachment managers , Reps. Adam Schiff , Jerrold Nadler , Zoe Lofgren , Hakeem Jeffries , Val Demings , Jason Crow , and Sylvia Garcia , wrote in a joint statement provided to PoliticusUSA , “ The case against the President of the United States is simple , the facts are indisputable , and the evidence is overwhelming : President Trump abused the power of his office to solicit foreign interference in our elections for his own personal political gain , thereby jeopardizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections , and our democracy .
And when the President got caught , he tried to cover it up by obstructing the House ’ s investigation into his misconduct .
Senators must accept and fulfill the responsibility placed on them by the Framers of our Constitution and the Oaths they have just taken to do impartial justice .
They must conduct a fair trial — fair to the President and fair to the American people.
” The case against Trump is open and closed .
There is no doubt that the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing .
The fact that his defense is going to that he did it , but it ’ s not an impeachable offense , concedes the facts of the case .
Trump has no evidence or witnesses to present on his behalf .
Trump is guilty .
The question is what is the Senate going to do about it ?
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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The Democratic House impeachment managers have filed a brief laying out their case arguing for Trump’s conviction and removal.
The House Impeachment managers wrote:
The Constitution entrusts Congress with the solemn task of impeaching and removing from office a President who engages in “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” The impeachment power is an essential check on the authority of the President, and Congress must exercise this power when the President places his personal or political interests above those of the Nation. President Trump has done exactly that. His misconduct challenges the fundamental principle that Americans should decide American elections, and that a divided system of government, in which no single branch operates without the check and balance of the others, preserves the liberty we all hold dear.
The country is watching to see how the Senate responds. History will judge each Senator’s willingness to rise above partisan differences, view the facts honestly, and defend the Constitution. The outcome of these proceedings will determine whether generations to come will enjoy a safe and secure democracy in which the President is not a king, and in which no one, particularly the President, is above the law.
The impeachment managers, Reps. Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, Jason Crow, and Sylvia Garcia, wrote in a joint statement provided to PoliticusUSA, “The case against the President of the United States is simple, the facts are indisputable, and the evidence is overwhelming: President Trump abused the power of his office to solicit foreign interference in our elections for his own personal political gain, thereby jeopardizing our national security, the integrity of our elections, and our democracy. And when the President got caught, he tried to cover it up by obstructing the House’s investigation into his misconduct. Senators must accept and fulfill the responsibility placed on them by the Framers of our Constitution and the Oaths they have just taken to do impartial justice. They must conduct a fair trial — fair to the President and fair to the American people.”
The case against Trump is open and closed. There is no doubt that the president did what he has been accused of doing. The fact that his defense is going to that he did it, but it’s not an impeachable offense, concedes the facts of the case.
Trump has no evidence or witnesses to present on his behalf. Trump is guilty. The question is what is the Senate going to do about it?
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-01-18--Opinion: Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Calls for Democratic Party that Unequivocally Supports Women’s Equa

Opinion: Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Calls for Democratic Party that Unequivocally Supports Women’s Equality and Abortion Rights

