rawstory--2020-10-17--Catholic nun lowers the boom on Amy Coney Barrett for wanting to take women ‘back to 1789’

On Saturday ’ s edition of MSNBC ’ s “ Weekends , ” Sister Simone Campbell , executive director of the Catholic lobbying group NETWORK , explained why her group is calling on Republican senators to reject Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court .
“ Let me ask you about NETWORK , which launched the ad campaign calling on Senators Graham , Ernst , and Tillis to oppose the judge ’ s nomination , despite her strong faith , ” said anchor Alex Witt .
“ What are your biggest concerns about her convictions and faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic .
That ’ s lovely .
I ’ m a lawyer and I ’ m worried about her decisions , ” said Campbell .
“ The fact is , Judge Barrett has lived in an ivory tower bubble most of her career .
She doesn ’ t know the reality of struggling people .
And her approach to the Constitution is to say , we have to go back to 1789 and how they thought then , without acknowledging the changes that have occurred , the growth in civil rights , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote , the growth in the fact that we as a nation have discovered a deeper sense of the common good .
And so I worry about what ’ s going to happen to voting rights .
I worry about what ’ s going to happen to the Affordable Care Act .
I worry about how she sees the critical social issues of our time.
” “ You mention the Affordable Care Act , and by supporting Joe Biden and the Democrats , the hope is the Affordable Care Act will stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You have abortion rights that will remain in place .
Is there any difficulty for you in that tradeoff ?
” “ No , because one of the issues that really ripe right now in our conversation is about religious liberty , ” said Campbell .
“ Right now , the way the law stands , everybody can exercise their faith when it comes to the issue of abortion .
Now I ’ m a Catholic sister , I ’ m not going get pregnant .
That ’ s not an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that women , Catholic women , have the capacity to make their own choice .
I don ’ t think it ’ s right in our diverse nation for me to force my choice , my faith onto others.
” “ Let ’ s support the formation of conscience and the choices made by women , but let ’ s make sure pregnant women have the supports they need , ” added Campbell .
“ We know in Democratic administrations that the abortion rate goes down faster than Republican administrations , because Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how I care for the unborn .
Let ’ s ensure women have access to health care , nutrition , housing .
All the basics they need to carry ta baby to term .
That matters .
”

On Saturday's edition of MSNBC's "Weekends," Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Catholic lobbying group NETWORK, explained why her group is calling on Republican senators to reject Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.
"Let me ask you about NETWORK, which launched the ad campaign calling on Senators Graham, Ernst, and Tillis to oppose the judge's nomination, despite her strong faith," said anchor Alex Witt. "What are your biggest concerns about her convictions and faith?"
"She is a strong Catholic. That's lovely. I'm a lawyer and I'm worried about her decisions," said Campbell. "The fact is, Judge Barrett has lived in an ivory tower bubble most of her career. She doesn't know the reality of struggling people. And her approach to the Constitution is to say, we have to go back to 1789 and how they thought then, without acknowledging the changes that have occurred, the growth in civil rights, the growth in the fact that women have the vote, the growth in the fact that we as a nation have discovered a deeper sense of the common good. And so I worry about what's going to happen to voting rights. I worry about what's going to happen to the Affordable Care Act. I worry about how she sees the critical social issues of our time."
"You mention the Affordable Care Act, and by supporting Joe Biden and the Democrats, the hope is the Affordable Care Act will stay in place," said Witt. "You have abortion rights that will remain in place. Is there any difficulty for you in that tradeoff?"
"No, because one of the issues that is really ripe right now in our conversation is about religious liberty," said Campbell. "Right now, the way the law stands, everybody can exercise their faith when it comes to the issue of abortion. Now I'm a Catholic sister, I'm not going to get pregnant. That's not an issue for me. What I know is that women, Catholic women, have the capacity to make their own choice. I don't think it's right in our diverse nation for me to force my choice, my faith onto others."
"Let's support the formation of conscience and the choices made by women, but let's make sure pregnant women have the supports they need," added Campbell. "We know in Democratic administrations that the abortion rate goes down faster than Republican administrations, because Democrats support pregnant women. That's how I care for the unborn. Let's ensure women have access to health care, nutrition, housing. All the basics they need to carry a baby to term. That matters."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-10-17--‘No way I can vote for another four years of Donald Trump’: lifelong Republican turns on president

During an MSNBC segment on voting in North Carolina — which is now in play for Joe Biden — one Republican voter stated he is going “ against ” his party because of the failures of Donald Trump and admitted that he voting for the former vice president .
Speaking with correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell with a line of voters standing behind him , Jay Copan was brutally blunt in the assessment of the man he voted for in 2016 .
“ The fact is , that since the beginning of the pandemic , in my opinion , Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the single biggest domestic crisis we had in 100 years and followed that in showing zero leadership in addressing the George Floyd murder at the end of May , ” he exclaimed .
“ When I wrap all those things together and I think about the legacy for my grandchildren , there ’ s no way I can vote for another four years of Donald Trump .
” “ That ’ s why I ’ m voting against my party , but I ’ m voting for my country and supporting Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @

The indictment describes Individual 1 as talking about a draft speech on or about Oct. 21, 2020, that falsely declared victory and alleged voter fraud. It matches what was found by the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack and the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election. Fitton wrote a draft speech he emailed to Trump through two aides on Oct. 31.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
That matches material the Jan. 6 congressional committee released last year, revealing that Fitton had written a draft speech and emailed it to Trump via two aides on Oct. 31, noting he had recently discussed the draft with the then-president.
“Dear Mr. President,” the email begins. “Please see below a draft statement as you requested.”
They can't say with absolute certainty that Fitton is the one, but it's their best guess. Just Security agreed with the assessment, naming Fitton, too.
Individual 2, they believe, is a fake elector that was among one of the most engaged, based on the descriptions in the indictment, according to both sites. No name is included.
Individual 3 is likely Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump's longtime aides that has provided legal advice. The indictment says that he was on stage with Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, and Sidney Powell, which narrows things down.
He sent an email that investigators have from John Eastman where he admits to constitutional questions about the Electoral Count Act before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which “could invite counter views that we do not believe should constrain Pence.”
Just Security agreed that Epshteyn is Individual 3, specifically citing Act 109 of the indictment.
Individual 4, the Daily Beast confirmed is Robert Sinners, who ran operations for Election Day for the Trump campaign. Indicted co-conspirator David Shafer, former Republican Party chair of Georgia, and Sinners exchanged emails on Nov. 20, 2020, which claimed that indicted Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall “has been looking into the election on behalf of the President at the request of [Trump adviser] David Bossie." He then asked Individual 4 to contact Hall and lend a hand.
Just Security also named Sinners, saying that "the same email is accounted for in Curling v. Raffensperger ."
Sinners now works "with an institutional bulwark that brooked some of the most severe abuse and violent threats while holding the Trump team’s anti-democratic efforts at bay—the office of Georgia’s GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger," said the Beast.
Individuals 5 and 6 are likely Bernie Kerik (5), and Phil Waldron (6). Kerik is the longtime Rudy Giuliani pal that was in the war room at the Willard Hotel on Jan. 6. But he was also chatting with Waldron about a conspiracy theorist in Texas who had a PowerPoint roadmap to overturning the election using China and Venezuela.
Just Security agreed, too, noting that the two men are in some of the same places or meetings as previously known. Waldron, for example, told The Washington Post that he was at the Nov. 25 meeting.
"The indictment then puts Individuals 5 and 6 together during similar back-to-back presentations that Giuliani’s team made days later to a group of Arizona GOP lawmakers. Kerik describes those meetings in detail to the Jan. 6 committee, matching details in the indictment," the Beast concluded.
Individual 7 was unknown to the Daily Beast, but Just Security can narrow it down to five people: "G. Michael Brown or others on email chain: James Fitzpatrick, Shawn Flynn, Thomas Lane, Valerie McConahay."
"Act 77 of the indictment alleges that Mike Roman sent an email on 12/14/2020 to Robert Sinners, Individual 7, and others stating: 'Please send me an update as soon as the State Electoral College has adjourned and all paperwork is secured.'"
The House Select Committee had the email, showing the possible people that were also on the email.
Individual 8 appears to be Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, both sites said. He was a state senator at the time, and was one of the 16 fake electors.
"The indictment makes it easy to identify Individual 8, who is portrayed as a central figure in the alleged fake elector scheme, appearing in 11 overt acts," said the report. "But the glaring tip that Willis included might not sit well with the purportedly anonymous Individual 8. Last year, Jones successfully barred the DA from publicly naming him in connection with the grand jury probe."
Still, he was quoted from an identifiable Dec. 7 tweet, that Rudy Giuliani shared.
“Georgia Patriot Call to Action: today is the day we need you to call your state Senate & House Reps & ask them to sign the petition for a special session,” the tweet says. “We must have free & fair elections in GA & this is our only path to ensuring every legal vote is counted. @realDonaldTrump.”
Jones is the author, making it easy to identify him. He refused to comment, but did attack D.A. Fani Willis on Twitter for "pursuing 'political vendettas of the past' and spending 'millions of taxpayer dollars' on the sprawling criminal investigation for 'the sole purpose of the furthering of her own political career.'"
Individual 9 the Daily Beast thinks is former Georgia Republican Party treasurer Joseph Brannan, but Just Security isn't as certain. They only identify 9 as a fake elector.
"Individual 9 is alleged in the indictment to have been on the receiving end of a Dec. 10 email from indicted pro-Trump lawyer Ken Chesebro, who is said to also be unindicted co-conspirator 5 in Smith’s federal indictment," said the Beast.
The House Select committee has an email from that as well, showing Chesebro trying “to help coordinate with the other 5 contested States, to help with logistics of the electors in other States hopefully joining in casting their votes on Monday.”
The recipients match Brannan's description, the report explained, which also featured indicted former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer along with “unindicted co-conspirator Individual 9.” The two other people on the email are women, and 9 is referred to as male.
Individuals 10-19 are all fake electors both sides aid.
Individual 20, which was cited by some of the legal analysts after the indictment dropped, was someone that was in the Oval Office during one of the key meetings on 12/18/2020. While the Daily Beast won't say, Just Security narrows it down to Michael Flynn, Patrick Byrne, or Emily Newman.
Individual 21, the Beast said was unknown, but Just Security identifies Todd Sanders or Conan Hayes. They use Act 91, which refers to an email sent by Sidney Powell that mentions both men along with Waldron, who was identified as Individual 6. The email was also included in the records from Curling v. Raffensperger.
Individual 22 would reportedly be the other of Todd Sanders or Conan Hayes.
Individual 23, which the Beast also said was unknown. Citing Act 115, Just Security said that Individual 23 was on one of the phone calls with Harrison Floyd and others on Jan. 3, 2021, at 8:11 p.m. Act 27 also references a four-way call that included Floyd, Trevian Kutti, Stephen Lee, and individual 23 on Jan. 5, 2021.
Individual 24 is Alex Cruce, Just Security said, using Act 143 which references the individual flying into Coffee County with Scott Hall, something Cruce admitted in Curling v. Raffensperger.
Individual 25, both sites believe to be Doug Logan, the CEO of the Cyber Ninjas.
Act 154 refers to Misty Hampton, one of the people who allowed Individual 25 into non-public areas of the Coffee County Election Board offices on Jan. 18, 2021. The videos were reported by ABC News and showed Logan and Jeff Lenbert being allowed in on that time. Act 150 refers to Individual 25 downloading the information from the county and putting it on legal technology company Sullivan Strickler's ShareFile, which showed Logan downloading the data on several dates in Jan. 2021.
Individuals 26 and 27, Just Security writes are probably Michael Pospieszalski or Jovan Pulitzer. They cite Acts 151 and 152 accusing Individuals 26 and 27 of downloading Coffee County data. There were six people who did this according to Curling v. Raffensperger. Others have already been identified, leaving these two men.
Individual 28, both believe is Jim Penrose, a former National Security official who ultimately went to work for Sidney Powell. Act 155 alleging an email on April 22, 2021 to SullivanStrickler COO Paul Maggio, asking that the voting data taken from Coffee County be sent to an attorney working with Powell.
“On or about the 22nd day of April 2021, unindicted co-conspirator Individual 28, whose identity is known to the grand jury, sent an email to the chief operations officer of SullivanStrickler LLC directing him to transmit all data copied from Dominion Voting Systems equipment at the Coffee County Board of Elections & Registration Office in Coffee County, Georgia, to unindicted co-conspirator Individual 30, whose identity is known to the grand jury, an attorney associated with Sidney Katherine Powell and the Trump campaign,” the indictment says.
Individual 29 is likely Jeffrey Lenberg, the Beast and Just Security believes, citing Act 154 of the indictment. Lenberg was with Logan on Jan. 18, 2021, when going into the board of elections.
Individual 30 is probably Stefanie Lambert, the sites agree, citing Act 155.
Jim Pemrose, though to be Individual 28, sent an email that was available in Curling v. Raffensperger, indicating Stefanie Lambert was to get the data from Coffee County. Penrose wrote to send the materials to "the same address as before," and "[i]nvoice Stefanie Lambert for the work like last time."
The Daily Beast spoke to Lambert's lawyer, Michael Smith, who said, “My client is a brilliant and zealous advocate for her clients. Stefanie Lambert has done nothing illegal. Like all law firms, Lambert hires experts to opine on potential cases or cases in active litigation. She intends to file suit against any person or entity falsely implying her legal work was improper.”
Read both reports at Just Security and the Daily Beast for significantly more details.


rawstory--2020-10-17--Trump is in a ‘world of trouble’ and looking for an exit strategy: Ex-DHS official

On CNN Saturday , former Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem broke down the significance of President Donald Trump suggesting he may “ leave ” America if he loses to Joe Biden .
“ He always says the quiet part out loud , ” said Kayyem .
“ I ’ m sure the thought has crossed his mind as he ’ s facing federal and state investigations he won ’ t be protected from .
Whether you go to a country that doesn ’ t have extradition treaties .
Ironically , a lot of those are Muslim countries , which we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Muslim countries.
” “ I will say it ’ s sort of more generally — even if he ’ s just goofing off , I think it ’ s reflective of a president who does just not care about America , ” added Kayyem .
“ Can you imagine simply because you lost that you would leave America ?
Like , I mean , who does that ?
I think that that ’ s actually the bigger story here is that a president who has so little confidence , faith in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would not choose America but choose to leave , that ’ s the president we ’ ve had .
One who views it as himself .
So who knows what his legal plans are , but he ’ s in a world of trouble after he ’ s president .
So he ’ s probably thinking about strategies to get out of these investigations which include , as you know , as we ’ ve talked about , the $ 400 million in debt that he owes to some country or some @ @ @

On CNN Saturday, former Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem broke down the significance of President Donald Trump suggesting he may "leave" America if he loses to Joe Biden.
"He always says the quiet part out loud," said Kayyem. "I'm sure the thought has crossed his mind as he's facing federal and state investigations he won't be protected from. Whether you go to a country that doesn't have extradition treaties. Ironically, a lot of those are Muslim countries, which we know the president had started his presidency against the Muslim countries."
"I will say it's sort of more generally — even if he's just goofing off, I think it's reflective of a president who does just not care about America," added Kayyem. "Can you imagine simply because you lost that you would leave America? Like, I mean, who does that? I think that that's actually the bigger story here is that a president who has so little confidence, faith in the institutions and what America means, who would not choose America but choose to leave, that's the president we've had. One who views it as himself. So who knows what his legal plans are, but he's in a world of trouble after he's president. So he's probably thinking about strategies to get out of these investigations which include, as you know, as we've talked about, the $400 million in debt that he owes to some country or some entity."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-10-17--Trump trashed by ex-GOP chair in op-ed calling for him to be driven from office

In a scorching op-ed for USA TODAY , former New Hampshire Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Horn excoriated her party for its loyalty to President Donald Trump — and urged her colleagues to be rid of him .
“ As a former Republican state party chair , I understand well how difficult it is to even imagine voting outside the party , and I understand the sense of loyalty to party that decades of activism engenders , ” wrote Horn .
“ But to pledge allegiance to a political party , void of principle or honor , is an empty oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Where once we stood together to advocate for responsible governance , individual liberty , equal justice and opportunity for all , today ’ s GOP platform is nothing more than a vow to support , protect , defend and defer to Donald Trump.
” Horn is one of many longtime anti-Trump Republicans who co-founded The Lincoln Project , a group whose ads and messaging are targeted to persuade conservatives to reject the president for their own movement ’ s salvation .
“ After decades of inciting fear among the party faithful at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon our fight for conservatism , the GOP has sold out to a president who is in no way conservative , ” wrote Horn .
“ Trump has grown the deficit to record highs and put the national debt on the same path .
His assaults on equality and liberty are innumerable , including rolling back housing and employment protections for LGBTQ Americans , attacking the free press , denying science and medical facts in the face of a pandemic , and making the corruption of Richard Nixon look like penny poker.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a fraud , argued Horn : “ To be pro-life means to care for life — all life , at all stages , in all conditions .
Trump ’ s assaults on life are egregious and daily .
He demeans and degrades minorities , women , the elderly , immigrants and the disabled.
” Nor , she argued , does he have any respect for the troops , for civil rights , or for anything central to the protection and preservation of democracy .
“ Trump has destroyed the foundations of traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our democracy is built .
He does not deserve your loyalty , and neither does the party that has allowed it to happen .
The only way we can reclaim our principles and build a conservative future is to first defeat him , ” wrote Horn .
“ This election poses a unique challenge .
It will test not Republican vs. Democrat or Trump vs. Biden , but rather , ‘ We the People , ' ” concluded Horn .
“ It is our role in this constitutional republic , our leadership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America that is being tested .
Trump or America .
We can not have both.
” You can read more here .

