I'm 50 years old today.
Not that this is a bad thing, more of an acknowledgment. I can't stop aging, so I just accept it and keep going. I like where I am today, and most of all I love being a dad.
Speaking of which, I'm off for family fun. For this week's Friday Link, I fall back to MST3K and the episode, 'I Accuse My Parents.' The young man's birthday factors heavily into the plot. The short 'The Truck Farmer' is also top notch riffing. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday, October 19, 2018
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
The Trump Top 20 Countdown for the Week of 10/8/18
Welcome to the Weekly Top 20 Countdown of Trump's ineptitude and stupidity for the week of 10/8/18 to 10/14/18.
These are the 20 largest chunks of incompetence coming from Trump and his Administration for this week alone. All the things on this list should lead to investigations, committee hearings, firings, resignations and even one or two impeachment charges. Instead Republicans, knowing their time is almost up, brace for November 6th, hoping it won't be as bad as they think. Down deep inside they know it'll be worse. And what gives them nightmares? They have Trump's coat tails to look forward to again in 2020!
A quick online search will give you plenty of news options on all of these stories. The ranking is purely on me. Please feel free to disagree and comment why below.
On with the countdown!
20) Trump reportedly is seriously considering his daughter Ivanka Trump as the new Ambassador to the UN. After everyone's original spit take, he reiterated it again! "Everybody wants Ivanka." She "would be incredible." (10/12)
19) Trump is now calling Dr. Christine Blasey Ford allegations of sexual assault from Brett Kavanaugh a hoax, and then added "people who are evil" tried to bring down Kavanaugh, "a flawless person." Trump, at the ceremonial swearing in, apologized to Kavanaugh's family for their pain, before falsely stating that Kavanaugh was proven innocent. (10/8)
18) Trump, at a rally in Iowa, took part in a "Lock Her Up" chant directed at Senator Dianne Feinstein, apparently because he was upset her office was the beginning of the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford/Kavanaigh investigation. This is pretty scary when you think about it. (10/9)
17) Trump's China trade tariffs seem to be backfiring as the trade deficit with China has skyrocketed. The trade deficit has widened to 34.1 billion, a new record. One analyst pointed out "the immediate effects of the trade war are the exact opposite of what the Trump Administration had been planning." Also announced, in the aftermath of the new trade deal with Canada, a trade deal which ended up giving Canada a whole lot more than the US got in return, Canada is now putting steep restrictions on 7 types of steel products coming into their country. Once again, complete opposite of what Trump promised. (10/12)
16) Trump on Wednesday started playing a game of chicken with the economy, a game he can't win. Most economic analysts are expecting an economic downturn to begin soon. Whether that would be a market correction or an actual recession remains to be seen, but there are plenty of signs the markets are not going sustain this level of growth. On Wednesday, the stock market finished over 800 points lower. Trump blamed the correction on the absolute wrong group of people, the Federal Reserve, who have been cautiously raising interest rates in an attempt to stave off a major economic collapse. Trump, who claimed you could fix the economy by just printing up more money, called the Fed "crazy" for adjusting the rates as they have. World markets responded with a massive drop overnight. (10/10-11)
15) For some inexplicable reason, USA Today printed a Trump signed health care op-ed in their paper without even doing a basic fact check. As you can imagine, the op-ed is full of lies and deception. The main point Trump is trying to make is that even though he stated numerous times health care is a right for all Americans, and after repeatedly promising better health care which would be cheaper, he is against the only option which could fulfill his two campaign promises, opening up Medicare to a single payer system. He said 'Medicare for All' would end Medicare, but in reality it would change it, not end it. Trump quoted Koch Brothers numbers which showed Medicare expansion would cost 32.6 trillion, but failed to mention that would actually be 2 trillion less than what we currently spend on Medicare. Trump claims he has protected people with pre-existing conditions, but truthfully he's gone out of his way to ensure pre-existing conditions are not covered. (10/10)
14) A motion to dismiss a new lawsuit, accusing Trump's campaign of illegally conspiring with Russian agents to disseminate the stolen Clinton/DNC emails before the election, has revealed a jaw dropping argument from the Trump legal team: the courts can't rule against Trump because the release of the e-mails should be considered 'freedom of speech.' Trump's legal team argues they were not part of the theft, and the information disseminated deals in matters of public concern, hence they haven't broken any laws. Putting aside the fact the Trump campaign in no way has been cleared of helping to coordinate the theft of the emails, Trump's team is no longer denying they were involved in the release of the stolen emails, something they'd steadfastly denied for two years. (10/10)
13) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Japanese officials were shocked when Trump brazenly backed a Japanese casino for GOP mega donor Sheldon Adelson. In February of 2017, right after Trump took office, Trump and Adeslon met at the White House. The next day Adelson got a private meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister (somewhat unusual for an official state visit). Afterward, Trump, when meeting with Abe to discuss international relations, stunned the room when he started to openly back Adleson's casino venture. This is wildly inappropriate to bring up an item like this in an official state visit meeting, without previously agreeing to the topic. Trump strongly suggested Abe follow through. Abe sat quietly. (10/10)
12) As Hurricane Michael is barreling through the Florida Panhandle, Trump made the decision to not cancel a campaign tour stop in Pennsylvania, where he bragged about how good he was at dealing with hurricanes (Maria?). Earlier in the day Trump had an Oval Office meeting about the hurricane, which he described for the assembled staff as as a "big tornado." He then bragged no storm this big has ever been in the Gulf of Mexico, a bone stupid statement (the great Galveston hurricane). Trump later made time for a phone call interview to Fox News, as parts of Florida were being destroyed. It should be pointed out Trump vocally criticized former President Obama for attending a campaign event SEVEN DAYS after Hurricane Sandy, accusing him of not taking that disaster seriously. (10/10)
11) Trump son-in-law and senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner, likely paid little or no income tax between the years of 2009 and 2016, according to a New York Times report. Kushner's worth over the last decade has risen to somewhere around 324 million, but he seems to have paid no federal income taxes. When approached for comment, Kushner's attorney didn't argue his client hadn't paid his taxes, only that the forms which showed he hadn't paid taxes were illegally obtained. They weren't. (10/13)
10) Trump is golfing for his 210th day since taking office. Since Sunday was his 632nd day in office, Trump has spent a whopping 1/3rd of his time in the White House golfing, not including other non-golfing vacation days he's had. Reminder: Republicans used to complain former President Obama golfed too much. (10/14)
9) To meet a court ordered deadline, the Trump Administration just released hundreds of US asylum seekers in Arizona without following any protocols to ensure they can reunite with family members. There's also a tremendous amount of questions of where these people will stay and how will they get to their court dates. The Administration is claiming to 'help them' by fitting each of them with an ankle bracelet monitor. Meanwhile, Trump's brownshirts, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent a four year old home to Guatemala without telling anyone they were shipping her back. This in not the only time ICE has just thrown a child on a plane and flew them back to their country without telling the child's family their child was returning. (10/9,12)
8) In Russian investigation news, Cybersecurity experts have found evidence of suspicious communications in 2016 between a Trump computer and a Russian Bank. A Trump server located in Pennsylvania was reportedly contacted nearly every day in the summer of 2016, up to 200 times between May and September, and these interactions are labeled as actual humans attempting to talk with each other, not just computers talking. The timing of the communications were not random. Only one other entity reached out to the same Trump server over the same time, a computer owned by Spectrum Health out of Michigan, a company chaired by Richard DeVos, husband of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. It's also been discovered Rick Gates, when he was a Trump campaign official, took proposals from an Israeli intelligence firm on how to manipulate social media users. The company, called Psy Group, has handed over the Trump Campaign presentations to the Mueller investigation and some of the company employees have been interviewed by the investigation as well. (10/8)
7) Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in trouble for outright lying to Congress. Under oath, Ross was asked where exactly the question which asks the citizenship status of the person answering the question, featured in the upcoming 2020 Census, came from. Ross lied. He said it didn't come from him or anyone in the White House. Emails show that the question came directly from former White House Senior Advisor Steve Bannon, while he was serving in the Administration. Bannon got it directly from Trump's anti-Voting Rights Czar, Kris Kobach. (10/14)
6) As reports come to light of Saudi Arabia executing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a lot of attention is focused on Trump's lack of condemnation of the killing. One major reason seems to be Trump's Middle East strategy. Trump's goal with Israel and Palestine is to side with Israel and allow Palestinians to be imprisoned for cheap labor for Israelis. To get Saudi Arabia on board, they helped with a kingdom coup, allowing certain Arabian princes to be purged so crown prince Mohammed bin Salman would have a clear path to leadership. This has opened up Saudi Arabia to major US arms deals, amongst other things. Still the emboldened execution should garner more condemnation than it has, maybe even the cancelling of certain weapons sales. One reason Trump might be silent is Saudi Arabia is pouring tons of money into Trump properties, properties which would be in extreme financial difficulty without the infusion of Saudi money. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. (Twiddle Dee) promoted a tweet which accuses Khashoggi of being a secret terrorist ally, a boldface lie. (10/11)
5) Trump is trying to hide documents from Congress which show he has installed un-appointed, unconfirmed officials to run the Veterans Administration. Three of Trump's friends, Ike Perlmutter, Bruce Moskowitz and Marc Sherman have apparently been running the VA out of Mar-A-Lago. VA officials deny the three are actually setting policy, but leaked emails show they're indeed doing so. Ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee Tim Walz states "The reports of corruption and cronyism are serious and we cannot allow the VA to sweep this under the rug." (10/9)