On this day of the 2020 Women ’ s March , masses of people across the nation will gather and march to call for recognizing the human rights of women as a necessary element of a truly just and equal society for all .
Especially in this context , it is worthwhile to highlight efforts within the Democratic Party to ensure a united front when it comes to genuinely advocating for women ’ s equal rights and to promote an understanding of exactly what constitutes equal rights for women .
The anti-women attitudes and policies of the Republican Party are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , in general , when it comes to supporting rights for women , the Democratic Party is the lesser evil .
Granting women full equal rights—human rights—entails empowering women to control their own bodies and make decisions about their own health .
In other words , women ’ s equal rights means women have the right to abortion .
This position does not have unified support in the Democratic Party .
Recently , Lori Lightfoot , the first African-American lesbian woman mayor in Chicago , elected in 2019 , called for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to supporting women ’ s equality , meaning abortion rights as well .
Achieving this unity , she bravely asserted , entails revising the proudly advertised moniker of the Democratic Party as the “ big tent ” party to instead promote a party identity solidly and unconditionally defined by its support and advocacy for women ’ s rights .
This assertion took the form of a tweet last January 4 against the candidacy of long-time Democratic House Representative Dan Lipinski from Illinois ’ 3rd Congressional District .
Lipinski is an outspoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to choose and one of the two Democrats who signed a legal brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit and overturn Roe v. Wade , joining two hundred congressional Republicans .
“ I support a big tent but there ’ s no room under the flaps for anyone who is actively seeking to deny women control over our bodies , ” Lightfoot tweeted from her political account .
“ Time to leave @ danlipinski.
” This tweet , reverberating and garnering press attention in the Chicago area and throughout Illinois , constitutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women ’ s rights and abortion rights , particularly within the Democratic Party .
As I ’ ve written about in the pages of PoliticusUsa , last November ’ s elections in Virginia , which resulted in Democrats achieving control of the state government for the first time since 1993 , inspired hope that Virginia would become the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and pave the way for potential ratification of a constitutional amendment .
Let ’ s remember exactly what the content is of the Equal Rights Amendment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resist .
Here ’ s the statement in the ERA this nation trembles to validate : “ Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.
” And Lightfoot ’ s point is that it is not simply the nation that trembles to validate this basic assertion ; there are elements of the Democratic Party , with its arguably overly big tent , which refuse to support women ’ s equal rights .
Lipinski is one of those elements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points of resistance to granting women full personhood has been the fear that constitutionally affirming women ’ s equality would effectively affirm and eternalize in the Constitution women ’ s right to an abortion , making it more difficult , if not impossible , to limit or overturn The Supreme Court ’ s decision in Roe v. Wade .
Of course , without control over their own bodies , women can ’ t enjoy full equality .
Remember last year when Florida House Speaker José Oliva repeatedly referred to pregnant women as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language , and the political attitudes embodied in it , should make clear that living up to our nation ’ s ideal of equality requires granting women the right to control their own bodies and to have access to an abortion—that they don ’ t have equality if they are effectively viewed as “ host bodies.
” Lightfoot ’ s gesture , her tweet , was a powerful one in calling for a Democratic Party that is not weakened and diluted by division in calling for women ’ s equal rights .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rail against Republican misogyny ; one must get one ’ s own house in order as well and cultivate political and moral integrity in one ’ s own party .
Calling out Lipinski and arguing he has no place in the Democratic Party provides a model for the Democratic Party , most basically , in defending our Constitution and resolving a wounding and embarrassing contradiction in our nation ’ s history .
The question as to why this nation can ’ t and won ’ t ratify the ERA is even more puzzling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14th amendment , which includes the clause : “ nor shall any state deprive any person of life , liberty , or property , without due process of law ; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
” The only way women don ’ t already have what the ERA is asking for , according to this language , has to be because they aren ’ t considered people .
So , refusal to ratify the ERA is a more than tacit admission that the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women , to acknowledge that women , like corporations , just might be people .
Antonin Scalia , former Supreme Court Justice , clearly didn ’ t see women as people , asserting the Constitution did not afford women equal rights .
In this sense , Lightfoot is simply asking for a basic constitutional literacy and an end to women-hating .
And she has started with her own house , her own party , re-defining unity in a way that does not brook compromise on essential principles .
On this day of marching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lightfoot urges us not to accept the lesser evil but demand the uncompromised goodness of full human rights .

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On this day of the 2020 Women’s March, masses of people across the nation will gather and march to call for recognizing the human rights of women as a necessary element of a truly just and equal society for all.
Especially in this context, it is worthwhile to highlight efforts within the Democratic Party to ensure a united front when it comes to genuinely advocating for women’s equal rights and to promote an understanding of exactly what constitutes equal rights for women.
The anti-women attitudes and policies of the Republican Party are well-documented. It is not a question that, in general, when it comes to supporting rights for women, the Democratic Party is the lesser evil.
That’s right—the lesser evil.
Granting women full equal rights—human rights—entails empowering women to control their own bodies and make decisions about their own health. In other words, women’s equal rights means women have the right to abortion. This position does not have unified support in the Democratic Party.
Recently, Lori Lightfoot, the first African-American lesbian woman mayor in Chicago, elected in 2019, called for a Democratic Party that is unequivocally unified when it comes to supporting women’s equality, meaning abortion rights as well.
Achieving this unity, she bravely asserted, entails revising the proudly advertised moniker of the Democratic Party as the “big tent” party to instead promote a party identity solidly and unconditionally defined by its support and advocacy for women’s rights.
This assertion took the form of a tweet last January 4 against the candidacy of long-time Democratic House Representative Dan Lipinski from Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. Lipinski is an outspoken foe of a women’s right to choose and one of the two Democrats who signed a legal brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit and overturn Roe v. Wade, joining two hundred congressional Republicans.
She tweeted:
“I support a big tent but there’s no room under the flaps for anyone who is actively seeking to deny women control over our bodies,” Lightfoot tweeted from her political account. “Time to leave @danlipinski.”
This tweet, reverberating and garnering press attention in the Chicago area and throughout Illinois, constitutes an important salvo into the discourse around women’s rights and abortion rights, particularly within the Democratic Party.
As I’ve written about in the pages of PoliticusUsa, last November’s elections in Virginia, which resulted in Democrats achieving control of the state government for the first time since 1993, inspired hope that Virginia would become the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and pave the way for potential ratification of a constitutional amendment.
Let’s remember exactly what the content is of the Equal Rights Amendment that continues to make this nation quake and resist.
Here’s the statement in the ERA this nation trembles to validate:
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.”
And Lightfoot’s point is that it is not simply the nation that trembles to validate this basic assertion; there are elements of the Democratic Party, with its arguably overly big tent, which refuse to support women’s equal rights. Lipinski is one of those elements.
Indeed, one of the long-standing points of resistance to granting women full personhood has been the fear that constitutionally affirming women’s equality would effectively affirm and eternalize in the Constitution women’s right to an abortion, making it more difficult, if not impossible, to limit or overturn The Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade.
Of course, without control over their own bodies, women can’t enjoy full equality.
Remember last year when Florida House Speaker José Oliva repeatedly referred to pregnant women as “host bodies”?
This kind of language, and the political attitudes embodied in it, should make clear that living up to our nation’s ideal of equality requires granting women the right to control their own bodies and to have access to an abortion—that they don’t have equality if they are effectively viewed as “host bodies.”
Lightfoot’s gesture, her tweet, was a powerful one in calling for a Democratic Party that is not weakened and diluted by division in calling for women’s equal rights. It is, indeed, not enough to rail against Republican misogyny; one must get one’s own house in order as well and cultivate political and moral integrity in one’s own party.
Calling out Lipinski and arguing he has no place in the Democratic Party provides a model for the Democratic Party, most basically, in defending our Constitution and resolving a wounding and embarrassing contradiction in our nation’s history.
The question as to why this nation can’t and won’t ratify the ERA is even more puzzling when we recall the language of the 14th amendment, which includes the clause:
“nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The only way women don’t already have what the ERA is asking for, according to this language, has to be because they aren’t considered people.
So, refusal to ratify the ERA is a more than tacit admission that the nation is not prepared to grant personhood to women, to acknowledge that women, like corporations, just might be people.
Antonin Scalia, former Supreme Court Justice, clearly didn’t see women as people, asserting the Constitution did not afford women equal rights.
In this sense, Lightfoot is simply asking for a basic constitutional literacy and an end to women-hating.
And she has started with her own house, her own party, re-defining unity in a way that does not brook compromise on essential principles.
On this day of marching for women’s rights and equality, Lightfoot urges us not to accept the lesser evil but demand the uncompromised goodness of full human rights.


