rawstory--2020-01-17--Here’s the bizarre truth about the power of Donald Trump’s toilet obsession

For Donald Trump , the personal certainly is the political .
He has shown himself to be a malignant narcissist .
He is an egomaniac .
Trump ’ s personal obsessions drive most if not all of his behavior .
He has no conception , care or concern for most other people .
This article was originally published at Salon Trump ’ s personal and political brand is grievance-mongering and a false narrative of white victimhood .
This won Donald Trump the White House and remains the bedrock of his political cult and popularity .
Trump is obsessed with personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ king , emperor or mob boss , he is fixated on the absolute fealty of his minions .
As many of the country ’ s leading mental health experts have pointed out , Trump is extremely insecure .
This in turn fuels his bullying and anti-social behavior .
The personal is the political for Donald Trump in the most base and crude ways as well .
During the 2016 presidential campaign he repeatedly talked about menstruation as a way of suggesting that women are unpredictable , hyper-emotional and irrational .
Both as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boast about himself , Trump has publicly bragged about the size of his genitals .
He appears fixated on human waste and toilets .
As such , his politics are scatological and infantile .
Such themes are the basis of Trump ’ s 2020 re-election campaign .
This is a common feature of right-wing authoritarian movements and their faux “ populist ” appeal .
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat explained this in a recent conversation with Salon : “ That is the personality cult .
For Trump ’ s rule to work — as with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leader must be both an everyman and a superman .
The leader is a populist in the sense that he speaks the ‘ language of the people.
’ Almost all of these types of leaders have a sense of humor where they make crude jokes that get people to laugh .
Politically incorrect jokes .
Their humor is corrosive , of course .
But the jokes work in showing that these types of leaders are very much of the people.
” At a political rally held Tuesday night in Milwaukee , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News reports : “ I ’ m also approving new dishwashers that give you more water , so you can actually wash and rinse your dishes without having to do it 10 times – four , five , six , seven , eight , nine , 10 , ” he said , likely attacking Department of Energy regulations .
“ Sinks , toilets and showers , you don ’ t get any water .
They put restrictors on and now they made them permanent .
“ You go into the shower — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I need a lot of water — and you turn on the water [ and ] drip , drip , drip .
I call the guy , ‘ something wrong with this ?
’ ‘ No , sir , it ’ s just the restrictor ’ .
So you ’ re in there five times longer than you ’ re supposed to be , you use probably more water and it ’ s a very unpleasant experience .
We ’ re getting rid of the restrictors , you ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” During the Milwaukee rally , Trump also repeatedly mimicked flushing a toilet .
Our president also has a special obsession with dishwashers .
“ Remember the dishwasher ?
” he asked , as if it were a relic of the past .
“ You ’ d press it , boom !
There ’ d be , like , an explosion .
Five minutes later you open it up , the steam pours out … Anybody have a new dishwasher ?
I ’ m sorry for that.
” Trump also told his almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be beautiful ” because of his presidency .
Is this an effective political strategy for winning the 2020 presidential election ?
Trump ’ s public opinion polls and other data suggests it may be .
Despite impeachment , numerous scandals and many other failures of governance and leadership , Trump remains remarkably popular among his supporters .
He continues to have the largest built-in base of support in the history of modern public opinion polls .
Trump ’ s strategy is based on motivating his followers , not on expanding that core of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy is not some form of three-dimensional chess .
Nor are such appeals an example of Trump and his handlers ’ political genius or sophistication .
Trump is simply channeling the personal as the political in a very basic way .
Trump ’ s toilet politics are intimate , tangible , real , immediate and visceral for his cult members .
They can flip a light switch and see that their new bulbs are not as bright or pleasing to the eye .
Trumpists can look at the waste in their toilets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swirl down the bowl in as pleasing a way as previously .
In a world where they feel disempowered and confused by the complexities of social and political life in the 21st century , their Great Leader is offering them something tangible that they can both understand and control .
As political scientists have repeatedly demonstrated since at least the 1950s , the American public is largely non-ideological and unsophisticated , and lacks any systematic understanding and knowledge of public policy .
Modern conservatism is also anti-intellectual .
In addition , the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civic literacy , aided by a failing educational system that does not teach critical thinking or what it means to be a responsible democratic citizen .
Ultimately , Trump ’ s toilet politics are a type of heuristic or decision-rule that his supporters and other followers can use to simplify their political decisions .
Instead of being interpreted as deep or complex , Donald Trump ’ s toilet politics are best understood as basic psychology applied to the needs and desires of his followers .
Social psychologists and other researchers have shown that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ negativity bias ” wherein their brain structures and socialization encourage them to fixate on upsetting images and concepts .
As a corollary , that dynamic is why authoritarians and conservatives tend to have more cleaning products in their homes than do liberals and those others who are less authoritarian and conservative .
This obsession with “ cleanliness ” is also an element in why Trump ’ s supporters and other right-wing conservatives and authoritarians are hostile to nonwhite migrants and refugees from Latin America , as well as to nonwhites more generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nonwhites in America have been stigmatized and stereotyped through the white gaze as somehow being “ dirty ” , “ unclean ” or , in the most extreme version , “ invaders ” and a human form of pollution .
Trump and the right-wing media make frequent and deliberate use of that language and imagery in their white identity politics campaign against the equal human and civil rights of nonwhite people , both in America and around the world .
Some examples : Black and brown cities such as Chicago and Baltimore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ; nonwhite migrants and refugees are “ snakes ” , “ rats ” or other vermin .
Trump ’ s toilet politics are also symbolic .
They are a tool for leveraging “ political correctness ” and the notion that “ those people ” ( experts , the college-educated , big city “ liberals , ” “ big government ” ) are telling “ us ” ( Trumpers , conservatives , white right-wing Christians , red state America ) what to do .
In her much-cited 2016 Harvard Business Review article , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by contrast , epitomizes the dorky arrogance and smugness of the professional elite .
The dorkiness : the pantsuits .
The arrogance : the email server .
The smugness : the basket of deplorables .
Worse , her mere presence rubs it in that even women from her class can treat working-class men with disrespect .
Look at how she condescends to Trump as unfit to hold the office of the presidency and dismisses his supporters as racist , sexist , homophobic , or xenophobic .
Trump ’ s blunt talk taps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Directness is a working-class norm , ” notes [ Alfred ] Lubrano .
As one blue-collar guy told him , “ If you have a problem with me , come talk to me .
If you have a way you want something done , come talk to me .
I don ’ t like people who play these two-faced games.
” Straight talk is seen as requiring manly courage , not being “ a total wuss and a wimp , ” an electronics technician told Lamont .
Of course Trump appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she talks one way in public and another in private ?
Further proof she ’ s a two-faced phony .
Manly dignity is a big deal for working-class men , and they ’ re not feeling that they have it .
Trump promises a world free of political correctness and a return to an earlier era , when men were men and women knew their place .
It ’ s comfort food for high-school-educated guys who could have been my father-in-law if they ’ d been born 30 years earlier .
Today they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they met Trump .
While Donald Trump entertained and excited his supporters with his toilet politics performance in Milwaukee , the Democrats held another 2020 presidential primary debate , the last before the Iowa caucuses .
The debate was boring .
There was an effort by the political horse-race types to gin up controversy about Bernie Sanders supposedly telling Elizabeth Warren that a woman could not be elected president .
Such “ he said , she said ” arguments are a distraction from the central issue of how best to defeat Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have engaged in an intelligent discussion of important matters of public concern — but there was nothing compelling about their discussion that was likely to move undecided voters or non-voters in a significant way .
And yes , any of the remaining Democratic candidates would be a far better president than Donald Trump or any other potential Republican candidate .
The Democratic nominee , whoever it may be , will almost certainly beat Donald Trump in the popular vote .
He or she may do this easily .
Unfortunately for America and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ignorant , nihilistic voters in key states who will vote for him no matter what .
Trump ’ s toilet politics are part of the appeal .
Our country needs a more intelligent and better informed electorate , one capable of taking on complex issues such as climate disaster ; resource scarcity ; the revolutionary economic changes caused by robots , AI and algorithms ; social inequality ; the rise of China as a peer competitor to the United States and many other matters .
Instead it has Trumpism , a dumbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its elevation .
To those outside Trump ’ s political cult , his toilet politics seem buffoonish and stupid .
For those inside his cult , it is gospel .
That divergence is why Trump ’ s critics have consistently underestimated his power and durability .
Again , that failure to understand the appeal of Trumpism is why those same critics , analysts and pundits will likely be watching him win re-election in November , with their mouths agape and their spirits broken .

