dailykos--2020-02-09--a la John Lennon:  Democrats are the N***ers of the World

Under the leadership of Donald Trump , Democrats are experiencing what it is like to be an African-American day in and day out in these United States of America .
An experience that began from the moment the first African stepped foot onto American soil until the year of our Lord , this 2020 .
It feels quite oppressive , doesn ’ t it ?
Kind of scary ?
Watching from the cotton fields , the back of the bus , a church pew , the workplace , and classrooms an America who calls a wrong a right , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect , and a lie a truth , just the way the America of Donald Trump and his GOP mafia does .
Surreal , isn ’ t it ?
To stand by and watch a people rule who don ’ t have your interests at heart in the least and are not ashamed to show they don ’ t .
Yet you are just as American as they are .
I ’ ve been thinking about the John Lennon ’ s song , “ Woman is the N***er of the World ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock and despair shown by democrats who are astounded by seeing a man like Donald Trump getting a free pass on all the classless actions and crimes he has committed and words he has spoken as president .
They feel hopeless to protect themselves from or mitigate the probable adverse outcome from those in power right now .
It ’ s a NEW feeling , never experienced during their lifetime .
But they continue getting up every morning going to work or school , all the while feeling depleted and defeated .
Stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African-American feels like each day of his life , Trump or no Trump .
They ’ ve just learned to live with it .
It reminds me of affirmative-action .
Very few of the majority concerned themselves with the African-American who hit a glass ceiling for any career above house maid , teacher , or mail courier .
Blacks endured the unfairness for decades .
Yet some White Americans couldn ’ t endure the supposed “ favoritism ” for a year with complaining or filing lawsuits about the loss of their entitlement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for feeling the system is stacked against them is extremely low .
I can imagine the majority standing on the black side throughout history reading the U. S. Declaration of Independence and having a difficult time getting past that part where Jefferson has the audacity to write that “ all men are created ” equal , while they were in chains , the Jim Crow south , or just about to sign the contract on house at a higher percentage than a black counterpart .
What indignity they would feel .
Fellow democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months and an election that has the ability to save or destroy America , let us not forget the African-American struggle .
Theirs has been for a lifetime and for the rest , perhaps , only an election cycle .
During this Black History Month there is a lot to be learned about fortitude and faith when facing adversaries who seem to have God himself on their side .
Those like Donald Trump who make a mockery out of Democracy and human decency yet who can actually affect the lives of those over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , I mean master in every sense of the word .
There is actually more that we can do than just live with it .
We can vote and continue to make our voices be heard even if we are accused of playing some kind of “ card ” .
Remember , it if often quoted that pride always comes before a big fall .
A fall this impactful will probably destroy this type of GOP for a lifetime .
If there is any justice , it will be forever .

Under the leadership of Donald Trump, Democrats are experiencing what it is like to be an African-American day in and day out in these United States of America. An experience that began from the moment the first African stepped foot onto American soil until the year of our Lord, this 2020. It feels quite oppressive, doesn’t it? Kind of scary? Watching from the cotton fields, the back of the bus, a church pew, the workplace, and classrooms an America who calls a wrong a right, a reality a paranoia, an imperfect a perfect, and a lie a truth, just the way the America of Donald Trump and his GOP mafia does. Surreal, isn’t it? To stand by and watch a people rule who don’t have your interests at heart in the least and are not ashamed to show they don’t. Yet you are just as American as they are. I’ve been thinking about the John Lennon’s song, “Woman is the N***er of the World” a lot lately.
I have observed the shock and despair shown by Democrats who are astounded by seeing a man like Donald Trump getting a free pass on all the classless actions and crimes he has committed and words he has spoken as president. They feel hopeless to protect themselves from or mitigate the probable adverse outcome from those in power right now. It’s a NEW feeling, never experienced during their lifetime. But they continue getting up every morning going to work or school, all the while feeling depleted and defeated. Stressed. That’s what the average African-American feels like each day of his life, Trump or no Trump. They’ve just learned to live with it.
It reminds me of affirmative-action. Very few of the majority concerned themselves with the African-American who hit a glass ceiling for any career above house maid, teacher, or mail courier. Blacks endured the unfairness for decades. Yet some White Americans couldn’t endure the supposed “favoritism” for a year without complaining or filing lawsuits about the loss of their entitlement.
The average White American’s threshold for feeling the system is stacked against them is extremely low. I can imagine the majority standing on the black side throughout history reading the U. S. Declaration of Independence and having a difficult time getting past that part where Jefferson has the audacity to write that “all men are created” equal, while they were in chains, the Jim Crow south, or just about to sign the contract on house at a higher percentage than a black counterpart. What indignity they would feel.
Fellow Democrats, as we face the next few months and an election that has the ability to save or destroy America, let us not forget the African-American struggle. Theirs has been for a lifetime and for the rest, perhaps, only an election cycle. During this Black History Month there is a lot to be learned about fortitude and faith when facing adversaries who seem to have God himself on their side. Those like Donald Trump who make a mockery out of Democracy and human decency yet who can actually affect the lives of those over whom they are MASSA with rhetoric and policy. And, right now, I mean master in every sense of the word.
There is actually more that we can do than just live with it. We can vote and continue to make our voices be heard even if we are accused of playing some kind of “card”. Remember, it is often quoted that pride always comes before a big fall. A fall this impactful will probably destroy this type of GOP for a lifetime. If there is any justice, it will be forever.


dailykos--2020-02-09--The Moaning Bernie Bots Are Back On Facebook

Bernie Sanders appears to at least have shared the win in Iowa .
If the polls are to be believed , he is ahead in New Hampshire and nationally .
All front runners get beat up a bit , it comes with the territory .
With success comes scrutiny .
Ask Joe Biden .
Bernie is doing fine but you ’ d never know it by all the moaning on social media .
My Facebook newsfeed is now loaded up with posts about how unfairly Bernie is being treated by the media , the DNC and even how social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories about secret meetings within the Democratic establishment to take him out before the convention .
They could have been repurposed from 2016 because those was the same accusations we saw back then .
Even here on liberal minded Daily Kos I see regular comments about nefarious plots against Bernie Sanders I will tell you why this isn ’ t helpful to our cause to remove Donald Trump .
Russia and far right Robert Mercer assisted resources blasted Bernie Sanders voters with millions of memes and fake stories in 2016 .
It had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Bernie voters under the banner of “ Bernie or Bust ” sat out or voted for Jill Stein and Trump in protest .
Atlantic has a new article on how misinformation will be weaponized in 2020 on social media .
It will dwarf the efforts in the last election .
www.theatlantic.com/… where fake posts were targeted at Democrats to sow divisions .
There are outside forces at play again in 2020 and they are working hard to make sure that Bernie supporters stay riled up .
I don ’ t know if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is I will assume it ’ s because he convinced more people to vote for him in the primaries .
That ’ s how it works .
If you get more votes you win .
People know what Sanders stands for .
Even if you don ’ t pay much attention to politics you know the things he is promoting better than any other candidate .
Except Trump , no one has more national exposure than Bernie Sanders .
There is no organized movement to subdue him .
Even if there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is too well established .
Bernie is baked in to the public zeitgeist .
Some Democrats like him a lot , some don ’ t and they speak their mind .
If Hillary doesn ’ t say nice things about Bernie , who cares ?
She ’ s a private citizen and has a right to her opinion .
It ’ s not a conspiracy to take out Bernie , it an opinionated person with a large audience speaking her mind .
Bernie has a tough skin , maybe follow his lead and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment in the lead .
Winners don ’ t whine .

Bernie Sanders appears to at least have shared the win in Iowa. If the polls are to be believed, he is ahead in New Hampshire and nationally. All front runners get beat up a bit, it comes with the territory. With success comes scrutiny. Ask Joe Biden. Bernie is doing fine but you’d never know it by all the moaning on social media.
My Facebook newsfeed is now loaded up with posts about how unfairly Bernie is being treated by the media, the DNC and even how social media is dismissing him. There are conspiracy theories about secret meetings within the Democratic establishment to take him out before the convention. They could have been repurposed from 2016 because those were the same accusations we saw back then. Even here on liberal minded Daily Kos I see regular comments about nefarious plots against Bernie Sanders
I will tell you why this isn’t helpful to our cause to remove Donald Trump. Russia and far right Robert Mercer assisted resources blasted Bernie Sanders voters with millions of memes and fake stories in 2016. It had a chilling effect on the outcome as many Bernie voters under the banner of “Bernie or Bust” sat out or voted for Jill Stein and Trump in protest. Atlantic has a new article on how misinformation will be weaponized in 2020 on social media. It will dwarf the efforts in the last election. www.theatlantic.com/… where fake posts were targeted at Democrats to sow divisions.
There are outside forces at play again in 2020 and they are working hard to make sure that Bernie supporters stay riled up. I don’t know if Bernie will be the nominee. If he is I will assume it’s because he convinced more people to vote for him in the primaries. That’s how it works. If you get more votes you win. People know what Sanders stands for. Even if you don’t pay much attention to politics you know the things he is promoting better than any other candidate. Except Trump, no one has more national exposure than Bernie Sanders. There is no organized movement to subdue him. Even if there was it wouldn’t work, he is too well established. Bernie is baked in to the public zeitgeist.
Some Democrats like him a lot, some don’t and they speak their mind. If Hillary doesn’t say nice things about Bernie, who cares? She’s a private citizen and has a right to her opinion. It’s not a conspiracy to take out Bernie, it an opinionated person with a large audience speaking her mind. Bernie has a tough skin, maybe follow his lead and stop playing the victim, enjoy your moment in the lead. Winners don’t whine.


dailykos--2020-02-09--I am a Black woman - Trump and his supporters are right. Democrats  are destroying America