politicususa--2020-01-18--National Archives Apologize For Caving To Trump With Doctored Pics

The National Archives issued an apology and promised that they wouldn ’ t edit pictures in the future to remove @ @ @ @ @ National Archives faced public backlash after it was reported that they edited out criticism of @ @ @ @ @ first Women ’ s March .
On Saturday afternoon , they apologized on Twitter : @ @ @ @ @ ) said that America is in deep trouble if the national archivist was editing images @ @ @ @ @ The apology and promise not to doctor images again too little , too late .
@ @ @ @ @ of the National Archives has been done .
It will take time to regain the @ @ @ @ @ to undo the consequences of a decision that never should have been made .
An @ @ @ @ @ of unaltered materials .
The National Archives made a big mistake , and without public @ @ @ @ @ Trump would have gone unchanged .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel @ @ @ @ @

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The National Archives issued an apology and promised that they wouldn’t edit pictures in the future to remove criticism of Trump.
The National Archives faced public backlash after it was reported that they edited out criticism of Trump from pictures of the first Women’s March.
On Saturday afternoon, they apologized on Twitter:
We have removed the current display and will replace it as soon as possible with one that uses the unaltered image. We apologize, and will immediately start a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again. — US National Archives (@USNatArchives) January 18, 2020
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) said that America is in deep trouble if the national archivist was editing images to avoid angering Trump:
America-we are in deep trouble. When the US Archivist is willing to tamper with documents to avoid the ire of President Trump, we have crossed a red line in protecting the Constitution. What happens to the First Amendment if @POTUS doesn’t like what you are saying? — Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 18, 2020
The apology and promise not to doctor images again too little, too late. The damage to the credibility of the National Archives has been done. It will take time to regain the trust of the public and to undo the consequences of a decision that never should have been made.
An archive must be a presentation of unaltered materials.
The National Archives made a big mistake, and without public pressure, their appeasement of Trump would have gone unchanged.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--Trump’s Scheme Falls Apart As Barr Caught Meeting With Giuliani

The Ukraine plot did encompass virtually every top person in the Trump administration as William Barr was caught meeting with Rudy Giuliani .
According to CNN : Attorney General William Barr briefly attended a meeting at the Justice Department last fall between top criminal prosecutors and President Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , a department official said Friday .
The meeting reveals a previously undisclosed interaction between two men the President depends on to defend him .
Justice officials have sought to distance the department and Barr from Giuliani since it became clear in recent months that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject of an investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors .
The DOJ never confirmed that Barr met with Giuliani , as they have been trying to distance the Attorney General from Trump ’ s toxic personal lawyer .
According to Lev Parnas , Barr was on the Ukraine team when it came to trying to force the Ukrainians into an investigation that they could use to smear Joe Biden .
Barr has more contact with Giuliani than was previously disclosed .
Trump abused his power by turning the Executive Branch of the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rig the presidential election and smear Joe Biden .
William Barr is Trump ’ s muscle , and his attack on America needs to be stopped .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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The Ukraine plot did encompass virtually every top person in the Trump administration as William Barr was caught meeting with Rudy Giuliani.
According to CNN:
Attorney General William Barr briefly attended a meeting at the Justice Department last fall between top criminal prosecutors and President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, a department official said Friday.
The meeting reveals a previously undisclosed interaction between two men the President depends on to defend him.
Justice officials have sought to distance the department and Barr from Giuliani since it became clear in recent months that the former New York mayor is the subject of an investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors.
The DOJ never confirmed that Barr met with Giuliani, as they have been trying to distance the Attorney General from Trump’s toxic personal lawyer. According to Lev Parnas, Barr was on the Ukraine team when it came to trying to force the Ukrainians into an investigation that they could use to smear Joe Biden.
Barr has more contact with Giuliani than was previously disclosed. Trump abused his power by turning the Executive Branch of the federal government into an arm of his illegal operation to rig the presidential election and smear Joe Biden.
William Barr is Trump’s muscle, and his attack on America needs to be stopped.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--National Archives Trash Their Integrity To Appease Trump

