occupydemocrats--2020-02-16--Trump dumped: Fox Sports cuts away from Trump speech at Daytona 500 and his supporters cry foul

Perhaps since Donald Trump knew his Daytona 500 appearance was going to be broadcast on a network with Fox in its name that he could just launch into a campaign speech and have it broadcast to the captive TV audience waiting to see the race cars start zooming around the track .
Unfortunately for Trump , the network broadcasting the race where he was appointed to be Grand Marshall — a title that surely appealed to the president ’ s overblown sense of imperiousness — was Fox Sports where the imperative was making money from commercials , not acting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda .
So instead of seeing the president deliver his spouting of boasts , insults , and rants that typically comprise his campaign rally speeches where ever he goes , the network cut away from his remarks before he could deliver them to their viewers .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
Even more ironically , due to the strategic ad buy arranged by Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg ’ s media advisors , those viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad attacking the president created by the Bloomberg campaign .
Adding insult to injury , Fox Sports also cut away from the president ’ s joy ride around the Daytona track in his presidential limousine .
While Trump supporters on Twitter went apoplectic at the apparently deliberate slight , if they wanted to see the president ’ s speech , they could have simply turned the channel to Fox News which broadcast the speech that their sister channel ignored and whose content mandate actually is appropriate for the coverage of political topics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president the type of free media exposure that he exploited so successfully during his 2016 campaign .
With today ’ s fractured media landscape requiring the expenditure of ever-greater sums of money to reach the largest number of eyeballs with campaign messages , one longs for the days when the FCC enforced both the equal time rule which requires every media outlet to offer an equivalent amount of airtime to any opposing view they broadcast and the now-defunct “ fairness doctrine ” which “ required the holders of broadcast licenses to both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so in a manner that was—in the FCC ’ s view—honest , equitable , and balanced , ” as Wikipedia summarized it .
As a being seemingly fed by the media attention he attracts , it would be interesting to see what would happen if the news media simply decided to ignore Donald Trump completely and not mention his name or show his face for a few weeks .
It ’ s likely that Trumpism , if not Trump himself , would simply wither and die without the constant self-reinforcing cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think ?

Perhaps since Donald Trump knew his Daytona 500 appearance was going to be broadcast on a network with Fox in its name that he could just launch into a campaign speech and have it broadcast to the captive TV audience waiting to see the race cars start zooming around the track.
Unfortunately for Trump, the network broadcasting the race where he was appointed to be Grand Marshall — a title that surely appealed to the president’s overblown sense of imperiousness — was Fox Sports where the imperative was making money from commercials, not acting as a retransmitter of Trump’s self-serving propaganda.
So instead of seeing the president deliver his spouting of boasts, insults, and rants that typically comprise his campaign rally speeches where ever he goes, the network cut away from his remarks before he could deliver them to their viewers.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
Even more ironically, due to the strategic ad buy arranged by Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s media advisors, those viewers at home got to watch a political ad attacking the president created by the Bloomberg campaign.
Adding insult to injury, Fox Sports also cut away from the president’s joy ride around the Daytona track in his presidential limousine.
While Trump supporters on Twitter went apoplectic at the apparently deliberate slight, if they wanted to see the president’s speech, they could have simply turned the channel to Fox News which broadcast the speech that their sister channel ignored and whose content mandate actually is appropriate for the coverage of political topics.
Hopefully, more channels will avoid giving the president the type of free media exposure that he exploited so successfully during his 2016 campaign. With today’s fractured media landscape requiring the expenditure of ever-greater sums of money to reach the largest number of eyeballs with campaign messages, one longs for the days when the FCC enforced both the equal time rule which requires every media outlet to offer an equivalent amount of airtime to any opposing view they broadcast and the now-defunct “fairness doctrine” which “required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the FCC’s view—honest, equitable, and balanced,” as Wikipedia summarized it.
As a being seemingly fed by the media attention he attracts, it would be interesting to see what would happen if the news media simply decided to ignore Donald Trump completely and not mention his name or show his face for a few weeks. It’s likely that Trumpism, if not Trump himself, would simply wither and die without the constant self-reinforcing cycle of outrage and attention.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David Edwards at RawStory.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-16--Trump belatedly makes excuse for border wall blown over by high winds in gaslighting tweet

You ’ ll have to forgive Donald Trump for being a little behind on his tweeting lately .
After all , he ’ s had an impeachment acquittal to crow about , political enemies to retaliate against , and judicial sentencing to interfere with , and all of that takes up so much of his attention .
This morning , however , Trump finally got around to addressing the portion of his vaunted border wall that blew over in high winds in southern California over two weeks ago .
While the president offered no excuse for his tardiness in addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this morning on the occurrence was nonetheless full of excuses .
One has to wonder how the honest reporting about a physically verifiable event accompanied by photos of the wall slumped over at a precarious angle could possibly be deemed “ Fake News , ” but this is Donald Trump after all , so any sort of truthfulness is not exactly expected , especially when he starts his post with an erroneous chronology .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rife with obvious contradictions — the “ powerful ” wall that was blown over by strong winds , the “ under-construction ” wall that Trump constantly claims is already mostly completed during his campaign rallies…you know , the Southern Border Wall that he has variously claimed is being paid for by Mexican “ redemptions , ” despite his having repeatedly raided the military budget to actually pay for it , and is being built in Colorado despite the fact that the state has no border with any foreign country — Trump gives an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is as believable as the old “ the dog ate my homework ” canard .
The wet concrete foundation excuse seems more like a belated response to a humiliation that the public moved on from weeks ago in light of the numerous more serious outrages that have transpired since then , such as the president ’ s acquittal on impeachment charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power , his subsequent vindictive campaign of vengeance towards the witnesses who testified against him , and his interference in the criminal cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn .
Trump ’ s tweet about the failure of his border wall is just one more lie , one more distraction from his blatant corruption and his dysfunctional presidency that demonstrates why he should have been removed from office through the first set of impeachment charges lodged against him .
Only when he is out of the White House permanently will we be able to say that anything is “ Quickly fixed “ forever.
” What do you think ?

You’ll have to forgive Donald Trump for being a little behind on his tweeting lately.
After all, he’s had an impeachment acquittal to crow about, political enemies to retaliate against, and judicial sentencing to interfere with, and all of that takes up so much of his attention.
This morning, however, Trump finally got around to addressing the portion of his vaunted border wall that blew over in high winds in southern California over two weeks ago.
While the president offered no excuse for his tardiness in addressing the humiliating construction failure, his tweet this morning on the occurrence was nonetheless full of excuses.
Last week the Fake News said that a section of our powerful, under construction, Southern Border Wall “fell over”, trying to make it sound terrible, except the reason was that the concrete foundation was just poured & soaking wet when big winds kicked in. Quickly fixed “forever”. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2020
One has to wonder how the honest reporting about a physically verifiable event accompanied by photos of the wall slumped over at a precarious angle could possibly be deemed “Fake News,” but this is Donald Trump after all, so any sort of truthfulness is not exactly expected, especially when he starts his post with an erroneous chronology.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
In a tweet rife with obvious contradictions — the “powerful” wall that was blown over by strong winds, the “under-construction” wall that Trump constantly claims is already mostly completed during his campaign rallies…you know, the Southern Border Wall that he has variously claimed is being paid for by Mexican “redemptions,” despite his having repeatedly raided the military budget to actually pay for it, and is being built in Colorado despite the fact that the state has no border with any foreign country — Trump gives an excuse for the wall’s failure that is as believable as the old “the dog ate my homework” canard.
The wet concrete foundation excuse seems more like a belated response to a humiliation that the public moved on from weeks ago in light of the numerous more serious outrages that have transpired since then, such as the president’s acquittal on impeachment charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power, his subsequent vindictive campaign of vengeance towards the witnesses who testified against him, and his interference in the criminal cases of his convicted cronies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn.
Trump’s tweet about the failure of his border wall is just one more lie, one more distraction from his blatant corruption and his dysfunctional presidency that demonstrates why he should have been removed from office through the first set of impeachment charges lodged against him.
Only when he is out of the White House permanently will we be able to say that anything is “Quickly fixed “forever.”
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-16--“RESIGN!”: Over 1100 former federal prosecutors demand that Attorney General Barr step down