As the impeachment `` trial '' wound down , I found myself perusing the comments section of various main stream news entities .
By any standard , there is irrefutable , insurmountable evidence that , by withholding defense funds earmarked for the Ukraine , Trump put this nation at risk , for personal gain .
However , his supporters were unmoved.There in the comments section ( rarely are they so vocal in real life ) , they cheered all the `` progress '' that has been made under Trump .
Eagerly anticipate four more years of his occupying the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , accused Democrats of destroying America .
It felt as though I was in an alternate universe.What of our sacred Constitution - the founding principles of this nation , the living , breathing document that is to be protected above all else ?
Did they not see it eroding before their very eyes ?
Then , it dawned on me .
Trump , and supporters are right !
Democrats are indeed destroying this country .
After all , in spite of all the talk of the glorious Constitution , America was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely guides the manner in which our government was/is organized and operates .
I would need to write any entire old school encyclopedia to support the premise of my next paragraph .
For the sake of brevity , and , because those who disagree with the premise are n't likely to objectively analyze facts anyway , I will refrain from attempting to offer any such proof .
Some things speak for themselves - res ipsa loquitur ( or as the hip amongst us say in New York , facts B ) .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ xenophobia , sexism , bigotry , classism , ( insert negative noun here ) .
And so , it follows , that anyone trying to move America away from these bedrock principles , is in fact , destroying this country .
How could it take me so long to understand this ?
For five years I have wondered why Trump and his supporters did not realize what they were doing to this country .
This country that my immigrant mother moved to , to provide a better life for her children .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long been considered the land of opportunity .
Land of the free , home of the brave .
Give me your tired , your poor… I realize now though , that optimistic ideals as to what makes America great , are simply that - optimistic ideals , which have long masked the truth .
Optimistic ideals which only the altruistic amongst us hold true .
For every one else , what made/makes America great , is precisely the ignorant , degenerate and callous behavior that is now on display in the highest office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the election results were announced in 2016 .
Still , I thought Trump being in office would be a net good for America .
I thought that all the `` good people '' who for so long had claimed ignorance as it relates to laws and policies which adversely affect minorities ( but were crafted to appear neutral ) would finally see the light .
After all , the White House was now occupied by a man who had all but openly announced his intent to pursue policies solely because they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was horribly wrong .
There are no bounds to the mental gymnastics that these `` good people '' will exercise , to excuse injustice against others .
In fact , these `` good people '' hardly even seem to care when newly instituted policies adversely affect their own lives ( think tax cut for the rich ) .
For them , destroying America means attempting to dismantle racism , nationalism , xenophobia , sexism , bigotry , classism , ( insert negative noun here ) .
They have been right all along .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Jamaican immigrant who is stranded on a very different island , Long Island , New York .
She makes the best of it by raising three future revolutionaries , working as an attorney , and , some times , finding time to write .
Twitter : GratefullyPres1

As the impeachment "trial" wound down, I found myself perusing the comments section of various main stream news entities. By any standard, there is irrefutable, insurmountable evidence that, by withholding defense funds earmarked for the Ukraine, Trump put this nation at risk, for personal gain.
However, his supporters were unmoved.There in the comments section (rarely are they so vocal in real life), they cheered all the "progress" that has been made under Trump. Eagerly anticipate four more years of his occupying the White House. Rebuffed any factual offerings. And, accused Democrats of destroying America.
It felt as though I was in an alternate universe.What of our sacred Constitution - the founding principles of this nation, the living, breathing document that is to be protected above all else? Did they not see it eroding before their very eyes?
Then, it dawned on me. Trump, and his supporters are right! Democrats are indeed destroying this country.
After all, in spite of all the talk of the glorious Constitution, America was not built on the Constitution. The Constitution merely guides the manner in which our government was/is organized and operates.
I would need to write an entire old school encyclopedia to support the premise of my next paragraph. For the sake of brevity, and, because those who disagree with the premise aren't likely to objectively analyze facts anyway, I will refrain from attempting to offer any such proof. Some things speak for themselves - res ipsa loquitur (or as the hip amongst us say in New York, Facts, B).
America was built on racism, nationalism, xenophobia, sexism, bigotry, classism, (insert negative noun here). And so, it follows, that anyone trying to move America away from these bedrock principles, is in fact, destroying this country.
How could it take me so long to understand this? For five years I have wondered why Trump and his supporters did not realize what they were doing to this country. This country that my immigrant mother moved to, to provide a better life for her children. This country which, for many, had long been considered the land of opportunity. Land of the free, home of the brave. Give me your tired, your poor…
I realize now though, that optimistic ideals as to what makes America great, are simply that - optimistic ideals, which have long masked the truth. Optimistic ideals which only the altruistic amongst us hold true. For every one else, what made/makes America great, is precisely the ignorant, degenerate and callous behavior that is now on display in the highest office in the land.
I was disappointed when the election results were announced in 2016. Still, I thought Trump being in office would be a net good for America. I thought that all the "good people," who for so long had claimed ignorance as it relates to laws and policies which adversely affect minorities (but were crafted to appear neutral) would finally see the light. After all, the White House was now occupied by a man who had all but openly announced his intent to pursue policies solely because they were to the detriment of minorities.
I was horribly wrong. There are no bounds to the mental gymnastics that these "good people" will exercise, to excuse injustice against others. In fact, these "good people" hardly even seem to care when newly instituted policies adversely affect their own lives (think tax cut for the rich). For them, destroying America means attempting to dismantle racism, nationalism, xenophobia, sexism, bigotry, classism, (insert negative noun here).
They have been right all along.
Now what?
About the Author: Alexi Laine* is a Jamaican immigrant who is stranded on a very different island, Long Island, New York. She makes the best of it by raising three future revolutionaries, working as an attorney, and, some times, finding time to write.
If you enjoyed this article, please share, and follow me on Twitter @TheAlexiLaine


dailykos--2020-02-09--At the intersection of hip-hop and politics

Hip hop music has been a part of my life since childhood .
Project Future 's `` Ray-Gun-omics '' and Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel and the Furious Five 's `` The Message '' often told the story of Ronald Reagan 's policies affected the inner cities .
Run DMC 's `` Hard Times '' talked about Reagonomics affecting working class families .
And then came Public Enemy and N.W.A .
I hear songs that talked about police brutality , racism , oppression .
The politicians took umbrage , while using the messaging to their political advantage , hearing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Power '' , `` Ca n't Truss It '' , and `` F*** Da Police '' .
I occasionally listened to X Clan as well .
Mind you I am talking about my tween years , my teenage years , and my twenties .
Salt n Pepa 's `` Let 's Talk About Sex '' helped sex education with the topic of HIV/AIDS , safe sex , and condoms .
Yes I listened to their earlier stuff ; I liked that this song was getting airplay and it was n't degrading young men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Queen Latifah encouraged me to take no disrespect when she recorded `` U N. I. T .
Y . ''
It was the first time I felt it was okay to not accept being called a b**** .
Do n't get me wrong ; I liked her earlier works as well .
In fact , here 's `` Ladies First '' , featuring Monie Love .
Here 's the song that made me a fan of hers , `` Dance for Me '' .
I have other songs and artists I wish to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Damian Marley , and Nas .
I still love hip hop even though I am about to enter the fifty year milestone sometime this year .
There are artists that inspire me when I listen to their songs .
I wish to close with this :

Hip hop music has been a part of my life since childhood. Project Future's "Ray-Gun-omics" and Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel and the Furious Five's "The Message" often told the story of Ronald Reagan's policies affected the inner cities.
Run DMC's "Hard Times" talked about Reagonomics affecting working class families. And then came Public Enemy and N.W.A. I hear songs that talked about police brutality, racism, oppression. The politicians took umbrage, while using the messaging to their political advantage, hearing in your face songs like "Fight the Power", "Can't Truss It", and "F*** Da Police". I occasionally listened to X Clan as well. Mind you I am talking about my tween years, my teenage years, and my twenties.
Salt n Pepa's "Let's Talk About Sex" helped sex education with the topic of HIV/AIDS, safe sex, and condoms. Yes I listened to their earlier stuff; I liked that this song was getting airplay and it wasn't degrading young men and women for practicing safe sex. Queen Latifah encouraged me to take no disrespect when she recorded " U N. I. T. Y." It was the first time I felt it was okay to not accept being called a b****. Don't get me wrong; I liked her earlier works as well. In fact, here's "Ladies First", featuring Monie Love. Here's the song that made me a fan of hers, "Dance for Me". I have other songs and artists I wish to add like Tupac Shakur, Common, Damian Marley, and Nas.
I still love hip hop even though I am about to enter the fifty year milestone sometime this year. There are artists that inspire me when I listen to their songs. I wish to close with this:


dailykos--2020-02-08--The Perfect Firing of Lt Col Alexander Vindman

I generally refrain from political posts on my DKos blog .
Smarter and more ideologically pure Kossacks cover these subjects , but when the military is involved I sometimes feel like jumping in .
—pwoodford Last night , Rachel Maddow squeezed nearly a full hour out of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman 's firing .
She played clips , over and over , of Army and Defense Department officials swearing they 'd uphold whistleblower protections and not let Trump retaliate against Vindman for his testimony on the Perfect™ phone call .
Which of course is the second thing Trump did after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The first thing , apparently , was to rub orange clown makeup* on his face , being careful not to get any on his ears , neck , and scalp ( a perfectly normal thing for a man to do , and not at all cringey ) .
Ronald Reagan fired Lt Col Oliver North from a National Security Council billet at the White House the minute North became an embarrassment during the Iran-Contra scandal .
North was later indicted for a crime ( attempting to defraud the United States by channeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Contra rebels in Nicaragua ) and chose to resign from the Marine Corps .
No charges have been filed against Vindman and he has not resigned .
As to Maddow 's righteous anger at the Army and DoD for not standing by a decorated career officer , let me just say that NSC billets are pretty special , and you can argue that military officers serving on the NSC do so at the pleasure of the White House .
With Oliver North , at least , there 's precedent for the commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reassigned .
The fact is , at least for now , Vindman 's Army career is far from over .
He 's still an active duty lieutenant colonel , temporarily reassigned to the Army staff at the Pentagon , with a slot in the next War College class .
War College is a shoo-in for colonel rank and beyond .
In other words , it would be perfectly valid for the same officials , the ones who earlier promised they 'd protect Vindman from retaliation , to say `` What 's the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a minute Trump 's going to let it go with firing Vindman from the NSC ?
Has Trump ever let anything go ?
I 'm watching that War College slot .
Should Vindman lose his slot between now and July , when he 's scheduled to report , I 'll be with Rachel Maddow in condemning the Army & DoD for throwing Vindman to the wolves .
Losing the War College slot would kill Vindman 's chance for further promotion and he 'd very likely feel forced to retire early .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 'm thinking of Andrew McCabe , deputy director of the FBI , fired by Trump just a few days short of qualifying for a retirement pension .
Yeah , it 's different for military members , and Lt Col Vindman already has 20 years of service under his belt and has earned a pension even if he retires tomorrow , but knowing Trump I 'm sure he 'll find a way .
A criminal conviction would do it , and with GOP senators and congressmen already saying he should be tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mention all the Trump loyalists now serving in the federal judiciary , who 's to say that wo n't happen ?
All I know is it ai n't over for Alex Vindman .
`` Perfect , '' as used by Trump and his lackeys , has become a canary-in-a-coal-mine indicator of disturbing trends .
I point you to Pompeo 's third answer , down at the bottom of the interview transcript , where he says `` It sends a message—it 's a perfect message .
It 's a perfect message about press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` perfect '' means , or at least we thought we did .
Thanks to Trump the meaning has shifted .
Trump 's `` perfect phone call '' is one example , and here 's another from Mike Pompeo , saying kicking a National Public Radio reporter off the plane in retaliation after another NPR reporter asked him tough questions sends `` a perfect message '' to the press .
They 're using `` perfect '' to gaslight us .
`` Perfect '' to them means `` I did it and I 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's gaslighting just as much as standing there with blood on your knuckles and saying `` She broke her nose walking into a door '' ; as in proclaiming `` We will also protect patients with pre-existing conditions '' when you 're actively trying to give the insurance industry the freedom to drop them ; as in saying `` Who you gon na believe , me or your lyin ' eyes ? ''
The definition of `` perfect '' will forevermore contain its opposite .
That 's not the only lasting effect Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years from now mothers will shush fractious children with tales of an orange-faced bogeyman coming to get them in their sleep .
*The photo at the beginning of this post is real and un-retouched .
It was taken on the south lawn of the White House yesterday ( Feb 7 , 2020 ) by presidential photographer William Moon … who no doubt will soon join Andrew McCabe , James Comey , John Bolton , et al , in exile .

I generally refrain from political posts on my DKos blog. Smarter and more ideologically pure Kossacks cover these subjects, but when the military is involved I sometimes feel like jumping in.
—pwoodford
Last night, Rachel Maddow squeezed nearly a full hour out of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman's firing. She played clips, over and over, of Army and Defense Department officials swearing they'd uphold whistleblower protections and not let Trump retaliate against Vindman for his testimony on the Perfect™ phone call.
Which of course is the second thing Trump did after being acquitted on the articles of impeachment. The first thing, apparently, was to rub orange clown makeup* on his face, being careful not to get any on his ears, neck, and scalp (a perfectly normal thing for a man to do, and not at all cringey).
Ronald Reagan fired Lt Col Oliver North from a National Security Council billet at the White House the minute North became an embarrassment during the Iran-Contra scandal. North was later indicted for a crime (attempting to defraud the United States by channeling the profits from US arms sales to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua) and chose to resign from the Marine Corps. No charges have been filed against Vindman and he has not resigned.
As to Maddow's righteous anger at the Army and DoD for not standing by a decorated career officer, let me just say that NSC billets are pretty special, and you can argue that military officers serving on the NSC do so at the pleasure of the White House. With Oliver North, at least, there's precedent for the commander in chief to demand a military officer be reassigned. The fact is, at least for now, Vindman's Army career is far from over. He's still an active duty lieutenant colonel, temporarily reassigned to the Army staff at the Pentagon, with a slot in the next War College class. War College is a shoo-in for colonel rank and beyond. In other words, it would be perfectly valid for the same officials, the ones who earlier promised they'd protect Vindman from retaliation, to say "What's the problem?"
But. Who thinks for a minute Trump's going to let it go with firing Vindman from the NSC? Has Trump ever let anything go? I'm watching that War College slot. Should Vindman lose his slot between now and July, when he's scheduled to report, I'll be with Rachel Maddow in condemning the Army & DoD for throwing Vindman to the wolves. Losing the War College slot would kill Vindman's chance for further promotion and he'd very likely feel forced to retire early.
It could, of course, get worse. I'm thinking of Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the FBI, fired by Trump just a few days short of qualifying for a retirement pension. Yeah, it's different for military members, and Lt Col Vindman already has 20 years of service under his belt and has earned a pension even if he retires tomorrow, but knowing Trump I'm sure he'll find a way. A criminal conviction would do it, and with GOP senators and congressmen already saying he should be tried for insubordination and even treason, not to mention all the Trump loyalists now serving in the federal judiciary, who's to say that won't happen? All I know is it ain't over for Alex Vindman.
"Perfect," as used by Trump and his lackeys, has become a canary-in-a-coal-mine indicator of disturbing trends.
I point you to Pompeo's third answer, down at the bottom of the interview transcript, where he says "It sends a message—it's a perfect message. It's a perfect message about press freedoms."
We all know what "perfect" means, or at least we thought we did. Thanks to Trump the meaning has shifted. Trump's "perfect phone call" is one example, and here's another from Mike Pompeo, saying kicking a National Public Radio reporter off the plane in retaliation after another NPR reporter asked him tough questions sends "a perfect message" to the press.
They're using "perfect" to gaslight us. "Perfect" to them means "I did it and I'll get away with it." It's gaslighting just as much as standing there with blood on your knuckles and saying "She broke her nose walking into a door"; as in proclaiming "We will also protect patients with pre-existing conditions" when you're actively trying to give the insurance industry the freedom to drop them; as in saying "Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?" The definition of "perfect" will forevermore contain its opposite.
That's not the only lasting effect Trump will have on us. Two hundred years from now mothers will shush fractious children with tales of an orange-faced bogeyman coming to get them in their sleep.
*The photo at the beginning of this post is real and un-retouched. It was taken on the south lawn of the White House yesterday (Feb 7, 2020) by presidential photographer William Moon … who no doubt will soon join Andrew McCabe, James Comey, John Bolton, et al, in exile.


dailykos--2020-02-08--Fear and Republican Identity

Fear and Republican Identity

“ History has indeed taught us that when it comes to the instincts that drive us , fear has no rival.
” — from Sherrod Brown ’ s Feb. 5 , 2020 opinion piece in the New York Times .
I agree that fear on the part of Republicans , and Republican senators in particular , played into the impeachment acquittal .
But “ cowardice ” with respect to defending the constitution is only part of the picture .
I think it ’ s more about the multiple identities we simultaneously inhabit as individuals , and how ever evolving circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic , political and environmental factors ) change the relative strength of those identities at any given time .
I believe Amy Davidson Sorkin was getting at this in the last line of her recent New Yorker piece : “ Perhaps the Republican senators , as they trudged toward casting their vote , were making a calculation about how Trump might return the favor with one for them , or their party , or their country .
Or maybe they , too , can no longer tell the difference.
” So was Mitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Senator to vote for impeachment ( at least for Article 1 ) , when in his speech to the Senate justifying his vote conveyed that he had received numerous phone calls and emails demanding that he “ stand with the team.
” In other words , stand not with the constitution , or with U.S. citizens , but stand with the Republican team – stand with Team Trump .
In our current hyper-partisan environment , our identities as Republicans or Democrats are significantly stronger than our identities as U.S. citizens .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why we ’ re in our current predicament .
The fall out from neo-liberalism and globalism that includes the widening wealth gap , backlashes against efforts to address inequity , etc .
It ’ s far too complex to attempt to cover in this short piece , though Ezra Klein ’ s new book , Why We ’ re Polarized , is one source for this .
I ’ d also recommend reviewing a recent series of pieces on extremism at This View of Life magazine , a piece on “ the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magazine , and the articles at the online magazine Evonomics in general .
Regardless of all of the reasons for our current hyper-partisanship , the instability created and resulting fear work against national unity as we compete for perceived and actual limited resources , power , dominance of ideas , etc .
I also think it ’ s fairly easy to argue that Republican identity is currently stronger with respect to other forms of self-identification than it is for Democrats .
The fact that Republicans are a more homogeneous group is one contributing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump phenomenon .
He has managed to capitalize on the anxieties and insecurities of enough Americans to give himself a stranglehold over the Republican party ; some have even likened these core supporters to a cult because of the degree of their devotion and unwavering support .
Peer pressure , the threat of being primaried , public ridicule , and other destabilizing tactics are employed by Trump and his supporters to disrupt Republican opponents and maintain control of the party .
So fear is important , but I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wielded to enforce one identity over others – in this case the Republican identity over our identity as U.S. citizens , or even just as humans .
While I ’ m concerned about the current state of our nation , the fact that the only bi-partisan vote during the impeachment process was the one to convict on the first article gives me some hope , even if it was only one Republican Senator .
And the fact that fear had to be employed to obtain this outcome gives me a new hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Senators didn ’ t have the conviction or courage to stand against their Republican identity ( which is currently synonymous with Trump ) .
But many know he ’ s guilty and should be removed .
Many know this isn ’ t in line with the Constitution .
Many know it isn ’ t right .
Search your feelings , Republicans , you ca n't keep selling out .
I feel the conflict within you .
Let go of Trump .

“History has indeed taught us that when it comes to the instincts that drive us, fear has no rival.” — from Sherrod Brown’s Feb. 5, 2020 opinion piece in the New York Times.
I agree that fear on the part of Republicans, and Republican senators in particular, played into the impeachment acquittal. But “cowardice” with respect to defending the constitution is only part of the picture. I think it’s more about the multiple identities we simultaneously inhabit as individuals, and how ever evolving circumstances (i.e., the relevant social/cultural, economic, political and environmental factors) change the relative strength of those identities at any given time.
I believe Amy Davidson Sorkin was getting at this in the last line of her recent New Yorker piece: “Perhaps the Republican senators, as they trudged toward casting their vote, were making a calculation about how Trump might return the favor with one for them, or their party, or their country. Or maybe they, too, can no longer tell the difference.”
So was Mitt Romney in my opinion, the sole Republican Senator to vote for impeachment (at least for Article 1), when in his speech to the Senate justifying his vote conveyed that he had received numerous phone calls and emails demanding that he “stand with the team.” In other words, stand not with the constitution, or with U.S. citizens, but stand with the Republican team – stand with Team Trump.
In our current hyper-partisan environment, our identities as Republicans or Democrats are significantly stronger than our identities as U.S. citizens. There are a lot of contributing factors to why we’re in our current predicament. The fall out from neo-liberalism and globalism that includes the widening wealth gap, backlashes against efforts to address inequity, etc. It’s far too complex to attempt to cover in this short piece, though Ezra Klein’s new book, Why We’re Polarized, is one source for this. I’d also recommend reviewing a recent series of pieces on extremism at This View of Life magazine, a piece on “the other” that I wrote for the same magazine, and the articles at the online magazine Evonomics in general. Regardless of all of the reasons for our current hyper-partisanship, the instability created and resulting fear work against national unity as we compete for perceived and actual limited resources, power, dominance of ideas, etc.
I also think it’s fairly easy to argue that Republican identity is currently stronger with respect to other forms of self-identification than it is for Democrats. The fact that Republicans are a more homogeneous group is one contributing factor. Another big contributing factor is the Trump phenomenon. He has managed to capitalize on the anxieties and insecurities of enough Americans to give himself a stranglehold over the Republican party; some have even likened these core supporters to a cult because of the degree of their devotion and unwavering support. Peer pressure, the threat of being primaried, public ridicule, and other destabilizing tactics are employed by Trump and his supporters to disrupt Republican opponents and maintain control of the party.
So fear is important, but I think it’s most important relative to how it’s wielded to enforce one identity over others – in this case the Republican identity over our identity as U.S. citizens, or even just as humans.
While I’m concerned about the current state of our nation, the fact that the only bi-partisan vote during the impeachment process was the one to convict on the first article gives me some hope, even if it was only one Republican Senator. And the fact that fear had to be employed to obtain this outcome gives me a new hope as well.
Maybe many of these Republican Senators didn’t have the conviction or courage to stand against their Republican identity (which is currently synonymous with Trump). But many know he’s guilty and should be removed. Many know this isn’t in line with the Constitution. Many know it isn’t right.
Search your feelings, Republicans, you can't keep selling out. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of Trump.


dailykos--2020-02-08--Amy Klobuchar-The One Candidate Trump Can’t Lay A Glove On

As I was watching the debates last night , I was doing it through the filter of who is least vulnerable , who has the least baggage .
I no longer care which of the Democrats is President at this point , we just got to get that Trump guy out of there .
I like them all for different reasons and I realize I can ’ t have everything I might want in a candidate so I ’ ve arrived at a point in my thinking , who has the broadest appeal and the least number of soft spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best debate last night .
An impressive performance , right answers , right tone .
I ’ ve noted throughout the debates she is consistent and can deliver a punch while smiling .
This is something women learn to do when they have to work in environments dominated by men such as law enforcement and politics .
Nancy Pelosi also uses this technique well .
She also seems to be really good at figuring out how to get on camera .
I noticed she was popping up everywhere during impeachment trial week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the long day there she was on MSNBC and CNN providing her analysis .
On Monday following the close of voting in Iowa , while the other candidates were waiting around for results and the networks were trying to figure out what to do with their airtime , Amy saw an opportunity and grabbed it by giving her speech first and getting free prime time exposure .
I am going to give Ms. Klobuchar serious consideration going forward .
She is growing on me .

As I was watching the debates last night, I was doing it through the filter of who is least vulnerable, who has the least baggage. I no longer care which of the Democrats is President at this point, we just got to get that Trump guy out of there. I like them all for different reasons and I realize I can’t have everything I might want in a candidate so I’ve arrived at a point in my thinking, who has the broadest appeal and the least number of soft spots for attack.
Amy Klobuchar had her best debate last night. An impressive performance, right answers, right tone. I’ve noted throughout the debates she is consistent and can deliver a punch while smiling. This is something women learn to do when they have to work in environments dominated by men such as law enforcement and politics. Nancy Pelosi also uses this technique well.
She also seems to be really good at figuring out how to get on camera. I noticed she was popping up everywhere during impeachment trial week, making herself available between sessions. Consistently at the end of the long day there she was on MSNBC and CNN providing her analysis.
On Monday following the close of voting in Iowa, while the other candidates were waiting around for results and the networks were trying to figure out what to do with their airtime, Amy saw an opportunity and grabbed it by giving her speech first and getting free prime time exposure.
I am going to give Ms. Klobuchar serious consideration going forward. She is growing on me.


dailykos--2020-02-08--Evening Shade:  Barnyard Politics

Evening Shade:  Barnyard Politics

In 2006 Hollywood released a mediocre animated movie titled Barnyard .
It spawned a four year Nickelodeon spinoff series .
Now it ’ s coming back in a darker version , set in Washington , DC .
The only thing that ’ s leaked so far is the title and the cast list .
As more details become available we ’ ll update you on the progress of the film .
The cast list isn ’ t complete yet , in case you wanted to suggest any additions .
• Ivanka tRump as a Cow Pie off the Old Flop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where integrity goes to die ) • Devin Nunes as the Lapweasel in the US House • Kevin McCarthy as the ( dumb ) Fox in the US House • Doug Collins as the ( dumber ) Fox in the US House • Elise Stefanik as the ( dumbest ) Foxette in the US House • Matt Gaetz as the ( dumbest ) Fox in the US House • Louie Gohment as the ( dumberest ) Fox in the US House • Gym Jordan as the Rooster who crows all the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lives in the Manure Spreader ’ s Ear • Roy Moore as the Snake in the Grass • Brett Kavanaugh as the Hyper-partisan Elephant on the Court • with a special appearance by Vladimir Putin as The Crime Farmer chloris creator is our treasured Friday resource : Good News Roundup for Friday , February 7 , 2020 : the let's-stand-up edition

In 2006 Hollywood released a mediocre animated movie titled Barnyard. It spawned a four year Nickelodeon spinoff series. Now it’s coming back in a darker version, set in Washington, DC. The only thing that’s leaked so far is the title and the cast list. As more details become available we’ll update you on the progress of the film. The cast list isn’t complete yet, in case you wanted to suggest any additions.
Barnyard Politics
(from the animation studios of Films About The Corruption Afflicting The Society)
Another day, another pile
The Cast
Donald tRump as the Manure Spreader
Steven Miller as the Manure Pile
Rudy Giuliani as the Blood-Sucking Tick
Jared Kushner as the Incompetent Chameleon
Ivanka tRump as a Cow Pie off the Old Flop
Melania tRump as the Illegal Alien
MidnightMoscowMitch as the Grim Reaper (where integrity goes to die)
Lindsey Graham as the Filth Wallower
Lamar Alexander as the Ancient Chickenshit
Susan Collins as the Faithless Chickenshit
Shelly Moore Capito as the Cow’s Ass
Martha McSally, Thom Tillis, Cory Gardener, Joni Ernst, David Perdue as the Drowning Rat Chorus
Mike Pence as the Albino Road Apple
Steve Mnuchin as the Pig Dropping
Wilbur Ross as the Vulture (capitalist)
Mike Pompeo as the Bull’s Ass
Mick Mulvaney as the Horse’s Ass
William Barr as the Bloated Toady
Kellyanne Conway as the Chicken’s Ass
Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the Retired Spokesweasel
Devin Nunes as the Lapweasel in the US House
Kevin McCarthy as the (dumb) Fox in the US House
Doug Collins as the (dumber) Fox in the US House
Elise Stefanik as the (dumbest) Foxette in the US House
Matt Gaetz as the (dumbest) Fox in the US House
Louie Gohment as the (dumberest) Fox in the US House
Gym Jordan as the Rooster who crows all the time.
Sean Hannity as the dumbest Fox who lives in the Manure Spreader’s Ear
Tucker Carlson as the Offal Pit
Rush Limbaugh as the Septic Tank
Alan Dershowitz as the Odd Duck
Jay Sekulow as the Rabid Skunk
Pat Cipollone as the Feckless Jackal
Pam Bondi as the Tired Cougar
Roy Moore as the Snake in the Grass
Wayne LaPierre as the Child Killing Baboon
Brett Kavanaugh as the Hyper-partisan Elephant on the Court
with a special appearance by Vladimir Putin as The Crime Farmer
and Starring
Adam Schiff as the Hero
as the Hero Nancy Pelosi as the Heroine
And it’s off to the compost heap.
Follow the leader
From now to November
One face plant at a time.
chloris creator is our treasured Friday resource: Good News Roundup for Friday, February 7, 2020: the let's-stand-up edition


dailykos--2020-02-10--Not me. Us. The case for Bernie 2020.

Not me. Us. The case for Bernie 2020.

In a Democratic primary with an endless amount of candidates and options , my vote has been cast for the one candidate who I could not bring myself to vote for in 2016 - Bernie Sanders .
Bernie has the vision , experience , temperament and heart needed to be the President that our country deserves right now .
His record breaking grassroots movement will propel him to become both the Democratic nominee and the next President of the United States .
It was not an easy or quick choice this season .
Kamala Harris was initially my preferred candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cory Booker all briefly had my support .
Elizabeth Warren was my longest running top candidate .
However , at the end of the day , it 's become clear that Bernie Sanders is the one we need .
He is the most electable and best shot at beating Donald Trump .
He has an unmatched level of consistency and authenticity stretching back decades .
He has a progressive vision that will not only undo the harms of the past 3 years but push our country decades forward on many different issues such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth gap and raising the basic standard of living for the most poor and vulnerable citizens .
Many Democratic voters ( my past self included ) like Bernie 's ideas and policies but are too shy at the idea of nominating a Democratic Socialist .
If a moderate like Hillary could n't beat Trump , how is someone like Bernie going to do it ?
This approach ignores the reality of politics in America .
Donald Trump was not elected because he managed to carefully thread the needle on policy positions to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
No , he won beclause he excited many voters and was generally likeable among those on the right .
Bernie is also an exciting candidate that can get first time or infrequent voters to turn out for him .
His revolution is real and has only gained more momentum since 2016 .
The same way that Trump pulled Republican 's ( and independents ) to the right , Bernie can pull voters left .
All of the polling data and statistical evidence suggests that Bernie does better against Trump than other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg .
Further , Bernie is showing that he can not only withstand the `` socialist '' attack line but even turn it against Trump .
He recently stated `` The difference between my socialism and Trump ’ s socialism is I believe the government should help working families , not billionaires . ''
This line is perfect because it exposes Trump 's fake populism .
Trump acts like he is for the every day worker but then passes a tax cut that gives all the money to the ultra wealthy .
Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the middle class and who is only pretending to be .
Many of Bernie 's 2020 campaign ideas could be pulled from his successful 1981 campaign for mayor of Burlington .
38 years ago , Bernie made Burlington become the first US city to set up a community land trust in order to maintain affordable housing and protect long-term residents from being priced out of their hometown .
Today , he is seeking to provide the same types of housing protection to all Americans .
I do n't think anyone can question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans .
If a politician can go three , four decades and still be talking about the same things , they are a rare breed .
Bernie is one of those people .
The top things that Bernie will focus on improving for us should matter to everyone .
Climate change is an urgent threat that is already causing more wildfires , floods , hurricanes and air pollution .
Thousands more people are dying every year because of it and things are only going to get exponentially worse .
Bernie has some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem and his election will show the world that the US will be a leader , not follower on the issue .
Helping correct the wealth gap is not just the moral thing to do , it is the most practical thing to do if we want long term economic success .
If three people have more wealth than the whole bottom half of the country combined , our economy is suffering .
If one truly believes in capitalism , then they must recognize that widespread capital is most beneficial .
If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital needed to open their own business or pursue their dreams , our country misses out on countless opportunities .
The more people that have a chance , the more growth we 'll have .
This is how we achieve a truly vibrant , top notch , moral economy .
Bernie 's policies of erasing student loan debt , expanding social security , guaranteeing health care and expanding banking access will unleash millions of new American entrepreneurs .
The economic reality of 2020 should be well suited for Bernie 's campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts has worn off , growth is back down to only 2 % and the risk of a recession is high .
People have seen Republican 's do n't have much to offer in terms of change and that hundreds of millions of Americans are still economically vulnerable .
Bernie 's revolution is well timed for what could be our next recession hitting us in 2020 or 2021 .
Luckily , millions of voters across the country are also sensing that Bernie should be the next President .
He has received the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds of taking the nomination are the best of anyone .
Let 's hope that 2020 is the year we restore integrity to the White House and start taking our country where it needs to be .
Bernie 's campaign slogan is `` Not me .
Us . ''
Which is true , Bernie 's revolution is n't about him , it 's about all of us lifting America up together .

In a Democratic primary with an endless amount of candidates and options, my vote has been cast for the one candidate who I could not bring myself to vote for in 2016 - Bernie Sanders. Bernie has the vision, experience, temperament and heart needed to be the President that our country deserves right now. His record breaking grassroots movement will propel him to become both the Democratic nominee and the next President of the United States.
It was not an easy or quick choice this season. Kamala Harris was initially my preferred candidate. Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer and Cory Booker all briefly had my support. Elizabeth Warren was my longest running top candidate. However, at the end of the day, it's become clear that Bernie Sanders is the one we need. He is the most electable and best shot at beating Donald Trump. He has an unmatched level of consistency and authenticity stretching back decades. He has a progressive vision that will not only undo the harms of the past 3 years but push our country decades forward on many different issues such as combatting climate change, closing the wealth gap and raising the basic standard of living for the most poor and vulnerable citizens.
Many Democratic voters (my past self included) like Bernie's ideas and policies but are too shy at the idea of nominating a Democratic Socialist. If a moderate like Hillary couldn't beat Trump, how is someone like Bernie going to do it? This approach ignores the reality of politics in America. Donald Trump was not elected because he managed to carefully thread the needle on policy positions to have a broad appeal to the majority of voters. No, he won beclause he excited many voters and was generally likeable among those on the right. Bernie is also an exciting candidate that can get first time or infrequent voters to turn out for him. His revolution is real and has only gained more momentum since 2016. The same way that Trump pulled Republican's (and independents) to the right, Bernie can pull voters left. All of the polling data and statistical evidence suggests that Bernie does better against Trump than other more moderate candidates such as Warren or Buttigieg. Further, Bernie is showing that he can not only withstand the "socialist" attack line but even turn it against Trump. He recently stated "The difference between my socialism and Trump’s socialism is I believe the government should help working families, not billionaires." This line is perfect because it exposes Trump's fake populism. Trump acts like he is for the every day worker but then passes a tax cut that gives all the money to the ultra wealthy. Bernie versus Trump will highlight who is actually for the middle class and who is only pretending to be.
Many of Bernie's 2020 campaign ideas could be pulled from his successful 1981 campaign for mayor of Burlington. 38 years ago, Bernie made Burlington become the first US city to set up a community land trust in order to maintain affordable housing and protect long-term residents from being priced out of their hometown. Today, he is seeking to provide the same types of housing protection to all Americans. I don't think anyone can question Bernie's sincere devotion to protecting everyday Americans. If a politician can go three, four decades and still be talking about the same things, they are a rare breed. Bernie is one of those people.
The top things that Bernie will focus on improving for us should matter to everyone. Climate change is an urgent threat that is already causing more wildfires, floods, hurricanes and air pollution. Thousands more people are dying every year because of it and things are only going to get exponentially worse. Bernie has some of the most aggressive plans for fixing the problem and his election will show the world that the US will be a leader, not follower on the issue.
Helping correct the wealth gap is not just the moral thing to do, it is the most practical thing to do if we want long term economic success. If three people have more wealth than the whole bottom half of the country combined, our economy is suffering. If one truly believes in capitalism, then they must recognize that widespread capital is most beneficial. If the majority of the country doesn't have the capital needed to open their own business or pursue their dreams, our country misses out on countless opportunities. The more people that have a chance, the more growth we'll have. This is how we achieve a truly vibrant, top notch, moral economy. Bernie's policies of erasing student loan debt, expanding social security, guaranteeing health care and expanding banking access will unleash millions of new American entrepreneurs .
The economic reality of 2020 should be well suited for Bernie's campaign. The sugar high from Trump's tax cuts has worn off, growth is back down to only 2% and the risk of a recession is high. People have seen Republican's don't have much to offer in terms of change and that hundreds of millions of Americans are still economically vulnerable. Bernie's revolution is well timed for what could be our next recession hitting us in 2020 or 2021.
Luckily, millions of voters across the country are also sensing that Bernie should be the next President. He has received the most amount of votes in Iowa and his odds of taking the nomination are the best of anyone. Let's hope that 2020 is the year we restore integrity to the White House and start taking our country where it needs to be. Bernie's campaign slogan is "Not me. Us." Which is true, Bernie's revolution isn't about him, it's about all of us lifting America up together.


dailykos--2020-02-10--How The Impeachment Trial Changed My Primary Vote. Bottom Line, We Can’t F***k This Up

When I was young I fell in love with Eugene McCarthy and then George McGovern .
I didn ’ t know anything about how politics worked , I just knew that they believed what I did so they would probably become President .
That ’ s the comforting illusion the mind creates , that most reasonable people think like we do , or will eventually come to a similar conclusion once they get all the necessary information .
Barack Obama was a political unicorn .
He was able to climb over all the barriers that logic had constructed to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get elected .
We tend to forget the perfect storm that assisted in bringing that about .
Eight years of Bush and his ill conceived war , a uninspiring opponent and a financial crash in the waning weeks helped whisk him across the finish line .
We were spoiled and now want that old transformational feeling back again , but Obama was one of a kind .
There is no equivalent to him in the 2020 field .
Two years later following the midterms his remaining six years resembled a lame duck presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularity would carry him along .
Reality intervened .
Bold ideas require Congress to make them happen .
Whoever gets the nomination will have to deal with that reality with less voter will to point to than Obama enjoyed .
Even with a super majority in the Senate the ACA was not easy to get done .
Imagine trying to get Joe Manchin , Doug Jones and Kyrsten Sinema on board with M4A for example .
It takes both houses of Congress to do anything .
Even with that a President needs enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accommodate defections .
As a marketing consultant , in my mind I have already played out how Trump will run against each of the candidates that remains viable to secure the nomination .
I have figured out which would be most vulnerable to attack and where their soft spots are .
Following the impeachment trial I came to the conclusion that the best candidate to put up against Trump in this particular election is the one who has the least objectionable personal style , policy stances and minimal baggage .
I realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enthusiasm is a consideration when a moderate candidate is the alternative .
Republicans will have their own “ end of life as we know it ” narrative to run on if Democrats make an incendiary choice .
We have to take risk off the table in this election .
All elections are unique and this one calls for a different strategy than I would have suggested if Trump weren ’ t the incumbent .
I think bold candidates are better most of the time , however in this election bold is filled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the most progressive faction of the Democratic Party .
Here ’ s my logic around this .
Trump is so objectionable that even a moderate candidate will have built in public enthusiasm for a Democrat ’ s success .
A majority of people want this guy out of office .
Now is not the time to try to take them in to the unknown .
People are hardwired to gravitate toward certainty .
Even if that certainty is not ideal .
That is why people stay in unhappy marriages and jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ frightened right now which has the effect of stabilizing the status quo , as counter intuitive as that might sound .
James Carville is right , Democrats can screw this up .
Trump is a sure loser if we don ’ t blow this and put in a candidate that appeals to the most progressive wing of the party but scares the shit out of segments of the population that views any form of socialism as an anathema to democracy .
I realize that the average Kos reader might not agree .
Keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the average voter .
Caution is prudent when civilization is in peril .

When I was young I fell in love with Eugene McCarthy and then George McGovern. I didn’t know anything about how politics worked, I just knew that they believed what I did so they would probably become President. That’s the comforting illusion the mind creates, that most reasonable people think like we do, or will eventually come to a similar conclusion once they get all the necessary information.
Barack Obama was a political unicorn. He was able to climb over all the barriers that logic had constructed to do something truly amazing in political history and get elected. We tend to forget the perfect storm that assisted in bringing that about. Eight years of Bush and his ill conceived war, a uninspiring opponent and a financial crash in the waning weeks helped whisk him across the finish line. We were spoiled and now want that old transformational feeling back again, but Obama was one of a kind. There is no equivalent to him in the 2020 field.
Two years later following the midterms his remaining six years resembled a lame duck presidency. He believed the wind behind his popularity would carry him along. Reality intervened. Bold ideas require Congress to make them happen. Whoever gets the nomination will have to deal with that reality with less voter will to point to than Obama enjoyed. Even with a super majority in the Senate the ACA was not easy to get done. Imagine trying to get Joe Manchin, Doug Jones and Kyrsten Sinema on board with M4A for example.
It takes both houses of Congress to do anything. Even with that a President needs enough margin, especially in the Senate, to accommodate defections. As a marketing consultant, in my mind I have already played out how Trump will run against each of the candidates that remains viable to secure the nomination. I have figured out which would be most vulnerable to attack and where their soft spots are.
Following the impeachment trial I came to the conclusion that the best candidate to put up against Trump in this particular election is the one who has the least objectionable personal style, policy stances and minimal baggage. I realize defense isn’t sexy and voter enthusiasm is a consideration when a moderate candidate is the alternative. Republicans will have their own “end of life as we know it” narrative to run on if Democrats make an incendiary choice. We have to take risk off the table in this election.
All elections are unique and this one calls for a different strategy than I would have suggested if Trump weren’t the incumbent. I think bold candidates are better most of the time, however in this election bold is filled with land mines. Primary voters tend to be the most progressive faction of the Democratic Party.
Here’s my logic around this. Trump is so objectionable that even a moderate candidate will have built in public enthusiasm for a Democrat’s success. A majority of people want this guy out of office. Now is not the time to try to take them in to the unknown. People are hardwired to gravitate toward certainty. Even if that certainty is not ideal. That is why people stay in unhappy marriages and jobs. Dramatic change frightens people. People are frightened right now which has the effect of stabilizing the status quo, as counter intuitive as that might sound.
James Carville is right, Democrats can screw this up. Trump is a sure loser if we don’t blow this and put in a candidate that appeals to the most progressive wing of the party but scares the shit out of segments of the population that views any form of socialism as an anathema to democracy. I realize that the average Kos reader might not agree. Keep in mind you don’t represent the average voter. Caution is prudent when civilization is in peril.


dailykos--2020-02-11--Dear Media: Stop Treating Dixville Notch as News

This is not news , it is anecdote .
As votes Dixville Notch , NH , does not vote the @ @ @ @ @ eight or ten or 12 or 25 voters in one small community is not a @ @ @ @ @ is spectacle , and I ’ m sure that Trump loves this made-for-tv moment .
@ @ @ @ @ get a degree in journalism and a master ’ s in communication ?
That is @ @

This is not news, it is anecdote.
As votes Dixville Notch, NH, does not vote the nation. The results of eight or ten or 12 or 25 voters in one small community is not a harbinger or anything. It is spectacle, and I’m sure that Trump loves this made-for-tv moment.
Wait 18-20 hours and report results, not anecdotes.
Fuck. Why did I get a degree in journalism and a master’s in communication?
That is all.
(My service in the U.S. Navy may also have affected my choice of words.)


dailykos--2020-02-11--Why Is Breitbart Pretending To Like Bernie Sanders?

As I was watching Bill Maher get chewed up and spit out by Steve Bannon last Friday night on Real Time , one moment stuck out in all the jumbled anarchist tinged word salad coming from Bannon , his effusive defense of Bernie Sanders .
Feigning sympathy for how Bernie was being treated so poorly by the Democratic Party .
To hear this Machiavellian opportunist express warmth for a progressive politician got my attention .
Surely he must have realized how transparently phony such praise would be received .
I thought Bill would call him out on it .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sincere and joined in .
I thought oh , oh , if Bannon fooled him that ’ s not a good sign .
This sent me to the Breitbart website to see what kind of coverage Bernie is getting .
I was surprised to find that practically all of the stories were straight or leaning positive .
Here ’ s an example .
www.breitbart.com/… Something is amiss here obviously .
Breitbart didn ’ t suddenly become friendly toward progressive politics .
I bring this up only to point out that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread the narrative that Bernie is being mistreated by the Democratic establishment and ignored by the media .
For what it ’ s worth , it appears Republican backers want Bernie to be the candidate and if he ’ s not they hope his supporters will be discouraged and stay home if there ’ s the appearance that he was cheated by Democrats .
They had some success with stoking divisions in 2016 .
The “ Bernie was robbed ” narrative still lingers among many of his supporters .
Be vigilant , stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

As I was watching Bill Maher get chewed up and spit out by Steve Bannon last Friday night on Real Time, one moment stuck out in all the jumbled anarchist tinged word salad coming from Bannon, his effusive defense of Bernie Sanders. Feigning sympathy for how Bernie was being treated so poorly by the Democratic Party.
To hear this Machiavellian opportunist express warmth for a progressive politician got my attention. Surely he must have realized how transparently phony such praise would be received. I thought Bill would call him out on it. But no, Maher reacted as if Steve was sincere and joined in. I thought oh, oh, if Bannon fooled him that’s not a good sign.
This sent me to the Breitbart website to see what kind of coverage Bernie is getting. I was surprised to find that practically all of the stories were straight or leaning positive. Here’s an example. www.breitbart.com/…
Something is amiss here obviously. Breitbart didn’t suddenly become friendly toward progressive politics. I bring this up only to point out that there is a likely strategy in play to help spread the narrative that Bernie is being mistreated by the Democratic establishment and ignored by the media.
For what it’s worth, it appears Republican backers want Bernie to be the candidate and if he’s not they hope his supporters will be discouraged and stay home if there’s the appearance that he was cheated by Democrats. They had some success with stoking divisions in 2016. The “Bernie was robbed” narrative still lingers among many of his supporters.
Be vigilant, stay smart and don’t get played.


dailykos--2020-02-11--We don’t need the establishment to back us

Last cycle , the D.C. establishment and political pundits had written off Iowa ’ s 4th district .
They all thought J.D .
Scholten had no shot of taking down Steve King .
They said there was no way a Democrat could defeat an incumbent Republican in a rural district that Trump won by 27 points .
We started with no name recognition , didn ’ t have the backing of the D.C. elite , and refused to accept donations from corporate PACs and lobbyists .
We believed -- and still do -- that our power should come from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting out directly to the people , hitting the pavement , and earning trust and support one conversation at a time .
With the power of people on our side , we came within 3 points .
This time around , there ’ s even more momentum around our campaign -- but we ’ re still not on the DCCC ’ s Red-to-Blue list of flippable races .
That doesn ’ t matter to us .
We ’ re leaving it all on the field and building a grassroots movement that can win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s help .
Now that the Iowa Caucuses have passed , there is less national attention on Iowa -- but that doesn ’ t mean this race should be left in the rear-view mirror .
This means more than just a majority in the House of Representatives .
Electing J.D .
would give folks in rural America a seat at the table in Congress .
J.D .
will stand tall to protect our healthcare , support family farmers , and revitalize rural communities .
With your grassroots support , we can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a representative who truly fights for us .

Last cycle, the D.C. establishment and political pundits had written off Iowa’s 4th district. They all thought J.D. Scholten had no shot of taking down Steve King. They said there was no way a Democrat could defeat an incumbent Republican in a rural district that Trump won by 27 points.
We started with no name recognition, didn’t have the backing of the D.C. elite, and refused to accept donations from corporate PACs and lobbyists. We believed -- and still do -- that our power should come from the people. Our campaign is all about getting out directly to the people, hitting the pavement, and earning trust and support one conversation at a time. With the power of people on our side, we came within 3 points.
This time around, there’s even more momentum around our campaign -- but we’re still not on the DCCC’s Red-to-Blue list of flippable races.
That doesn’t matter to us. We’re leaving it all on the field and building a grassroots movement that can win, with or without the party establishment’s help.
Now that the Iowa Caucuses have passed, there is less national attention on Iowa -- but that doesn’t mean this race should be left in the rear-view mirror.
This means more than just a majority in the House of Representatives. Electing J.D. would give folks in rural America a seat at the table in Congress.
J.D. will stand tall to protect our healthcare, support family farmers, and revitalize rural communities.
With your grassroots support, we can make sure that Iowa’s 4th district has a representative who truly fights for us.


dailykos--2020-02-11--The Unpresident - Good News Roundup, Bluesday February 11th, 2020

I ’ ve come to the conclusion that our pretend president doesn ’ t do any actual presidenting .
Sure , he micromanages some of his lackeys to ensure they do his bidding .
But that doesn ’ t have anything to do with actual governance .
His political priorities are spoon fed to him by Miller , Hannity , Kilmeade and Doocy with no thought on tRump ’ s part .
The implementation details are left to Mulvaney , Barr , Pompeo , Miller and the rest of the dancing lackwit chorus line .
tRump spends all his time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tongue baths , figuring out ways to game the system for more emoluments , rage tweeting , brag tweeting , cheating at golf and stoking himself up for the next stop on his all-lies-all-the-time 2020 campaign of cruelty , nastiness and Making America Hate Again .
That leaves no time for the most willfully ignorant person I ’ ve seen in my lifetime to do the homework necessary to have an informed opinion on anything .
He ’ s not just Putin ’ s puppet , he ’ s a useful idiot easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Give him six complements and he ’ ll give you Alaska .
There ’ s a reason he had so many business failures — he ’ s easier to manipulate than one of those stress reducing squeeze balls .
I ’ d bet dollars against grains of sand that any 14-year-old not home-schooled or enrolled in any DeVos touted institution knows more about everything except how to cheat on wives , taxes and banking laws .
tRump ’ s all-encompassing incompetence will be a major issue in the upcoming election .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being an international joke and the most unpresidential president in the history of presidents .
To try to enumerate his shortcomings is akin to counting the blades of grass on the White House lawn .
Karma is coming for tRump and it ’ s coming fast .
He won ’ t escape unless death gets him first .
Your task for the week is to find one person who isn ’ t planning on voting and convincing them to go to the polls and vote Blue .
Seth ’ s summary is spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s on to the news As all eyes turn from Iowa to New Hampshire and focus on the Democratic primary , the news cycle is concentrating on all things dem .
Much of that coverage focuses on pie fighting , horse racing , pundits without a clue and uncritically repeating republican disinformation .
That left the picking on tRump pickings fairly lean .
If he says it often enough it ’ s still a lie When the mentally stunted ego-bruised yam that grew up to inflict itself on America careens around the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bestest most bigliest ever , point its listeners at these actual facts .
Huffington Post : Trump ’ s First 3 Years Created 1.5 Million Fewer Jobs Than Obama ’ s Last 3 As President Donald Trump takes the stage at his reelection rally here Monday and boasts of his economic record , there is one statistic he is likely to omit : He created 1.5 million fewer jobs in his first three years in office than predecessor Barack Obama did in his final three .
Newly revised figures from Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.6 million new jobs were created in the first 36 months of Trump ’ s tenure , compared with 8.1 million in the final 36 months of Obama ’ s ― a decline of 19 % under Trump , according to a HuffPost analysis .
The economy is just one of several areas where Trump repeatedly claims credit for conditions or policies implemented under his predecessors .
He has bragged about reductions in air and water pollution that were the result of presidents going back decades .
He has claimed credit for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decades-long study that ended the year he took office .
Perhaps most famously , he has repeatedly ― and falsely ― boasted about passing the “ VA Choice Act , ” which allows veterans to get medical care at private facilities if wait times are too long at Veteran Affairs clinics , even though it was signed into law by Obama .
The Mockingbird comes home to roost tRump has never been particularly photogenic .
Those dead lifeless eyes ruin most photos all by themselves .
However , this time the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the notoriously ill-fitting suits , the crotch hugging tie and an extremely questionable preference for the color orange has outdone himself .
It looks like he just motorboated Putin ’ s ass and didn ’ t bother to clean up at all .
They really are tone deaf This will have an impact on voter registration in trailer parks in rural districts and it ’ s not the effect the Court of Orange is looking for .
Rolling Stone : Trump ’ s New Budget Goes After Social Safety Net Programs Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s State of the Union address , where he did plenty of boasting about the economy , Trump will submit a budget that looks to cut programs from Americans most in need .
According to the Wall Street Journal , Trump is expected to release a $ 4.8 trillion budget on Monday .
With Democrats controlling Congress , the proposed budget has almost no chance of passing , but it ’ s still important to note what the president would prioritize if given the chance .
The president ’ s proposed budget looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending over a decade and targets changes to the Medicare prescription drug program that would slash $ 130 billion .
Also , it looks to cut $ 292 billion from Medicaid and food stamps , and it takes another $ 70 billion by limiting disability benefits .
Trump would also like to cut the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s budget by 26 percent and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ’ s budget by 15 percent .
Also , with the coronavirus lurking , the president wants to see a decrease in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention by nine percent .
Who is he talking about ?
In this week ’ s puzzling story , I wonder who Andy is talking about .
I ’ m sure I ’ ve heard of this person , but I can ’ t quite think of who it might be .
The New Yorker : The Borowitz Report : Person Who Is Always Troubled or Concerned Should Get Different Job , Workplace Experts Say I ’ m certain that anyone Carson questioned would feel telling him their honest opinion of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
It ’ s not like their job depended on fluffing tRump or anything .
Is Carson trying to pretend his own job doesn ’ t depend on fluffing tRump ?
Rolling Stone : Trump ‘ Is Not a Racist ’ Because the ‘ People Who Wash Dishes ’ at Mar-a-Lago ‘ Love Him , ’ Says Ben Carson Another front in the war on tRump I ’ m not a big fan of Amazon , but I ’ m less of a fan of tRump .
I ’ m hoping this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe his corporate vendettas violate market manipulation laws .
The Guardian : Amazon wants to question Trump over loss of $ 10bn 'war cloud ' contract Good News Network : New Device Can Power 100 Small LED Lights Simply By Harnessing the Energy of a Single Water Droplet I don ’ t know where the republicans find these people , but I wish they ’ d send them back .
Sheesh !
Right Wing Watch : Dave Daubenmire Hopes to Sue the NFL for Putting His Eternal Salvation at Risk With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dave Daubenmire spent most of his “ Pass The Salt Live ” webcast yesterday threatening to sue the National Football League for broadcasting unsolicited “ crotch shots ” into his home during the Super Bowl halftime show , thereby jeopardizing his eternal salvation .
“ I think we ought to sue , ” he said .
“ Would that halftime show , would that have been rated PG ?
Were there any warnings that your 12-year-old son—whose hormones are just starting to operate—was there any warning that what he was going to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Stephen Colbert ’ s Monday night opening monologue — A Vengeful Trump Strikes Out At His Enemies , Fires Vindman & Sondland During `` Friday Night Massacre ” [ 17:10 ] tRumpism is like spermicidal jelly for preventing democracy after screwing the country .
You ’ d think the forced birther crowd would be having conniption fits about that .
The republican party ; where truth and justice go to die .
This is about a week old .
It ’ s included in case you miss Franken and missed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Al Franken on Trump , Health Care & Impeachment [ 14:20 ] The republican party has evolved from farcical to arsical , as they no longer give an eff .
If it ’ s a dispensation when you are forgiven a sin , it must be a penceation when you commit one .
A little bit of push back from history against the racists and xenophobes currently busy diminishing humanity .
My country is the world , and my religion is to do good .
— Thomas Paine They who say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreigners , destroy the universal brotherhood of mankind , with which benevolence and justice would perish forever .
— Cicero If we are to have peace on earth , our loyalties .
.
.
must transcend our race , our tribe , our class , and our nation ; and this means we must develop a world perspective .
— Martin Luther King Jr .
The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race .
Our primary allegiance is to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color or border .
I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world .
— Mohamed El Baradei To all of our fellow resisters , rounderuppers and gnusies recovering from illness or injury lots of hugs , including { { { { oldhippiedude } } } } , { { { { Msdude } } } } , our Tuesday partner { { { { niftywriter } } } @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after tRump ’ s lapweasel , Billy Barrf : Evening Shade : Barking at Barr Today we ’ ll close with something from the July 4th , 2015 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well tour shows in Chicago .
Disclaimer : Republicans have graduated from the deplorable basket to the despicable one .

I’ve come to the conclusion that our pretend president doesn’t do any actual presidenting. Sure, he micromanages some of his lackeys to ensure they do his bidding. But that doesn’t have anything to do with actual governance.
His political priorities are spoon fed to him by Miller, Hannity, Kilmeade and Doocy with no thought on tRump’s part. The implementation details are left to Mulvaney, Barr, Pompeo, Miller and the rest of the dancing lackwit chorus line.
tRump spends all his time binge watching Fox fluffers give him embarrassing tongue baths, figuring out ways to game the system for more emoluments, rage tweeting, brag tweeting, cheating at golf and stoking himself up for the next stop on his all-lies-all-the-time 2020 campaign of cruelty, nastiness and Making America Hate Again.
That leaves no time for the most willfully ignorant person I’ve seen in my lifetime to do the homework necessary to have an informed opinion on anything. He’s not just Putin’s puppet, he’s a useful idiot easily duped by whomever he last spoke with. Give him six complements and he’ll give you Alaska. There’s a reason he had so many business failures — he’s easier to manipulate than one of those stress reducing squeeze balls.
I’d bet dollars against grains of sand that any 14-year-old not home-schooled or enrolled in any DeVos touted institution knows more about everything except how to cheat on wives, taxes and banking laws.
tRump’s all-encompassing incompetence will be a major issue in the upcoming election. He can’t run and hide from being an international joke and the most unpresidential president in the history of presidents. To try to enumerate his shortcomings is akin to counting the blades of grass on the White House lawn.
Karma is coming for tRump and it’s coming fast. He won’t escape unless death gets him first.
UP THE RESISTANCE
Your task for the week is to find one person who isn’t planning on voting and convincing them to go to the polls and vote Blue.
Seth’s summary is spot on (again)
x YouTube Video
And it’s on to the news
As all eyes turn from Iowa to New Hampshire and focus on the Democratic primary, the news cycle is concentrating on all things dem. Much of that coverage focuses on pie fighting, horse racing, pundits without a clue and uncritically repeating republican disinformation. That left the picking on tRump pickings fairly lean.
If he says it often enough it’s still a lie
When the mentally stunted ego-bruised yam that grew up to inflict itself on America careens around the country yapping about how its job numbers are the bestest most bigliest ever, point its listeners at these actual facts.
Huffington Post: Trump’s First 3 Years Created 1.5 Million Fewer Jobs Than Obama’s Last 3
As President Donald Trump takes the stage at his reelection rally here Monday and boasts of his economic record, there is one statistic he is likely to omit: He created 1.5 million fewer jobs in his first three years in office than predecessor Barack Obama did in his final three. Newly revised figures from Trump’s own Department of Labor show that 6.6 million new jobs were created in the first 36 months of Trump’s tenure, compared with 8.1 million in the final 36 months of Obama’s ― a decline of 19% under Trump, according to a HuffPost analysis. The economy is just one of several areas where Trump repeatedly claims credit for conditions or policies implemented under his predecessors. He has bragged about reductions in air and water pollution that were the result of presidents going back decades. He has claimed credit for a reduction in lung cancer deaths based on a decades-long study that ended the year he took office. Perhaps most famously, he has repeatedly ― and falsely ― boasted about passing the “VA Choice Act,” which allows veterans to get medical care at private facilities if wait times are too long at Veteran Affairs clinics, even though it was signed into law by Obama.
The Mockingbird comes home to roost
tRump has never been particularly photogenic. Those dead lifeless eyes ruin most photos all by themselves. However, this time the man with the nesting rodent ridiculous comb-over combo, the notoriously ill-fitting suits, the crotch hugging tie and an extremely questionable preference for the color orange has outdone himself. It looks like he just motorboated Putin’s ass and didn’t bother to clean up at all.
Mother Jones: SNL Mocks Trump’s Very Bad, Orange Tan Line
President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss a viral photo appearing to expose his very bad, very orange facial tan line seems to have only fueled the ridicule. Hours after he whined about it on Twitter, Saturday Night Live opened this week’s “Weekend Update” with a zinger all but certain to infuriate the famously thin-skinned Trump. “President Trump was acquitted in a Senate trial this week and Democrats are calling it a cover-up,” host Colin Jost said as the photo was displayed. “But does this look like a guy who can pull off a cover-up?” “It’s like the day at the nursing home when they let the residents put their own make-up on,” Jost continued.
They really are tone deaf
This will have an impact on voter registration in trailer parks in rural districts and it’s not the effect the Court of Orange is looking for.
Rolling Stone: Trump’s New Budget Goes After Social Safety Net Programs
Only a week removed from the president’s State of the Union address, where he did plenty of boasting about the economy, Trump will submit a budget that looks to cut programs from Americans most in need. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump is expected to release a $4.8 trillion budget on Monday. With Democrats controlling Congress, the proposed budget has almost no chance of passing, but it’s still important to note what the president would prioritize if given the chance. The president’s proposed budget looks to cut $4.4 trillion in government spending over a decade and targets changes to the Medicare prescription drug program that would slash $130 billion. Also, it looks to cut $292 billion from Medicaid and food stamps, and it takes another $70 billion by limiting disability benefits. Trump would also like to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 26 percent and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget by 15 percent. Also, with the coronavirus lurking, the president wants to see a decrease in funding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by nine percent.
Who is he talking about?
In this week’s puzzling story, I wonder who Andy is talking about. I’m sure I’ve heard of this person, but I can’t quite think of who it might be.
The New Yorker: The Borowitz Report: Person Who Is Always Troubled or Concerned Should Get Different Job, Workplace Experts Say
MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report)—An employee who regularly self-identifies as “troubled” or “concerned” would benefit from seeking a different job, leading workplace experts said on Monday. Professor Davis Logsdon, the director of the University of Minnesota’s Workplace Health Institute, cited the case of a Maine woman who appeared to undergo a traumatic experience every time she was faced with a difficult decision at work. “According to her own account, each decision followed an excruciating period of existential torment,” Logsdon said. “Any employee who finds decision-making this harrowing should clearly consider working somewhere else.”
Ben Carson is still Ben Carson
I’m certain that anyone Carson questioned would feel telling him their honest opinion of their employer was a really smart thing to do. It’s not like their job depended on fluffing tRump or anything. Is Carson trying to pretend his own job doesn’t depend on fluffing tRump?
Rolling Stone: Trump ‘Is Not a Racist’ Because the ‘People Who Wash Dishes’ at Mar-a-Lago ‘Love Him,’ Says Ben Carson
Housing Secretary Ben Carson said because non-white workers at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort “love him,” that proves the president is not a racist. “He’s a man who is deeply driven by a sense of kindness and compassion,” Carson said. “You know, talking to the people who drive the cars and park the cars at Mar-a-Lago, they love him — the people who wash the dishes — because he’s kind and compassionate.” Carson made the remarks while introducing Trump on Friday at the Opportunity Now Summit in North Carolina. The president was there to speak about a tax incentives program meant to spur investments in underserved areas, which were designated Opportunity Zones by the 2017 tax cut bill.
Another front in the war on tRump
I’m not a big fan of Amazon, but I’m less of a fan of tRump. I’m hoping this comes back to kick tRump hard. I believe his corporate vendettas violate market manipulation laws.
The Guardian: Amazon wants to question Trump over loss of $10bn 'war cloud' contract
Amazon wants Donald Trump to submit to questioning over the tech company’s losing bid for a $10bn military contract. The Pentagon awarded the cloud computing project to Microsoft in October. Amazon later sued, arguing that Trump’s interference and bias against the company harmed Amazon’s chances. Amazon’s court filing cites an alleged comment that surfaced in a recent book that said Trump in 2018 privately told the then defense secretary, Jim Mattis, to “screw Amazon” out of the contract. Amazon said in a statement Monday: “The question is whether the president of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of the DoD to pursue his own personal and political ends.”
The Palate Cleanser
Good News Network: New Device Can Power 100 Small LED Lights Simply By Harnessing the Energy of a Single Water Droplet
A research team led by scientists from the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a droplet-based electricity generator (DEG): a device that can power up to 100 small LED bulbs simply by harnessing the power of a raindrop. The device uses a field-effect transistor (FET)-like structure that allows for high energy-conversion efficiency and instantaneous power density increased by thousands times compared to its counterparts without FET-like structure.
Idiots on Parade
I don’t know where the republicans find these people, but I wish they’d send them back. Sheesh!
Right Wing Watch: Dave Daubenmire Hopes to Sue the NFL for Putting His Eternal Salvation at Risk With the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Radical right-wing activist Dave Daubenmire spent most of his “Pass The Salt Live” webcast yesterday threatening to sue the National Football League for broadcasting unsolicited “crotch shots” into his home during the Super Bowl halftime show, thereby jeopardizing his eternal salvation.
“I think we ought to sue,” he said. “Would that halftime show, would that have been rated PG? Were there any warnings that your 12-year-old son—whose hormones are just starting to operate—was there any warning that what he was going to see might cause him to get sexually excited?”
Musical Interlude
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Comic Relief
Stephen Colbert’s Monday night opening monologue — A Vengeful Trump Strikes Out At His Enemies, Fires Vindman & Sondland During "Friday Night Massacre” [17:10]
tRumpism is like spermicidal jelly for preventing democracy after screwing the country. You’d think the forced birther crowd would be having conniption fits about that.
The republican party; where truth and justice go to die.
x YouTube Video
This is about a week old. It’s included in case you miss Franken and missed it the first time around. Jimmy Kimmel: Al Franken on Trump, Health Care & Impeachment [14:20]
The republican party has evolved from farcical to arsical, as they no longer give an eff.
If it’s a dispensation when you are forgiven a sin, it must be a penceation when you commit one.
Today’s Quote(s)
A little bit of push back from history against the racists and xenophobes currently busy diminishing humanity.
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. — Thomas Paine They who say that we should love our fellow-citizens but not foreigners, destroy the universal brotherhood of mankind, with which benevolence and justice would perish forever. — Cicero If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties . . . must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. — Martin Luther King Jr. The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. — Mohamed El Baradei
Required Pet Photo
The nose has it.
Closing Notes
To all of our fellow resisters, rounderuppers and gnusies recovering from illness or injury lots of hugs, including {{{{oldhippiedude}}}}, {{{{Msdude}}}}, our Tuesday partner {{{{niftywriter}}}}
Last night’s shade went after tRump’s lapweasel, Billy Barrf: Evening Shade: Barking at Barr
Today we’ll close with something from the July 4th, 2015 50th Anniversary Fare Thee Well tour shows in Chicago.
x YouTube Video
Disclaimer: Republicans have graduated from the deplorable basket to the despicable one.