Update : The National Archives did issue an apology , which you can read about here .
The National Archives made a decision that destroyed their integrity when they blurred images that were critical of Donald Trump .
According to The Washington Post : The large color photograph that greets visitors to a National Archives exhibit celebrating the centennial of women ’ s suffrage shows a massive crowd filling Pennsylvania Avenue NW for the Women ’ s March on Jan. 21 , 2017 , the day after President Trump ’ s inauguration .
The 49-by-69-inch photograph is a powerful display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows the 2017 march .
Viewed from another angle , it shifts to show a 1913 black-and-white image of a women ’ s suffrage march also on Pennsylvania Avenue .
The display links momentous demonstrations for women ’ s rights more than a century apart on the same stretch of pavement .
The Archives acknowledged in a statement this week that it made multiple alterations to the photo of the 2017 Women ’ s March showcased at the museum , blurring signs held by marchers that were critical of Trump .
Words on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also blurred .
The irony of the National Archives honoring women ’ s sufferage by silencing women through doctored photographs shouldn ’ t be lost on anyone .
The National Archives claimed that they were removing language inappropriate for children from the photos , and attempting to avoid political controversy , but they made a partisan political decision and harmed their integrity in the process .
A national archive exists so that images and other materials are preserved for history in their original form .
An archive that alters and doctors information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was a much easier way around this problem .
The Archive should have used a different and unaltered picture .
When they decided to doctor images , the National Archives violated the trust of the public to keep Trump happy .
Instead of silencing women and critics of Trump , The Archives should apologize , pledge to learn from this episode and work to regain the trust that they have lost .
A decision to doctor images critical of Donald Trump was a political decision that violated the central mission of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to protect Trump .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Update: The National Archives did issue an apology, which you can read about here.
The National Archives made a decision that destroyed their integrity when they blurred images that were critical of Donald Trump.
According to The Washington Post:
The large color photograph that greets visitors to a National Archives exhibit celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage shows a massive crowd filling Pennsylvania Avenue NW for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Trump’s inauguration.
The 49-by-69-inch photograph is a powerful display. Viewed from one perspective, it shows the 2017 march. Viewed from another angle, it shifts to show a 1913 black-and-white image of a women’s suffrage march also on Pennsylvania Avenue. The display links momentous demonstrations for women’s rights more than a century apart on the same stretch of pavement.
….
The Archives acknowledged in a statement this week that it made multiple alterations to the photo of the 2017 Women’s March showcased at the museum, blurring signs held by marchers that were critical of Trump. Words on signs that referenced women’s anatomy were also blurred.
The irony of the National Archives honoring women’s sufferage by silencing women through doctored photographs shouldn’t be lost on anyone. The National Archives claimed that they were removing language inappropriate for children from the photos, and attempting to avoid political controversy, but they made a partisan political decision and harmed their integrity in the process.
A national archive exists so that images and other materials are preserved for history in their original form. An archive that alters and doctors information isn’t a trusted source.
As Chris Lu tweeted:
Today's Rosenstein and Archives stories are the latest examples of how govt officials bend to appease a vengeful president. Over time, these seemingly small actions erode the guardrails of democracy, and we devolve into a country built around one person, instead of norms and laws — Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) January 18, 2020
There was a much easier way around this problem. The Archive should have used a different and unaltered picture.
When they decided to doctor images, the National Archives violated the trust of the public to keep Trump happy. Instead of silencing women and critics of Trump, The Archives should apologize, pledge to learn from this episode and work to regain the trust that they have lost.
A decision to doctor images critical of Donald Trump was a political decision that violated the central mission of the organization. The National Archives sold itself out to protect Trump.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--In Leaked Audio, Trump Admits The Soleimani Threat Story Is A Lie

In leaked audio of the president speaking to donors , Trump admitted that he authorized the strike on Soleimani because he was saying bad things about America .
CNN reported on the audio of Trump talking to donors at Mar-a-Lago : In his speech — held inside the gilded ballroom on his Mar-a-Lago property — he claimed that Soleimani was “ saying bad things about our country ” before the strike , which led to his decision to authorize his killing .
“ How much of this shit do we have to listen to ?
” Trump asked .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ?
” Trump did not describe an “ imminent threat ” that led to his decision to kill Soleimani , the justification used by administration officials in the aftermath of the attack .
Instead , he described Soleimani as a “ noted terrorist ” who “ was down on our list ” and “ was supposed to be in his country ” before traveling to other nations in the region .
Trump also lied and invented details for donors , as he used one of his most famous tells : The sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refers to someone calling him sir , he is lying .
There was no imminent threat from Soleimani .
Trump ordered the killing of a person who everyone can agree was a bad actor because he wanted to distract from impeachment .
Trump thought that he could turn public opinion and get the country to rally around him as a wartime president if he killed Soleimani .
The leaked audio confirms that there must be a full investigation into how the Soleimani decision was made because according to Trump ’ s own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about why Trump authorized the strike .