For Donald Trump, the personal certainly is the political.
He has shown himself to be a malignant narcissist. He is an egomaniac. Trump's personal obsessions drive most if not all of his behavior. He has no conception, care or concern for most other people.
This article was originally published at Salon
Trump's personal and political brand is grievance-mongering and a false narrative of white victimhood. This won Donald Trump the White House and remains the bedrock of his political cult and popularity.
Trump is obsessed with personal slights. As such, like a king, emperor or mob boss, he is fixated on the absolute fealty of his minions. As many of the country's leading mental health experts have pointed out, Trump is extremely insecure. This in turn fuels his bullying and anti-social behavior.
The personal is the political for Donald Trump in the most base and crude ways as well. During the 2016 presidential campaign he repeatedly talked about menstruation as a way of suggesting that women are unpredictable, hyper-emotional and irrational.
Both as an insult to his male rivals and a boast about himself, Trump has publicly bragged about the size of his genitals. He appears fixated on human waste and toilets. As such, his politics are scatological and infantile.
Such themes are the basis of Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. This is a common feature of right-wing authoritarian movements and their faux "populist" appeal. Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat explained this in a recent conversation with Salon: "That is the personality cult. For Trump's rule to work — as with Putin and other autocrats and authoritarians — the leader must be both an everyman and a superman. The leader is a populist in the sense that he speaks the 'language of the people.' Almost all of these types of leaders have a sense of humor where they make crude jokes that get people to laugh. Politically incorrect jokes. Their humor is corrosive, of course. But the jokes work in showing that these types of leaders are very much of the people."
At a political rally held Tuesday night in Milwaukee, Donald Trump performed this role again. Yahoo News reports:
"I'm also approving new dishwashers that give you more water, so you can actually wash and rinse your dishes without having to do it 10 times – four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10," he said, likely attacking Department of Energy regulations. "Sinks, toilets and showers, you don't get any water. They put restrictors on and now they made them permanent. "You go into the shower — and I have this beautiful head of hair, I need a lot of water — and you turn on the water [and] drip, drip, drip. I call the guy, 'something wrong with this?' 'No, sir, it's just the restrictor'. So you're in there five times longer than you're supposed to be, you use probably more water and it's a very unpleasant experience. We're getting rid of the restrictors, you're going to have full shower flow, full sink."
During the Milwaukee rally, Trump also repeatedly mimicked flushing a toilet.
Our president also has a special obsession with dishwashers. "Remember the dishwasher?" he asked, as if it were a relic of the past. "You'd press it, boom! There'd be, like, an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up, the steam pours out … Anybody have a new dishwasher? I'm sorry for that." Trump also told his almost all-white crowd that their "dishes will be beautiful" because of his presidency.
Is this an effective political strategy for winning the 2020 presidential election?
Trump's public opinion polls and other data suggests it may be. Despite impeachment, numerous scandals and many other failures of governance and leadership, Trump remains remarkably popular among his supporters. He continues to have the largest built-in base of support in the history of modern public opinion polls. Trump's strategy is based on motivating his followers, not on expanding that core of support.
But Trump's toilet-politics strategy is not some form of three-dimensional chess. Nor are such appeals an example of Trump and his handlers' political genius or sophistication. Trump is simply channeling the personal as the political in a very basic way.
Trump's toilet politics are intimate, tangible, real, immediate and visceral for his cult members. They can flip a light switch and see that their new bulbs are not as bright or pleasing to the eye. Trumpists can look at the waste in their toilets and become frustrated that their excreta do not swirl down the bowl in as pleasing a way as previously.
In a world where they feel disempowered and confused by the complexities of social and political life in the 21st century, their Great Leader is offering them something tangible that they can both understand and control. As political scientists have repeatedly demonstrated since at least the 1950s, the American public is largely non-ideological and unsophisticated, and lacks any systematic understanding and knowledge of public policy. Modern conservatism is also anti-intellectual. In addition, the United States is afflicted with a lack of civic literacy, aided by a failing educational system that does not teach critical thinking or what it means to be a responsible democratic citizen.
Ultimately, Trump's toilet politics are a type of heuristic or decision-rule that his supporters and other followers can use to simplify their political decisions. Instead of being interpreted as deep or complex, Donald Trump's toilet politics are best understood as basic psychology applied to the needs and desires of his followers.
Social psychologists and other researchers have shown that right-wing authoritarians and other conservatives possess a "negativity bias" wherein their brain structures and socialization encourage them to fixate on upsetting images and concepts. As a corollary, that dynamic is why authoritarians and conservatives tend to have more cleaning products in their homes than do liberals and those others who are less authoritarian and conservative.
This obsession with "cleanliness" is also an element in why Trump's supporters and other right-wing conservatives and authoritarians are hostile to nonwhite migrants and refugees from Latin America, as well as to nonwhites more generally. Historically and through to the present, nonwhites in America have been stigmatized and stereotyped through the white gaze as somehow being "dirty", "unclean" or, in the most extreme version, "invaders" and a human form of pollution. Trump and the right-wing media make frequent and deliberate use of that language and imagery in their white identity politics campaign against the equal human and civil rights of nonwhite people, both in America and around the world.
Some examples: Black and brown cities such as Chicago and Baltimore are "dirty" and "dangerous"; nonwhite migrants and refugees are "snakes", "rats" or other vermin.
Trump's toilet politics are also symbolic. They are a tool for leveraging "political correctness" and the notion that "those people" (experts, the college-educated, big city "liberals," "big government") are telling "us" (Trumpers, conservatives, white right-wing Christians, red state America) what to do.
In her much-cited 2016 Harvard Business Review article, Joan Williams explains this:
Hillary Clinton, by contrast, epitomizes the dorky arrogance and smugness of the professional elite. The dorkiness: the pantsuits. The arrogance: the email server. The smugness: the basket of deplorables. Worse, her mere presence rubs it in that even women from her class can treat working-class men with disrespect. Look at how she condescends to Trump as unfit to hold the office of the presidency and dismisses his supporters as racist, sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic. Trump's blunt talk taps into another blue-collar value: straight talk. "Directness is a working-class norm," notes [Alfred] Lubrano. As one blue-collar guy told him, "If you have a problem with me, come talk to me. If you have a way you want something done, come talk to me. I don't like people who play these two-faced games." Straight talk is seen as requiring manly courage, not being "a total wuss and a wimp," an electronics technician told Lamont. Of course Trump appeals. Clinton's clunky admission that she talks one way in public and another in private? Further proof she's a two-faced phony. Manly dignity is a big deal for working-class men, and they're not feeling that they have it. Trump promises a world free of political correctness and a return to an earlier era, when men were men and women knew their place. It's comfort food for high-school-educated guys who could have been my father-in-law if they'd been born 30 years earlier. Today they feel like losers — or did until they met Trump.
While Donald Trump entertained and excited his supporters with his toilet politics performance in Milwaukee, the Democrats held another 2020 presidential primary debate, the last before the Iowa caucuses.
The debate was boring. There was an effort by the political horse-race types to gin up controversy about Bernie Sanders supposedly telling Elizabeth Warren that a woman could not be elected president. Such "he said, she said" arguments are a distraction from the central issue of how best to defeat Donald Trump.
Yes, the Democratic candidates may have engaged in an intelligent discussion of important matters of public concern — but there was nothing compelling about their discussion that was likely to move undecided voters or non-voters in a significant way. And yes, any of the remaining Democratic candidates would be a far better president than Donald Trump or any other potential Republican candidate.
The Democratic nominee, whoever it may be, will almost certainly beat Donald Trump in the popular vote. He or she may do this easily. Unfortunately for America and the world, Trump commands a core group of ignorant, nihilistic voters in key states who will vote for him no matter what. Trump's toilet politics are part of the appeal.
Our country needs a more intelligent and better informed electorate, one capable of taking on complex issues such as climate disaster; resource scarcity; the revolutionary economic changes caused by robots, AI and algorithms; social inequality; the rise of China as a peer competitor to the United States and many other matters. Instead it has Trumpism, a dumbing down of the American public rather than its elevation.
To those outside Trump's political cult, his toilet politics seem buffoonish and stupid. For those inside his cult, it is gospel. That divergence is why Trump's critics have consistently underestimated his power and durability. Again, that failure to understand the appeal of Trumpism is why those same critics, analysts and pundits will likely be watching him win re-election in November, with their mouths agape and their spirits broken.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Trump wants to change ‘so unfair’ law that bars American companies from bribing foreign governments

U.S. law currently prohibits American companies from bribing foreign governments — but President Donald Trump and his administration want to change that .
Bloomberg reports that White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Friday that they were “ looking at ” making changes to a 1977 law that bars American businesses from shelling out overseas bribes amid complaints from some companies that it puts them at a competitive disadvantage with companies that are allowed to dole out cash to foreign governments at will .
Trump ’ s desire to let American companies bribe other countries was first revealed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig , which is titled “ A Very Stable Genius : Donald J. Trump ’ s Testing of America.
” “ It ’ s just so unfair that American companies aren ’ t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas , ” Trump said , according to the book .
“ We ’ re going to change that.
” The book also claims that Trump clashed with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson over scrapping the law , as Tillerson believed that paying bribes was the textbook @ @ @ @

He has already teased the idea of having his own contrasting event.
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"Donald Trump can waive his first court appearance, but he cannot waive the surrender," Bluestein said on MSNBC Wednesday. "He is going to have to show up at the Fulton County jail between now and next Friday at noon. My hunch is he's not going to go under the cover of night.
"And I know you mentioned at the top of the show there's a chance he could do it on debate day next Wednesday, and that's what the political minds here in Georgia are all talking about — the possibility that he could do counter-programming to the debate."
He went on to say that the conditions at the Fulton County jail are horrific and that they've been cited with civil rights complaints. Trump isn't likely to spend any time in a cell.
"It's not a place you'd wish upon even one of your worst enemies," Bluestein continued. "There's been a legal settlement involving someone who recently died there involving a bedbug infestation. It is not a place where we expect Donald Trump to spend much time."
He explained that it's overcrowded, so they would have to empty things out to ensure that he had his own secure area if he were to be in a cell.
For the last three arraignments, cable news media has gone so far as to follow the former president's plane as it took off and landed, then his motorcade as it winded around the streets. Supplemental panels of political and legal experts, and reporters on the ground, round out hours-long programming focusing on the arraignment's most minute details. Since in Georgia the court proceedings are likely to be televised, it will probably garner even more attention.
"We know there are deliberations that were continuing overnight into exactly when he will come down here to Georgia," said NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard. "We know that he will be going to a fundraiser in Nashville tomorrow, so potentially Thursday or Friday are still possibilities. Though we have seen in the past, obviously, a great amount of protocol and preparation made ahead of his actual movements for his arraignments.
"And I think what's an important point here is that in Georgia, he will not only have to surrender here at the Fulton County jail, but he will also have to take part in an arraignment, and those events could happen at two different times and the arraignment could potentially be waived. It could potentially happen virtually."
The Secret Service has already been in touch with the sheriff's office to organize the surrender, according to reports.
See the full details in the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Bill Barr singling out Trump’s enemies for ‘selective’ scrutiny: ‘The pattern is unmistakable’