In a scorching op-ed for USA TODAY, former New Hampshire Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Horn excoriated her party for its loyalty to President Donald Trump — and urged her colleagues to be rid of him.
"As a former Republican state party chair, I understand well how difficult it is to even imagine voting outside the party, and I understand the sense of loyalty to party that decades of activism engenders," wrote Horn. "But to pledge allegiance to a political party, void of principle or honor, is an empty oath that will not serve country or conscience. Where once we stood together to advocate for responsible governance, individual liberty, equal justice and opportunity for all, today’s GOP platform is nothing more than a vow to support, protect, defend and defer to Donald Trump."
Horn is one of many longtime anti-Trump Republicans who co-founded The Lincoln Project, a group whose ads and messaging are targeted to persuade conservatives to reject the president for their own movement's salvation.
"After decades of inciting fear among the party faithful at what would happen to America should we abandon our fight for conservatism, the GOP has sold out to a president who is in no way conservative," wrote Horn. "Trump has grown the deficit to record highs and put the national debt on the same path. His assaults on equality and liberty are innumerable, including rolling back housing and employment protections for LGBTQ Americans, attacking the free press, denying science and medical facts in the face of a pandemic, and making the corruption of Richard Nixon look like penny poker."
Trump's "pro-life" stance is a fraud, argued Horn: "To be pro-life means to care for life — all life, at all stages, in all conditions. Trump’s assaults on life are egregious and daily. He demeans and degrades minorities, women, the elderly, immigrants and the disabled." Nor, she argued, does he have any respect for the troops, for civil rights, or for anything central to the protection and preservation of democracy.
"Trump has destroyed the foundations of traditional conservatism and the American institutions upon which our democracy is built. He does not deserve your loyalty, and neither does the party that has allowed it to happen. The only way we can reclaim our principles and build a conservative future is to first defeat him," wrote Horn.
"This election poses a unique challenge. It will test not Republican vs. Democrat or Trump vs. Biden, but rather, 'We the People,'" concluded Horn. "It is our role in this constitutional republic, our leadership, and our dedication to the promise of America that is being tested. Trump or America. We cannot have both."
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Paranoid Trump compiling enemies list of conservatives who are turning on him: report

According to a report from the Daily Beast , Donald Trump is building up an enemies list of GOP lawmakers and other conservatives who have been critical of him as his re-election campaign staggers to the finish line , with the intent of taking revenge should he manage to pull off a victory on November 3rd .
Following a week when Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) told supporters that the party is facing a “ bloodbath ” on November 3rd , and put the blame squarely on Trump , the Beast reports Sasse ’ s comments –and rumblings from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnoticed at the White House .
According to the report , the president is being fed a daily diet of clips and quotes from GOP lawmakers and conservative commentators who are not backing him one hundred percent and will seek revenge one way or another when given the chance .
“ Two individuals who have spoken to Trump say the president has expressed suspicion that members of his own party believe he will be defeated by Joe Biden .
That sense of paranoia has been fed by the president ’ s aides and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage for him of Republican politicians either openly criticizing his conduct or trying to distance themselves from a possible electoral bloodbath , ” the report states before adding that one of their sources claimed , “ [ The president ] said something to the effect of : if you ’ re backing away from him now , don ’ t bother coming back for a favor when he wins.
” According to the Beast , Trump ’ s growing enemies list is not limited to members of Congress who are distancing themselves from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ …those signaling that they ’ re ready to jump ship do include some major players in conservative politics .
One of the president ’ s most powerful and influential confidants , billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch , has been telling associates that he thinks Biden will win in a landslide.
” The report goes on to note that the president is likely to go after some of his own campaign officials by accusing them of mismanaging his re-election bid .
“ Within the broad universe of GOP operatives working to re-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun for the state of the campaign .
One senior Republican official who has consulted with the campaign said that while staff were still confident that the president could win , they were also increasingly alarmed by—what the official described as—the “ gross incompetence with how things were being spent , ” the report states .
“ I think there is a reality where this is what happens in a campaign .
This is the point where people start to figure out who takes the fault , ” that same official added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ former campaign manager ] Brad [ Parscale ] will take a large part of it because that is easy .
But anyone with a brain who looks back at this will point to Jared [ Kushner ] .
Jared can ’ t be both the mastermind and blameless.
” You can read more here .

According to a report from the Daily Beast, Donald Trump is building up an enemies list of GOP lawmakers and other conservatives who have been critical of him as his re-election campaign staggers to the finish line, with the intent of taking revenge should he manage to pull off a victory on November 3rd.
Following a week when Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) told supporters that the party is facing a "bloodbath" on November 3rd , and put the blame squarely on Trump, the Beast reports Sasse's comments --and rumblings from other conservative lawmakers -- have not gone unnoticed at the White House.
According to the report, the president is being fed a daily diet of clips and quotes from GOP lawmakers and conservative commentators who are not backing him one hundred percent and will seek revenge one way or another when given the chance.
"Two individuals who have spoken to Trump say the president has expressed suspicion that members of his own party believe he will be defeated by Joe Biden. That sense of paranoia has been fed by the president’s aides and confidants, who have flagged recent news coverage for him of Republican politicians either openly criticizing his conduct or trying to distance themselves from a possible electoral bloodbath," the report states before adding that one of their sources claimed, "[The president] said something to the effect of: if you’re backing away from him now, don’t bother coming back for a favor when he wins.”
According to the Beast, Trump's growing enemies list is not limited to members of Congress who are distancing themselves from the president, with the report stating, "...those signaling that they’re ready to jump ship do include some major players in conservative politics. One of the president’s most powerful and influential confidants, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has been telling associates that he thinks Biden will win in a landslide."
The report goes on to note that the president is likely to go after some of his own campaign officials by accusing them of mismanaging his re-election bid.
"Within the broad universe of GOP operatives working to re-elect the president, blame casting has already begun for the state of the campaign. One senior Republican official who has consulted with the campaign said that while staff were still confident that the president could win, they were also increasingly alarmed by—what the official described as—the “gross incompetence with how things were being spent,” the report states.
“I think there is a reality where this is what happens in a campaign. This is the point where people start to figure out who takes the fault,” that same official added. “There is no question that [former campaign manager] Brad [Parscale] will take a large part of it because that is easy. But anyone with a brain who looks back at this will point to Jared [Kushner]. Jared can’t be both the mastermind and blameless.”
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Trump’s collapsing campaign is crippling Lindsey Graham’s re-election hopes: report

According to a report from Politico , Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) is in the fight of his political life that could see his time in the Senate come to a close in November due to his close association with Donald Trump .
With his numbers in the polls showing him in a virtual tie with Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison , Graham is reportedly hoping his rush to seat Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court will rally enough conservatives to turn out at the polls to stave off what would be an embarrassing defeat .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent who is the best-funded Senate candidate in American history ; anger from the left over his metamorphosis from scathing Trump antagonist to fierce loyalist ; and lingering distrust from a small but not insignificant slice of conservatives over his past as an aisle-crossing compromiser.
” As the report notes , Graham ’ s advocacy of the controversial Barrett has been a double-edged sword ; encouraging conservative voters on one side and rallying Democrats to turn out and vote against him on the other side .
Also dogging Graham is the public ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a president who is highly unpopular , according to the polls , and whose faltering campaign is also dragging the South Carolina Republican ’ s chances with it .
“ Trump ’ s sagging poll numbers are creating problems for Graham .
Harrison ’ s campaign is blanketing the airwaves and the web with ads portraying the incumbent as untrustworthy and two-faced , pointing to his transformation into a Trump cheerleader , ” the report states .
According to House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn ( D-SC ) , “ [ Voters ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hypocrites .
And they look at these candidates , and when they can see authenticity , they tend to buy into it .
That ’ s what Jaime has done.
” You can read more here .

According to a report from Politico, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is in the fight of his political life that could see his time in the Senate come to a close in November due to his close association with Donald Trump.
With his numbers in the polls showing him in a virtual tie with Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison, Graham is reportedly hoping his rush to seat Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court will rally enough conservatives to turn out at the polls to stave off what would be an embarrassing defeat.
According to the report, Graham is "facing an opponent who is the best-funded Senate candidate in American history; anger from the left over his metamorphosis from scathing Trump antagonist to fierce loyalist; and lingering distrust from a small but not insignificant slice of conservatives over his past as an aisle-crossing compromiser."
As the report notes, Graham's advocacy of the controversial Barrett has been a double-edged sword; encouraging conservative voters on one side and rallying Democrats to turn out and vote against him on the other side.
Also dogging Graham is the public's view that he is too attached to a president who is highly unpopular, according to the polls, and whose faltering campaign is also dragging the South Carolina Republican's chances with it.
"Trump’s sagging poll numbers are creating problems for Graham. Harrison’s campaign is blanketing the airwaves and the web with ads portraying the incumbent as untrustworthy and two-faced, pointing to his transformation into a Trump cheerleader," the report states.
According to House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), "[Voters] tend to have a very low regard for hypocrites. And they look at these candidates, and when they can see authenticity, they tend to buy into it. That’s what Jaime has done."
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Conservative Ohio mom says her kids have grown more in four years than Trump — so she’s all in for B

Conservative Ohio mom says her kids have grown more in four years than Trump — so she’s all in for Biden

President Donald Trump pleaded with suburban women to “ like me ” at a MAGA rally in traditionally red Johnstown , Pennsylvania Friday .
But for many , the attempt to court them came far too late in the 2020 election cycle .
A New York Times interview with former Trump supporters like Kate Rabinovitch , who revealed she feels “ really guilty ” for supporting Trump in 2016 , recalling at the time she thought , “ Oh , what ’ s the worst that could happen ?
” The last four years have shown her exactly what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For Ms. Rabinovitch , no amount of exaggerated pleading will undo the damage of the past four years , ” the Times reported .
“ On a chilly October evening in a suburban Columbus backyard , she gathered with three other women , all mothers of young children , to discuss their political evolutions.
” Not all the women with her were ex-Trump supporters , but they were all saddened by what happened in 2016 .
“ For them , the president ’ s words and actions have forced an intimate re-examination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identities — taught in church and school and inherited from their families — and some things that are even more personal : their sense of morality and the values they hope to impart to their children , ” said the report .
Over wine , the women talked about how Trump pushed them away from the Republican Party , a problem that the GOP has faced since hitching their wagons to Trump in 2016 .
Gallup charted decreases in party identification since 2004 , but it shows a deep dive in Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coattails might be great for new Pizzagate believers and 9/11 Truthers , and it ’ s driving away voters who don ’ t get their news from message boards or conspiracy theorists .
“ I can not imagine a Republican candidate that I would rally behind , ” the Times cited Hannah Dasgupta , a stay-at-home mom of two .
“ Wow , that ’ s mind-blowing to think about .
That ’ s a huge departure.
” She explained that she was raised in a conservative home and attended Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t bring herself to vote for former Secretary Hillary Clinton .
“ The crazy thing is like , I wouldn ’ t know the guy if he was sitting next to me , ” Dasgupta said .
“ I don ’ t think I could identify him .
But those Republican roots were deep , and the abortion issue is strong.
” She went on to explain that her position has shifted on the abortion issue as her opinion of Trump has fallen .
She ’ s tired of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her children .
Biden , by contrast , connects to her as a mother .
“ In the last four years , my children have grown and developed more than he has in regards to the way he speaks to other people , the way he speaks about other people , ” she said .
Read the full interviews with the women in the New York Times .

President Donald Trump pleaded with suburban women to "like me" at a MAGA rally in traditionally red Johnstown, Pennsylvania Friday. But for many, the attempt to court them came far too late in the 2020 election cycle.
A New York Times interview with former Trump supporters like Kate Rabinovitch, who revealed she feels "really guilty" for supporting Trump in 2016, recalling at the time she thought, "Oh, what’s the worst that could happen?" The last four years have shown her exactly what is possible under Trump's rule.
"For Ms. Rabinovitch, no amount of exaggerated pleading will undo the damage of the past four years," the Times reported. "On a chilly October evening in a suburban Columbus backyard, she gathered with three other women, all mothers of young children, to discuss their political evolutions."
Not all the women with her were ex-Trump supporters, but they were all saddened by what happened in 2016.
"For them, the president's words and actions have forced an intimate re-examination of their deep-rooted, more conservative political identities — taught in church and school and inherited from their families — and some things that are even more personal: their sense of morality and the values they hope to impart to their children," said the report.
Over wine, the women talked about how Trump pushed them away from the Republican Party, a problem that the GOP has faced since hitching their wagons to Trump in 2016. Gallup charted decreases in party identification since 2004, but it shows a deep dive in Republican Party membership in the Trump era.
Trump's coattails might be great for new Pizzagate believers and 9/11 Truthers, and it's driving away voters who don't get their news from message boards or conspiracy theorists.
"I cannot imagine a Republican candidate that I would rally behind," the Times cited Hannah Dasgupta, a stay-at-home mom of two. "Wow, that's mind-blowing to think about. That's a huge departure."
She explained that she was raised in a conservative home and attended Christian schools growing up, but she still couldn't bring herself to vote for former Secretary Hillary Clinton.
"The crazy thing is like, I wouldn't know the guy if he was sitting next to me," Dasgupta said. "I don't think I could identify him. But those Republican roots were deep, and the abortion issue is strong."
She went on to explain that her position has shifted on the abortion issue as her opinion of Trump has fallen. She's tired of trying to make excuses for him in conversations with her children. Biden, by contrast, connects to her as a mother.
"In the last four years, my children have grown and developed more than he has in regards to the way he speaks to other people, the way he speaks about other people," she said.
Read the full interviews with the women in the New York Times.


rawstory--2020-10-19--John Bolton: ‘Trump will not leave graciously if he loses’

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper that he doesn ’ t anticipate President Donald Trump will go quietly if he loses in November .
Speaking to Tapper as part of a special on former Trump officials who have turned against him , Bolton confessed that he doesn ’ t have faith in the president ’ s maturity to move forward after a loss .
“ I think the Defense Department is in good hands with [ Mark ] Esper and [ Mark ] Milley , ” said Bolton .
“ I have no concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office .
Let ’ s be clear : Trump will not leave graciously if he loses .
He will not leave graciously .
Whether he carries it to the extreme , I don ’ t think we know .
It is — it is very troubling that he has said , ‘ I can ’ t lose unless there ’ s fraud.
’ Of course , he can lose in an honest election .
And I think this is really on the leadership of the party , elected officials , private citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome is , it is up to Republicans , not Democrats , to say , ‘ This is on us .
He has to go . '
” See Bolton ’ s comments in the video below :

In new allegations revealed Wednesday, Texas House investigators accused suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton of engaging in a complex cover-up to hide his relationship with real estate investor Nate Paul as senior aides grew increasingly concerned about Paxton’s willingness to use his office to benefit Paul.
The subterfuge allegedly included Paxton and Paul creating an Uber account under an alias so they could meet each other and so the attorney general could visit the woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
And once Paxton learned several high-ranking officials in his office reported his behavior to the FBI, the House impeachment managers alleged, he took immediate steps to cover up his relationship with Paul, including wiring a $122,000 payment to a Paul-affiliated company in an effort to hide home renovations that Paul had provided for free.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
The allegations, outlined in a series of filings with the Texas Senate’s court of impeachment, shed new light on the relationship between Paul and Paxton that is at the core of his impeachment proceedings.
Among the new claims: Top deputies in the attorney general’s office persistently warned Paxton that Paul was a “crook” and that there was no merit to his claims that he had been unfairly treated by law enforcement, and that the two met at least 20 times in spring and summer 2020, sometimes discussing the FBI investigation into Paul’s faltering real estate empire.
Paxton “blindly accepted Paul’s conspiracy,” impeachment managers alleged. “Senior Staff urged Paxton to stay away. But when it came to Paul, Paxton was immune to reason.”
Paul was arrested in June on federal felony charges of lying to financial institutions to secure business loans.
Responding to Paxton’s pretrial motions that seek to dismiss all 20 articles of impeachment, including four that will not be included in the Sept. 5 impeachment trial, House managers also detailed multiple actions in which Paxton allegedly sought to use his office to benefit Paul.
They alleged that Paxton conducted a “sham criminal investigation” into Paul’s “adversaries,” routinely overriding concerns from agency staff who told him that Paul was a “criminal” and that Paxton needed to “get away.”
Instead, House managers alleged, Paxton became increasingly “entangled in Paul’s web of deceit” and “went to great lengths” to hide his relationship with Paul — using a burner phone and secret email accounts, ditching his security detail and using the fake Uber name to be “ferried to his lover’s or Paul’s properties more than a dozen times.”
In response to Paul’s favors — including allegedly employing the woman and paying to remodel Paxton’s home — Paxton “continually abused the power of his office to advance Paul’s aims,” House managers alleged.
In one instance, Paxton allegedly told agency staff that he did not want the office to assist law enforcement “in any way” with an investigation into Paul, who Paxton claimed was being “railroaded” and needed “unprecedented” access to sensitive information about his case.
After meeting with “alarmed” senior staff, Paxton allegedly demanded files about Paul’s criminal case that included an unredacted FBI letter that identified individuals involved in a 2019 raid on Paul’s home and businesses.
“Paxton held onto the file for more than a week,” House managers wrote. “Ultimately, OAG did not disclose the information to Paul. But Paxton did.”
In another instance, Paxton was accused of issuing a legal opinion that staved off a pending foreclosure sale of Paul’s businesses at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. House investigators cited two agency employees who said they were forced to work through the night to produce the opinion while Paxton frequently called them.
Paxton “sounded like someone was holding him hostage,” one of the staffers told investigators.
The opinion, which Paxton allegedly edited himself, was published at 1 a.m. Aug. 2, 2020, and said foreclosure proceedings posed a public health threat — despite the state’s “open for business” mantra throughout the pandemic, managers said.
The next day, managers alleged, Paul cited the opinion to successfully delay the foreclosures.
“It is hard to imagine a more blatant abuse of Paxton’s office,” House managers wrote.
Paxton’s legal team had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss all articles of impeachment, often arguing that the underlying allegations were baseless or fell under the legitimate duties of the attorney general’s office.
His attorneys also accused the Texas House of trying to “overturn the will of voters” who reelected Paxton to a third term last year despite various public scandals dating to 2015. One argument stressed that Paxton cannot be impeached for alleged misconduct that predated his most recent election under the so-called “prior-term doctrine.” And they downplayed some of the allegations he faces, saying that, even if true, they are not severe enough to warrant his removal from office.
Paxton’s lawyers also attacked two bribery-related impeachment articles, saying there was no evidence of a “quid pro quo” and that Paxton’s ties to Paul were nothing more than “a personal relationship with a constituent and that the constituent found something the Attorney General did to be agreeable in some way.”
Under rules adopted by the Senate, any pretrial motion to dismiss or quash an article of impeachment must be voted on by senators. A majority — 16 senators — can approve dismissal of an article, placing an early test on the determination of the chamber’s 19 Republicans to allow a trial on the allegations. Those votes are set to be taken shortly after the trial begins in September.
In a written response, filed with the Senate on Tuesday and made public Wednesday, the impeachment team challenged other pretrial assertions from Paxton’s lawyers, who claimed the articles of impeachment were deficient because they failed to list specific laws that Paxton allegedly broke.
“Impeachable offenses need not be indictable crimes,” the House team argued. “Impeachment in Texas seeks to protect against conduct that undermines the integrity of the office, disregards constitutional duties and oaths of office, abuses government process and power, and adversely impacts the system of government.”
What’s more, the team argued, many of the articles listed particular crimes, and several detailed “how Paxton abused his office for his own personal benefit or that of Nate Paul and business entities controlled by Paul.”
More broadly, the managers emphasized that the impeachment trial is not a criminal or civil proceeding, as Paxton’s side has implied. In one new filing, the managers wrote that an impeachment trial is “a unique, if not mostly Political, with a capital ‘P’, proceeding — i.e., an action by the representatives of the people challenging official actions that are contrary to the public interest.”
That view aligns with the view that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate and is acting as judge in the impeachment trial, offered in a TV interview Tuesday.
“It’s not a criminal trial. It’s not a civil trial. It’s a political trial,” Patrick told the Fox affiliate in Houston.
The House managers also asked the Senate to dismiss Paxton’s motion to quash the articles or return them to the House to add more detail to the allegations. The managers said the demand shows a “fundamental misunderstanding” of how impeachment works, arguing that the Texas Constitution does not require the level of detail common in a civil or criminal proceeding.
“A person can be impeached without an indictment, therefore Paxton does not have any right to demand more details,” the managers said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.


rawstory--2020-10-18--New York Post staff didn’t believe the Hunter Biden conspiracy — but they published it anyway: repor

New York Post staff didn’t believe the Hunter Biden conspiracy — but they published it anyway: report

Reporters involved in the New York Post didn ’ t trust the false story about Hunter Biden they reported last week , the New York Times reported Sunday .
One longtime Post reporter even said that despite providing research for the story , he refused to have his name on the piece .
“ Bruce Golding , a reporter at the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid since 2007 , did not allow his byline to be used because he had concerns over the article ’ s credibility , the two Post employees , ” told the Times , “ speaking on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliation.
” Still , however , no reporters have resigned , and no one has been fired , despite severe holes in the story .
The alleged laptop that was turned into a Delaware shop owner in 2019 , but the metadata for the alleged incriminating information wasn ’ t created until after the laptop was turned over to the shop , investigators found .
The conspiracy is already falling apart .
“ Many Post staff members questioned whether the paper had done enough to verify the authenticity of the hard drive ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge of the tabloid ’ s inner workings , ” the Times continued .
“ Staff members also had concerns about the reliability of its sources and its timing , the people said .
Two sources , Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani , were the ones who handed over the hard drive on Oct. 11 , 2020 to the Post , because “ either nobody else would take it , or if they took it , they would spend all the time they could to try to contradict it before they put it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t speak well for the Rupert Murdoch-owned outlet .
It ’ s unknown if the two men took it to Fox News as an option .
One credited author , Emma-Jo Morris , the deputy politics editor , hasn ’ t had her name attached to a story once in the four years she has worked for the publication .
She previously served as an associate producer on Sean Hannity ’ s Fox News show .
Gabrielle Fonrouge , who has been at the Post since 2014 , “ had little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the article , said three people with knowledge of how it was prepared .
She learned that her byline was on the story only after it was published , the people said.
” It ’ s unclear if the younger Biden son intends to sue the tabloid for the story .


rawstory--2020-10-18--The campaign race for cash is so embarrassing for Republicans even a powerful Oklahoma senator is fa

The campaign race for cash is so embarrassing for Republicans even a powerful Oklahoma senator is falling behind

Republicans are in serious money trouble .
Not only is former Vice President Joe Biden outraising President Donald Trump by millions , but Republican senators are also struggling to bring in the cash needed to get through the 2020 election .
Axios reported that in South Carolina , Maine , Arizona , Iowa , North Carolina , Oklahoma , Montana , Colorado , Georgia , Michigan , and Texas , Republicans weren ’ t able to bring in nearly as much money as Democrats .
In the case of 85-year-old Sen. Jim Inhofe ( R-OK ) , who isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponent Abby Broyles outraised the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman by hundreds of thousands of dollars .
“ Broyles , making her first political race , raised $ 911,763 from July 1 through Sept. 30 and finished the quarter with $ 273,152 in her campaign account , ” the local Oklahoma paper reported .
“ Inhofe , who has been in the Senate since 1994 , raised $ 876,409 and had nearly $ 1.7 million in his account at the end of September.
” “ Fundraising is a barometer of voter support and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have more support and enthusiasm , ” Axios cited a top Republican insider .
According to a Politico tally , the top 14 Senate races show Democrats more than doubled Republicans ’ fundraising .
In the past several weeks , Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News to beg for money , claiming , “ I ’ m getting killed !
” He clearly isn ’ t the only one .
He ’ s just the only one desperate enough to humiliate himself on national television .
In the final month of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and political action committees are generally looking for the possible winners to contribute to as part of buying government influence .
If Republicans are struggling to make it to the financial finish line , it could be an indication that major players don ’ t anticipate the GOP maintaining their power in the Senate .
See the shocking graphic at Axios .

And the Monsanto trade was just one of 136 stock and other financial transactions — totaling between $3.05 million and $8.56 million — that Allen failed to properly report, according to an exclusive Raw Story analysis of federal financial disclosures.
"The omissions are so extensive that I'm just in suspense for what the possible explanation could be,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director of ethics for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. “I haven't seen anything like this before with it going back this far."
ALSO READ: Revealed: Marjorie Taylor Greene's post-divorce finances — from Trump to Disney
The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act requires key government officials, including members of Congress, to publicly report within 45 days most purchases, sales and exchanges of stocks, bonds, commodity futures, securities and cryptocurrencies.
Passed by Congress in 2012, the STOCK Act is designed to stop insider trading, curb conflicts-of-interest and enhance transparency.
But many of the financial trades Allen reported earlier this month were at least three years past the STOCK Act’s reporting deadline. In response to a series of questions from Raw Story, Allen’s congressional office acknowledged in an emailed statement that the congressman experienced “reporting issues” and blamed them on a financial adviser who no longer works for the Georgia lawmaker.
“Congressman Allen’s investment decisions are handled by a financial adviser, who uses investment managers to implement trades at their own discretion, without consulting with or getting input from the Congressman,” said Carlton Norwood Jr., a spokesperson for Allen. “In May of this year, Congressman Allen became aware of some reporting issues and omissions that were caused by a compliance firm he had engaged. At that point, he hired counsel and a new compliance firm to start working with the House Ethics Committee to ensure all trades have been properly reported.”
Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA). Source: U.S. House of Representatives
Members of Congress are required to file what are known as “periodic transaction reports,” or PTRs, each time they make certain financial transactions worth more than $1,000.
The periodic transaction reports are due within 45 days of a trade being executed, whether by a member of Congress personally, or a financial adviser working on the member’s behalf. Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the value of the trades in broad ranges.
“The [Aug. 10] PTR was filed as part of that process in consultation with House Ethics Committee counsel – who understands that it was the compliance firm, and not Congressman Allen, who was responsible for these errors and that additional action and amendments to his financial disclosure statements may be necessary,” Norwood said in a statement.
However, Payne says it’s ultimately up to the legislator to ensure that such reports are filed in a timely manner.
“It's always been clear that the member has the ultimate responsibility of filing the PTRs, and it cannot be simply blamed on any outside adviser,” Payne said.
The standard fine for violating the STOCK Act is $200. But the House Committee on Ethics and Senate Select Committee on Ethics have historically waived the fees for many violators.
"It's a black hole when it goes to the Ethics Committee, and we don't know if they will assess penalties, or they just don't do anything about it.” Payne said.
Tom Rust, staff director and chief counsel for the House Committee on Ethics, which is tasked with investigating alleged STOCK Act violations, said “no comment” when reached by Raw Story.
Asked by Raw Story whether Allen has paid a fine, Norwood did not respond.
ALSO READ: Sold! Wealthy N.Y. congressman dumps up to $37 million in stocks and bonds amid pressure to divest
Demian Brady, vice president of research for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, said there should be more transparency from the congressional ethics committees “to see how they're enforcing the laws that they're responsible for administering.”
“It shouldn’t be so difficult to figure out whether a member’s getting fined or not for late compliance with these basic, it seems to me, fairly straightforward and simple reporting requirements,” Brady said.
Allen is appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittees on Communications and Technology; Innovation, Data, and Commerce; and Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials. He is also appointed to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and its Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.
Allen’s stock transactions span dozens of companies including energy companies like Dominion Energy, General Electric, ExxonMobil, NextEra Energy and Phillips 66, technology companies such as Microsoft and Verizon and mining company Freeport-McMo-Ran.
This is at least the third separate time Allen has violated the STOCK Act.
Raw Story reported in June that Allen was late in disclosing his spouse’s March 27 sale — valued between $100,001 to $250,000 — of stock in SouthState Corporation, a financial services company.
In 2021, Insider reported that Allen has several financial filing flubs related to his stock trade activity from 2019 and 2020.
Epidemic of violations
Dozens of members of Congress have failed to comply with the STOCK Act. During the 117th Congress from 2021 to 2022, at least 78 members of Congress — Democrats and Republicans alike — were found to have violated the STOCK Act's disclosure provisions, according to a tally maintained by Insider.
Raw Story has this year identified 19 members of the 118th Congress who have broken the federal conflicts of interest law.
In recent weeks, repeat violators like Allen have broken the federal disclosure law again — Rep. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) violated the STOCK Act for the third time in 14 months, Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) became a two-time offender and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was several months late disclosing a family stock sale — again.
The ongoing violations come at a time when a bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced several similar bills aimed at banning congressional stock trading.
"We see that the STOCK Act is not complied with the way it's intended to be, and if there are no consequences for the late filings, you continue to see that there probably will be less compliance with the law,” Payne said.
Campaign Legal Center supports legislation that would require members of Congress to divest of any stocks in individual companies, he said.
The most recent legislation introduced is the Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act, which would prohibit members of Congress, the president, the vice president, senior executive branch officials, their spouses and children from trading stocks and would require greater transparency with financial disclosures, The Hill reported.
Another two-party bill, the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act was introduced in May and is co-sponsored in part by political rivals in Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Other materially similar bills include the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, the TRUST in Congress Act and the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act. In the decade since the STOCK Act’s passage, the push for a total ban on lawmakers trading stocks while in office gained but then lost momentum last year when the Democratic-led House, then led by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, decided not to conduct a hearing on any of the stock-ban bills and never brought it to the House floor for a vote.
News organizations including the New York Times, Insider, NPR and Sludge have documented rampant financial conflicts of interests among dozens of members of Congress, such as those who bought and sold defense contractor stock while occupying positions on congressional armed services committees or otherwise voting on measures to send such companies billions of federal dollars. The executive and judicial branches are riddled with similar financial conflict issues, too, as the Wall Street Journal hasreported.
The Wall Street Journal won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for its investigation into financial conflicts among officials who work in federal agencies while Insider won the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award for its reporting on congressional financial conflicts.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Republican propaganda sites pretending to be local newspapers are on the rise: report

A new pay-for-play network is popping up with the purpose of promoting Republican candidates or smearing their rivals – and readers might not even know it .
The websites implement templates that legitimize the source with titles such as Des Moines Sun , Ann Arbor Times and Empire State Today .
But behind the localized content , many of the stories being published are placed by political groups and corporate P.R .
firms .
Maine Business Daily is part of a fast-growing network of nearly 1,300 websites that aim to fill a void left by vanishing local newspapers across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all 50 states , is built not on traditional journalism but on propaganda ordered up by dozens of conservative think tanks , political operatives , corporate executives and public relations professionals , an investigation by The New York Times found .
The investigation uncovered that the network is largely overseen by TV reporter turned internet entrepreneur Brian Timpone , a Texas brand-management consultant and a conservative Chicago radio personality .
Interviews were compiled with 30 current and former employees , clients , as well as thousands of internal emails between reporters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the network shared emails and the editing history in the site ’ s publishing software that revealed who requested dozens of articles and how , according to the Times .
It was also revealed that client packages for $ 2,000 were being sold by a salesman for Timpone .
These packages included running five articles and unlimited news releases with the stipulation that some articles would be decided by the reporter and not the client , necessarily .
Ben Ashkar , the chief operating officer of Locality Labs , one of the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t think people could pay for coverage .
“ I hope not , ” he said .
“ How would I know ?
Honestly I don ’ t think people are paying.
” “ It ’ s astounding to see how quickly the sites have popped up across the country in an attempt to fill the news void , ” said Penelope Muse Abernathy , a University of North Carolina journalism professor .
She estimated that approximately 2,100 newspapers have folded across the country since 2004 , a 25 percent decline @

A new pay-for-play network is popping up with the purpose of promoting Republican candidates or smearing their rivals - and readers might not even know it.
The websites implement templates that legitimize the source with titles such as Des Moines Sun, Ann Arbor Times and Empire State Today. But behind the localized content, many of the stories being published are placed by political groups and corporate P.R. firms.
Maine Business Daily is part of a fast-growing network of nearly 1,300 websites that aim to fill a void left by vanishing local newspapers across the country. Yet the network, now in all 50 states, is built not on traditional journalism but on propaganda ordered up by dozens of conservative think tanks, political operatives, corporate executives and public relations professionals, an investigation by The New York Times found.
The investigation uncovered that the network is largely overseen by TV reporter turned internet entrepreneur Brian Timpone, a Texas brand-management consultant and a conservative Chicago radio personality.
Interviews were compiled with 30 current and former employees, clients, as well as thousands of internal emails between reporters and editors spanning several years. Employees of the network shared emails and the editing history in the site’s publishing software that revealed who requested dozens of articles and how, according to the Times.
It was also revealed that client packages for $2,000 were being sold by a salesman for Timpone. These packages included running five articles and unlimited news releases with the stipulation that some articles would be decided by the reporter and not the client, necessarily.
Ben Ashkar, the chief operating officer of Locality Labs, one of the companies connected to the sites, said he didn’t think people could pay for coverage.
“I hope not,” he said. “How would I know? Honestly I don’t think people are paying.”
“It’s astounding to see how quickly the sites have popped up across the country in an attempt to fill the news void,” said Penelope Muse Abernathy, a University of North Carolina journalism professor. She estimated that approximately 2,100 newspapers have folded across the country since 2004, a 25 percent decline.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Is it wrong to wish ill on Trump even though he’s killed so many with his negligence?

Assistant professor of philosophy Sasha Mudd wrote an op-ed in The New York Times Oct. 10 that presented , “ The other day , my 7-year-old , having gotten wind of President Trump ’ s Covid-19 diagnosis , asked me point blank , ‘ Mommy , are you glad that Trump got the coronavirus ? '
” “ Here ’ s how I explained the moral quandary to my 7-year-old : I am sad that Mr. Trump got sick because in general suffering is bad , and I don ’ t want anyone to suffer , but on the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the harm he has done , ” Mudd wrote .
“ This answer seemed satisfying enough at the time , but it left out an important distinction .
What I did not try to explain is that the punishment that Mr. Trump ’ s bout of Covid-19 represents is merely symbolic , a stand-in for the real punishment he deserves , which is necessarily social in character .
Mr. Trump deserves to be punished at the ballot box and to be held accountable for any possible criminal wrongdoing in a court of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything from , “ I must admit that the irony that he may well lose the election because he refused to take Covid-19 seriously gives pleasure to some of us , ” to “ I have worked with many people who police their thoughts and are severely inhibited by the repression it requires.
” Many of us have wished the Russian-compromised illegitimate president with the slimy anti-everything rhetoric that has embedded it ’ s evil and hatred into our society – and democracy – ill. As Donald J. Trump continues to slide his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the nth time , America is beginning to wake up to a new dawn .
Still , does thinking bad thoughts about the president cause you to be a horrible human being ?
And is it even worth admitting these thoughts to others ?
“ I think Sasha Mudd overlooks a basic point , ” wrote William James Earle .
“ Wishing harm , feeling glee at another ’ s suffering and even hoping that someone will die are all causally inert .
They don ’ t in themselves hurt anyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ smallest step , the least action , to hurt another , cause suffering or bring about death .
We have to worry about what we do , not what we feel .
”

Assistant professor of philosophy Sasha Mudd wrote an op-ed in The New York Times Oct. 10 that presented, "The other day, my 7-year-old, having gotten wind of President Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis, asked me point blank, 'Mommy, are you glad that Trump got the coronavirus?'"
"Here’s how I explained the moral quandary to my 7-year-old: I am sad that Mr. Trump got sick because in general suffering is bad, and I don’t want anyone to suffer, but on the other hand I think he should suffer consequences for the harm he has done," Mudd wrote. "This answer seemed satisfying enough at the time, but it left out an important distinction. What I did not try to explain is that the punishment that Mr. Trump’s bout of Covid-19 represents is merely symbolic, a stand-in for the real punishment he deserves, which is necessarily social in character. Mr. Trump deserves to be punished at the ballot box and to be held accountable for any possible criminal wrongdoing in a court of law."
The reader responses ranged in everything from, "I must admit that the irony that he may well lose the election because he refused to take Covid-19 seriously gives pleasure to some of us," to "I have worked with many people who police their thoughts and are severely inhibited by the repression it requires."
Many of us have wished the Russian-compromised illegitimate president with the slimy anti-everything rhetoric that has embedded it's evil and hatred into our society - and democracy - ill. As Donald J. Trump continues to slide his gaslighting antics on his White supremacist followers for the nth time, America is beginning to wake up to a new dawn. Still, does thinking bad thoughts about the president cause you to be a horrible human being? And is it even worth admitting these thoughts to others?
"I think Sasha Mudd overlooks a basic point," wrote William James Earle. "Wishing harm, feeling glee at another’s suffering and even hoping that someone will die are all causally inert. They don’t in themselves hurt anyone. What morality strictly forbids is taking the smallest step, the least action, to hurt another, cause suffering or bring about death. We have to worry about what we do, not what we feel."


rawstory--2020-10-18--Trump’s ‘enablers’ must pay for ‘betraying their country’: conservative

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post Sunday , columnist Jennifer Rubin argued that enablers of President Donald J. Trump must pay for “ betraying their country.
” “ They should think more about atoning for the betrayal of their country than trying to escape the consequences of enabling a liar , racist and wannabe authoritarian , ” Rubin laid out .
“ There are practical reasons for employers outside the right-wing bubble to reject not only those who were the face of the administration but also those who labored behind the scenes.
” Among the reasons to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying , cheating , hypocrisy , corruption , and cruelty most likely acquired while on Trump ’ s deplorable watch .
“ Those seen as ethically obtuse and tolerant of racism pose a business risk , ” Rubin wrote .
“ Clients and customers might not want to be associated with a firm that features someone who just months ago promoted their boss ’ ludicrous lies or remained silent as he winked at QAnon conspiracy theories .
Alumni of the Trump administration do not suffer from a political association but rather from their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s highest ideals.
” Rubin further examined , “ There is , as I have argued , a moral imperative to hold people accountable for their actions .
Employees who obstructed justice , misrepresented facts to courts or lied to Congress must be held responsible under criminal statutes and professional rules of conduct .
State bar authorities will need to step up to identify behavior , which , if allowed to go unpunished , would bring disrepute on the profession and set a bad example for others .
If elected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide how to clean house , which might involve investigating and holding departed Trump officials responsible.
” If enablers are to reemerge into a public society they had a hand in dismantling , there are certain concessions that might be a requirement to welcome them back to the fold in good faith .
“ We as a country and as individuals need to decide whether those who are unremorseful , who seek no forgiveness and who admit no complicity in an administration that engaged in reprehensible conduct deserve to be welcomed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubin examined , later adding , “ You would think that before seeking cushy jobs , these Trump alumni might seek to make up for perpetuating racism and xenophobia , for their attacks on democratic institutions and norms , and for their efforts to sow division and undermine objective reality .
They might consider community service .
They might donate time or money to groups fighting racism , helping immigrants , defending press freedoms and teaching good citizenship.
” Rubin concluded that , “ No one forced anyone to work in this administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the bitter end or to conceal wrongdoing or to attack critics .
These actions have consequences .
”

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post Sunday, columnist Jennifer Rubin argued that enablers of President Donald J. Trump must pay for "betraying their country."
"They should think more about atoning for the betrayal of their country than trying to escape the consequences of enabling a liar, racist and wannabe authoritarian," Rubin laid out. "There are practical reasons for employers outside the right-wing bubble to reject not only those who were the face of the administration but also those who labored behind the scenes."
Among the reasons to reject future employment by ex-Trump enablers: the lying, cheating, hypocrisy, corruption, and cruelty most likely acquired while on Trump's deplorable watch.
"Those seen as ethically obtuse and tolerant of racism pose a business risk," Rubin wrote. "Clients and customers might not want to be associated with a firm that features someone who just months ago promoted their boss’ ludicrous lies or remained silent as he winked at QAnon conspiracy theories. Alumni of the Trump administration do not suffer from a political association but rather from their willingness to enable someone who betrayed his country’s highest ideals."
Rubin further examined, "There is, as I have argued, a moral imperative to hold people accountable for their actions. Employees who obstructed justice, misrepresented facts to courts or lied to Congress must be held responsible under criminal statutes and professional rules of conduct. State bar authorities will need to step up to identify behavior, which, if allowed to go unpunished, would bring disrepute on the profession and set a bad example for others. If elected, former vice president Joe Biden will need to decide how to clean house, which might involve investigating and holding departed Trump officials responsible."
If enablers are to reemerge into a public society they had a hand in dismantling, there are certain concessions that might be a requirement to welcome them back to the fold in good faith.
"We as a country and as individuals need to decide whether those who are unremorseful, who seek no forgiveness and who admit no complicity in an administration that engaged in reprehensible conduct deserve to be welcomed back into 'polite' society," Rubin examined, later adding, "You would think that before seeking cushy jobs, these Trump alumni might seek to make up for perpetuating racism and xenophobia, for their attacks on democratic institutions and norms, and for their efforts to sow division and undermine objective reality. They might consider community service. They might donate time or money to groups fighting racism, helping immigrants, defending press freedoms and teaching good citizenship."
Rubin concluded that, "No one forced anyone to work in this administration. No one forced them to stay to the bitter end or to conceal wrongdoing or to attack critics. These actions have consequences."


rawstory--2020-10-18--Mask-free Trump fans ‘cough’ on Biden supporters as president attends swanky fundraiser

Fans of President Donald Trump on Sunday were seen coughing on supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The confrontation @ @ @ @ @ California , where President Donald Trump was holding a fundraiser .
Tickets to the fundraiser @ @ @ @ @ 150,000 per couple , the Los Angeles Times reported .
The event was expected to @ @ @ @ @ for the Republican Party .
According to crime reporter Josh Cain , at least two @ @ @ @ @ on Biden backers at a nearby demonstration .
Orange County Register correspondent Alicia Robinson captured @ @ @ @ @ video .
“ Trump supporter screaming at people in Black Lives Matter attire to leave @ @ @ @ @ to cough on them , ” she wrote .
In the video , Biden supporters @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporters , who are not wearing masks .
“ You don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ shouts repeatedly while not wearing a mask .
“ You don ’ t know anything @

Fans of President Donald Trump on Sunday were seen coughing on supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
The confrontation occurred in Newport Beach, California, where President Donald Trump was holding a fundraiser. Tickets to the fundraiser were available for up $150,000 per couple, the Los Angeles Times reported. The event was expected to raise over $11 million for the Republican Party.
According to crime reporter Josh Cain, at least two Trump supporters were seen coughing on Biden backers at a nearby demonstration.
Orange County Register correspondent Alicia Robinson captured one of the incidents on video.
"Trump supporter screaming at people in Black Lives Matter attire to leave, one guy exaggeratedly pretended to cough on them," she wrote.
In the video, Biden supporters can be seen arguing with Trump supporters, who are not wearing masks.
"You don't know shit!" one man shouts repeatedly while not wearing a mask. "You don't know anything.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Exasperated  Trump aides looking for new jobs as the president ignores their campaign advice: report

According to a report from the New York Times , aides to Donald Trump are getting a jump on looking for new jobs with an eye on the fact that the president is doing nothing to stop his slide in the polls in the waning days of his re-election campaign .
With just over fifteen days before voters who didn ’ t take advantage of mail-in voting head to the polls , exasperated Trump campaign officials are admitting they can ’ t rein in the president and get him back on message as he tours the country throwing red meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the undecided voters he needs to win .
According to the Times ’ Maggie Haberman and Alexander Burns , the campaign is putting on a brave face , however : “ Away from their candidate and the television cameras , some of Mr. Trump ’ s aides are quietly conceding just how dire his political predicament appears to be , and his inner circle has returned to a state of recriminations and backbiting.
” Some of the blame , officials claim , can be laid at the feet of the Trump himself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lieutenants , there is an attitude of grit mixed with resignation : a sense that the best they can do for the final stretch is to keep the president occupied , happy and off Twitter as much as possible , rather than producing a major shift in strategy , ” the Times reports .
“ Instead of a delivering a focused closing message aimed at changing people ’ s perceptions about his handling of the coronavirus , or making a case for why he can revive the economy better than Mr. Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining days on a familiar mix of personal grievances , attacks on his opponents and obfuscations.
” According to Iowa Republican strategist David Kochel , “ A lot of Republican consultants are frustrated because we want the president ’ s campaign to be laser-focused on the economy .
Their best message is : Trump built a great economy ” until COVID-19 disrupted it .
With that in mind , aides to the president are looking at defeat on November 3rd and making plans for their own futures , with the Times reporting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign have even begun inquiring about employment on Capitol Hill after the election , apparently under the assumption that there will not be a second Trump administration for them to serve in.
” The report also notes that Trump 2020 campaign officials feel the president only has one more chance , the next debate , to change their fortunes — but even with that they are hindered .
“ Mr .
Trump ’ s advisers are hopeful they can use the days through the next debate to change the trajectory of the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold formal debate preparation sessions , in no small part because half of the people in his previous sessions , including Mr. Trump , contracted the coronavirus , ” the Times reports .
You can read more here .

According to a report from the New York Times, aides to Donald Trump are getting a jump on looking for new jobs with an eye on the fact that the president is doing nothing to stop his slide in the polls in the waning days of his re-election campaign.
With just over fifteen days before voters who didn't take advantage of mail-in voting head to the polls, exasperated Trump campaign officials are admitting they can't rein in the president and get him back on message as he tours the country throwing red meat out to his base -- while ignoring the undecided voters he needs to win.
According to the Times' Maggie Haberman and Alexander Burns, the campaign is putting on a brave face, however: "Away from their candidate and the television cameras, some of Mr. Trump’s aides are quietly conceding just how dire his political predicament appears to be, and his inner circle has returned to a state of recriminations and backbiting."
Some of the blame, officials claim, can be laid at the feet of the Trump himself.
"Among some of Mr. Trump’s lieutenants, there is an attitude of grit mixed with resignation: a sense that the best they can do for the final stretch is to keep the president occupied, happy and off Twitter as much as possible, rather than producing a major shift in strategy," the Times reports. "Instead of a delivering a focused closing message aimed at changing people’s perceptions about his handling of the coronavirus, or making a case for why he can revive the economy better than Mr. Biden can, Mr. Trump is spending the remaining days on a familiar mix of personal grievances, attacks on his opponents and obfuscations."
According to Iowa Republican strategist David Kochel, “A lot of Republican consultants are frustrated because we want the president’s campaign to be laser-focused on the economy. Their best message is: Trump built a great economy” until COVID-19 disrupted it.
With that in mind, aides to the president are looking at defeat on November 3rd and making plans for their own futures, with the Times reporting, "Some midlevel aides on the Trump campaign have even begun inquiring about employment on Capitol Hill after the election, apparently under the assumption that there will not be a second Trump administration for them to serve in."
The report also notes that Trump 2020 campaign officials feel the president only has one more chance, the next debate, to change their fortunes -- but even with that they are hindered.
"Mr. Trump’s advisers are hopeful they can use the days through the next debate to change the trajectory of the race. The president is not likely to hold formal debate preparation sessions, in no small part because half of the people in his previous sessions, including Mr. Trump, contracted the coronavirus," the Times reports.
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-10-18--Trump’s rallies are doing nothing to halt his campaign’s collapse: CNN

A projection Friday by the CDC found that the COVID-19 pandemic death toll is expected climb to 229,000-240,000 people by Nov. 7 .
As a maskless president tramples through the nation unapologetically spewing anti-Semitic , white supremacist nonsense , there ’ s a new angle on why no lives matter to Donald J. Trump .
White House Correspondent John Harwood wrote in his CNN article Sunday , “ Instead of projecting newfound empathy and sobriety , Trump has flaunted his recklessness at packed , mostly maskless campaign rallies .
That gleeful abandon , as he bleeds support from voters fearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously , makes no political sense .
But it makes perfect emotional sense for a President who craves the applause of a zealous minority .
His hunger for affirmation explains much about his conduct of the presidency — and why it may soon come to an end.
” Harwood wrote , “ He [ Trump ] prefers the safety and comfort of audiences that already embrace him over the uncertainty and risk of encountering those who don ’ t .
As President , he has visited West Virginia , which he won in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
By the tally of CBS White House Correspondent and real-time historian Mark Knoller , that ’ s the same number of visits as he ’ s made to California , which has a population 20 times larger but rejected him by 30 points.
” While on the debate stage with Democratic candidate Joe Biden two weeks ago , “ Trump ducked an invitation to condemn White supremacists who back him , ” Harwood said .
“ In his NBC town hall last week , Trump dared not even condemn the lunatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his presidency from the deluded , extremist fringe .
In theory , that might reflect a considered strategy of turbocharging turnout among existing supporters when persuading other voters is fruitless .
But Trump ’ s tactics have been so obviously self-defeating as to render that explanation insufficient .
It also overlooks his propensity for impulsivity over planning.
” “ He doesn ’ t think strategically , ” observed Tim O ’ Brien , one of Trump ’ s biographers , who served as an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” If Trump chooses the proverbial safety and security of his rallies over the responses spurred by the real-life intricacies of a nation in shambles and crippling to the ground , he may ultimately fail anyway .
“ If Trump stages a comeback in the dwindling days of the campaign , in-person rallies are unlikely to be the cause , ” Harwood said .
“ Research shows that such events exert marginal , fleeting influence on the electorate .
The preeminence of social media over local news coverage ‘ suggests the effect will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ noted Thomas Wood , an Ohio State University political scientist who has advised Republican candidates .
”

A projection Friday by the CDC found that the COVID-19 pandemic death toll is expected climb to 229,000-240,000 people by Nov. 7. As a maskless president tramples through the nation unapologetically spewing anti-Semitic, white supremacist nonsense, there's a new angle on why no lives matter to Donald J. Trump.
White House Correspondent John Harwood wrote in his CNN article Sunday, "Instead of projecting newfound empathy and sobriety, Trump has flaunted his recklessness at packed, mostly maskless campaign rallies. That gleeful abandon, as he bleeds support from voters fearing he hasn't taken the pandemic seriously, makes no political sense. But it makes perfect emotional sense for a President who craves the applause of a zealous minority. His hunger for affirmation explains much about his conduct of the presidency -- and why it may soon come to an end."
Harwood wrote, "He [Trump] prefers the safety and comfort of audiences that already embrace him over the uncertainty and risk of encountering those who don't. As President, he has visited West Virginia, which he won in 2016 by 42 percentage points, eight times. By the tally of CBS White House Correspondent and real-time historian Mark Knoller, that's the same number of visits as he's made to California, which has a population 20 times larger but rejected him by 30 points."
While on the debate stage with Democratic candidate Joe Biden two weeks ago, "Trump ducked an invitation to condemn White supremacists who back him," Harwood said. "In his NBC town hall last week, Trump dared not even condemn the lunatic theories of QAnon adherents who have embraced his presidency from the deluded, extremist fringe. In theory, that might reflect a considered strategy of turbocharging turnout among existing supporters when persuading other voters is fruitless. But Trump's tactics have been so obviously self-defeating as to render that explanation insufficient. It also overlooks his propensity for impulsivity over planning."
"He doesn't think strategically," observed Tim O'Brien, one of Trump's biographers, who served as an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. "He's completely visceral and reactive."
If Trump chooses the proverbial safety and security of his rallies over the responses spurred by the real-life intricacies of a nation in shambles and crippling to the ground, he may ultimately fail anyway.
"If Trump stages a comeback in the dwindling days of the campaign, in-person rallies are unlikely to be the cause," Harwood said.
"Research shows that such events exert marginal, fleeting influence on the electorate. The preeminence of social media over local news coverage 'suggests the effect will be even smaller in this cycle,' noted Thomas Wood, an Ohio State University political scientist who has advised Republican candidates."