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In leaked audio of the president speaking to donors, Trump admitted that he authorized the strike on Soleimani because he was saying bad things about America.
CNN reported on the audio of Trump talking to donors at Mar-a-Lago:
In his speech — held inside the gilded ballroom on his Mar-a-Lago property — he claimed that Soleimani was “saying bad things about our country” before the strike, which led to his decision to authorize his killing.
“How much of this shit do we have to listen to?” Trump asked. “How much are we going to listen to?”
Trump did not describe an “imminent threat” that led to his decision to kill Soleimani, the justification used by administration officials in the aftermath of the attack.
Instead, he described Soleimani as a “noted terrorist” who “was down on our list” and “was supposed to be in his country” before traveling to other nations in the region.
Trump also lied and invented details for donors, as he used one of his most famous tells: The sir story. Anytime Trump starts providing details and refers to someone calling him sir, he is lying.
There was no imminent threat from Soleimani. Trump ordered the killing of a person who everyone can agree was a bad actor because he wanted to distract from impeachment. Trump thought that he could turn public opinion and get the country to rally around him as a wartime president if he killed Soleimani.
The leaked audio confirms that there must be a full investigation into how the Soleimani decision was made because according to Trump’s own words, the White House is lying about why Trump authorized the strike.


politicususa--2020-01-18--Trump Melts Down And Says Democrats Are Going To Kill Him On Healthcare

Trump exploded and complained during a campaign meeting that Democrats are going to kill him on healthcare in the 2020 election .
The Washington Post reported : One of those issues was health care , which often polls as the top voter concern , and the data showed the public trusted Democrats more than Republicans .
Trump reacted furiously and said the Democrats would “ kill us ” on health care , according to the four people , who requested anonymity to candidly describe the private meeting .
The president then picked up the phone , called Azar and put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meeting , the people said .
“ You ’ re not getting it done , ” Trump told Azar , referring to lowering drug prices , according to one of the people in the meeting and another briefed on the discussion .
He told Azar he needed to “ hurry up ” on lowering drug prices and more quickly allow for the importation of drugs from Canada .
“ Why aren ’ t we getting these drugs from Canada ?
” Trump ’ s mention of Canada was a reference to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescription drug supply and import it into the United States to lower prescription drug prices .
The Canadian government is concerned that Trump ’ s would leave them without enough medication for their own people .
Trump is correct about one point .
Democrats are going to kill him on healthcare .
His administration has tried to take health insurance coverage away from over 20 million people , and they are championing a lawsuit that would gut ACA protections for pre-existing conditions and the individual mandate .
Donald Trump thinks that he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to steal prescription drugs aren ’ t going to be enough to save him on healthcare .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump exploded and complained during a campaign meeting that Democrats are going to kill him on healthcare in the 2020 election.
The Washington Post reported:
One of those issues was health care, which often polls as the top voter concern, and the data showed the public trusted Democrats more than Republicans.
Trump reacted furiously and said the Democrats would “kill us” on health care, according to the four people, who requested anonymity to candidly describe the private meeting. The president then picked up the phone, called Azar and put him on speakerphone in the middle of the meeting, the people said.
“You’re not getting it done,” Trump told Azar, referring to lowering drug prices, according to one of the people in the meeting and another briefed on the discussion. He told Azar he needed to “hurry up” on lowering drug prices and more quickly allow for the importation of drugs from Canada. “Why aren’t we getting these drugs from Canada?”
Trump’s mention of Canada was a reference to his harebrained scheme to steal Canada’s prescription drug supply and import it into the United States to lower prescription drug prices. The Canadian government is concerned that Trump’s would leave them without enough medication for their own people.
Trump is correct about one point. Democrats are going to kill him on healthcare. His administration has tried to take health insurance coverage away from over 20 million people, and they are championing a lawsuit that would gut ACA protections for pre-existing conditions and the individual mandate.
Donald Trump thinks that he can fool voters on healthcare, and schemes to steal prescription drugs aren’t going to be enough to save him on healthcare.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--Nancy Pelosi Tells Trump Directly That He Is Impeached Forever

On HBO ’ s Real Time , Bill Maher asked Nancy Pelosi what she would say directly to Trump , and she told the president that he is already impeached .
If the president is listening I would want him to know that he is impeached forever , and he is impeached forever because he used the office of president to try to influence a foreign country for his personal and political benefit .
In doing so , he undermined our national security .
He was disloyal to his oath of office to protect the constitution , and he placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that , really , he gave us no choice .
Earlier on with some of the charges that came forward , which were violations of the law , I said he ’ s not worth it , but once he crossed that bridge , it wasn ’ t a question of his being worth it .
The constitution was worth it .
He had to be impeached .
Speaker Pelosi explained the entire impeachment case against Trump in less than a minute .
Trump is trying to deny that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate trial is where impeachment will be decided .
Pelosi slapped Trump with reality .
He already impeached .
Trump is going to stay impeached , and he will be impeached forever .
Nothing can be done to ever change Trump ’ s status as an impeached president .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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On HBO’s Real Time, Bill Maher asked Nancy Pelosi what she would say directly to Trump, and she told the president that he is already impeached.
Speaker Pelosi said:
If the president is listening I would want him to know that he is impeached forever, and he is impeached forever because he used the office of president to try to influence a foreign country for his personal and political benefit. In doing so, he undermined our national security. He was disloyal to his oath of office to protect the constitution, and he placed in jeopardy the integrity of the election.
And that, really, he gave us no choice.
Earlier on with some of the charges that came forward, which were violations of the law, I said he’s not worth it, but once he crossed that bridge, it wasn’t a question of his being worth it. The constitution was worth it. He had to be impeached.
Video:
Speaker Pelosi explained the entire impeachment case against Trump in less than a minute. Trump is trying to deny that he was impeachment. He is acting like the Senate trial is where impeachment will be decided.
Pelosi slapped Trump with reality. He already impeached. Trump is going to stay impeached, and he will be impeached forever. Nothing can be done to ever change Trump’s status as an impeached president.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-18--Democrats Release Evidence Of Devin Nunes Role In Ukraine Plot