4) First a reminder. When Former First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed various poets to the White House in 2011, one of whom was rapper/musician Common, the right wing went bonkers. They accused Former President Obama of having a 'gang meeting,' insisting someone who used the language of Common should NEVER be allowed in the White House. Cue up today, when in one of the weirder moments of this entire fiasco, Trump welcomed Kanye West to the Oval Office for a visit. West ran into the Oval Office and threw his arms around Trump. What followed would best be described as an unhinged subway rant. West told Trump he has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, said the Hillary Clinton "I'm with Her" campaign line made him feel less of a man, said his MAGA hat gives him powers like Superman, talked about having "balls," and to cap it all off, West then used the term "crazy motherf*cker." Mind you, ALL of this was not an outtake from Idiocracy. This actually happened in real life. Trump for his part was clearly uncomfortable with Kanye, and hardly said a thing. Most of Trump's aides were "hugely embarrassed" by the craziness. (10/11)
3) Just when you didn't think the Trump Administrations actions toward immigrant children couldn't get worse, a new report out from the AP shows due to loopholes in state courts, state court judges can grant legal custody of a child from immigrant parents to other people in the US. This includes children of parents who have been deported without their children due to no fault of their own. There is also no requirement to notify the parents their child is now officially someone else's kid. Some Republicans are calling this process adoption, but is more correctly labeled US government approved abduction. Such actions are not just a threat, as there have been cases where immigrant children have been given to US families without any notification to the actual parents of the child. Currently there are numerous immigrant children in US custody whose parents have already been deported. To repeat: the Trump Administration can take a person's child at the border, ship the parents back to their original country, and then allow a US family to take custody of that immigrant child. WOW! (10/10)
2) In a bit of a surprise, Trump's Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced her resignation. She will stay in her position until the end of the year as speculation begins on who will be her replacement. Reports are Haley was frustrated about her diminished role. National Security Advisor John Bolton steamrolls her decisions at the UN, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has taken a much larger role on the international stage and Evil Jackass Steven Miller has undermined her on refugee issues. She did reiterate she wasn't the author of the anonymous op-ed which ran in the New York Times. She also denied rumors she's planning on running against Trump in 2020. Reports state Haley was one million dollars in debt at the time of her announcement. Her resignation also comes as reports emerge Haley grossly under reported flights she received from South Carolina businessmen by tens of thousands of dollars. (10/9)
1) Trump appeared on 60 Minutes and it went as badly as you would've expected. Leslie Stahl sparred with Trump on a variety of issues. On the instability of the White House, Trump stated it's not chaos, right before stating Defense Secretary Mattis might be leaving soon, implying he's more of a Democrat anyway. "I mean at some point everybody leaves." Trump then insisted he's entitled to hire and fire anyone he wants. In regards to Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was likely executed by the Saudis, Trump said retaliating against them would be bad because of "jobs."(?) When asked about Russian Election interference, Trump stated "How stupid would I be?" Let me leave that there for a second...
Trump then denied climate change, but when pressured, insisted he doesn't not believe it (double negative). He does insist climate change scientists have an agenda. (??) When asked about North Korea, about how they haven't gotten rid of any of their weapons, and are actually building more, Trump insisted "no one really knows." In truth Trump should know, as his daily security briefings mention this. Trump often skips those meetings. When asked about his friendship with a murderous dictator Kim Jong-un, as Stahl listed his crimes, Trump snapped "I'm not a baby. I know these things." (???) When asked what Trump regretted most about his Admisnitration so far, Trump stated being treated unfairly by the media. When Stahl clarified she was asking if he felt he'd made any mistakes, he said he wished he'd done NAFTA sooner. Stahl asked if he regretted ripping young children from their parents at the border and putting them in baby prisons. Trump avoided answering, stating 'there have to be consequences.' He added it was the same policy as former President Obama (an outright lie!!! Obama NEVER had this same policy. This was solely on Trump). Trump railed against the politicians, calling it the "most deceptive, vicious world." When asked to give an example, he said "I don't want to give you an example." He then praised himself repeatedly for the inflated record he has created in his own mind. Stahl said she was going to change the subject, to which Trump complained about how he was being asked questions. He reiterated the 'Obama had the same baby prisons policy' lie. (????) Talking about how the country has been ripped apart by Kavanaugh: "I don't think they want to heal. I want to heal." (?????) When it came to Trump's mocking of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who made accusations against Kavanaugh, Trump repeatedly denied he mocked Ford (he clearly did) "I didn't really make fun of her." When pushed on this, Trump restated Kavanaugh was the one who was mistreated at the hearings, and claimed Dr. Ford was treated with great respect. Referring back to the speech where he mocked Dr. Ford, "Had I not made that speech, we would not have won." (??????!) Yes indeed, NONE of this made any real sense. On the wall behind Trump during the interview was a painting of former Republican Presidents with Trump painted along side. The Trump in the painting was not regular Trump, but a WAY too thin version of him. Who has such levels of narcissism? The same man who told Leslie Stahl on national television, "That''s OK. I'm the President and you're not." (10/14)
Can you imagine what the Republicans would be like if President Obama had admitted he didn't go to his daily National Security Briefings? Seriously! They'd be going ballistic for weeks, with memes which would carry on for years. When that little nugget is disclosed about Trump, it gets completely lost in the insanity of the overwhelming incompetence pile. Remembering the lesser stuff this fool did/does is like remembering brain freezes; it's never pleasant.
These are the 20 largest chunks of incompetence coming from Trump and his Administration for this week alone. All the things on this list should lead to investigations, committee hearings, firings, resignations and even one or two impeachment charges. Instead Republicans, knowing their time is almost up, brace for November 6th, hoping it won't be as bad as they think. Down deep inside they know it'll be worse. And what gives them nightmares? They have Trump's coat tails to look forward to again in 2020!
A quick online search will give you plenty of news options on all of these stories. The ranking is purely on me. Please feel free to disagree and comment why below.
On with the countdown!
20) Trump reportedly is seriously considering his daughter Ivanka Trump as the new Ambassador to the UN. After everyone's original spit take, he reiterated it again! "Everybody wants Ivanka." She "would be incredible." (10/12)
19) Trump is now calling Dr. Christine Blasey Ford allegations of sexual assault from Brett Kavanaugh a hoax, and then added "people who are evil" tried to bring down Kavanaugh, "a flawless person." Trump, at the ceremonial swearing in, apologized to Kavanaugh's family for their pain, before falsely stating that Kavanaugh was proven innocent. (10/8)
18) Trump, at a rally in Iowa, took part in a "Lock Her Up" chant directed at Senator Dianne Feinstein, apparently because he was upset her office was the beginning of the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford/Kavanaigh investigation. This is pretty scary when you think about it. (10/9)
17) Trump's China trade tariffs seem to be backfiring as the trade deficit with China has skyrocketed. The trade deficit has widened to 34.1 billion, a new record. One analyst pointed out "the immediate effects of the trade war are the exact opposite of what the Trump Administration had been planning." Also announced, in the aftermath of the new trade deal with Canada, a trade deal which ended up giving Canada a whole lot more than the US got in return, Canada is now putting steep restrictions on 7 types of steel products coming into their country. Once again, complete opposite of what Trump promised. (10/12)
16) Trump on Wednesday started playing a game of chicken with the economy, a game he can't win. Most economic analysts are expecting an economic downturn to begin soon. Whether that would be a market correction or an actual recession remains to be seen, but there are plenty of signs the markets are not going sustain this level of growth. On Wednesday, the stock market finished over 800 points lower. Trump blamed the correction on the absolute wrong group of people, the Federal Reserve, who have been cautiously raising interest rates in an attempt to stave off a major economic collapse. Trump, who claimed you could fix the economy by just printing up more money, called the Fed "crazy" for adjusting the rates as they have. World markets responded with a massive drop overnight. (10/10-11)
15) For some inexplicable reason, USA Today printed a Trump signed health care op-ed in their paper without even doing a basic fact check. As you can imagine, the op-ed is full of lies and deception. The main point Trump is trying to make is that even though he stated numerous times health care is a right for all Americans, and after repeatedly promising better health care which would be cheaper, he is against the only option which could fulfill his two campaign promises, opening up Medicare to a single payer system. He said 'Medicare for All' would end Medicare, but in reality it would change it, not end it. Trump quoted Koch Brothers numbers which showed Medicare expansion would cost 32.6 trillion, but failed to mention that would actually be 2 trillion less than what we currently spend on Medicare. Trump claims he has protected people with pre-existing conditions, but truthfully he's gone out of his way to ensure pre-existing conditions are not covered. (10/10)
14) A motion to dismiss a new lawsuit, accusing Trump's campaign of illegally conspiring with Russian agents to disseminate the stolen Clinton/DNC emails before the election, has revealed a jaw dropping argument from the Trump legal team: the courts can't rule against Trump because the release of the e-mails should be considered 'freedom of speech.' Trump's legal team argues they were not part of the theft, and the information disseminated deals in matters of public concern, hence they haven't broken any laws. Putting aside the fact the Trump campaign in no way has been cleared of helping to coordinate the theft of the emails, Trump's team is no longer denying they were involved in the release of the stolen emails, something they'd steadfastly denied for two years. (10/10)
13) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Japanese officials were shocked when Trump brazenly backed a Japanese casino for GOP mega donor Sheldon Adelson. In February of 2017, right after Trump took office, Trump and Adeslon met at the White House. The next day Adelson got a private meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister (somewhat unusual for an official state visit). Afterward, Trump, when meeting with Abe to discuss international relations, stunned the room when he started to openly back Adleson's casino venture. This is wildly inappropriate to bring up an item like this in an official state visit meeting, without previously agreeing to the topic. Trump strongly suggested Abe follow through. Abe sat quietly. (10/10)