Attorney General William Barr is singling out President Donald Trump ’ s enemies , one by one , for scrutiny .
The deeply conservative Barr has opened investigations into special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe and FISA warrants used to put Trump associates under surveillance in 2016 , and he ’ s repeatedly gone after former FBI director James Comey and others who looked into Trump ’ s ties to Russia , reported the Intelligencer .
“ No single case is egregious enough to prove bias on its own , ” wrote New York Magazine columnist Jonathan Chait .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s enemies are scoured for any violation that can be found , and held to the strictest letter of the law , while his allies are given broad latitude.
” “ Enough cases fit the pattern for it to have become unmistakable , ” he added .
It ’ s even more telling to consider which cases Barr has decided not to investigate — such as the release of private text messages from former FBI agent Lisa Page , who ’ s now suing the Justice Department , or leaks related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is not arbitrarily having his opponents arrested , ” Chait wrote .
“ He is doing something more subtle , but still extremely dangerous : using the Department of Justice to selectively hold his opponents to the most exacting levels of legal scrutiny that are not broadly applied .
It doesn ’ t even matter that not every investigation brings charges , and the charges themselves probably won ’ t hold up in court.
” “ The time , expense , and reputational cost of the investigations will be damaging enough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump is corrupting the rule of law .
“ The message Trump has sent to his bureaucracy is unmistakable , ” Chait wrote .
“ Political loyalists will be granted broad latitude , and displays of troublesome independence will be held to the strictest accountability .
Fascism is not descending on Trump ’ s America , and the rule of law has not disappeared .
But its slow disintegration has crossed a dangerous threshold .
”

Seventeen minutes after the 13 new felony charges were released, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) took to social media and declared it a “ WITCH HUNT .”
And before the clock struck 11:30 p.m., House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) declared the two-plus-year investigation a “ sham ,” even as a sworn grand jury in Fulton County, Ga., unanimously disagreed with the speaker’s assessment.
Today’s indictment is just the latest political attack in the Democrats’ WITCH HUNT against President Trump.
He did nothing wrong!
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 15, 2023
A senior member of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), says we ain’t seen nothing yet.
“We're going to be subjected to a massive disinformation and distraction campaign by the Republicans. Distort, distract, deflect and dissemble. Those are the tools of the trade,” Connolly told Raw Story. “But I think it's going to be very hard to overcome the facts as they're being laid out in these various indictments.”
While the conservative media machine is following the lead of Trump and his Republican allies in Congress, Connolly says their distortions-to-lies get harder to defend with each new case — not to mention the 91 felony charges now hanging over the former president.
RELATED ARTICLE: 11 ways Donald Trump doesn’t become president again
“They’re all engaged in defending the indefensible. You know, they can rail all they want about a laptop that was owned by the son of the president of the United States, but we've got four criminal indictments in four different locations of the former president and his acolytes,” Connolly says. “And that's pretty compelling.”
Still, even before the indictment dropped Monday evening, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) urged Republicans to defund special counsel Jack Smith, which is something Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL), for two, have been pushing in Congress.
Gingrich goes on to urge House Republicans to cut off special counsel Jack Smith's funding as of September 30, saying, "I think this is so dangerous to the very survival of the republic that it has to be stopped." pic.twitter.com/39C16cTUFw
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) August 15, 2023
Connolly wonders if some Republicans are getting nervous.
“Now, members of Congress, you know, I think many of them crossed the line. Some of them came perilously close to that line, and we'll see what happens with them,” Connolly says.
Of the four Republicans the House Jan. 6 select committee formally referred to the House Ethics Committee — McCarthy, Jordan, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) — the new indictment only mentions Perry .
After all 16 alleged fake electors in Michigan were charged last month, Raw Story exclusively reported Perry — along with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) — denied being worried.
“I don’t have any concerns,” Perry told Raw Story .
This latest indictment has the other three lawmakers named by the Jan. 6 select committee — McCarthy, Biggs and Jordan — publicly parroting Trump, even as Connolly says they’re likely singing a different tune in private.
“In some ways, this is the most sweeping of all of the indictments, because it's all-encompassing. It finally points the finger at what, in fact, all of us saw, and wraps a very coherent narrative around it as a massive conspiracy involving lots of people,” Connolly said. “I mean, that's massive. I think it's a big deal. You can't overstate the criticality of this indictment.”
Connolly says they’re mimicking Trump in more ways than one.
“That’s all part and parcel of the attempt to try to dismantle and degrade and demean and dismiss the legal system in America,” Connolly says. “When you can't win your case in front of a jury, then maybe you try to debunk the entire legal system?”
Gingrich goes on to urge House Republicans to cut off special counsel Jack Smith's funding as of September 30, saying, "I think this is so dangerous to the very survival of the republic that it has to be stopped." pic.twitter.com/39C16cTUFw
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) August 15, 2023
But that’s why Connolly and other Democrats are glad the Fulton County, Ga., trial is slated to be televised — in likely contrast to federal court proceedings, where there are no plans for television coverage.
“It’s necessary for the country to see this, to hear it, to go through this process,” Connolly says. “The public needs to hear the evidence. It's compelling. You know, it's one thing to read a headline and decide you can dismiss it. It's another to be riveted in front of the television and watch the evidence unfold in the courtroom where political rhetoric isn't going to cut it. It's now in a court of law, and you're being held to legal standards. And you're accused of violating them criminally, along with 18 co-conspirators.”


rawstory--2020-01-17--Joining thousands of Swiss climate strikers before Davos, Greta Thunberg tells world leaders: ‘You h

Joining thousands of Swiss climate strikers before Davos, Greta Thunberg tells world leaders: ‘You haven’t seen anything yet’

“ We sure have done this for a long time .
But we need to make clear that this is just the beginning , ” she told a crowd of thousands in Lausanne .
Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg joined thousands of protesters on the streets of Lausanne , Switzerland Friday ahead a summit for the world ’ s business and political leaders in Davos that kicks off Tuesday .
Thunberg , whose solo protests outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018 sparked the global Fridays for Future movement , is among a group of young climate activists who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forum event , which will focus on “ stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world.
” The youth activists are planning to attend the Davos summit to demand that “ participants from all companies , banks , institutions , and governments immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction , immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies , and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.
” Those demands were published in the Guardian last week on the same day that global climate groups launched the “ Stop the Money Pipeline ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asset managers to cut ties with planet-destroying companies .
Thunberg echoed those sentiments in her address to the crowd in Lausanne .
“ We are now in a new year , and we have entered a new decade , and so far , during this decade , we have seen no signs whatsoever that real climate action is coming—and that has to change , ” the 17-year-old said .
“ For well over a year , young people from all across the globe have been school-striking for their right to a future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally , I think this is week 74 of Fridays for Future protests , ” Thunberg continued .
“ We sure have done this for a long time .
But we need to make clear that this is just the beginning.
” “ To the world leaders , and those in power , I would like to say that you haven ’ t seen anything yet , ” she declared , eliciting cheers from the crowd .
“ You have not seen the last of us—we can assure you that .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.
” Friday ’ s march marked the one-year anniversary of climate strikes in Lausanne .
“ The demonstrators sang ‘ Happy Birthday ’ to mark the occasion , before setting out on their march , ” reported SWI swissinfo.ch .
“ One year on , they still criticize what they see as inaction on the part of politicians and economic leaders .
Their placards included ‘ Stop capitalism ’ and ‘ I have a green dream . '
” Other signs read : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want a cooler planet , ” and “ Wake up and smell the bushfires , ” a reference to ongoing blazes that have devastated millions of acres of Australia .
Some marchers carried a banner which read , “ Let ’ s change the system , not the climate , ” and reportedly chanted : “ One , two , three degrees !
It ’ s a crime against humanity !
” About 15,000 climate strikers came together for the protest in the city to demand that Swiss banks stop financing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schweiz , which organized Friday ’ s march .
Applauding the “ impressive demonstration ” on Twitter , Swiss climate scientist Sonia I. Seneviratne reiterated experts ’ increasingly urgent warnings that science shows “ there is an emergency ” that “ requires unprecedented changes in society.
” The march in Lausanne coincided with Fridays for Future events across the globe , from Germany , Ireland , and Pakistan , to Sweden , Sierra Leone , and Turkey .
Many strikers drew attention to the bushfire crisis Australia .

"We sure have done this for a long time. But we need to make clear that this is just the beginning," she told a crowd of thousands in Lausanne.
Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg joined thousands of protesters on the streets of Lausanne, Switzerland Friday ahead a summit for the world's business and political leaders in Davos that kicks off Tuesday.
Thunberg, whose solo protests outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018 sparked the global Fridays for Future movement, is among a group of young climate activists who are expected to attend the annual World Economic Forum event, which will focus on "stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world."
The youth activists are planning to attend the Davos summit to demand that "participants from all companies, banks, institutions, and governments immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction, immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies, and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels."
Those demands were published in the Guardian last week on the same day that global climate groups launched the "Stop the Money Pipeline" campaign to pressure banks, insurers, and asset managers to cut ties with planet-destroying companies. Thunberg echoed those sentiments in her address to the crowd in Lausanne.
"We are now in a new year, and we have entered a new decade, and so far, during this decade, we have seen no signs whatsoever that real climate action is coming—and that has to change," the 17-year-old said. "For well over a year, young people from all across the globe have been school-striking for their right to a future every Friday."
"And for me personally, I think this is week 74 of Fridays for Future protests," Thunberg continued. "We sure have done this for a long time. But we need to make clear that this is just the beginning."
"To the world leaders, and those in power, I would like to say that you haven't seen anything yet," she declared, eliciting cheers from the crowd. "You have not seen the last of us—we can assure you that. And that is the message that we will bring to the World Economic Forum in Davos next week."
Watch:
Friday's march marked the one-year anniversary of climate strikes in Lausanne.
"The demonstrators sang 'Happy Birthday' to mark the occasion, before setting out on their march," reportedSWI swissinfo.ch. "One year on, they still criticize what they see as inaction on the part of politicians and economic leaders. Their placards included 'Stop capitalism' and 'I have a green dream.'"
Other signs read: "There is no planet B, "We want a cooler planet," and "Wake up and smell the bushfires," a reference to ongoing blazes that have devastated millions of acres of Australia. Some marchers carried a banner which read, "Let's change the system, not the climate," and reportedly chanted: "One, two, three degrees! It's a crime against humanity!"
About 15,000 climate strikers came together for the protest in the city to demand that Swiss banks stop financing the fossil fuel industry, according to Klimastreik Schweiz, which organized Friday's march.
Applauding the "impressive demonstration" on Twitter, Swiss climate scientist Sonia I. Seneviratne reiterated experts' increasingly urgent warnings that science shows "there is an emergency" that "requires unprecedented changes in society."
The march in Lausanne coincided with Fridays for Future events across the globe, from Germany, Ireland, and Pakistan, to Sweden, Sierra Leone, and Turkey. Many strikers drew attention to the bushfire crisis Australia.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Ex-Ambassador blasts Pompeo as his silence on Yovanovitch creates a ‘crisis of morale’ at the State

Ex-Ambassador blasts Pompeo as his silence on Yovanovitch creates a ‘crisis of morale’ at the State Dept

Addressing reports surrounding the “ crisis of morale ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s reported “ silence ” is creating in the State Department regarding the White House ’ s pressure campaign on Ukraine to investigate President Trump ’ s political rivals , former US Ambassador to Qatar , Dana Shell Smith , told MSNBC ’ s Andrea Mitchell this Friday that Pompeo ’ s silence is “ demoralizing to his own department ” and a “ complete dereliction of his duty.
” “ He has a responsibility to stand up for his people , which I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Smith said , referring to the firing of former US Ambassador to Ukraine , Marie Yovanovitch .
Mitchell then played a clip from a radio interview where Pompeo claimed he never met Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas , and mentioned Ukraine ’ s investigation into an alleged surveillance campaign against Yovanovitch conducted by one of Giuliani and Parnas ’ associates .
“ Just on the face of it , Mike Pompeo has not said anything publicly about [ Trump ’ s phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ] where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person and bad things will happen to her , ” Mitchell said , pointing out that it took Pompeo “ several days until being questioned in Italy to even acknowledge that he was listening into that call.
” “ That ’ s true , ” Smith replied .
“ And not only has he been completely absent on the issue , but the State Department under his leadership has not turned over a single responsive document to the House Foreign Affairs Committee … I mean , frankly , anything Pompeo says on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s irrelevant until they start responding to the inquiry .
”

Addressing reports surrounding the "crisis of morale" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's reported "silence" is creating in the State Department regarding the White House's pressure campaign on Ukraine to investigate President Trump's political rivals, former US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell this Friday that Pompeo's silence is "demoralizing to his own department" and a "complete dereliction of his duty."
"He has a responsibility to stand up for his people, which I'm sure he learned at West Point," Smith said, referring to the firing of former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.
Mitchell then played a clip from a radio interview where Pompeo claimed he never met Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, and mentioned Ukraine's investigation into an alleged surveillance campaign against Yovanovitch conducted by one of Giuliani and Parnas' associates.
"Just on the face of it, Mike Pompeo has not said anything publicly about [Trump's phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky] where he said [Yovanovitch] is a bad person and bad things will happen to her," Mitchell said, pointing out that it took Pompeo "several days until being questioned in Italy to even acknowledge that he was listening into that call."
"That's true," Smith replied. "And not only has he been completely absent on the issue, but the State Department under his leadership has not turned over a single responsive document to the House Foreign Affairs Committee ... I mean, frankly, anything Pompeo says on the radio, to me, it's irrelevant until they start responding to the inquiry."
Watch:


rawstory--2020-01-17--Trump-loving GOP candidate implicated by Parnas says ‘scumbag’ Adam Schiff set him up in conspirator

Trump-loving GOP candidate implicated by Parnas says ‘scumbag’ Adam Schiff set him up in conspiratorial rant

Robert Hyde , a Trump-loving Republican congressional hopeful from Connecticut who was implicated in text messages with former Rudy Giuliani henchman Lev Parnas , posted a bizarre conspiratorial rant on Friday in which he claimed to have been set up by Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) .
In a video posted on his own Twitter account , Hyde accused Schiff of trying to “ f*ck with me ” by having a man pretending to be a Ukrainian operative contact him about surveilling and possibly either kidnapping or assassinating former American ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch .
“ Come on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that intel of me in Ukraine spying on Marie Yovanovitch ?
!
” he shouted at the camera .
“ You ’ re a scumbag , Adam Schiff , and the world knows it !
” In text messages between Hyde and Parnas released this week , the Republican congressional hopeful claimed that he was tracking Yovanovitch through her computer and phone .
Hyde also suggested that unspecified “ security forces ” could deal with Yovanovitch “ if you want her out.
” Hyde ’ s strange texts reportedly earned him a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

At least one of those close to Trump has flipped. An un-indicted co-conspirator, known as Individual 20 in the indictment, was in the Oval Office when conversations occurred around getting data from the Georgia voting machines.
Speculation has run wild Tuesday about whether the 18 other defendants will flip on the former president to save themselves, or if Trump will throw the 18 under the bus.
"I think for Donald Trump, this indictment is particularly of interest because of the fact that he is one of 19 defendants," said NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard. "The conversation you guys were just having, for Donald Trump, he remains the — I guess, the head of this power apparatus that acts as a political party, but as Fani Willis alleges, is a criminal enterprise. For Donald Trump, there is a reality that those other 18 defendants are the most loyal of individuals after the 2020 election to him. But who among those individuals will Donald Trump throw off the cliff?"
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He recalled seeing Trump in Iowa over the weekend and asking him whether he stands by the actions of his allies in the aftermath of the 2020 election, and Trump was already in self-protection mode.
"Part of his response to me was clear," Hillyard continued quoting Trump. "Many of the allies I don't know because, to be honest with you, I have so many allies. So, I don't know exactly what you're talking about."
Hillyard found it interesting that Trump was unwilling to say outright he has the back of anyone associated with working on his behalf.
"My question going forward is how many of these individuals will ultimately strike plea agreements with Fani Willis and undercut Donald Trump's own attempts at his own defense," he asked.
The former senior prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller, Andrew Weissmann, cited former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has also been brought in under the federal trial.
"This is where Trump has to circle the wagons, and Mark Meadows is a really good example," he explained. "We know for a fact that he has now been indicted in the state case. What we don't know is what his status is in the federal case. It is possible that he was cooperating. If the indictment doesn't really look like sort of full cooperation, this is a possibility, it is possible he was immunized and sort of partially gave evidence, and it's possible he's not cooperating at all. Either way, at this point the state charges are — obviously this puts more pressure on Mark Meadows to fully cooperate."
He went on to call it the "biggest unknown" for any potential pressure special counsel Jack Smith or District Attorney Fani Willis will use in their respective cases to pressure Trump allies.
"Saying 'I did something wrong. I committed a crime,' just doesn't seem like something that would happen absent his being charged and absent real responsibility on his part, and I could see him having to plead guilty to something if he wanted to be that kind of cooperating witness," said Weissmann. "That is the biggest question I see here compared to all the other unindicted co-conspirators in the other case."
See the full conversation in the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Poll reveals the damning details of most African-Americans’ views of Trump

On November 4 , 2008 , the United States achieved something that many older African-Americans feared they would never live to see : it elected its first black president — and in 2012 , President Barack Obama won a second term .
But Obama ’ s presidency was followed by the Donald Trump era , and according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month , most African-Americans have a very low opinion of Obama ’ s successor in the White House : the poll found that eight out of ten blacks in the U.S. believe that President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ten African-Americans , according to the poll , disapprove of Trump ’ s job performance — and 65 % of African-Americans believe it is a “ bad time ” to be black in the United States .
A talking point one often hears in the right-wing media is that African-Americans have fared better under Trump than they did under Obama .
But truth be told , the Great Recession ended under Obama ; unemployment was down to 4.7 % ( according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ) in December 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
And the Post/Ipsos poll found that most African-Americans credit Obama more than Trump for the United States ’ economic recovery : 77 % of African-Americans , according to the Post and Ipsos , believe Trump deserves “ only some ” or “ hardly any ” of the credit for the decrease in black unemployment following the Great Recession .
The poll found most African-Americans to be pessimistic about the future : only 16 % believe that black children born in the U.S. today have a “ good opportunity to achieve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 48-year-old African-American truck driver who lives in the Detroit suburbs , told the Post that Trump has encouraged racists to come out of the closet .
Davis pointed to a white co-worker who is now “ waving the Confederate flag on the back of his pickup truck.
” An African-American who responded to the survey asserted that Trump “ has created an atmosphere of division and overt racism and fear of immigrants unseen in many years ” — and another respondent told the Post that Trump “ has taken hatred against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closet to the front porch.
” If any Democrats have doubts about the importance of the black vote to their party , the poll ( which was conducted January 2-8 ) should shatter those doubts : the poll indicated that only about 4 % or 5 % of respondents are open to the possibility of voting for Trump in November .
But African-Americans are more excited about some Democratic presidential candidates than others : the Post reports , “ The level of Democratic support depends on who is the party ’ s nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Joe Biden and falling to 57 % for former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg .

On November 4, 2008, the United States achieved something that many older African-Americans feared they would never live to see: it elected its first black president — and in 2012, President Barack Obama won a second term. But Obama’s presidency was followed by the Donald Trump era, and according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month, most African-Americans have a very low opinion of Obama’s successor in the White House: the poll found that eight out of ten blacks in the U.S. believe that President Trump is a racist.
Nine out of ten African-Americans, according to the poll, disapprove of Trump’s job performance — and 65% of African-Americans believe it is a “bad time” to be black in the United States.
A talking point one often hears in the right-wing media is that African-Americans have fared better under Trump than they did under Obama. But truth be told, the Great Recession ended under Obama; unemployment was down to 4.7% (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) in December 2016, Obama’s last full month in office. And the Post/Ipsos poll found that most African-Americans credit Obama more than Trump for the United States’ economic recovery: 77% of African-Americans, according to the Post and Ipsos, believe Trump deserves “only some” or “hardly any” of the credit for the decrease in black unemployment following the Great Recession.
The poll found most African-Americans to be pessimistic about the future: only 16% believe that black children born in the U.S. today have a “good opportunity to achieve a comfortable standard of living.”
Kenneth Davis, a 48-year-old African-American truck driver who lives in the Detroit suburbs, told the Post that Trump has encouraged racists to come out of the closet. Davis pointed to a white co-worker who is now “waving the Confederate flag on the back of his pickup truck.”
An African-American who responded to the survey asserted that Trump “has created an atmosphere of division and overt racism and fear of immigrants unseen in many years” — and another respondent told the Post that Trump “has taken hatred against people of color in general from the closet to the front porch.”
If any Democrats have doubts about the importance of the black vote to their party, the poll (which was conducted January 2-8) should shatter those doubts: the poll indicated that only about 4% or 5% of respondents are open to the possibility of voting for Trump in November. But African-Americans are more excited about some Democratic presidential candidates than others: the Post reports, “The level of Democratic support depends on who is the party’s nominee, peaking at 82% for former Vice President Joe Biden and falling to 57% for former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Brazil’s culture secretary fired after ‘coincidentally’ quoting Goebbels

Brazil ’ s Secretary of Culture Roberto Alvim was fired Friday , after being accused of paraphrasing Nazi Germany ’ s propaganda chief , Joseph Goebbels , in a speech on the government ’ s vision of the Brazilian arts .
The video , released on Thursday announcing national prizes to revitalise the arts in Brazil , quickly went viral , attracting outrage after the national daily O Globo pointed to the speech ’ s at times word-for-word similarity to Goebbels ’ rhetoric .
Alvim , a born-again Christian and a theatre director appointed last year by Brazil ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prize as music played in the background from an opera by Wagner , Hitler ’ s favourite composer .
“ Brazilian art of the next decade will be heroic and it will be national… and imperative because it will be rooted in the urgent aspirations of our people , or it will be nothing , ” Alvim says in the video .
Goebbels , Hitler ’ s notorious ideologue , told theatre directors during the Nazi regime that : “ German art of the next decade will be heroic , will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free of sentimentality , will be national with great pathos and equally imperative and binding , or else it will be nothing.
” Critics , including the president of Brazil ’ s lower house , quickly called on Alvim to be sacked , calling the speech – and in particular its similarities with that of Goebbels – “ unacceptable ” .
Alvim , meanwhile , said any similarity was simply due to “ rhetorical coincidence ” , saying in a Facebook post that he would never quote Goebbels , but noted “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aspiration of the people is what we want to see in national art.
” In a statement , Bolsonaro said Alvim ’ s position had become untenable following his “ unfortunate remarks.
” “ I reiterate our rejection of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies , ” Bolsonaro said , adding his government ’ s unconditional support for the Jewish community .
On Friday , the government ’ s website was largely inaccessible , but the national newspaper Fohla de S.Paulo cited Alvim ’ s spokesman as saying the cultural secretary had been removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has drawn criticism after launching a project with the aim of revamping the country ’ s arts scene , with a focus on nationalism and religion .
The project is part of the far-right administration ’ s answer to what it sees as decades of leftist hegemony in the cultural sphere , from art to education and family .
Alvim has been the driving force behind the initiative , which is expected to cost the cash-strapped country some $ 4.9 million .

Brazil’s Secretary of Culture Roberto Alvim was fired Friday, after being accused of paraphrasing Nazi Germany’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, in a speech on the government’s vision of the Brazilian arts.
The video, released on Thursday announcing national prizes to revitalise the arts in Brazil, quickly went viral, attracting outrage after the national daily O Globo pointed to the speech's at times word-for-word similarity to Goebbels' rhetoric.
Alvim, a born-again Christian and a theatre director appointed last year by Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, announced the prize as music played in the background from an opera by Wagner, Hitler’s favourite composer.
“Brazilian art of the next decade will be heroic and it will be national... and imperative because it will be rooted in the urgent aspirations of our people, or it will be nothing,” Alvim says in the video.
Goebbels, Hitler’s notorious ideologue, told theatre directors during the Nazi regime that: “German art of the next decade will be heroic, will be wildly romantic, will be objective and free of sentimentality, will be national with great pathos and equally imperative and binding, or else it will be nothing.”
Critics, including the president of Brazil’s lower house, quickly called on Alvim to be sacked, calling the speech – and in particular its similarities with that of Goebbels – “unacceptable”.
Alvim, meanwhile, said any similarity was simply due to “rhetorical coincidence”, saying in a Facebook post that he would never quote Goebbels, but noted “the phrase itself is perfect: heroism and the aspiration of the people is what we want to see in national art.”
In a statement, Bolsonaro said Alvim’s position had become untenable following his “unfortunate remarks.”
“I reiterate our rejection of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies,” Bolsonaro said, adding his government’s unconditional support for the Jewish community.
On Friday, the government’s website was largely inaccessible, but the national newspaper Fohla de S.Paulo cited Alvim’s spokesman as saying the cultural secretary had been removed from office.
Bolsonaro’s government has drawn criticism after launching a project with the aim of revamping the country’s arts scene, with a focus on nationalism and religion. The project is part of the far-right administration’s answer to what it sees as decades of leftist hegemony in the cultural sphere, from art to education and family. Alvim has been the driving force behind the initiative, which is expected to cost the cash-strapped country some $4.9 million.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)


rawstory--2020-01-17--Trump picked Dershowitz to lead impeachment trial because he’s ‘magnificent on TV’: report

President Donald Trump ’ s widely panned decision to pick notorious Jeffrey Epstein lawyer Alan Dershowitz to lead his impeachment @ @ @ @ @ the president liked the way Dershowitz performed on cable news shows .
Axios ’ s @ @ @ @ @ aides in the White House were wary of making Dershowitz the face of the president @ @ @ @ @ because of his controversial work on behalf of Epstein , an accused child sex trafficker @ @ @ @ @ ’ s .
In the end , however , these aides were overruled because “ @ @ @ @ @ on TV , ” one source tells Swan .
In addition to Dershowitz , Trump @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor Ken Starr and attorney Robert Ray to handle his defense at next week ’ @ @ @ @ @ All three men have appeared regularly on Fox News , where they have claimed that @ @ @ @ @ does not rise to the level of impeachment .
Trump ’ s impeachment trial is @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .

President Donald Trump's widely panned decision to pick notorious Jeffrey Epstein lawyer Alan Dershowitz to lead his impeachment trial defense was made because the president liked the way Dershowitz performed on cable news shows.
Axios's Jonathan Swan reports that many aides in the White House were wary of making Dershowitz the face of the president's impeachment defense team because of his controversial work on behalf of Epstein, an accused child sex trafficker and longtime friend of Trump's.
In the end, however, these aides were overruled because "Trump thinks Dershowitz is magnificent on TV," one source tells Swan.
In addition to Dershowitz, Trump also selected former Whitewater special prosecutor Ken Starr and attorney Robert Ray to handle his defense at next week's Senate impeachment trial. All three men have appeared regularly on Fox News, where they have claimed that the case against the president does not rise to the level of impeachment.
Trump's impeachment trial is scheduled to begin this coming Tuesday.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Rand Paul adopts Trump’s ‘mafia style of doing business’ and wants ‘severe consequences’ for rogue G

Rand Paul adopts Trump’s ‘mafia style of doing business’ and wants ‘severe consequences’ for rogue GOP colleagues: op-ed

Aside from the culture of unwavering support for President Trump in the face of his impending Senate impeachment trial , there ’ s a handful of Republicans who ’ ve voiced support for allowing witnesses to testify against Trump .
But according to POLITICO , Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) is making sure to keep any rogue Republicans in line .
“ Paul is waging a fierce campaign to prevent the Senate from hearing witnesses in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , vowing to force tough votes on his fellow Republicans if they break with the president or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says if four or more of his GOP colleagues join with Democrats to entertain new witness testimony , he will make the Senate vote on subpoenaing the president ’ s preferred witnesses , including Hunter Biden and the whistleblower who revealed the Ukraine scandal—polarizing picks who moderate Republicans aren ’ t eager to call .
So he has a simple message for his party : end the trial before witnesses are called , ” POLITICO ’ s Burgess Everett reports .
Writing for Vanity Fair this Thursday , Bess Levin says that Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign he ’ s adopting the Trump administration ’ s “ mafia approach to doing business ” while sending a message to his GOP colleagues that there will be “ severe consequences ” for any kind of anti-Trump “ subordination.
” Read more over at Vanity Fair .

“It is relentless,” wrote one attorney about Cross’ allegedly abusive behavior.
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One complaint submitted by an attorney in the office accused Cross of pitting employees against each other to sow mistrust, which the complaint says caused "numerous" workers to resign or retire, and another complaint accused Maddox of gender discrimination, "sabotage" and “threatening/intimidating/humiliating behavior.”
Cross was accused of "bullying" employees in his division and using personal information about them to criticize workers in front of their colleagues.
“He has made several people, including myself, cry hysterically and seek mental health assistance to deal with the toxic and hostile work environment,” one complaint alleged. “It was so bad that my direct supervisor, who was attending the meeting, checked on me afterward and told me it was brutal and he almost cried with me. I am not the only person who has been subjected to such behavior. Several people have quit. Several are struggling mentally and emotionally, including myself.”
Cameron's predecessor, former Kentucky attorney general Greg Stumbo, said his office never received complaints of that type, and he said swift action would be taken to ensure workers felt safe and treated fairly on the job.
“Those kinds of complaints — harassment, intimidating behavior — they have to raise concerns,” Stumbo. “If you don’t manage it appropriately, that stuff spreads like wildfire. I’ve seen it in my private capacity. It’s a cancer that has to be dealt with as soon as you see it, no matter who it is, be that my closest adviser or confidant. I wouldn’t put up with it.”
MUST READ: 'Tell the truth': CNN panel whacks GOP strategist for justifying 'complicated' response to election lies
The complaint that led to a lawsuit last year accused the director of the office's cybercrimes unit of capturing "zoomed-in" photos of a detective's breast and other "immoral behavior," which caused the woman to fear for her safety in the workplace.
“The conduct that he has been engaging in has been slowly escalating to the point that I am fearful of physical violence,” the detective wrote in her complaint, saying her supervisor’s actions “mimic those of an abuser in a domestic violence situation.”
Cameron's office did not take action on the detective's allegations, finding only that the supervisor “should be reprimanded” for public intoxication and reminded him of the attorney general's expectations, but it's not clear whether that happened, and Cameron's office defended the response and said the claims "lacked merit."
“The Attorney General’s office has the utmost respect for its employees and takes all complaints seriously," said a spokesman for Cameron, who is the Republican nominee challenging Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in November's election. "When a complaint is filed, the office investigates the matter and takes action when warranted. Every employee is also aware of the process for filing complaints with the Personnel Cabinet. We take these matters seriously and address them appropriately."
“Here, the office investigated the complaints and found that the first three complaints mentioned lacked merit," the spokesperson added.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Ken Starr was ousted as president of Baylor University after school was rocked by sexual assault sca

Ken Starr was ousted as president of Baylor University after school was rocked by sexual assault scandals

Disgraced former Baylor University President Kenneth Starr , best known for his role investigating Bill Clinton , has been added to the Trump legal defense team for the impeachment trial , according to media reports .
Starr ’ s investigation into Clinton ’ s sexual misconduct , culminating with the Starr Report , led to Clinton ’ s impeachment .
Starr also previously served as a federal judge for the District of Columbia Circuit in the 1980s .
Under President George H.W .
Bush , he served as U.S. solicitor general , arguing cases before the Supreme Court .
Starr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University in Waco in 2010 and chancellor in 2013 .
After the mishandling of campus sexual assault allegations , he was ousted as president in 2016 and resigned as chancellor and law professor shortly after , cutting all ties with the university .
The sexual assault scandal began after a Baylor football player , Sam Ukwuachu , was convicted of rape .
( In July , an appeals court reversed the decision and ordered a new trial for the second time in two years . )
Testimony during the trial revealed that though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it failed to take any punitive action .
Soon after the conviction , a wave of additional sexual assault allegations were made by female students .
An investigation by an outside law firm retained by the university found a pervasive mishandling of sexual assault cases .
During one of many resulting Title IX suits against Baylor , lawyers alleged that Starr and other university officials helped a student they knew to be accused of sexual harassment .
The university eventually settled with several of the accusers .
Starr will join Robert Wray , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Clinton impeachment proceedings , and Harvard Law School professor and defense attorney Alan Dershowitz , who is known for his representation of controversial figures like O.J .
Simpson and Jeffrey Epstein .
Also added to the team was former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi , who was hired by the White House to handle impeachment communications in November .
In 2013 , a political action committee for Bondi ’ s reelection received a $ 25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation .
Shortly after , Bondi announced she wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University .
The team will be headed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Jay Sekulow .
These appointments come days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston will be one of seven Democrats to prosecute the impeachment case in the Senate .
The House voted largely along party lines in December to impeach Trump over allegations he used his office to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate a family member of his political rival , former Vice President Joe Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove a president with a two-thirds majority vote .
It ’ s considered unlikely the Republican-controlled Senate would join with Democrats to remove Trump from office .
Trump is the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House .
No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate .
The Senate impeachment trial began Thursday with the reading of articles of impeachment .
House Democrats will begin presenting the case against Trump next Tuesday .

Disgraced former Baylor University President Kenneth Starr, best known for his role investigating Bill Clinton, has been added to the Trump legal defense team for the impeachment trial, according to media reports.
Starr’s investigation into Clinton’s sexual misconduct, culminating with the Starr Report, led to Clinton's impeachment. Starr also previously served as a federal judge for the District of Columbia Circuit in the 1980s. Under President George H.W. Bush, he served as U.S. solicitor general, arguing cases before the Supreme Court.
Starr was named the 14th president of Baylor University in Waco in 2010 and chancellor in 2013. After the mishandling of campus sexual assault allegations, he was ousted as president in 2016 and resigned as chancellor and law professor shortly after, cutting all ties with the university.
The sexual assault scandal began after a Baylor football player, Sam Ukwuachu, was convicted of rape. (In July, an appeals court reversed the decision and ordered a new trial for the second time in two years.) Testimony during the trial revealed that though Baylor investigated the allegations against Ukwuachu, it failed to take any punitive action. Soon after the conviction, a wave of additional sexual assault allegations were made by female students. An investigation by an outside law firm retained by the university found a pervasive mishandling of sexual assault cases.
During one of many resulting Title IX suits against Baylor, lawyers alleged that Starr and other university officials helped a student they knew to be accused of sexual harassment. The university eventually settled with several of the accusers.
Starr will join Robert Wray, who also served as independent counsel during the Clinton impeachment proceedings, and Harvard Law School professor and defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, who is known for his representation of controversial figures like O.J. Simpson and Jeffrey Epstein.
Also added to the team was former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was hired by the White House to handle impeachment communications in November. In 2013, a political action committee for Bondi's reelection received a $25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation. Shortly after, Bondi announced she wouldn't pursue the dozens of complaints against Trump University.
The team will be headed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow.
These appointments come days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston will be one of seven Democrats to prosecute the impeachment case in the Senate.
The House voted largely along party lines in December to impeach Trump over allegations he used his office to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate a family member of his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Only the Senate has the power to remove a president with a two-thirds majority vote. It's considered unlikely the Republican-controlled Senate would join with Democrats to remove Trump from office.
Trump is the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House. No president has ever been removed from office by the Senate.
The Senate impeachment trial began Thursday with the reading of articles of impeachment. House Democrats will begin presenting the case against Trump next Tuesday.


rawstory--2020-01-17--The View’s Meghan McCain changes topic from GOP senator’s slur to Democratic senator’s clothes

“ The View ” co-host Meghan McCain changed the subject from Arizona ’ s Republican senator rudely rejecting a reporter to the clothing worn by the state ’ s Democratic senator .
Sen. Martha McSally ( R-AZ ) called CNN ’ s Manu Raju a “ liberal hack ” after he asked her about new impeachment evidence , and McCain made clear she hadn ’ t been elected to her seat .
“ She ’ s actually appointed , she didn ’ t win that seat , ” McCain said .
“ I think that ’ s important.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the traditional sense of votes , it ’ s an extremely tight race , ” she added .
“ Arizona could turn blue which would — pigs may start flying around the studio if that ends up happening .
She is fundraising off of this with Trump supporters but unfortunately there ’ s a lot of states like Utah , Arizona ( and ) Nevada that I think people just assume are going to be full red forever , and it ’ s not .
It ’ s very independent and fringy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason why it has such a long history within Arizona with people like Barry Goldwater .
I think she ’ s playing her cards completely wrong.
” Then she abruptly changed the subject to her home state ’ s other senator .
“ You know who ’ s playing it completely right ?
My other senator , Kyrsten Sinema , with her fashion choices on the floor of the Senate , ” McCain said , and producers were ready with a photo of the lawmaker .
“ Look at that , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outfit .
I love everything she ’ s doing .
She ’ s very independent .
She ’ s a Democrat but she ’ s very — she votes on the right , as well , and ( McSally ) should take more pages from Kyrsten Sinema , as far as I ’ m concerned .
”

"The View" co-host Meghan McCain changed the subject from Arizona's Republican senator rudely rejecting a reporter to the clothing worn by the state's Democratic senator.
Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) called CNN's Manu Raju a "liberal hack" after he asked her about new impeachment evidence, and McCain made clear she hadn't been elected to her seat.
"She's actually appointed, she didn't win that seat," McCain said. "I think that's important."
"She didn't earn it in the traditional sense of votes, it's an extremely tight race," she added. "Arizona could turn blue which would -- pigs may start flying around the studio if that ends up happening. She is fundraising off of this with Trump supporters but unfortunately there's a lot of states like Utah, Arizona (and) Nevada that I think people just assume are going to be full red forever, and it's not. It's very independent and fringy, and I think there's a reason why it has such a long history within Arizona with people like Barry Goldwater. I think she's playing her cards completely wrong."
Then she abruptly changed the subject to her home state's other senator.
"You know who's playing it completely right? My other senator, Kyrsten Sinema, with her fashion choices on the floor of the Senate," McCain said, and producers were ready with a photo of the lawmaker. "Look at that, that's my senator -- look at that outfit. I love everything she's doing. She's very independent. She's a Democrat but she's very -- she votes on the right, as well, and (McSally) should take more pages from Kyrsten Sinema, as far as I'm concerned."


rawstory--2020-01-17--Eminem album urges gun control, sparks anger over bomb lyric

Guess who ’ s back ?
… Rapper Eminem surprised fans Friday by dropping a new album featuring a strong anti-gun violence theme but also stoking the kind of controversy that brought him fame .
On the album , one track called “ Darkness ” tells the story of a loner going on a shooting spree , while another song , “ Unaccommodating , ” has triggered outcry and muddied the veteran singer ’ s call for gun control .
The song references the 2017 deadly bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester , Britain , which left 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m contemplating yelling ‘ bombs away ’ on the game like I ’ m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting , ” the 47-year-old artist , born Marshall Mathers , raps on the track .
The lyric was met with scorn on social media , with some users dubbing it “ disgusting ” and “ trash.
” The new album , called “ Music to be Murdered by , ” features appearances from the late rapper Juice WRLD , along with Q-Tip , Ed Sheeran , Anderson .Paak and regular collaborator singer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout as a producer .
Eminem released his last album “ Kamikaze ” in 2018 in a similar sudden fashion .
That album included several attacks on President Donald Trump .
The rapper also released Friday a video for “ Darkness ” that featured audio and footage from the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas , the deadliest US gun massacre carried about by an individual in modern history .
It ends urging viewers to register to vote : “ Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America , ” @ @ @ @

Guess who's back?... Rapper Eminem surprised fans Friday by dropping a new album featuring a strong anti-gun violence theme but also stoking the kind of controversy that brought him fame.
On the album, one track called "Darkness" tells the story of a loner going on a shooting spree, while another song, "Unaccommodating," has triggered outcry and muddied the veteran singer's call for gun control.
The song references the 2017 deadly bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, Britain, which left 22 people dead.
"But I'm contemplating yelling 'bombs away' on the game like I'm outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting," the 47-year-old artist, born Marshall Mathers, raps on the track.
The lyric was met with scorn on social media, with some users dubbing it "disgusting" and "trash."
The new album, called "Music to be Murdered by," features appearances from the late rapper Juice WRLD, along with Q-Tip, Ed Sheeran, Anderson .Paak and regular collaborator singer Skylar Grey.
Dr. Dre is credited throughout as a producer.
Eminem released his last album "Kamikaze" in 2018 in a similar sudden fashion. That album included several attacks on President Donald Trump.
The rapper also released Friday a video for "Darkness" that featured audio and footage from the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the deadliest US gun massacre carried about by an individual in modern history.
It ends urging viewers to register to vote: "Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America," closing text reads.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-17--WATCH: Trump whines to LSU players about being impeached while insisting ‘you’ve got a good presiden

WATCH: Trump whines to LSU players about being impeached while insisting ‘you’ve got a good president’

President Donald Trump on Friday hosted members of the national champion Louisiana State University football team at the White House @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to whine about being impeached .
“ You ’ ve got a good [ @ @ @ @ @ though they ’ re trying to impeach the son of a b*tch !
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Can you believe that ?
Can you believe that ?
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ever had… we got the greatest military , we rebuilt it , we @ @ @ @ @ like your football team would have taken out those terrorists.
” Trump then invited the @ @ @ @ @ the Oval Office for a photo op .

President Donald Trump on Friday hosted members of the national champion Louisiana State University football team at the White House -- and he took the opportunity to whine about being impeached.
"You've got a good [president] now, even though they're trying to impeach the son of a b*tch!" Trump said, referring to himself. "Can you believe that? Can you believe that? We've got the greatest economy we've ever had... we got the greatest military, we rebuilt it, we took out those terrorists like... like your football team would have taken out those terrorists."
Trump then invited the entire team to come into the Oval Office for a photo op.
Watch the video below.


rawstory--2020-01-18--‘He’s in trouble’: Ex-GOP lawmaker hammers ‘meathead’ Devin Nunes during Bill Maher interview

During the “ Overtime ” segment of Bill Maher ’ s “ Real Time , ” former GOP lawmaker Joe @ @ @ @ @ Devin Nunes and his latest problems after being tied to Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas @ @ @ @ @ Republican a “ meathead.
” Asked by host Maher what should happen to Nunes , @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Oh , my gosh , he ’ s a meathead , ” Walsh @ @ @ @ @ from the audience .
“ I ’ m serious , Bill , ” he continued @ @ @ @ @ ’ s in trouble .
He ’ s clearly in trouble.
” “ I don @ @ @ @ @ , ” Walsh replied .
“ But he and Parnas were like best friends ; @ @ @ @ @ he was part of it .
He denied he knew the guy — he ’ @ @ @ @ @

“3000 destroyed homes. 80 people dead. Where’s Joe Biden? On vacation of course,” she added.
“There is no bottom for this president.”
POLL: Is Biden too old to run for office?
The Biden administration on Thursday declared the region a natural disaster area and pledged assistance.
"I want to say a word about the devastating wildfires that have claimed at least 36 lives in Maui, in Hawaii," Biden said at a Thursday event in Salt Lake City. "We have just approved a major disaster declaration of — for Hawaii, which will get aid into the hands of the people desperately needing help now. They've lost — anyone who's lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed is going to get help immediately."
Biden said, "we're working as quickly as possible" to fight the fires and evacuate everyone.
He also told the press pool on Sunday, "we're looking into" a trip to Maui.
“There is a total crisis in Maui,” Boebert wrote Saturday on her social media account.
Journalist Ed Krassenstein linked to a CNN report in which Biden pledges to help. “Yes he has,” Krassenstein wrote.
“Boebert is completely clueless,” the group Rocky Mountain Progressives wrote, noting further, “President Biden has already declared Maui a disaster area and is sending emergency supplies and the National Guard. Boebert is trying to use the victims of the Maui victims to her advantage.”
Democratic activist Delilah Asterales, who goes by the handle @HawaiiDelilah on social media replied to Boebert’s post saying: “Maui is my home. You don't speak for me. @Potus immediately declared a 'major disaster' in Hawaii & ordered all available federal assets to help with response. The head of FEMA is ON THE GROUND in Lahaina with Gov Green to determine immediate & long term needs. You are despicable.”
Asterales added: “A word to voters in Colorado's 3rd District: @AdamForColoradois running to unseat Boebert. I don't know him but I am pretty sure he will not embarrass you or exploit the pain of us in Maui in order to attack Joe Biden. Now is a good time to support him.”
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said in a statement Saturday: “We have the support from every level of government, especially given President Biden’s approval of our disaster declaration request today.”
Honolulu resident Gary Chun posted a comment in solidarity with those in his state: "Rep. Boebert, we in Hawai'i look forward to you and your House Republican colleagues to expedite help to the Maui community affected by this tragedy ... as soon as you get your head out of your ʻākea. Mahalo."


rawstory--2020-01-18--How Trump’s impeachment trial has way too much in common with America’s racist past

Trump ’ s cold sweats are significant , because everyone who has been following this case knows that the Senate will acquit him .
Not because he ’ s innocent — no one who has actually consulted the evidence is foolish enough to believe that — but because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republicans who control the Senate decided long ago that they would cover up for their shamelessly corrupt president no matter what he does .
With such an assured outcome , Trump ’ s fears seem overblown and silly , even for someone crippled by sociopathic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s also true that high-profile travesties of justice , such as the one Senate Republicans are currently preparing to commit , can often provoke major political backlash .
Getting a jury to acquit the obviously guilty can , as history shows , cause a public that ’ s already outraged about the crime to get even more furious .
That , I suspect , is what Trump is sweating .
What the Senate is about to do is akin to the practice of jury nullification .
That ’ s where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think the crime should be a crime at all , or that they believe people like the defendant should above the law , and so refuse to convict no matter how guilty the defendant is .
This something that in theory , and sometimes in practice , can be used for good as when a jury refuses to throw someone in prison for a low-level drug offense , or refuses to enforce a law restricting free speech .
But historically in the U.S. , jury nullification has tended to be used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems of power .
In other words , exactly what Senate Republicans are planning to do .
That becomes more obvious every day as more evidence of Trump ’ s guilt comes out , from the revelations by Rudy Giuliani ’ s former associate Lev Parnas to the Government Accountability Office declaring that Trump broke the law by withholding military aid to Ukraine .
The most disturbing and frequent historical examples of jury nullification come from the Jim Crow South , where it was normal for all-white juries to acquit Klansmen and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they genuinely believed they were innocent , but because they believed it should be legal for white people to murder black people in cold blood .
The most famous of these cases was that of Roy Bryant and J.W .
Milam , two white men who murdered a black teenager named Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955 .
That the men had committed the crime was not in doubt — they described the murder in great detail to a reporter for Look magazine .
But the all-white , all-male jury refused to convict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hide the fact that they did so because they didn ’ t think white men should be punished for killing black people .
Unfortunately , this problem of white jurors refusing to convict in cases where the victims are black has not gone away .
For instance , in the 2012 Florida killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman , a nearly all-white jury voted to acquit Zimmerman , even though Martin was apparently just walking home after buying some snacks and Zimmerman had been warned by a 911 operator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Zimmerman ’ s only basis for suspecting Martin of anything was his race .
The one woman of color on the jury has since publicly lamented the process and describes what sounds a lot like bullying from the white women in the room .
The defendants in those cases walked free , but the outrage that followed had political ramifications .
Till ’ s murder helped draw national attention to the evils of the Jim Crow South and helped bolster support for the burgeoning civil rights movement .
Martin ’ s murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what became known as the Black Lives Matter movement .
Sometimes the backlash to injustice can be earth-shaking , as happened in 1992 , when Los Angeles was torn up by riots in the wake of the acquittal by a majority-white jury of four cops who were caught on video severely beating Rodney King , a black motorist they had pulled over for speeding .
These are all racially loaded cases , of course , which sets them apart from Trump ’ s impeachment over his efforts to cheat in the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government resources to force foreign leaders to help him do so .
Trump ’ s inevitable acquittal in the Senate won ’ t be quite the gut-punch so many people feel when white men get sprung for committing racist crimes .
Still , the social circumstances of Trump ’ s upcoming acquittal go straight back to those same forces of white supremacy that have led to so many other travesties of justice in the past .
After all , the main reason Senate Republicans are averse to taking what seems to be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty Trump and letting his Republican Vice President , Mike Pence , take over — is because they fear crossing the notoriously loyal Trump base , who represent their only possible chance of holding onto the Senate or retaking the House this November .
And the reason that base is so loyal , as with many things in this country , relates to racism .
Trump ’ s base is motivated by what sociologists delicately call “ racial resentment , ” which is a nice way of saying that these white people see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges to white domination , and they ’ re angry about it .
Furthermore , they see President Trump , a blatant and shameless racist , as their best weapon to fight to preserve a system of white supremacy .
As long as Trump keeps delivering on the racism — which he has done in a myriad of ways — his base doesn ’ t care what crimes he commits .
After all , Trump committed his crime to hang onto power so he can continue to inflict cruel racist policies on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case shares a common root with those more explicitly racist acquittals of the past .
They ’ re all part of the long and ugly American tradition of letting white people get away with crime , so long as they do it in the name of white supremacy .
But watching obviously guilty people get away with it can also have a galvanizing political effect , and not just when the crime itself is racially provocative .
As the # MeToo movement and the Women ’ s March demonstrated , Americans have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commit sexual assaults and get away with it .
And the ongoing fascination with gangsters who finally get caught after evading justice for years — Al Capone , Whitey Bulger , John Gotti — suggests a real hunger to see bad guys pay for what they do .
That ’ s what Donald Trump fears : That his acquittal will not be read as an exoneration , but as yet another famous miscarriage of justice that leads to outrage across the nation .
Let ’ s hope his worst fears come true .

(As with most things the president says, this was untrue — he was impeached weeks ago, in December.)
Trump's cold sweats are significant, because everyone who has been following this case knows that the Senate will acquit him. Not because he's innocent — no one who has actually consulted the evidence is foolish enough to believe that — but because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republicans who control the Senate decided long ago that they would cover up for their shamelessly corrupt president no matter what he does. With such an assured outcome, Trump's fears seem overblown and silly, even for someone crippled by sociopathic narcissism and its accompanying paranoia.
But it's also true that high-profile travesties of justice, such as the one Senate Republicans are currently preparing to commit, can often provoke major political backlash. Getting a jury to acquit the obviously guilty can, as history shows, cause a public that's already outraged about the crime to get even more furious. That, I suspect, is what Trump is sweating.
What the Senate is about to do is akin to the practice of jury nullification. That's where a jury decides that either they don't think the crime should be a crime at all, or that they believe people like the defendant should above the law, and so refuse to convict no matter how guilty the defendant is. This something that in theory, and sometimes in practice, can be used for good as when a jury refuses to throw someone in prison for a low-level drug offense, or refuses to enforce a law restricting free speech. But historically in the U.S., jury nullification has tended to be used to uphold injustice and reinforce racist or sexist systems of power.
In other words, exactly what Senate Republicans are planning to do. That becomes more obvious every day as more evidence of Trump's guilt comes out, from the revelations by Rudy Giuliani's former associate Lev Parnas to the Government Accountability Office declaring that Trump broke the law by withholding military aid to Ukraine.
The most disturbing and frequent historical examples of jury nullification come from the Jim Crow South, where it was normal for all-white juries to acquit Klansmen and others who committed racist murders — not because they genuinely believed they were innocent, but because they believed it should be legal for white people to murder black people in cold blood.
The most famous of these cases was that of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, two white men who murdered a black teenager named Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. That the men had committed the crime was not in doubt — they described the murder in great detail to a reporter for Look magazine. But the all-white, all-male jury refused to convict, and didn't really bother to hide the fact that they did so because they didn't think white men should be punished for killing black people.
Unfortunately, this problem of white jurors refusing to convict in cases where the victims are black has not gone away. For instance, in the 2012 Florida killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a nearly all-white jury voted to acquit Zimmerman, even though Martin was apparently just walking home after buying some snacks and Zimmerman had been warned by a 911 operator not to pursue him — and even though Zimmerman's only basis for suspecting Martin of anything was his race. The one woman of color on the jury has since publicly lamented the process and describes what sounds a lot like bullying from the white women in the room.
The defendants in those cases walked free, but the outrage that followed had political ramifications. Till's murder helped draw national attention to the evils of the Jim Crow South and helped bolster support for the burgeoning civil rights movement. Martin's murder, decades later, helped build support for what became known as the Black Lives Matter movement.
Sometimes the backlash to injustice can be earth-shaking, as happened in 1992, when Los Angeles was torn up by riots in the wake of the acquittal by a majority-white jury of four cops who were caught on video severely beating Rodney King, a black motorist they had pulled over for speeding.
These are all racially loaded cases, of course, which sets them apart from Trump's impeachment over his efforts to cheat in the 2020 election and his cavalier willingness to use government resources to force foreign leaders to help him do so. Trump's inevitable acquittal in the Senate won't be quite the gut-punch so many people feel when white men get sprung for committing racist crimes.
Still, the social circumstances of Trump's upcoming acquittal go straight back to those same forces of white supremacy that have led to so many other travesties of justice in the past. After all, the main reason Senate Republicans are averse to taking what seems to be an easy way out — convicting the obviously guilty Trump and letting his Republican Vice President, Mike Pence, take over — is because they fear crossing the notoriously loyal Trump base, who represent their only possible chance of holding onto the Senate or retaking the House this November.
And the reason that base is so loyal, as with many things in this country, relates to racism. Trump's base is motivatedby what sociologists delicately call "racial resentment," which is a nice way of saying that these white people see changing demographics in the U.S. and growing challenges to white domination, and they're angry about it. Furthermore, they see President Trump, a blatant and shameless racist, as their best weapon to fight to preserve a system of white supremacy.
As long as Trump keeps delivering on the racism — which he hasdone in a myriad of ways — his base doesn't care what crimes he commits. After all, Trump committed his crime to hang onto power so he can continue to inflict cruel racist policies on our entire nation. In that sense, this case shares a common root with those more explicitly racist acquittals of the past. They're all part of the long and ugly American tradition of letting white people get away with crime, so long as they do it in the name of white supremacy.
But watching obviously guilty people get away with it can also have a galvanizing political effect, and not just when the crime itself is racially provocative. As the #MeToo movement and the Women's March demonstrated, Americans have also been roused to outrage when men commit sexual assaults and get away with it. And the ongoing fascination with gangsters who finally get caught after evading justice for years — Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, John Gotti — suggests a real hunger to see bad guys pay for what they do.
That's what Donald Trump fears: That his acquittal will not be read as an exoneration, but as yet another famous miscarriage of justice that leads to outrage across the nation. Let's hope his worst fears come true.


rawstory--2020-01-18--‘Why do we need camo in space’: Trump’s Space Force ridiculed for woodland camouflage uniforms

On Friday , the United States Space Force released an image of their new uniforms on Twitter .
The image @ @ @ @ @ ( BDU ) for a four-star general in a woodland camouflage pattern , with a @ @ @ @ @ , many people were confused as to why the Space Force would use uniforms designed @ @ @ @ @ .
Here ’ s some of what people were saying :

"Moving this case to federal court has, I guess, the advantage of a different and presumably more sympathetic jury pool," said anchor Alex Wagner. "How meaningful do you think that that will be for someone like Mark Meadows?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"So I think sometimes, we get too comfortable talking about juries as though they are voting pools, right?" said Vance. "We think about juries — how does that county vote? In my experience as a prosecutor, people's political beliefs really don't impact their jury service. Judges do a great job of telling them that they have to decide cases based on the evidence and the law that they're instructed on and that they hear in the courtroom, and that they need to leave at the door any biases that they might have, including their political affiliation. You know, we know juries are really good at doing that."
"So while Meadows and some of the other defendants, Trump, may perceive some advantage in moving into federal court, where the jury pool exceeds Fulton County — it goes up into Georgia's northern counties on the east, it touches Alabama, so, some very conservative parts of the state — they may perceive an advantage," said Vance. However, "In reality, there may not really be a big one there."
"But even if there isn't an advantage, I think Joyce would agree with me that, what this shows is the opportunity for a delay," cut in NBC legal correspondent Laura Jarrett, also on the panel. "This indictment hasn't even been baked for 24 hours, and already they have a removal motion going."
Watch the video below or at the link here.