Rep. Devin Nunes was caught red-handed as Democrats have released text messages between his top aide and Lev Parnas on the Ukraine plot .
One of the exchanges involved Nunes aide Derek Harvey setting up a meeting with Lev Parnas at the Trump Hotel : Parnas on April 19 : Also do you want to interview the general prosecutor who got [ ditched ] by Biden ?
Also the anti corruption prosecutor ?
Let me know .
The messages also show that Harvey met with Giuliani and Parnas at the Trump Hotel .
The messages are confirmation of Parnas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plot but trying to lay low because he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee .
Devin Nunes threatened to sue Rep. Ted Lieu ( D-CA ) because Lieu said that he was involved with Parnas and the Ukraine scheme .
Ted Lieu was telling the truth , and Rep. Devin Nunes is lying .
It is uncertain if Nunes is in any legal jeopardy for his role in the plot , but he politically he is in a world of hurt and looks like another Trump stooge who is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Rep. Devin Nunes was caught red-handed as Democrats have released text messages between his top aide and Lev Parnas on the Ukraine plot.
One of the exchanges involved Nunes aide Derek Harvey setting up a meeting with Lev Parnas at the Trump Hotel:
Parnas on April 19: Also do you want to interview the general prosecutor who got [ditched] by Biden? Also the anti corruption prosecutor? Let me know.
Harvey: Does tomorrow work?
The messages also show that Harvey met with Giuliani and Parnas at the Trump Hotel. The messages are confirmation of Parnas’s story that Nunes was involved in the plot but trying to lay low because he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
Read the full text messages:
Nunes Parnas text messages
Devin Nunes threatened to sue Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) because Lieu said that he was involved with Parnas and the Ukraine scheme. Ted Lieu was telling the truth, and Rep. Devin Nunes is lying.
It is uncertain if Nunes is in any legal jeopardy for his role in the plot, but he politically he is in a world of hurt and looks like another Trump stooge who is about to go down.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-19--Rod Rosenstein Reveals Himself As The Snake Who Released The Strzok-Page Texts

It was revealed in a court filing that it was Rod Rosenstein who authorized the release of the Strzok-Page texts that have fueled Trump ’ s conspiracy theories .
Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized the release to the media of text messages between two highly placed FBI employees who exchanged criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign , the Justice Department has revealed in a new court filing .
Rosenstein also said in the court filing submitted shortly before midnight Friday that he made the decision to share the messages with the press in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI attorney Lisa Page from the drip effect of incremental releases of the texts by lawmakers or others .
The disclosure that it was Rosenstein who authorized the release of the texts came in a DOJ response to separate lawsuits filed by Strzok and Page .
The revelation that is was Rosenstein who released the texts that have provided the fuel for a thousand Trump conspiracy theories , lies , and cover stories is a new bit of information that shows just how doomed the Mueller investigation was .
The deck was stacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mueller appears to have been extremely by Trump ’ s DOJ and did the best job that he could given the circumstances .
Rod Rosenstein was never the good guy in the saga .
He was a snake who cozied up to Trump and made that he had the fuel that he needed for the cover stories and conspiracies that he continues to rely on today .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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It was revealed in a court filing that it was Rod Rosenstein who authorized the release of the Strzok-Page texts that have fueled Trump’s conspiracy theories.
Politico reported:
Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized the release to the media of text messages between two highly placed FBI employees who exchanged criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, the Justice Department has revealed in a new court filing.
Rosenstein also said in the court filing submitted shortly before midnight Friday that he made the decision to share the messages with the press in part to protect FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page from the drip effect of incremental releases of the texts by lawmakers or others.
The disclosure that it was Rosenstein who authorized the release of the texts came in a DOJ response to separate lawsuits filed by Strzok and Page.
The revelation that is was Rosenstein who released the texts that have provided the fuel for a thousand Trump conspiracy theories, lies, and cover stories is a new bit of information that shows just how doomed the Mueller investigation was.
The deck was stacked from the beginning against Mueller. Robert Mueller appears to have been extremely by Trump’s DOJ and did the best job that he could given the circumstances. Rod Rosenstein was never the good guy in the saga. He was a snake who cozied up to Trump and made that he had the fuel that he needed for the cover stories and conspiracies that he continues to rely on today.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-01-19--Opinion: Where Trump’s Language of Winning Has Gotten Us in Baseball and Democracy

In his classic American novel of 1925 The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald crafts the character Meyer Wolfsheim , a Jewish gangster who wears human molars as cufflinks .
He is one of the title character ’ s “ gonnegtions ” who also happened to have fixed the 1919 World Series and , in doing so , in Fitzgerald ’ s worlds , “ played with the faith ” of the American people .
To be sure , Fitzgerald ’ s rather negative portrayal of the Jewish character is not a proud moment in American literary history , fueling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-immigrant sentiment raging in the 1920s .
The literary moment is , nonetheless , revealing in the way it highlights anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant tradition in “ classic ” American culture alive today in America and fomented by Donald Trump with deadly effects , as we saw in the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 and in El Paso last summer .
It is also revealing for the way it portrays the centrality of baseball as an American institution that somehow embodies the faith of the American people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of faith in America linked to baseball is , it should seem obvious , strikingly relevant today .
The Houston Astros , of course , were just busted through a Major League Baseball investigation for stealing signs in the 2017 .
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was recently fired for stealing signs as well .
We might fruitfully analyze and understand this contemporary crisis of faith in baseball , however , as really part and parcel of , perhaps motivated by , a larger crisis of faith in our political institutions , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather charged anti-Semitic situation by having a Jewish figure play with the nation ’ s faith , in our contemporary moment we have in fact an anti-Semitic , profoundly racist and sexist president , Donald Trump , destroying America ’ s faith perhaps in both baseball and democracy .
The language of winning has been Trump ’ s hallmark .
Win at any cost .
And if you are not with him , you are against him , accounting for his vengeful streak .
Unlike other American presidents who typically assume a conciliatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will faithfully represent all Americans , not just those who voted for them , Trump adopted no such pose , instead notoriously playing to and placating the “ United Base of America.
” He can not , for example , celebrate a free press in America or recognize its vital role in sustaining a democratic culture .
He denounces a free press because it reports the truth about his behavior , and he terms his critics “ losers.
” The quest for Trump is not to uphold democracy , but to eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine his popularity and power by fulfilling their roles of vigilance .
Now this win-at-all-cost mentality has seeped into baseball , again , perhaps reflecting or influenced by this attitude and behavior validated , indeed sanctioned , by the occupant of the nation ’ s highest office .
A game , a national pastime , that has arguably embodied the democratic spirit , now transmits and is being played according to the same lawless authoritarian principles as those the current American president espouses and governs by .
Both democracy and baseball require an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They both require and , at their best , foster an honoring of , a respect and love for , the game itself .
Conservative writer and baseball fanatic George Will explained this relationship between baseball and democracy in a 2014 interview this way : “ Baseball seems to me to be the proper game for a democracy because it ’ s the game of a half-loaf , no one gets everything that they want and there is an emotional amount of losing in it , ” Will said .
“ Every team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to win 60 games , knowing that it is going to lose 60 games , and they play a whole season to sort out the middle 42 .
If you win 10 out of 20 games you are by definition mediocre .
If you win 11 out of 20 games , you win around 89 games and you have a good chance to play in October .
“ It ’ s a game that involves a kind of maturity , a kind of emotional equipoise by its fans to understand when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have your happiness depend on winning because like I said , the best team is going to lose 60 times a year .
That ’ s why it ’ s the experience of the ballpark itself , it ’ s the experience of being in this spontaneous three-hour community of strangers who are brought together as a kind of amiable tribe for a home game at the ball park that is the reward itself more than just winning.
” Major League Baseball has responded to its crisis of faith by meting out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ sign-stealing scandal .
And we can all remember when baseball fans themselves meted out their own judgment of Trump during the World Series in Washington , D.C. last October , chanting “ Lock him up !
” Perhaps it will be baseball through which we being to restore and revive a reverence for democracy in America .
The Republican Party continues to circle the wagons and defend , even partake in , Trump ’ s abusive behavior toward and destruction of American democracy .
Like trump , the GOP simply wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign powers influence our country , even it means letting Trump ’ s oligarchic family enrich itself while bleeding Americans and razing democratic institutions .
Maybe it will be the cultural institution of baseball and our love of game that can help us restore our national faith in our sacred institutions of democracy and come to our senses about Trump as a collective nation .
Maybe the ball park can , indeed , be the field where we re-cultivate the American dream of democracy .