Over 1,100 former federal prosecutors and Justice Department employees signed an open letter today calling for Attorney General William P. Barr to resign over his intervention in the sentencing of Trump political advisor Roger Stone last week .
The move comes days after senior Democratic leaders in Congress made the same demand and after the New York City Bar Association filed a formal complaint to the Justice Department ’ s inspector general about the attorney general ’ s actions to reduce the DOJ ’ s sentencing recommendations in the case involving a friend of the president .
The group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the apparent political interference in the application of the unbiased rule of law also urged all current employees of the Department of Justice to act as whistleblowers and report any indications of unethical practices or behavior to the department ’ s inspector general .
“ Each of us strongly condemns President Trump ’ s and Attorney General Barr ’ s interference in the fair administration of justice , ” the bipartisan group of former Justice Department prosecutors wrote in an open letter published on Medium.com earlier today .
“ We welcome Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DOJ ’ s law enforcement decisions must be independent of politics ; that it is wrong for the President to interfere in specific enforcement matters , either to punish his opponents or to help his friends ; and that the President ’ s public comments on DOJ matters have gravely damaged the Department ’ s credibility .
But Mr. Barr ’ s actions in doing the President ’ s personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words .
Those actions , and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law , require Mr. Barr to resign .
But because we have little expectation he will do so , it falls to the Department ’ s career officials to take appropriate action to uphold their oaths of office and defend nonpartisan , apolitical justice.
” the letter continues .
The sheer number of dedicated civil servants signing the harshly critical letter indicates how large a rupture the departure from the normal ethical conduct of the administration of justice Attorney General Barr ’ s actions have created within the department he oversees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
It also signals the failure of the attorney general ’ s attempts to tamp down the controversy over his meddling in the Stone sentencing by complaining about the president ’ s Twitter campaign to influence public opinion about the fairness of the judicial system .
Barr ’ s whining about Trump ’ s social media harping did little to stop the president from continuing to comment on the Roger Stone case and from declaring that his presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to step into any legal proceeding , although Trump claims that he never asked the attorney general to “ do anything in a criminal case.
” As the noted “ never Trump ” Republican lawyer George Conway explained in his op-ed in The Washington Post yesterday , William Barr doesn ’ t need a specific order from Donald Trump to know exactly what he needs to do to keep his boss happy , given the president ’ s constant public declarations of his opinions .
For that reason , the letter signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinated by the advocacy group Protect Democracy lauds the decision by the four prosecutors to resign from the case rather than follow the attorney general ’ s directives to reduce their sentencing recommendations from that which the applicable laws specify .
The signatories commend the prosecutors and issued a clarion call to all the other Justice Department employees to follow their example in the conclusion of their letter .
“ For these reasons , we support and commend the four career prosecutors who upheld their oaths and stood up for the Department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case and/or resigning from the Department .
Our simple message to them is that we — and millions of other Americans — stand with them .
And we call on every DOJ employee to follow their heroic example and be prepared to report future abuses to the Inspector General , the Office of Professional Responsibility , and Congress ; to refuse to carry out directives that are inconsistent with their oaths of office ; to withdraw from cases that involve such directives or other misconduct ; and , if necessary , to resign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with professional ethics — to the American people the reasons for their resignation .
We likewise call on the other branches of government to protect from retaliation those employees who uphold their oaths in the face of unlawful directives .
The rule of law and the survival of our Republic demand nothing less.
” When over 1100 former prosecutors warn us about the survival of our democracy and the rule of law , it ’ s time to pay attention .
Every citizen in America should be demanding the resignation of William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he refuses to do so , then his immediate impeachment .
Original reporting by Katie Benner at The New York Times and by Devlin Barrett at The Washington Post .
What do you think ?

Over 1,100 former federal prosecutors and Justice Department employees signed an open letter today calling for Attorney General William P. Barr to resign over his intervention in the sentencing of Trump political advisor Roger Stone last week.
The move comes days after senior Democratic leaders in Congress made the same demand and after the New York City Bar Association filed a formal complaint to the Justice Department’s inspector general about the attorney general’s actions to reduce the DOJ’s sentencing recommendations in the case involving a friend of the president.
The group of concerned former officials who were outraged over the apparent political interference in the application of the unbiased rule of law also urged all current employees of the Department of Justice to act as whistleblowers and report any indications of unethical practices or behavior to the department’s inspector general.
“Each of us strongly condemns President Trump’s and Attorney General Barr’s interference in the fair administration of justice,” the bipartisan group of former Justice Department prosecutors wrote in an open letter published on Medium.com earlier today. “We welcome Attorney General Barr’s belated acknowledgment that the DOJ’s law enforcement decisions must be independent of politics; that it is wrong for the President to interfere in specific enforcement matters, either to punish his opponents or to help his friends; and that the President’s public comments on DOJ matters have gravely damaged the Department’s credibility. But Mr. Barr’s actions in doing the President’s personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words. Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice’s reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign. But because we have little expectation he will do so, it falls to the Department’s career officials to take appropriate action to uphold their oaths of office and defend nonpartisan, apolitical justice.” the letter continues.
The sheer number of dedicated civil servants signing the harshly critical letter indicates how large a rupture the departure from the normal ethical conduct of the administration of justice Attorney General Barr’s actions have created within the department he oversees.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
It also signals the failure of the attorney general’s attempts to tamp down the controversy over his meddling in the Stone sentencing by complaining about the president’s Twitter campaign to influence public opinion about the fairness of the judicial system.
“I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me,” Barr told ABC News on Thursday in an interview.
Barr’s whining about Trump’s social media harping did little to stop the president from continuing to comment on the Roger Stone case and from declaring that his presidential powers gave him “the legal right” to step into any legal proceeding, although Trump claims that he never asked the attorney general to “do anything in a criminal case.”
“The President has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case.” A.G. Barr This doesn’t mean that I do not have, as President, the legal right to do so, I do, but I have so far chosen not to! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2020
As the noted “never Trump” Republican lawyer George Conway explained in his op-ed in The Washington Post yesterday, William Barr doesn’t need a specific order from Donald Trump to know exactly what he needs to do to keep his boss happy, given the president’s constant public declarations of his opinions.
For that reason, the letter signed by the former Justice Department officials and coordinated by the advocacy group Protect Democracy lauds the decision by the four prosecutors to resign from the case rather than follow the attorney general’s directives to reduce their sentencing recommendations from that which the applicable laws specify. The signatories commend the prosecutors and issued a clarion call to all the other Justice Department employees to follow their example in the conclusion of their letter.
“For these reasons, we support and commend the four career prosecutors who upheld their oaths and stood up for the Department’s independence by withdrawing from the Stone case and/or resigning from the Department. Our simple message to them is that we — and millions of other Americans — stand with them. And we call on every DOJ employee to follow their heroic example and be prepared to report future abuses to the Inspector General, the Office of Professional Responsibility, and Congress; to refuse to carry out directives that are inconsistent with their oaths of office; to withdraw from cases that involve such directives or other misconduct; and, if necessary, to resign and report publicly — in a manner consistent with professional ethics — to the American people the reasons for their resignation. We likewise call on the other branches of government to protect from retaliation those employees who uphold their oaths in the face of unlawful directives. The rule of law and the survival of our Republic demand nothing less.”
When over 1100 former prosecutors warn us about the survival of our democracy and the rule of law, it’s time to pay attention. Every citizen in America should be demanding the resignation of William Barr right now, and, if he refuses to do so, then his immediate impeachment.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Katie Benner at The New York Times and by Devlin Barrett at The Washington Post.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-15--George Conway publishes op-ed scorching William Barr for enabling Trump’s tyranny

The Washington Post may as well hire George Conway as a regular member of their editorial staff , given how often the conservative Republican lawyer has been writing his anti-Trump screeds on their op-ed page of late .
Mr. Conway ’ s latest effort — entitled “ There is no one to stop Trump now ” — ties the very thorough efforts by Attorney General William Barr to use the formerly impartial Department of Justice to retaliate against the president ’ s perceived enemies to an almost forgotten incident last year when the White House Military Office convinced the Navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USS John S. McCain , named after the father and grandfather of one of Donald Trump ’ s most despised GOP foes since it would be docked in the port that Trump was going to be visiting .
It wasn ’ t that Conway believes that Trump ordered the petty and vengeful gesture covering up the namesakes of the late Senator McCain .
It ’ s the fact that it was done to please Trump without the president needing to utter a word that concerns the GOP attorney .
“ President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word .
It just happened .
He didn ’ t even know , he later said .
But he was hardly displeased .
“ I was not a big fan of John McCain in any shape or form , ” Trump said .
“ Now , somebody did it because they thought I didn ’ t like him , okay ?
And they were well-meaning , ” Conway recalls .
“ Anticipating Trump ’ s narcissistic whims and desires in just this fashion remains the key to survival in his administration , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one does it better than Barr .
It ’ s thus entirely believable , as both Barr and Trump have said , that Trump never gave Barr any instruction about Stone ’ s case , ” he explains .
Given that Trump ’ s own opinions about everything that crosses his path are available for anyone to read on his Twitter feed , it ’ s not difficult for his minions to anticipate his reactions whenever they have a decision to make on how to handle a situation involving something that he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly .
Thus , Conway explains how Attorney General Barr ’ s self-protecting plea to the president to cease his social media posts about active DOJ prosecutions was merely a request for Trump to quit making his interference so blatant .
“ So when Barr announced this week that “ I think it ’ s time to stop tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases , ” and that the president ’ s statements “ make it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our work with integrity ” — he wasn ’ t actually standing up for the Justice Department ’ s integrity , or its independence , or for the rule of law.
” “ To the contrary , as his ( and my ) friend Fox News host Laura Ingraham put it , “ Barr was basically telling Trump , don ’ t worry I got this.
” In other words , don ’ t blow this by calling attention to all that I do for you .
Don ’ t say the quiet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is the “ Never Trump ” Republican lawyer ’ s conclusion that inspires the most frightening vision of the future of the Trump regime .
Join millions calling for AG Barr to resign after he defied his constitutional obligations in order to protect Trump !
“ But the president will never listen , and what Barr does for him will never be enough .
Now having been acquitted by the Senate , Trump thinks he ’ s bulletproof , legally and otherwise .
He now brags , as he tweeted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the King ’ ” who was targeted but not taken down .
And , drawing on a story in the New York Times that suggested he is stained but unshackled , Trump boasted that he has indeed survived “ ’ triumphant ‘ ” and “ ’ emboldened ‘ ” and “ ’ focused ’ ” more than ever on prosecuting “ ’ his case of grievance , persecution , and resentment.
’ ” “ So Trump wants to say the quiet part out loud ; he wants to say he ’ s got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one to stop him , ” Conway concludes his op-ed.
” Conway is wrong on that last point .
Each and every one of us can and should stop Trump at the ballot box in November .
What do you think ?

The Washington Post may as well hire George Conway as a regular member of their editorial staff, given how often the conservative Republican lawyer has been writing his anti-Trump screeds on their op-ed page of late.
Mr. Conway’s latest effort — entitled “There is no one to stop Trump now” — ties the very thorough efforts by Attorney General William Barr to use the formerly impartial Department of Justice to retaliate against the president’s perceived enemies to an almost forgotten incident last year when the White House Military Office convinced the Navy to hide the name of the destroyer the USS John S. McCain, named after the father and grandfather of one of Donald Trump’s most despised GOP foes since it would be docked in the port that Trump was going to be visiting.
“It was an incident involving this ship that, as much as anything else, captures how the Trump administration — and its attorney general — operates. It explains Barr’s intervention into the criminal sentencing of Trump’s longtime friend and adviser, felon Roger Stone, and much, much more,” Conway writes.
It wasn’t that Conway believes that Trump ordered the petty and vengeful gesture covering up the namesakes of the late Senator McCain. It’s the fact that it was done to please Trump without the president needing to utter a word that concerns the GOP attorney.
“President Trump didn’t need to say a word. It just happened. He didn’t even know, he later said. But he was hardly displeased. “I was not a big fan of John McCain in any shape or form,” Trump said. “Now, somebody did it because they thought I didn’t like him, okay? And they were well-meaning,” Conway recalls. “Anticipating Trump’s narcissistic whims and desires in just this fashion remains the key to survival in his administration, and outside the White House proper, no one does it better than Barr. It’s thus entirely believable, as both Barr and Trump have said, that Trump never gave Barr any instruction about Stone’s case,” he explains.
Given that Trump’s own opinions about everything that crosses his path are available for anyone to read on his Twitter feed, it’s not difficult for his minions to anticipate his reactions whenever they have a decision to make on how to handle a situation involving something that he has already made his feelings known on quite clearly.
Thus, Conway explains how Attorney General Barr’s self-protecting plea to the president to cease his social media posts about active DOJ prosecutions was merely a request for Trump to quit making his interference so blatant.
“So when Barr announced this week that “I think it’s time to stop tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” and that the president’s statements “make it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors and the department that we’re doing our work with integrity” — he wasn’t actually standing up for the Justice Department’s integrity, or its independence, or for the rule of law.” “To the contrary, as his (and my) friend Fox News host Laura Ingraham put it, “Barr was basically telling Trump, don’t worry I got this.” In other words, don’t blow this by calling attention to all that I do for you. Don’t say the quiet part out loud,” Conway explains.
It is the “Never Trump” Republican lawyer’s conclusion that inspires the most frightening vision of the future of the Trump regime. “But the president will never listen, and what Barr does for him will never be enough. Now having been acquitted by the Senate, Trump thinks he’s bulletproof, legally and otherwise. He now brags, as he tweeted on Saturday, that he is “‘the King’” who was targeted but not taken down. And, drawing on a story in the New York Times that suggested he is stained but unshackled, Trump boasted that he has indeed survived “’triumphant‘” and “’emboldened‘” and “’focused’” more than ever on prosecuting “’his case of grievance, persecution, and resentment.’” “So Trump wants to say the quiet part out loud; he wants to say he’s got this. And there’s no one to stop him,” Conway concludes his op-ed.” Conway is wrong on that last point. Each and every one of us can and should stop Trump at the ballot box in November.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-15--Suspicions grow after secret meeting between Sec. of State Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister

The Trump administration ’ s tradition of hiding contacts with Kremlin operatives continued as news leaked today of a secret meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov while both senior diplomats were attending the Munich Security Conference yesterday , according to a report on Politico .
If the Russian government hadn ’ t exposed the meeting through a Facebook post by Lavrov ’ s spokesperson that included a photo of Pompeo with the Russian Foreign Minister in a hotel hallway , only those who read Russian journalists ’ accounts of the meeting would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not announce that the meeting had taken place until asked about it by journalists .
According to Politico , the translation of the Russian text by Lavrov ’ s spokesperson , Maria Zakharova , reveals that : Claiming that the meeting — which took place in Lavrov ’ s dedicated meeting room at the hotel where the Security Conference was taking place — was an informal “ pull-aside ” for which the State Department typically does not provide a “ readout ” or press summary , Pompeo ’ s spokesperson refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had asked the Kremlin not to leak news of the meeting .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
Politico quotes a Russian journalist who — unlike the American press corps covering Pompeo ’ s trip — had been notified of the meeting in advance and begged to differ about the restrictions asked of them .
While Secretary Pompeo has been notably hostile to the First Amendment freedoms of the press who covers him of late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his recent trip to Ukraine after a well-publicized angry blowup at a different NPR journalist — the secrecy around the meeting with the Russian foreign minister , combined with Trump ’ s unprecedentedly undocumented meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his time in office and the legendary pre-election Trump Tower meetings with Kremlin agents , doesn ’ t inspire much confidence that the discussions in these meetings are free from some hidden nefarious purposes .
The active cloaking of the Trump administration ’ s contacts with the Russian government — and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigating his finances with copies of his tax returns — instead suggest that Congress should reopen the investigations into Trump ’ s relationship with Russia , how closely his finances are tied to Russian oligarchs , and whether he is putting his own financial interests above the foreign policy interests of the United States .
Trump survived one impeachment attempt due to the complicity of the Republican-controlled Senate .
It ’ s time to find out if he can survive a second attempt .
What do you think ?

The Trump administration’s tradition of hiding contacts with Kremlin operatives continued as news leaked today of a secret meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov while both senior diplomats were attending the Munich Security Conference yesterday, according to a report on Politico.
If the Russian government hadn’t exposed the meeting through a Facebook post by Lavrov’s spokesperson that included a photo of Pompeo with the Russian Foreign Minister in a hotel hallway, only those who read Russian journalists’ accounts of the meeting would be aware of it since the State Department did not announce that the meeting had taken place until asked about it by journalists.
According to Politico, the translation of the Russian text by Lavrov’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, reveals that:
“Pompeo had said “good luck” to those gathered in the hallway, and cheekily added that those who heard it “gasped” because “there are few to whom Americans now wish something good.”
Claiming that the meeting — which took place in Lavrov’s dedicated meeting room at the hotel where the Security Conference was taking place — was an informal “pull-aside” for which the State Department typically does not provide a “readout” or press summary, Pompeo’s spokesperson refused to provide further details other than denying that they had asked the Kremlin not to leak news of the meeting.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
Politico quotes a Russian journalist who — unlike the American press corps covering Pompeo’s trip — had been notified of the meeting in advance and begged to differ about the restrictions asked of them.
“A Russian journalist traveling with Lavrov said the U.S. side had requested that there be no press conference or joint statements and that photographers not even be invited to take a picture of the two top diplomats shaking hands.”
While Secretary Pompeo has been notably hostile to the First Amendment freedoms of the press who covers him of late — banning one NPR reporter from covering his recent trip to Ukraine after a well-publicized angry blowup at a different NPR journalist — the secrecy around the meeting with the Russian foreign minister, combined with Trump’s unprecedentedly undocumented meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his time in office and the legendary pre-election Trump Tower meetings with Kremlin agents, doesn’t inspire much confidence that the discussions in these meetings are free from some hidden nefarious purposes.
The active cloaking of the Trump administration’s contacts with the Russian government — and his refusal to provide Congress and the prosecutors investigating his finances with copies of his tax returns — instead suggest that Congress should reopen the investigations into Trump’s relationship with Russia, how closely his finances are tied to Russian oligarchs, and whether he is putting his own financial interests above the foreign policy interests of the United States.
Trump survived one impeachment attempt due to the complicity of the Republican-controlled Senate. It’s time to find out if he can survive a second attempt.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David M. Herszenhorn at Politico.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Trump lies about stock market in coronavirus damage control, promises his CDC is “very smart”

After Wall Street and other global markets plummeted today over fears about the impact of the growing coronavirus pandemic on the global economy , Donald Trump tweeted out words of reassurance to Americans from his luxury accommodations while on his visit to India .
From any other U.S. president — one not infamous for his pathological lies , low IQ , aversion to scientific facts , and mental instability — such words would indeed be reassuring .
In today ’ s Trump era , however , the president ’ s tweet smacks more of stock market manipulation and a growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration handles the inevitable spread of the coronavirus in this country and its impact on our economy and our health care facilities may affect his chances at reelection and , inevitably , the immunity from prosecution or the multiple alleged crimes that he enjoys thanks to the Justice Department ’ s legal opinion that a sitting president can ’ t be indicted .
One has to question the judgment of a president who witnesses a drop of over 1,000 points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average — a three and a half percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ index ’ s 124-year history — and says that the markets are “ starting to look very good ” to his jaundiced eyes .
Coming on top of the clueless tweet posted by Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli this morning — who revealed an embarrassing lack of access to basic information about the deadly virus ’ spread for an official who is the top DHS official on the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus task force — any sensible American found Trump ‘ s post trying to convince us that everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USA ” less than trustworthy , like every word that flows out of his deceptive mouth .
Nick Miroff , The Washington Post reporter on the DHS beat , found Cuccinelli ’ s public plea for tech support in the face of an institutional paywall to be embarrassingly noteworthy in an administration that has broadly rejected the importance of scientific facts and research and slashed the funding of important relevant government agencies , such as the Health Resources and Services Administration , the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forefront of protecting our nation from the worst potential impact of the pandemic .
With state officials and senators already incensed over the poor communication and lack of coordination between the federal Health and Human Services agency and local health officials over the repatriation and quarantine plans for U.S. citizens arriving from travels in countries where the coronavirus outbreak has already gained significant ground , Cuccinelli ’ s display of cyber-ignorance and his failure to ante up the cost of access to crucial data is a particularly galling example of how poorly this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis and completely undercut the confident message that the president was trying to send with his tweet .
Since Trump seems to believe more in old wives ’ tales than in scientific evidence and tweets the factually dubious claim that warm weather will simply lead to the virus fading away , it appears as if his opinions on the coronavirus are about as valuable as those who think that it says something to do with that Mexican beer that one usually drinks with a lime wedge .
Leadership like this makes one think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stocking up on provisions and staying at home as much as possible before the virus ’ predicted growth in the US gets too widespread to avoid .
With no great discipline taking place in the United States , our nation immediately needs competent leadership to shepherd us through this crisis .
Unfortunately , the Republican Senate squandered the only likely opportunity to remove the science-adverse skeptic from the White House before the upcoming election , so it will be up to you to ensure that you protect America ’ s health — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — by voting Trump out of office by as wide a margin as possible .
What do you think ?

After Wall Street and other global markets plummeted today over fears about the impact of the growing coronavirus pandemic on the global economy, Donald Trump tweeted out words of reassurance to Americans from his luxury accommodations while on his visit to India.
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
From any other U.S. president — one not infamous for his pathological lies, low IQ, aversion to scientific facts, and mental instability — such words would indeed be reassuring.
In today’s Trump era, however, the president’s tweet smacks more of stock market manipulation and a growing sense of panic that how his hapless administration handles the inevitable spread of the coronavirus in this country and its impact on our economy and our health care facilities may affect his chances at reelection and, inevitably, the immunity from prosecution for the multiple alleged crimes that he enjoys thanks to the Justice Department’s legal opinion that a sitting president can’t be indicted.
One has to question the judgment of a president who witnesses a drop of over 1,000 points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average — a three and a half percent decline that is the third-largest in the index’s 124-year history — and says that the markets are “starting to look very good” to his jaundiced eyes.
Coming on top of the clueless tweet posted by Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli this morning — who revealed an embarrassing lack of access to basic information about the deadly virus’ spread for an official who is the top DHS official on the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force — any sensible American found Trump ‘s post trying to convince us that everything “is very much under control in the USA” less than trustworthy, like every word that flows out of his deceptive mouth.
I just tried again, and it looks like Johns Hopkins put the information behind a membership wall of some kind. Seems like bad timing to stop helping the world with this (previously) useful resource. Here's hoping it goes back up soon. — Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (@HomelandKen) February 24, 2020
Nick Miroff, The Washington Post reporter on the DHS beat, found Cuccinelli’s public plea for tech support in the face of an institutional paywall to be embarrassingly noteworthy in an administration that has broadly rejected the importance of scientific facts and research and slashed the funding of important relevant government agencies, such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, that should be in the forefront of protecting our nation from the worst potential impact of the pandemic.
Ken Cuccinelli, the #2 official at Homeland Security, is top DHS official on the Trump admin’s coronavirus task force. Someone please get him a Johns Hopkins membership. https://t.co/YWgezui0GP — Nick Miroff (@NickMiroff) February 24, 2020
With state officials and senators already incensed over the poor communication and lack of coordination between the federal Health and Human Services agency and local health officials over the repatriation and quarantine plans for U.S. citizens arriving from travels in countries where the coronavirus outbreak has already gained significant ground, Cuccinelli’s display of cyber-ignorance and his failure to ante up the cost of access to crucial data is a particularly galling example of how poorly this administration is responding to the worldwide health crisis and completely undercut the confident message that the president was trying to send with his tweet.
Since Trump seems to believe more in old wives’ tales than in scientific evidence and tweets the factually dubious claim that warm weather will simply lead to the virus fading away, it appears as if his opinions on the coronavirus are about as valuable as those who think that it says something to do with that Mexican beer that one usually drinks with a lime wedge.
Leadership like this makes one think that it may be time to start stocking up on provisions and staying at home as much as possible before the virus’ predicted growth in the US gets too widespread to avoid.
….he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2020
With no great discipline taking place in the United States, our nation immediately needs competent leadership to shepherd us through this crisis.
Unfortunately, the Republican Senate squandered the only likely opportunity to remove the science-adverse skeptic from the White House before the upcoming election, so it will be up to you to ensure that you protect America’s health — as well as the health of our democracy — by voting Trump out of office by as wide a margin as possible.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Alarm bells ring as Trump’s top DHS coronavirus official complains he can’t access infection map

As stock markets plunged today over fears over the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy , the signs of the Trump administration ’ s inability to competently handle the growing health crisis are making not only Wall Street extremely nervous but Main Street as well .
In an ill-advised public tweet , Ken Cuccinelli — the losing former GOP gubernatorial candidate in Virginia who received a consolation appointment to be Trump ’ s immigration czar as the Acting Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security — revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the deadly virus ’ spread for an official who is the top DHS official on the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus task force .
Nick Miroff , The Washington Post reporter on the DHS beat , for one , found the public plea for tech support in the face of an institutional paywall to be embarrassingly noteworthy in an administration that has broadly rejected the importance of scientific facts and research and slashed the funding of important relevant government agencies , such as the Health Resources and Services Administration , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institutes of Health , that should be in the forefront of protecting our nation from the worst potential impact of the pandemic .
With state officials and senators already incensed over the poor communication and lack of coordination between the federal Health and Human Services agency and local health officials over the repatriation and quarantine plans for U.S. citizens arriving from travels in countries where the coronavirus outbreak has already gained significant ground , Cuccinelli ’ s display of cyber-ignorance and his failure to ante up the cost of access to crucial data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorly this administration is responding to the worldwide health crisis .
With a president who believes more in old wives ’ tales than in scientific evidence , and tweets the factually dubious claim that warm weather will simply lead to the virus fading away , it may be time to start stocking up on provisions and staying at home as much as possible before the virus ’ predicted growth in the US gets too widespread to avoid .
With no great discipline taking place in the United States , our nation immediately needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Unfortunately , the Republican Senate squandered the only likely opportunity to remove the science-adverse skeptic from the White House before the upcoming election , so it will be up to you to ensure that you protect America ’ s health — as well as the health of our democracy — by voting Trump out of office by as wide a margin as possible .
What do you think ?

As stock markets plunged today over fears over the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy, the signs of the Trump administration’s inability to competently handle the growing health crisis are making not only Wall Street extremely nervous but Main Street as well.
In an ill-advised public tweet, Ken Cuccinelli — the losing former GOP gubernatorial candidate in Virginia who received a consolation appointment to be Trump’s immigration czar as the Acting Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security — revealed an embarrassing lack of access to basic information about the deadly virus’ spread for an official who is the top DHS official on the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force.
I just tried again, and it looks like Johns Hopkins put the information behind a membership wall of some kind. Seems like bad timing to stop helping the world with this (previously) useful resource. Here's hoping it goes back up soon. — Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (@HomelandKen) February 24, 2020
Nick Miroff, The Washington Post reporter on the DHS beat, for one, found the public plea for tech support in the face of an institutional paywall to be embarrassingly noteworthy in an administration that has broadly rejected the importance of scientific facts and research and slashed the funding of important relevant government agencies, such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, that should be in the forefront of protecting our nation from the worst potential impact of the pandemic.
Ken Cuccinelli, the #2 official at Homeland Security, is top DHS official on the Trump admin’s coronavirus task force. Someone please get him a Johns Hopkins membership. https://t.co/YWgezui0GP — Nick Miroff (@NickMiroff) February 24, 2020
With state officials and senators already incensed over the poor communication and lack of coordination between the federal Health and Human Services agency and local health officials over the repatriation and quarantine plans for U.S. citizens arriving from travels in countries where the coronavirus outbreak has already gained significant ground, Cuccinelli’s display of cyber-ignorance and his failure to ante up the cost of access to crucial data is a particularly galling example of how poorly this administration is responding to the worldwide health crisis.
With a president who believes more in old wives’ tales than in scientific evidence, and tweets the factually dubious claim that warm weather will simply lead to the virus fading away, it may be time to start stocking up on provisions and staying at home as much as possible before the virus’ predicted growth in the US gets too widespread to avoid.
….he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2020
With no great discipline taking place in the United States, our nation immediately needs competent leadership to shepherd us through this crisis.
Unfortunately, the Republican Senate squandered the only likely opportunity to remove the science-adverse skeptic from the White House before the upcoming election, so it will be up to you to ensure that you protect America’s health — as well as the health of our democracy — by voting Trump out of office by as wide a margin as possible.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Ivanka incites Twitter backlash for tagging along on Trump’s India visit

President Trump is on his first state visit to India right now and First Daughter Ivanka Trump is accompanying him , once again siphoning tax dollars to indulge in another beautiful trip .
The flagrant nepotism hardly even registers anymore , but it must be pointed out that this is definitely not normal and certainly not okay .
Ivanka Trump is completely unqualified to be representing America on the world stage and has revealed herself to be at best a moral coward afraid to stand up to her monstrous father and at worst a monster herself projecting a thin veneer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively enabling her father ’ s disastrous racist agenda .
One can ’ t help but worry that she herself hopes to one day pursue political office and given the manner in which her father has completely putrified and subsumed the Republican establishment , it ’ s not inconceivable that she could launch a successful bid for the party ’ s presidential nomination when her father finishes his tenure .
Regardless of what happens in the upcoming election , the Trumps have entrenched themselves at the heart of American conservatism and they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
With that sobering reality in mind , it ’ s crucial that patriotic Americans regularly denounce not just the president , but his incompetent and often cruel children .
Ivanka should be mocked for trying to masquerade as a diplomat and should be taken seriously as a threat if not seriously as a person .
Earlier today , she took to Twitter to share a photograph of herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again rubbing the American peoples ’ noses in the fact that she ’ s off gallivanting around the world on our dime .
It didn ’ t take long for a string of brutal tweets to pour in , with users expressing rage , frustration and genuine confusion over Ivanka ’ s bizarre role in the administration .
Hopefully , the First Daughter takes a glance at her account and sees how little so many of us think of her .
She deserves neither pity nor sympathy and she must be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping inflict on our nation ’ s reputation .
What do you think ?

President Trump is on his first state visit to India right now and First Daughter Ivanka Trump is accompanying him, once again siphoning tax dollars to indulge in another beautiful trip.
The flagrant nepotism hardly even registers anymore, but it must be pointed out that this is definitely not normal and certainly not okay. Ivanka Trump is completely unqualified to be representing America on the world stage and has revealed herself to be at best a moral coward afraid to stand up to her monstrous father and at worst a monster herself projecting a thin veneer of moderation while lining her pockets and actively enabling her father’s disastrous racist agenda.
One can’t help but worry that she herself hopes to one day pursue political office and given the manner in which her father has completely putrified and subsumed the Republican establishment, it’s not inconceivable that she could launch a successful bid for the party’s presidential nomination when her father finishes his tenure. Regardless of what happens in the upcoming election, the Trumps have entrenched themselves at the heart of American conservatism and they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
With that sobering reality in mind, it’s crucial that patriotic Americans regularly denounce not just the president, but his incompetent and often cruel children. Ivanka should be mocked for trying to masquerade as a diplomat and should be taken seriously as a threat if not seriously as a person. Earlier today, she took to Twitter to share a photograph of herself posing outside of the Taj Mahal, once again rubbing the American peoples’ noses in the fact that she’s off gallivanting around the world on our dime.
https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1231934821581983745?s=20
It didn’t take long for a string of brutal tweets to pour in, with users expressing rage, frustration and genuine confusion over Ivanka’s bizarre role in the administration. Hopefully, the First Daughter takes a glance at her account and sees how little so many of us think of her. She deserves neither pity nor sympathy and she must be held accountable for the irreparable damage she is helping inflict on our nation’s reputation.
https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1231934821581983745?s=20
Oh look, another free trip for #NepotismBarbie! So glad that we the taxpayers are helping you see the world and make business deals to fatten your pocketbook! — Donna Pawlowski 🌊🌊🌊 (@Donnalee711) February 24, 2020
Why the fuck are you there? — Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) February 24, 2020
Why are you even there? — Kerry (Mon. 2/24, #Phillies vs. O's, 1:05 PM ⚾) (@jskj9121) February 24, 2020
The trumps have 5+ properties in India & the daughter wife is posing at the Taj Mahal as if it’s the first time she’s ever been there. They really do think that we’re ALL cult-stupid! — JAS16AZ (@JAS16AZ) February 24, 2020
Dear Ivanka (Daughter-Wife), Come into the Taj Mahal already, I've been waiting for you in here for an Hour! Daddy needs you to help him find the Slot Machines! WHERE ARE THEY??? Sincerely, Donald J. Trump (Daddy) — Trumpy Trumpy (parody) (@outofcontroljb) February 24, 2020
Can anyone point out the difference between free-loading, unelected and "unpaid adviser", Ivanka Trump and Hunter Biden? Apart from the fact Ivanka and her husband have made $216 million from office, despite allegedly divesting themselves of all outside interests. — Mike Pence – Professional Mannequin (@vespertilioAJR) February 24, 2020
†cp
Hey, you're already there on our dime doing nothing. Might as well enjoy yourself. #Namaste — American___Loser (@WordyAF) February 24, 2020
At least India didn't bankrupt their Taj Mahal — jeff heisler (@jrheisler) February 24, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Kentucky Republicans vote to strip power from newly elected Democratic governor

While the nation frets over the prospect of another round of electoral interference from the Kremlin to benefit Donald Trump , an equally insidious form of anti-democratic — including both the lower-case and upper-case meanings of the word — activity has been being conducted in plain view of the American people .
Republican efforts at voter suppression as a way to win elections that they would otherwise not be able to contest in a fair and open system have been well documented , with the supervision of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election by Brian Kemp , the GOP candidate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examples of manipulating voter rosters , polling places , and the availability of early voting to stack the deck in their own party ’ s favor , purging 1.4 million voters from Georgia ’ s eligibility lists .
Even when a Democrat overwhelmingly wins an election despite whatever obstacles the Republicans may have placed in their way , the GOP ’ s lust for control seemingly motivates them to dig deep to find new methods to keep their talons firmly attached to the levers of power , the will of the electorate be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans after Governor Scott Walker lost his bid for reelection in 2018 was the first recent example of this despicable trend .
In a lame-duck session of the state legislature after the victory of Democrat Tony Evers , GOP legislators passed a series of bills stripping the governorship of its powers to reverse the harmful conservative policies enacted during Walker ’ s tenure .
Now , Republicans in Kentucky ’ s state Senate are attempting the same tactic in their state , where the wildly unpopular GOP Governor Matt Bevin was defeated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s election .
According to a report at AlterNet , the Republican Kentucky legislators are trying to wrest control of the state ’ s Department of Transportation from the executive branch now controlled by Governor Beshear .
In a party-line vote , the GOP-controlled state senate passed a bill that would “ would limit the governor to nominating a transportation secretary from a list chosen by a new board whose nine members would be selected by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and local government associations , with those members subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawmakers would also have veto power over Beshear ’ s nominee , making this the only cabinet position in the state requiring Senate confirmation , ” according to AlterNet .
With Kentucky only requiring a simple majority vote in the legislature to overrule any gubernatorial veto , the only recourse that Governor Beshear has to regain the same power to choose his own cabinet staff as his predecessors would be to bring the matter to the courts , a process he was quite successful at during his tenure as the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republicans resentful of the rejection of their candidates by a public tired of policies that have consistently landed Kentucky in the bottom rankings among states in health care , education , and its overall economy needs to be recognized as an example of the lengths to which the GOP will go to prevent control of state government from slipping through their fingers .
With the numerous investigations into the Trump administration ’ s efforts to solicit foreign assistance in both the 2016 election and his ongoing 2020 campaign , we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will try to go to prevent the White House from changing hands .
We just need to hold them accountable for once .
What do you think ?

While the nation frets over the prospect of another round of electoral interference from the Kremlin to benefit Donald Trump, an equally insidious form of anti-democratic — including both the lower-case and upper-case meanings of the word — activity has been being conducted in plain view of the American people.
Republican efforts at voter suppression as a way to win elections that they would otherwise not be able to contest in a fair and open system have been well documented, with the supervision of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election by Brian Kemp, the GOP candidate in the race, among the most egregious examples of manipulating voter rosters, polling places, and the availability of early voting to stack the deck in their own party’s favor, purging 1.4 million voters from Georgia’s eligibility lists.
Even when a Democrat overwhelmingly wins an election despite whatever obstacles the Republicans may have placed in their way, the GOP’s lust for control seemingly motivates them to dig deep to find new methods to keep their talons firmly attached to the levers of power, the will of the electorate be damned.
The power grab by Wisconsin Republicans after Governor Scott Walker lost his bid for reelection in 2018 was the first recent example of this despicable trend. In a lame-duck session of the state legislature after the victory of Democrat Tony Evers, GOP legislators passed a series of bills stripping the governorship of its powers to reverse the harmful conservative policies enacted during Walker’s tenure.
“The Republicans limited the new governor’s ability to withdraw the state from lawsuits and his administration’s rule-making authority, and they cleared the way for lawmakers to hire outside lawyers to intervene in certain lawsuits,” as The New York Times wrote at the time.
Now, Republicans in Kentucky’s state Senate are attempting the same tactic in their state, where the wildly unpopular GOP Governor Matt Bevin was defeated by his Democratic challenger Andy Beshear in last year’s election.
According to a report at AlterNet, the Republican Kentucky legislators are trying to wrest control of the state’s Department of Transportation from the executive branch now controlled by Governor Beshear.
In a party-line vote, the GOP-controlled state senate passed a bill that would “would limit the governor to nominating a transportation secretary from a list chosen by a new board whose nine members would be selected by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and local government associations, with those members subject to a veto by the Republican-run legislature. Lawmakers would also have veto power over Beshear’s nominee, making this the only cabinet position in the state requiring Senate confirmation,” according to AlterNet.
With Kentucky only requiring a simple majority vote in the legislature to overrule any gubernatorial veto, the only recourse that Governor Beshear has to regain the same power to choose his own cabinet staff as his predecessors would be to bring the matter to the courts, a process he was quite successful at during his tenure as the state’s attorney general.
This disgraceful power grab by Republicans resentful of the rejection of their candidates by a public tired of policies that have consistently landed Kentucky in the bottom rankings among states in health care, education, and its overall economy needs to be recognized as an example of the lengths to which the GOP will go to prevent control of state government from slipping through their fingers.
With the numerous investigations into the Trump administration’s efforts to solicit foreign assistance in both the 2016 election and his ongoing 2020 campaign, we don’t need to imagine how far Republicans will try to go to prevent the White House from changing hands. We just need to hold them accountable for once.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Stephen Wolf, Daily Kos at AlterNet.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Twitter explodes in mockery as Trump enters Indian stadium to “Macho Man” song

Donald Trump is visiting India right now , meaning the United States is once again being subjected to the unique embarrassment that is having this man as our representative on the global stage .
So far , the president has received a warm welcome , an unsurprising development given the fact that President Narendra Modi ’ s BJP is a far-right , Hindu nationalist party battling criticisms of widespread Islamophobia , meaning it has some uncanny parallels to the GOP under Trump .
In a transparent effort to curry favor with the infamously flattery susceptible American president , Modi welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahmedabad .
Trump spoke to the 100,000 or so person crowd and managed to repeatedly bungle the pronunciation of Indian words , an expectable outcome since he often struggles to properly speak English .
His speech included his usual rambling rhetoric , boilerplate praise for his hosts , and many in the crowd began to leave before he was even finished speaking .
It was exactly the kind of unimpressive performance we ’ ve come to expect from this man .
Hilariously , when he first entered the arena Macho Man by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at full force .
The choice is funny for a lot of reasons , first and foremost because it ’ s such an on-the-nose distillation of how Trump wants to see himself .
His entire fabricated persona is built around the idea of him being a strong , masculine leader unafraid to stand up for the American people .
The reality , of course , is that he is a thin-skinned paper tiger who regularly melts down on Twitter like some particularly petulant teenager .
There is nothing tough about this man and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels like not-so-subtle trolling .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
There is an added irony to Donald Trump , a man who chose homophobic religious fanatic Mike Pence as his vice president , entering the rally to a song by The Village People , a musical act specifically aimed at the gay disco crowd .
Given Trump ’ s profound ignorance , it ’ s entirely possible he ’ s blithely oblivious to the song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t hold back as mockery exploded across the platform .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump is visiting India right now, meaning the United States is once again being subjected to the unique embarrassment that is having this man as our representative on the global stage.
So far, the president has received a warm welcome, an unsurprising development given the fact that President Narendra Modi’s BJP is a far-right, Hindu nationalist party battling criticisms of widespread Islamophobia, meaning it has some uncanny parallels to the GOP under Trump. In a transparent effort to curry favor with the infamously flattery susceptible American president, Modi welcomed him with a massive stadium rally in Ahmedabad.
Trump spoke to the 100,000 or so person crowd and managed to repeatedly bungle the pronunciation of Indian words, an expectable outcome since he often struggles to properly speak English. His speech included his usual rambling rhetoric, boilerplate praise for his hosts, and many in the crowd began to leave before he was even finished speaking. It was exactly the kind of unimpressive performance we’ve come to expect from this man.
Hilariously, when he first entered the arena Macho Man by the Village People blasted out of the speakers at full force. The choice is funny for a lot of reasons, first and foremost because it’s such an on-the-nose distillation of how Trump wants to see himself. His entire fabricated persona is built around the idea of him being a strong, masculine leader unafraid to stand up for the American people. The reality, of course, is that he is a thin-skinned paper tiger who regularly melts down on Twitter like some particularly petulant teenager. There is nothing tough about this man and on some level the song choice almost feels like not-so-subtle trolling.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
There is an added irony to Donald Trump, a man who chose homophobic religious fanatic Mike Pence as his vice president, entering the rally to a song by The Village People, a musical act specifically aimed at the gay disco crowd. Given Trump’s profound ignorance, it’s entirely possible he’s blithely oblivious to the song’s history.
India plays "Macho Man" by Village People as Trump enters Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, which is packed with 110,000 Indians wearing white "Trump" hats pic.twitter.com/tJW08sNNDa — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 24, 2020
Twitter couldn’t hold back as mockery exploded across the platform.
Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi brought Trump to the stage as "Macho Man" by The Village People played. So if you're wondering exactly how far back Donald Trump's administration has brought us, it's to 1978. — Tim Barnes (@TimBarnes451) February 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/DavidReagan2/status/1231987577575682049?s=20
https://twitter.com/eobanb/status/1231992010841694208?s=20
https://twitter.com/buddywriterdude/status/1231995204598718464?s=20
Trump visits the 'monument of love' in Agra – a wonder of the world tainted by a wonder of the underworld. Also, who plays “Macho Man” at a cricket stadium as Trump enters? He mispronounced everything including the Vedas! The “Vestas”- what a loser. https://t.co/EeDvWxuHNO — Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) February 24, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-24--Trump alleged to receive a “Deep State” hit list from the wife of a Supreme Court justice

It may have been difficult to notice Donald Trump ’ s descent into total paranoia since even on his best days one might not notice any difference in his contempt for anyone but himself .
Now that Axios has reported in detail about the list that the president and his staff have compiled of potentially disloyal government officials working in the administration , however , and the great purge of those who testified to Congress about his criminal behavior has begun , it is impossible to deny the depths to which Trump ’ s instincts for self-preservation in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda have reached .
“ The Trump White House and its allies , over the past 18 months , assembled detailed lists of disloyal government officials to oust — and trusted pro-Trump people to replace them — according to more than a dozen sources familiar with the effort who spoke to Axios.
” “ While Trump ’ s distrust has only intensified since his impeachment and acquittal , he has long been on the hunt for ‘ bad people ’ inside the White House and U.S. government , and fresh ‘ pro-Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to oblige , ” the website reports .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump ’ s corruption !
While the disgraced former President Nixon had his infamous “ enemies list ” while in the White House , at least Nixon had enough of a sense of shame over being caught in a criminal coverup of the Watergate scandal to resign before the Senate could try him on impeachment charges .
Then again the GOP of the early 70s still retained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely ignoring presidential malfeasance , unlike the complicit enablers of today ’ s Republican Party .
Since the existence of a similar list of dis-loyalists in the Trump administration has long been rumored or assumed , perhaps the most shocking detail revealed by Axios in their story today is that fact that the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice is among the “ well-connected network of conservative activists with close ties to Trump and top administration officials ” who are “ quietly helping develop these “ Never Trump ” /pro-Trump lists ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the publication says that Ginni Thomas , the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , is doing through an organization she leads called Groundswell .
Justice may be said to be blind , but the adage never mentions what Justice ’ s spouse is looking at and whispering in his ear .
In a mental state that is usually associated with ingesting large quantities of psychedelic drugs , Trump believes that the “ Deep State ” — as the president refers to those long-term government employees who are actually qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experience — is filled with “ snakes , ” and he has welcomed the input of Ginni Thomas and her group .
Thomas reportedly handed a list of certified true believers directly to the president early last year and some of the names included on that list are enough to send shudders down the spine of anyone who believes in the concept of a non-politicized civil service .
Her recommendations included putting noted Trump supporter Sheriff David Clarke and Fox News ’ Dan Bongino in senior Homeland Security roles and assigning Devin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinated with Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas in trying to uncover dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine — for the National Security Council .
You can check out the full details of Axios ’ investigation into what they call “ Trump ’ s ‘ Deep State ’ hit list ” in their article here , but let ’ s skip ahead to the conclusion that writer Jonathan Swan reaches after his research on the White House paranoia panic attack .
“ The bottom line : As the New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ in some of the most critical corners of the Trump administration , officials show up for work now never entirely sure who will be there by the end of the evening — themselves included . '
” “ Groundswell is an influential driver of that uncertainty .
Its members have been working toward this moment for three years .
They have lists .
They have memos .
And they have the president ’ s ear , ” Swan writes .
If that thought doesn ’ t inspire your own outbreak of paranoia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything can .
What do you think ?

It may have been difficult to notice Donald Trump’s descent into total paranoia since even on his best days one might not notice any difference in his contempt for anyone but himself.
Now that Axios has reported in detail about the list that the president and his staff have compiled of potentially disloyal government officials working in the administration, however, and the great purge of those who testified to Congress about his criminal behavior has begun, it is impossible to deny the depths to which Trump’s instincts for self-preservation in the face of the widespread opposition to his dastardly agenda have reached.
According to Axios:
“The Trump White House and its allies, over the past 18 months, assembled detailed lists of disloyal government officials to oust — and trusted pro-Trump people to replace them — according to more than a dozen sources familiar with the effort who spoke to Axios.” “While Trump’s distrust has only intensified since his impeachment and acquittal, he has long been on the hunt for ‘bad people’ inside the White House and U.S. government, and fresh ‘pro-Trump’ options. Outside advisers have been happy to oblige,” the website reports.
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
While the disgraced former President Nixon had his infamous “enemies list” while in the White House, at least Nixon had enough of a sense of shame over being caught in a criminal coverup of the Watergate scandal to resign before the Senate could try him on impeachment charges.
Then again the GOP of the early 70s still retained enough moral fiber to not even consider merely ignoring presidential malfeasance, unlike the complicit enablers of today’s Republican Party.
Since the existence of a similar list of dis-loyalists in the Trump administration has long been rumored or assumed, perhaps the most shocking detail revealed by Axios in their story today is that fact that the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice is among the “well-connected network of conservative activists with close ties to Trump and top administration officials” who are “quietly helping develop these “Never Trump”/pro-Trump lists” and sharing their opinions with the president, as the publication says that Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is doing through an organization she leads called Groundswell.
Justice may be said to be blind, but the adage never mentions what Justice’s spouse is looking at and whispering in his ear.
In a mental state that is usually associated with ingesting large quantities of psychedelic drugs, Trump believes that the “Deep State” — as the president refers to those long-term government employees who are actually qualified for their positions because of their knowledge and experience — is filled with “snakes,” and he has welcomed the input of Ginni Thomas and her group.
Thomas reportedly handed a list of certified true believers directly to the president early last year and some of the names included on that list are enough to send shudders down the spine of anyone who believes in the concept of a non-politicized civil service.
Her recommendations included putting noted Trump supporter Sheriff David Clarke and Fox News’ Dan Bongino in senior Homeland Security roles and assigning Devin Nunes’ aide Derek Harvey — who coordinated with Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas in trying to uncover dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine — for the National Security Council.
You can check out the full details of Axios’ investigation into what they call “Trump’s ‘Deep State’ hit list” in their article here, but let’s skip ahead to the conclusion that writer Jonathan Swan reaches after his research on the White House paranoia panic attack.
“The bottom line: As the New York Times’ Peter Baker wrote on Saturday, ‘in some of the most critical corners of the Trump administration, officials show up for work now never entirely sure who will be there by the end of the evening — themselves included.'” “Groundswell is an influential driver of that uncertainty. Its members have been working toward this moment for three years. They have lists. They have memos. And they have the president’s ear,” Swan writes.
If that thought doesn’t inspire your own outbreak of paranoia, it’s not certain that anything can.
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Original reporting by Jonathan Swan at Axios.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-23--Trump calls for new Mueller investigation — into Democrats — in a sarcastic tweet