11) Trump son-in-law and senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner, likely paid little or no income tax between the years of 2009 and 2016, according to a New York Times report. Kushner's worth over the last decade has risen to somewhere around 324 million, but he seems to have paid no federal income taxes. When approached for comment, Kushner's attorney didn't argue his client hadn't paid his taxes, only that the forms which showed he hadn't paid taxes were illegally obtained. They weren't. (10/13)
10) Trump is golfing for his 210th day since taking office. Since Sunday was his 632nd day in office, Trump has spent a whopping 1/3rd of his time in the White House golfing, not including other non-golfing vacation days he's had. Reminder: Republicans used to complain former President Obama golfed too much. (10/14)
9) To meet a court ordered deadline, the Trump Administration just released hundreds of US asylum seekers in Arizona without following any protocols to ensure they can reunite with family members. There's also a tremendous amount of questions of where these people will stay and how will they get to their court dates. The Administration is claiming to 'help them' by fitting each of them with an ankle bracelet monitor. Meanwhile, Trump's brownshirts, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent a four year old home to Guatemala without telling anyone they were shipping her back. This in not the only time ICE has just thrown a child on a plane and flew them back to their country without telling the child's family their child was returning. (10/9,12)
8) In Russian investigation news, Cybersecurity experts have found evidence of suspicious communications in 2016 between a Trump computer and a Russian Bank. A Trump server located in Pennsylvania was reportedly contacted nearly every day in the summer of 2016, up to 200 times between May and September, and these interactions are labeled as actual humans attempting to talk with each other, not just computers talking. The timing of the communications were not random. Only one other entity reached out to the same Trump server over the same time, a computer owned by Spectrum Health out of Michigan, a company chaired by Richard DeVos, husband of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. It's also been discovered Rick Gates, when he was a Trump campaign official, took proposals from an Israeli intelligence firm on how to manipulate social media users. The company, called Psy Group, has handed over the Trump Campaign presentations to the Mueller investigation and some of the company employees have been interviewed by the investigation as well. (10/8)
7) Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in trouble for outright lying to Congress. Under oath, Ross was asked where exactly the question which asks the citizenship status of the person answering the question, featured in the upcoming 2020 Census, came from. Ross lied. He said it didn't come from him or anyone in the White House. Emails show that the question came directly from former White House Senior Advisor Steve Bannon, while he was serving in the Administration. Bannon got it directly from Trump's anti-Voting Rights Czar, Kris Kobach. (10/14)
6) As reports come to light of Saudi Arabia executing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a lot of attention is focused on Trump's lack of condemnation of the killing. One major reason seems to be Trump's Middle East strategy. Trump's goal with Israel and Palestine is to side with Israel and allow Palestinians to be imprisoned for cheap labor for Israelis. To get Saudi Arabia on board, they helped with a kingdom coup, allowing certain Arabian princes to be purged so crown prince Mohammed bin Salman would have a clear path to leadership. This has opened up Saudi Arabia to major US arms deals, amongst other things. Still the emboldened execution should garner more condemnation than it has, maybe even the cancelling of certain weapons sales. One reason Trump might be silent is Saudi Arabia is pouring tons of money into Trump properties, properties which would be in extreme financial difficulty without the infusion of Saudi money. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. (Twiddle Dee) promoted a tweet which accuses Khashoggi of being a secret terrorist ally, a boldface lie. (10/11)
5) Trump is trying to hide documents from Congress which show he has installed un-appointed, unconfirmed officials to run the Veterans Administration. Three of Trump's friends, Ike Perlmutter, Bruce Moskowitz and Marc Sherman have apparently been running the VA out of Mar-A-Lago. VA officials deny the three are actually setting policy, but leaked emails show they're indeed doing so. Ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee Tim Walz states "The reports of corruption and cronyism are serious and we cannot allow the VA to sweep this under the rug." (10/9)
4) First a reminder. When Former First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed various poets to the White House in 2011, one of whom was rapper/musician Common, the right wing went bonkers. They accused Former President Obama of having a 'gang meeting,' insisting someone who used the language of Common should NEVER be allowed in the White House. Cue up today, when in one of the weirder moments of this entire fiasco, Trump welcomed Kanye West to the Oval Office for a visit. West ran into the Oval Office and threw his arms around Trump. What followed would best be described as an unhinged subway rant. West told Trump he has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, said the Hillary Clinton "I'm with Her" campaign line made him feel less of a man, said his MAGA hat gives him powers like Superman, talked about having "balls," and to cap it all off, West then used the term "crazy motherf*cker." Mind you, ALL of this was not an outtake from Idiocracy. This actually happened in real life. Trump for his part was clearly uncomfortable with Kanye, and hardly said a thing. Most of Trump's aides were "hugely embarrassed" by the craziness. (10/11)
3) Just when you didn't think the Trump Administrations actions toward immigrant children couldn't get worse, a new report out from the AP shows due to loopholes in state courts, state court judges can grant legal custody of a child from immigrant parents to other people in the US. This includes children of parents who have been deported without their children due to no fault of their own. There is also no requirement to notify the parents their child is now officially someone else's kid. Some Republicans are calling this process adoption, but is more correctly labeled US government approved abduction. Such actions are not just a threat, as there have been cases where immigrant children have been given to US families without any notification to the actual parents of the child. Currently there are numerous immigrant children in US custody whose parents have already been deported. To repeat: the Trump Administration can take a person's child at the border, ship the parents back to their original country, and then allow a US family to take custody of that immigrant child. WOW! (10/10)
2) In a bit of a surprise, Trump's Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced her resignation. She will stay in her position until the end of the year as speculation begins on who will be her replacement. Reports are Haley was frustrated about her diminished role. National Security Advisor John Bolton steamrolls her decisions at the UN, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has taken a much larger role on the international stage and Evil Jackass Steven Miller has undermined her on refugee issues. She did reiterate she wasn't the author of the anonymous op-ed which ran in the New York Times. She also denied rumors she's planning on running against Trump in 2020. Reports state Haley was one million dollars in debt at the time of her announcement. Her resignation also comes as reports emerge Haley grossly under reported flights she received from South Carolina businessmen by tens of thousands of dollars. (10/9)
1) Trump appeared on 60 Minutes and it went as badly as you would've expected. Leslie Stahl sparred with Trump on a variety of issues. On the instability of the White House, Trump stated it's not chaos, right before stating Defense Secretary Mattis might be leaving soon, implying he's more of a Democrat anyway. "I mean at some point everybody leaves." Trump then insisted he's entitled to hire and fire anyone he wants. In regards to Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was likely executed by the Saudis, Trump said retaliating against them would be bad because of "jobs."(?) When asked about Russian Election interference, Trump stated "How stupid would I be?" Let me leave that there for a second...
Trump then denied climate change, but when pressured, insisted he doesn't not believe it (double negative). He does insist climate change scientists have an agenda. (??) When asked about North Korea, about how they haven't gotten rid of any of their weapons, and are actually building more, Trump insisted "no one really knows." In truth Trump should know, as his daily security briefings mention this. Trump often skips those meetings. When asked about his friendship with a murderous dictator Kim Jong-un, as Stahl listed his crimes, Trump snapped "I'm not a baby. I know these things." (???) When asked what Trump regretted most about his Admisnitration so far, Trump stated being treated unfairly by the media. When Stahl clarified she was asking if he felt he'd made any mistakes, he said he wished he'd done NAFTA sooner. Stahl asked if he regretted ripping young children from their parents at the border and putting them in baby prisons. Trump avoided answering, stating 'there have to be consequences.' He added it was the same policy as former President Obama (an outright lie!!! Obama NEVER had this same policy. This was solely on Trump). Trump railed against the politicians, calling it the "most deceptive, vicious world." When asked to give an example, he said "I don't want to give you an example." He then praised himself repeatedly for the inflated record he has created in his own mind. Stahl said she was going to change the subject, to which Trump complained about how he was being asked questions. He reiterated the 'Obama had the same baby prisons policy' lie. (????) Talking about how the country has been ripped apart by Kavanaugh: "I don't think they want to heal. I want to heal." (?????) When it came to Trump's mocking of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who made accusations against Kavanaugh, Trump repeatedly denied he mocked Ford (he clearly did) "I didn't really make fun of her." When pushed on this, Trump restated Kavanaugh was the one who was mistreated at the hearings, and claimed Dr. Ford was treated with great respect. Referring back to the speech where he mocked Dr. Ford, "Had I not made that speech, we would not have won." (??????!) Yes indeed, NONE of this made any real sense. On the wall behind Trump during the interview was a painting of former Republican Presidents with Trump painted along side. The Trump in the painting was not regular Trump, but a WAY too thin version of him. Who has such levels of narcissism? The same man who told Leslie Stahl on national television, "That''s OK. I'm the President and you're not." (10/14)
Can you imagine what the Republicans would be like if President Obama had admitted he didn't go to his daily National Security Briefings? Seriously! They'd be going ballistic for weeks, with memes which would carry on for years. When that little nugget is disclosed about Trump, it gets completely lost in the insanity of the overwhelming incompetence pile. Remembering the lesser stuff this fool did/does is like remembering brain freezes; it's never pleasant.
#2018IsEverything! Get registered to vote, and know where your polling place is. Help a Democrat running in a Republican district! I know you might be tired, but saving Democracy is not a light weight activity.
And make sure you VOTE!!! Vote early if your state offers it, and then help others get to the polls on Election Day!
Friday, October 12, 2018
The Friday Link for 10/12/18
The sun finally came out today, after two plus weeks of gloom in the Twin Cities. I was feeling so good...until a caller on my radio show put me on my caboose.
Listen for yourself:
For the record, it is an allegation. This shocked me. This election has so many freaking consequences.
For the pleasant side of the Link, 2 HOURS of fall colors. I'm going to enjoy this and then refocus my efforts for the final four weekends before the election. The Blue Wave needs to happen.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Listen for yourself:
For the record, it is an allegation. This shocked me. This election has so many freaking consequences.
For the pleasant side of the Link, 2 HOURS of fall colors. I'm going to enjoy this and then refocus my efforts for the final four weekends before the election. The Blue Wave needs to happen.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
The Cure for World Series Fever
Another Minnesota Twins baseball season has come and gone. They didn't make the playoffs, finishing worse than they did last season, in an American League where teams were FAR worse than they were in 2017. There's only one word for the Twins in 2018; disappointing.
This is the first year I didn't go to a single game since 1999. Seriously! I was always good for three or four games a year, but this season, my kids sports commitments made getting tickets before August near impossible. I still intended to get tickets for at least two late season games, but I stopped. When it became obvious the Twins were having trouble putting away some of the truly atrocious teams on their schedule, I couldn't find the power to hit the 'buy' button. Then the Twins surrendered. They were within striking distance of the American League Central leading Cleveland (albeit a tough road) with 7 games remaining between the two teams, and the Twins traded away two of their biggest cogs in the lineup, an insanely underrated Eduardo Escobar and fan favorite Brian Dozier. In return we got a bucket of pebbles and a bag of sticks. I decided to close my wallet.
Manager Paul Molitor is now gone, and that's a good thing. Molitor did okay for a former superstar entering the managerial ranks (most of the time Hall of Famers managing, in any sport, is a nightmare), but he missed a lot when it came to the ins and outs of baseball. I'm not touting myself as a master baseball mind, but I know circumstantial positioning, pinch hitter strategy, lineup nuance and when not to get thrown out of a game. When I can say 'why is he doing that?' that's a bad sign. I shouldn't know more than a major league manager. Molitor at times seemed lost on the field.
Then there was the crashing to earth of what was supposed to be Minnesota's next great players. Both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton already have honorary lockers in the dugout but neither seems to be someone we'll be able to pencil in for a season worth of games. Sano can't stop eating and (bluntly) he's not doing the work to make himself better at this level. That's why the Twins demoted him to A ball this season, something which should've been a wake up call. Buxton, for as fast as he is, can't hit to save himself (90 AB's, batting average .158. WOW!) and has suddenly become fragile, with multiple injuries which seemed improbable, but yet took him out for the season. The Twins need to move on from these two failed experiments, but they won't. The Twins are terrified of having another David Ortiz situation; where they give up on a player and see them turn into a superstar someplace else. I could easily see Sano and Buxton go to another team and excel. Player development is another major issue with the Twins.
Finally, let me talk about Joe Mauer. Before you think I'm going to unload on him (like usual), let me start by saying I have a ton of respect for him. Seriously! I now understand what changed about him. It was something non-baseball in the final game of the season where his career trajectory finally made sense. When Mauer's daughters were born, I think he reshuffled his priority list and put 'Dad' at the top. You could see that when he brought his daughters out onto the field in the final game. I respect the heck out of that. Well done Joe!
On the downside, his glory days are behind him. The final game of the year gave the fans a swan song, Mauer going old school, strapping on the catchers gear and jumping behind home plate. It'll be a great finish for him...if the Twins allow this to be the end. Part of me feels the team might be trying to lure him back for a farewell year or two, offering an obscene amount of money to be either DH, or a mediocre 1st baseman. Twins, let him go. Give him the front office job, allow him to create a niche between work and family, and move on. He will not make the Hall of Fame (his early stats will not wipe away the later part of his career), but the Twins will celebrate him multiple times every year, for many years to come.
I'm rooting for a Dodgers/Red Sox series. That would be fun, but I still hope the Twins will have a quick rebuilding process and find their way back into the post season before 2030. The way baseball is set up, I'm not getting my hopes up. Seriously...
This is the first year I didn't go to a single game since 1999. Seriously! I was always good for three or four games a year, but this season, my kids sports commitments made getting tickets before August near impossible. I still intended to get tickets for at least two late season games, but I stopped. When it became obvious the Twins were having trouble putting away some of the truly atrocious teams on their schedule, I couldn't find the power to hit the 'buy' button. Then the Twins surrendered. They were within striking distance of the American League Central leading Cleveland (albeit a tough road) with 7 games remaining between the two teams, and the Twins traded away two of their biggest cogs in the lineup, an insanely underrated Eduardo Escobar and fan favorite Brian Dozier. In return we got a bucket of pebbles and a bag of sticks. I decided to close my wallet.
Manager Paul Molitor is now gone, and that's a good thing. Molitor did okay for a former superstar entering the managerial ranks (most of the time Hall of Famers managing, in any sport, is a nightmare), but he missed a lot when it came to the ins and outs of baseball. I'm not touting myself as a master baseball mind, but I know circumstantial positioning, pinch hitter strategy, lineup nuance and when not to get thrown out of a game. When I can say 'why is he doing that?' that's a bad sign. I shouldn't know more than a major league manager. Molitor at times seemed lost on the field.
Then there was the crashing to earth of what was supposed to be Minnesota's next great players. Both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton already have honorary lockers in the dugout but neither seems to be someone we'll be able to pencil in for a season worth of games. Sano can't stop eating and (bluntly) he's not doing the work to make himself better at this level. That's why the Twins demoted him to A ball this season, something which should've been a wake up call. Buxton, for as fast as he is, can't hit to save himself (90 AB's, batting average .158. WOW!) and has suddenly become fragile, with multiple injuries which seemed improbable, but yet took him out for the season. The Twins need to move on from these two failed experiments, but they won't. The Twins are terrified of having another David Ortiz situation; where they give up on a player and see them turn into a superstar someplace else. I could easily see Sano and Buxton go to another team and excel. Player development is another major issue with the Twins.
Finally, let me talk about Joe Mauer. Before you think I'm going to unload on him (like usual), let me start by saying I have a ton of respect for him. Seriously! I now understand what changed about him. It was something non-baseball in the final game of the season where his career trajectory finally made sense. When Mauer's daughters were born, I think he reshuffled his priority list and put 'Dad' at the top. You could see that when he brought his daughters out onto the field in the final game. I respect the heck out of that. Well done Joe!
On the downside, his glory days are behind him. The final game of the year gave the fans a swan song, Mauer going old school, strapping on the catchers gear and jumping behind home plate. It'll be a great finish for him...if the Twins allow this to be the end. Part of me feels the team might be trying to lure him back for a farewell year or two, offering an obscene amount of money to be either DH, or a mediocre 1st baseman. Twins, let him go. Give him the front office job, allow him to create a niche between work and family, and move on. He will not make the Hall of Fame (his early stats will not wipe away the later part of his career), but the Twins will celebrate him multiple times every year, for many years to come.
I'm rooting for a Dodgers/Red Sox series. That would be fun, but I still hope the Twins will have a quick rebuilding process and find their way back into the post season before 2030. The way baseball is set up, I'm not getting my hopes up. Seriously...
Monday, October 8, 2018
It's Not Us, It's You
I've heard numerous people ask why Brett Kavanaugh never once just looked at the Senate and said, "I was a dumb kid in school and I made some dumb decisions. That's not who I am today, and if people were upset by my behavior from back then, I apologize," instead of his relentless Groot -like "I like beer!" monologue, and his clear laughable lies about the captions in his high school yearbook. The answer is simple. The Republicans were never going to slow down the Kavanaugh confirmation. The decision was made for him to look like a rage-aholic, bitter angry judge belligerently defending himself, as opposed to open himself up to a full investigation into his actions. His angry frat boy response was pre-determined as the path of least resistance.
It's hilarious people are arguing the Democrats MADE the Republicans confirm Kavanaugh. No they didn't, not even close. Their argument is the minority party Democrats, through their legit questions about Kavanaugh's background forced the Republican's hands. That the Republicans were on the verge of rejecting Brett outright, until the Democrats made a stink, hence they had no other option but to jam him through to a vote, a vote which was never in question. The ancient old white male Republicans are responsible for they own decisions and actions in regards to Kavanaugh, no one else.
This entire confirmation hearing was by Republican design, even factoring in a potential unexpected witness (Dr. Blasey Ford), as well as the choreographed response to said witness. Even the blaming of the Democrats for "forcing their vote" was part of the plan (I'll come back to that). Considering Kavanaugh gives Harriet Myers a run for her money as the most unqualified Supreme Court nominee in the last 50 years, the only way Brett gets confirmed is by script, a coordinated dog and pony show.
Everything we witnessed with the Kavanaugh confirmation was carefully orchestrated and planned by the Republicans. Looking back on the entire debacle, it's clear NOTHING was going to stop the Republicans from placing him on the Supreme Court, no matter how much they had to destroy the Senate confirmation process in doing so.
To understand why this happened you need to understand what Kavanaugh's role on the bench will actually be.
First, let's dispel the main Justice Kavanaugh myth: this was not about getting rid of abortion, something the Supreme Court really can't do. If there is a Roe v. Wade reversal decision coming, it's overturning would only cease making legal abortion a national standard, meaning individual states would still be allowed to have legal abortion. The only way conservatives could make abortion illegal in all 50 states would be a Constitutional Amendment, something Republicans have no intent on making real. Republican politicians not only want abortion to be legal in some states, they want it to be legal in every wealthy community in the country; it's not about stopping abortion, but rather stopping poorer people from having access to them. Explain this to an anti-abortion voter and they glaze over, preparing their denial arguments as they begin realizing they've been manipulated.
Kavanaugh's real job falls into three categories. First is the continuation of the pro-corporation narrative. Corporations, and the executives who run them, due to our justice system, are a higher class of 'individual' than actual US citizens. If a corporation wants your house, it's theirs! If they open up accounts in your name without your permission and then charge you astronomical fees for said accounts, you have no recourse to stop them. They can poison you and your family and the courts will let them off the hook. Corporations have ensured you will always be responsible for the debt you owe, even when that debt was incurred under corporate lies. If they mismanage their company to the point of needing a taxpayer handout, they'll get it, while they government cuts social safety programs for the poor. They can take your money, and no court will intervene on your behalf. Their product can outright kill you, and they're only responsible for a pre-determined check for your family. For 40 years, even with Democratic appointed judges on the bench, corporations have been placed at a higher level than you or I. With Kavanaugh, it will only get worse (kiss the pre-determined check goodbye).
The second task Kavanaugh will deliver on is the continued mutilation of our elections. Fact: Republicans can't win in straight up races. They have to gerrymander, restrict the vote and outspend 20 to 1 to hold their seats. They've been incredibly successful at getting a party with 30% approval rating to control almost all of government. But their control is starting to come to an end. As they keep pushing towards a more extreme agenda, their ability to convince the masses it's good for them is melting away. The next step is to start eliminating the ability for some people to vote, something they've begun doing by attacking the Voting Rights Act. We're getting to a point where voting is no longer a right in the USA, but rather a privilege, granted depending on a person's political leanings. We've already had Republicans start floating the idea only land owners get to vote, even suggesting the amount of land you own would dictate how much value your vote is assessed. Currently this massive voting purge is only talk, but with a rigged Supreme Court, if GOP losses of 2018 are really bad, you'll see major challenges to voting. Brett is there to help Republicans.
Finally, Brett is there to defend Trump. Eventually all of Trump's crimes will end up at the Supreme Court. The court is already laying the groundwork to insist Trump is above the law, even on the charge of treason, a crime which undermines the pillars of our Democracy. Brett and the rest of the Republican Fab Five will vote to turn the other cheek, likely with a ruling similar to the 2000 Presidential election, where they insisted the one time ruling could not be ever revisited again. The Republicans know Trump and the party are crooked. This is the guarantee their party never gets punished for their crimes.
The Republicans were ALWAYS going to vote in Kavanaugh.
But this brings us back to the Republican argument the Democrats MADE them confirm Kavanaugh. They're saying this now because they know Brett's secrets will eventually come out. We'll find out the truth about what happened in his high school and college days, but instead of apologizing for vilifying his victims, or for attacking the Democrats for asking legit questions, or for butchering the SCOTUS confirmation process, Republicans will attack the Democrats. "Remember, the minority Democrats FORCED us to have to confirm Kavanaugh. We would've removed him from consideration, if not for those damn Democrats. This stain on the Judicial Branch is theirs!"
Don't let Republicans hide in plain site. Republicans, it's not us. It never was us. This was your fiasco, your disaster. It was always YOU, and I for one will never let you forget that.
Then, after the truth comes out, impeach Kavanaugh's ass off the Supreme Court.
It's hilarious people are arguing the Democrats MADE the Republicans confirm Kavanaugh. No they didn't, not even close. Their argument is the minority party Democrats, through their legit questions about Kavanaugh's background forced the Republican's hands. That the Republicans were on the verge of rejecting Brett outright, until the Democrats made a stink, hence they had no other option but to jam him through to a vote, a vote which was never in question. The ancient old white male Republicans are responsible for they own decisions and actions in regards to Kavanaugh, no one else.
This entire confirmation hearing was by Republican design, even factoring in a potential unexpected witness (Dr. Blasey Ford), as well as the choreographed response to said witness. Even the blaming of the Democrats for "forcing their vote" was part of the plan (I'll come back to that). Considering Kavanaugh gives Harriet Myers a run for her money as the most unqualified Supreme Court nominee in the last 50 years, the only way Brett gets confirmed is by script, a coordinated dog and pony show.
Everything we witnessed with the Kavanaugh confirmation was carefully orchestrated and planned by the Republicans. Looking back on the entire debacle, it's clear NOTHING was going to stop the Republicans from placing him on the Supreme Court, no matter how much they had to destroy the Senate confirmation process in doing so.
To understand why this happened you need to understand what Kavanaugh's role on the bench will actually be.
First, let's dispel the main Justice Kavanaugh myth: this was not about getting rid of abortion, something the Supreme Court really can't do. If there is a Roe v. Wade reversal decision coming, it's overturning would only cease making legal abortion a national standard, meaning individual states would still be allowed to have legal abortion. The only way conservatives could make abortion illegal in all 50 states would be a Constitutional Amendment, something Republicans have no intent on making real. Republican politicians not only want abortion to be legal in some states, they want it to be legal in every wealthy community in the country; it's not about stopping abortion, but rather stopping poorer people from having access to them. Explain this to an anti-abortion voter and they glaze over, preparing their denial arguments as they begin realizing they've been manipulated.
Kavanaugh's real job falls into three categories. First is the continuation of the pro-corporation narrative. Corporations, and the executives who run them, due to our justice system, are a higher class of 'individual' than actual US citizens. If a corporation wants your house, it's theirs! If they open up accounts in your name without your permission and then charge you astronomical fees for said accounts, you have no recourse to stop them. They can poison you and your family and the courts will let them off the hook. Corporations have ensured you will always be responsible for the debt you owe, even when that debt was incurred under corporate lies. If they mismanage their company to the point of needing a taxpayer handout, they'll get it, while they government cuts social safety programs for the poor. They can take your money, and no court will intervene on your behalf. Their product can outright kill you, and they're only responsible for a pre-determined check for your family. For 40 years, even with Democratic appointed judges on the bench, corporations have been placed at a higher level than you or I. With Kavanaugh, it will only get worse (kiss the pre-determined check goodbye).
The second task Kavanaugh will deliver on is the continued mutilation of our elections. Fact: Republicans can't win in straight up races. They have to gerrymander, restrict the vote and outspend 20 to 1 to hold their seats. They've been incredibly successful at getting a party with 30% approval rating to control almost all of government. But their control is starting to come to an end. As they keep pushing towards a more extreme agenda, their ability to convince the masses it's good for them is melting away. The next step is to start eliminating the ability for some people to vote, something they've begun doing by attacking the Voting Rights Act. We're getting to a point where voting is no longer a right in the USA, but rather a privilege, granted depending on a person's political leanings. We've already had Republicans start floating the idea only land owners get to vote, even suggesting the amount of land you own would dictate how much value your vote is assessed. Currently this massive voting purge is only talk, but with a rigged Supreme Court, if GOP losses of 2018 are really bad, you'll see major challenges to voting. Brett is there to help Republicans.
Finally, Brett is there to defend Trump. Eventually all of Trump's crimes will end up at the Supreme Court. The court is already laying the groundwork to insist Trump is above the law, even on the charge of treason, a crime which undermines the pillars of our Democracy. Brett and the rest of the Republican Fab Five will vote to turn the other cheek, likely with a ruling similar to the 2000 Presidential election, where they insisted the one time ruling could not be ever revisited again. The Republicans know Trump and the party are crooked. This is the guarantee their party never gets punished for their crimes.
The Republicans were ALWAYS going to vote in Kavanaugh.
But this brings us back to the Republican argument the Democrats MADE them confirm Kavanaugh. They're saying this now because they know Brett's secrets will eventually come out. We'll find out the truth about what happened in his high school and college days, but instead of apologizing for vilifying his victims, or for attacking the Democrats for asking legit questions, or for butchering the SCOTUS confirmation process, Republicans will attack the Democrats. "Remember, the minority Democrats FORCED us to have to confirm Kavanaugh. We would've removed him from consideration, if not for those damn Democrats. This stain on the Judicial Branch is theirs!"
Don't let Republicans hide in plain site. Republicans, it's not us. It never was us. This was your fiasco, your disaster. It was always YOU, and I for one will never let you forget that.
Then, after the truth comes out, impeach Kavanaugh's ass off the Supreme Court.
Friday, October 5, 2018
The Friday Link for 10/5/18
I'm giving it to Saturday Night Live this week, who returned and gave us the Brett Kavanaugh sketch we needed. Matt Damon is fantastic in this.
I thought the Fortnite sketch with Adam Driver was actually better. As a man who has attempted the game once, I will admit some of these 'my controller doesn't seem to be working correctly' issues were familiar to me.
Have a great weekend everyone!
I thought the Fortnite sketch with Adam Driver was actually better. As a man who has attempted the game once, I will admit some of these 'my controller doesn't seem to be working correctly' issues were familiar to me.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
The Trump Top 20 Countdown for the Week of 9/24/18
Welcome to the Weekly Top 20 Countdown of Trump's ineptitude and stupidity for the week of 9/24/18 to 9/30/18.
These are the 20 largest incompetence bombs coming from Trump and his Administration for last week alone. All the things on this list should lead to absolute mockery, investigations, committee hearings, firings, resignations and even one or two impeachment charges. But because Republicans are showing how little they care about anything but their own bought and paid for partisan agenda, we are getting a front row seat at the eroding of Democracy, the dismantling of the great American experiment.
FYI - Due to me having a large commitment this weekend, there won't be a list next week. I'll be back at mid month with a countdown for the week of 10/8.
A quick Internet search will give you plenty of news options on all of these stories. The ranking is purely on me. Please feel free to disagree and comment why below.
On with the countdown!
20) The European Central Bank has done an extensive analysis of Trump's trade policies and has determined the US has FAR more to lose when compared to China in a prolonged trade battle. Trump said trade wars are easy to win, but the ECB stated "estimates...suggest the US's net export position would deteriorate substantially...US firms will invest less and hire fewer workers." They added growth in the US would be cut by at least 2%, wiping out most economic expansion forecasts. China on the other hand will gain from being able to export into countries where there are already tariffs on Ameircan products. The ECB did make this sobering admission; A trade war would be bad for everyone in the long run, as global trade would decrease 3%, due to Trump. (9/26)
19) Rob Goldstone, the music publicist who set up the infamous Trump Tower meeting, might have just exposed Trump son in law Jared Kushner as lying about the meeting. Goldstone, recalling the meeting, stated they "all" stayed for the entire meeting and "all" left at the same time. Kushner is on record stating he though the meeting was boring, got confused, and left the meeting early. Goldstone has already testified he feels there's no way Trump didn't know about the meeting. (9/25)
18) It's discovered there is another reason Trump should be fearing a potential Democratic take over of the US House. There is a 100 year old statute which allows the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee to examine anyone's tax returns, including the President. This statute has been used before, under Nixon, when lawmakers revealed he had underpaid his taxes by $500,000. Democrats have stated they are aware of the statute and would contemplate using it. (9/29)
17) Trump was sweating like a pig at a speech to supporters in West Virginia when he broke into a completely fabricated made up history of the Democratic Party, or as he insisted, The Democrat Party (because Republicans think saying it like that infuriates the Democrats...I know). Facts-challenged Trump seemed to be pulling his history lesson out of his caboose, as a simple fact-check proved everything he said was a lie. He also claimed he and North Korean despot Kim Jong-un "fell in love" after overcoming their differences, after Kim "...wrote me beautiful letters..." (9/29)
16) In 2016, Trump went on a rampage when he found out his campaign had to pay for the transition team. In a story in the Guardian, Trump called former transition point person Chris Christie and former campaign manager Steve Bannon to a meeting to scream at them about how they were stealing his money, adding "what the F*** is this?" When they tried to explain the law to him, he said "F*** the law! I don't give a F*** about the law. I want my F***ing money." His plan was to shut down the transition office, a unique move to say the least, but he decided against it because he was afraid the media would make fun of him for doing so. (9/27)
15) Trump's Director of FEMA is in real big trouble. Brock Long used $151,000 in tax payer dollars to get himself chauffeured around, a luxury he's not entitled to have. He had the chauffeur when he was on vacation in Hawaii and at his home in North Carolina. The expenses were never authorized. Then one of Long's aides, Keith LaFoucade, destroyed the evidence detailing the chauffeur in an attempt to cover up the expenses from further investigation. (9/26)
14) White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders proved exactly how dumb she is. Sanders insisted Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh deserved an up or down vote, just as "every single" SCOTUS nominee has gotten. It took less than one second for everyone to say 'Merrick Garland.' She hasn't responded to requests for clarification on her statement. (9/25)
13) ***SPOILERS*** Trump, apparently tired of hauling foreign leaders into his rants against accusers claiming sexual misconduct against his SCOTUS nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, decided to have a press conference at the UN, and it was a doozie! He implied he didn't understand how the 25th Amendment worked, the Amendment which allows his cabinet to remove him from office, an Amendment numerous White House staff have mentioned talking about. He then claimed former President Obama was going to go to war with North Korea during his term, offering nothing to back up the claim. CNN's Jim Acosta called Trump out for not taking any questions from female reporters, and when Trump finally did, he kept interrupting them, telling one she went too long and for her to sit down. He discovered there was a Kurdish reporter in the press corps at the UN, and referred to him as "Mr. Kurd." He claimed George Washington himself would not be confirmed by the Democrats in the Senate if he was up for a Supreme Court seat, but then himself acknowledged former President Washington might have a issue getting appointed today. Trump then screwed that up by attributing former President Jefferson's affairs to Washington (I'm sure the whole slave owner issue would be a non-starter for both of them today). Trump also claimed only 4 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. More than a dozen women have formerly accused him. (9/26)
12) A federal judge says a lawsuit against Trump can move forward. The lawsuit, filed by 200 Congressional Democrats, states Trump is undeniably violating the Constitution's emoluments clause by doing business with foreign governments through his hotel properties. He's technically taking checks for foreign states, a big no-no. (9/28)
11) The Trump Administration is vigorously fighting to prevent Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from having to give a deposition explaining his decision to ask a citizenship status question on the 2020 US Census. The lawsuit filed by numerous State Attorney Generals was granted the deposition, but the US Justice Department is trying to prevent them, stating the US Supreme Court needs to weigh in on the matter. They're also trying to prevent the deposition of another Justice Department Official, John Gore, who helped craft the question. (9/30)
10) Trump went to speak at the UN on Tuesday and it led to one of the most embarrassing moments of his term. He stated "In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of the county." An awkward silence followed. He added "so true." The entire UN erupted into mocking laughter. Trump then went on to brag, to the UN, about the stock market and the US economy. Later in the speech he attacked Iran, right after making compliments about the Iranian President on Twitter. Trump finished his UN trip, talking with the press after the speech, aggressively attacking Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh's second accuser, calling her drunk. Another proud USA moment on the international stage. (9/25)
9) Conflicting reports surfaced around Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The first report stated Rosenstein verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly, but a conflicting story emerged reporting Rosenstein didn't resign, but had only stated he felt he was about to be fired by Trump. A meeting had been set up between the Rosenstein and Trump, but it was eventually delayed for a week. With Rosenstein's potential removal, Trump's lawyers are already insisting the Mueller investigation against Trump should be put on hold. Later in the day, sources stated Trump was floating the idea of removing Rosenstein, in an effort to get the Brett Kavanaugh scandals off the front pages. (9/24)
8) In what appears to be an attempt to stop losing immigrant children, the Trump Administration and immigration officials have been shipping immigrant children to a tent city in south Texas. The number of immigrant children the Trump Administration was responsible for but has has lost is near 3000. It should be noted, when it comes to Trump Administration actions, there are two different types of immigrant children. The first (A) are the ones ripped away from their parents at the border and placed into baby/child prisons. The ones referenced in this story (B) are the immigrant children who come to the border by themselves, and are placed in a foster care or shelter environment. The Trump Administration has lost almost 3000 of those children. They have no idea where those 3000 children are. It's reported 1600 (B) children have been moved to south Texas, many of them in the middle of the night to avoid media scrutiny, to the town of Tornillo. The conditions in the tent city are considerably worse than in the foster homes and shelters the kids had been kept in. The kids are kept in tents sleeping 20 kids per room. The tent city is not subjected to the same safety and education requirements the previous facilities were required to have, meaning the kids are less safe and are not receiving any education. The Trump Administration hopes to eventually house 3800 kids at this one facility alone. (9/30)
A SIX WAY TIE FOR SECOND PLACE! Each day of the Kavanaugh debacle will get it's own spot, but since they are all part of one monster, I'll call it a tie. Fun fact, it's not the #1 story this week!!!
2 Monday) After allegations of one sexual assault became two more allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a potential 4th victim is getting ready to step forward, and reports are numerous people are willing to testify under oath against Kavanaugh in the sexual misconduct allegations. Trump has gone all out attack mode on the potential victims, claiming they're only saying these things for political reasons. Brett Kavanaugh later went on Fox News to tell the world he couldn't have been guilty of sexually assaulting women in high school and college, as he was a virgin during that time, and for many years afterward. Proud moment. It was then revealed The Virgin Brett Kavanaugh's yearbook is full of notes alluding to sexual conquests of women throughout his high school days (9/24)
2 Tuesday) Showing this entire process is a sham, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley and the rest of the Senate Republicans are showing their Trump loyalty when it comes to Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh. They've decided the optics of them questioning Dr. Christine Blasey Ford will be bad, so they're bringing in an outside prosecutor from Arizona to ask Dr. Ford about her sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. They've forfeited the job of their own committee because they're afraid to cross examine the victim, Ford. They've outright refused to meet with the second person claiming Kavanaugh sexual misconduct. Senate Republicans have already planned on a Judiciary Committee vote for Friday, meaning they really don't give a rat's caboose what Dr. Ford has to say anyway. (9/25)
2 Wednesday) Trump Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh did not have a good day. It started out with Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti presenting a third accuser of sexual misconduct, whose allegation hints at Kavanaugh being present at a 'gang rape.' Then a fourth victim was revealed, one accusing Kavanaugh of slamming her against a wall in a sexually suggestive way, outside of a Washington DC bar in 1998, well past his school days. A 5th person came forward claiming Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her on a boat in Newport, Rhode Island when he was 20, but soon afterward recanted her story. Every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has formally requested Kavanaugh withdraw his nomination. (9/26)
2 Thursday) The testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and the rebuttal from Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could not have gone worse for Trump, Kavanaugh and the Republicans. Dr. Ford's testimony was straight forward, honest and believable, and without a doubt opened up the door for the question of why no FBI investigation has been conducted. The GOP's prosecutor, Rachel Mitchell, asking questions of Dr. Ford while the white male Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee all hid behind her, tried to catch Ford up, but failed spectacularly every time. Trump apparently was fuming in the White House at Dr. Ford's testimony, because she sounded credible. When it came to Kavanaugh's rebuttal, he was a short tempered, angry, interrupting mess, displaying the exact behavior Dr. Ford and others have accused him of. He also engaged in conspiracy theories, blaming this mess on a scheme by the Clintons, a fact which points to undeniable bias, a character flaw which should disqualify him from the Supreme Court. Most experts feel as if it would be suicide for the Republicans to try to vote Kavanaugh through without at least an investigation into Dr. Ford's story, and many have said the only safe path for the GOP is to withdraw Kavanaugh. (9/27)
2 Friday) In a day of partisan wrangling, with Republicans claiming sexual assault allegations against Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh didn't matter, that it was the Democrats refusing to do everything the Republicans told them to do who were forcing their hand to NOT investigate Kavanaugh's past(???), and with Democrats calling out the Republicans clearly flawed process, even staging a walk out at one point, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Brett Kavanaugh to the full Senate for a vote. But that's when thing got interesting. Many analysts don't believe the Republicans have the votes in the Senate to get Kavanaugh confirmed, but added Republicans are concerned he might not get a vote at all, hence their urgency. Then Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican who has butted heads with Trump, who'd been verbally attacked in the Capitol by victims of sexual assault for his reluctance to act, demanded a seven day hold be put on a Kavanaugh vote while the FBI conduct a quick review of the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford allegations against him. Flake was quickly joined by another GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski in the demand to be thorough. After a closed door session with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a reluctant Republican leadership put forward a request for a limited review of Dr. Ford's allegations of Kavanaugh by the FBI. Trump, reportedly furious with Senator Flake, reluctantly agreed to the review. (9/28)
2 Saturday and Sunday) If you think Trump was going to have an honest investigation into the sexual assault claims against Brett Kavanaugh, think again. Trump has put forward an extremely limited review of the Kavanaugh case, listing a myriad of things the FBI can not investigate, including ANYTHING to do with the third accuser, Julie Swetnick's claim of a gang rape allegation, or certain elements of Kavanaugh BFF Mark Judge's time as a grocery-bagger, a fact which would help set up a timeline of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegation. The FBI is also forbidden from talking with many of Kavanaugh's class mates from his school days. When Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about the limiting of the FBI's investigation, she initially avoided answering if the White House had put up limits, saying Trump wasn't micro-managing. She then insisted the FBI investigation should not be a witch hunt into Kavanaugh, and insisted if everyone wasn't questioned by the FBI it was really the Senate Republicans fault. It's also reported Dr. Christine Ford has not been called by the FBI. Experts speculate they might be reluctant to talk to her as that could put Kavanaugh into a position of lying to the FBI. (9/29, 30)
1) Last month, buried deep in a environmental impact statement, the Trump Administration made a shocking admission: The Trump administration is pegging global warming, on it's current course, to make the planet 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) warmer by the end of this century. If this is true, a lot of life on this planet will start dying off within 100 years (that's not an opinion. Read Mark Lynas' exceptional book 'Six Degrees.' A lot of life on Earth will cease to exist at such a temperature increase). Here's the INSANE part of the Trump Administration's admission. As opposed to point this out as an argument to immediately halt green house gas emissions, the Trump Administration is actually arguing we've screwed up the planet so much, to a point where we can't stop the inevitable die off of many living things, hence there's no need to enforce federal fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks built after 2020. Not only is this admission being used to justify a potentially pathetic small victory for the Trump Administration, it begs we ask the question what the hell is wrong with you people?!? Why the hell aren't we trying to stop a massive global die off in the next 100 years, a massive global catastrophe you now admit WILL happen?!? The White House, when reached, refused to comment. (9/30)
The reason the Trump climate change admission is higher than the week long colossal Kavanaugh freak show is simple. Kavanaugh even if he is confirmed, if only on that bench for a few decades. The Trump Administration is admitting the world is about to see a change which will lead to the deaths of billions of people, not to mention much of the rest of the life on Earth. Scope and magnitude should factor into the placement.
Once again, there is no guarantee ANY Democrat will win squat in November. If you want a Blue Wave to happen, then you need to act. Help Democrats running in toss up districts, or in districts currently held by Republicans! Make a donation! Door knock! Make sure your friends, family and neighbors are all registered to vote!
If your state offers early voting, then go vote now, and then you are free to help others get to the polls on election day! If the Democrats don't win in November, I fear the America we know and love will cease to exist.
The next Countdown is in two weeks. #2018IsEverything! Peace...
FYI - Due to me having a large commitment this weekend, there won't be a list next week. I'll be back at mid month with a countdown for the week of 10/8.
20) The European Central Bank has done an extensive analysis of Trump's trade policies and has determined the US has FAR more to lose when compared to China in a prolonged trade battle. Trump said trade wars are easy to win, but the ECB stated "estimates...suggest the US's net export position would deteriorate substantially...US firms will invest less and hire fewer workers." They added growth in the US would be cut by at least 2%, wiping out most economic expansion forecasts. China on the other hand will gain from being able to export into countries where there are already tariffs on Ameircan products. The ECB did make this sobering admission; A trade war would be bad for everyone in the long run, as global trade would decrease 3%, due to Trump. (9/26)
19) Rob Goldstone, the music publicist who set up the infamous Trump Tower meeting, might have just exposed Trump son in law Jared Kushner as lying about the meeting. Goldstone, recalling the meeting, stated they "all" stayed for the entire meeting and "all" left at the same time. Kushner is on record stating he though the meeting was boring, got confused, and left the meeting early. Goldstone has already testified he feels there's no way Trump didn't know about the meeting. (9/25)
18) It's discovered there is another reason Trump should be fearing a potential Democratic take over of the US House. There is a 100 year old statute which allows the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee to examine anyone's tax returns, including the President. This statute has been used before, under Nixon, when lawmakers revealed he had underpaid his taxes by $500,000. Democrats have stated they are aware of the statute and would contemplate using it. (9/29)
17) Trump was sweating like a pig at a speech to supporters in West Virginia when he broke into a completely fabricated made up history of the Democratic Party, or as he insisted, The Democrat Party (because Republicans think saying it like that infuriates the Democrats...I know). Facts-challenged Trump seemed to be pulling his history lesson out of his caboose, as a simple fact-check proved everything he said was a lie. He also claimed he and North Korean despot Kim Jong-un "fell in love" after overcoming their differences, after Kim "...wrote me beautiful letters..." (9/29)
16) In 2016, Trump went on a rampage when he found out his campaign had to pay for the transition team. In a story in the Guardian, Trump called former transition point person Chris Christie and former campaign manager Steve Bannon to a meeting to scream at them about how they were stealing his money, adding "what the F*** is this?" When they tried to explain the law to him, he said "F*** the law! I don't give a F*** about the law. I want my F***ing money." His plan was to shut down the transition office, a unique move to say the least, but he decided against it because he was afraid the media would make fun of him for doing so. (9/27)
15) Trump's Director of FEMA is in real big trouble. Brock Long used $151,000 in tax payer dollars to get himself chauffeured around, a luxury he's not entitled to have. He had the chauffeur when he was on vacation in Hawaii and at his home in North Carolina. The expenses were never authorized. Then one of Long's aides, Keith LaFoucade, destroyed the evidence detailing the chauffeur in an attempt to cover up the expenses from further investigation. (9/26)
14) White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders proved exactly how dumb she is. Sanders insisted Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh deserved an up or down vote, just as "every single" SCOTUS nominee has gotten. It took less than one second for everyone to say 'Merrick Garland.' She hasn't responded to requests for clarification on her statement. (9/25)
13) ***SPOILERS*** Trump, apparently tired of hauling foreign leaders into his rants against accusers claiming sexual misconduct against his SCOTUS nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, decided to have a press conference at the UN, and it was a doozie! He implied he didn't understand how the 25th Amendment worked, the Amendment which allows his cabinet to remove him from office, an Amendment numerous White House staff have mentioned talking about. He then claimed former President Obama was going to go to war with North Korea during his term, offering nothing to back up the claim. CNN's Jim Acosta called Trump out for not taking any questions from female reporters, and when Trump finally did, he kept interrupting them, telling one she went too long and for her to sit down. He discovered there was a Kurdish reporter in the press corps at the UN, and referred to him as "Mr. Kurd." He claimed George Washington himself would not be confirmed by the Democrats in the Senate if he was up for a Supreme Court seat, but then himself acknowledged former President Washington might have a issue getting appointed today. Trump then screwed that up by attributing former President Jefferson's affairs to Washington (I'm sure the whole slave owner issue would be a non-starter for both of them today). Trump also claimed only 4 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. More than a dozen women have formerly accused him. (9/26)
12) A federal judge says a lawsuit against Trump can move forward. The lawsuit, filed by 200 Congressional Democrats, states Trump is undeniably violating the Constitution's emoluments clause by doing business with foreign governments through his hotel properties. He's technically taking checks for foreign states, a big no-no. (9/28)
11) The Trump Administration is vigorously fighting to prevent Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from having to give a deposition explaining his decision to ask a citizenship status question on the 2020 US Census. The lawsuit filed by numerous State Attorney Generals was granted the deposition, but the US Justice Department is trying to prevent them, stating the US Supreme Court needs to weigh in on the matter. They're also trying to prevent the deposition of another Justice Department Official, John Gore, who helped craft the question. (9/30)
10) Trump went to speak at the UN on Tuesday and it led to one of the most embarrassing moments of his term. He stated "In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of the county." An awkward silence followed. He added "so true." The entire UN erupted into mocking laughter. Trump then went on to brag, to the UN, about the stock market and the US economy. Later in the speech he attacked Iran, right after making compliments about the Iranian President on Twitter. Trump finished his UN trip, talking with the press after the speech, aggressively attacking Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh's second accuser, calling her drunk. Another proud USA moment on the international stage. (9/25)
9) Conflicting reports surfaced around Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The first report stated Rosenstein verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly, but a conflicting story emerged reporting Rosenstein didn't resign, but had only stated he felt he was about to be fired by Trump. A meeting had been set up between the Rosenstein and Trump, but it was eventually delayed for a week. With Rosenstein's potential removal, Trump's lawyers are already insisting the Mueller investigation against Trump should be put on hold. Later in the day, sources stated Trump was floating the idea of removing Rosenstein, in an effort to get the Brett Kavanaugh scandals off the front pages. (9/24)
8) In what appears to be an attempt to stop losing immigrant children, the Trump Administration and immigration officials have been shipping immigrant children to a tent city in south Texas. The number of immigrant children the Trump Administration was responsible for but has has lost is near 3000. It should be noted, when it comes to Trump Administration actions, there are two different types of immigrant children. The first (A) are the ones ripped away from their parents at the border and placed into baby/child prisons. The ones referenced in this story (B) are the immigrant children who come to the border by themselves, and are placed in a foster care or shelter environment. The Trump Administration has lost almost 3000 of those children. They have no idea where those 3000 children are. It's reported 1600 (B) children have been moved to south Texas, many of them in the middle of the night to avoid media scrutiny, to the town of Tornillo. The conditions in the tent city are considerably worse than in the foster homes and shelters the kids had been kept in. The kids are kept in tents sleeping 20 kids per room. The tent city is not subjected to the same safety and education requirements the previous facilities were required to have, meaning the kids are less safe and are not receiving any education. The Trump Administration hopes to eventually house 3800 kids at this one facility alone. (9/30)
A SIX WAY TIE FOR SECOND PLACE! Each day of the Kavanaugh debacle will get it's own spot, but since they are all part of one monster, I'll call it a tie. Fun fact, it's not the #1 story this week!!!
2 Monday) After allegations of one sexual assault became two more allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a potential 4th victim is getting ready to step forward, and reports are numerous people are willing to testify under oath against Kavanaugh in the sexual misconduct allegations. Trump has gone all out attack mode on the potential victims, claiming they're only saying these things for political reasons. Brett Kavanaugh later went on Fox News to tell the world he couldn't have been guilty of sexually assaulting women in high school and college, as he was a virgin during that time, and for many years afterward. Proud moment. It was then revealed The Virgin Brett Kavanaugh's yearbook is full of notes alluding to sexual conquests of women throughout his high school days (9/24)
2 Wednesday) Trump Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh did not have a good day. It started out with Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti presenting a third accuser of sexual misconduct, whose allegation hints at Kavanaugh being present at a 'gang rape.' Then a fourth victim was revealed, one accusing Kavanaugh of slamming her against a wall in a sexually suggestive way, outside of a Washington DC bar in 1998, well past his school days. A 5th person came forward claiming Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her on a boat in Newport, Rhode Island when he was 20, but soon afterward recanted her story. Every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has formally requested Kavanaugh withdraw his nomination. (9/26)
2 Thursday) The testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and the rebuttal from Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could not have gone worse for Trump, Kavanaugh and the Republicans. Dr. Ford's testimony was straight forward, honest and believable, and without a doubt opened up the door for the question of why no FBI investigation has been conducted. The GOP's prosecutor, Rachel Mitchell, asking questions of Dr. Ford while the white male Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee all hid behind her, tried to catch Ford up, but failed spectacularly every time. Trump apparently was fuming in the White House at Dr. Ford's testimony, because she sounded credible. When it came to Kavanaugh's rebuttal, he was a short tempered, angry, interrupting mess, displaying the exact behavior Dr. Ford and others have accused him of. He also engaged in conspiracy theories, blaming this mess on a scheme by the Clintons, a fact which points to undeniable bias, a character flaw which should disqualify him from the Supreme Court. Most experts feel as if it would be suicide for the Republicans to try to vote Kavanaugh through without at least an investigation into Dr. Ford's story, and many have said the only safe path for the GOP is to withdraw Kavanaugh. (9/27)
2 Friday) In a day of partisan wrangling, with Republicans claiming sexual assault allegations against Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh didn't matter, that it was the Democrats refusing to do everything the Republicans told them to do who were forcing their hand to NOT investigate Kavanaugh's past(???), and with Democrats calling out the Republicans clearly flawed process, even staging a walk out at one point, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Brett Kavanaugh to the full Senate for a vote. But that's when thing got interesting. Many analysts don't believe the Republicans have the votes in the Senate to get Kavanaugh confirmed, but added Republicans are concerned he might not get a vote at all, hence their urgency. Then Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican who has butted heads with Trump, who'd been verbally attacked in the Capitol by victims of sexual assault for his reluctance to act, demanded a seven day hold be put on a Kavanaugh vote while the FBI conduct a quick review of the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford allegations against him. Flake was quickly joined by another GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski in the demand to be thorough. After a closed door session with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a reluctant Republican leadership put forward a request for a limited review of Dr. Ford's allegations of Kavanaugh by the FBI. Trump, reportedly furious with Senator Flake, reluctantly agreed to the review. (9/28)
2 Saturday and Sunday) If you think Trump was going to have an honest investigation into the sexual assault claims against Brett Kavanaugh, think again. Trump has put forward an extremely limited review of the Kavanaugh case, listing a myriad of things the FBI can not investigate, including ANYTHING to do with the third accuser, Julie Swetnick's claim of a gang rape allegation, or certain elements of Kavanaugh BFF Mark Judge's time as a grocery-bagger, a fact which would help set up a timeline of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegation. The FBI is also forbidden from talking with many of Kavanaugh's class mates from his school days. When Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about the limiting of the FBI's investigation, she initially avoided answering if the White House had put up limits, saying Trump wasn't micro-managing. She then insisted the FBI investigation should not be a witch hunt into Kavanaugh, and insisted if everyone wasn't questioned by the FBI it was really the Senate Republicans fault. It's also reported Dr. Christine Ford has not been called by the FBI. Experts speculate they might be reluctant to talk to her as that could put Kavanaugh into a position of lying to the FBI. (9/29, 30)
1) Last month, buried deep in a environmental impact statement, the Trump Administration made a shocking admission: The Trump administration is pegging global warming, on it's current course, to make the planet 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) warmer by the end of this century. If this is true, a lot of life on this planet will start dying off within 100 years (that's not an opinion. Read Mark Lynas' exceptional book 'Six Degrees.' A lot of life on Earth will cease to exist at such a temperature increase). Here's the INSANE part of the Trump Administration's admission. As opposed to point this out as an argument to immediately halt green house gas emissions, the Trump Administration is actually arguing we've screwed up the planet so much, to a point where we can't stop the inevitable die off of many living things, hence there's no need to enforce federal fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks built after 2020. Not only is this admission being used to justify a potentially pathetic small victory for the Trump Administration, it begs we ask the question what the hell is wrong with you people?!? Why the hell aren't we trying to stop a massive global die off in the next 100 years, a massive global catastrophe you now admit WILL happen?!? The White House, when reached, refused to comment. (9/30)
The reason the Trump climate change admission is higher than the week long colossal Kavanaugh freak show is simple. Kavanaugh even if he is confirmed, if only on that bench for a few decades. The Trump Administration is admitting the world is about to see a change which will lead to the deaths of billions of people, not to mention much of the rest of the life on Earth. Scope and magnitude should factor into the placement.
Once again, there is no guarantee ANY Democrat will win squat in November. If you want a Blue Wave to happen, then you need to act. Help Democrats running in toss up districts, or in districts currently held by Republicans! Make a donation! Door knock! Make sure your friends, family and neighbors are all registered to vote!
If your state offers early voting, then go vote now, and then you are free to help others get to the polls on election day! If the Democrats don't win in November, I fear the America we know and love will cease to exist.
The next Countdown is in two weeks. #2018IsEverything! Peace...
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