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In his classic American novel of 1925 The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald crafts the character Meyer Wolfsheim, a Jewish gangster who wears human molars as cufflinks. He is one of the title character’s “gonnegtions” who also happened to have fixed the 1919 World Series and, in doing so, in Fitzgerald’s worlds, “played with the faith” of the American people.
To be sure, Fitzgerald’s rather negative portrayal of the Jewish character is not a proud moment in American literary history, fueling and participating in the rampant anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiment raging in the 1920s.
The literary moment is, nonetheless, revealing in the way it highlights anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant tradition in “classic” American culture alive today in America and fomented by Donald Trump with deadly effects, as we saw in the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 and in El Paso last summer.
It is also revealing for the way it portrays the centrality of baseball as an American institution that somehow embodies the faith of the American people.
Fitzgerald’s portrayal of a crisis of faith in America linked to baseball is, it should seem obvious, strikingly relevant today. The Houston Astros, of course, were just busted through a Major League Baseball investigation for stealing signs in the 2017. Red Sox manager Alex Cora was recently fired for stealing signs as well.
We might fruitfully analyze and understand this contemporary crisis of faith in baseball, however, as really part and parcel of, perhaps motivated by, a larger crisis of faith in our political institutions, in our democracy.
While Fitzgerald created a rather charged anti-Semitic situation by having a Jewish figure play with the nation’s faith, in our contemporary moment we have in fact an anti-Semitic, profoundly racist and sexist president, Donald Trump, destroying America’s faith perhaps in both baseball and democracy.
The language of winning has been Trump’s hallmark. Win at any cost. And if you are not with him, you are against him, accounting for his vengeful streak.
Unlike other American presidents who typically assume a conciliatory tone, assuring the nation post-election that they will faithfully represent all Americans, not just those who voted for them, Trump adopted no such pose, instead notoriously playing to and placating the “United Base of America.”
He cannot, for example, celebrate a free press in America or recognize its vital role in sustaining a democratic culture. He denounces a free press because it reports the truth about his behavior, and he terms his critics “losers.” The quest for Trump is not to uphold democracy, but to eliminate stalwart institutions of democracy that threaten to undermine his popularity and power by fulfilling their roles of vigilance.
Now this win-at-all-cost mentality has seeped into baseball, again, perhaps reflecting or influenced by this attitude and behavior validated, indeed sanctioned, by the occupant of the nation’s highest office.
A game, a national pastime, that has arguably embodied the democratic spirit, now transmits and is being played according to the same lawless authoritarian principles as those the current American president espouses and governs by.
Both democracy and baseball require an acceptance and even embrace of losing. They both require and, at their best, foster an honoring of, a respect and love for, the game itself.
Conservative writer and baseball fanatic George Will explained this relationship between baseball and democracy in a 2014 interview this way:
“Baseball seems to me to be the proper game for a democracy because it’s the game of a half-loaf, no one gets everything that they want and there is an emotional amount of losing in it,” Will said. “Every team goes to spring training knowing it is going to win 60 games, knowing that it is going to lose 60 games, and they play a whole season to sort out the middle 42. If you win 10 out of 20 games you are by definition mediocre. If you win 11 out of 20 games, you win around 89 games and you have a good chance to play in October. “It’s a game that involves a kind of maturity, a kind of emotional equipoise by its fans to understand when you go to the ballpark you can’t have your happiness depend on winning because like I said, the best team is going to lose 60 times a year. That’s why it’s the experience of the ballpark itself, it’s the experience of being in this spontaneous three-hour community of strangers who are brought together as a kind of amiable tribe for a home game at the ball park that is the reward itself more than just winning.”
Major League Baseball has responded to its crisis of faith by meting out justice to those involved in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
And we can all remember when baseball fans themselves meted out their own judgment of Trump during the World Series in Washington, D.C. last October, chanting “Lock him up!”
Perhaps it will be baseball through which we being to restore and revive a reverence for democracy in America.
The Republican Party continues to circle the wagons and defend, even partake in, Trump’s abusive behavior toward and destruction of American democracy.
Like Trump, the GOP simply wants to win, even if it means letting foreign powers influence our country, even it means letting Trump’s oligarchic family enrich itself while bleeding Americans and razing democratic institutions.
Maybe it will be the cultural institution of baseball and our love of game that can help us restore our national faith in our sacred institutions of democracy and come to our senses about Trump as a collective nation.
Maybe the ball park can, indeed, be the field where we re-cultivate the American dream of democracy.


politicususa--2020-01-20--Trump Adviser On Russia Physically Removed From White House

Trump adviser on Europe and Russia issues , Andrew Peek , was removed from the White House and is under a security-related investigation .
The AP reported : A White House adviser on Europe and Russia issues has been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation , two people with knowledge of his exit said Sunday .
Andrew Peek was escorted off the White House compound on Friday , according to one of those familiar with his departure .
Peek was removed from the White House because for some reason , he was deemed a national security risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has said nothing because their mission is to keep the American people as uninformed as possible about what their own government is doing .
If Peek was the victim or target of an overseas operation , he would not have been escorted off of the grounds and placed on administrative leave .
It is not every day that a presidential adviser gets removed by security because they are under investigation .
The Peek story is worth watching because it is the first hint of smoke in what could be a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump adviser on Europe and Russia issues, Andrew Peek, was removed from the White House and is under a security-related investigation.
The AP reported:
A White House adviser on Europe and Russia issues has been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation, two people with knowledge of his exit said Sunday.
Andrew Peek was escorted off the White House compound on Friday, according to one of those familiar with his departure.
Peek was removed from the White House because for some reason, he was deemed a national security risk, while he is under investigation. The Trump administration has said nothing because their mission is to keep the American people as uninformed as possible about what their own government is doing.
If Peek was the victim or target of an overseas operation, he would not have been escorted off of the grounds and placed on administrative leave.
It is not every day that a presidential adviser gets removed by security because they are under investigation. The Peek story is worth watching because it is the first hint of smoke in what could be a whole lot of fire.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook