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The Staff

Trump Demeans Sen. John Lewis, GOP Senator Slams Trump

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It is amazing that Trump has demeaned one of the greatest living civil rights leaders in the United States.

Thankfully a GOP Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) has the courage to call Trump on the carpet.

References:

  1. The Hill, January 14, 2017, Max Greenwood – Lawmakers condemn Trump for attack on John Lewis
  2. NBC News, January 14, 2017, Chuck Todd, Sally Bronston, Matt Rivera – Rep. John Lewis: ‘I Don’t See Trump as a Legitimate President’

The Emoluments Clause and Trump’s Violations

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The Brookings Institute, “Never in American history has a president-elect presented more conflict of interest questions and foreign entanglements than Donald Trump. Given the vast and global scope of Trump’s business interests, many of which remain shrouded in secrecy, we cannot predict the full gamut of legal and constitutional challenges that lie ahead.  But one violation, of constitutional magnitude, will run from the instant that Mr. Trump swears he will “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” While holding office, Mr. Trump will receive—by virtue of his continued interest in the Trump Organization and his stake in hundreds of other entities—a steady stream of monetary and other benefits from foreign powers and their agents.”[1]

The Heritage Foundation, “Article VI of the Articles of Confederation was the source of the Constitution’s prohibition on federal titles of nobility and the so-called Emoluments Clause. The clause sought to shield the republican character of the United States against corrupting foreign influences.”[2]

References:

  1. The Brookings Institute,December 16, 2016, Norman Eisen, Richard Painter and Laurence H. Tribe – The Emoluments Clause: Its text, meaning, and application to Donald J. Trump
  2. The Heritage Foundation, Emoluments Clause – No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Citizens Are Boycotting L.L. Bean for Illegal Donation to Trump PAC

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The Boston Globe, “Some customers vowed to boycott the family-owned company after learning last week that Linda Bean, the granddaughter and heir of company founder Leon Leonwood Bean and a longtime Republican activist, bankrolled a political action committee in her efforts to support Trump.” [3]

L.L. Bean tries to “back-track” allegations.

References:

  1. Yahoo, January 10, 2017, Dylan Stableford – L.L. Bean rebuffs boycott over granddaughter’s big Trump donation
  2. Grab Your Wallet – List of companies suggested to boycott
  3. The Boston Globe – January 9, 2017, Megan Woolhouse – L.L. Bean pleads: Don’t boycott us over Trump donation

Is Trump’s Jeff Sessions A Racist? Is Sessions Lying?

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The Atlantic, “Civil-rights organizations balked when Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, who was rejected for a federal judgeship in 1986 over allegations he made racist remarks, was chosen to succeed Loretta Lynch as attorney general. Sessions’s allies have sought to portray those criticisms as unfair, in part by pointing to his record of filing desegregation lawsuits as U.S. attorney in Alabama. … The Atlantic could not find evidence Sessions filed any new school desegregation lawsuits. Searches of the legal databases Westlaw and PACER found no evidence that any new school-desegregation lawsuits were filed in Alabama’s Southern District by Sessions between 1981, when Sessions became U.S. attorney in Alabama, and 1995, when he became Alabama attorney general, though it is possible that the records exist but are not in those databases. “[2]

References:

  1. The Atlantic, December 7, 2016, Adam Serwer – Did Jeff Sessions Champion Desegregation? – Trump’s nominee for attorney general claims to have “filed 20 or 30” desegregation cases as U.S. attorney in Alabama, but there’s little evidence to support that.

Trump Circus – Attacks CNN

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On January 11, 2017, Trump “tries” to have a legitimate press conference which turned into a “circus”.

These allegations “may” be true?

American Progress, “Given Trump’s reliance on Russian finance for his real estate deals, it was not surprising that he turned to Paul Manafort to serve as his de facto campaign manager during a significant stretch of the presidential race. Manafort is a lobbyist and mercenary political operative with a long and checkered past representing clients, many of whom are nefarious, for exorbitant sums, including important figures close to Putin.”[2]

CNN, “In a fiery exchange between CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Kellyanne Conway, the senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump vehemently denied a report that intelligence officials presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him.”[3]

References:

  1. CNN Politics, January 11, 2017 – Trump shuts down CNN reporter – President-elect Donald Trump refused to take a question from CNN reporter Jim Acosta, calling him fake news.
  2. American Progress, January 12, 2017 – Moscow on the Potomac – Trump’s Worrisome Ties to Russia
  3. CNN, January 11, 2017, Leinz Vales – Anderson Cooper, Trump adviser clash over Russia report

Donald Trump Mocks Reporter Then Mocks Meryl Streep

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The President-elect of the United States “bullying” US citizens.  Shameful!

New York Times, “Ms. Streep’s artful denunciation of Mr. Trump — whom she never mentioned by name — drew applause from many other actors at the Globes ceremony, but also attacks online from the president-elect’s allies, like Sean Hannity, as well as some Republicans, like Meghan McCain, who are critical of Mr. Trump but see Hollywood liberals as only emboldening his supporters.”[2]

References:

  1. US Magazine, January 9, 2017, Kathy Campbell – Donald Trump Slams Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes Speech Calls Her an ‘Over-Rated Actress’ and ‘Hillary Lover’
  2. New York Times, January 9, 2017, Patrick Healhy – Donald Trump Says He’s Not Surprised by Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes Speech

 

Jeff Sessions Doesn’t Deserve the Title US Attorney General

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American Progress, “President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) to be the next U.S. attorney general—the person charged with enforcing the nation’s laws and constitutional rights. Sessions has a long history of opposing rights for people of color, women, and LGBTQ Americans. Here are five things you need to know about Sen. Sessions.”[1]

References:

American Progress,

Trump’s Treasury Secretary – Steve Mnuchin

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The “Swamp” is becoming increasingly populated with a person who was at the center of foreclosures with OneWest Bank.

The Intercept, “OneWest Bank, which Donald Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, ran from 2009 to 2015, repeatedly broke California’s foreclosure laws during that period, according to a previously undisclosed 2013 memo from top prosecutors in the state attorney general’s office.”[1]

Take a look at the actual MEMO (PDF) obtained by The Intercept

References:

  1. The Intercept, January 3, 2017, David Dayen – Treasury Nominee Steve Mnuchin’s Bank Accused of “Widespread Misconduct” in Leaked Memo

OMG! House Republicans Vote to Close the Independent Ethics Office

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It’s like the police investigating the police?  What are the republicans trying to cover up?  Did the “swamp” just get more evil?  No wonder that the ordinary citizen thinks so low of the congress.

Contact your elected officials at usa.gov.

New York Times, “House Republicans, overriding their top leaders, voted on Monday to significantly curtail the power of an independent ethics office set up in 2008 in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail. The move to effectively kill the Office of Congressional Ethics was not made public until late Monday, when Representative Robert W. Goodlatte, Republican of Virginia and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the House Republican Conference had approved the change. There was no advance notice or debate on the measure.”[1]

Shame on Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) proposal.  Virginia, how did you let this happen?

Politico, “In one of their first moves of the new Congress, House Republicans have voted to gut their own independent ethics watchdog — a huge blow to cheerleaders of congressional oversight and one that dismantles major reforms adopted after the Jack Abramoff scandal.”[2]

References:

  1. New York Times, January 2, 2017, Eric Lipton – With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Gut Independent Ethics Office
  2. Politico, January 2, 2017, Rachael Bade and John Breshahan – House Republicans gut their own oversight – ‘Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress,’ Nancy Pelosi says.

You’ve Been Trumped – Synopsis of Film

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Available from Amazon.com

Another instance of stepping on the common person.

Sundance Now, “In this David and Goliath tale for the 21st Century, a group of proud Scottish homeowners take on Donald Trump, as the tycoon prepares to destroy one of Britain’s last stretches of coastal wilderness by building a luxury golf resort. As the locals make their last stand in the face of security harassment, legal threats and the cutting off of water and electricity supplies, director Anthony Baxter is thrown in jail as he seeks out the truth.”[1]

Also available FREE if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Watch the trailer below…

References:

  1. Sundance Now, 2012 – You’ve Been Trumped