Perhaps this is what passes for sarcasm in Donald Trump ’ s defective mind .
With the president already trying to shift the news cycle away from the leaked briefing to House Intelligence Committee members that revealed that Russia is again intervening in the American elections to reelect Trump — the Kremlin ’ s compliant choice to remain in the White House — he has denied being aware of the contents of that briefing and accused the Democratic chairman of the committee of leaking the supposedly non-existent classified information to the media .
Trump ’ s threats towards Congressman Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a harbinger of future retaliatory efforts against anyone who dares to hold him accountable for his crimes — notwithstanding , the president implausibly suggested that , with the accusations that Russia is also helping the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders , Democrats appoint the former special counsel who spent months investigating Russian collusion with the Trump campaign and put multiple members of his senior campaign staff in prison to open a new investigation into the charges .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Any Russian effort to help Senator Sanders win the Democratic nomination is likely related to the Republican strategy of having Trump supporters “ vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats ” as Trump urged his followers to do in his New Hampshire rally right before that state ’ s primary vote .
Unfortunately for Trump , his plan may wind up backfiring as Sanders ’ Democratic Socialist agenda of Medicare for all , free college tuition , universal child care , forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common in other advanced nations prove increasingly attractive to any American not on the Forbes 500 list of the richest people in the country .
Trump ’ s sudden faux respect for the man whom he regularly insulted as presiding over a “ WITCH HUNT ” demonstrates his continued sensitivity over the legitimacy of his election despite his loss of the popular ballot by nearly three million votes .
His sarcastic and vindictive suggestion that his Democratic investigators turn their sights on the Sanders campaign is yet another attempt at deflecting media attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary finding — that any Kremlin attempts to help the Sanders campaign are designed to help reelect Trump himself .
The fact that Sanders has vehemently rejected any help that Russia may try to use to influence Democratic voters to support him — saying “ Here ’ s the message to Russia : Stay out of American elections.
” — contrasts with Trump ’ s own denials of the conclusions that every U.S. intelligence agency has already confirmed .
Trump ’ s continued gaslighting may fool some of the American people , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going on and will work as hard as we can to prevent anyone but the American people from determining the results of this year ’ s contest .
Fool us once , shame on you , but , as The Who once famously sang , we won ’ t get fooled again .
What do you think ?

Perhaps this is what passes for sarcasm in Donald Trump’s defective mind.
With the president already trying to shift the news cycle away from the leaked briefing to House Intelligence Committee members that revealed that Russia is again intervening in the American elections to reelect Trump — the Kremlin’s compliant choice to remain in the White House — he has denied being aware of the contents of that briefing and accused the Democratic chairman of the committee of leaking the supposedly non-existent classified information to the media.
Somebody please tell incompetent (thanks for my high poll numbers) & corrupt politician Adam “Shifty” Schiff to stop leaking Classified information or, even worse, made up information, to the Fake News Media. Someday he will be caught, & that will be a very unpleasant experience! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 23, 2020
Trump’s threats towards Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) — currently empty but a harbinger of future retaliatory efforts against anyone who dares to hold him accountable for his crimes — notwithstanding, the president implausibly suggested that, with the accusations that Russia is also helping the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, Democrats appoint the former special counsel who spent months investigating Russian collusion with the Trump campaign and put multiple members of his senior campaign staff in prison to open a new investigation into the charges.
Are any Democrat operatives, the DNC, or Crooked Hillary Clinton, blaming Russia, Russia, Russia for the Bernie Sanders win in Nevada. If so I suggest calling Bob Mueller & the 13 Angry Democrats to do a new Mueller Report, Democrat Edition. Bob will get to the bottom of it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 23, 2020
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
Any Russian effort to help Senator Sanders win the Democratic nomination is likely related to the Republican strategy of having Trump supporters “vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats” as Trump urged his followers to do in his New Hampshire rally right before that state’s primary vote.
Unfortunately for Trump, his plan may wind up backfiring as Sanders’ Democratic Socialist agenda of Medicare for all, free college tuition, universal child care, forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes, and other policies that are common in other advanced nations prove increasingly attractive to any American not on the Forbes 500 list of the richest people in the country.
Trump’s sudden faux respect for the man whom he regularly insulted as presiding over a “WITCH HUNT” demonstrates his continued sensitivity over the legitimacy of his election despite his loss of the popular ballot by nearly three million votes.
His sarcastic and vindictive suggestion that his Democratic investigators turn their sights on the Sanders campaign is yet another attempt at deflecting media attention away from the intelligence briefing’s primary finding — that any Kremlin attempts to help the Sanders campaign are designed to help reelect Trump himself.
The fact that Sanders has vehemently rejected any help that Russia may try to use to influence Democratic voters to support him — saying “Here’s the message to Russia: Stay out of American elections.” — contrasts with Trump’s own denials of the conclusions that every U.S. intelligence agency has already confirmed.
Trump’s continued gaslighting may fool some of the American people, but the majority of us can see exactly what’s going on and will work as hard as we can to prevent anyone but the American people from determining the results of this year’s contest.
Fool us once, shame on you, but, as The Who once famously sang, we won’t get fooled again.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-02-23--“A psycho and a buffoon”: George Conway describes Trump to a “T” with his latest tweet

By now George Conway , the conservative Republican lawyer married to Donald Trump ’ s senior political advisor Kellyanne Conway , and his antipathy towards his wife ’ s boss has become legendary in the annals of GOP infighting .
As one of the most prominent of the traditionalist Republicans labeled “ Never-Trumpers , ” Mr. Conway has established a running Twitter commentary on the president ’ s every misstep and misdeed , while consistently reminding the public that not only is the wanna-be emperor not wearing any clothes but that he is certifiably mentally deficient and unstable as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of speculative fiction similar in concept to science fiction giant Phillip K. Dick ’ s The Man in the High Castle , creating an imaginary scenario of a world where Donald Trump had not won the 2016 GOP presidential nomination and envisioning how the future political fortunes of his chosen party might be different had the establishment Republican had not caved in to allow such an obviously unqualified criminal to become their candidate .
Add your name to tell the ABA : Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conway has become somewhat of a hero to the progressive left by his willingness to stand up to Donald Trump and say aloud what other establishment Republicans only mutter fearfully to themselves in private , he betrays his GOP roots with his ill-informed reference to Senator Bernie Sanders as a “ barely ( if at all ) reconstructed communist.
” His political analysis of what a more “ stable and competent ” candidate could have accomplished as a GOP president , however , is both plausible and logical if a bit optimistic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitt Romney may have fared in a matchup against Hillary Clinton .
Alas , as in all fictional tales , one must eventually return to reality as Mr. Conway does in the third and final tweet in this particular thread .
On this last point , it ’ s difficult to argue with Conway — no matter how much you may not want to see another Republican in the White House ever again — as he so ardently yearns for his party to regain its senses and its sense of morality .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one Republican has the courage to stand up a president who earns Conway ’ s description of psychosis and buffoonery on a daily basis .
What do you think ?

By now George Conway, the conservative Republican lawyer married to Donald Trump’s senior political advisor Kellyanne Conway, and his antipathy towards his wife’s boss has become legendary in the annals of GOP infighting.
As one of the most prominent of the traditionalist Republicans labeled “Never-Trumpers,” Mr. Conway has established a running Twitter commentary on the president’s every misstep and misdeed, while consistently reminding the public that not only is the wanna-be emperor not wearing any clothes but that he is certifiably mentally deficient and unstable as well.
This morning George engaged in a form of speculative fiction similar in concept to science fiction giant Phillip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, creating an imaginary scenario of a world where Donald Trump had not won the 2016 GOP presidential nomination and envisioning how the future political fortunes of his chosen party might be different had the establishment Republican had not caved in to allow such an obviously unqualified criminal to become their candidate.
https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/1231610442897817600?s=20
Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!
While Mr. Conway has become somewhat of a hero to the progressive left by his willingness to stand up to Donald Trump and say aloud what other establishment Republicans only mutter fearfully to themselves in private, he betrays his GOP roots with his ill-informed reference to Senator Bernie Sanders as a “barely (if at all) reconstructed communist.”
His political analysis of what a more “stable and competent” candidate could have accomplished as a GOP president, however, is both plausible and logical if a bit optimistic in its predictions of how Ted Cruz or Mitt Romney may have fared in a matchup against Hillary Clinton.
Alas, as in all fictional tales, one must eventually return to reality as Mr. Conway does in the third and final tweet in this particular thread.
But @realDonaldTrump isn’t, doesn’t, and won’t. Because he’s a psycho and a buffoon. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) February 23, 2020
On this last point, it’s difficult to argue with Conway — no matter how much you may not want to see another Republican in the White House ever again — as he so ardently yearns for his party to regain its senses and its sense of morality.
It’s still good to know that at least one Republican has the courage to stand up a president who earns Conway’s description of psychosis and buffoonery on a daily basis.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts